Chapter 194: Gentleman

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How could things turn out like this?

In the early morning, Ye Shuo looked at the prince lying there quietly, his mind was blank, he didn’t even know how all this happened.

Ever since the Second Prince reported the Crown Prince for forming a clique and engaging in private activities ten days ago, and his officials kept the locust plague a secret in order to protect their positions, causing the people in Yeling and Xianghu to be starving and living in misery, Ye Shuo has been busy ever since.

Just as the Second Prince thought, after something like this happened, Ye Shuo naturally could not continue to protect the Crown Prince. Otherwise, where would he put those suffering people?

Ye Shuo couldn’t do such a thing. The only thing he could do was to help the prince to remedy the situation.

Ye Shuo went to great lengths to order his men to transport grain from Lucheng at full speed, regardless of cost, to relieve the urgent needs of Yeling and Xianghu.

The businessmen surnamed Hu and Gu were naturally Ye Shuo’s subordinates.

Ye Shuo has been selling so much liquor to Beiting for many years, so he naturally has a lot of caravans under him. The merchants named Hu and Gu are two of them.

Fearing that the target would arouse suspicion if it was too large, Ye Shuo went through a lot of trouble to get these 300,000 dan of grain over. This was enough to feed the disaster-stricken people in Yeling and Xianghu for two months. With these two months, the grain from the imperial court would naturally be delivered, and the crisis in the two places would be resolved smoothly.

Since October 3rd, the day the crown prince was deposed, Ye Shuo has been trying to contact people and has come to see the crown prince every day.

At that time, the prince’s condition was already very wrong. Ye Shuo saw it and was anxious. He kept persuading him to wait a little longer. Maybe things would turn around?

Ye Shuo just thought that after making up for the mistakes, everything would be fine. He never thought that the prince would take such a step.

Ye Shuo still remembered that when he came last night, the prince was still fine. How come he was gone when he woke up this morning?

What Ye Shuo didn’t know was that the reason why the prince was so calm was not because the crises in Yeling and Xianghu were resolved, but because he had already made up his mind to die.

A dying person’s heart is naturally extremely calm, and nothing can stir up waves in his heart anymore.

Even after eating the last barbecue with Ye Shuo, when Ye Shuo was leaving, the prince specifically reminded him: “It’s getting cold, remember to put on more clothes.”

Who would have thought that our meeting yesterday would be our final farewell.

Ye Shuo raised his trembling hands and tried to check the prince’s breathing.

No.

No.

Still no.

Ye Shuo only felt a bone-chilling chill rising from the soles of his feet. For a moment, he froze there, unable to move, his mind filled with the scene of the first time he saw the prince.

The boy was as gentle as jade at that time. Ye Shuo still remembered how helpless he looked when he hugged him.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“Third brother, please don’t do this…”

When the imperial physician and Yao Zhi heard the noise and rushed over, they also gasped when they saw this scene.

When Yao Zhi’s gaze met Ye Shuo’s panic-stricken eyes, her heart trembled.

After seeing her, Ye Shuo almost didn’t hesitate and spoke instinctively: “Please, save him.”

At this moment, Ye Shuo seemed to have grasped the last straw.

Yao Zhi naturally didn’t want to disappoint him, but… but the prince had been dead for a long time, his body was cold, and even if a great immortal came, he would be powerless.

Wrapped in his expectant eyes, Yao Zhi felt powerless: “I’m sorry…”

The string that was tense in Ye Shuo’s heart finally broke.

But he couldn’t fall down now. Ye Shuo’s body swayed slightly, and the next moment, he grabbed the bedpost next to him in time. When the slight dizziness in front of his eyes subsided, he gritted his teeth and let go.

There is still the level of cheap dad that I haven’t passed yet.

Although my stepfather demoted the prince to a commoner, besides being disappointed, he was also worried that this incident had caused too much trouble. If he didn’t do this, he would not be able to stop the people from gossiping about it.

That’s why we say that the Second Prince’s move was truly amazing, making it impossible for Emperor Jingwen to be partial to him.

Ye Shuo couldn’t help but think of what Mei Yingzhuo had said before. The last time the assassin came for his cheap father, the assassins kept coming and finally stabbed his cheap father in the lower part of his heart and successfully injured his heart meridian.

Although the external injuries have healed now, I still cannot be too sad or angry, otherwise it will hurt my body.

If he knew…

Ye Shuo couldn’t help but look at Yao Zhi who was standing beside him: “Do you still have the Heart Protection Pill?”

This matter is already unavoidable, Ye Shuo can only make preparations in advance.

Upon hearing this, Yao Zhi hurriedly took out two pills from her sleeves.

This medicine was brought out by Yao Zhi from the valley. Afraid that she would be implicated if something bad happened, Ye Shuo opened the box. After the imperial physician checked it, he took the imperial physician to his stepfather’s residence.

On the way, Ye Shuo’s mind was in a mess and he really didn’t know how to talk to his cheap father.

Just as he was about to step into the courtyard where Emperor Jingwen was, the prince’s attendant, Mo Shu, who had been silent all this time, suddenly stopped him and handed him a letter in his arms.

“This is what His Royal Highness the Crown Prince left for you, the Ninth Prince.”

Ye Shuo couldn’t help but stop.

