Chapter 672

Long Ting Sheng wrenched free of his mother's hand, pushed open the door and peered outside, then shut all the doors and windows again and returned to his mother's side, saying, "Mother, do you really believe the third prince could escape so calmly? How could someone as shrewd as Ji Feihua make such a big mistake?"

Empress Jian's voice trembled as she said, "Ting Sheng, you... what do you mean by that?"

Long Ting Sheng said: "He must have left a backup plan; I think there's an eighty or ninety percent chance the third prince is being hidden by him. This eunuch villain can treat our father this way today, and tomorrow he can do the same to us."

Empress Jian said: "What else can we do? Your father wanted to oppose him, and what was the result? Nothing but a miserable end. You must not follow his example; just peacefully be your emperor... endure for a moment and the waters will calm; as long as you wait patiently, an opportunity will surely come."

Long Ting Sheng said: "Mother, do you really think he'll let me sit securely on the throne? This man is wildly ambitious; what he truly wants is to become emperor himself, and he intends to seize our Long family's realm."

Empress Jian whispered: "So what? His influence permeates every corner of Huangcheng, inside and out; the officials are all cowed by his power, none dare openly oppose him. We mother and son can only survive by obeying his orders. Son! You must absolutely not follow your father's old path."

Long Ting Sheng nodded and said: "Mother, rest assured, I understand."

Outside, a sudden clamor arose; the mother and son stopped talking. Soon they heard the palace gates being kicked open violently from outside. Looking up, they saw the little princess Qiqi storming in angrily, who shouted, "Where is my father?"

Empress Jian, who had formerly been kind and gentle, now wore a frost‑cold expression and snapped: "Qiqi, you brat, the older you get the less sense you have. Don't you see what kind of place Hall of Fragrant Tranquility is? Shouting like that—what propriety is this?"

Qiqi stood with hands on hips, eyebrows furrowed, glaring at Empress Jian and said: "As princess, I can do as I please! Where is my father? Why won't you let me see him?"

Empress Jian said: "The Emperor is ill; the imperial physicians have ordered that no one may approach him during his recovery."

Qiqi snapped: "Father is ill; does that mean we, his children, are forbidden to go and visit him?"

Empress Jian coldly replied: "No! Ting Sheng is the same."

Qiqi said: "How do we know you haven't done something terrible to my father..." Before she finished, Empress Jian raised her hand and slapped her hard, shouting, "Impudent!"

Qiqi was clearly dazed by that slap from Empress Jian; after a moment she came to, rushed forward heedless of everything to fight Empress Jian to the death, and the palace maids and eunuchs who had rushed over upon hearing the noise surrounded her on all sides.

Empress Jian's face turned ashen with rage: "Drag that willful girl away and lock her up!"

Qiqi shrieked: "I want to see my father! You wicked woman, did you harm my father..."

Empress Jian's hands trembled with anger, her voice shaking: "This is outrageous, truly outrageous..."

Long Ting Sheng sighed: "Mother, there's no need to stoop to her level; she's just a child. I'll go talk to her."

Empress Jian nodded: "Make sure she doesn't cause trouble again, or I won't be polite!" Recalling how she had just slapped Qiqi, a feeling of satisfaction welled up inside her—this was the first time in all these years she had struck that willful girl. Empress Jian thought to herself, I've tolerated you for far too long.

Long Ting Sheng personally escorted Qiqi back to the Palace of Selective Elegance. Gripping her arm, he dragged her into the chambers, yet he knew this sister was no impulsive child. Seeing the five finger marks already marring her jade‑white lovely face, he felt a twinge of pity; Mother's slap had indeed been harsh.

Long Ting Sheng said: "You brat, you have no sense. How could you run to Mother's place and cause a scene?"

Qiqi pursed her lips and said: "Father was fine—how did he suddenly fall ill? Why won't you let me see him?"

Long Ting Sheng said: "Children shouldn't worry about such things—not even you, and even I have no chance to see Father."

Qiqi said: "They say Father went mad and killed two palace servants—have you ever witnessed that?"

Long Ting Sheng said nothing.

Qiqi said: "Elder brother, though you may see me as just a child, nothing that happens in this palace escapes my notice. Do you remember when I told you about the imperial seal?"

Long Ting Sheng nodded and said: "So what?" The times have changed; the imperial seal no longer holds the same importance in his mind. Even if he could find the genuine seal, he could not alter the fact that he is controlled by others; power decides everything, and in his present situation he is utterly unable to change anything—his only recourse is to accept being Ji Feihua's puppet.

Qiqi said: "Even if you don't say it, I understand that Father's situation must be related to Ji Feihua."

Long Ting Sheng said: "Don't spout nonsense; watch out for trouble from your mouth."

Qiqi said: "Ji Feihua harbors wolfish ambitions; he can treat Father this way today, and tomorrow he'll use the same methods against you, elder brother. Don't you still not see that what he seeks is our Long family's realm and ancestral lands?"

