Chapter 304 - Flipside (2/2)

A little smile tugged at Prince Yi's lips, he could not believe the Emperor actually let Lei Xing go, he was both surprised and confused.

{...See, he used and abandoned you...Just as I said, you should have listened to me...}

Zhao Chang looked at Prince Yi's uplifted expression. Zhao Chang then smiled and raised his cup of wine and said, ”It looks like we can still become in-laws after all...”

Prince Yi's smile immediately fell and he knit his brows, annoyed with himself for thinking of Lei Xing.

{...What am I thinking? I can't alienate Zhao Chang because of her... There's also Nalan too...}

Prince Yi suddenly paused and frowned, ”Don't tell me he has decided to marry the Zou princess?”

”I haven't heard about that, it's the Lei family's daughter again - Ah, a phoenix goddess is what she's called now, she's really something -” He said with a chuckle.

Prince Yi frown deepened as he said, ”Don't tell me you're interested in her -”

Zhao Chang choked on his wine, spat it out, and then frowned, ”Of course not, I'm not interested in dying.” He said amidst his coughing.

Prince Yi froze and stared at him wide-eyed, then he gulped and tentatively went, ”You know?”

{...He couldn't...No one knows, not even she knows - except maybe that Jun Kai but he wouldn't have told h-...}

Prince Yi knit his brows, it seems there was some sort of misunderstanding here.

Zhao Chang has disliked the Emperor since they were young and the Emperor returned the sentiment and ignored Zhao Chang's existence. Therefore, there was no way the Emperor would have discussed anything with Zhao Chang, much less the topic of Prince Yi and Lei Xing.

”Know what?” Zhao Chang asked with a raised eyebrow as he shook off his sleeve, ”Please be careful what you say. He already doesn't like me, I don't need to give him a reason to finally kill me...”

”What do you mean?” Prince Yi asked, now even more confused.

Zhao Chang blinked at him confused and then he went, ”Well, she's the Empress...and considering he decided to clear out his harem because of her, even simply looking at her now might be considered an offense...I would have never thought he was the sort to obsess over a woman, but it seems he still has blood flowing in veins after all.” He finished with a snicker.

Prince Yi blinked for a bit and then his mood plummeted as he realized what the Emperor had done, he tightly gripped his cup and bit out more to himself, ”He released everyone but her...” It infuriated him even more that he was happy for her release, even it was just a moment.

Zhao Chang stopped laughing and scrutinized Prince Yi with a raised eyebrow and then said, ”I thought you would be happy about this...”

Prince Yi looked up at Zhao Chang and irritatedly said, ”How the Emperor lives his life is none of my business...”

Prince Yi honestly could not understand what Lei Xing had done to him. Frankly, if he wanted anything to do with her, it should be her death at this point.

She treated him like dirt and not to mention, she seemed to be the only thing his brother cared about. If he wanted his brother to feel the pain of loss, then killing her was the best way. After all, Lei Xing seemed to be more important to him than his own mother.

{...Her life or his throne, I wonder he would he choose?...}

Prince Yi inwardly scoffed, it was obvious to him that the Emperor would choose his throne but it might not be so obvious to Lei Xing who the Emperor was leading along. So he made a mental note for the future. If the Emperor was not immediately killed, he would give him choices, much like how their father had given him his choices back then. He would let the Emperor make this choice right before Lei Xing's eyes so she could see the truth of his character.

After all, as their father believed Jun Kai resembled him the most. Therefore, he cared only for himself. So in the end, as their father always did to all around him, Jun Kai would stab Lei Xing in the back when she least expected it.

It was in his nature.

”It must all this wine clouding your mind...” Zhao Chang said after a while of watching Prince Yi brooding, it was obvious that Prince Yi did not understand the good in this news.

So Zhao Chang explained, ”...Even though my sister has been given the title of a princess, my father is greatly disappointed... and I'm certain that he is not the only one. After all, the Emperor has sworn off other women, vowing to stay faithful to his Empress - the ”phoenix” for the rest of his rule... Do you understand now?”

Prince Yi glared at Zhao Chang in annoyance at the reminder of his brother's happily married life, but then before he could tell Zhao Chang to get out, his intoxicated brain processed the information and he suddenly realized what Zhao Chang was telling him and his face lit up and he asked, ”Your father is upset?”

Zhao Chang smiled, ”He went on a rampage in his study yesterday, screaming curses at the heavens...”

Prince Yi looked down at his wine cup and twirled the contents and smirked.

{...This is truly great news...}

After all, the Emperor was truly not a member of the Zhao clan and Prime minister Zhao was obviously not the loyal sort, he had already betrayed two Emperors, so why not a third?

This was it...This was what he had been waiting for all this time.