You Have Suffered

Xiao Qianyu quietly admired the Grand Princess's disheveled state.

The Grand Princess struggled to lift her head, her face contorted with ferocity. "Who? Who are you here to pick up? Is it Xiao Qianchen? Father Emperor can't bear to let him die, but what about me? I'm his daughter too!"

She was unwilling, angry, and resentful. They were both thrown into the Imperial Clan Court together. If they were going to die, they should die together. Why should Xiao Qianchen be the one released?

"How pathetic!" Xiao Qianyu looked down at her with feigned pity, as if he weren't the one who had pushed her into hell. "A fine princess about to become a lonely ghost."

The Grand Princess glared at him through gritted teeth. You think you know who's responsible? Isn't it you?

Xiao Qianyu raised his eyes slightly. "You hate me?"

The Grand Princess's pupils were filled with flames of hatred. "Shouldn't I hate you? If it weren't for you, Father Emperor wouldn't have sentenced me to death."

Xiao Qianyu wagged a finger. "Wrong. I only requested that your title be stripped and you be demoted to commoner. The one who decreed your death sentence was Father Emperor. Think carefully, wasn't it?" he reminded her kindly.

The Grand Princess's expression changed. She desperately tried to recall yesterday's events, and suddenly her fingers clutched the quilt fiercely. She remembered—Father Emperor. It was Father Emperor who had ordered her death.

"Why?" The Grand Princess's face was ashen, like that of a dead person.

Xiao Qianyu said dismissively, "He dislikes that you embarrass him, dislikes that you are disdained by the Heavenly Dao, dislikes that your living presence would damage his imperial majesty. So, don't hate the wrong person."

The Grand Princess's body seemed to lose all strength as she slumped onto the wooden board. Why was Father Emperor so cruel and cold-blooded? Was all the favor he'd shown her before a lie?

Did his reputation matter more than her life?

Suddenly, she lifted her pale face. "Then why can Xiao Qianchen live? His actions were clearly more wicked and inhumane than mine. Why him?"

This was unfair.

Xiao Qianyu watched her ravings for a while before speaking. "Who said Xiao Qianchen can live?"

The Grand Princess was stunned. "Didn't you just say you were here to pick someone up?"

Xiao Qianyu: "But I never said I was picking up Xiao Qianchen."

The Grand Princess was confused. "Then who?" Besides her and the Third Prince, who else was in this Imperial Clan Court?

Xiao Qianyu announced cheerfully, "It's to pick up the Heir's Consort of Prince Jiujiang. She's been released without charge." My villainous mother.

"The Heir's Consort of Prince Jiujiang? That slut?" The Grand Princess found it laughable, and truly laughed.

A poisonous woman who schemed against the royal family and dared to swap the Empress's legitimate son could be released, yet she, a dignified princess, was to be executed for killing a few lowly servants.

What kind of world was this? The Grand Princess wanted to cry, and tears streamed down uncontrollably.

Xiao Qianyu's lips curved slightly. "She's not some slut. I said she was innocent, and Father Emperor decreed the restoration of her reputation. From now on, she will still hold the status of Heir's Consort. Alright, I just came to see how miserable you were. Now that I've seen it, I can rest easy. We shall never meet again. Enjoy the rest of your life."

With that, he turned to leave.

"Crown Prince, Imperial Brother." The Grand Princess suddenly tumbled off the bed board, scrambling on all fours to grab Xiao Qianyu. "Imperial Brother, save me! I don't want to die! Please beg Father Emperor on my behalf. I won't dare to do it again."

Xiao Qianyu stepped back, preventing her from touching him, and coldly refused, "No."

Tears streaming down her face, the Grand Princess looked up at him in despair. "Just because I killed a few insignificant servants, killed your personal eunuch?"

Xiao Qianyu nodded indifferently. "Just because of that."

"You are so heartless." The Grand Princess's eyes were filled with venom and malice. "We are all sons and daughters of the dragon, yet you are a freak. You value those whose lives are as insignificant as grass more than anything. You have no heart. I hate you. I hate you completely."

Xiao Qianyu blinked in confusion, as if to say who cares.

She let out a hollow laugh and said recklessly, "Do you know why no one pleaded for you when you were imprisoned? Everyone wished you dead. Including Father Emperor and Mother Empress. They haven't wanted you as Crown Prince for a long time. Even without the issue of the real and false Crown Prince, Father Emperor would have found an excuse to depose you sooner or later. Haha, Xiao Qianyu, you are truly pathetic. You claim to be wise and benevolent, but besides those lowly servants, no one in the entire palace likes you. You are too pathetic."

"Do you think Father Emperor will be happy you're back as Crown Prince? No, he wishes you dead even more. You killed me, and I'll wait to see what good end awaits you." she cursed.

Xiao Qianyu curled his lips. "I've already seen your end, but you probably won't see mine. But I guarantee it will be better than yours. Ascending to the throne, leaving behind a name for eternity, the winner of life—that is my future." I'm the protagonist, after all.

Casting the Grand Princess's curses aside, Xiao Qianyu turned and left.

However, from the Grand Princess's words, he confirmed one thing: even before his identity was exposed, the original owner seemed to be unwelcome in the royal family.

Pushing the door open, Prince Gong was waiting outside. He could still hear the Grand Princess's unwilling curses from inside.

He smiled awkwardly and looked at Xiao Qianyu inquiringly: "How did your talk with your sister go?"