There was a massacre in Fengtian Hall. Threats and temptations were made before the civil and military officials. Zhu Changhong instinctively rejected the plan when Ju Noble Consort coldly outlined her scheme as they took advantage of the princes' conflict.
It wasn't brotherly love or patriotism, but he didn't want his doting father to be heartbroken or people to rampage unscrupulously in the imperial city his father cherished.
But what did his mother say?
She said there would be no more opportunities. She said if they didn't make a move now, they would hand over the realm.
Once the Crown Prince was enthroned, the Crown Prince's residence would take over all rights to assist in governance. Even treason would hardly shake it.
The Ju family had sacrificed so much and even fawned over the Second Prince. This situation was what they had struggled for.
Now he had lost.
The Ju family thought they controlled the guards besieging Fengtian Hall. They tried every means to win over Lieutenant Li Qiang, but Li Qiang was also fawning over them.
It was schemes within schemes.
Zhu Changhong stood in the hall with cold sweat pouring out. He wanted to show some weakness but his mother had taught him to always hide his fears and keep his backbone straight.
So he could only force himself to endure as he watched Li Qiang charge in bloodily and finally kneel before Zhu Changyu, "Your Highness, the Ju family members have been cleared out. The civil and military officials are under control."
Silence fell over Fengtian Hall again.
No one could have imagined Zhu Changhong's rise and fall within a short cup of tea.
They thought the Ju family behind the scenes was the real culprit, but in the end, they made clothes for the Second Prince.
Considering the Second Prince's craftiness and the Fang family secretly supporting him behind Ju Noble Consort's back long ago, it was within expectations.
With Li Qiang's actions, all eyes in the hall gathered there.
The youth half-hidden in darkness finally took off the honest mask he had worn for ten years and revealed the gloominess Chang Yan remembered.
A person crawling out of the mire could not possibly be honest or forget the suffering he once endured.
He had never been able to get into his role despite acting for so many years.
When he closed his eyes, there were beatings and insults, starvation, and endless slaps and stomps.
Despite his noble status, his actual treatment was worse than a dog's.
The imperial city was so cold and no one cared how one lived.
Zhu Changyu took a deep breath. His gaze swept past Chang Yan and finally settled on Zhu Changhong.
This man had taken all of his father's love for his children.
But the real culprit should be the ailing man lying in Qianqing Palace.
"How boring," Zhu Changyu commented.
Because he could neither rebel nor kill his father.
Blood ties were like a large net that didn't support him when he was young but severely restricted him when he grew up.
Fortunately, there was still the Ju family and Zhu Changhong.
He took two steps forward with his face still cold and gloomy but his tone extremely sincere. "I didn't expect Eldest Imperial Brother and Ju Noble Consort to have rebellious intents. Fortunately, I could lend the Emperor Father and Imperial Younger Brother a hand to nip the rebellion in the bud."
You see, this is a scheme.
Ju Noble Consort wanted to take advantage of the Second Prince's headlong rush while the Ju family reaped the fisherman's profits from behind.
On the contrary, the Second Prince schemed against the Ju family to make them a scapegoat while he became the fisherman profiting from it.
It was just a pity his status was too low that he couldn't even use the common "this palace" address of princes and had to use "I" like commoners.
The disadvantage was lacking prestige but the advantage was being approachable.
With a few words, he pulled Chang Yan in and first defined Zhu Changhong's actions as "rebellion" while whitewashing his own actions as "quelling the rebellion".
He who wins people's hearts wins the world. Only the orthodox can ascend the throne.
In terms of craftiness, Zhu Changhong could only be regarded as ordinary while the Second Prince was the real hero.
This was related to their birth but also benefited from experience.
It was just that not many people were willing to gain that kind of experience.
"Imperial Younger Brother," Zhu Changyu spoke again respectfully and gently. "The situation is under control. Please take charge of the overall situation next."
Theoretically, the supervising Crown Prince should handle it after quelling a rebellion.
But who could believe the Second Prince who already controlled the situation would let go of power.
He was just testing whether Chang Yan had backup.
The suspicious were always unable to resist doubt no matter what.
Especially when he himself was the mantis stalking the cicada unaware of the oriole behind so he was even more worried that the Crown Prince would be the oriole killing the mantis.
Chang Yan's mind spun rapidly, not even daring to glance at his siblings for fear of bringing them fatal harm.
He suppressed his emotions and calmly replied, "Thank you, Second Imperial Brother. Then order the guards to clean up the tragedy."
Zhu Changyu did not respond. His gloomy eyes looked over with coldness and met Chang Yan's composure.
At that moment, it was as if time flowed by.
Seven-year-old Zhu Changyu met three-year-old Zhu Chang Yan. The older brother tidied up his clothes as much as possible and quietly walked over to help up his younger brother who had fallen.
He expected to be despised and rejected but unexpectedly received a "Thank you, Second Brother."
He blanked out for a moment and staggered away.
There was no need for thanks, he thought. It should be me thanking you.
But he kept this sentence in his heart for eleven years with no chance to say it out.
"No need for thanks," he finally said it now. "As the eldest imperial brother committed treason on the day the Crown Prince was enthroned and brutally murdered the current Crown Prince, I, as the older brother, have to avenge my younger brother."
But at the same time, he also determined—
Only one prince could survive in this Fengtian Hall. The other two would take the charge of treason while the innocent one would be unjustly killed.
He wanted the position of Crown Prince. He wanted to sit on the dragon throne. And he wanted it fair and square.
Perhaps there would be a flash of reluctance in his heart at some point. The seven-year-old Zhu Changyu didn't even think of harming the three-year-old Zhu Chang Yan.
But the eighteen-year-old Zhu Changyu could only stand on his younger brother's corpse to reach that position.
"Eldest Imperial Brother, do it," he said coldly. He drew a sharp blade from Li Qiang's waist and threw it on the gold bricks with a crisp ding dang. "Kill him and spare the Ju family's women and children."
"And if...if I don't?" Zhu Changhong's whole body was almost paralyzed.
Zhu Changyu finally smiled coldly and raised the corners of his mouth. "Then your whole family will be executed."
From the elderly to infants in swaddling clothes, plus countless servants and maids, the blood spilled could drown the entire Ju family.
So many lives. So many people.
Zhu Changhong's straight backbone finally bent. He staggered to the blade, picked it up with trembling hands, and held it in his palm.
The pure copper handle was so cold, like the snowy night, like the icy ninth solar term.
Why did he still end up like this despite listening to his mother's teachings?
He smiled with cracked lips. He turned to face Chang Yan with reluctance flashing in his eyes, "Fifth Imperial Brother, don't blame me...don't blame me."
The sun reached its zenith and the white blade reflected intense light.
Just as most people couldn't bear to close their eyes, a female voice rang out, "Stop!"
