Chapter 1632: Rather Die Standing Than Live on My Knees

"If you can't endure it, you die!"

Prince Ning's fury flared up!

"You think only you are miserable? I feel even more stifled than you! I'm the eldest son, that position was so close… You think I'm willing to accept it?"

Prince Ning roared at Prince Shuncheng.

"I'm not willing! But what can I do? Apart from enduring, there's no other way. No power, no troops! What do you expect me to do?"

"I have a way!" Prince Shuncheng broke free from the guards' grip, sent everyone away, leaned close to Prince Ning's ear and whispered: "We can contact Marquis Pingjiang. Marquis Pingjiang has long refused to hand over his military authority, so he must also be fed up with Wei Wei Laosan.

As far as I know, Wei Wei Laosan's relationship with Empress Chen is nothing special. Think about it—Empress Dowager Sun still lives in Kunning Palace and refuses to move out. That's a blatant slap in the face, a slap to Empress Chen's face, and a slap to the Chen family's face. Yet Wei Wei Laosan refuses to take a stance, so the Chen family must have grievances against Wei Wei Laosan. We ally with Marquis Pingjiang, and at worst we can enthrone Empress Chen's son as our lord. I refuse to believe the Chen family is willing to lay down their lives for Wei Wei Laosan."

Prince Ning frowned, surprised, unable to believe it.

He stared fixedly at Prince Shuncheng. "Did you come up with this idea yourself, or did someone whisper it in your ear? Who exactly has been filling your head with this nonsense?"

"Can't I think for myself? I have a brain too." Prince Shuncheng was indignant, fuming, as if he'd been called a fool.

Prince Ning gritted his teeth and said furiously: "You don't have that kind of brain."

Prince Shuncheng flew into a rage. "Am I even your brother? What gives you the right to look down on me?"

Prince Ning couldn't be bothered to waste words on him. "Tell me, who exactly has been spouting nonsense in your ear? Have you been secretly contacting Marquis Pingjiang behind my back, contacting Hou Fu? Speak clearly!"

"None of your business!" Prince Shuncheng's explosive temper. His own brother looked down on him like this—he was furious.

He didn't want to say a thing.

Prince Ning was beside himself with rage. "This is a capital offense. Explain it to me clearly. If you can't explain, then come with me to see Mother Consort and let her talk to you."

"If it's death, then it's death—I'm going to die anyway. Better to die gloriously than be ground to death by Wei Wei Laosan."

"Have you lost your mind?" Prince Ning turned pale with shock.

Prince Shuncheng's eyes were blood-red. He gritted his teeth and said: "I only regret not going mad sooner, not going mad hard enough. If I had gone mad just a year or half a year earlier, Wei Wei Laosan would never have had the chance to strut around. And you wouldn't have to feel unwilling—that position would already be yours.

Big Brother, are you truly willing to be driven, humiliated, and ground down by Wei Wei Laosan until you die? Father Emperor was biased; even on his deathbed he refused to grant us a fief. If we had a fief, away from Jingcheng, with the sky high and the Emperor far away, I could live freely on my own turf. I'd accept that life.

But Father Emperor insisted on trapping us brothers in Jingcheng, forbidding us to leave the capital. Day after day we suffer Wei Wei Laosan's grinding, living in constant fear. I've had enough of these days! Let me tell you—I would rather die standing than live on my knees!"

"You've truly lost your mind!"

At this moment, Prince Ning calmed down instead.

With a cold face, he asked as calmly as he could: "Tell me, how far have you already gone? Don't tell me you're still stuck at the idea stage and haven't taken any action."

Prince Shuncheng snorted, then his expression turned a bit awkward. "I secretly contacted Marquis Pingjiang, but he refused to pay me any attention. I sent two groups of people to the Northwest, and both got the door slammed in their faces. The letters I sent were returned unopened."

Prince Ning raised an eyebrow—he knew it would turn out this way.

If Marquis Pingjiang were that easy to buy off, he wouldn't have become the thorn in the side of three generations of emperors.

"Anything else? No moves in Jingcheng?"