Long Ting Sheng pressed his lips together and whispered sharply: "Enough. What does a child like you know? From today on you are not to leave the Palace of Selective Elegance so much as a step; if anything happens, I won't be able to protect you." He turned to leave.

Qiqi said: "Elder brother, wait!"

Long Ting Sheng halted his steps; Qiqi turned around, took a wax pellet from the bookshelf, and solemnly handed it to him, saying: "Elder brother, you must keep this letter safe at all costs; under no circumstances may it be leaked, or both our lives will be forfeit."

Long Ting Sheng hesitated a moment, then took the wax pellet.

Qiqi watched Long Ting Sheng's retreating back, and a faint cold smile curled her lips.

The Third Prince, Long Tingzhen, was held in this lightless dungeon, unable to tell day from night. At first he kept pounding on the iron door, shouting for help; now he is utterly exhausted, his voice hoarse, and his heart has shifted from fear to despair.

At the iron door a sound suddenly arose—the noise of a lock being turned. Long Tingzhen started and feared, until light finally poured in. A dark‑clad figure entered slowly, holding a lantern, which he raised to shine on Long Tingzhen's face, and said in an icy, merciless tone: "Your Highness, the Third Prince, you have suffered."

Long Tingzhen's eyes widened: "Ji Feihua? It really is you… you dare imprison me, your prince—what crime deserves this?"

Ji Feihua chuckled, but to Long Tingzhen his laughter sounded indescribably terrifying.

Long Tingzhen trembled as he said: "What are you laughing at? If Father the Emperor learns you dare treat me this way… he… he will certainly not let you off."

Ji Feihua said softly: "He can barely look after himself now; he certainly has no energy to spare for you." His bright eyes flashed with a chilling light: "The descendants of the Long line are nothing but pus‑filled sacks of rice—there isn't a single one who knows how to read the times."

Long Tingzhen said: "You… what do you want?"

Ji Feihua smiled: "First you need to understand this: you are now my prisoner; I can let you live, and if I wish you dead, you will die."

Long Tingzhen shivered: "Father treated you well; why… why do you do this to me?"

Ji Feihua sighed: "If he had obeyed, you would already be crown prince of Dakang; how could you have ended up like this?"

Long Tingzhen bit his lip, thinking of something: "Who ordered you to do this?"

Ji Feihua said: "You're so clever, yet you can't even see through this?"

Long Tingzhen nodded and said: "Is it the Empress?"

Ji Feihua said: "Your father wanted to kill me, so he made preparations for a desperate last stand, planning to make you crown prince; that way he could turn his full attention to me. But the Empress had no intention of letting him have his way—she desperately wants her own son to become crown prince and will stop at nothing. So your present plight has nothing to do with me; in fact you should be grateful to me, for if I hadn't had people rescue you from the mansion in time, you would likely already be dead at your elder brother's sword."

Long Tingzhen's lips quivered; he clenched his fists, gritted his teeth and said: "I will kill that wicked mother‑son pair to avenge the hatred in my heart."

Ji Feihua said: "Now reduced to this, what do you think you can use to fight them?"

Long Tingzhen looked at Ji Feihua, hope suddenly rising in his eyes—this was his last hope: "Sir Ji, if you could lend me your aid, I will surely grant you a title in the future."

Ji Feihua chuckled: "How is it that you still speak with such lofty airs?"

Long Tingzhen bit his lip, then suddenly dropped to his knees before Ji Feihua: "Sir Ji, save me; as long as I see the light of day again, I will honor you as my teacher, obey your every word, and never defy you in the slightest."

Ji Feihua gazed at Long Tingzhen with contempt; this man, whom everyone had praised as the promising Third Prince, was nothing of the sort—before fear he could even discard basic human dignity. He sighed softly: "Take heart, I will not let anyone mistreat you."

Long Tingzhen cried out: "Sir! Sir!"

Ji Feihua had already turned and walked away, paying him no further heed.

Ji Feihua stepped outside, where He Mu was already waiting; seeing Ji Feihua emerge, he hurriedly bowed.

Ji Feihua said calmly: "What's the situation?"

He Mo said in a low voice: "Today the Yongyang Princess went to Xining Palace to cause trouble, and on the spot she was slapped by the Empress Dowager."

Ji Feihua furrowed his sword brows: "That girl is willful and spoiled by nature; she has always been doted on by the Emperor, but now her patron is gone, so the Empress naturally no longer needs to tolerate her—after holding a grudge for so long, the time for explosion has finally come."

He Mo said: "She keeps insisting on seeing the Emperor, but in the end it was the Crown Prince who sent her back."

Ji Feihua gave He Mo a cold glance; the matter of Long Ting Sheng becoming the Crown Prince has not yet been publicly announced, so He Mo's remark is somewhat premature.

He Mo lowered his head, apologetically said: "I, your subordinate, acknowledge my fault."

I've caught a cold; today's First Update, just adjusting a bit—if you have a Monthly Ticket, please still support it; this Monthly Ticket is also drunk… (To be continued~^~)