newbobooks Chapter 446 Joy of Life 2
Chapter 446 Joy of Life 2
Among these eight people, Xie Bi'an and Fan Wujiu were the most skilled in martial arts, and they were also the two people the original owner trusted the most.
Therefore, the two of them usually stayed by the original owner's side to protect his safety.
Neither of them were talkative people. When they had nothing to do, they would each find a place in the house to sit down and quietly go about their own business.
If you don't pay special attention, you'd hardly notice their presence in the room.
Li Chengze quickly became familiar with the presence of the two people and knew that they would not disturb him easily. He rested his elbows on the table, gently rubbed his forehead with his fingers, and began to sort out the original owner's memories.
The original owner was Li Chengze, the second prince of Nanqing. Like Xiao Yu in the previous life, he was a whetstone prepared by Emperor Qing for the crown prince.
Emperor Qing was a man of deep cunning and extreme rationality and ruthlessness. His many years as emperor had honed his skills to perfection.
After deciding to use the original owner as a whetstone for the crown prince, he was ruthless and left no room for compromise.
The original owner was crowned king at the age of thirteen, established his own residence at fourteen, and was even allowed to attend court assemblies and listen to state affairs at fifteen.
These honors have always been reserved for the crown prince.
Li Chengze was blinded by these extraordinary favors and mistakenly believed that Emperor Qing had high hopes for him.
With the support of the old nobles of Kyoto, his ambition grew wildly like weeds. He gradually abandoned the idea of being a carefree prince and instead conceived the idea of overthrowing the crown prince and taking the throne himself.
As for Crown Prince Li Chengqian, faced with Emperor Qing's various favors towards Li Chengze, he couldn't help but feel fear that his position as crown prince was about to crumble, and he became increasingly wary of and distant from Li Chengze.
Thus, under the secret instigation of Emperor Qing, the original owner and the crown prince successfully fell into a fierce struggle that escalated and became increasingly difficult to extricate themselves from.
However, no matter how the original owner and the crown prince fought, with Emperor Qing watching from above, the two couldn't cause anything too intense.
In this back-and-forth contest, both sides could only maintain a delicate balance, with neither side able to gain the upper hand.
As time went on, the original owner gradually realized that Emperor Qing did not want to depose the crown prince, but rather regarded him as a pawn to stimulate the crown prince's growth. All the favors he received were merely political maneuvering to induce him to fight against the crown prince.
However, by the time he realized this, it was too late.
Even if he wanted to back down now, Emperor Qing would never let it go easily.
Even if he showed the slightest sign of retreat, Emperor Qing would push him forward without hesitation, taking him further and further down this road of no return.
Moreover, Li Chengze was already harboring great ambitions, so how could he easily give up this hard-won power and status?
As time went by, Li Chengze's efforts and resources increased day by day, his power and status rose to prominence.
At the same time, his understanding of the cruelty and complexity of court intrigue deepened.
Finally, after countless trials and challenges, the original owner had to admit a cruel truth.
She might be able to outmaneuver the Crown Prince, but in front of Emperor Qing, she was like an ant trying to shake a tree—insignificant and not even able to defeat a single finger of Emperor Qing.
From then on, the original owner's heart was gradually consumed by despair.
He stubbornly refused to admit defeat, but deep down, his fear of Emperor Qing was already a constant companion, ingrained in his bones, and impossible to shake off.
This fear drove him to increasingly crave the power he held, desperately trying to fight for a chance of survival in his desperate situation.
However, his actions were tantamount to endlessly galloping down a road with "death" as its end, until he unexpectedly encountered that predetermined fate.
So the question arises: Did the original owner ever really have the thought of withdrawing?
The answer is clearly no.
What prince in the world doesn't want to be emperor?
Having already experienced the feeling of being high above and in the spotlight, how could he be willing to become that neglected and ignored prince again?
The victor is king, the loser is villain.
In the original owner's eyes, the only way to survive was to defeat Emperor Qing and the Crown Prince, eliminate everyone who might threaten his throne, and then firmly sit on that supreme position.
In his heart, survival was victory, and the two had long been one.
So, was the original owner really that pitiful?
When Emperor Qing pushed him to the forefront to fight against the Crown Prince, he may not have initially realized the deeper meaning behind it. But even when he finally understood, he still did not choose to back down.
While Emperor Qing's behind-the-scenes manipulation certainly played a role, his deep-seated sense of luck and ambition were the main culprits.
Deep within the original owner's heart, ambition and resentment had already nurtured a ferocious beast.
The beast roared constantly, urging him to fight and conquer.
If he could, he would not hesitate to eliminate Emperor Qing, the Crown Prince, and even all his brothers who were vying for the throne with him.
However, reality often falls short of expectations.
Even though he had successfully won over most of the old noble forces in Kyoto, these forces still seemed insignificant in the face of Emperor Qing's vast power.
At this moment, he was caught in a dilemma.
Retreat would leave one feeling resentful; advance would lead to certain death.
He longed for someone to step in and end it all, hoping for a swift resolution, yet he also feared that the outcome might not be what he desired.
However, compared to the current unresolved and agonizing situation, he would much rather see everything settle down.
Therefore, his current life situation has become extremely delicate.
Living seems acceptable; dying is not entirely unacceptable either.
He was like a leaf swaying in the wind, not knowing when or where it would fall.
To this, Li Chengze only had three words to say—"I can't afford to lose."
Since ancient times, the struggle for the throne has been a life-or-death contest.
One day of success brings eternal glory;
One wrong step and everything is lost.
How can we possibly back down or show the slightest weakness in such a momentous matter?
If one harbors the ambition to ascend to the throne, then one should not hesitate and devote all one's efforts to pursuing imperial power.
As long as there is still a breath left, there is still a chance to regroup and make a comeback.
Even if you ultimately fail, as long as you have done your best, you can say that you have lived up to your lofty ambitions and have no regrets in this life.
Moreover, success or failure depends entirely on one's mindset.
The outcome is still uncertain; who knows if they can turn the tide in the end?
To achieve great things, one will inevitably face many adversities and setbacks. How can one be timid and surrender before the battle even begins?
The Book of Changes says: "The superior man is constantly vigilant and cautious, and at night he is always alert and apprehensive, and thus he is without blame."