The protagonist chased the villain, and Tiandao screamed in anger

The Emperor's birthday banquet was a grand occasion and everyone in the palace took it very seriously.

Even though You Heng displeased the emperor, he still prepared treasures to offer. Prince Yu was naturally unwilling to be outdone, and spent money and manpower to collect a large coral with bright colors and shaped like the Chinese character "福".

As for You Mu, the fireworks as a 'birthday gift' were set off ahead of time, and he had nothing else to give, so he just gave a jade pendant with a double dragon playing with a pearl.

No one paid much attention to it, but Emperor Chen stared at the jade pendant in a daze. After a while, he asked with a serious look:

"I remember that this was given to you by your mother on your eighteenth birthday. Why did you take out this jade pendant now?"

"I don't have anything special. It's not as luxurious as my eldest brother's, nor as rare as my third brother's. After thinking it over, I can only give the jade pendant to my father."

"In the past, when I wore this jade pendant, I always felt that my mother was still here. But I thought that if it was my mother, she would want to stay by my father's side."

The prince stood at the bottom of the stairs, his face showing a sense of melancholy, but more of relief.

The Emperor rubbed the jade pendant in his hand and carefully examined the Crown Prince's expression. Looking at the face that resembled his mother by 50%, he could not help but think of the Queen's good points.

When Empress Zhuangshu was in power, the harem was peaceful and the concubines were harmonious. There were few times when they would cause trouble in front of him. She was indeed a qualified empress and a virtuous wife.

In the early years after he ascended the throne, they were devoted to each other and lived in harmony... But later, Concubine Xiao entered the palace, occupied a lot of his attention, and then she became pregnant before the Empress.

Thinking of the Queen's death, the Emperor couldn't help but sigh.

In fact, he had never thought of abandoning the queen, nor had he thought of punishing her, but the queen...

Over the years, even though Concubine Xiao was in favor and had been coveting the position of empress for a long time, he had never thought of using her to fill the vacancy of the position.

After touching the jade pendant and thinking for a long time, the Emperor waved his hand, motioning the prince to go back and sit down, and tied the jade pendant around his waist.

"I will keep this jade pendant. Go now."

The banquet continued. Even though Emperor Chen did not make a clear statement, his words and actions were enough to prove how much he valued the jade pendant.

Prince Yu, who had been determined to shine, looked pale. The precious items he had spent millions of gold to collect failed to attract the attention of Emperor Chen. They were not as eye-catching as an unlucky jade pendant of a dead person.

He originally thought that if the Emperor was happy, he could take this opportunity to plead for his mother and lift the confinement. But the Crown Prince brought up the Queen, and seeing that he had no chance to speak, Prince Yu could only drink a pot of wine in anger.

You Heng still sat below Prince Yu, but unlike the cordial attitude he showed towards Prince Yu at previous banquets, he seemed excessively quiet.

After returning home and thinking about it for a while, he knew very well that the last time he reported the prince was clearly a trap set for him by Prince Yu.

While he was still caring about the brotherhood, the other party had already become suspicious of him.

Just being crowned a king by his father and entering the imperial court was enough to make his brother wary? With his strength, how could he compete with his brother?

You Heng really wanted to ask Prince Yu in person what he was thinking and why the brothers had fallen to the point of scheming against each other, but he didn't have the courage.

You Heng is a cowardly person. When he feels he cannot win the fight, he implies that he will not fight or compete. When he feels he cannot get something, he subconsciously says that he does not like it and does not want it.

But... could it be that in his royal brother's eyes, he doesn't even deserve the most basic treatment as a prince?

You Heng was confused and had mixed feelings inside, even the strong liquor he drank seemed bland and boring.

This depressed mood continued until the New Year's Eve family dinner.

The string instruments played soft music, and the dancers waved their sleeves and the gauze fluttered.

The scene changed, from the great hall accommodating court officials to the Feishuang Terrace, but the seating arrangement of the three princes remained the same.

The prince was carefree and just drank. His cheeks turned red from the drinking and he was about to pass out. The Emperor sent someone to take him out to sober him up.

Concubine Xiao was released from house arrest. Prince Yu, who was sitting in the middle, was in a good mood and raised his glass to toast his mother.

After all, You Heng was a prince raised under the name of Concubine Xiao. Even though she knew that You Heng had a rift with his biological son, she still had to maintain her dignity in an occasion like a palace banquet. After drinking the wine offered by Prince Yu, Concubine Xiao also asked about You Heng's situation.

You Heng seemed quite reserved. He returned the greeting and then sat back.

The sounds of the zither and the harp changed, the dancer left the stage, and Concubine Yu came out to dance in a silver gauze dress, her robe fluttering like a fairy.

The Emperor was staring in fascination, and You Heng couldn't help but recall the day when Concubine Xiao was under house arrest, and the glance he and she exchanged under the palace wall.

When the dance was over, the Emperor stroked his hand and praised him. He personally stood up and helped the concubine up, praising her and rewarding her numerous times.

