PFC Chapter 235 The Ruthless and Disabled Crown Prince (135)
Chapter 235 The Ruthless and Disabled Crown Prince (135)
Ji Shumin covered half his face with his hand, speechless for the first time. No matter what, Ji Shumin had never told Ji Shuqin about the elixir.
Lu Liruan never asked.
This was probably the bottom line that Ji Shumin was least willing to cross, and least willing to let others know, but Lu Liruan always felt that, apart from that…
Ji Shumin didn't tell Ji Shuqin this because he didn't want him to know about the pure and virtuous things in his heart.
The Empress would certainly not tell Ji Shuqin what she had done to Ji Shumin, but I never expected that today she would speak so recklessly.
Lu Liruan turned to look at Ji Shumin, only to see a rare look of surprise on his face.
The air suddenly became so still that you could hear someone breathing. Ji Shuqin was left alone, looking around and noticing that everyone present had a strange expression.
Ji Shuqin immediately realized that something was going on here that everyone except him knew about, and he was the only one who was kept in the dark.
"What are you talking about? Min'er..." Ji Shuqin frowned and looked at Ji Shumin.
Ji Shumin didn't speak, but there was a hint of melancholy in his eyes. The distance he had just walked had left him feeling somewhat tired.
"Hahahahaha!" The Queen suddenly burst into laughter, which gradually turned from a soft chuckle to a loud laugh. She laughed so hard that she was doubled over, as if she had heard an incredibly funny joke.
Her pupils trembled; she was no longer in a normal state. So many years of repression, one betrayal after another, and alienation had made it impossible for her to maintain a calm facade.
"What good is it if he can walk? He and your father are the same! Do you see what your father looks like? He will become like this in the future, maybe tomorrow, maybe next year... How can someone with such a body be an emperor?" the empress said sternly.
"Qin'er, you wouldn't want to see him turn into your father, would you? If it weren't for me, he would quickly become that inhuman, ghostly thing!"
The Empress seemed to have completely given up, and everything she hoped for, planned, and wanted was about to fall through!
What else is there to hide?
The Empress is now so obsessed that she has no other thoughts but to make Ji Shuqin ascend the throne according to her wishes!
“Qin’er, you can’t just say you want to take care of him! What can you do? You have to protect him! You want to just watch him…”
"Enough!" Ji Shumin shouted suddenly!
His face was grim. He raised his hand and slammed the bowl hard on the table. The porcelain shards shattered and hit the back of his hand, cutting it and drawing blood.
He seemed completely oblivious, his chest heaving as he suppressed a furious rage.
"Mother, you've gone mad." He lowered his voice, his gaze so sharp it seemed to pierce through flesh and scrape against bone.
"Yes! How could I not go crazy! I gave birth to you two... Hahahaha! You are all the same, those I took care of, those I didn't take care of, those I loved, those I... hated, in the end you are all the same!"
"You are connected by blood, what am I... What is my life all for? Hahahaha! What is it all for?" The Empress murmured, her laughter extremely chilling. Even though the weather wasn't that cold, Lu Liruan got goosebumps all over.
The Empress seemed to want to vent all the pain and resentment she had accumulated in her life in front of Ji Shumin and Ji Shuqin.
"Why? Mother, what have you done to Min'er?"
Amidst her laughter, Ji Shuqin persisted in asking the same question, reiterating it over and over, relentlessly pressuring the Empress for an answer. He was exceptionally stubborn.
For a moment, Lu Liruan wanted to tell him, "Don't ask anymore. Even if you knew, what could you do?"
Lu Liruan felt a pang of pity. In those few short moments, Ji Shuqin seemed to quickly lose his composure, and Lu Liruan didn't even dare to look at him.
Since returning to the palace, everything that has happened has been far too cruel for him.
Lu Liruan couldn't imagine whether she would be able to question everything or not if it happened to her.
As for Ji Shuqin, a man of such pure and kind nature, Lu Liruan had no idea what kind of tumultuous experiences he had gone through, or how he was able to persevere in his search...
Although he appears to have a completely different personality from Ji Shumin, they are actually quite similar at heart, both resilient and persevering, and nothing can truly destroy them.
"Qin'er, your mother originally only had you as her child..." the Empress said sadly.
She pointed at Ji Shumin: "He was reincarnated from the Avici Hell, here to seek revenge on me! The fact that he is alive... is because he is taking revenge on me!"
