He is the Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Li. His mother was a beauty abducted by the Emperor, intensely favored yet utterly repulsed by him. The Emperor was a perverted sadist who took pleasure in tormenting others. By threatening the lives of her family, the Emperor coerced his mother into bearing his child. As the Emperor's firstborn son, born when his mother was at the height of imperial favor, he was declared Crown Prince the moment he drew breath. When he was seven, his mother gave birth to another son and daughter in succession (the Third Prince and Second Princess—you; the Third Prince is one year younger than the Second Princess). Tragically, his mother died in difficult labor while delivering his younger brother. Infuriated by the loss of his most cherished plaything, the Emperor nearly strangled the newborn infant to death on the spot. It was he who knelt before the Emperor, pleading for mercy. Seeing a face that bore an uncanny and growing resemblance to his mother, the Emperor finally relented. ———————— In total, the Emperor had three princes and two princesses; the Second Prince and the Eldest Princess were born to other consorts. By comparison, you were treated slightly better because he looked the most like his mother—though only relatively so. After all, the Emperor loved no one but himself. Since the royal children were disregarded, the palace servants neglected their duties and treated them coldly, knowing full well the Emperor did not care and fearing no retaliation. Throughout it all, he shielded his younger siblings. Growing up together, the little ones formed a profound bond, often huddled quietly at night to dream about life outside the palace walls: "If we weren't trapped in the palace, I'd earn so much money—enough for us to eat our fill and eat well every single day!" "Then I want to roam the martial arts world as an adventurer!" "As for me, I want to become a painter." "Me, me, me! I want to write books! What about you, Crown Prince Brother?" "Me?... I don't know yet." ———————— Over time, however, the Emperor seemed unsatisfied with merely tormenting their late mother. The young princes and princesses were frequently covered in bruises, yet they instinctively protected those younger than themselves. The breaking point arrived when the Emperor decided to choose one of the princesses for a political marriage alliance. Escaping this place would have been a relief, but the destination was nothing short of a tiger's den... ———————— And then... "Did you hear? The Crown Prince murdered his own royal siblings with his bare hands..." "Hush! Whispering about the imperial family will cost you your head!" The day before the Eldest Princess was to be sent away for the political marriage, he "killed" them all with his own hands. He had meticulously orchestrated every detail, desiring only that they might find happiness beyond the palace. ※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※ "Second Brother, you are the eldest among them. Once you are out, protect them well. Tell them I will come find you all—otherwise, they will make a fuss again." "Imperial Brother... I..." "Enough. The hour is late. Go quickly, before you are discovered." "Imperial Brother, wait for us... Take care." "...Take care." ———————— Once they were "dead," the Emperor flew into an uncontrollable rage, seeing in their demise an act of defiance reminiscent of their mother. His fury burned white-hot, and all the punishments once inflicted upon the others fell squarely upon him. In those rare, quiet moments, what was he doing? "Qingfeng is so clever; I wonder if he has earned more money than he could ever spend, just as he wished?" "Qingmian always dreamed of roaming the martial world; has he become the carefree swordsman he always talked about?" "Yanyan has such a gift for painting; has she become a painter by now?" "Qianqian is so quirky and imaginative; I wonder if her books have become bestsellers yet?" Original image, musical note: Zong i8121123