ASTRP -Chapter 230 The Crown Prince Who Desires Nothing

Feng Jingge continued, “If he refuses, it means he knows you are not easy to manipulate, so he won’t act rashly again.”

“But that doesn’t guarantee he won’t use underhanded methods in secret.”

“Oh right, you said the Crown Prince was sent in the end?”

“Yes!” Yuwang said with some sympathy. “The Crown Prince is probably walking into danger this time.”

“If anything happens to him, wouldn’t that just let the Emperor continue ruling as he wishes?”

He looked at Xiao Jinghan. “Your Highness, should we help the Crown Prince?”

Xiao Jinghan hadn’t spoken yet when Yuwang asked, “Imperial Uncle, how would we even help?”

“Isn’t that exactly why we’re waiting for your uncle’s answer?”

Xiao Jinghan thought for a moment. “We can help, but we should first ask him personally whether he needs it.”

“If he doesn’t, then there’s no point doing something unrewarding.”

“You’re right,” Feng Jingge said. “Should I send someone to ask now?”

“Mm.”

Yuwang went back and told Xi Liyue about it.

“Of course the Crown Brother doesn’t want to go,” Xi Liyue said. “But knowing his personality, he probably won’t accept help anyway.”

Yuwang raised a brow. “Why do you say that?”

“I think Crown Brother would use this opportunity to leave the palace instead.”

“Even if he dies in battle, at least it’s a dignified death.”

“And we all know this is the Emperor’s scheme.”

“My Crown Brother isn’t stupid—he can see it too.”

“When he didn’t say a single word, it already showed he has let go of life and death.”

Yuwang pinched her cheek. “Not bad.”

“You’re not only less timid now, you’re also smart?”

“I’m not smart,” Xi Liyue said. “I just understand my Crown Brother better.”

She felt some pity for the Crown Prince.

“Honestly, I wish he could be more selfish… more ruthless.”

“Unfortunately, he desires nothing.”

When a person truly wishes to die, no one can save them.

As expected, the messenger Feng Jingge sent returned and reported that the Crown Prince had refused their help.

Feng Jingge sighed slightly. “If the Crown Prince were just an ordinary commoner’s child, that would be better.”

Xiao Jinghan, however, felt the Crown Prince was too passive.

“I don’t like staying in the palace either, but didn’t I leave freely with my wife?”

“Everyone has a different nature,” Feng Jingge replied. “Your Highness is clever, strategic, and decisive. He is not the same.”

The next day.

As per tradition, on the second day after the princess’s marriage, she must dine with her husband and mother.

So Xi Liyue, Yuwang, and Fang Dijun went together to Anren Palace.

As soon as Xi Liyue entered, she ordered Shanyue to tightly close the doors and windows.

Her expression changed drastically, full of urgency.

“Mother… the Emperor has killing intent.”

“What… what?” Fang Dijun froze. “Is he going to kill me?”

“…No, he should be targeting me. But it’s also possible he’ll take it out on you first.”

“So you must be extremely careful now. Stay alert at all times. Do not make even the slightest mistake or give anyone leverage.”

Fang Dijun hugged her daughter tightly.

“My dear, don’t worry about me—what about you?”

“The Emperor probably won’t punish me openly in front of others.”

“After all, I am a princess, and I haven’t threatened his throne.”

“And if he really tries to punish me openly, the court officials will defend me.”

“So it will likely be secret methods.”

Xi Liyue patted her mother’s shoulder.

“Mother, don’t worry. The Emperor is the ruler of a nation—he has limitless power and the world in his hands.”

“But… the palace gave him power, and it also imprisoned him.”

“My advantage now is that I am outside the palace. His information and my mobility are not equal.”

“And I still have the Regent King with me, so the Emperor has some hesitation.”

Yuwang remained silent for a moment before saying, “I should send a letter back.”

Xi Liyue immediately stepped toward him.

“You and the Empress Dowager don’t have a good relationship. There’s no need.”

“And with the Regent King here, it’s even less necessary.”

“What if the Emperor uses dirty tricks?”

“As long as the Regent King is here, the Emperor probably wouldn’t dare.”

At that moment, Xi Liyue realized she hadn’t seen Fang Dijun’s personal maid.

After a while, the maid rushed in.

She staggered as she entered, nearly unable to stand.

Fang Dijun personally poured her a cup of water.

The maid quickly said, “Master… how could I let you pour water for me…”

“It’s fine,” Fang Dijun said calmly. “We’re all in the same boat now. No one benefits if one suffers.”

The maid took a breath. “I… I got the prescription!”

“For the past few days, I’ve been moving between the imperial physicians and Anren Palace.”

Most imperial physicians were the Emperor’s people.

One An Physician alone could not influence others.

But recently, he had been secretly observing the prescriptions used by the imperial doctors.

Those prescriptions existed in two versions—one public, one hidden.

After all, unlike secret letters, medical prescriptions cannot simply be destroyed after reading. Each change in medication must account for previous dosages and conditions.

The maid tremblingly took out a copied document.

“This prescription… An Physician has seen it.”

“He said… the Emperor does not have long to live.”

Fang Dijun froze, surprisingly not sad at all. “Is that true?”

“He looks quite fine to me.”

“Isn’t he still summoning concubines every night?”

Xi Liyue took the prescription and looked at it, but she didn’t understand medicine at all.

So she brought it to Feng Jingge.

After reading it, Feng Jingge said it contained mostly kidney-strengthening and vitality-supplementing herbs.

Then she asked the maid, “The Emperor is failing?”

The maid nodded. “Yes.”

“An Physician said the Emperor’s vitality is severely depleted. His pulse shows his organs are all declining, and there is no effective cure.”

“Now they can only keep him alive with medication…”

Fang Dijun spat, “Serves him right!”

“Let him indulge in so many women—he deserves it!”

But Feng Jingge suddenly understood why the Emperor had become so mad and extreme.

Xi Liyue, however, couldn’t understand why someone nearing death would still cling so desperately to power.

But she had seen it before—many times.

People in the palace always had this flaw: they desperately wanted to hold onto authority.

Even when dying, they still wanted to control what came after, to leave their influence behind, to ensure their name or shadow remained.

They wanted to rule even after death.

But Xi Liyue thought it was madness.

No matter how powerful you were, people would eventually forget.

“Mother… you must protect yourself. I am not in the palace right now, so I cannot take care of you fully.”

Fang Dijun’s eyes turned red. She laughed softly and wiped her tears.

“You’re already more capable than anyone. I am safer than you.”

She once heard people say children were useless—that they were merely tools for women to secure their standing.

She never believed it.

She thought children were more useful than husbands, even more useful than emperors.

Because emperors belonged to others—but children always belonged to you.

“Now I really want those people to see how good my daughter is…”

“Better than those imperial princesses who abandon their own mothers for power struggles.”

Xi Liyue patted her mother’s hand gently.