Chapter 88: The Truth (Part Two)

Chapter Eighty-Eight: The Truth (Part Two)

Lady Li and Lady Zhao were utterly devastated, unable to eat or drink for days, clinging to the hope that the Prince of Wuwei might persuade Emperor Yang Guang to bring them into the palace.

When the Prince of Wuwei learned of their plight, he devoted himself to caring for the two unfortunate women. He would rest in their room every few days, yet he never so much as laid a finger on them. His purpose was to shield them from prying eyes and suspicion. He was attentive to Lady Li, and treated Lady Zhao with the utmost respect—never daring to cross the boundaries of propriety. Compared to the heartless Emperor Yang Guang, the Prince of Wuwei was a far better man.

There was an heroic aura about him, always influencing Lady Li. After more than a year, her spirits gradually revived, and she emerged from the depths of despair. Lady Li smiled knowingly as she recounted her story.

“The prince often took Lady Zhao and me out hunting and for military exercises. Our cold hearts were gradually warmed by his noble bearing. Time slipped by so quickly; before we knew it, four or five years had passed.”

“I realized—I had fallen in love with the prince. Yang Guang, that foolish monarch, was nothing to me now. He had refused to bring Lady Zhao and me into the palace, taken dozens more wives, and in just a few years, had fathered over a hundred sons.”

Lady Li’s expression was complex, tinged with deep disappointment.

“Two empty, wounded women, conquered by the prince’s heroic demeanor… In one conversation, Lady Zhao and I discovered each other’s feelings, and slowly accepted that the prince was our husband. The prince sensed our affection, yet never crossed the line—even when we hinted at our feelings, he remained upright and honorable. We were utterly captivated; that a man could remain faithful to his deceased wife for more than ten years…”

Wu Songran’s emotions gradually calmed. Wu Hong released her restraints, but she barely noticed.

Both listened, spellbound.

“In truth, we admired the prince, but mixed in were feelings of revenge against Emperor Yang Guang. We always felt that Yang Guang had betrayed us. Yet the Prince of Wuwei was so good to us, never even mentioning matters of love.”

“We thought our lives would continue in this quiet way until the end. But then, one day, Emperor Yang Guang secretly summoned us.”

“Our hearts were in turmoil. If Yang Guang had repented and, after all these years, wanted us in the palace, should we agree? By then, both Lady Zhao and I had grown fond of the prince. If Yang Guang changed his mind, what were we? Playthings to be picked up and tossed aside as he pleased?”

Wu Songran was deeply conflicted. If Emperor Yang Guang were as wise as the rumors claimed, merely lustful yet a good ruler, she truly wouldn’t know how to choose. But after Lady Li spoke of Yang Guang’s deeds, Wu Songran’s heart turned cold. Such a callous man—father or not—meant nothing to her. She recognized only the Prince of Wuwei as her father.

Wu Songran silently swore to herself.

Lady Li continued, “At that time, Emperor Yang Guang arranged to meet us in the VIP chamber of the Blossom Pavilion.”

“Our feelings were complicated. We thought he wanted to discuss our return to the palace. But what he said was almost unbelievable.”

Lady Li’s face grew grim.

“He told us to serve the Prince of Wuwei well! If it had been for the sake of their old camaraderie, to gift us to the Prince, that would have shown loyalty to his brotherhood. But Yang Guang was only concerned with his own power, instructing us to serve the prince in order to undermine his influence.”

“In other words, he wanted Lady Zhao, at the moment of succession in the Wu family, to have her son Wu Lie inherit the Prince’s position and control the empire’s armies. Then, in secret, everything would be revealed, so that Yang Guang’s own son would control the entire Prince of Wuwei’s household. There would be no more powerful ministers to threaten his throne; all would be consolidated under his authority.”

“Despicable!” Wu Songran spat in disgust.

“Yes! Yang Guang was utterly shameless. For over ten years, he exploited the Prince of Wuwei’s loyalty and patriotism, using Lady Zhao and me as pawns—pieces he placed in the Prince’s household, plotting for years to strip him of power. To Yang Guang, Lady Zhao and I were pieces set from the very beginning. It was laughable that we once loved him so desperately.”

“But he was the emperor, supreme and unchallenged. We had no choice but to agree to his demands. Yet, shamelessly, he took both of us, laughing loudly that he would first bestow upon the Prince a great cuckold’s crown.”

