Gu Yanxi sat down on the chair with a big sword, "Tell me the details of the matter."
The Sixth Prince organized his words a bit and spoke eloquently, "That day was the birthday of my eldest brother's eldest son. I wanted to go and give him a gift and then come back, but my eldest brother kept talking to me and didn't let me leave with everyone until everyone left. I felt strange at the time, but I couldn't figure out his purpose. When I woke up, I found that I was no longer in my bed. At first, my eldest brother analyzed the pros and cons with me and talked a lot. When my mother was here, she told me not to fight for that position and not to get involved in their affairs. I naturally remembered it, so I declined him politely. Later..."
The Sixth Prince paused, looking down at the soft white cloth that was exposed on him. "Then he had someone do it. He told me that as long as I agreed and wrote a letter to my grandfather as he requested, he would let me go, and he would compensate me as much as he could in the future. I don't know if he really intended to kill me if I didn't agree, but I couldn't involve my grandfather no matter what. My mother made me swear an oath before she died."
Bent on his knees, the Sixth Prince seemed not to feel the pain of the wound. "Brother Yan Xi, you will never guess where my eldest brother imprisoned me. He was so bold that he locked me up in the palace where he lived before he left the palace to build his own residence. Under the nose of my father, I hid under the carriage of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and left the palace. The guard pretending to be me must not survive."
Gu Yanxi could already guess what would happen next. Among the row of carriages, there was probably only one carriage used by the women of the Hua family. In that situation, although women were more likely to be frightened than men, the maternal instinct in women's nature would most likely make them choose to protect him.
The eldest prince's plan is easy to understand. He will first let him go back in full view of everyone, and then bring him out and hide him in a secret place. If something happens, there will be plenty of people to testify for him.
Once the Sixth Prince surrendered and wrote the letter, even if he escaped from the First Prince's hands and complained to the Emperor, the Emperor might not believe it. In terms of closeness, the Sixth Prince, who had rarely appeared in the past two years, could not be compared with the First Prince, who could already share the Emperor's worries and had the support of his mother. If the Emperor believed it, it would be a lose-lose situation. The Emperor would not like a son who easily betrayed him.
This calculation can be considered as a thorough consideration.
Beating someone into submission and then recruiting him for your own use, although this tactic is a bit old-fashioned, it always works. If we don't count the fact that this setup was set up by the fourth brother, the eldest brother's actions seem to be a bit like someone who has achieved great things and does not care about trivial matters.
It's a pity that he used this energy on his own brother.
"Since you escaped under those circumstances, why didn't you go to the emperor with those injuries?"
The Sixth Prince smiled bitterly, "My mother left me with only six people, but there was only one person left by my side at the time. I was not sure I could go before my father, and my eldest brother cleared himself too cleanly. I had no evidence to prove that he was the one who did this to me, and my father... might not believe me."
It's not that he doesn't want to believe it, it's that he can't believe it. The emperor's fatherly love usually comes into play at times like this. Gu Yanxi is almost certain that if this matter is really brought to light, both sides will be punished with fifty lashes, and the Sixth Prince will be completely marginalized.
No matter how he fights against his uncle the Emperor in secret, he can pretend not to see it, but once it is exposed, he will definitely not tolerate it.
"What are your plans?"
"I have no plans." The Sixth Prince raised his lips, his eyes showing the coldness that all the royal princes have, "There are always people who are more anxious than me."
"And then push the Hua family who saved you into an irretrievable situation?"
"I didn't think so." The Sixth Prince sat up straight immediately, and the coldness in his eyes was replaced by eagerness. "Even if I have to show up at that time, I will do it quietly and will never involve the Hua family. Mother said that the Hua family is the most dignified family in Daqing Dynasty. With the status of the Hua family among scholars, as long as the Hua family's character remains, the arrogance of the scholars in Daqing Dynasty will not collapse."
Outside the house, Hua Zhi looked up at the gradually darkening sky. She had no intention of eavesdropping, but she knew that it was the Sixth Prince inside, so she had to guard the door here herself. There were many people and many gossips. Although she trusted the people in her room, there were some things that the fewer people knew, the better.
Mr. Lu is skilled in martial arts, so he might not be unaware of her presence outside. The Sixth Prince's words "Brother Yan Xi" showed that his identity was extraordinary, and Mr. Lu obviously did not intend to hide this from her.
Hua Zhi lowered her eyes. Yes, he had never intended to keep his identity secret. She should have guessed that the man who saved her on the rainy night was Mr. Lu.
But even if she knew earlier, what would happen? Hua Zhi's mouth curled up in self-mockery. Would she have refused his help if she had known the other party's identity earlier? No, she wouldn't. If she had known the other party's identity earlier, she might have used him more thoroughly. After all, she owed him. What difference does it make if she owed more or less? When it's time to pay it back, there is no difference between paying more or less.
The conversation inside continues.
"Although it was the eldest prince who did it, it was the fourth prince who pushed the plan behind the scenes. If your people had gone a little slower, the one who rescued you would have been the fourth prince. By then, I'm afraid you wouldn't have had any say in the matter. Whether you like it or not, after this competition, you will be the fourth prince's man."
Born in the royal family, without the blessing of his mother, even if he had a powerful family outside, he would not be able to survive if he was not smart. The Sixth Prince was obviously not a fool. He understood the twists and turns after a little thought. He was a little angry and a little sad. "I never thought of competing with them."
"You are a royal child. You are born enemies."
"So even if I retreat to the edge of the cliff, they won't let me go as long as I haven't fallen off, right?"
"yes."
The Sixth Prince laughed bitterly, "So, I have to fight just to survive."
Gu Yanxi was unable to comfort him. He was born into a royal family and enjoyed all the wealth and honor, but he also had too many things he was forced to do. People outside the palace wished they could take their place, but people in the situation sometimes preferred to be just ordinary people, at least they wouldn't be neither a father nor a son, nor a brother nor a younger brother, and everyone had to be on guard at first glance.
If Concubine Zhen was still alive, she might be able to protect the Sixth Prince. That intelligent woman saw through it all early on, so she took the initiative to enter the palace as a hostage to relieve the Emperor's concerns about the Sun family.
Unfortunately, smart people are always unhappy and die of depression early.
No, that’s not absolutely true. If it was Hua Zhi, the ending would probably be completely different.
Gu Yanxi looked outside the door, feeling somewhat uneasy. Now that she knew her identity, she wondered if she would blame him for hiding it all these days.
PS: The second update will be late because the plot needs to be smooth.