In truth, now that things had reached this point, Ji Weiqiu understood that the matter was almost a foregone conclusion. Few could ever change what his Imperial Elder Brother had decided, let alone a trivial matter like killing twenty or thirty people who were worthless in his eyes.

But Ji Weiqiu was not resigned to it; he couldn't just stand by and watch twenty or thirty lives vanish because of him. His jaw ached from being gripped, but he dared not push his Imperial Elder Brother's hand away.

Ji Su's eyes were deep. Ji Weiqiu dared not meet his gaze, but in the next instant, he looked straight into his eyes and said righteously, "Imperial Elder Brother said it yourself, I am a Prince. They are just some inexperienced servants. Since I, a dignified Prince, have given my word, how could they dare to defy me?"

"If Imperial Elder Brother punishes them, isn't that telling everyone in this courtyard to treat my words as hot air?" Ji Weiqiu said, a hint of apology in his eyes. "It was my oversight. Next time I'll be more careful... I didn't know I was so badly injured. I was clearly awake but couldn't move... How about we ask Imperial Physician Hu to examine me again, Imperial Elder Brother?"

Ji Su's gaze was cold. He pinched his chin, looking left and right, a frigid smile blooming on his lips. "I never noticed before that you had such a nimble tongue."

"What else do you have to say? Continue."

Ji Weiqiu was scared to death but forced himself to continue, "Imperial Elder Brother, I have just recovered from a serious illness. I'd like to accumulate some spiritual merit..."

If he dared to say now that he would feel uneasy if the servants died for him, his brother would definitely grab more people, whether from Ganquan Villa or his own entourage, and kill them one by one in front of him until he could watch without blinking.

Or perhaps he wouldn't stop. After killing one batch, there would always be another. They were just some servants, what did they matter?

In Ji Su's heart, 'servants' were just that—'servants'. As the name implied, they were things used for serving, not people who serve. They were walking objects, perhaps less valuable than a blade of grass in the Imperial Garden. Would a master feel heartache for plucking an ordinary blade of grass from his own garden? Probably not.

So Ji Su wouldn't, and he believed Ji Weiqiu shouldn't either.

As expected, Ji Su said coldly, "Just a few servants, and they're worth you pleading for in such a roundabout way?"

Ji Weiqiu's eyes flickered, his tone unconsciously taking on a pleading quality. He didn't dare mention a single hint of 'pity', only saying, "It's not that I'm pleading... Didn't Imperial Elder Brother send me to Jiangnan to pray for Mother Empress's health? Seeing blood is inauspicious, after all."

Hearing this, Ji Su sneered again. Ji Weiqiu's scalp tingled. He dared not say another word, afraid his brother might have him dragged away and beaten to death too. Suddenly, a breeze blew past him. Ji Su had already stood up and was slowly walking ashore. "Since you've mentioned praying for Mother Empress, you shall copy the Diamond Sutra a hundred times for her and offer it before the Buddha."

Without turning his head, Ji Su said, "Prince of Rui, you truly have the air of The Late Emperor."

Ji Weiqiu watched Ji Su's retreating back. Eunuch Qingxi hurriedly came forward with a cloak. Ji Su didn't even glance at it and walked away. Eunuch Qingxi looked back at Ji Weiqiu with an expression of disappointment before hurrying after him.

Ji Weiqiu was silent for a long time, finally revealing a bitter smile—his brother was truly furious.

'You truly have the air of The Late Emperor'... Their father, the emperor, was not a good man. People are greedy, and their father was the type who, having inherited a prosperous and peaceful country, enjoyed favorable weather and no natural disasters during his reign. Even with some corrupt officials, things were still passable. He had a virtuous wife, beautiful concubines, and many children. His eldest legitimate son was capable, and his youngest legitimate son was there to dote on. He had everything, so naturally, he wanted it to last forever.

So he began to seek immortality.

Not to mention seeking immortals and the Dao, praying to gods and Buddhas, or consuming elixirs of mercury and cinnabar... The Late Emperor even ate a bowl of noodles made from the hearts of boys, the blood of virgins, and the tendons of long-lived old men, all without a change in expression.

He ate until he was neither human nor ghost, believing he could live forever. At that point, he no longer needed a wise and outstanding crown prince, but he didn't want the reputation of having forced his own son to death either. So he implicitly and explicitly allowed the other princes to suppress the crown prince. One day it was witchcraft orchestrated by the crown prince, the next it was a natural disaster caused by the crown prince's lack of virtue... Otherwise, how could the crown prince have committed patricide, killed his kin, and usurped the throne?

He could have inherited the throne legitimately, founded a glorious era, and left his name in the annals of history... Who would want to bear the infamy of a patricide who killed his own kin?

No one wanted to reach that point, including his brother, Ji Su.

...His brother was calling him mediocre and weak.

Ji Weiqiu slowly curved his lips into a smile. He was quite calm about it—if this had happened to an ordinary young man who had just come of age, he would probably be too angry to sleep for days, right?

But he was different. He didn't feel sad at all. He was a person with self-awareness. He had lived in the imperial family for eighteen years and had witnessed the cruelty and danger of the struggle for the throne. Everyone thought he was young, and to maintain a superficial appearance of brotherly affection, they were all very kind to him on the surface.

For example, Second Brother would smilingly take him to feed the fish. When he was having the most fun, he would say in a coaxing tone, "It's fun to jump in, does Qiu'er want to give it a try?" After saying it, he would act as if nothing happened and claim he was only teasing.

Third Brother was even more ruthless. He was usually the nicest to him, gentle and amiable, with a love for landscapes. He was the one who hid the deepest. If his brother hadn't found him in time that one time, he would have rotted in the rockery. To this day, there was still a scar on his back from when he was pushed off the rockery—he was lucky to be alive! He only scraped his back, didn't break his spine, didn't break any limbs, and didn't hit his head directly on the rocks.

