readytorunbook Chapter 195 Xiao Yi
Chapter 195 Xiao Yi
As Xie Wanru watched Prince Rui walk away, she suddenly felt that this man seemed a bit strange.
"Are you OK?"
Shen Cong'an approached Xie Wanru only after the others had gone far away.
Xie Wanru shook her head and subconsciously raised her hand to wipe her face, only then realizing that she was holding the handkerchief that Prince Rui had just handed to her.
"It's not clean enough. You should go back to your residence and change your clothes first. After the Emperor returns to the palace, he should be able to hear this case as soon as possible."
Shen Cong'an suggested that, for some reason, even though the danger had clearly passed, he still felt a sense of crisis in his heart.
Xie Wanru nodded.
She needed to know the outcome of how things had turned out, especially the identity of the white-robed young man. He looked so much like the adult Shen Yanzhi, which made her extremely curious.
Afterwards, Xie Wanru returned to the princess's residence to change her clothes before entering the palace. As a princess, she shouldn't have been involved in this matter, but with the crown prince as her backer, she could go anywhere.
The young man in white was covered in blood, both old and new wounds.
Xiao Yan's wounds were treated simply, and his robes were changed. In any case, he was still the Third Prince.
This drastic change also revealed the identity of the man in white, whose mask was removed.
Emperor Qinyong recognized him at a glance as Xiao Yi, a remnant of the previous dynasty, who shared the same surname as him.
The Crown Prince and no one else knew his identity; even Xiao Yan did not. In terms of seniority, Xiao Yi was his uncle.
"You are the son who most resembles Emperor Qingyun. I thought you died in the fire like everyone else. It turns out you're still alive. Do you want to overturn your father's case?"
Emperor Qinyong looked at him calmly.
Emperor Qingyun was a foolish and incompetent ruler who only cared about his own enjoyment. He caused tens of thousands of people to starve to death, leading to widespread suffering and ultimately giving rise to his reign.
For so many years, Emperor Qinyong has always put people first and worked hard to ensure that the people of the Great Zhou could live and work in peace and contentment. He never cared only for his own comfort. As an emperor, he has done his job with a clear conscience.
A ruler is one who loves his people.
This is the first rule, and he always kept it in mind.
Xiao Yi ignored the mask, leaving half of his burned face completely exposed.
"You traitorous scoundrel, how dare you refer to yourself as 'I, the Emperor' before me? My father, the Emperor, is the rightful Son of Heaven. What are you to me?"
"You've only managed to climb onto my father's throne by deceiving the masses and usurping the throne! You despicable and shameless villain! A stolen throne can't be held securely. You're just a thief. Even your son betrayed you. Without his cooperation, how could I have accomplished all this? Haha."
"It's a pity, it's a pity that God is blind and has been deceived by you, so he won't help me. Haha, even God won't help me."
Xiao Yi coughed up a mouthful of blood with a laugh.
He was clearly the esteemed Crown Prince of the Great Zhou Dynasty, and only he was qualified to inherit the throne.
"Father! Your son did not! Don't listen to his nonsense."
Xiao Yan rushed over and knelt before the Diligent and Brave Emperor. Only then did he realize that he had been used. This person was even more ruthless than Lou Li and had deceived him too deeply.
Emperor Qinyong lowered his head. How could he not know his son's ambition? But he didn't go too far, and he didn't care. He treated him as a whetstone for the crown prince, and it wouldn't hurt to hone the crown prince a little more.
But he never expected that his son, who occasionally caused minor trouble, not only colluded with Simon, but was now also involved with the remnants of the previous dynasty.
"Get out!"
Emperor Qinyong kicked him away. After learning Xiao Yi's identity, he wanted to slap Xiao Yan, that fool, awake.
“Father, I never intended to hurt you. What he said… he was just…”
"Just what? Just want to kill your imperial brother?"
The Diligent and Brave Emperor questioned him.
"Do you think that killing your own brother isn't a serious crime? Do you think your elder brother doesn't know what you're thinking? But your elder brother never intended to kill you. Furthermore, when the assassin appeared, your elder brother was thinking about how to protect me, the Emperor, while you? You were thinking about how to kill him so that your future position would be more secure. You have no regard for the country and its people, because all you care about is the Emperor's position!"
Emperor Qinyong pointed at Xiao Yan's nose and cursed.
"Heh, you actually have the nerve to insult others? Isn't the throne all you care about?"
Xiao Yi's bloodied lips curled into a slight smile. "You think you've achieved so-called benevolent governance and love for the people, but those are merely means to consolidate your throne. This world was never yours to begin with; you're nothing but a usurper. What right do you have to sit in that supreme position?"
Emperor Qinyong laughed in fury, “Whether I am a usurper or not, the people of the world have their own judgment. It is you, Xiao Yi, who, as the crown prince, did not think about how to bring benefits to the people, but only about how to enjoy yourself, aiding and abetting evil, and having survived by chance, you even tried to overthrow my country, selling out the country for personal gain. You are the one who is truly unforgivable!”
"Guards, Xiao Yi's crimes are unforgivable. He is imprisoned in the Heavenly Prison. No one is allowed to visit him without my decree."
At Emperor Qinyong's command, guards stepped forward and lifted Xiao Yi up.
He was never a soft-hearted person, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to hold onto the throne.
"So under your rule, do the people live in peace and prosperity? Are their lives free from hardship? No, your so-called service to the country and the people is just self-praise, isn't it?"
Xiao Yi laughed loudly, his laughter tinged with a hint of desolation. "Diligent and Brave Emperor, do you think you can secure your throne like this? You're wrong. You have so many sons, but you only have this one empire. You can't distribute it evenly, so your dynasty will collapse just like that! Just like my father was betrayed by you, one day your son will kill you and take your place. You are a complete coward! A thief..."
Xiao Yi's face was contorted with rage as he shouted and hurled insults.
Emperor Qinyong watched his departing figure with deep, thoughtful eyes.
He knew that Xiao Yi's words were not entirely unreasonable. He had quite a few sons, and there would definitely be more competition for power in the future. However, he had to protect this land and spare the people from the suffering of war. He could only try to control the internal strife.
"I will prove to you that my benevolent rule is the best choice for the world."
Emperor Qinyong muttered to himself, then turned around and looked sharply at Xiao Yan kneeling on the ground. "As for you, I will spare your life for now, but you will be spared the death penalty, but you will not escape punishment. From now on, you will stay in your residence and you shall not leave the residence without my decree."
"Father! Your son truly never intended to harm you. Your son had no idea he was a remnant of the previous dynasty, nor did he know he was Xiao Yi!"
Xiao Yan cried as he tugged at the hem of Emperor Qinyong's trousers.
Xiao Long made him cry uncontrollably, turning his face away and refusing to look at him.
Prince Rui, on the other hand, had a spectator's expression, seemingly not finding the scene particularly tragic, but rather quite amusing.