Prince Lin half-carried Shen Lingshu as he sat down. Seeing her bloodied and mangled arm, he looked at her with pity. “Are you foolish?”
“It hurts~”
Shen Lingshu had expected pain, but not this much. Her brows furrowed tightly from the agony, yet she forced a smile at the corner of her lips. “As long as Your Highness is safe.”
Her bright face looked as if it had weathered a violent storm—delicate, trembling, and utterly pitiable.
“Your Highness Prince Lin, His Majesty requests that you and Concubine Shen return by carriage.”
Eunuch Shun’en led attendants bringing a carriage over.
All the way back to the camp, Shen Lingshu’s lips turned pale from the pain. Truly, not everyone could bear the weight of a life-saving favor.
Perhaps due to the merit of protecting the prince, a physician arrived shortly after they returned to the tent. Prince Lin said, “First, tend to Lingshu’s wound.”
Shen Lingshu, in excruciating pain, quickly interjected, “No, Your Highness’s health is more important.” Having endured the pain all the way back, she could bear this final stretch.
“Imperial Physician Xu, treat her,” Prince Lin ordered. Only then did Imperial Physician Xu bow and begin dressing the wound on Shen Lingshu’s arm.
Qingwu returned with medicine, bringing shocking news: “Your Highness, the white fox has suddenly died. The Emperor is furious and intends to depose the Crown Prince!”
“What?”
Prince Lin was stunned. Earlier in the forest, despite his father’s rage, he had not mentioned deposing the Crown Prince.
He turned back to look at Shen Lingshu, whose wound was still bleeding profusely.
“Your Highness, I am fine. Please go and see what is happening.”
Shen Lingshu spoke sincerely. At this time, Prince Lin harbored no thoughts of seizing the throne and was wholeheartedly devoted to the Crown Prince.
“Hmm.”
Prince Lin acknowledged, then turned to the physician and instructed, “Imperial Physician Xu, Lingshu was injured for my sake. Be careful and thorough—do not let the wound leave a scar!”
“Yes,” Imperial Physician Xu replied. “This humble servant will first attend to Your Highness’s wound.”
His gaze fell on the wound on Prince Lin’s abdomen, which had only been hastily treated and was now bleeding profusely.
“It is of no consequence.”
Prince Lin immediately led Qingwu toward the Emperor’s tent.
“Your Highness, be careful of your wound.”
Side Consort Fang reminded him with concern.
“Side Consort, take good care of Lingshu.”
Prince Lin left this instruction and strode away swiftly, leaving only his retreating figure for Side Consort Fang.
Side Consort Fang slowly entered the tent and watched Imperial Physician Xu dressing Shen Lingshu’s wound. Her gaze was so intense it seemed she could devour Shen Lingshu alive!
Was this woman foolish?
Or was she missing a screw in her head?
The Crown Prince being deposed was a tremendous opportunity!
Prince Lin and the Crown Prince were born of the same mother, both sons of the late Empress. Even though Prince Lin was raised by Consort Rou, according to the imperial records, he was still the legitimate second prince!
With the Crown Prince deposed, whether by legitimacy or seniority, Prince Lin was the most qualified to ascend to that position!
If Prince Lin ascended the throne, she, as his side consort, would at the very least become a consort, or even Empress…
Side Consort Fang’s breathing grew heavier. Her hands clenched tightly, her nails digging into her palms, yet she felt no pain. Her mind was filled only with excitement!
No, she had to restrain herself. She must not let anyone notice.
Side Consort Fang took a deep breath, slowly calming the excitement in her heart. Soon, her gaze fell on Shen Lingshu, who was having her wound dressed. She hadn’t been thrown to her death by the horse, nor had she been mauled by wild beasts. How was her luck so good that she earned the favor of saving a life?
If it were her…
Side Consort Fang fell silent, watching Shen Lingshu’s flesh torn and bones exposed. Did she dare?
…
“I beg Your Majesty to investigate thoroughly. Someone must have set up this scheme to frame my elder brother. If he truly sent assassins, why would they deliberately look toward him? And they certainly wouldn’t carry his personal token.”
“The death of the white fox is even more suspicious. How could it die just as my elder brother encountered trouble?”
Prince Lin prostrated himself on the ground, pleading, “I implore Your Majesty to investigate!”
