The peerless and dark princess

Chapter 120 Looking back on the past

Chen Siran didn't interrupt rashly. He knew his uncle Yan was lost in memories of the past, things he had never known, things his father couldn't bring up. Ever since he was a child, his father had never mentioned his past. Back then, he'd often pestered him about why he didn't have a mother, believing the painting in his study was his mother. Back then, his father always remained silent, and as he grew older, he never asked again.

"Back then, Brother Yu was set up by Chen Yan." Yan Li remembered that Chen Yu came back disheveled. He didn't know what exactly happened because he didn't go out with him that time. If he had been with him, "Brother Yu would have said he was set up. Then, word spread in Prince Yan's Mansion that Chu Wanran was getting married to the unknown Mu Heng, with the wedding date set for two months later. When Brother Yu heard this, he vomited blood and fainted for several days. Before he passed out, he said he had let her down. As for what exactly happened that caused Chu Wanran to marry in such a hurry, perhaps only Brother Yu knows."

Chen Siran was shocked. It was a mystery why Chu Wanran got married in such a hurry. What was certain was that something must have happened when Uncle Yan did not accompany his father, and that thing was related to him, Chen Yan, Chu Wanran and possibly other people.

On the other side, Chen Yu locked himself in the study and stood in front of the painting, his thoughts having already gone back to the past.

In Chen Yu’s memories:

As the fifth son of the late emperor, he had several older brothers to support him, so he was naturally not considered a rival to his brothers. He had deliberately concealed his incompetence while attending the academy, and he did not want to be an emperor. Unfortunately, his second brother, Chen Su, who had been appointed as the crown prince, died, and his other brothers were the first to be targeted by their brothers and younger brothers. He did not want to be involved, so he took Yan Li and lived outside the palace under an alias.

At that time, he met the Chu Lianyao brothers and Zuo Xiang (Zuo Ci's father) outside. The Chu Lianyao brothers naturally knew that he was a prince. They followed Chu Tianxiong to the palace to attend the annual banquet every year. Zuo Xiang was repeatedly invaded by the border town and wanted to do his part for Dali, so he chose to be a soldier in the barracks.

So, they decided to go to the military camp. The recruiting officers were supposed to be flexible. Everyone in Dali knew that the two brothers, even though they were dressed in a manner inappropriate for their status, were still recognized. They knew they were trying to conceal their identities and go to the border town, but they couldn't let anyone get into trouble. In the end, he, the prince, and Zuo Xiang were assigned to the west, to the fierce Yi people. His situation was a little more difficult than Chu Lianyao's brothers'. He had been recruiting soldiers in the palace for years, so naturally, the recruits didn't recognize him, and he had fabricated his story about being from a poor mountain village. Zuo Xiang was the same, except his story was real, while his was fabricated.

What followed was a fight on the battlefield. Although the two brothers Chu Lianyao were far apart, they had a deep friendship. Zuo Bang even became Dali's second king of the opposite sex. The first time was Chu Tianxiong.

After returning to the capital, Zuo Xiang learned that the person he had been protecting was the fifth prince of the Dali Dynasty. He also understood why all the merits were pushed onto him during the war in the west. He even said frankly that if he became the emperor, he would swear to protect him to the death. At that time, he already had someone in his heart. His brothers were completely changed in the fight for the throne and they hated the intrigues and calculations in the palace.

At that time, the eldest brother Chen Yao and the fourth brother Chen Jue had been arguing fiercely. He discovered that the third brother, now His Majesty Chen Yan, seemed to have ideas as well, but at that time the eldest brother and the fourth brother did not care about the lives of the people of Dali. Only the third brother, although ambitious, still cared about Dali and the people in his heart. That's why he helped him gain a foothold and participate in the fight for the throne. His younger brothers had already died or been injured when the brothers fought for the throne.

By then, the Emperor had already noticed him, not his third brother, Chen Yan. If he could ascend the throne, he would have the support of the Chu Lianyao brothers and the new, different-surnamed Prince Zuo Gang, and those royal relatives wouldn't dare to resign. But he couldn't marry Chu Wanran, or it would upset the balance. Furthermore, Chu women from the Prince of Yan's Mansion weren't allowed to become empresses or consorts in the imperial family, which would have left the Chu family the sole heir. But for him, I befriended Chu Lianyao and the others because I liked the warmth of their family, unlike the coldness of the imperial palace. I also appreciated Chu Wanran. Zuo Gang, on the other hand, felt that he had achieved this through his own strength, and I admired him greatly. At the same time, I also coveted his brother's care, unlike his brothers, who were all on guard for the throne, and had no blood ties to hinder their affection.

At that time, I decided that I didn't want to live alone. When I knew that my third brother also had the ambition to fight for the throne, I was happy. If it was him, why couldn't I support him, as long as he gave me freedom at that time.

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But he hadn't expected his third brother to plot against him, just because his father had said he favored him. That day, he had asked him to meet outside the palace because he had discovered the child of his eldest brother's sixth brother, Chen Duo, and was afraid his other brothers would find out and kill him. He had only gone to retrieve the child and not bring Yan Li with him. Unexpectedly, everything changed just this one time.

The scene that day was so chaotic. When he woke up later and tried to identify his surroundings, he found no one there. He vaguely remembered Chu Wanran. He knew he was being set up, but why did his third brother set him up? He went to ask. He denied it at the time, and when he went to investigate again later, many clues had been erased.

The Chu Lianyao brothers of Prince Yan's Mansion glared at him. They learned that Chu Wanran went there as agreed that day and lost her innocence. The man was Mu Heng, who had just finished the imperial examination and was still able to be sent out. For the sake of Chu Wanran's reputation, the Chu family said that the two loved each other. They did not care about family background and decided to get married in two months.

Later, although Zuo Xiang tried to mediate, his relationship with the Chu family was no longer the same as before. The Chu family was tied to Chen Yan because of him, and they didn't know that it was all designed by Chen Yan. It took Zuo Xiang and he to investigate for a long time before they realized that this man was so deep and scheming. At that time, the emperor had already decided to pass the throne to Chen Yan according to his own wishes.

Chu Wanran married, her father passed away, and her third brother, Chen Yan, ascended the throne. Since leaving Beijing, she has never returned. Five years ago, she also lost her brother, Zuo Xiang. By the time she found out, several months had passed. Of Zuo Xiang's children, only that boy was left alone. She had originally considered finding out and bringing him to Minzhou, but after seeing how he later disrespected his father, she gave up the idea.

After Chen Yu finished his recollection, he found that Chen Siran had already brought the person back to the palace to wait for him.