"Although my master is not human, you are not much better. If you hadn't spread those misleading words, how could my family have been killed by him? Now I hate my master, but I also hate you." As a person is about to die, their words become kind. There is only oneself in this world, alone and with no meaning to live, so he said his truest thoughts without any restraint.
"If you hadn't come to assassinate me, we wouldn't have had any interaction. Have you ever thought that from beginning to end, I was the victim? I only retaliated a little, and I didn't expect your master to be so cruel." The Fifth Prince retorted without politeness. He felt he had done nothing wrong. Should he repay kindness with resentment? He couldn't do that.
The archer sighed and said dejectedly, "I know, that's why I'm telling you the truth according to your wishes. In fact, the one who has truly wanted to harm you all this time is the Eighth Prince, who is my master."
As soon as he finished speaking, the people tied to the pillars nearby looked at them with shock. It was only then that they understood that their master and they had all been tricked. All along, the archer had not betrayed them. He had only released a statement that was half-true and half-false, and their master had fallen for it. As expected, old ginger is spicier. Compared to the Fifth Prince, their master was ultimately too young and impatient.
But thinking of the tragic fate of his family, they could not utter any words of objection.
"You can't go back anyway. I see your archery skills are excellent. Do you want to come work in my mansion?" The Fifth Prince truly cherished talent and wanted to recruit him.
The archer immediately shook his head. He had smiled at the Eighth Prince because he owed a debt of gratitude to his maternal relatives and had worked for him. However, now that his own people had lost their lives because of them, and he had worked for them for so many years, he had already repaid their kindness. If the Fifth Prince had nothing to do with the loss of his family, he might have considered it. After all, although they had not interacted much, he could feel that the Fifth Prince was clearly more suitable to sit on that position than his own master. It was a pity that every time he saw him, he was reminded of his family's tragic end, and he could not get over it.
The Fifth Prince never liked to force anyone. He disliked those who served in Cao's camp but had Han in their hearts. However, for some unknown reason, he did not make things difficult for him and directly ordered his men to release him.
When Wu Caiwei heard that the mastermind was the Eighth Prince, she was also shocked. Originally, she had thought it would be the Sixth Prince, as besides the Fifth Prince, he was the eldest prince and the most likely to ascend the throne. She did not expect the Eighth Prince to be the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.
However, thinking about it now, the Sixth and Seventh Princes were indeed not threats to the Eighth Prince. After all, the Sixth Prince had no external help and not many people in the court favored him, so he was not at an advantage among the remaining princes. Although the Seventh Prince was intelligent and witty, he had a mother who had made a mistake, and the Emperor had not favored him much since birth. It was unlikely that the throne would be passed to her. On the other hand, the Eighth Prince's maternal family was a great general who commanded a hundred thousand troops, but they were guarding the border. In fact, many people were stationed in the capital, including those who assassinated him regularly. It was unlikely that they were trained by the Eighth Prince. It was very possible that the Great General had made preparations long ago. It seemed that their ambition was not small, and it was possible that the previous princes' misfortunes were all his doing, only done more subtly so that others had not discovered it. If she had not used some tricks this time, she would not have discovered him. This viper hiding in the dark would definitely continue to harm others.
The next morning, Wu Caiwei and the Fifth Prince got up and dressed meticulously, as it was the Emperor's fortieth birthday. They brought their pre-prepared birthday gifts to the imperial palace. Although they were not late, everyone clearly attached great importance to it, and others arrived even earlier. Because the Fifth Prince was now a highly favored figure, as soon as they entered, everyone stood up, looking at them with flattering or respectful expressions.
As soon as the Empress entered, she saw a crowd surrounding the Fifth Prince and his consort. Although the Emperor seemed no different from usual, the Empress, who was skilled at reading subtle cues, could sense his anger and understood the crux of the matter. It was simply that the Emperor felt that he was not dead yet, yet people were fawning over the future emperor in front of him, and he could not get over it.
Although the Empress felt that the Fifth Prince was the best candidate, she never added fuel to the fire in front of the Emperor. If possible, she wanted the Emperor to live forever. After all, they had been through a lot together, and in the Emperor's heart, she was always a special existence. As long as he lived, her status would be guaranteed, and the prosperity of the Xu family would also be secured. Unfortunately, there are no ifs in life.
As soon as the Emperor was seated, the Fifth Prince was the first to present his gift. Everyone couldn't help but crane their necks, wanting to see what the Fifth Prince had presented to measure their own gifts.
To their disappointment, the Fifth Prince had presented a conventional red coral. The birthday gift was not outstanding nor rare. The Emperor only glanced at it and then said nothing. Everyone was observant and attentive. Even ordinary people like them could feel the Emperor's displeasure towards the Fifth Prince. They did not believe he could not feel it, yet the Fifth Prince acted as if nothing was wrong, eating and drinking as usual, with a smile on his face, which earned everyone's admiration.
As for the Sixth, Seventh, Eighth, and Ninth Princes, they had clearly spent a large sum of money and presented things that were unheard of and unseen, making it difficult for the Fifth Prince to describe them. The Emperor praised them repeatedly, and the ministers' gazes involuntarily turned to the Fifth Prince, who seemed like an outsider, indifferent to it all.
The more he was like this, the deeper the Emperor's frown became. After so many days of interaction, he truly could not see through his Fifth son. He did not know if his heart was deep or if he simply did not care. If it was the former, it was truly terrifying. At such a young age, he could remain composed and had an immeasurable future. If it was the latter, the Emperor honestly found it hard to believe. After all, if the Fifth Prince were truly so detached, he would not have actively sought to foster a relationship with the Empress before, asking her to adopt him as her legitimate son.
Even the Empress couldn't help but look at him more. If before she thought adopting the Fifth Prince was a good choice, as he had no maternal relatives and could only rely on the Xu family, then after days of observation, she felt that the Fifth Prince was unfathomable. Even without her help, he might reach his goal with his own abilities.
She then specifically looked at the Sixth to the Fifteenth Princes. Although some were not yet adults, they were already teenagers and understood things. Seeing the Empress looking at them, they involuntarily straightened their chests, wanting to show their best side to her. As for some children aged seven or eight, although their imperial concubines or wet nurses had instructed them to perform well, they were still a bit hazy, blinking their misty eyes and looking at her curiously. The youngest was even held in his wet nurse's arms, looking around. Only the Fifth Prince seemed suitable.