"I told you, you look remarkably like my old friend. Only you can accomplish this. I originally wanted you to work for me, but you refused my kind offer, so I had to resort to this method to invite you. However, watching you struggle now, it seems you have no choice but to follow me, whether you want to or not." Having said that, the other party ordered his men to escort him onto the carriage.
Bound hand and foot, Li Dongxu pondered much on the journey. The thought that Liu Qingqing had gone missing due to his involvement filled him with self-reproach. He had even once suspected she had betrayed him and eloped with another man, only to discover she had been captured. Even if she could return safely, her reputation would be ruined. How could a young girl endure the whispers and gossip of the public and live a good life?
He wondered why this person in front of him insisted on him following him. If his senses were correct, they were currently on a road outside the city, the same road he took when commuting home. He tried to discern where he was being taken.
When he was brought down from the carriage, his heart leaped with joy. This place was only ten li from his home village. If he were given a chance, he could cut through the mountains and escape. Having grown up in the mountains since childhood, he was exceptionally agile when climbing, and his captors would not easily find him.
As soon as he alighted from the carriage, he couldn't help but survey the surroundings. Looking at the two stone houses before him, he wore a puzzled expression. This place was not far from his village; who would live in such houses? They would be drafty in winter, and in summer, during heavy rain, it would pour inside as much as it did outside. When he was pushed inside by the man, he was even more surprised. The two houses were completely empty, devoid of anything.
"Young master, where have you imprisoned Qingqing? I wish to see her." Li Shengxu's thoughts were simple. Since he had followed him here, they should release Qingqing. To them, Qingqing was an unimportant person.
"You haven't completed my task yet. How can I know if you're obedient?" The young nobleman glanced at him with a mocking look and signaled to the people around him.
What happened next surprised him. The guards behind the young nobleman merely pressed down lightly, and the intact ground before them opened up into a large pit, revealing stone steps faintly visible within.
Upon truly entering the secret chamber, he realized how ignorant he had been. This secret chamber was superior to the houses they usually lived in.
Inside, there was a large training ground, complete with weapons. People were training there with expressionless faces. He initially thought he had been captured to learn martial arts with them. Although his small frame was not suited for martial arts, at least he was alive, and he felt a sense of relief. However, the other party led him to the end of the secret chamber.
There, he saw a white-haired old man. The old man, just like the young nobleman when he first saw him, scrutinized him from head to toe, making him extremely uncomfortable. After an unknown period, the old man finally nodded.
What he didn't know was that he had never left since entering. During that time, the old man made him imitate the words and actions of a person. If he wasn't mistaken, it was the old friend the young nobleman had spoken of. Although he knew the other party had malicious intentions, he had no choice. During this period, the old man constantly fed him various kinds of medicine.
After taking the medicine, he would fall into a daze, his mind going blank. He didn't know what he had done. However, sometimes when he regained consciousness, he would find injuries on his body and too many questions in his eyes. He dared not ask the old man, because every time he asked a question, the old man would not only refuse to answer but also glare at him fiercely, saying that he was not like him at that moment. From then on, he learned to hide.
Every day, he dreamed of the day he would escape from there. Although he knew the hope was slim, given the identity of the young nobleman, the person he was imitating must have a high status. Knowing the other party's secrets, he likely wouldn't have a good end. But if he had no dreams, he felt he couldn't survive in this dark and secret chamber.
Initially, the young nobleman visited many times. Each time, Li Shengxu would ask him about Liu Qingqing's whereabouts, but the other party would not tell him. Yet, before long, he would receive items belonging to Qingqing, hoping she was living well.
At that time, he couldn't help but wonder how his parents, ten li away, would live after losing their son. But he knew his elder and younger brothers were filial. Even if they were heartbroken, they would eventually forget him after a few years. Liu Qingqing had lost her purity because of him, and now he was missing. He didn't know what people would say about her, which for a young woman, was akin to the last straw that breaks the camel's back.
The more he thought, the more his heart ached. He knew that no matter how much he thought, it was futile, but in the quiet of the night, he couldn't help but relive that pain over and over.
Years passed in this manner. Just as he thought life would continue like this, the other party suddenly appeared in the secret chamber and dragged him out. After such a long time, facing sunlight for the first time, he was unaccustomed to it. He quickly covered his eyes with his hands. After a while, he slowly felt the warmth and couldn't help but show the first smile in a long time. Of course, he knew it was when he had completed the so-called task and didn't know how long he would live.
Yesterday, they arrived in this forest. He hadn't said a word because, upon leaving the secret chamber, the other party had given him a potion to drink, and he found himself unable to speak. Such things had happened before, and he felt no emotional fluctuation about it.
Everyone present was silenced by his story. It was truly horrifying. If they hadn't seen it with their own eyes, even the Third Prince wouldn't believe that there was someone who looked so much like him and was suffering because of him.
However, everyone present remained bewildered. They couldn't understand whether this young nobleman was the Crown Prince or the Second Prince. As they spoke, the subordinates of the Second Prince and the Crown Prince arrived not far away. The Emperor signaled them to stay far back, wanting to hear the story to its conclusion.
At this moment, the Emperor knew that if it weren't for the Third Prince spraining his ankle and not participating in this hunt, he wouldn't have known what the imposter Third Prince would have been used for in the scheme of framing and slandering. Fortunately, nothing had happened.
He intended to ask who the mastermind was, but when he looked up, he found the Crown Prince missing from the crowd.
At this moment, a cry was heard from not far away. Several people were carrying a stretcher, covered with white cloth. Who could it be that caused such grief among the guards? The Emperor couldn't help but fall into thought. The next moment, his eyes widened. He looked at the missing Crown Prince in the crowd, then at everyone's heartbroken expressions, and dared not imagine who was covered by the white cloth.