The Crown Prince I’m Raising Has Turned Evil

Chapter 26: The Road Filled With Thorns

His voice was soft, just like a feather, landing gently on the tip of Xie Lin Lang’s heart, raising waves of unending ripples on the lake inside her heart…

Just when Xie Lin Lang was about to say something to console him, she heard the sound of a water bucket crashing onto the floor! Then came Xiao Xi’s cracked voice–

“What are you two doing?!”

Xie Lin Lang was startled. Within the next second, Xiao Xi rushed towards her at the speed of the wind. He pulled the long garment left out on the side and covered it over Xie Lin Lang’s head!

“GongZi, please don’t forget, you’re a man!!”

Qin Jue was a little dazed after being pushed aside by Xiao Xi. But he became even more confused after hearing this, what does he mean by “he’s a man”?

Luckily, under Xiao Xi’s interruption, Xie Lin Lang also sobered up.

Seriously! Even though she hasn’t developed much yet, she’s still a lady! How can she be so careless?

So then she spoke to Xiao Xi apologetically, “Nothing much happened, Qin Jue only came because he was worried about my injuries…”

Xiao Xi was like a mother eagle, protecting Xie Lin Lang by standing in front of her and using an anti-theft kind of expression to look at Qin Jue!

“Is it something that is required to be expressed during your bath time?”

Doesn’t…seem like it…

Qin Jue wrinkled his brows, pushing down the odd feeling and speaking, “Since you’re alright now, I’ll be going first.”

When he got to the front door, he remembered something, and then quietly instructed.

“Regarding the knowledge of poison, I’m more acquainted. So if you feel unwell, don’t push yourself.”

Xie Lin Lang nodded weakly, and after Qin Jue had left, she finally let out a lengthy breath. Not being able to hold back any longer, Xiao Xi began lecturing into her ear.

“GongZi, can you believe yourself, how can a boy like you be so unaware of protecting yourself?”

Xie Lin Lang was very apologetic, “I know…I’ll be more careful in the future. But at least Qin Jue’s still young, he doesn’t know anything…”

Xiao Xi instantly looked at her like a strict parent, “…When he learns of all these things then you’re screwed!”

On the other side, Qin Jue walked out of the front courtyard by himself. It seems like he just wanted to get some fresh air and clear up his head.

Why did he say those kinds of words to Xie Lin Lang earlier? The feeling he’s having was very foreign, so foreign it was as if it was an emotion that he only possessed in his previous life.

The night was desolate, adding to the fact that their shelter location was in a remote area, there was no one in sight as far as the eyes could see.

Qin Jue gazed into the distance, vaguely able to see the rising and falling silhouettes on the horizon. That was QiLian Mountain. Once they pass that mountain, Xiang City would be very close…

Suddenly, his footsteps stopped.

A trace of rust smell was detected, and a person wearing black silently appeared behind Qin Jue.

But soon, the person kneeled on one knee: his firm and large body stable as the mountains!

He said in a low voice, “Your Highness, you’ve finally arrived!”

––No one could understand, why did Qin Jue not escape from Qin Nation at that time, but turned back at the most crucial moment?

Didn’t he know that if he came back, his life would constantly be on the edge of death?

Yes, he did know. He knew that since the Emperor had already destroyed the Xia Family on his own accord, then it wouldn’t be possible for there to be survivors. But he still came back, bringing the determination of ascertained death and overflowing hatred with him, back into hell!

Dong Qi remembered a couple of months back when they were still at the boundary line. As long as they crossed the MuChang River, they could leave Qin Nation. But no one predicted that the Empress would commit suicide, disrupting all of their arrangements.

That night, His Highness carried the Empress’ body and sat on the riverbank of MuChang River for the entire night, motionless. No one knew what he was thinking, nor were they certain that he wouldn’t jump into that rushing river in the next second. His life and death would be decided within a single moment of intention.

But in the end, he didn’t jump. Nor did he cry. When the sky started to become bright again, he stood up and gave out a few orders.

First, all of the remaining forces are to stop following him and relocate entirely to Xiang City.

Second, to contact the Capital City’s remaining division, he was heading back…to the Capital.

Back then, all of the people thought he had gone crazy. Going back at this time, wasn’t that basically looking for death?

But he didn’t go crazy nor did he die. All alone, he brought back the Empress’ body, presented a report of the “bloody will that the Empress wrote before she died”, and then in front of the civil and military officials, admitted to all of the charges and was willing to accept any form of punishment, only seeking that his mother could be buried in the Imperial Mausoleum!

Even the most cold-blooded person would have been moved in this moment…And just as expected, originally the Emperor who was resolute in having him be killed, ultimately, only sentenced him to exile.

But escaping the ordeals of the Emperor was only the very beginning on this road of thistles and thorns.

He contacted his secret troops located inside the palace, telling them his place of exile was decided to be Xiang City.

Then he dispersed all of his forces from Capital City, pretending to be the very harmless abandoned crown prince.

How far was the imperial palace from Xiang City? It was probably similar to the distance of those mythological stories of a journey containing countless obstacles to reach the end goal. But on this road, he must walk alone.

He couldn’t reveal the power that he hid, couldn’t reveal that his original objective was Xiang City, and he couldn’t die on the way there…

So all of these people who had arrived early couldn’t be sure either, was the Crown Prince going to be able to complete his strategy and stay alive to meet up with them…

Before he returned to the capital, the leader of the secret force once asked him.

“The forces will be going to Xiang City to wait for Your Highness, but what if…Your Highness doesn’t come?” What if he died on the way there?

And what was Qin Jue’s reply at the time? He smiled and spoke in a very tranquil voice.

“Suppose that I don’t come, then it’ll just be the way life is, and all of you can disband. To serve under someone that can’t even protect his own life is not worthy.”

That was the last gentle smile he’s shown.

After that, the troops arrived at Xiang City, waiting day after day. It was clearly just a few months, yet the days felt endless.

And finally, the waiting was over. His Highness, he had arrived!

Qin Jue gradually turned around. At this moment, he was a different person. In front of Xie Lin Lang, he was perverse, gloomy, moody, and sometimes even a bit of a brat.

But in front of his long time subordinates, his eyes become so still that there’s no trace of light. Because the moment that they appear in front of him, he knows, he’s here for revenge.

“Why are you here?” He slightly tilted his head, “This place is still at least a few days away from Xiang City.”

Even though the escort team was already exterminated, Qin Jue couldn’t be sure if the Emperor had sent someone to surveillance him. To not let all the efforts go down in vain, they should have met somewhere else instead of here.

Dong Qi suppressed the emotions in his heart, speaking lowly, “All the people in the area are our people, nothing will go wrong. Your Highness…” He looked at Qin Jue’s body, even skinnier than how it was a few months ago, and unconsciously choked up with emotions.

“All this way, you must have suffered so much!”

Did he suffer so much? Qin Jue slightly realized something.

The first month was indeed very bitter, then…Xie Lin Lang came. Although he still had to hide from various enemies throughout the time they were together, he didn’t know why after remembering them now, he didn’t feel like he suffered at all. In fact, he felt that because of this cushioning point in the latter half of the trip, all the feelings of wrath and impulsive thoughts of massacring from the times he was tormented were all gone now.

***

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