“Vile!” Wu Songran’s face turned pale with anger. Even Wu Hong was unsettled. The true villain behind all this was Emperor Yang Guang; Lady Zhao may have harmed the Prince, but perhaps she was forced by his threats.

Lady Li’s face grew cold as she spoke.

“Only then did I see Yang Guang’s true nature—a ruler who would sacrifice anything to secure his power, even plotting against his brothers-in-arms. I suspect that the Prince’s wife, Lady He, and her unborn son, Hong, were victims of Yang Guang’s scheming. His aim was to ensure Hong died in the womb, leaving Lie as the Prince’s sole heir. Yang Guang’s empress was a princess of the previous dynasty, the Great Li. Lady He died in childbirth after giving birth to Wu Hong. There are so many doubts surrounding these events.”

Wu Hong recalled what he had seen in the Mirror of Worlds: at the decisive duel between the Prince of Wuwei and the former Emperor’s uncle, his mother, Lady He, blocked a mysterious black light attack. He did not know what kind of martial art it was. Normally, a dying person’s last strike would be formidable and fierce—Lady He, his mother, should not have been able to withstand it, yet she did so unexpectedly.

Lady Li, unaware of Wu Hong’s thoughts, continued, “At last, several more years passed. The prince’s three children, nominal heirs, grew into adulthood, and it was time to decide the succession within the family. The world buzzed with rumors; everyone was certain the Prince’s position would go to Wu Lie. Under ordinary circumstances, that was indeed the case.”

“But Wu Lie was not the Prince’s biological son, though the Prince was always good to him. The Prince felt guilt towards Lady He, so even if Wu Hong was physically weak and considered a useless, frivolous heir, he was determined to pass the title to Wu Hong. My own child was a daughter, so she was not involved in the succession, leaving all attention focused on Lady Zhao’s son Wu Lie.”

“At that time, Hong, you were utterly oblivious, causing trouble everywhere, which only made it easier for Wu Lie to claim the position.”

Lady Li spoke of Wu Hong’s past, and he felt a bit embarrassed. As the Prince’s eldest son, he failed at martial arts and scholarship, making no progress no matter how hard he tried in secret. He had given up on life, directionless and reckless.

Now, looking back, Wu Hong finally understood why the Prince never gave up on his ‘useless’ son. It was a kind of guilt for his mother. No matter how Wu Hong misbehaved, the Prince always shielded him. Even when Wu Hong bullied the emperor’s sons, the Prince defended him. This indulgence, however, only made Wu Hong worse. Everyone in Bianjing knew him as a frivolous, incompetent heir, yet no one dared offend him—not even Wu Lie, despite his martial prowess. Wu Hong, surrounded by bodyguards, was once beaten by a minister’s son; the Prince flew into a rage, leading ten thousand guards to raze the minister’s house.

With such a mighty backing, Wu Hong feared nothing. Even when faced with one of Yang Guang’s hundred sons, he would not hesitate to fight. Yang Guang, perhaps to placate the Prince, never pressed charges. The Prince was moved by this, but never realized it was all part of Yang Guang’s plot.

Wu Hong finally understood the reason for his father’s indulgence.

“Everyone in court and outside was concerned about the Prince of Wuwei’s succession. Naturally, all favored Wu Lie.”

“Lady Zhao was the disciple of the Old Man of Ten Thousand Poisons, possessing the world’s most extraordinary poison, the Three Corpses Powder. Who knows what threats Yang Guang used to coerce her into harming the Prince, using your ignorance, Hong, to deliver a bowl of medicinal soup to the prince and thus set everything in motion…”

“Third Mother, it was not so! I only carried the soup prepared by Lady Zhao’s servant into my father’s room, but he never drank it. He poured it all out.”

Wu Hong remembered the scene from the Mirror of Worlds and interrupted.

“What? Hong, what did you say? Is that true?” Lady Li could not keep calm; she stood and walked several steps toward Wu Hong.

Wu Hong frowned and continued, “Yes, Third Mother! In the Mirror, I saw clearly—after Father poured out the soup I brought, a disfigured servant picked up another bowl and brought it in. That servant, Ah Fu, was Father’s trusted aide. Father drank it without hesitation and was poisoned…”

“How could this be? Could the culprit not be Lady Zhao? No wonder… No wonder…”