"What immortal! Your father actually wants to live to be a hundred years old and live forever! What a dream! I want him to live, and he will live; I want him to die, and he will die... He did something wrong and ruined me. I want him... I want him to pay for it!"
Ji Shuqin's eyes were red. Even though the Empress was speaking incoherently, he understood that it was the Empress who had caused his father to become like this.
She even used the same vicious thing on Ji Shumin...
Some inappropriate memories from the past surfaced in Ji Shuqin's mind.
On a day of torrential rain, the water accumulated at the foot of the mountain temple steps was so deep that it was impossible to walk.
After finishing his calligraphy practice, Ji Shuqin went to check if the Empress's room had flooded.
"Is Min'er not coming today?" Ji Shuqin said casually, listening to the soft sound of rain breaking tree branches.
The Empress rose from the small Buddhist shrine, walked to the bedside, pulled up the small bamboo curtain to prevent rain from entering the room, looked ahead, and said calmly, "Min'er will come."
“This mountain road is so difficult to travel; even a carriage would get stuck in it,” Ji Shuqin shook his head.
The Empress didn't speak, but smiled and sat down: "No matter the weather, Min'er will come to see me."
Ji Shuqin was skeptical, but to his surprise, when the rain subsided a little, the temple gate was actually knocked on!
Ji Shumin didn't even ride in a carriage. He only brought a little eunuch with him, and they climbed up the muddy and slippery mountain road with an umbrella.
This was the first time Ji Shuqin had seen him in such a disheveled state. His clothes were covered in splattered dirty cement stains, his hair was dripping wet, and the tips of his nose and ears were red from the howling mountain wind.
The Empress smiled slightly as she rose and met his gaze: "Min'er has arrived..." She raised her hand to touch his face.
But Ji Shumin stepped back to avoid him, saying softly, "Your subject is dirty, Mother, please don't soil your hands."
Ji Shuqin was quite surprised that his mother could guess that Min'er would come in the heavy rain today. He was also touched, feeling that it was because of the bond between mother and son.
He had always wanted to see his mother and younger brother be affectionate with each other, and seeing this, he was actually quite happy and didn't think much of it.
But now, looking back, the warmth I felt back then has long since vanished, replaced by an indescribable emptiness and doubt: How did Mother know that Min'er would be there that day? She was so confident...
Elixir...
A terrifying thought arose in Ji Shuqin's mind, a thought that made him shudder uncontrollably. If that were true, it would have been many years ago.
It seems that all the irrationalities emerge from the self-imagined illusion of warmth and hypocrisy, revealing a terrifying appearance.
Ji Shuqin felt like he was about to collapse.
He suddenly turned his head and looked at Ji Shumin, as if trying to see the truth from his still expressionless, almost cold and indifferent face!
Why has no one ever told me this?
Ji Shuqin felt as if his throat was blocked, his breath rushed upwards, and he even tasted a slightly metallic sweetness in his mouth.
After venting her anger, the Empress slumped back into her chair, her pale face unbearable even with makeup. She gasped for breath and then suddenly choked backward.
"Ha—hoo—" She tilted her head back, choked up, and clutched her chest in a strange manner.
"Queen mother?"
Ji Shuqin stepped forward to check on her condition: "Someone come here—"
The empress was carried into the inner room, and a doctor was summoned.
Since settling in the capital, the old doctor could not show his face freely, which made him quite bored, so he decided to take on two disciples.
After all, it would be a real pity if his medical skills were not passed down.
Ji Shumin didn't care about him, but he and his disciple could only meet at the Third Prince's residence, and the disciple usually stayed at the Third Prince's residence as well, since now...
The old doctor was also unwilling to accept someone who knew nothing, so his two disciples were both well-versed in medical principles.
In the words of the old doctor: "They should at least be able to understand human speech, right?"
Today happened to be the day when the old doctor was teaching his two disciples. Upon hearing that the Empress was here, the old doctor wished he could bury his face in the flour jar and not move an inch in the room.
As luck would have it, the Empress even requested a doctor to come over.
The old doctor pointed to a disciple and told him to keep his mouth shut and take good care of him.
After examining the situation, it was determined that the Empress was suffering from shortness of breath due to anger and distress, and that two Qi-regulating pills would suffice.
Ji Shuqin was preparing to take the Empress back to the palace, but after the Empress was helped into the carriage, he stood still.
