[Various] The Deposed Crown Prince's Survival Story

Ying Zheng was shocked, furious, and enraged upon hearing this. Although he knew Fusu might be in danger in Yongcheng, he was confident—confident that he was unmatched and that the mere Lao Ai was no match for him. He believed that as long as he lived, Fusu would be safe. This article was first published by [author's name].

But he never expected that Zhao Ji would treat Fusu this way, even though Fusu was her own grandson.

Seeing Ying Zheng's angry gaze, Zhao Ji, holding her two sons, trembled and shook her head repeatedly, saying, "No, no, no... Zheng'er, listen to me, it was all done by the servants, it has nothing to do with your mother, it has nothing to do with your mother."

Ying Zheng ignored Zhao Ji and walked to the long table. He put Fusu, who was rubbing his belly and muttering, "The portions are always so small, I'm never full," on the ground. He personally put a jade bracelet on Fusu's wrist, pushed all the fruit platters in front of him, and said, "Su'er, remember, you are your father's son. You can do whatever you want except for your father. No one can stop you, understand?"

After saying that, Ying Zheng glanced at Zhao Ji with a cold face.

Zhao Ji wanted to tell Ying Zheng that the one-year-old baby couldn't eat the dried meat and preserved fruit, but when she saw Fusu bite off a piece of the specially made super hard beef jerky that she had used to help her two children chew, she silently swallowed all her words.

“Zheng’er, look how much Su’er’s craving for meat reminds me of you when you were little…” Zhao Ji changed tactics, no longer sobbing and behaving unceremoniously as before. Instead, she straightened her hair, her face radiating maternal love, and spoke softly, “Do you remember when you were little, in the State of Zhao… You were very naughty as a child, often making your father angry, and when he was angry, he wanted to hit you… Your father would chase after you, and you would run ahead, and you and your father would run wildly in the courtyard… Whenever your father was about to catch up with you, you would hide behind your mother and let her protect you…”

"I don't remember." Ying Zheng sneered and said bluntly, "I was only two years old when my father left Zhao. How could I possibly remember?"

Alas! The people of Earth are not only weak, but also stupid and have low intelligence. They can't even remember things from when they were two years old. This must be because their brains were damaged by too much water when they were born.

While munching on dried meat, Fusu looked at Ying Zheng with sympathy. If it weren't for the fact that cute boys shouldn't cry, he really wanted to shed a few more tears for his boss father to show his love for his dad.

Don't worry, boss. Although you are weak and stupid, now that I've become your son, I will never look down on you for being weak and stupid.

There's no way around it! I chose this father myself, so I have to protect him no matter how weak or stupid he is.

"Zheng'er, do you remember when you were little, when Qin attacked Zhao, and the people of Zhao wanted to kill us, mother and son, as a sacrifice to their flag? Your mother took you to the mountains..."

Zhao Ji continued to chatter on and on, while Ying Zheng sat expressionlessly to the side.

After Zhao Ji finished speaking, Ying Zheng casually wiped Fusu's mouth, which was covered in saliva and crumbs from gnawing on dried meat, before sneering and saying, "I remember, so what?"

"Zheng'er, Mother..."

"Although Mother is not kind, her son will certainly be filial. Mother, please rest assured, I will treat you well and will not let you eat leftovers." As he spoke, Ying Zheng affectionately stroked Fusu's head.

Logically speaking, children in that era should have all their hair cut off except for the top layer on their heads. However, because Fusu had been imprisoned, Zhao Ji wouldn't be so kind as to arrange a barber for him, so Fusu's hair grew naturally.

Short, soft, jet-black hair felt exceptionally comfortable to the touch, giving Ying Zheng a wonderful feeling.

"Mother isn't talking about Mother, but about your two brothers..." Zhao Ji looked at her two sons in her arms with heartache, and pleaded softly again, "Zheng'er, Mother begs you, please let them go, okay?"

"I have no brothers," Ying Zheng said, sounding rather impatient.

"Alright, alright! They're not your brothers! If you're willing, your mother is willing to send them to a farm and let them live as poor people for the rest of their lives. I will never let them get in your way, as long as you can keep them alive."

"Mother doesn't ask for their wealth or status, as long as they can live, even if Mother never sees them again in her entire life."

"Zheng'er, you've grown up, and now you have children of your own. You should understand the feelings of being a parent. Put yourself in their shoes; even if you weren't their mother, couldn't you do the same for Su'er?"

"If you let them go, it will be for Su'er's good fortune."

"You are the King of Qin, a magnanimous ruler. Please treat them like cats and dogs and let them go..."

Before Zhao Ji could finish speaking, Fusu, who was munching on dried meat, burst out laughing.

With that laugh, Zhao Ji couldn't continue speaking and could only turn her head with Ying Zheng to look at Fusu.

"Uh..." I can't exactly say that the "cats and dogs" thing reminds me of the content in that "classic quotes from the white lotus" on the forum, can I?

