Chapter 155: Disbelief
The Imperial Prison was permeated with a damp, cold, and gloomy atmosphere, where even the light that filtered in seemed particularly stingy. Only the unceasing candle flames illuminated the path.
When Chu Mingheng saw Prince Wei, he had already been subjected to some torture—a consequence of his own unyielding mouth, insisting on saying things he shouldn’t have. In this light, it seemed he had brought this trouble upon himself.
Prince Wei, disheveled and with his hair hanging loose, was forced to kneel before Chu Mingheng. As he lifted his head, his eyes, filled with venomous hatred, were revealed.
“Do you have anything to say?” Chu Mingheng glanced at him indifferently, his gaze no different from looking at a blade of grass or a cup of tea.
Prince Wei had grown up in the lap of luxury since childhood. When had he ever fallen to such a state? Yet, this was not yet a dead end. He still had one last card to play—the private troops he had raised in Shuozhou. Shuozhou was remote; even if Chu Mingheng discovered them and went to suppress them, it would be too late. By then, his private troops would have already marched westward, joining forces with foreign tribes to storm the imperial capital, catching Chu Mingheng off guard!
Thus, Prince Wei glared at Chu Mingheng and grinned defiantly. “Don’t be too arrogant. No matter what, I am still the legitimate Prince Wei, appointed by our late father’s imperial decree. How dare you kill me?”
Chu Mingheng had expected him to say something of substance, but it turned out to be nothing but nonsense.
Seeing him like this, Chu Mingheng chuckled lightly and told him, “The Late Emperor could appoint you, and I can depose you. Your title as Prince Wei is anything but legitimate, for your mother, who brought calamity to the inner palace, is the greatest sin of all.”
At the mention of Wen Shi, Prince Wei’s expression twisted slightly, filled with disdain.
He recalled something and looked at Chu Mingheng with a meaningful gaze. “Aren’t you curious about how that blank imperial decree came to be?”
At this, Chen Kangan, standing behind His Majesty, felt his heart tremble with fear. Matters of imperial decrees were the affairs of the Late Emperor.
Chu Mingheng remained expressionless, waiting to hear what he had to say.
“Although our late father ordered Wen Shi’s execution, before that, Wen Shi—my birth mother—was the most favored woman in the entire palace. Do you truly believe our late father knew nothing? What a joke!”
“That imperial decree was bestowed upon Wen Shi by our late father! Even if he knew my birth mother was not a virtuous woman, he still gave her this life-saving token!”
“What do you think your mother amounts to? What does Empress Dowager Jingwen amount to? Hahaha—my birth mother was the one who truly held our late father’s favor. How pitiful your mother was, thinking our late father cared for her—what a pitiful woman!”
“And you—you are also a pitiful wretch.”
As Prince Wei uttered his final words, he laughed wildly, looking at Chu Mingheng with contempt.
Chen Kangan stood behind, trembling and not daring to utter a word. Matters concerning the Late Emperor and the current Emperor were already tangled like a mess of hemp. Prince Wei truly had no regard for his life, daring to provoke His Majesty with such words even in this situation…
Listening to these words, Chu Mingheng calmly scrutinized Prince Wei, watching as his expression gradually tightened. Only then did he speak. “Do you know why I was able to ascend smoothly from the position of Crown Prince to the throne?”
Prince Wei stiffened and remained silent.
“It is because I have never trusted others.” Chu Mingheng sighed leisurely. “Nor have I ever trusted the Late Emperor.”
Prince Wei’s eyes widened in shock as he stared at Chu Mingheng. He said he didn’t trust the Late Emperor—since when? Or had he never trusted him at all?
“Impossible…” Prince Wei seemed unable to believe that someone so young could possess such profound cunning, murmuring in disbelief.
“Rest assured, I will naturally reunite you with your birth mother underground. Before that, there is one more matter I must inform you of, lest you spend your days worrying and foolishly clinging to hopes of survival.”
Chu Mingheng never left room for others’ hopes, and toward Prince Wei, he was especially intent on extinguishing any remaining illusions.
“The private soldiers you raised in Shuozhou—I have had them all executed. They were loyal soldiers; following their foolish master into the underworld, they will surely serve you with utmost devotion.”
Wh… what?
Prince Wei could not immediately process the words. It was only when he saw Chu Mingheng rise to leave that he suddenly realized his last chance for a comeback was gone.
Chu Mingheng reached the prison door. Behind him, Prince Wei struggled violently, trying to rise, and shouted loudly: “Chu Mingheng! You harm your own brothers—you disgrace the throne! In the underworld, I will personally accuse you before our ancestors, you unkind and merciless ruler—”
“Chu Mingheng—”
The voice gradually faded away.
Chu Mingheng’s steps did not pause for even a moment. His expression remained unchanged, as if he had not taken Prince Wei’s words to heart at all.
Exiting the Imperial Prison, the sky outside had already darkened.
Chu Mingheng paused his steps and asked the person behind him, “What time is it?”
Chen Kangan immediately replied, “Your Majesty, it is almost the hour of Xu.”
“Hmm, return to Yilan Hall.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Upon boarding the Imperial Carriage, Chu Mingheng lightly pressed his forehead and ordered it to stop.
“Your Majesty?”
That inexplicable headache began to encroach upon his thoughts once more.
Chu Mingheng ordered the carriage to change course to the Imperial Study.
Chen Kangan was taken aback and instinctively asked, “Your Majesty, at Yilan Hall… Her Ladyship has likely already ordered the evening meal to be served.”
“Go and inform her that matters before the Imperial Presence are pressing, and Guifei need not wait.” Chu Mingheng’s voice carried a faint weariness, yet his tone brooked no argument.
“Yes, Your Majesty…” Chen Kangan glanced at a young eunuch behind him, signaling him to report to Yilan Hall.
Before the young eunuch could set off, the Emperor spoke again: “You go. Be sure to explain clearly to Guifei that I am unable to attend due to pressing affairs.”
Ah?
Chen Kangan was puzzled, but since His Majesty had spoken thus, he could only assent and hurriedly made his way toward Yilan Hall.
Inside Yilan Hall, as the evening meal was brought in and the Emperor had yet to arrive, the palace servants below grew increasingly uneasy, recalling the commotion in the hall when His Majesty had left earlier.
Had His Majesty and Her Ladyship quarreled again?
Lan Wu herself was not anxious. She listened with great interest as Aunt Dan Shan recounted stories of Chu Mingheng’s childhood, so engrossed that she lost track of time.
Only when a servant reported that someone had arrived from the Imperial Presence did she look up.
Seeing Chen Kangan enter without Chu Mingheng, she immediately guessed the Emperor’s intention.
“Your Ladyship, His Majesty is occupied with state affairs. He just visited the Imperial Prison and is now rushing to the Imperial Study. His Majesty instructed that Your Ladyship should dine first and not wait for him.”
Lan Wu was somewhat annoyed and bluntly exposed Chu Mingheng’s intention: “His Majesty is avoiding me.”
Oh dear, Chen Kangan’s expression changed; these were words he dared not hear.
He quickly bowed even lower and said, “How could you say that, Your Highness? His Majesty is truly overwhelmed with state affairs…”
Lan Wu gave a light, cold laugh, glanced at the sky, and said slowly, “Since His Majesty is so busy with state affairs, I won’t disturb him any further.”
“Lian Xi, once Eunuch Chen leaves, close the palace gate. Do not let anyone in. The night wind is cold, and I fear catching a chill.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”