Ji Shumin stood there, leaning against the porch, his posture steady, his expression unchanged from when he saw him off.
"Min'er... why didn't you tell me anything?" Ji Shuqin finally asked, and once the words were out, he couldn't hold them back.
"Min'er, you see me as a fool, what am I thinking! Is that what you... think?" His tone was angry and aggressive!
“Brother, do you know I have not?” Ji Shumin replied to him in a calm, almost indifferent tone.
“You all knew! Why didn’t anyone tell me! For so many years, you watched me being kept in the dark, saying those stupid things and doing those stupid things! Min’er… why did you lie to me? If you resented me as well, you would have told me long ago…” His voice trembled.
"If you don't want to acknowledge me as your elder brother, why did you play me for this!" he finally shouted angrily!
He couldn't stand Ji Shumin's calm demeanor; he felt like a joke, and he felt utterly ashamed standing there.
"Enough! Did you say that was enough?"
Lu Liruan broke free from Ji Shumin's hand on her arm, stepped forward, and stood between the two of them, facing Ji Shuqin and with her back to Ji Shumin.
“What’s the point of taking your anger out on him? Don’t you really understand why he won’t tell you?” Lu Liruan knew that Ji Shuqin must be devastated and unable to accept it at this moment, but she wouldn’t allow him to take out his frustrations on Ji Shumin.
Ji Shumin straightened up and took a step forward. He had been standing for longer than he usually practiced today, and even taking a step forward felt tiring and difficult.
He grabbed Lu Liruan's sleeve: "Liruan."
Lu Liruan understood what he meant and didn't dare to break free from him, but she was still somewhat indignant: "I don't care what you think, think whatever you want... but if you say such unreasonable, baseless, and hurtful things, then please leave."
“Just because you’re sad or heartbroken doesn’t mean you can just spout nonsense. Once words have been uttered and entered someone else’s ears, you can’t take them back.” Lu Liruan’s words left Ji Shuqin frozen in place.
"He has endured it for so many years, what can't you endure... Your Highness, please."
Lu Liruan raised her hand, pointing towards the gate of the mansion, signaling Ji Shuqin to leave with the Empress.
“Min’er…” Ji Shuqin’s expression seemed to show a hint of annoyance. He wanted to say something, but in the end he just turned and left.
After everyone left, the courtyard suddenly became extremely quiet.
Lu Liruan ordered her men to clean up all the mess, and then helped Ji Shumin back into the house.
After Ji Shumin sat down, Lu Liruan took a deep breath and leaned closer to him.
Ji Shumin was startled by her sudden approach; his eyelashes trembled, and he looked somewhat sorrowful and pitiful.
Lu Liruan sighed softly and cupped Ji Shumin's face in her hands: "Look at me..."
"Hmm?" Ji Shumin raised his eyes and quietly met her gaze.
“I won’t let anyone bully you.” Lu Liruan said softly, “Don’t be sad. Although it’s not exactly a nice thing to say, even if they all… all of them leave you, it’s okay. I’ll always be here for you.”
Ji Shumin blinked, and after understanding Lu Liruan's words, he smiled, raised his head, and pulled Lu Liruan into his arms.
He held Lu Liruan in his arms, not very tightly, but Lu Liruan felt as if they were almost one.
“Fine, I’m not sad,” Ji Shumin sighed.
People come and go as they please; it is the norm for them to be in a constant flow of life and death.
Ji Shumin saw the moisture in her eyes and wanted to say that it was clearly you who cared more than I did and was sad for me.
He said nothing in the end, but simply held the girl in his arms tighter, feeling the surging, boundless courage and strength within her delicate body.
Li Ruan is the most extraordinary woman in the world.
That evening, the old doctor appeared before Ji Shumin in a furtive manner.
"Your Highness, have I been discovered by anyone?"
He had not entered the palace since the emperor fell into a coma. He was naturally suspicious and worried that he might have given something away.
Lu Liruan was both anxious and angry today, so she went to bed early. Ji Shumin was in the study with a dim lamp lit.
His face was shrouded in shadow, so his expression was not visible.
"How much did you leave for the Empress Dowager?"
"Just...just what you mentioned! It's about...the Empress has already used it." The old doctor sighed deeply.
"Well, in a while, I'll send you to the palace," Ji Shumin said softly.