coobybook Chapter 499 Companionship
Chapter 499 Companionship
Fu Jingheng has been watching the child silently, witnessing him grow from a naive child to a graceful teenager. However, the gears of fate always seem to turn mercilessly.
Perhaps due to the palace rules, the princes had to go to school to receive education when they were six years old. It was not until this time that the emperor woke up from his dream and remembered the second prince who was forgotten in the remote courtyard.
Fortunately, with the careful teaching of his older brother, the ignorant little guy has been transformed. When he first entered the school, although he was still unfamiliar with everything, he was no longer easily laughed at and bullied by other brothers as in the past.
Gradually, he learned to hide his edge. Although he was still young, he already knew how to survive in this complicated palace. He no longer craved for his father's attention and love, but instead cast his eyes to the distance, hoping that one day he could get away from the palace walls that imprisoned his freedom.
Deep in his deep eyes, there burned a flame called "escape". He secretly vowed to use his wisdom and courage to pursue his own future. At this moment, he was just waiting for the opportunity, waiting for a chance to spread his wings and fly towards freedom...
Ever since he entered school, he left that remote and quiet courtyard and moved to a place reserved for the princes to live.
His father, the current emperor, specially appointed people to take care of his daily life. Among these people, there was a nanny named Cuiling who cared for him with great care and protection, and could be said to be the most dedicated.
Although the boy is still young, he is smart and perceptive beyond his peers, and can tell who really cares about him.
After class, the boy quickly returned to his courtyard. He walked into the room quickly and kicked everyone out without any courtesy.
"Big brother, are you still there?"
Even inside the house, the boy still didn't dare shout loudly, for fear that the sound would be heard by people next door.
"I'm here!"
Fu Jingheng walked out from the corner of the room with a helpless look on his face. Looking at his younger self in front of him, a complex emotion surged in his heart.
"Today I saw how doting my father is on my third brother. No matter what he wants, my father will grant it to him." The young man said calmly, but a hint of loneliness and disappointment that was hard to conceal flashed across his eyes.
Fu Jingheng's heart ached slightly. He knew that the boy in front of him was far from being as mature, steady, well-behaved and sensible as he appeared on the surface. After all, he was still just a child who had not experienced the world. He had never been involved in the filthy harem fights, nor had he witnessed the cruel scenes of intrigues between brothers, and he had never experienced the cold and ruthless side of that man.
Because of this, the young man still had a little hope for his father. However, Fu Jingheng knew that this expectation must be completely wiped out.
Because, in the vortex of power in this palace, any naivety and fantasy may become a fatal weakness. Only by letting the young people face the reality can they survive the ups and downs in the future.
"Let me tell you a story." Fu Jingheng did not mention his father directly in front of the boy. Instead, he told the boy what had happened to him as a story.
"In a beautiful courtyard, there is a gentle and virtuous woman. She is gently stroking her bulging belly, her eyes full of anticipation and longing for the upcoming new life."
"As the days passed, the woman's belly grew bigger and bigger. She would talk to the baby in her belly every day, imagining the happy and warm life between mother and child in the future."
"However, fate always likes to play tricks on people. On the night when the woman was about to give birth, a sudden accident put her in a desperate situation. The midwives who were supposed to stay by her side were all transferred away and sent to another woman. The woman felt helpless and desperate in an instant, but she still firmly chose to use all her strength to give birth to the child alone."
"In the end, the child was born safely, but the woman closed her eyes forever because she had exhausted all her vitality. Her departure was so tragic and desolate, as if she had been forgotten by the whole world."
"And that man didn't even look at her. He just buried her hastily, as if she had never existed. As for the child, he just threw her to a nanny to raise, like an insignificant item."
As Fu Jingheng continued to tell the story, the boy's mood became heavier. He was smart and naturally understood that what his elder brother was talking about was his own life experience. But what made him curious was that this experience was so consistent with everything he knew, which made him wonder: Is this really just a coincidence? Or is there some unknown secret hidden in it?
The boy decided to continue listening to see if there would be any other unexpected developments in the story...
Fu Jingheng calmly recounted his past, as if he was telling someone else's story. His father's harsh reproaches and the fierce fights between his brothers made him feel extremely lonely and helpless. Because he had no strong maternal family to back him up, and no relatives he could trust, he could only endure it all silently.
Sometimes, a simple word from his father could easily wipe out the results of his long-term efforts. No matter how hard he tried, as long as someone questioned or refuted, he would always be the one in the wrong. When his brothers got into trouble, he was always the one who was blamed and punished.
The boy listened to his older brother's story attentively, his face unconsciously revealing traces of heartache.
"Brother, those days must have been extremely painful, right? They must have been very tiring, right?" the young man asked in a soft voice.
Fu Jingheng smiled and comforted her, "It's all over. Now as long as you can be safe and happy, I will be satisfied."
Although the place they were in was not the real world, being able to meet this lovely boy might be a wonderful fate. Deep in Fu Jingheng's heart, there was a voice that kept telling him that he hoped this innocent boy would not experience the suffering he had experienced.
The boy couldn't help but wonder, why was he the only one who could see this mysterious older brother? And his experience was so similar to his own! What did this mean?
The two of them were talking happily in the room, and time passed by unknowingly. It was not until the maid knocked softly on the door that they realized that the sky was already dark.
The boy subconsciously touched his hungry stomach, and then he suddenly realized that they had been talking for a long time.
\"Second Prince, please enjoy your dinner as soon as possible. It is indeed very late.\"
Hearing this, the young man slowly stood up and walked towards the hall. Looking at the simple and plain dinner dishes in front of him, he did not show any dissatisfaction. After quickly filling his stomach, he quickly returned to his room to review the lessons taught by the teacher during the day.
In the room, there are two people. The boy sits quietly at the desk, staring at the book in his hand intently, immersed in it; on the other side, Fu Jingchen sits elegantly opposite him, also holding a book in his hand, reading attentively, the whole picture looks particularly warm and harmonious.
At the same time, in the imperial study on the other side, the man on the throne was casually flipping through the pile of memorials on the desk. Suddenly, he seemed to be casually asking the attendant beside him:
"What has the Second Prince been busy with lately?"
The attendant did not dare to neglect the matter and quickly replied respectfully: "Your Majesty, the Second Prince has been confined to his room since returning to the palace. It was a long time before he stepped out of the room to have dinner."
The emperor frowned slightly upon hearing this, but did not reveal much emotion. He just snorted and then ordered: "Continue to pay close attention to the Second Prince's every move. If there is any abnormality, report it to me immediately!"
In fact, the emperor did not really care about the second prince who had been neglected for many years. It was just that the situation in the court had changed recently, and the situation became more and more confusing, and the ministers began to unconsciously stand on their own sides. In the emperor's heart, the third prince was the ideal candidate to inherit the throne.
As for the Second Prince... at most he is just a whetstone for the Third Prince. I hope he can be more sensible and not have any delusions. Otherwise, the consequences will be disastrous... Thinking of this, the Emperor smiled a barely perceptible sneer.