"Hard, can't bite, Daddy's help, Su'er." Since he couldn't say it like that, Fusu had no choice but to act cute and change the subject.

Thus, under the watchful eyes of Ying Zheng, Zhao Ji, the two mischievous children, Meng Tian, ​​Wang Ben, and other Qin soldiers—in short, in full view of everyone—King Ying Zheng of Qin had his mouth stuffed full of a half-eaten, drool-covered piece of dried meat by his own son.

Oh my god! What a daring brat!

"Father, is it delicious?" Fusu swallowed hard and asked Ying Zheng.

Ying Zheng remained silent for a moment, then decided not to disappoint his son's good intentions. He took the dried meat out of his mouth, placed it on the table, and said calmly, "Delicious! Very delicious!"

"Then, why, Father..."

"Father, save it for breakfast tomorrow morning." Ying Zheng smiled, his expression particularly sincere.

"Since it's so delicious..." Fusu moved closer to Ying Zheng, revealing a somewhat fawning smile. He grabbed Ying Zheng's sleeve, shaking it as he said in a sweet, coquettish tone, "Father, then, will you let me be, be the King of Qin?"

"To become the King of Qin?" Ying Zheng raised an eyebrow. He had just undergone his coming-of-age ceremony today and was ruling in his own right for the first time, and his son was already clamoring to become the King of Qin. This feeling was truly... incredibly bittersweet.

"Why would Su'er want to become the King of Qin?" Even without conspiracy theories, it's clear that Fusu is so young that he has no idea what the King of Qin is, so there must be someone behind this.

“Because, because, Su’er doesn’t, doesn’t, want to be beaten again.” Fu Su’s words made Ying Zheng’s expression turn serious.

He didn't need to ask who had beaten Fusu; he already knew the answer.

Ying Zheng placed his hand on the long table, propped himself up on his elbow, leaned slightly forward, and said in a low voice with a cold expression, "Mother, you said that as parents, we should put ourselves in each other's shoes..."

"No, no, no! I didn't!" Zhao Ji shook her head repeatedly in terror.

"Oh?" Ying Zheng's icy gaze swept over the faces of the two little bastards in Zhao Ji's arms. "If not their mother, then who is she?"

"No one! No one hit Fusu! Fusu is my own grandson, how could I let anyone hit him?" Zhao Ji said a lie that even she herself did not believe, but she could not tell the truth and say that the people who hit Fusu were her two sons, as that would only make Ying Zheng even angrier.

"Liar! The wet nurse said, good, child, you can't lie, Father, Su'er didn't lie, if you don't believe me, look here..." Fusu quickly loosened his belt, pulled open his clothes, revealing his bare chest, "Huh? The footprints, how come, they're gone? Where are the footprints?"

Fusu stared wide-eyed at the fair, pink, and flawless skin on his chest. He touched his chest in disbelief, as if searching for something. After searching for a long time, he finally raised his head in a pitiful manner and said to Ying Zheng, "The footprints are gone. Su'er didn't lie."

"Good boy, good boy! Father believes in Su'er, Su'er didn't lie." Seeing his son's hurt expression, Ying Zheng quickly reached out to comfort Su'er.

"Father, do you like me, Su?" Fusu raised his eyebrows and looked at Ying Zheng, asking cautiously.

Ying Zheng smiled and said, "Of course I like you. You are my son, how could I not like you?"

"Then... Father, let Su'er be the King of Qin, not... him... the King of Qin..." Fusu pointed at the big bear child in Zhao Ji's arms, pouting and saying unhappily.

Following the direction Fusu pointed, Ying Zheng's smile vanished, and he said coldly, "Him? Does he even deserve it? Su'er, who told you he wanted to be the King of Qin?"

"Grandmother..." Fusu's simple two words struck Zhao Ji like a thunderbolt. Her kneeling body swayed precariously, as if she might fall at any moment.

Zhao Ji wanted to rush forward and cover Fusu's mouth to stop her from speaking, but she didn't dare.

"No! Zheng'er, Mother didn't!" Zhao Ji shook her head desperately, tears streaming down her face, pleading with Ying Zheng while tightly hugging her two children.

With a loud "waaaah," the two children burst into tears, crying, "Mommy, I feel terrible."

Zhao Ji quickly lowered her head and gently coaxed her son.

Ying Zheng watched coldly as Zhao Ji appeared so gentle and maternal; he hadn't seen this expression on her face for many years.

"Father, please don't... let him be the King of Qin, okay?" Fusu tugged at his father's sleeve, determined not to give up until he got Ying Zheng's answer. "Even if... I don't want... to be... the... King of Qin, please don't want... him to be... the... King, okay?"

Ying Zheng turned around, the icy expression on his handsome face vanishing, replaced by a warm, spring-like smile. "Why?"

“He always bullies me. I don’t want to play with him, so I avoid him. He goes to my grandmother to complain. My grandmother beats me and tells him that when he becomes the King of Qin, he can do whatever he wants. Anyway, I’m a child without a father, so he can bully me as he pleases.”