When the tragic news of my fifth brother's death came, I heard from the eunuchs in Xiangning Palace that my father vomited blood at that time.

My eldest brother immediately summoned the imperial physician to treat my father. I knew the imperial physician who treated my father. His surname was Ouyang, and he was the imperial physician who had instructed me to find General Ye Gucheng.

Doctor Ouyang was an excellent doctor. He was ostracized when he first entered the Imperial Hospital. He was gentle and rigorous, and he persevered in obscurity, eventually gaining experience and reputation in the hospital.

His medical skills were unmatched in the Imperial Medical Bureau, and he gained a place in the Imperial Medical Bureau with his ancestral acupuncture techniques and superb medical skills.

Imperial Doctor Ouyang gave the emperor a few injections, and he looked much better.

Imperial Physician Ouyang privately told my brother that our father had been through great grief, and his qi and blood were flowing backwards, damaging his lungs. He was afraid that he didn't have much time left. If he was well taken care of, he might be able to live for another year or two.

When I heard the news that my father was dying, I didn't feel sad at all.

This man is my biological father and my mother's husband. He doesn't treat me like a father at all and is even more cruel and ruthless to my mother.

All the sufferings that befell me, my brother, and our mother were caused by him.

If it weren't for him, my mother wouldn't have died.

If it weren't for him, my brother wouldn't have hurt his body again and again in order to change our situation.

If it weren't for him, my brother and I wouldn't have been bullied since childhood.

If it weren't for him, my grandfather's family would not have fallen into decline.

There are so many ifs, so many that I can’t even remember them all.

My eldest brother asked me, "Are you sad that our father is going to die?"

I remained silent.

Why should I be sad?

It was my father who gradually eroded our relationship as father and son, and it was also he who killed my mother.

His father was seriously ill and unable to handle state affairs. He selected and picked among the princes, and finally chose his brother to be regent and take charge of state affairs.

Not long after, my father summoned the scholars of the Hanlin Academy, the six ministers and several clan relatives, and announced in front of them his intention to make my brother the crown prince.

Before my father died, he summoned my brother and me.

All the palace maids and eunuchs in Xiangning Palace were sent out by my father. There were only three of us, father and son, in the huge bedroom. It was so quiet that we could even hear the sound of a pin drop.

My father was wearing pajamas, with a soft Suzhou embroidered pillow behind him. He was half lying down and in good spirits. The imperial physician said it was a moment of last breath.

The first thing my good father asked when he saw us was, "Tell me the truth, was it you who set up the nightmare situation? Was it you who killed Concubine Xian and Jun'er?"

My brother and I couldn't help but chuckle at the same time.

It is true that we were the ones who created the nightmare scenario, and my father also contributed to the killing of Concubine Xian and my fifth brother.

If he had had any doubt at the beginning, my brother and I's plan would never have succeeded.

The elder brother looked at his father coldly and said, "Father, how could I have killed the virtuous empress? Didn't you personally order her to commit suicide?"

The emperor's eyes were filled with hatred. With a sweep of his arm, he knocked the bowl on the low table beside the couch to the ground. The porcelain bowl broke into pieces and the black medicine soup spilled all over the floor.

"Rebellious son! Rebellious son! You used me to kill the virtuous concubine and made me kill the woman and son I love the most!"

My brother and I both laughed out loud at this remark.

I said, "Father, you were the one who killed Concubine Xian."

My brother also said, "Father, you will be able to accompany Concubine Xian soon. You and Concubine Xian loved each other during life, and you will not be buried together after death. Concubine Xian killed my mother, and it is her due that her bones are crushed and scattered."

The emperor pointed at the two of us, speechless, "You, you——"

My father's hands slowly dropped, and we watched him die.

My father’s funeral was very grand. After all, he was the king of a country, so the funeral ceremony would not be lonely. But I thought of my mother.

Before she married the emperor, she was the most favored daughter of the Duke of Yingguo's mansion. After she married the emperor, her life was filled with indifference and bullying.

The grandness of my father’s funeral reminded me of how lonely my mother’s funeral was.

A month later, his brother accepted the homage of all officials in the Purple Palace, officially ascended the throne, changed the reign title to Xiangfu, and issued the first imperial edict.

