"The year the First Prince married, the western borders were in crisis, and three major cities were breached by Fusang. Our Beiming sent five great generals, all of whom were slain by a single Fusang general."
"All officials in the court were in a panic, and the great generals were all in fear for their lives, none daring to volunteer. There were even instances where someone accepted an imperial decree to go to the border, only to be incapacitated by a severe fall."
"Although the First Prince was newly married, seeing this, he had no choice but to personally lead the expedition. His bride, Feng Jinghua, the most beautiful woman in Beiming, voluntarily accompanied her husband to war."
"In that battle, the First Prince returned victorious, and Feng Jinghua's name spread throughout Beiming. The couple became a legendary tale."
"The First Prince was enfeoffed as Prince Ye, and the late Emperor even intended to make him Crown Prince."
"However, after returning from that battle, Prince Ye suddenly fell ill..."
"Ye Xuan!"
Chu Qianli embraced him tightly, her grip incredibly firm.
"You don't need to say more! If something is difficult for you, then you truly don't need to say it. It's enough, it's more than enough!"
For him to speak of it meant he was under immense pressure.
These matters, these secrets, were absolutely not to be revealed to others.
At best, he would lose everything he had now.
At worst, it would endanger countless innocent people and threaten their lives.
This was a truly perilous situation!
Feng Ye Xuan, however, gently loosened his arms, giving her space to breathe in his embrace.
Her words were enough.
He lowered his head, just as Chu Qianli looked up at him.
The kiss landed softly on her forehead.
"I trust you, so why can't you speak?"
With her trust, there would be no burden.
In that instant, many conflicts, many knots in her heart, seemed to unravel.
So, loyalty and filial piety could indeed be achieved so easily.
As long as they trusted each other, he was her, and she was him.
Since they were no longer separate, what was there that could not be said?
"You should have guessed, Prince Ye is my biological father." He smiled faintly.
Speaking his secret to her directly, his long-suppressed emotions were finally released.
This feeling of being inseparable, of mutual honesty.
It was truly good.
Very good.
"Not long after Prince Ye returned triumphantly, he fell gravely ill. No one knew why he fell ill, but he simply did."
"Coincidentally, the late Emperor also fell seriously ill around that time. Before long, the late Emperor and Prince Ye passed away one after another."
As he spoke these words, Feng Ye Xuan's body tensed.
Chu Qianli could feel his anger and sorrow at that moment.
But he had never liked to expose his emotions. It wasn't intentional concealment from her, but rather years of habituated forbearance and suppression.
She could only continue to hold his waist, offering him warmth with her body.
"After Prince Ye's death, his consort, the most beautiful woman in Beiming, also disappeared. Some said she committed suicide out of grief and was buried with Prince Ye, while others claimed she was abducted by someone."
"In any case, after Prince Ye's death, no one who knew the truth ever saw Feng Jinghua again. Before long, the Second Prince ascended the throne, becoming the current Emperor of Beiming, Emperor Jing, and his harem gained a mysterious concubine, Consort Rong."
Feng Ye Xuan's large hand slowly tightened.
The hatred in his eyes could no longer be hidden.
"Consort Rong, Hua Rong, Feng Jinghua... Li'er, do you know? She became Emperor Jing's concubine! My mother, became Emperor Jing's concubine!"