The scenery at sea was very beautiful.

The two sat leisurely by the edge of the ship, chatting casually while admiring the striking view.

"I wonder how the children are doing back in the palace?"

"I’m not too worried about Chenchen being steady!"

"Henger and Yeye are also grown now, and as princes, as long as nothing major happens, there’s no need to worry too much. But Yue Er... I am uneasy!"

"With the two of us not in the palace, that girl now has her freedom. Who knows what kind of trouble she might stir up!"

Zhao Junyao nodded.

"Indeed!"

"Yue Er is indeed a bit mischievous!"

"But as the only legitimate princess of the Great Chu Dynasty, a little boldness is no harm!"

"With me here, and with Chenchen as her brother, no one would dare to bully her!"

Xia Ruqing wore a look of resigned helplessness.

’Look at him, the doting father strikes again!’

’Probably to him, even if his daughter tore down the roof, he would still think she did it with flair!’

So what else could she say?

Xia Ruqing gave a faint smile.

"Then I’m relieved!"

Her hand instinctively rested on her chest.

There were several bottles of medicine there, all of which she had secretly sent people to purchase, unknown even to Zi Su.

One bottle contained medicine that could render a man impotent.

She didn’t want to die, and even less wanted to be violated. This medicine was more than appropriate.

Another bottle was the Bewitching powder, consuming one pill could send a person into a three-day, three-night slumber, perhaps aiding her chance to escape. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

The last bottle was poison.

Consuming it would lead to a death in one’s sleep, painless and dignified.

The will to survive is human nature, an instinct.

If it weren’t for utter desperation, she would never choose the last option.

However, when the time truly comes to face death, she would not hesitate.

She might be timid, but she had her boundaries.

A breeze from the sea rustled her hair.

Raising her hand to smooth out her locks, Xia Ruqing looked at Zhao Junyao and smiled.

"Emperor, can you tell me about the past?"

Even in death, one should at least die knowing, right?

Otherwise, it’s all so pointless.

Why would Prince Yan and his son lay dormant for so many years, expending a lifetime’s effort in rebellion?

If there were no causes, who would believe it?

Zhao Junyao withdrew his gaze from the distant sea surface and looked back at her.

"You want to know?"

Xia Ruqing nodded.

"Of course!"

Zhao Junyao turned his head to continue staring at the sea, pausing for a moment before speaking slowly.

"These matters begin from the year Prince Yan injured his leg!"

Xia Ruqing quickly sat upright, eyes bright, ready to listen intently.

Zhao Junyao slightly squinted his eyes and continued.

"My father and Prince Yan were both legitimate sons of the Grand Empress Dowager. My father was the sixth among princes, Prince Yan the ninth! Prince Yan was only two years younger than my father!"

"They were similar in age, full brothers from the same mother, both legitimate princes under the Emperor Grandfather!"

"According to the Chu Dynasty’s rule of legitimizing the heir rather than the eldest, my father should become the Crown Prince, inheriting the throne!"

"But as they grew up, the Emperor Grandfather discovered that Prince Yan surpassed my father in both literary and martial abilities!"

"He was even more robust in stature compared to my father!"

"In every way, Prince Yan appeared more capable and suitable to be the Crown Prince!"

"Thus... the Emperor Grandfather began to waver!"

"Although there’s a saying about setting the legitimate over the eldest, there’s no rule specifying whether it’s the legitimate eldest or youngest son"

"After all, both were legitimate sons, and nearly the same age, the position in the Eastern Palace should be for the more capable!"

"So after that, the Emperor Grandfather focused more on grooming Prince Yan!"

At this point, Zhao Junyao paused for a moment before continuing.

"Prince Yan was extremely intelligent. How could he not see the Emperor Grandfather’s intentions?"

"From then on, whether it was studying, reading, or battlefield coming to the field, Prince Yan strived to surpass my father!"

"In fact, he did win!"

"But while Prince Yan worked hard, so did my father. Ultimately, Prince Yan wasn’t overwhelmingly stronger!"

"Establishing him as the Crown Prince was merely the Emperor Grandfather’s idea!"

"Such a slight advantage wasn’t enough to convince the ministers to establish him as the Crown Prince!"

"Just because he was born two years later, should he miss out on the Crown Prince position? He was not resigned!"

"Thus, Prince Yan put in even more effort!"

"Diligently studying and practicing daily, reading till midnight, waking at dawn to practice swordsmanship!"

"Through freezing winters and scorching summers, not a single day out of three hundred and sixty in a year did he falter!"

"He wanted to surpass my father by a lot, to let everyone see that he was more excellent!"

"He was obsessed with becoming the Crown Prince!"

"Unfortunately..."

Zhao Junyao’s eyes revealed a hint of mockery.

"When he realized no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t get what he wanted, he developed a malicious thought!"

"That autumn during the hunt, he secretly had someone tamper with my father’s horse!"

"A mild mishap would see him fall and be embarrassed before everyone, a severe one may result in injury, disability, or even death!"

"No matter the outcome, he would easily benefit!"

Xia Ruqing was utterly shocked upon hearing this.

"How can this be!"

"They were blood-related brothers from the same mother!"

Zhao Junyao sneered sarcastically.

"So what if they are blood-related brothers? For the Crown Prince’s position, Prince Yan could do anything!"

Xia Ruqing further questioned.

"And then what happened?"

Zhao Junyao paused for a long moment before speaking slowly.

"And then... this is what it came to!"

"My father was unharmed, Prince Yan fell off the horse himself, breaking both legs, and became crippled!

Xia Ruqing was thoroughly shocked, unable to recover for a long time.

"What on earth... happened?"

Zhao Junyao was silent for quite a while before suddenly speaking.

"It was my father!"

"My father knew about his scheme and secretly swapped the two horses!"

"And so... it was Prince Yan who ended up losing his legs!"

"By the time Prince Yan discovered the truth, my father had already become the Crown Prince, and everything was settled!"

"His legs were already crippled, and rebellion clearly was of no use, so..."

Xia Ruqing continued.

"So he endured all these years?"

"So on the surface, he pretended to know nothing and didn’t pursue it, actually secretly plotting rebellion?!"

Zhao Junyao nodded.

Xia Ruqing sat there dazed, her mind in disarray.

’No wonder they say there’s no emotion more ruthless than that found in imperial families!’

’When even blood brothers can be so calculative, what about those who aren’t?’

Xia Ruqing was at a loss for words, overwhelmed and unsure of what to say!

Zhao Junyao patted her shoulder.

"Alright, these are past matters of the previous generation!"

"Who’s right or wrong is beyond our judgment!"

"I only know, treason is a crime that eradicates nine generations! Even if it’s my own Imperial Uncle or cousin, it’s unforgivable!"

Xia Ruqing nodded.

"You are right, Your Majesty!"

"The stability of the kingdom and the well-being of the people are what matter most!"

Though the previous emperor was quite ruthless too.

But the bigger fault in this matter lies with Prince Yan!

Why insist on something not meant to be yours?