The Supporting Male Characters Who Died Alone All Those Years Later

He Dongchen changed the subject, “Father, do you remember that when Empress Mother was alive, seventh brother lived in Fengyi Palace for two years?”

The old Emperor frowned, taking a moment before saying, “I remember, back then, you found Xiao Qi being bullied by palace servants, brought the person to Fengyi Palace, and the Empress couldn’t argue with you, so she raised him for a while.”

(T/N: Xiao Qi = Little Seven; a nick name for the Seventh Prince.)

But less than 2 years later, the Empress fell seriously ill and passed away. The Crown Prince was taken away by the old Emperor to be personally raised, while Prince Huainan came and went as he pleased.

“Does this matter have anything to do with Xiao Qi?” The old Emperor’s tone was stern.

He Dongchen chuckled lightly, continuing, “Father, you are unaware. Back then, it was Wei Rong who felt pity for seventh brother, begged me to take care of him a little, so I brought him back to Fengyi Palace. Seventh brother felt grateful for this incident and admired Tian Weirong from a young age.”

“Impudent!” The old Emperor’s eyebrows raised sharply. Tian Weirong was the Crown Prince’s fiancée, the destined Crown Princess. Prince Huainan was audacious to dare desire his elder brother’s betrothed!

On the side, Wen Xianliang, who silently acted as a background, pursed his lips. Prince Huainan was truly audacious. Moreover, back then, it was the Crown Prince and the Empress who took care of Prince Huainan. Tian Weirong simply moved her lips, and Prince Huainan, instead of being grateful to the true benefactors, harbored thoughts for Tian Weirong, the fiancée of his benefactor. Truly bizarre.

He Dongchen sighed bitterly, “A few days ago, I discovered seventh brother and my cousin secretly communicating. I intended to find an appropriate time to help them be together, but I didn’t expect Marquis Wu’an to… It’s also my fault. I never thought to guard against Tian Weirong, entrusting her with the palace pass, which gave someone an opportunity.”

Seeing his son blaming himself, the old Emperor, feeling his heartache fruitless, said, “You, oh you, your heart is too soft. This time, you’ve stumbled so badly. Learn from your mistakes!”

He Dongchen sighed, lowering his head, his face displaying a mixture of remorse and sorrow, portraying the image of a pitiful victim betrayed by his loved one and brother.

The system, munching on melon seeds mid-air, was nearly startled. Originally it was thinking the big shot was a cold figure, it turned out he was also a drama king.

Now that the truth was out, Prince Huainan and Tian Weirong were colluding. After Marquis Wu’an’s household discovered it, they targeted the Crown Prince.

The old Emperor, enraged, stroked his beard and glared, slamming the table forcefully, “Marquis Wu’an, how audacious!”

Because his daughter favored Prince Huainan, she toppled the Crown Prince. If she favored the Empress’s Phoenix Seal, would she dare to overthrow me, the Emperor, as well?

The old Emperor, filled with fury, took a few steps, his mind made up. He pondered, “The Marquis Wu’an’s household has accumulated generations of power and has deep roots. There’s also a General Tian at the border, commanding a hundred thousand troops. We mustn’t act hastily. After I make arrangements, we’ll catch them all in one net!”

Finishing his statement, the old Emperor looked at his hesitant son.

He Dongchen understood and preempted, “To avoid alerting the enemy, I’ll stay in the Prince’s mansion for a while.”

The old Emperor immediately showed relief, patting He Dongchen’s shoulder, promising, “Rest assured, after we deal with the Marquis Wu’an’s household, I’ll restore your position as the Crown Prince.”

“No,” He Dongchen shook his head, refusing, “Forgive my impudence, Emperor Father. These years, as the Crown Prince, I’ve been watched by countless eyes, unable to relax for a single day. These few days, staying here, I can freely study medicine, do what I enjoy. I’ve never felt this peaceful and at ease.”

He Dongchen paused, a hint of pain in his eyes, “To speak rebelliously, as long as I’m the Crown Prince, there will be countless people pushing me forward, countless others sowing discord between us, father and son. Emperor Father, I want to be your son, not just your subject.”

His genuine words moved the old Emperor, his eyes slightly red. After a while, he hoarsely said, “Good, my good son.”

As the sun set, the shadows of the father and son lengthened.

***

After seeing off the old Emperor, He Dongchen composed himself and casually instructed the servants to prepare hot water for bathing and changing clothes.

The system observed everything, clicking its tongue, [Boss, why did you decline the position of the Crown Prince?]

“I want the old Emperor to live a long life. Why bother with the burdensome role of the Crown Prince? Besides, does the old Emperor truly have no reservations about the original owner? Once Marquis Wu’an accuses, once the dragon robe is searched, the old Emperor would immediately issue an edict to depose the original owner, granting him a princely title, just to assuage his guilt.” He Dongchen shrugged off his outer robe, his fingers distinctly outlined as he fastened his inner garment. After a moment’s thought, he waved his hand, flicking the system away.

[Damn it! Why am I suddenly blind?!] the system exclaimed, stumbling around the room in frustration.

“Don’t look at anything indecent,” He Dongchen smirked, undoing his belt and shedding his clothes. He stepped into the steaming bath. His naturally divine appearance soft and noble temperament, now surrounded by mist, exuded even more ethereal charm.

