HLnovel Chapter 172 The Ruthless and Disabled Crown Prince (76)
Chapter 172 The Ruthless and Disabled Crown Prince (76)
The Empress, who had a gentle smile on her face when she saw Ji Shuqin return, suddenly froze when she heard him ask this question.
"Why do you ask that, Qin'er?" The Empress's expression returned to normal, and she responded calmly.
"But what did Min'er say to you?"
She raised her hand, gesturing for Ji Shuqin to come to her side, but Ji Shuqin remained standing still: "What does Mother think Min'er will say?"
"That child, Min'er, didn't grow up by my side. I know he has resentment, but I have no regrets. I'll just accept whatever he says." The Empress sighed, her face expressionless.
"Has Mother never thought of bringing Min'er to her side all these years?" Ji Shuqin pressed.
"How can I keep him by my side? He is the Crown Prince, a position far more prestigious than my own son. Qin'er, you are untouched by worldly affairs and do not understand what the position of Crown Prince means."
The Empress spoke in a low voice, but the meaning behind her words seemed to be blaming Ji Shumin for coveting the prestigious position of Crown Prince.
In the past, Ji Shuqin might not have thought of anything else, but he saw Ji Shumin's appearance with his own eyes and heard what he said, instead of learning about his younger brother from the Empress.
"What does the position of Crown Prince mean to Your Majesty?" Ji Shuqin stared at the Empress, his brows furrowed.
The Empress seemed surprised to hear such a question from Ji Shuqin, but she unconsciously straightened her back a little, looking at her eldest son who was now healthy, refined and had the demeanor of a gentleman.
"The position of Crown Prince means that the whole world will belong to you from now on. No one will dare to disobey your orders, no one can control your thoughts, and the life, death, honor, and disgrace of the world will be in your hands..." The Empress's tone was tinged with a strange agitation.
"The entire dynasty obeys your orders. Even if you are wrong, you are right. Whichever dynasty you wish to overthrow will be swept away in a flash."
The Empress exhaled, her gaze falling on the Buddha statue standing on the altar. She closed her eyes briefly and said, "Amitabha."
Ji Shuqin was not moved by what she said. Instead, he asked, "Min'er is no longer the Crown Prince. As Mother said, he has lost his noble position and fallen to his current state. Why is Mother not worried about him?"
"Such a difference, he must feel terrible if he cares. Why don't you care about Min'er, Mother?" Ji Shuqin slowly clenched her hands behind her back.
"How can I not worry about him?" The Empress twirled the prayer beads on her finger. "I am a hermit and believe that everything has a cause and effect, and cannot be forced. Perhaps it would be better for Min'er if he were to leave the position of Crown Prince."
"Qin'er, do you think I lack a mother's heart?"
"No son."
To Ji Shuqin, his mother was indeed a loving mother, but he was quite confused at the moment.
That day, when he returned to his residence, he pondered Lu Liruan's words many times. He compared himself with Ji Shumin and tried to examine them from angles he had never considered before.
If he were the younger brother, what would he think?
"Qin'er, you are my bloodline. My family are military families. You are still too indecisive. Born into an imperial family, you have no choice in many things." The Empress stood up and patted Ji Shuqin's shoulder.
The infant who was once less than an arm's length tall and sick every day has now grown so tall. Only when the Empress looks at him does the deepest tenderness in her heart emerge.
"Although you grew up in this temple, I have hired renowned teachers to enlighten you and great scholars to teach you knowledge. You are no less capable than my brothers in the palace. You don't need to listen to what they say. How could a child raised by me be inferior to the offspring of those courtesans..."
She affectionately touched Ji Shuqin's face: "Min'er has always been narrow-minded. He is eloquent, so don't let him influence you."
"When I see him again, I will have a good talk with him. You are brothers. Now that he is disabled, he will naturally need your care as his elder brother, Qin'er."
“I can’t take care of him. Min’er is different from me. I am not as good as him in terms of knowledge and insight, nor in terms of how to conduct myself. If he only needs help with his daily life, I, as his elder brother, should do my duty without hesitation!” Ji Shuqin said without hesitation.
"You...you child!" The Empress's voice rose slightly, but she quickly regained her composure under Ji Shuqin's puzzled gaze.
"You're all grown up now, and your mother can't control you anymore. It's time for you to make your own decisions in everything, Qin'er. You have your own judgment now, and your mother should let you be like a long arrow, once the bow is drawn, there's no turning back."
Her last words were spoken softly, it was unclear whether she was speaking to Ji Shuqin or to herself...
Ji Shuqin suddenly felt a sense of blockage that he didn't know how to express. He had come to ask about his younger brother, but in the end, he didn't get any answers. His mother's words were all about him.