Prince Ning didn't believe Prince Shuncheng could be this obedient. He'd watched his own brother grow up; he knew his temperament inside out.

Prince Shuncheng squirmed a little. "I met Chen Chen Guanfu privately a couple of times. He does respond to me, but he just won't take my bait—deliberately avoids the topic."

"It's obvious Hou Fu has never even considered cooperating with you."

"I can't do it, but Big Brother might not be able to either. If you show up in person, Marquis Pingjiang may not necessarily refuse you."

"Why would Marquis Pingjiang help us?" Prince Ning wasn't that optimistic. "Chen Chen Guanfu is the Imperial Father-in-law. Empress Chen's children are his direct grandsons. Why would he help us?"

"But Wei Wei Laosan's relationship with Empress Chen is strained. And Empress Dowager Sun is still bullying Empress Chen, while Wei Wei Laosan refuses to back Empress Chen up. In the future, when the Imperial Princes grow up, if something happens to Empress Chen's child…"

"Don't talk nonsense!"

Prince Ning cut off Prince Shuncheng's wild speculation without hesitation—truly, he'd say anything.

"Even if everything you say is true, the Marquis has no reason to cooperate with us brothers."

"How would we know without trying?" Prince Shuncheng was unwilling to give up. "We have to try."

"If we don't try, we're all safe. If we try, we might all die."

"If we die, we die—what's there to fear?" Prince Shuncheng looked utterly fearless, treating life and death lightly.

Prince Ning had a headache.

He said furiously: "This is reckless, reckless without any thought of consequences."

Prince Shuncheng laughed coldly, full of pent-up grievance, fury surging.

He had endured for a very long time.

"You all calculate consequences, you're used to scheming. Precisely because of that, you and the throne missed each other. If back then you had a third of my recklessness, today Wei Wei Laosan wouldn't get to strut around. You just calculate consequences too well—that's why you failed utterly. Now, Wei Wei Laosan is pressing step by step, and you're still calculating. How long are you going to calculate? Until I die, will you finally move?"

Prince Shuncheng kicked over a chair, his fury finding no outlet.

He wanted to smash everything, destroy everything!

If he didn't live, no one else would live either!

Anyway, this world is rotten through, these days are rotten through. Father Emperor's heart is rotten through too!

Why should Wei Wei Laosan be Emperor? Why?

Apart from being born of the legitimate consort, Wei Wei Laosan has no talent, no breadth of mind. A Wei Wei Laosan who's mediocre in every way became Emperor. All brothers must grovel at Wei Wei Laosan's feet!

Unwilling!

No matter what, unwilling!

Even if they killed him, he wouldn't accept Wei Wei Laosan as Emperor!

Anyone could be Emperor—just not Wei Wei Laosan!

Ahhh…

He picked up the vase on the display rack and was about to smash it.

Prince Ning saw this, too late to stop him, and could only shout angrily: "That vase was bestowed by the palace, worth a fortune in gold. If you smash it, it's gross disrespect! Wei Wei Laosan will have another excuse to deal with you. Think it through!"

Prince Shuncheng was so angry his cheeks twitched, lips pressed tight, jaw clenched.

He thought for a moment, and finally deigned to put the vase down.

"Fine, I won't smash it!"

He turned his head to look at his elder brother, the Prince of Ning, "But don't you stop me either. Even if one day the plot fails and I'm killed, I'll accept it! I'd rather go to the execution ground than be worn down to death by Wei Wei Laosan."

The Prince of Ning sighed, "Do you still acknowledge me as your elder brother?"

"Naturally I do."

"If you acknowledge me, then just listen to me this once, will you?" The Prince of Ning's tone was aggrieved and helpless, sincerely pleading.

"Don't think you can talk me into keeping my head down and behaving."

The Prince of Ning nodded in agreement, "I won't try to talk you down! Only, whatever you want to do, tell me first—don't go charging in headlong. Don't contact Hou Fu again, and don't contact Marquis Pingjiang either, it's useless."

"Then can I contact other military generals?"

"Leave this matter to me, don't do anything yourself. There are definitely people planted by the palace around you—don't take the risk."