***

The next day, there were many new faces in Prince Jing’s mansion. Although the old Emperor agreed to let his son continue as Prince Jing for a while, he ensured all privileges remained intact. The original owner’s belongings appeared in the mansion intact, some surviving eunuchs were spared and sent over, and the properties that had been divided were neatly returned to his hands.

This left many outside unsettled, especially those who had divided the properties. They were in a panic. Yesterday, they managed to get hold of the Crown Prince’s things, and today, the Emperor’s men took them back. It was a disaster!

Those in the capital who had planned to kick him while he was down immediately quietened down, afraid of falling into the Emperor’s hands.

Marquis Wu’an was also in a panic. Holding onto the dragon robe was a huge crime. When the old Emperor was furious, he remembered to grant a princely title to the original owner. Now, in just a few days, he was immediately backing the deposed Crown Prince!

Could there really be such a lenient Emperor in this world? Could he easily forgive those who coveted his throne?

Marquis Wu’an pondered but didn’t dare to ask directly, so he instructed a certain censor to impeach in court.

The old Emperor had been in power for over 20 years, and his authority was formidable. Those sharp eyes made people unable to meet his gaze directly. Just by lifting his eyelids, the censor trembled in fear.

“Can’t I feed my son a few bites? Is that not allowed?”

The officials were speechless.

***

Marquis Wu’an felt uncomfortable. After the court session, he met Prince Huainan in their usual private spot. Prince Huainan had never been favored by the Emperor and didn’t even have the qualifications to attend court, merely holding a nominal position in the Ministry of Rites.

“This matter may have taken a turn,” the Marquis of Wu’an said anxiously, feeling the Emperor’s attitude was strange and having a bad premonition.

Prince Huainan shrugged, unconcerned. “Emperor Father’s health has never been good. We’ll have to see if he has the stamina for it.”

Marquis Wu’an’s beard trembled in fear. He whispered, “Walls have ears! Be careful what you say, Your Highness!”

“Pfft, look how timid the Marquis is. This tea house is my property, airtight. Not even a fly can escape,” Prince Huainan said casually.

Marquis Wu’an took a deep breath. If not for his daughter’s affection, he wouldn’t tolerate such audacious behavior.

After discussing for a while, they decided to wait and observe. Then, they departed one after another.

***

In less than half an hour, their conversation was faithfully recorded and placed on the old Emperor’s desk.

“What a troublemaker!” The old Emperor slammed the table loudly. He had been considering whether Prince Huainan was being manipulated by Marquis Wu’an, but now it seemed that Prince Huainan was even more audacious than Marquis Wu’an! He wished his own father would die sooner!

With such a rebellious son in contrast, the old Emperor felt that the Crown Prince, who had painstakingly concocted elixirs for him, was truly filial! Incredibly filial!

How could I have been so foolish as to believe Marquis Wu’an’s nonsense… The old Emperor sighed deeply, unable to dwell on it further.

He instructed Wen Xianliang to send more good things to Prince Jing’s mansion, and the security there needed reinforcement to prevent any schemers from thinking the Crown Prince had truly fallen from grace and getting too clever for their own good.

***

Meanwhile, in Prince Jing’s mansion…

He Dongchen sat calmly in the main hall, sipping on premium Longjing tea and enjoying some delicacies crafted by the palace chefs. Two small eunuchs fanned him while a young steward stood at the forefront, holding paper and pen, meticulously tallying the inventory.

The palace eunuchs had just left, and now the hall was filled with gold, silver, jewels, and antiques. It was a dazzling sight that left onlookers dazzled.

At this moment, Prince Jing’s mansion no longer resembled its old dilapidated self. The furniture had been replaced with new ones, the gardens had been rearranged with exotic flowers and plants, and the kitchen had acquired a few palace-appointed chefs who were on standby. The mansion was now orderly and well-maintained.

After the young steward finished tallying, his eyes were tired, his hands sore, but he respectfully handed the account book to He Dongchen.

He Dongchen casually glanced over it and said, “You’ve done well. You have my trust.”

The young steward immediately smiled happily, his hands no longer sore, his waist no longer achy, his eyes no longer blurry. “It’s all within this servant’s duties!”

“Go to the accounting office and collect your reward yourself,” He Dongchen said, standing up and leaving the main hall.

He made his way to the medicine room. Before he even entered, the scent of medicine wafted over. Several medicine boys were bustling around the courtyard, running errands, while a few court physicians were gathered around a stone table, discussing prescriptions. They became animated, their faces flushed and spittle flying, as they discussed.

Ever since presenting the elixirs, the court physicians had been frequenting this place, treating it almost like a second base.

A medicine boy carrying a dustpan noticed He Dongchen’s arrival and hurriedly bowed. “Your Highness.”

In unison, everyone in the courtyard quickly stood up and bowed.

He Dongchen nodded slightly, indicating that they needn’t be overly formal.

Leading the group, Physician Ge stepped forward with a piece of paper. “Your Highness, we unexpectedly came across a prescription with many puzzling aspects. We seek your guidance.”

He Dongchen took the prescription, pondered for a moment, and began analyzing it with them. His explanations were logical and well-founded.

The system, floating in mid-air, sighed countless times. When it was promoting the pill and setting card earlier, it had hidden other intentions.

In order to solidify the persona of being a master of medicine, the big shot had to learn medicine, right? He could pile up all the levels of medical skills in the mall; basic, intermediate, advanced, and master, and earned tens of thousands of points effortlessly.

But despite all calculations, the boss turned out to be a master physician himself.

The system’s dreams shattered, and it sighed all day long.

Alas~~~~