The Sickly Regent Prince Who Was Abandoned as a Substitute Bride

Ye Erxiao slammed his fist on the table in anger: "Outrageous! How dare you utter such treasonous words!" Ye Erxiao knew in his heart that the consequences of this matter were far more serious than he had imagined, but now that the die was cast, there was no going back.

When Ye Jingchu saw Ye Erxiao get angry, he quickly lowered his head and admitted his mistake: "Your subject knows he was wrong, please forgive me, Father Emperor. However, there is only one way to solve this problem now."

Ye Erxiao asked in confusion, "What method?" Ye Jingchu raised her head and said with a firm gaze, "As long as you pretend that you never wrote that annulment decree, there is still a chance for everything to turn around."

After hearing this, Ye Erxiao remained silent, pondering whether the suggestion was feasible.

Just then, the Empress Dowager slowly entered the room. Her steps were slow and steady, as if each step carried the marks of time. She gently pushed open the door, making a slight sound that attracted everyone's attention.

Upon hearing the voice, Ye Erxiao instinctively turned his head, his gaze falling on the Empress Dowager, a hint of worry flashing in his eyes. He stood up and bowed to the Empress Dowager.

"Mother..." Ye Erxiao called softly.

"Mother!" Ye Jingchu also called out.

"Grandmother..." Dongfang Wan'er bowed her head in greeting.

The Empress Dowager smiled and nodded in acknowledgment, then slowly walked to the center of the room and sat down. Her eyes were gentle and kind, yet concealed an unspeakable majesty. Everyone rose and stood respectfully to the side, awaiting the Empress Dowager's instructions.

"Yes, all of you, rise. I heard everything you just said," the Empress Dowager said softly.

Ye Erxiao frowned; he knew the Empress Dowager was aware of their conversation. He looked at her, a hint of worry flashing in his eyes, unsure of what would happen next.

"You have two choices. One is for you, my son, to marry Dongfang Wan'er, and the other is for me, your grandson, to marry her. In this way, we can see who Dongfang Wan'er will choose. This is a dilemma, but it is also an opportunity to test people's hearts," the Empress Dowager said calmly.

Ye Erxiao remained silent, pondering the question in his heart.

Ye Jingchu hurriedly said, "Grandmother, Wan'er and I are in love. Please grant us your blessing."

The Empress Dowager smiled slightly, a hint of cunning flashing in her eyes. She gently patted Ye Jingchu's hand, indicating that she understood his feelings.

But she didn't immediately respond to Ye Jingchu's request. Instead, she continued, "I've heard of it, but what woman wouldn't be tempted by imperial power? Perhaps Dongfang Wan'er is simply blinded by power; she doesn't know what true love is."

"Mother, what if Dongfang Wan'er chooses Ninth Brother?" Ye Erxiao couldn't help but ask.

The Empress Dowager's eyes turned cold, and she replied firmly, "If she cannot be of use to the royal family, then kill her directly. We do not need an unreliable person by our side."

Ye Erxiao and Ye Jingchu exchanged a glance, both shocked. They hadn't expected the Empress Dowager to be so decisive and ruthless in handling the situation.

"What Mother says makes sense..." Ye Erxiao softly echoed.

The Empress disagreed deeply, but she remained silent. She knew she had to side with the Emperor and support his decisions. Although she disliked the Empress Dowager's forceful stance, she understood it was the way to survive in the palace.

"Yes, it's good that you understand..." The Empress Dowager finished speaking and left...

"Your subject takes his leave..." Ye Jingchu also departed. He knew he had to take action to convince his mother of his true feelings for Dongfang Wan'er. So he left the palace without hesitation and went directly to the Marquis's residence, hoping to gain Dongfang Wan'er's support and assistance.

However, just as Ye Jingchu was traveling by carriage to the Marquis's residence, a sharp sound suddenly pierced the air: "Clang..." A sharp arrow shot towards him. If he hadn't reacted quickly, the arrow would have hit him directly in the eye.

"Assassins! Protect the Crown Prince!" the guards shouted in panic.

Ye Jingchu's face darkened. He decisively jumped off the carriage, only to find more than a dozen men dressed in black with cold, stern faces standing in front of him. Their eyes exuded a murderous aura that sent chills down one's spine.

"Who are you people? How dare you assassinate this prince!" Ye Jingchu tried to find out their identities through conversation, but these men in black gave him no chance. Without a word, they raised their long swords and charged directly at Ye Jingchu.

Ye Jingchu was agile and quickly dodged the attack, but he was still injured in the arm by the opponent's sword energy. Blood immediately stained his sleeve, but he ignored the pain and turned to kick one of the men in black away. However, more men in black rushed up and surrounded him.

"Hiss..." Ye Jingchu was injured again, this time with a deep gash on his leg, blood flowing freely. But he still gritted his teeth and engaged in a fierce battle with the man in black.

"Ah!" Ye Jingchu suffered a severe blow to his back, and his body involuntarily leaned forward. He braced himself with his hands on the ground, barely maintaining his balance. Even so, his eyes remained unwavering, showing no sign of backing down.

Immediately afterward, Ye Jingchu was struck in the abdomen again, and blood instantly stained his clothes. He gritted his teeth, enduring the excruciating pain, and continued to fight the enemy.

Gradually, Ye Jingchu's body became covered with wounds of all sizes, and blood flowed continuously, soaking his clothes. However, he never gave up the fight, desperately trying to survive.

In the end, the men in black seemed to have achieved their goal, so they stopped fighting and left.

"Don't chase! Take care of the eldest prince first!" a guard shouted.

At this moment, Ye Jingchu finally couldn't hold on any longer and collapsed heavily to the ground, unconscious.

Night fell over the land, and Ye Jingchu's injuries were severe; his life was hanging by a thread.

The guards were extremely anxious. They quickly brought him back to the palace and summoned the best imperial physicians for treatment. The physicians did their best, but Ye Jingchu's condition was not optimistic.

The man in black left.

Then, in the dead of night, he returned to the Regent's Palace...

"Master!" An Ye entered Ye Jiuchen's room.

"Hmm, how did things go..." Ye Jiuchen fiddled with the ring on his finger.

"Master, our own men have severely injured the Crown Prince. It won't be until at least a month or two before he recovers!" Dark Night replied...

"Hmm, very good. Select the best items from the storeroom and send them to Wan'er. Never mind, I'll just pick them myself..." Ye Jiuchen said, about to get up...

As soon as Ye Jiuchen stood up, he felt dizzy and then fainted again.

"Master..." An Ye quickly stepped forward to catch Ye Jiu Chen...

"My master doesn't take care of his own health at all, and he's always thinking about marrying Miss Dongfang." An Ye murmured to himself as he looked at Ye Jiuchen in his arms.