The hero fell for the cannon fodder maid.

He Jingming, or should I say Zhao Chengyi, was wearing armor and holding a long sword with blood on it. There was also blood on his mask. He looked like a Shura, possessed by the god of death.

All the ministers were grumbling in their hearts, and some were whispering, saying, "Who is this man?"

Prince Rong looked at the person who came and was immediately stunned. This was his...

He was in a daze, not knowing if this was real or just a dream. He was afraid that when he woke up, he would be the only one in this cage-like capital.

The ministers looked at each other, and you didn't realize that another eunuch came in from behind. Isn't this Wang Fu who serves the Empress?

Didn't he take refuge with Concubine Shu a long time ago? How could he be with such a powerful man? What is the relationship between these two people?

Zhao Hong looked at this man and felt panic for some reason. He also felt a very dangerous feeling. He didn't remember offending such a masked man.

He bravely asked, "Who are you?"

He Jingming: "Shouldn't Fourth Brother know who I am?"

Zhao Hong was shocked when he heard this. There was only one person in the world who would call him "fourth brother", and that was his brother the Crown Prince, whom he hated to the core.

Zhao Hong: "Are you Crown Prince Zhao Chengyi?"

The ministers received another shocking piece of news. They only knew that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was still alive, but they had not found or seen His Royal Highness the Crown Prince alive.

Among the ministers, there was a middle-aged man in his forties who looked at He Jingming with bloodshot eyes. This was Prince Rui, He Jingming's third uncle. Among all the princes, he liked He Jingming the most. He was also the one who was suppressed the most by Zhao Hong and had no real power.

He Jingming: "Fourth brother seems very disappointed?"

Zhao Hong: "You have heard what the old man surnamed Qin said just now. I have nothing to say. It's a pity that you are not dead." Tears flowed from the corners of his eyes. I don't know what kind of complex emotions are contained in these tears.

He Jingming: "You really have nothing to say. You deserve to die. From the moment you killed your father and brother, you deserved to die."

Zhao Hong: "Haha, I deserve to die, but I am free. But you will always live in memories and pain. The people you love and the people who love you are far away from you. Haha, you will only be more painful than me." After saying that, he picked up the sword in his hand and committed suicide.

He finally made a brave decision for himself, and he didn't expect that he would have the courage to leave this world in this way.

He was wrong in this life after all. I'm sorry, mother. I'm leaving now.

In the time when blood flowed quickly, he lived out his entire life, from the time he could remember.

His mother always told him to study hard, but no matter how hard he tried, he could not catch up with the prince, and his mother always scolded him.

Concubine Shu sat on the main seat in Chuxiu Palace, looking at him with a look of disgust and sadness. She didn't know who she was looking at through him. He didn't know, maybe it was his father.

He didn't know what he had done wrong. He envied his royal brother very much. Every time in class, the tutor always praised him, while he was repeatedly reprimanded. Even the fifth brother, who was of humble status, was smarter than him.

I just want to get the attention of my father and mother, why can't even such a small wish come true?

He was unwilling to accept his fate, so he deliberately sat in this position. He was not happy, but unfortunately, everything was irreversible.

At the last moment, he thought of that year when the apricot blossoms were in the rain and there was a person looking at him with a smile and teaching him to read and write.

Blood was all over the floor, but Zhao Hong had a relieved smile on his face. Suddenly, a gorgeously dressed woman rushed out from outside the hall. Her hair was a little messy, and her face didn't show many signs of aging. She looked like a young woman in her twenties. Her face was full of shock, pain, guilt, and confusion, an extremely complex combination.

This person was Concubine Shu, also known as the Empress Dowager Wang Wan. She stumbled to where Zhao Hong was lying, hugged him and shouted Zhao Hong's name at the top of her lungs.

"Hong'er, what's wrong with you? Don't leave your mother, wuwu!" Wang Wan cried inconsolably while holding Zhao Hong's body.

He Jingming didn't expect that this man would commit suicide.

He couldn't say he was sad, he just felt a little overwhelmed. He didn't know how to face all this. The person he hated and wanted to kill died before he could do anything. He felt a little disappointed.

This man deserved to die. If he hadn't wanted that position, his father, the emperor, and his mother would not have left him, and he wouldn't have been displaced, wouldn't have to pretend to be someone else, and wouldn't have to spend countless dark nights alone and sleepless.

His eyes returned to their calm state.

Everyone was shocked by Zhao Hong's death, and Prime Minister Qin was even more frightened. The emperor was dead, and it seemed that this man was really the Crown Prince. God was going to kill him.

Heaven and earth are clear and retribution will come. This is what he deserves. Qin Shou of the Qin Clan Ancestral Hall is sorry to everyone.

He knelt dejectedly on the ground, waiting for his punishment.

Prince Rong also reacted at this time. Although he had received the news that the prince was still alive a long time ago, he didn't know when he would come back. Looking at the tall and straight man like a pine tree in the hall, tears couldn't help but flow down his eyes. This was his brother the prince.

He took a few steps forward and knelt down in front of He Jingming, just like when he knelt on the ground to admit his mistake when he did something wrong.

Zhao Yue: "Crown Prince, are you okay?"

He Jingming looked at the person on the ground and immediately helped him up. Even with the mask on, one could see that his eyes were full of bloodshot. His emotions had reached the extreme and he didn't know how to express them.

This is his younger brother. Although they are not from the same mother, he is better than his biological brother. They have had a good relationship since childhood. He also takes good care of him, but only in secret. He is also afraid that his blatant concern will harm him. This is the fact, which allowed him to survive the frame-up.

"Brother, I am the older brother."

The two hugged each other for a moment, then looked at each other silently, checking to see if the other was okay.

He Jingming entered the court several years ago and became an official in the Dali Temple, but his rank was relatively low and he had never attended court. Later, he became the Minister of Justice. He had no choice but to wear a human skin mask to attend court. He had seen him struggle in the capital many times, and he worked hard to grow up in an environment full of wolves and tigers. Now he has grown into a prince who can stand on his own.

The two let go of each other. Now was not the time to indulge in private conversation, business was more important.

Prince Rong stood aside, looking at He Jingming with starry eyes.

He Jingming looked at the Prime Minister and said, "The truth has long been known. Where is the real imperial edict? Prime Minister Qin, it's time to tell us now."

Qin Shou: "I know that behind the dragon throne, the late emperor seemed to sense his serious illness and ordered his confidants to place the imperial edict of succession behind the dragon throne." Then he buried his head deeply in the ground.

The concubine holding Zhao Hong asked sternly, "Why, why, you have been thinking about that bitch and her son all your life, and you have to think about him in the end. Haha, if you love them so much, why did you let me enter the palace and take such good care of me?"

He Jingming ignored the crying Concubine Shu and asked, "Why didn't you tell Zhao Hong about this will?"

Qin Shou: "I knew that the scheme with the Fourth Prince was a scheme to get the skin of a tiger, so I left myself a way out, so I didn't tell him about it."

Prince Rong: "You're afraid that you'll choose the wrong side, and then you can use this to gain the trust of others. I have to say you are very scheming."

He Jingming signaled the person next to him to get the will. The person quickly came to the dragon throne, took out the will, and handed it to He Jingming respectfully with both hands.

When he unfolded it, he saw that it was indeed his father's handwriting. Every word was familiar to him, and every word was engraved in his heart, "Father."

He Jingming: "Please ask the Third Emperor to read out the will!"

Prince Rui: "Okay."