Chapter 561: The Peasant Girl’s Splendid Manor
Chapter 561: Autumn Hunt (2)
Chu Heng looked at the displeased Prince Qi with a gentle smile, though the smile didn't reach his eyes. "Did you both come here with the other princes for a reason?"
Prince Heng, hearing this, gathered the other princes and said with a smile, "Second brother, this is your first time joining us for the autumn hunt, and we're all so happy about it. We were just worried that the journey might be too rough for you, so we came to check on you."
Chu Heng seemed pleased by this, extending his thin, almost skeletal hand through the window to the nearest prince, the thirteen-year-old. His expression was filled with emotion. "Thank you all for your concern. This bumpiness is nothing! I'm also glad to be with you all for the hunt. I hope to see your impressive skills during the competition!"
The young thirteenth prince, just five or six years old, was already a bit frightened by Chu Heng's ghastly appearance. The cold touch on his forehead felt like the icy hand of a ghost from a scary story, making him recoil and turn his head away, though he managed not to cry.
Seeing his hand left hanging, a flicker of pain crossed Chu Heng's face. He stared at his pale, bloodless hand, his voice filled with deep sorrow. "This is my first time hunting with you all, and it will likely be the last."
Prince Heng's eyes momentarily flashed with a dark light before he quickly adopted a sorrowful expression, his eyes moistening. "Second brother, don't be so pessimistic. Who knows, a miraculous healer might appear one day and cure your poison!"
"A miraculous healer? There's no such thing. Living another day is just another day of suffering. It would be better to be free from pain sooner..." Chu Heng seemed dazed, mumbling as if he had lost all hope, his whole being enveloped in a pall of death from which he could not escape.
"No, second brother, you can't give up so easily. Father and the Empress Dowager are old and cherish you the most. Can you bear to let them outlive you? All of us siblings wish for your safety and well-being. You must stay strong..."
Prince Heng appeared increasingly sorrowful, constantly urging Chu Heng to stay strong. His display of deep brotherly affection moved the younger princes, who began to shed tears.
Xiao Ruiyuan coldly watched Prince Heng's performance, suddenly finding Prince Qi's impatient face more palatable.
Chu Heng also didn't want to see Prince Heng's face anymore. He lowered his eyes and said, "Thank you, third brother, for your words. Please take good care of our father and the Empress Dowager, including my share. If I have a spirit in the afterlife, I will surely thank you, third brother."
"Second brother..."
Prince Heng looked deeply pained, and seeing Chu Heng's increasingly ashen face, he tearfully continued to offer words of comfort. After successfully winning over a few of the younger princes, he and Prince Qi finally left with them.
Once they were gone, Chu Heng seemed to lose all strength, sweating coldly as he leaned against the carriage wall, barely able to lift his hand.
Xiao Ruiyuan, familiar with this routine, quickly poured a cup of spring water from the flask at his waist and carefully fed it to Chu Heng. He then took out the ginseng given by Mo Yan, swiftly sliced a small piece, and let Chu Heng hold it in his mouth to replenish his energy.
Chu Heng's complexion soon improved, and he seemed much more spirited. He stared blankly at the branches swaying in the wind outside and suddenly spoke to Xiao Ruiyuan. "Hanzhang, when I die, cremate me like the Yi people, and scatter my ashes in the wind. What do you think?"
Xiao Ruiyuan's eyebrows twitched, wanting to loudly say "no," but when he met Chu Heng's hopeful gaze, he found himself unable to utter the words.
Chu Heng didn't mind the lack of response from Xiao Ruiyuan. The sparkle in his eyes only grew brighter.
...
After a brief rest, the convoy continued its journey toward Phoenix Mountain.
Prince Qi abandoned his own carriage and joined Prince Heng at the front. As soon as he boarded, he couldn't help but ask, "Third brother, it's better if that sickly one dies sooner. Why are you encouraging him? If he really pulls through, who knows how long he'll hang on, keeping you from..."
Prince Heng's face changed, and he quickly covered Prince Qi's mouth, casting a sharp glance around. Seeing that no one outside had noticed, he closed the windows tightly and released his hand, sternly warning Prince Qi, "Don't say such things carelessly. If Father hears about this, even Mother won't be able to protect you!"
Prince Qi's face turned pale at this, and he lowered his voice, speaking angrily. "We're all Father's sons. If it weren't for that sickly one, Father wouldn't be able to see any other son! I don't mind being seen as mediocre, but you're so much better than that sickly one. It's just because he was born to the late Empress, as a legitimate son, that Father favors him! If it weren't for Mother not wanting to compete, she might have become Empress when Father ascended, and you would be Crown Prince. That sickly one wouldn't have mattered at all!"
By the end, Prince Qi's voice had risen again, but with the windows closed, the people outside could only hear a few indistinct words, unable to make out what was being said inside the carriage.
Seeing Prince Qi's incessant ranting, every word rebellious and improper, Prince Heng's temple throbbed, and he almost wished he could kick the idiot out of the carriage.
Thinking back to how this fool had previously aroused Father's suspicions toward him, Prince Heng knew that if he hadn't quickly canceled the follow-up plans, he might have ended up like Prince Kang, stripped of his title and confined, forever barred from power!
If not for this fool's loyalty and the fact that he was Mother's adopted son, someone to be temporarily allied with rather than alienated, Prince Heng wouldn't want anything to do with such an idiot.
Suppressing his urge to kick Prince Qi out, Prince Heng adopted a gentle expression and explained, "Throughout history, both in the imperial family and among commoners, legitimate sons have always been esteemed. Second brother is a legitimate son, so his status is naturally higher than ours. Even if he's weak, it's natural for Father to favor him. Seventh brother, you mustn't resent this. As his brothers, we should care for second brother. If Father knows, he will also be pleased to see us doing this, making second brother happy."
These words sounded grand and flawless, but only Prince Heng knew the real intention behind this visit...
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