But at the same time, this is not the person Ji Shuqin aspires to be or wants to become. He can't explain why he feels powerless and anxious.
Ji Shuqin bowed and took his leave.
Just before leaving, he suddenly stopped: "Mother..."
"What's wrong?" The Empress knelt down again on the prayer mat in front of the Buddha and opened a scripture.
"You say that the position of Crown Prince means that even if something is wrong, it is right from the beginning. But do you think that's a good thing?"
The Empress paused, turning the page.
"If this is for the best, why are we here? Your son knows that children should not speak ill of their parents and should be filial and obedient, but does Your Majesty also think that everything in the past was right for you?"
The Empress's face darkened, and for the first time, she sternly rebuked Ji Shuqin: "Qin'er!"
"Mother..." Ji Shuqin was never afraid; he spoke his mind frankly.
"Go and rest," the Empress said, forcing a calm tone instead of replying.
Ji Shuqin bowed deeply, lifted his foot, and walked with an upright posture.
Standing in the courtyard, the sound of monks sweeping the ground with brooms not far away has been the same for many years. The open and refreshing smell of the mountains and forests seems to wash away the prosperity and noise of the capital city.
Ji Shuqin felt that he was his most authentic and true self when he was here.
Even if he never returned to the palace, he would be content. However, he still wanted to see his father and his younger brother.
Especially for Ji Shumin, the Empress Dowager's attitude caused Ji Shuqin to feel conflicted between his responsibility as an elder brother and his guilt as the one being protected, making him unable to feel at ease.
As soon as I closed my eyes, the image of my younger brother's pale, sickly face and his mocking, restrained expression lingered in my mind.
Ji Shuqin decided to return to the imperial city.
The empress sat silently before the Buddha for nearly an hour before slowly rising, and a figure slipped into her room.
What happened in the palace?
The Empress asked with a solemn expression.
"Your Majesty, when the First Prince and the Third Prince were talking in the room, the Third Prince suddenly fainted. I was left outside by the First Prince and do not know what the two princes said..."
"Perhaps he saw Min'er..." The Empress's expression softened somewhat as she muttered to herself.
"How is His Majesty's health?"
When she asked again, her expression calmed down considerably, as if she had found the reason for Ji Shuqin's change.
"His Majesty is in good health, attends court every morning, and summons his concubines to his bedchamber every other day." The man reported this in detail, not missing a single detail.
"It's good that he's healthy. Keep a close eye on him these next few days, or I'm afraid he's too naive..."
"Yes, ma'am."
These past few days, Ji Shuqin has been on the mountain, and Lu Liruan has been counting down the days.
On the third day, news came again that the emperor was unable to attend court in the morning due to a headache.
Lu Liruan got up early today. The weather is gradually getting cooler. The capital is in the north, and nowadays, the leaves of the flowers and plants in the yard are covered with a thin layer of frost in the morning and evening.
It rained for half the night last night, and Ji Shumin's leg hurt in the latter half of the night. Although he didn't want to disturb Lu Liruan, Lu Liruan's mind was like it had radar installed, and she would wake up at the slightest sound.
Lifting up the leg of his underwear, Lu Liruan saw scars running along his calves.
It's painful to look at from the knee down; I wonder what it was like when I got injured.
I recalled Ji Shumin's casual remark that his leg wasn't broken, but rather completely crushed by the horse, which made my teeth ache.
Under the pretext of applying a hot compress to his leg, Lu Liruan kept reminding him to stop hurting so much. This magic touch was sometimes effective and sometimes not on Ji Shumin.
Lu Liruan figured out a pattern and wondered: Once Ji Shumin was completely free from the fate of death, would her golden finger be able to heal his leg?
Because the injuries that caused his death could not be healed, Ji Shumin's leg injury should only be part of the cause of his death, not the direct cause. According to the plot, Ji Shumin did not die from the aggravation of his leg injury.
If the most direct cause of death has been ruled out, and the leg injury is an injury unrelated to his death, then can it be treated?
Lu Liruan held onto hope.
Lu Liruan felt sorry for Ji Shumin's suffering, but she would not easily change his situation.
Even if Lu Liruan were given an uncontrollable cheat ability, she felt she wouldn't use it easily to restore Ji Shumin's leg.
The various pains and hardships he experienced shaped Ji Shumin into the person he is today.
Lu Liruan still believes that suffering will not bring any benefits, but it will change Ji Shumin, make him Ji Shumin, and change everything. He might not be the person he is today.
Lu Liruan felt that he needed the incredibly resilient heart he possessed now.
