Chapter 177: Chapter 177: 177 Prince Longevity (7)

[Hidden Mission: Please obtain a Good Person Card from Yan Gui to prevent his descent into darkness.]

Chuzheng stood on the third floor of Juyuan Pavilion, having watched a farce unfold. She now looked down expressionlessly at the figure in black robes, gradually disappearing into the bustling crowd below.

Yan Gui…

The name was quite pleasant to the ears.

“Miss.” Lv Zhu came over with tea, “Would you like a sip of tea?”

Chuzheng took the teacup and leaned against the railing, gazing through the curling tendrils of smoke towards the distant and faintly visible magnificent structures.

Yan Gui.

The current Prince Six.

He had no title.

No mansion.

He still resided in an abandoned palace within the Imperial City.

His mother was but a Palace Maid in the Cold Palace, where the late Emperor once demoted his favorite concubine.

During that period, it was Yan Gui’s mother who took care of that concubine.

The late Emperor went to visit the said concubine, but who knew the concubine had a temper and refused to see him.

The late Emperor drank in the Cold Palace, and in his drunkenness, mistook Yan Gui’s mother for that concubine.

Perhaps to spite the concubine, Yan Gui’s mother was brought to serve the late Emperor’s side, used as a tool to antagonize her.

About half a year passed like this, and the concubine was eventually restored to favor.

By then, Yan Gui’s mother was already pregnant, a fact learned by that concubine, who then bestowed an abortion drug.

Yan Gui was fortunate; he was still born.

But as soon as he was born, his mother was strangled to death.

If the late Emperor had not arrived in time, Yan Gui would not have survived either.

The late Emperor entrusted Yan Gui to a concubine who was not much favored, but she too was met with a bitter fate, dying from illness a few years later.

From then on, Yan Gui lived alone.

Perhaps the late Emperor valued brotherly loyalty and righteousness, but within the Harem, he was truly a scoundrel.

Yan Gui was forgotten by such an Emperor.

But not forgotten by that concubine, nor by the children she bore.

From childhood to adulthood, Yan Gui lived under their torment.

His resistance, his stubbornness, only plunged him into more dangerous and humiliating situations.

He stopped resisting.

He resisted with his silence.

Gradually, the bullying lessened significantly.

Because his non-resistance was too boring for those who enjoyed bullying others.

But the seeds of hatred took root and sprouted in Yan Gui’s heart.

He was waiting, waiting to grow up, for his wings to fully develop, waiting for the day he had the power to take revenge.

That concubine is now the Empress Dowager, the mother of the Emperor and Prince Rong.

The Empress Dowager resented Yan Gui’s mother for seducing the late Emperor during her time out of favor, and even giving birth to a son.

Since becoming Emperor, the current ruler did not bestow him a title, nor did he grant him a mansion, leaving him to reside in that decrepit palace, mocked by all.

Once, Prince Rong purposefully pushed him into the water.

Because his mother had been forced to take the abortion medicine, his health had been poor since childhood.

This time nearly cost Yan Gui his life.

Yan Gui plotted to kill Prince Rong but was betrayed by his own subordinates.

Although it did not trace back to him in the end, the Emperor had begun to doubt.

Latter on, Prince Rong framed Yan Gui again. However, by then, Yan Gui had already allied with external officials, preparing to assassinate the Emperor. Prince Rong, used as a pawn, died in that incident.

Of course, in the end, Yan Gui did not kill the Emperor and Ye Yang even cut off one of his arms.

But Yan Gui escaped and began his complete descent… no, his path to rebellion.

He plunged the world into continuous warfare, and the people suffered immensely.

Chuzheng took a sip of tea, withdrawing her gaze from the direction of the Imperial City.

This Ye Yang…

Must be the fiancé that the original subject had hoped for, the Young Master Ye mentioned by Lv Zhu.

Of course, in actuality, there was no set agreement on who the fiancé was, but with Prince Cheng present, it was by default the Miss of their family—the original subject.

Whoever they want to marry, they simply pick…

Why on earth do men get treated so well?!

I refuse to accept this!

“Miss, what are we doing here?” Lv Zhu asked cautiously.

Chuzheng passed her the now cool cup of tea, “Drinking tea.”

“…”

The tea at Juyuan Pavilion isn’t even famous.

Lv Zhu went to make new tea.

Chuzheng moved to the other side of the room.

The front of Juyuan Pavilion faced the bustling street, but the back opened up to a pleasant apricot grove, and further on, a lake.

At this moment, the apricot blossoms were in full bloom.

Chuzheng’s fingertips tapped lightly on the railing as she stood on the high ground, with a clear view of the scene below.

Ye Yang and Cheng Xiao went in one after the other.

Today was the day the original person sought out Ye Yang, only to witness him and Cheng Xiao embracing each other.

“Miss, the weather is still cool lately, be careful not to catch a cold,” Lv Zhu said, as she draped a cape over Chuzheng, following her gaze in surprise, “Isn’t that Young Master Ye? Why is he with… Miss Second?”

Below, Ye Yang and Cheng Xiao said something to each other.

The two were already holding each other, and then they kissed.

Lv Zhu’s face turned entirely red with shyness, and she covered her eyes.

Finally remembering Chuzheng, she muddled her words trying to comfort her, “Miss… perhaps there’s some misunderstanding in this…”

“What misunderstanding?” Chuzheng tightened her cape around her.

“Miss… it must be Miss Second… she has always loved to snatch things from you since she was young. It’s definitely her who must have said something to Young Master Ye!”

“I have no relationship whatsoever with Ye Yang.”

“Miss… don’t you like Young Master Ye?”

The young lady looked calmly at the embracing pair below, “Did I ever say that?”

“No, you didn’t.” How could such a matter be spoken of, but she could tell the Miss had tacitly acknowledged it.

If it weren’t for Prince…

“The marriage agreement doesn’t specify a particular person; both Cheng Xiao and I could be potential matches. Who Ye Yang is with has nothing to do with me, understand?” Chuzheng’s tone was like the wind in March, still carrying a chill.

Lv Zhu opened her lips.

After a long moment, she nodded, half understanding, “Understood, understood.”

Lv Zhu looked down to see several people peeking into the apricot grove, their sly eyes creeping inside.

“Miss, look.”

That group seemed to have spotted Ye Yang and Cheng Xiao and moved over out of curiosity.

They appeared so abruptly that Cheng Xiao, frightened, covered her face, while Ye Yang quickly led her away to safety.

Chuzheng handed a silver note to Lv Zhu, “Give them the silver note, and make sure no one sees.”

Lv Zhu’s eyes widened.

This…

Were the people below arranged by the Miss?

Why would she do that?

Lv Zhu didn’t dare to ask, she simply took the silver note and went about her task.

Chuzheng left the room as several young ladies came out of the neighboring room.

Upon seeing Chuzheng, one of them immediately spoke in a mocking tone, “Isn’t this the little sister from Prince Cheng Residence?”

“Sister Huang, be careful with your words. She is too proud to talk to us,” her companion warned.

“True, we are not worthy of entering her view,” they said, each adding a comment.

The girls taunted Chuzheng turn by turn.

The original owner’s memory contained these few individuals.

To speak of grudges, those were a bit too distant, tracing back to when the deceased Emperor was still alive, at which time the original person was only seven or eight years old.

It was during a palace banquet back then.

On a whim, the deceased Emperor had the children each perform a talent they were good at.

In the end, the original person won first place.

She even received a reward from the Emperor.