Chapter 173 - 174: Brothers
The Emperor did not answer, just stared fixedly at Li Ji.
Everyone else kept their heads bowed, not daring to even breathe too loudly.
Hanzhang Hall fell into a deathly silence.
The Emperor closed his eyes.
’If it had been anyone else who dared to speak such treasonous words before him, he would have had them dragged out and beheaded long ago.’
But now, he merely took a deep breath, trying to suppress the turbulent emotions in his heart, and asked in as calm a tone as possible.
"Do you know the penalty for murdering the Crown Prince?"
Li Ji replied nonchalantly.
"It’s just death, one way or another. Being killed by the Crown Prince is also death. I might as well go for broke and at least vent my anger before I die."
This fearless demeanor of his made the Emperor’s chest ache with anger.
Seeing the Emperor clutch his chest and knit his brows, Zuo Ji was startled and hurried forward to support him.
While patting the Emperor’s back to help him catch his breath, Zuo Ji ordered the little eunuch beside him.
"Quick, go get the Ningxin Pill!"
The little eunuch scurried to open a cabinet and retrieved a small box from within.
He ran back to Zuo Ji, holding the box.
Zuo Ji took a brown elixir from the box, held it before the Emperor, and advised at the same time.
"Your Majesty, please don’t be agitated. The Chief Imperial Doctor said you must remain calm and must not get angry."
After taking the medicine, the Emperor felt the pain in his chest ease slightly.
He waved his hand.
"All of you, withdraw."
Zuo Ji immediately led everyone out.
Only the Emperor and Li Ji remained in the room.
Looking at the tall, handsome young man before him, the Emperor felt as if he were seeing his younger self.
He sighed softly.
"When I was young, I was hot-blooded just like you.
If anyone dared to provoke me, I would fight them to the death, regardless of their status.
I suffered quite a few losses because of it.
Fortunately, Heaven smiled upon me, and with good luck, I managed to take the throne.
But not everyone can be as fortunate as I have been.
Do you understand what I mean?"
But Li Ji said, "This humble subject’s status is lowly. I dare not compare myself to Your Majesty."
The Emperor: "There is no one else here. You need not be concerned with status. Just think of me as an elder in your family."
Li Ji: "This humble subject wouldn’t dare."
The air once again fell into a dead silence.
The Emperor closed his eyes. When he spoke again, his tone had become severe.
"I will ask you one last time, is the Crown Prince’s death related to you?"
Instead of answering, Li Ji asked, "If this humble subject says it isn’t, will you believe me?"
The Emperor’s voice deepened. "You only need to answer yes or no."
Li Ji answered without hesitation.
"No."
The Emperor said nothing, and it was impossible to tell whether he believed him or not.
Li Ji continued.
"This humble subject did indeed have the intent to kill the Crown Prince, but I did not have the chance to act on it.
If Your Majesty believes this humble subject is a suspect in the Crown Prince’s murder, you may very well order me to be taken into custody."
The Emperor felt a dull ache in his chest again.
But he did not raise a hand to press his chest. Instead, he frowned at Li Ji and said slowly.
"I am willing to believe every word you say, but protecting the Crown Prince was your duty.
Now that the Crown Prince has been murdered, this is a dereliction of your duty.
First, you will receive twenty strokes from the military cudgel. Then, return to the Prince Zhao Mansion and reflect on your misdeeds behind closed doors.
Until the case of the Crown Prince’s murder is solved, you are not to take a single step out of the Prince Mansion, nor are you to meet anyone from outside it."
Li Ji replied calmly, "This humble subject obeys the decree."
He waited a moment, and seeing no other orders from the Emperor, he asked to take his leave.
But just then, the Emperor suddenly asked a question.
"When you developed the intent to kill the Crown Prince, did you ever consider that he is..."
Li Ji quietly waited for him to finish.
However, after a long wait, the rest of the sentence never came.
In the end, the Emperor just waved his hand.
"Never mind. You may go."
Li Ji cupped his hands in a salute and silently withdrew.
After he walked out of Hanzhang Hall, sunlight enveloped him once more, but he still felt no warmth.
The Emperor’s unfinished sentence from moments ago was like a thorn, stabbing viciously into Li Ji’s heart.
Li Ji could hear the inner thoughts of others.
Just now, he had clearly heard the words in the Emperor’s mind—
"When you developed the intent to kill the Crown Prince, did you ever consider that he is your own brother?"
Li Ji couldn’t help but curl his lips into a scornful smile.
’Brother?’
’Just a bunch of insects with filthy blood running through their veins.’
’What kinship is there to speak of between insects?’
’How ridiculous!’
Men from the Flying Dragon Cavalry were already waiting with military cudgels at the entrance of Hanzhang Hall.
When they saw Prince Zhao arrive, they all cupped their fists in salute.
"Your Highness, forgive us for the offense."
Li Ji said nothing. He turned around, his back to Hanzhang Hall, took off his outer robe, tossed it aside, and said nonchalantly.
"Make it quick. This Prince is in a hurry to get home."
The two Flying Dragon Cavalrymen said no more. They immediately swung the military cudgels, as thick as a forearm, and struck Prince Zhao viciously across the back.
The cudgels slammed into his flesh with heavy, muffled thuds.
Wu Wang stood by, supervising.
He felt pain just hearing the sound, but Prince Zhao didn’t even knit his brows.
On the tenth strike, a procession hurried toward them.
Wu Wang looked closely and saw it was the phoenix carriage of the Empress!
He hurried forward to greet her respectfully.
"This servant pays his respects to the Empress."
The Empress sat upright in the carriage. Her face was somewhat pale, and her eyes were red and swollen as if she had just been crying.
She ignored Wu Wang, her gaze fixed directly on Prince Zhao.
By now, the Flying Dragon Cavalry had delivered the thirteenth strike.
Seeing this, Wu Wang hurriedly explained.
"Prince Zhao failed to protect the Crown Prince and committed the crime of dereliction of duty. The Saint ordered him to be caned twenty times."
The Empress let out a soft, mocking laugh.
"My only son is gone, yet the Saint only punishes him with twenty canings. Isn’t that a bit too lenient?"
Wu Wang dared not reply and quickly lowered his head, pretending he hadn’t heard anything.
The Empress stood up and, supported by a palace maid, slowly descended from the carriage.
She walked slowly until she was in front of Prince Zhao.
Li Ji had now been struck nineteen times, with only one blow left.
Blood had already soaked through the clothes on his back, and his brows were slightly furrowed, but his body remained ramrod straight, like a sharp spear piercing the heavens, which no one could bend.
The Empress said, "Stop."
The two Flying Dragon Cavalrymen immediately halted and looked at the Empress.
The Empress sized up Prince Zhao. Her gaze seemed light, but it was laced with poison, carrying a sinister and cruel intent.
"My son died a horrible death at the hands of bandits, yet you returned safe and sound. Even your legs have recovered."
Li Ji’s back was now a sheet of crimson, but his expression remained composed. "It only means that it was not my fate to die."
The Empress pressed, "Then was it my son’s fate to die?"
Li Ji: "The Crown Prince’s death has nothing to do with me. It’s useless for you to vent your anger on me."
The Empress sneered, not believing him at all.
’Before Li Cheng left the capital, she had seen that her son wanted to make a move against Prince Zhao.’
’She had tried her best to dissuade him, and Li Cheng had promised at the time that he wouldn’t act rashly.’
’But knowing her son, she knew Li Cheng might not have been able to keep that promise.’