But his metabolism was good when he was a child, so the scar wasn't very visible now.

In a place like that, he was just an ordinary person. Terrified of whether Second Brother really wanted to kill him, and saddened that just because he accidentally saw Third Brother talking to someone, his Third Brother would push him off the rockery without hesitation. He also couldn't see that Fifth Brother and Sixth Brother, who had always admired his brother, were problematic. He couldn't see that Fourth Sister wanted to poison his Mother Empress and him. And he certainly couldn't see that the gentle and kind Seventh Sister, who had been raised by Mother Empress since she was three, had set a trap that nearly killed Mother Empress and him, all to let Eighth Brother replace the crown prince.

Others had lived for ten or twenty years; he had lived for twenty-odd more. How could he still be immersed in the idea of 'I've transmigrated and become a prince, I've hit the jackpot, this life is meant for enjoyment,' cheerfully enjoying brotherly affection thinking 'I'm just a kid, I don't know any better, Father Emperor dotes on me, no one would be bored enough to target me'? The others, however, seemed to have minds where their hearts should be, with every sentence concealing a trap and every action hiding a crisis.

Among this group of people, he was very mediocre, very foolish, and very weak... This was not an evaluation that was difficult to accept.

He was like most normal people: not very outstanding, not very hard-hearted, not too stupid, with a bit of petty cleverness... He was just an ordinary person.

People like his brother, Ji Su, were the rare ones.

To be honest, after receiving such an evaluation from his brother, he actually felt rather happy. It was just a scolding; it wasn't like his brother hadn't scolded him before. What was important was that he had passed this hurdle, and he had actually managed to snatch those dozens of lives back from his brother's hands!

That was what was real.

He understood people like his brother. Most of the time, his brother had no need to put on a two-faced act. Since he didn't say to kill them now, he wouldn't pursue the matter in the future either.

Ji Weiqiu sneezed and sat down deeper in the hot spring. Seeing a figure moving behind the screen, he pulled a bathing robe to wrap himself in before calling for someone to come in and attend to him. But the person who entered made him freeze: "Xingbo?"

Xingbo was another of his personal servants, brought from the palace just like Mian Li. He was a full twelve years older than Mian Li and had once served by his brother's side.

Mian Li knew some esoteric arts, medicine, and poisons, so bringing Mian Li on trips was good for support as he knew many things. Xingbo was a management-type talent. He could manage the entire vast Prince's Manor perfectly, and he officially held a rank and title. He could write memorials to the throne on his behalf and manage his assets. The reason Ji Weiqiu could live so comfortably outside was mainly thanks to Xingbo.

'If not for the fear of his brother's blame, Ji Weiqiu would have knelt down and said to Xingbo, 'If you, sir, do not forsake me, I am willing to honor you as my adoptive father!''

A few smile lines appeared at the corners of Xingbo's eyes. "Your Highness, I've come to serve you."

Ji Weiqiu nodded repeatedly, gesturing for him to help him up; he was truly a bit weak. Seeing this, Xingbo walked over. His speed wasn't slow, but he had the graceful and unhurried air of a young master from a noble family.

Ji Weiqiu used his support to walk toward the deeper water where it was warmer; he suspected he had just caught a chill. He spoke to him with feigned exaggeration, "Xingbo, did you see my Imperial Elder Brother just now? I think he's really angry with me this time. Later, help me write a memorial to apologize."

"Your Highness, please close your eyes." Xingbo picked up a gourd ladle from the side and poured hot water over Ji Weiqiu's head to wash his hair. He had almost drowned earlier, so his hair was naturally soaked and now felt cold. Xingbo said good-naturedly, "It was the Emperor who ordered me to come."

Having lived in the imperial family for so many years, Ji Weiqiu instantly understood his meaning. He grumbled inwardly: 'Hmph! My brother said he'd let me go to Jiangnan! He's already summoned Xingbo here, he never intended to let me go! If he were willing to let me leave, what would be the point of calling Xingbo here?!'

Ji Weiqiu sat with his eyes closed, letting Xingbo wash his hair, and said casually, "Imperial Elder Brother also punished me by making me copy the Diamond Sutra a hundred times. I was actually relieved to hear that. I thought, thankfully Imperial Elder Brother didn't say the Sutra of Ksitigarbha, or else I'd never be able to leave Ganquan Villa in this lifetime..."

The Diamond Sutra is over five thousand characters long, while the Sutra of Ksitigarbha is a hundred thousand characters long. Never mind writing it neatly with a brush pen on paper that couldn't be smudged; even typing it out on a computer keyboard would take several days to finish a hundred thousand characters.

"Your Highness is joking." Xingbo's voice was tinged with laughter, gentle and soft. "Your Highness should rest for a while..."

Ji Weiqiu instantly understood his meaning. How could one not say Xingbo was brilliant? He immediately raised his voice and said angrily, "I don't understand!"

"Oh?" Xingbo asked in return, "What is troubling Your Highness?"

Ji Weiqiu shouted, "Xingbo! Am I really that bad?! Imperial Elder Brother actually said I'm like Father Emperor! He actually said I'm like Father Emperor! How am I like him!"

If his brother knew that after being reprimanded, he not only didn't reflect on himself or feel dejected, but was instead here clapping his hands in celebration, talking and laughing, then the hundred copies of the Diamond Sutra would really become a hundred copies of the Sutra of Ksitigarbha.

Life is like a play; it's all about acting.

—Just muddle through and it'll be over!

Author's Note:

Ji Su used the skill [Sarcasm] to attack Ji Weiqiu.

Ji Weiqiu: [Enemy attack failed to penetrate my armor.]