I'm competing with the male lead for a woman[GL]

Chapter 126: Why did Cheng'er want to save Prince Shen?

The Qi Country was still dark, so the emperor's tent was adorned with a pattern of black and dark gold.

At this late hour of the night, a loud thud could be heard from inside.

The guards stationed outside the tent dared not breathe, and they only saw the black-clothed figure who had been by the emperor's side for years approaching.

In a cold and hoarse voice, he said, "You have no business here."

Having received the order, they finally dared to bow and retreat, moving away from that area.

Inside the tent, Emperor Qi stood by the table carved from purple sandalwood, coughing violently.

He swept his hand across the table, scattering the ink, brushes, paper, and inkstone onto the ground.

Crown Prince Xiao Yu knelt on the ground, holding an elegant and handsome face, quietly watching as the dark ink soaked into the woolen carpet, staining the pure white with a blemish.

He remained silent for a while before smiling and saying, "Father, please calm down."

"Calm down?" Emperor Qi's grip on the corner of the table was so strong that his fingers almost turned white.

He stared fixedly at the prince's face and said, "Cheng'er's left hand is crippled. How do you expect me to calm down?"

"The Fifth Brother is loyal, brave, filial, yet innocently suffered such a calamity. Your son is also deeply grieved and cannot bear it."

"Grieved? What a noble sentiment!"

Emperor Qi, consumed by anger, grabbed a porcelain cup from the table and fiercely threw it towards the crown prince.

The throw was forceful, and tea splashed on the crown prince's face, mingling with blood that slowly trickled down from his forehead, dripping onto the edge of his robe.

The crown prince did not dodge or cry out in pain.

Gently lifting his fingers, he wiped the blood from the corner of his eye and said in a warm voice to Emperor Qi, "If throwing a cup at me can relieve your anger, then it is not regrettable for your son to die."

The candlelight flickered, and the weapons on the weapon rack reflected a cold gleam.

Emperor Qi silently looked at the crown prince kneeling before him and said, "Sometimes, I would rather not have you as my son."

As more blood flowed down the crown prince's face, unable to be stemmed, he stopped wiping it and smiled helplessly, saying, "Being born in the imperial family, becoming the child of the emperor and empress, was not a choice I made."

These words may have sounded self-deprecating, but they sounded particularly harsh in Emperor Qi's ears.

He turned around coldly and looked at the crown prince, saying, "Your mother has done many good things behind my back, and I am well aware of them."

The crown prince met Emperor Qi's gaze and smiled, saying, "Father, why did you make Empress Mother the empress back then? Empress Mother is also well aware."

"It was my mistake. Perhaps I should not have let your mother take charge of the imperial harem back then. That way, Cheng'er would not have been harmed by you and still be in a coma to this day."

"I never intended to harm the Fifth Brother. Everything he chose was of his own accord."

Perhaps due to the force of the throw, the crown prince knelt on the ground with a slightly weakened voice, saying, "This hunting expedition was specially prepared for the Prince Shen. The Fifth Brother also participated in some of the arrangements, naturally knowing that Prince Shen... must die."