Among the group of criminals, there was a particularly notable individual. He appeared to be the same age as the Emperor, yet their current statuses were worlds apart. One was the supreme ruler, the other a prisoner, a truly regrettable situation!
A young child was forced to pay for his father's mistakes, even risking his own life.
Ye Qingcheng felt a pang of sympathy.
Returning to the Prince’s Estate, Ye Qingcheng, while treating Xiao Wangye’s leg, casually mentioned, "Can the Prime Minister's son be pardoned?"
Xiao Wangye looked up at her upon hearing this, his gaze exceptionally calm and indifferent. "No."
Even Lin Xiao, standing nearby, was astonished. What was the Princess Consort thinking?
Ye Qingcheng gasped.
Xiao Wangye looked at her with profound disappointment. "I had thought, with your intelligence and wit, a few explanations about necessary political maneuvering would allow you to understand who your enemies are. It seems you are quite foolish."
Ye Qingcheng felt a surge of displeasure. "How am I foolish? Please tell me, Your Highness. I merely pity that child. He is the same age as the Emperor, yet he must suffer for his father's sins. It is unfair to him."
"And were they fair to the Emperor?" Xiao Wangye’s cold gaze fixed on her. "Do you know who colluded with enemy states, betrayed the Crown Prince, leading to his death, and left the Emperor fatherless in his youth? You also know that the late Emperor's death was primarily due to deep-seated grief, not an immediate cause. So, why did he die?"
Ye Qingcheng muttered in disbelief, "Could it be... the Prime Minister?" His influence had indeed spread further than she had imagined.
Xiao Wangye remained silent, but his silence conveyed the answer to Ye Qingcheng.
Xiao Wangye waved his hand, signaling Lin Xiao to push him out. "You come along too."
In the pitch-black Prince’s Estate, apart from the chirping of cicadas and the sound of flowing water, an unusual silence prevailed.
Suddenly, Ye Qingcheng’s ears twitched. She turned towards the roof of a nearby pavilion. "Did you hear something?"
There was no reply. When she turned back, Xiao Wangye and Lin Xiao had already walked away. Ye Qingcheng frowned. They hadn't even waited for her.
She hurried to catch up.
At that moment, a cold glint flashed in Ye Qingcheng's eyes from the shadows.
A sword lunged directly at her. Ye Qingcheng narrowly dodged, but accidentally stepped on a stone and fell to the ground.
Seeing the sharp sword descend towards her, Ye Qingcheng instinctively raised her hands and closed her eyes.
Just then, Lin Xiao drew his sword, blocking the attack, and engaged the assassin. Before Ye Qingcheng could regain her senses, Xiao Wangye had already used his internal energy to drag her away.
This assassin was undeniably a top-tier expert, but he was outmatched by Lin Xiao.
Soon, the sounds of the skirmish alerted the guards. A large contingent of guards surrounded the area.
Lin Xiao acted swiftly, capturing the assassin with a single palm strike.
Lin Xiao pinned him down and brought him before Xiao Wangye, tearing off the assassin's mask to reveal his face.
He was a professional assassin. Even kneeling before Xiao Wangye, he remained unyielding, his eyes fixed on him as if trying to pierce through him.
Xiao Wangye looked at Ye Qingcheng. "How will you handle this?"
"Hm?" Ye Qingcheng hadn't fully processed the situation.
Xiao Wangye turned to the assassin. "The decision is yours: to kill or to release."
"Kill him, of course!" Ye Qingcheng blurted out, barely thinking.
Xiao Wangye looked at her and asked, "Why? Can he not be spared?"
Ye Qingcheng was speechless. "Your Highness, do you wish to let a tiger return to the mountain, or to raise a tiger as... a threat..." Gradually, her gaze shifted to Xiao Wangye, and a realization dawned upon her.
Xiao Wangye was explaining to her, in his own way, why the Prime Minister's child could not be spared.
But this was different!
"The assassin is an adult, but that is still a child!"
Xiao Wangye ignored her and directly instructed Lin Xiao to push his wheelchair away.
Ye Qingcheng chased after him, blocking his path. "Xiao Wangye, do you truly intend to harm a child?"
Xiao Wangye looked straight at her. "Ye Qingcheng, my philosophy is not that noble. While everything may be for the common people, the premise is that I am not killed by an assassin. My life has been forced to stand at the pinnacle of a dynasty, and thus, my life must always be held firmly in my own hands. You say the Prime Minister's child is innocent, and indeed he is. But is the Emperor not innocent? Simply because he is the Crown Prince's son, must he become a sacrifice for the Prime Minister's ascent? If the Prime Minister were to succeed one day and sacrifice the Emperor, would you still consider his child innocent when you looked upon him then?"
Ye Qingcheng never expected to be rendered speechless by Xiao Wangye.
Lin Xiao pushed the Prince past her, glancing at the Princess Consort. Seeing her still frozen, motionless, as if stunned by the Prince's words, he shook his head in resignation.
Ye Qingcheng asked herself, if the Prime Minister truly reached that position, he would inevitably involve the child. But…
Recalling the child's frail body and tear-filled eyes from earlier that day, Ye Qingcheng sighed. She simply could not bring herself to harbor cruel thoughts towards a child. Now that the Prime Minister's family was imprisoned and to be executed in three days, the child would not escape his fate.
With this thought, Ye Qingcheng rushed to catch up with Xiao Wangye.
Ye Qingcheng directly stopped Xiao Wangye. "You are right. If the Prime Minister were to succeed, for the greater good, I might have to threaten that child. I might even go through with it, but… I would not kill the child. That child is the same age as the Emperor. I cannot bring myself to harm a child. Their minds are but blank slates; he might not even know he is about to die. I still wish to save him."
Xiao Wangye looked at her. "Have you thought this through?"
"Yes!" Ye Qingcheng nodded. "I have. However, I will not raise a tiger to become a threat. There is an acupuncture technique that can induce a hypothetical state in a person's memory, leading to amnesia."
Xiao Wangye looked up at her, and even Lin Xiao couldn't help but widen his eyes.
Ye Qingcheng's eyes sparkled with confidence. "I can make him lose his past memories. While this technique may take half a year for adults, for a child, a few days are sufficient."
Xiao Wangye was silent for a long time. He hadn't known Ye Qingcheng possessed such a technique. Perhaps he could let her try. If it succeeded, it might prove useful in the future.
"Very well."
After a considerable pause, Xiao Wangye replied.
"However, he must remain under my watchful eye at all times. Not a moment's lapse."
Ye Qingcheng smiled and nodded. "That goes without saying." Since she had achieved her objective, it was time to withdraw. "It is getting late, and you have court tomorrow. I shall not disturb you further and will take my leave."
Xiao Wangye watched her retreating figure, lost in thought.
Lin Xiao bent down and said to the Prince, "Your Highness, it seems our Princess Consort is not simple either!"
Xiao Wangye nodded. "Find an opportunity to let her encounter that person and receive some martial arts guidance!"
Lin Xiao was startled. "Your Highness… this…"
Xiao Wangye explained, "Such a person is someone we should keep close. But you know the situation around us. Learning to defend herself is beneficial. If we are not present, at least she won't die."
Lin Xiao understood. "I understand, Your Highness. I will make the arrangements immediately."