Yupin smiled sweetly, saying that she was going to change her clothes, and obediently left the room to one side. You Heng's mind was slightly moved, and he quietly left the room under the pretext of sobering up, away from the Feishuang Terrace where singing and dancing were taking place, and walked to the Biwu Pavilion while stopping and walking.

With the help of some rockery scenery, You Heng went deeper and deeper, and indeed saw Concubine Yu who had been waiting for a long time inside.

"What is the purpose of your Majesty calling me here?"

You Heng was not clear about Concubine Yu's intention, but the look she gave him when she left the banquet was clearly a hint.

So blatantly in front of the emperor and all the concubines.

"What do you mean, Your Highness Prince Rui? I just came to this villa to get some fresh air." Concubine Yu, wearing a thick velvet cloak, had her pretty face buried in the snow-white fox fur. She turned her head to look at You Heng, but her expression was not as harmless as when she was facing Emperor Chen.

"...What exactly do you want to do?" With a gloomy expression, You Heng simply got straight to the point.

"As a prince, the treatment you receive is different from that of a prince, right? Your Highness Prince Rui?" Concubine Yu stepped closer and stretched out her hand to touch You Heng's face, but he dodged her move sharply.

Taking her hand back, Concubine Yu rubbed her slightly cold cheek and just smiled.

"Thank you for what happened last time, Your Majesty. I just don't understand." You Heng understood this hint. As for why he got the help of Concubine Yu, it was also something You Heng couldn't figure out.

"A helpless prince and a concubine without a family background, we are very similar, aren't we? Your Highness Prince Rui, I want to live a stable and comfortable life, but there are too many people in this palace, and each of them has their own support. What can I do?"

Concubine Yu's voice was faint, and seemed to contain a lot of melancholy.

That similar sentence actually fell into You Heng's heart. He couldn't help but think of himself in the palace. Even though he was fostered under the name of Concubine Xiao, the palace maids were the best at judging people and treating them differently. He was an unfavored prince and was often ignored.

"I just want to find someone to rely on." Concubine Yu pulled her cloak closer, as if she felt cold and wanted to shield herself from the cold wind.

"Isn't the father the Empress's support? The Empress is in the emperor's favor now, why does she have to do this?" You Heng asked back.

Concubine Yu pursed her lips and sighed, "Your Majesty can be my heaven, or he can be someone else's heaven. I am so anxious..." Raising her eyes, Concubine Yu glanced at You Heng's face.

"Your Majesty, you have just entered the court. I think you will need some help in the harem and on your bed... Concubine Xiao, she is not something you can count on!"

You Heng was shaken.

Concubine Yu is enjoying great favor. If someone could speak to his father and convey the emperor's will, he would naturally have to go through fewer twists and turns and gain greater convenience.

What Prince Yu has, he may have in the future.

But...can Concubine Yu be trusted?

"Father hates these the most..."

"Perhaps, I can help the prince...ascend to the throne...who knows? With Concubine Xiao around, I will not be safe. If the prince is interested, please show your sincerity..." Concubine Yu stretched out her hand to brush away the dead leaves blown by the wind on You Heng's shoulders.

This time You Heng did not avoid her, but reached out and grabbed Yupin's wrist, lowering his voice and asking, "Aren't you afraid that I will tell my father about this?"

"Then Your Majesty...you can go and give it a try. Does Your Majesty trust what Your Majesty said? I have no relationship with Your Majesty, so why should I help you?" Concubine Yu smiled coquettishly, shook off You Heng's hand, and did not stay any longer. She brushed past him and walked away.

You Heng, on the other hand, stood alone in the pavilion, thinking for a long time.

Concubine Yu was walking forward in the night with her sleeves gathered up. She happened to meet the prince's sedan chair. She could not avoid it, so she bowed to the people in the sedan chair in the dark.

"His Royal Highness."

The curtain was lifted, revealing a corner of his eyes and eyebrows. The prince looked at it with disdain and said nothing. He threw the empty wine bottle at Concubine Yu's feet and signaled the servants to move forward quickly.

The porcelain vase exploded at her feet, and Concubine Yu screamed and fell to the ground. Fortunately, her winter clothes were thick and she was not scratched by the fragments.

The prince's sedan chair drove away without anyone even looking back, being extremely arrogant.

In the distance, the maid who was warming her hands saw this and immediately trotted forward to support her master.

"My lady, are you okay? Are you hurt?"

"...It's okay." Concubine Yu shook her head and used her robe to cover the small packet of medicine powder under the fragments into her sleeve.

"Your Highness the Crown Prince is too arrogant. The Queen is currently in great favor, so how can this be considered..."

Concubine Yu stood up and scolded the maid for her careless words, "Zhu Ying, be careful with your words. Be careful of the harm that comes from your mouth."

Turning around, the long street was empty, and the sedan chair had long disappeared. Yupin was holding something on her sleeve, and she understood what was going on.

After waiting for a long time, finally... it has come to this.