This was simply a naked threat!

Yan Weiyi was dead, and Zhang Bo did not dare to speak the truth—this was equivalent to placing two locks on the Crown Prince while throwing away the keys. For his entire life, he would have to live wearing iron chains.

Jinghua glared at him furiously, having heard these words that drove him to the depths of despair.

His eyes vacant, he hung his head and shook it gently…

Jingyi continued speaking: “Now, Father Emperor fundamentally will not believe you. Whatever you say is useless.”

There was a feeling of flaunting about it!

“…”

“The position of Crown Prince was originally yours. You could have simply waited for the day Father Emperor passed away, and you would have naturally and smoothly ascended the throne. But you are as stupid as a pig—you were actually foolish enough to besiege the palace and commit regicide. Simply laughable.”

As he spoke, Jingyi took two steps closer to him, his smile cold, proud, and treacherous as he continued: “Imperial Elder Brother, you should not blame me for being ruthless in my actions. After all, since ancient times, the struggle for the throne has always been a contest among imperial princes—either you die or I perish. And you grew up in the palace from childhood, living far too comfortably. But why could you, Imperial Elder Brother, never grasp the principle of staying vigilant in times of peace?”

Blame me?

Father Emperor has doted on me since childhood. Ministers surrounded me every day. Eunuchs and palace maids followed me day and night.

What the hell did I need to be vigilant about!

I was the Crown Prince!

Jinghua was so enraged by his words that his body trembled. After a long while, his lips finally shook out words: “That I have fallen to such a state today is all because of you, Jingyi. If not for you framing me, conspiring with that old traitor Pan to put me in this situation, why would I be like this?”

“It’s because you yourself are foolish. You can’t blame others.” Jingyi raised his brow, his tone mocking.

“You…”

Jinghua’s chest heaved up and down with rage. His eyes swept to the side and caught sight of a sword on the screen rack. He swiftly drew the sword and thrust it toward Jingyi.

While shouting: “Today I will kill you!”

But unfortunately!

Insufficient strength!

The sword blade was slightly off!

Added to his inferior martial arts skills, Jingyi instead struck him with a palm, seizing the sword from his hand and fiercely throwing it to the ground.

Jinghua was also knocked to the ground by that palm, eating a noseful of dust.

In pain, he cursed loudly: “Jingyi, I will definitely not let you off!”

Hatred to the extreme!

Jingyi smiled, looking down at Jinghua on the ground. “You are now a deposed Crown Prince. If I had not pleaded with Father Emperor on your behalf, you would already be dead. However, there is not much difference between you now and being dead anyway. In any case, you will either wait for death in the Eastern Palace, or Father Emperor will banish you from the palace to fend for yourself and end your life that way.”

His tone extremely sinister.

But Jinghua roared in rebuttal: “Don’t celebrate too early. As long as I’m not yet dead, as long as Father Emperor is still here, sooner or later, I will still be Crown Prince. When that day comes, I will personally kill you.”

“Then let’s see if you still have the life to live until that day!”

Flicking his sleeve, Jingyi directly stepped over Jinghua’s body and walked toward the door. The sharp-eyed guards outside opened the door.

Jingyi’s footsteps paused. He turned back around to look at the utterly disheveled Jinghua on the ground.

He said: “Imperial Elder Brother, today I will give you a lesson. In this world, apart from yourself, even the people closest to you cannot be trusted—even someone who could die for you is equally unworthy of trust.”

So he actually did not even trust his own mother!

Having finished these words, he flicked his wide robe and left…

The door was also fastened shut again!

Jinghua, collapsed on the ground, did not move at all.

Not long after Jingyi left, Jingrong was released.

And the first thing he did upon leaving prison was not to go find Ji Yunshu, but rather to return to Prince Rong’s Manor to wash and change, then directly enter the palace.

Changed from his usual calm and easygoing appearance, at this moment, Jingrong’s thin, cold, handsome face carried an imposing aura. That cold, severe breath refracted from his tightly focused eyes like sharp swords.

Dressed in deep indigo brocade robes draped over his body, his tall, upright figure appeared even more imposing. A pair of silver-threaded, bordered boots trod upon the finest jade porcelain tiles, striding powerfully and swiftly into Fuyang Hall.

He stood outside the door of the inner chamber!

His eyes fixed steadily on the door before him.

Motionless!

He seemed to have stood there for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

Until—

Someone inside opened the door. Two guards emerged with lowered heads and stood on either side of the door. Zhang Quan also came out from inside.

He said: “Prince Rong, His Majesty is waiting for you inside.”

Jingrong nodded lightly and went in.

Inside, Emperor Qizhen had already awakened and was sitting on the bed in a yellow sleeping robe with a piece of brocade draped over his shoulders. He pressed his fist against his lips and coughed a few times.

Jingrong walked before him, cupped his hands, and bowed.

He said nothing!

Emperor Qizhen looked him up and down and asked: “These past days in prison—how was your stay?”

“Very good!”

“Were you wronged?”

“No!”

“Then do you resent this Emperor?”

“Your son does not dare!”

“Do not dare? Then you still resent?” Emperor Qizhen said.

Jingrong’s face showed not the slightest ripple. He replied coldly: “Father Emperor has released your son. How would your son dare to bear resentment? Naturally there is only gratitude.”

Very obedient!

But his tone was like winter ice.

Emperor Qizhen gazed at him. This son had feared him since childhood, bearing the title of father and son, yet clearly conducting themselves as sovereign and subject.

He took a deep breath. “The resentment this Emperor speaks of is not this kind of resentment.”

Oh?

Then what kind of resentment?

Jingrong actually somewhat understood his meaning in his heart.

“Back then, your imperial mother committed an error. Unable to bear her shame and guilt, she ended her own life. This matter also troubles this Emperor’s heart. And what you think in your heart, this Emperor also knows. After all, she was your imperial mother.”

Back then, Jingrong’s imperial mother had poisoned the child in Empress Xunshu’s womb and was confined to the Cold Palace. The next day she went mad and committed suicide.

This was not only a thorn in Emperor Qizhen’s heart, but also a thorn in Jingrong’s heart!

And regarding the matter of Jingrong’s imperial mother, Emperor Qizhen had not mentioned it for many years. That he brought it up today carried a sense of lament.

Jingrong said: “When Imperial Mother committed her error back then, the consequences were hers to bear. Your son understands this point in his heart and does not dare to bear resentment.”

“Truly?”

“Every word your son speaks is truthful.”

What he said was indeed true. He had never harbored resentment—it was just that this incident was a scar he kept hidden and did not wish to expose.

Emperor Qizhen also did not continue this topic.

He only said: “The matter of Chengqing Hall is now clear. The affair has nothing to do with you. That you were imprisoned in the inner palace prison was also Jingyi’s unavoidable measure at the time. This Emperor naturally would not wrong you.”

What, are you going to compensate me now?

Give the kingdom to Jingrong perhaps?

But these words could not elicit the slightest emotion from Jingrong.

Emperor Qizhen continued: “Now that Jinghua has been deposed, the position of Crown Prince cannot remain vacant—someone must occupy it. This Emperor is also old and will die sooner or later. The kingdom must also be handed over.”

His implied meaning was that now that Jinghua’s position as Crown Prince had been abolished, and Jingxian was naturally impossible, therefore, the position of Crown Prince was between Jingyi and Jingrong.