The Crown Prince, who had been kicked to the ground by the enraged Emperor, snapped back to reality upon hearing his younger brother Chu Cong’s plea for mercy. After being escorted back to the imperial tent, his maternal uncle Duke Xiao and General Li had rushed over upon hearing the news, pleading on his behalf and insisting he had been framed.
The faction of the Third Prince, however, accused him of treason and ambition to seize the throne prematurely. The two sides argued fiercely until…
The white fox, pierced through the head by an arrow, was brought forward. The arrow’s fletching bore the emblem of the Crown Prince’s residence. Seeing the dead white fox, the Emperor flew into a rage and declared his intention to depose the Crown Prince!
General Li and Duke Xiao pleaded for him. The Crown Prince understood clearly—they followed him because if he ascended the throne, they would share in the glory of supporting the rightful heir.
But when his own blood brother Chu Cong pleaded for him, the Crown Prince’s eyes were filled with astonishment.
“The white fox pierced through the head by an arrow is exactly the same as the stag king you shot through the head! How dare you still try to deny it!”
The Emperor’s anger remained unabated as he kicked the Crown Prince again. “Your younger brother risked his life to protect me. And you? Are you just waiting for me to die so you can take my place?”
The kicked Crown Prince smiled bitterly. “Since Your Majesty has already decided that I harbor treasonous ambitions to usurp the throne, anything I say is useless.”
“Your Majesty…”
Prince Lin tried to plead again, but the Emperor cut him off sharply. “Chu Cong, in consideration of your merit in protecting me, step back now. If you plead again…”
The Emperor’s warning, using his full name, was unmistakable.
Prince Lin slowly straightened his kneeling posture, facing the Emperor’s furious pressure and warning, and spoke, “Your Majesty.”
The Crown Prince lowered his gaze. If he were deposed, his own younger brother, Prince Lin, would be the most suitable candidate for the next Crown Prince.
“I believe my elder brother is innocent. He must have been framed.”
As soon as Prince Lin finished speaking, the Emperor, in his fury, ordered, “Guards! Prince Lin Chu Cong has spoken out of turn. Let him kneel until dawn to reflect on his actions!”
The Crown Prince’s astonishment deepened. Chu Cong had risked angering the Emperor to plead for him. Watching Chu Cong being escorted outside the tent to kneel, his eyes grew complex.
“Your Majesty, Your Majesty, are you all right?”
Prince Heng’s voice preceded him as he entered the room, his face full of concern as he looked at the Emperor.
“What are you doing here?”
The Emperor glanced at him. Was he here to plead too?
“I came specifically to see how you are, Father!”
With that, Prince Heng turned and scolded the Crown Prince. “Elder Brother, for the sake of that stag king, you’ve caused your younger brother great suffering. Do you know I almost died?”
Then, Prince Heng lifted his robe to reveal his bandaged wound, lamenting bitterly, “Elder Brother, I can endure it—after all, you’ve never liked me. But how could you send assassins to harm Father?”
“You’re already the Crown Prince. The empire will be yours sooner or later.”
“Father has treated us so well. How could you not wait a little longer, Elder Brother, and instead commit such a treasonous act?”
“Big brother, you’ve truly let your younger brother down. I even looked up to you as a role model!”
“…”
The former Crown Prince had once stood high above all, but now that he had been deposed, Prince Heng was so overjoyed he could hardly hide it. At this moment, he was berating the Crown Prince without noticing the Emperor’s increasingly dark expression!
“Ah…”
As Prince Heng ranted with flying spittle, suddenly, a kick came flying, accompanied by the Emperor’s furious shout: “Get out!”
The Crown Prince had refused to lend a hand in times of trouble, but as his younger brother, Prince Heng was now kicking him while he was down—how was that any better?
“Father.” Prince Heng was stunned by the kick, looking at the Emperor in confusion. He hadn’t done anything wrong, had he?
The Emperor glared at Prince Heng, who was still clueless about his mistake, and his anger doubled: “Kneel outside and reflect on your actions!”
The Emperor grabbed a teacup from beside him and hurled it toward Prince Heng.
As the teacup flew toward him, Prince Heng scrambled out in a panic, obediently kneeling beside Prince Lin. Secretly, he felt a surge of satisfaction: The Crown Prince had finally been deposed!
Glancing at Prince Lin, who knelt upright and rigid, Prince Heng thought with relief: Prince Lin, who has no heirs, could never become Crown Prince, could he?