He made me king, King of Qinghe.

My brother said that he hopes I can work with him to create a prosperous era with peaceful seas, calm rivers, peace and prosperity for the country and the people.

This is the origin of my name, King Qinghe.

The year after my father passed away, which was the first year of Xiangfu, Ouyang Yuanzheng's grandson celebrated his full month, and I went there specially to attend the full month banquet.

I was grateful for the help that Imperial Physician Ouyang had given me, so shortly after my brother ascended the throne, I asked him to promote Imperial Physician Ouyang to be the director of the Imperial Medical Bureau.

Ouyang Yuanzheng had an only daughter, who married the grandson of General Ye Gucheng.

The little baby, who had just turned one month old, was very quiet, not crying or making a fuss, and his temperament was very much like his grandfather.

This was the first time I saw such a well-behaved child, much better than Xier when he was little, and I couldn't help hugging him. In my arms, the child grinned at me and babbled, not shy at all. Some officials said that this child might do great things in the future.

No one thought that these casual words would come true in the future.

Far away.

After my elder brother became emperor, he appointed and promoted a group of talented people. He said that they would be the pillars of the court in the future. Among them, Censor Hua was the most talented and my elder brother valued him the most.

Censor Hua is a straightforward person, an outlier among the civil officials. He and the grandson of General Ye Gucheng are known as the two great civil and military heroes of the court.

People who are too straightforward are not suitable to be officials, especially those who are too talkative, as they are more likely to offend others.

Censor Hua is such a person. The people he caught have committed real crimes. It is not right to hate him, but it is also not right not to hate him.

Once, Censor Hua hit a wall.

The eldest brother raped the eldest daughter of the Wu family, causing her to hang herself and forcing the Wu family's parents to death. When Imperial Censor Hua met the youngest daughter of the Wu family who was seeking justice everywhere, he immediately brought the youngest daughter of the Wu family to sue the eldest brother in front of his brother. The incident of the Wu family daughter caused a sensation, and the elder brother could not protect the eldest brother, so he could only demote the eldest brother to a prince, confiscate the family property, and exile him to Lingnan.

In the seventh year of Xiangfu, that is, one year after this incident, Censor Hua requested to resign for various reasons, and his brother agreed after much hesitation.

My brother was very motivated and in just over ten years he brought the Song Dynasty to a higher level. The Song Dynasty was even more powerful than when our father was in power.

The Huo family in the north has their own army and has always been a major concern for my brother. I wanted to get rid of this major threat for my brother, so I planned a case of treason against the Huo family, killed the entire Huo family, and took control of the military power in the north.

I became the only prince who held military power and remained in the capital at that time.

At the same time, the reforms promoted by his elder brother also made progress. Defei and Guifei plotted to murder Qin Xiuyi and the little princess, and his elder brother ordered the death of Defei and Guifei and their families, and also executed the three clans of their mothers. Defei's brother and Guifei's father were the biggest obstacles to his elder brother's reforms.

Later, I accidentally learned that the death of Qin Xiuyi and the little princess was related to my brother, and my brother was the mastermind behind the death of Qin Xiuyi and her daughter.

I find it hard to believe that my brother would kill his own woman and children in order to eliminate the power of the Fang and Yu families.

For the first time, I saw my brother in a slightly different light.

Sometimes, I can’t help but wonder if one day my brother would want to get rid of me for some reason.

What I was most worried about happened. My brother became wary of me.

My brother and I have supported each other all the way to this day. I don’t even know when he started to be suspicious of me, and I gradually became estranged from him...

On the day my brother passed away, he summoned me, entrusted Xier to me, and asked me to assist Xier with all my heart.

I agreed to my brother with tears in my eyes.

When my brother passed away, I also lost the person closest to me.

I didn't want Xier to poison me, but I just didn't want to accept it. My brother can sit in that position, so why can't I?

I still remember my brother's words. He said, "This world does not belong entirely to me. Half of it belongs to Prince Qinghe. He is a prince, so how can the world belong to him?"

My brother and I have been lonely and helpless since childhood. We supported each other all the way, but we were eventually blinded by power and status and parted ways...

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