Chapter 897: Chapter 897: The Tragic Death of the Third Prince’s Family
“That is…” The Prince of Jing was puzzled. Apart from this, he also couldn’t understand why, even before all these muddled affairs had happened, the Emperor had been dissatisfied with the Crown Prince.
“Do you still remember your third brother?” A hint of a pained gaze flashed in the old Emperor’s eyes.
“Of course, I remember.” The Prince of Jing also had a hint of regret in his eyes.
Among their brothers, both he and the Crown Prince were born of the Empress, with the Crown Prince exalted as the eldest legitimate son, and bestowed the title of Crown Prince at birth, truly matchless in honor.
The Second Prince was much less fortunate, being the son of a concubine, and moreover, rather foolish, causing quite a stir in years past.
However, ever since he was terrified by Sikong Mo, he had been bedridden for a lengthy period, and even when his health finally improved, he behaved himself. It was evident that the little ambition in his heart had vanished.
The worst pity was the Third Prince. Back then, when the old Prince of the Sikong Royal Residence died heroically on the battlefield, the frontier border was leaderless, and Dongyue lost more than a dozen cities, descending into peril.
Although the Third Prince’s status wasn’t high, he was only a few years older than him.
Yet, from an early age, he excelled both in literary and martial prowess, capturing everyone’s attention entirely through his own efforts.
The Third Prince of that year, even compared to today’s Sikong Mo, wasn’t any less remarkable.
In Dongyue’s most challenging times, the twenty-year-old Third Prince voluntarily requested to lead troops into battle, recapturing the cities Dongyue had lost, using two years to quell the frontier turbulence.
However, upon returning, he encountered an assassination and didn’t even leave behind an intact body.
When the Third Prince’s remains were brought back that time, even he, a man, was shocked and horrified at the sight.
But why would Father suddenly bring up this matter now?
Could it be…
A sudden unbelievable thought flashed in the mind of the Prince of Jing, and then he turned to look at the old Emperor.
Under the gaze of the Prince of Jing, the old Emperor nodded. “I discovered a metal box hidden on the beam in your mother’s room by chance, which contained the Blood Letter left by the Third Prince’s consort, and only then I understood the whole story.”
The old Emperor continued, “Back when the Third Prince was on his way back, he already sensed something amiss, so he used a family letter to write to the Third Prince’s consort, saying that if anything happened to him on the road, she should present this letter to me.
Regrettably, even with prior knowledge, he couldn’t escape that calamity.
The Third Prince’s body and that letter arrived in the capital almost at the same time, and by the time the Third Prince’s consort received the letter, it was too late.
At that time, the Crown Prince had people seize the Third Prince’s daughter, forcing the Third Prince’s consort to hand over the letter. With the child in their hands, the Third Prince’s consort had no choice but to compromise.
But the child, only three years old, couldn’t endure the torment, and frightened, passed away not long after returning home.
The Third Prince’s consort wrote a Blood Letter explaining the entire story, sent someone to deliver it to the palace, and then she also departed with the Third Prince and the child.
What she probably didn’t expect was that although the Blood Letter reached the palace, it was intercepted by your mother, and kept hidden in a metal box on the beam in your mother’s room. It was only by chance that I discovered this matter.”
That year, many events transpired. The Princess Consort gave birth, and the War King’s Princely Heir, Sikong Mo, who was supposed to inherit the title after the three-year mourning period, disappeared innocently with one year left. Yet, the Prince of Jing never imagined that the tragic death of the Third Prince’s entire family of three was also due to the Crown Prince’s interference.