He quickly opened the letter, and then the prince’s handwriting came into view. Ye Shuo had no idea how many times he had seen it when he was in the East Palace. The Grand Tutor always compared his handwriting with the prince’s. But now the prince’s handwriting was just like him, no longer vigorous and green, but full of gloom.

This majestic palace is indeed the most murderous place.

“My ninth brother, I am writing to you personally: As for the matter of Xiang Hu & Ye Ling, I know that I have committed a grave sin. I am ashamed to face the world. I feel ashamed of the teachings of the Grand Tutor and the grace of the Emperor. The only way I can thank the world is to die.”

What if the two merchants Hu and Gu later donated grain to make up for the shortfall? Could the dead people be resurrected?

The prince had never thought that his small action could cause such a big storm. What he had done in the past few years, every time he thought about it at night, even he felt disgusted.

I’m afraid that in the eyes of others, he has long been filthy, covered in mud and can’t be washed clean. Where is the attitude of the crown prince?

But despite this, he still couldn’t keep his position as the crown prince. I’m afraid that in the eyes of others, he, the crown prince, has long been a joke. What’s the difference between his behaviour and that of a clown?

From the glorious crown prince to the useless person now, the crown prince is really unbearable. Just thinking about it makes him feel disgusted.

In addition, at this point, the prince felt that he had no hope of turning things around, and only death could protect the many children and concubines in the Eastern Palace.

The crown prince knew that he was no longer able to resist, and his father extremely disliked him. The prince had no choice but to risk his life to win the last bit of sympathy from Emperor Jingwen.

Perhaps only by taking this life can I reawaken the remaining kindness in my father’s heart.

To this day, the prince no longer has any bargaining chips in his hands. No matter from which perspective, only when he dies can everyone live comfortably.

Forced by circumstances, the prince had to die.

“Yes, the child is innocent.” Before the prince died, he was particularly reluctant to let go of the Crown Princess of the Eastern Palace, who also had several children. Daughters would be fine, and no one would make things difficult for the princesses, but the same could not be said for the emperor’s grandsons.

Everyone is eyeing the Eastern Palace, and the Crown Prince has no one to trust, so before he dies he can only leave his orphan to Ye Shuo.

“I hope that my ninth brother will help me take care of Ye Xun for the sake of our brotherhood.”

What the prince is most worried about is his own legitimate son.

Ye Xun has just turned sixteen. The situation of the Eastern Palace has been bad in the past two years, and Ye Xun’s marriage has not been decided yet. But the prince will never see that day.

With a “plop” sound, a drop of water finally fell on the letter paper.

“…You really know how to cause trouble for others!” You can’t let people rest in peace even after death!

Touching his face randomly, Ye Shuo couldn’t help but curse.

After folding the letter and putting it back in his arms, Ye Shuo took a deep breath and said, “I received the letter. There is no need for him to remind me. I will protect Ye Xun after returning to Shangjing.”

After all, Ye Xun was raised by Ye Shuo, so naturally he would not let him be bullied.

After hearing the Ninth Prince’s assurance, Mo Shu couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.

Although the Ninth Prince behaves in an absurd manner, he is the one whose words count the most among all the princes.

“I, the servant, would like to thank the Ninth Prince on behalf of my master.”

“No need.”

Ye Shuo paused for a moment and asked again: “Besides this, Third Brother…did he say anything else before?”

This… naturally exists.

Mo Shu lowered his eyes: “The master said that he was sorry for you, for letting you see his unbearable side.”

Among the people in the world that the prince was ashamed to face, one was Ye Shuo.

The prince felt a little sorry that he knew all this.

Ye Shuo tried hard to hold back his tears: “What else?”

Mo Shu added: “Also, the master said that he once wanted to be a gentleman.”

But it is difficult to be a gentleman. In the end, he took the wrong path and ended up like this.

Mo Shu will never forget the sad and resentful expression on His Highness’s face under the bleak moonlight.

The prince was unwilling to accept his fate, but no matter how unwilling he was, it had now disappeared with his death.

The moment the words fell, the atmosphere around them suddenly became quiet.

Mo Shu had to remind him, “Your Highness, the Emperor is about to get up, and I should leave. I have said everything I need to say, and I will take my leave.”

Ye Shuo opened his mouth and asked out of the blue: “Can I not leave?”

Ye Shuo added: “Ye Xun hasn’t grown up yet.”

It was Mo Shu who suddenly spoke that year, causing the red pill in the midwife’s hand to fall by accident. After so many years, Ye Shuo still remembers it vividly.

The other person’s face was exactly the same calm as the prince’s last night. What else did Ye Shuo not understand?

“As long as you want, I will guarantee your innocence.”

Mo Shu was stunned for a moment, then he shook his head and said, “The little grandson of the emperor has his own servants.” And he was just a servant of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.

“Thank you, Ninth Prince, for your consideration.”

Because of his relationship with His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, Mo Shu kowtowed three times and bowed nine times.

Then, Ye Shuo watched him leave.

Although twenty years have passed, Ye Shuo can still vaguely see the other person’s appearance back then.

After a while, Ye Shuo walked into the courtyard where Emperor Jingwen was, waiting to face his next fate.

But obviously, because of his subordinates, Emperor Jingwen had already received the news before Ye Shuo could speak.