Gifted Bride of the Sinned Prince

None of Qiu Zedong’s women were present on the palace ground as they were locked in their respective manors.

“Lóng Wei, I gave you the life which was supposed to end years ago. You should not forget the favors that I did for you,” Qiu Zedong asserted.

“You do not deserve to say that to me anymore,” Lóng Wei said with scrunched brows. “When she asked you to let us leave, you should have. I was never interested in the throne. You knew this well.” Tears bubbled in Lóng Wei’s eyes. He did not want to fall weak at this moment. But the truth was heart-wrenching.

Lóng Wei turned and covered his eyes with his palm. Li Hua started to cry seeing Lóng Wei. She was a little far from her, so she decided to run to him and hold him in a tight embrace. She stepped up when Feng Lao caught her hand.

She looked at him and he shook his head. He let go of her hand and looked at Lóng Wei.

Lóng Wei took a deep breath and said, “Your elder brother, Qiu Qizhen is here. I completed my task and brought him to you.” He again turned to look at Qiu Zedong, who had this grim look on his face.

He looked at Xiaoming and Qiu Mu. “Are you going to believe a traitor like Lóng Wei? Gather the military and kill Lóng Wei,” Qiu Zedong told them.

“Qiu Zedong, that is not possible anymore,” Qiu Qizhen spoke. The soldiers, who were standing behind Hei Chengxi, got away as Qiu Qizhen stepped up. Everyone looked in his direction except Lóng Wei. He had his eyes glued on Qiu Zedong.

.....

“You have lost this battle. Even your sons are against you today,” Qiu Qizhen asserted and he kept walking toward him. He stood next to Lóng Wei and took a deep breath.

“Xiaoming, will you not listen to your father?” Qiu Zedong screamed at the top of his lungs. However, the Crown Prince kept his gaze away from his father. Qiu Zedong asked his other sons to step up and save him.

“No one will help you today,” Lóng Wei stated and asked Xiaoming to give his views on Qiu Zedong.

He turned to look at the Crown Prince. “Can the Crown Prince tell his father what he thinks?” Lóng Wei arched his eyebrow.

Xiaoming gazed at Lóng Wei and nodded his head. He walked up to them and halted before his father. “Father, I saw you as an ideal King. For me, you gave the best justice to the people. But you committed so many crimes that do not make me take your side. How could you take a woman hostage and then force her to hate her own son? You have lost that respect in my eyes. I will not help you, Father,” Xiaoming expressed his thoughts aloud.

“What an insolent son I have!” Qiu Zedong chuckled. “I did this all for you, Xiaoming,” he affirmed.

“For me? How?” Xiaoming lost his temper and raised his voice at Qiu Zedong. “I am unable to even imagine the situation Lóng Wei’s mother underwent. It will be better if you die. Such a man does not deserve to live,” He pronounced and continued, “and this decision is not only of me but every prince present here. I cannot believe that you are my father.”

Xiaoming gave a disappointed look to Qiu Zedong and then turned to look at Qizhen.

“Qiu Mu, your elder brother has lost his mind. You are better than him. Pick your sword and—”

Lóng Wei interrupted his words in the middle. “You want your sons to be dead today? You destroyed my life and it will not take me time to destroy yours,” he said and took steps toward him. The next second, he grabbed Qiu Zedong by his neck and his fingers dug into Qiu Zedong’s skin.

“I do not want any of them to be dead because that would make me an evil person like you. I cannot turn eviler,” Lóng Wei stated and then let go of Qiu Zedong’s neck. He started to cough, gasping for air. He felt vulnerable for the first time in his life. His sons had left his side. His wives and concubines were nowhere to be seen.

“Lóng Wei, you have killed your mother with your will. No one forced you. You were the one, who made her life more miserable,” Qiu Zedong said with an evil smirk. “Indeed, you are their son, but in the end, you are like me. You do not flinch from taking anyone’s life. You are as evil as me, Lóng Wei. If you will look at yourself in the mirror, you will see me as your reflection,” Qiu Zedong proclaimed and continued to evilly smile at Lóng Wei.

Qizhen asked Qiu Zedong to shut up and told Lóng Wei not to listen to Zedong’s words.

“Lóng Wei, who kills his own mother? No one, but you did,” Qiu Zedong pronounced. He wanted to provoke Lóng Wei because he knew that if there was something that could trigger Lóng Wei, then that was Yu Jun.

“Father, please stop it!” Qiu Mu raised his voice this time.

However, Qiu Zedong did not. “Lóng Wei, no matter what was the truth, you have committed a sin. Taking the life of the person who gave you birth is the greatest sin. Poor Yu Jun! She did her best to save your life and give you an environment like the other princes, but in the end, she lost her life in your hands,” Qiu Zedong asserted. He knew that his end was near and he did not want a torturous death, but an instant death. That would be better for him and also, the people would still think that Lóng Wei killed Qiu Zedong to hide the truth about that horrible night when he killed Yu Jun.

Tianjie, Mingquan, and Zhang Xi were troubled to see this side of their father. He was not ready to accept what he did. He was the reason why Lóng Wei decided to take Yu Jun’s life. Lóng Wei never wanted to do it, but it was Qiu Zedong who created the circumstances in a way that Lóng Wei left with no option.

Lóng Wei chuckled and clapped, thus astonishing everyone present in the palace ground. His reaction was unexpected to Qiu Zedong.

“Lóng Wei is not a weak-spirited person, Qiu Zedong. You can provoke me as much as you want to,” Lóng Wei stated and lowered his hands, and smiled. “The biggest teaching that I got from my master whose life you took was not to be get provoked.”

Xiaoming asked Lóng Wei if Qiu Zedong killed Yuze.

“Yes. Yuze was poisoned by a very efficient spy of Qiu Zedong. The reason I got frantic to bring down Qiu Zedong was that he killed Yuze,” Lóng Wei revealed to all of them.

“Today it would not have been happening if Yuze was alive. It never mattered to me what injustice happened with…” Lóng Wei paused for a brief second before continuing, “with my mother and father. I sound like an evil child.” He let out a chuckle.

“My mother wanted me to kill her which I did. It was not my choice,” Lóng Wei affirmed. His voice appeared full of pain.

Qizhen looked at Lóng Wei and wondered if his son lied to him when they met. Li Hua was also confused to hear Lóng Wei.

“Qiu Zedong, you were desperate to know why I killed my mother? You even asked Li Hua to find the answer and tell you. I will tell you today. However, I would like to know from you something first,” Lóng Wei asserted.

Qiu Zedong gazed at Lóng Wei in bewilderment.

“Why did you ask my mother to reveal the truth about my true father that night?” Lóng Wei asked him.

“I will not entertain lies. If you want me to let this royal family live happily after you will be gone, then you must tell the truth. This is your last chance to save everyone here. The volcano of anger that was buried deep inside me has erupted today. I may take as many lives today if you lie to me. You are right. I do not flinch when it comes to taking someone’s life. This is the biggest lesson that I learned from you. So, speak the truth, if you want me to calm down,” Lóng Wei pronounced. He did not want to say all this, but he also wanted to give justice to his mother, who had to sacrifice everything.