Because she hadn't slept much, when she heard the sound of raindrops hitting the leaves outside, Lu Liruan sat up, hurriedly changed her clothes, and went outside.
Qinghe had carefully covered the still-blooming flowers with oilcloth. Seeing Lu Liruan coming over, she said, "Your Highness, why don't we move these flowers into pots and bring them inside?"
Lu Liruan pondered for a moment, then shook her head: "No need. Let's follow the laws of nature. Let it rest in the soil during the winter, and it might grow even stronger next year."
When the news of the emperor's absence from court arrived, Ji Shumin and Lu Liruan were playing chess.
What's on the table is a Go board, but what's being played on it is Gomoku (Five in a Row).
Lu Liruan taught him.
Because I don't know how to play Go.
Ji Shumin had once been interested in teaching her, but Lu Liruan refused with little enthusiasm.
"Do you think you're stupid?" Ji Shumin asked her provocatively, drawing out a long tone as he moved a black stone from his index finger to his little finger.
Lu Liruan smiled and said, "Yes, you're so smart, you guessed right!"
Ji Shumin: ...
Having spent so much time with Ji Shumin, I don't know how well she's learned anything else, but Lu Liruan's eloquence has improved day by day.
"What? There are intelligent people like Your Highness in the world, but there can't be stupid people like me? Your Highness doesn't need to provoke me. After all, with a brain as stupid as mine, I can't understand..." Lu Liruan snorted.
After the two started playing Gomoku, Ji Shumin picked up a piece and blocked Lu Liruan, forcing her to flee across the entire board.
Lu Liruan: ...
I used to think I was just pretending to be stupid, but it turns out I really am.
Ji Shumin actually found it quite interesting, and the two of them would play a few rounds whenever they had nothing else to do.
"Is the eldest prince coming back again?"
Lu Liruan picked up the white pieces and put them back in the chess box, then casually asked.
"Ah."
"The Empress also..."
"Who knows?" Ji Shumin replied dismissively, clearly not happy about mentioning the Empress.
"When will we leave the palace?"
Ji Shumin became interested and, after spending all his time in the courtyard, he investigated everything that was happening outside.
When are there temple fairs? When are there boat tours? Where are the time-honored snack shops? Where are the acrobatic and storytelling performances?
He even wrote it down, which made Lu Liruan a little confused: Which of us wants to leave the palace?
Seeing Lu Liruan's gaze, Ji Shumin shrugged: "Does Liruan think she can steal a few days of leisure?"
After hearing his words, Lu Liruan had one question she didn't ask: How much longer can the Emperor live?
When he dies, is that also part of your calculations?
Ji Shumin had no fatherly affection for the emperor, but Lu Liruan didn't know if he would really send the emperor off on his way.
If he really had this plan, Lu Liruan didn't know how she should react, nor what she would think at that time...
Lu Liruan and Ji Shumin made a small bet, guessing how many days it would take for Ji Shuqin to return to the palace. Lu Liruan bet seven days, and Ji Shumin bet three days.
Then Ji Shumin won.
“Father must be very anxious now, his life is in the hands of others. Even if it’s his son, he’s not having an easy time. He must keep him by his side at all times.” Ji Shumin pulled Lu Liruan to sit back down and said slowly.
"Is Li Ruan willing to accept defeat? Will you make me a sachet, or carve a seal?" He played with Lu Li Ruan's earrings, poking at the dangling pearls until they swayed wildly.
After he had some free time, he actually made several dresses for Lu Liruan by hand and had the ladies-in-waiting tailors make them. Lu Liruan had to admit that they were really beautiful.
Perhaps because they saw each other every day, and because Ji Shumin had a good eye and carefully considered everything, every item he put on Lu Liruan made her look beautiful.
The butterfly hairpin in her hair was also made by him. Lu Liruan returned the hairpin made by Ji Shuqin, so Ji Shumin made her one with the same design.
However, the materials used were better, and the butterflies were more exquisitely crafted. The butterfly wings were made of silk gauze and inlaid on openwork silver wire. They were so beautiful that Lu Liruan dared not touch them too hard.
Ji Shumin carefully dressed her up according to his own wishes.
Lu Liruan sometimes wondered how someone could be so patient and meticulous if they didn't truly love and care about someone.
Even though he had never received love himself, Ji Shumin was someone who knew how to love.
Perhaps it is true love and devotion that don't need to be taught; they will naturally shine through from the depths of one's heart...
Love can nourish a person well.
Lu Liruan sighed and held out her hand to him: "I really don't know how."
"It can be made however you like." Ji Shumin took her hand and squeezed her soft fingertips.