dognovel Chapter 356 Fear
Chapter 356 Fear
Prince Yong tried to remain calm, but fine beads of sweat had already formed on his forehead. He said in a trembling voice, "Father, I... I really don't understand what you mean."
Emperor Wenjing turned around, his gaze like a knife as he shot towards Prince Yong: "Even now, you still want to argue?"
His voice was low, but carried unquestionable authority.
"Your subject dares not!" Prince Yong knelt down with a thud, his heart filled with extreme panic. "Father, you are wise. Although your subject is unruly, I would never dare to do such a treasonous thing."
Emperor Wenjing sneered: "Dare not? Every single thing you've done has been utterly audacious."
He slowly approached Prince Yong, each step heavy. "Do you think I really don't know what you're plotting behind the scenes?"
Prince Yong lowered his head, his nerves taut to the extreme.
The Emperor knew everything he had done, but he didn't punish him openly, which meant he didn't intend to hold it against him.
The fact that this was brought up suddenly at this time must have had other purposes.
With red eyes, Prince Yong knelt on the ground and crawled forward, grabbing the corner of Emperor Wenjing's robe. He looked utterly distraught. "Father, Your Majesty, I know I was wrong. I will never dare to do it again!"
Emperor Wenjing looked down at Prince Yong from his high position, a dark glint flashing across his eyes in an instant.
Then, she gently reached out and helped Prince Yong up, saying, "You shouldn't have tried to scheme against your grandmother. She's so old, how could she withstand such torment?"
Prince Yong wept uncontrollably, seemingly filled with extreme remorse. "Your Majesty, I was blinded by greed and made such a grave mistake. The thought of almost harming my grandmother fills me with immense guilt, and I wish I could atone with my death!"
Emperor Wenjing stared at Prince Yong for a long time with a deep and complex gaze before slowly speaking:
"This time, I will spare you because your mother just passed away."
"Thank you, Father! Thank you, Father!" Prince Yong hurriedly knelt down and kowtowed. "It is all because I have failed to live up to your kindness. From now on, I will be careful in my words and deeds and never disappoint you again."
Emperor Wenjing smiled slightly, "If you can truly wake up, then my repeated protection of you will not have been in vain."
"Xuan'er." Emperor Wenjing stared into Prince Yong's eyes, his tone kind and gentle, "Behave yourself in the future. The court officials are already dissatisfied with you. If you cause any more trouble, I will not be able to protect you."
Prince Yong hurriedly replied, "Yes, Your Majesty, I will certainly not dare to do it again!"
……
When he left the Imperial Study, Prince Yong's legs were weak.
He walked unsteadily out of the palace, not returning to the Yong Prince's residence, but instead having his coachman change course halfway to the Qi Prince's residence.
King Qi had already retired for the night, but upon hearing of his arrival, he rose, donned a cloak, and met him in his bedchamber.
"Ninth Brother, what brings you here so late?"
King Yong entered King Qi's bedroom.
The chill around him was dispelled by the warmth inside the room, but Prince Yong did not feel warm; instead, his hands and feet felt increasingly cold.
He looked at the still sleepy Prince Qi, his voice trembling slightly, "Third Brother, Father knows everything I've done."
King Qi was stunned for a moment before he realized what King Yong meant.
He frowned. "What happened?"
Prince Yong recounted to Prince Qi exactly what Emperor Wenjing had said to him in the imperial study that night when he summoned him to the palace.
King Qi's face showed shock, "You..."
"How could you harm your grandmother just to deal with Yu Wan?"
Whether the Prince of Yong was truly remorseful or not, he looked deeply ashamed. "Third Brother, I was just blinded by anger. I was only thinking about how to ruin Yu Wan's reputation."
"You are truly foolish." King Qi's usually gentle voice carried a hint of anger. "She is just a woman. You could have dealt with her easily. Why resort to such extreme measures?"
Prince Yong lowered his head dejectedly, "Third Brother, I know I was wrong."
King Qi calmed his anger and, seeing that he was shivering with cold, pulled him to sit down in front of the stove. "That's enough. You've already done it, so there's no going back."
"This matter is considered closed, and Father did not blame you."
Upon hearing this, Prince Yong trembled violently.
His eyes were filled with surprise and doubt. "Third brother, do you really think that Father would favor me to this extent just because he loves me?"
King Qi's eyes flickered slightly.
Love?
Did Emperor Wenjing love his princes?
In noble families, there is little father-son affection left; only the weighing of interests matters, let alone in the imperial family.
King Qi fell into deep thought and did not answer for a long time.
The only sound inside was the crackling of the stove fire, which made the atmosphere even more somber.
After a long while, he slowly spoke: "Ninth brother, no one can fathom Father's thoughts. But since he spared you this time, he must have his reasons."
Prince Yong raised his head, his eyes filled with resentment and doubt: "Third brother, I always felt that Father Emperor's actions had a deeper meaning. Although he usually cares for us brothers, how can the father-son relationship in the royal family be so pure?"
"My father knows everything I've done, and I don't know if he has any evidence..."
Once he understood this, Prince Yong felt as if a guillotine was hanging over his head.
Emperor Wenjing must have had another reason for not punishing him; it was definitely not because he cherished this son.
That's why Prince Yong was so alarmed and uneasy.
King Qi sighed softly and tapped his fingers on the table.
“Ninth brother, things have come to this point, there’s no use thinking about it anymore. Since Father has spared you for the time being, let’s go along with his wishes for now.”
King Qi looked up at King Yong, his eyes carrying a hint of warning, "You must be extremely careful in your actions from now on, and you cannot make any more mistakes."
Prince Yong left Prince Qi's residence half an hour later.
No one disturbed him, but King Qi couldn't sleep.
He knew in his heart that Li Xuan's concerns were not unfounded.
Why did the Emperor repeatedly protect Li Xuan? There must be a deeper reason behind it.
The King of Qi, the King of Yong, and many nobles in Shengjing City tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep. On the contrary, Yu Wan slept soundly.
The next morning, she was awakened by an itch in her waist.
She couldn't help but let out a soft hum, groggily opening her eyes. Seeing the man lying beside her, she was momentarily stunned. "You haven't gone to work today?"
The man lowered his head, and whether intentionally or unintentionally, the tip of his high, straight nose gently brushed against her cheek. His cool voice carried a hint of weariness as he said, "I've taken leave."
Yu Wan blinked, not fully awake yet. "Why did you suddenly ask for leave?"
Yun Shang is a workaholic.
Her voice was soft and sweet, with the languidness unique to early morning. Perhaps because the room was too warm, her cheeks were flushed with a thin layer of red.
Yun Shang's eyes darkened slightly.
He reached out and pulled her closer, resting his chin on the top of her head, and whispered, "I want to keep you company."
Yu Wan's drowsiness was startled away by this sentence.
She couldn't help but flinch, and when she looked up, she could only see a section of the man's chin.
Her cheeks flushed slightly, and her heart started beating faster.
Early in the morning, the vixen was deliberately seducing people again.