Melo has something to say: This is the last chapter of Volume 1. Volume 2 will start right after this. But it will be posted on a new book and this will be marked completed. Thank you for being with me in this journey. And do you know that we finished this book just before its anniversary? Happy anniversary!

"Your Highness! How could you do this?! Our King loved and cared for you the most!"

It was a furious and miserable voice. The owner was an old eunuch who looked bedraggled as compared to his usual careful composure. He was tied with a rope and was being dragged by imperial soldiers.

His eyes were bloodshot and his voice was hoarse and full of questioning but he never once cursed at the Prince. This was the dignity of Zhongqing's servants.

This old eunuch was none other than Chief Cheng Gong. Tears ran down endlessly on his old wrinkled face. But all he could say was 'how could you'.

The sound was extremely heartbreaking.

"Cheng Gong, you also raised this prince from childhood. With a word, these soldiers will let you retire in peace." He turned sideways. "Will the Censor give this prince face once?"

The middle aged man, who knew if he found his conscience upon hearing those words, nodded. "Of course, it won't be that difficu-"

"This old slave is loyal to the King. I walked with Her Highness thousands of miles, I will walk with her until the end."

Chief Cheng seemed to have found his last strength and broke through the soldiers relying on the element of surprise. The rope binding him was also untied.

On his hand was a small dagger given by the King. Cheng Gong swung it at the Censor who was nearest him and managed to slash through the other's chest.

Pandemonium seemed to have broken in this courtyard but the soldiers from the capital were not incompetent. They hurriedly attacked the old eunuch and soon contained him along with the others who wanted to rebel.

Of course, containing them meant death.

Long Sangyu watched with his own two eyes the eunuch that took care of him from young to adulthood be pierced by a blade. His previous pristine clothes were stained by his own blood.

The wrinkles around his eyes always reminded him how strict this eunuch was when he taught the rules and glared at them. But His Highness also always managed to make him laugh by his antics so the eunuch would forget about Xiao Bao and Sangyu's mistakes.

His Highness only felt that an unknown force stole his breath and his world turned a shade darker.

Chief Cheng was forced to kneel in his last breath but he still smiled evilly at the Censor. This scene scared the middle aged man so much that the image of the eunuch smiling at him would probably haunt his dreams forever.

This last stand still carried the brand of his master. Wan Li Wang.

All around the king's palace, similar scenes happened. The most loyal and the longest serving people wouldn't let themselves be detained and insisted on fighting to the end. This was also their last gift to the Prince. If they rebel against His Highness, it would create more distance between them. And hopefully... just hopefully, Junwang would be in the clear.

These soldiers said the master was treasonous then there would be no good end for them. It was better to give the soldiers some headache until the end.

As opposed to them, the young servants of the wangfu were really witty and followed the officers' words without fail. In the eyes of the soldiers, the young servants didn't care about the old geezers' sacrifices and even buttered up to them.

What disgusting behavior but it flattered them nonetheless.

Long Sangyu took these all in quietly. He felt how much loved he was and that he didn't deserve it. But for the sake of this sacrifice, he would survive.

Smiling, His Highness invited the highest officials to his manor for a drink.

The day finished like this.

Suliang won a battle against a gathering of six Hu Ren Kings and all of them were annihilated at the cost of King Wan Li's life. But the imperial court sent representatives to arrest the King for the crime of hiding an important resource point from the Emperor.

In honor of the King's martyrdom, Her Highness wouldn't be publicly condemned. 

However, Wan Li Wangfu was confiscated, the servants rebelled and were killed. Those who obediently followed were sent to the royal slave house.

As the night deepened, sounds of merriment came from the Prince Ping manor. Those in the know couldn't help but shake their heads but didn't dare to speak up.

Junwang who was taken care of by Wangye all these years turned out to be the person who reported her to Tanglin. And His Highness even had the mood to celebrate with the officials from the capital.

"Your Highness, this humble official will certainly report the truth of the matter to His Majesty. By then, his Highness should wait for the good news." The Censor implied that the Prince would be thoroughly rewarded when the matter with King Wan Li was settled in the capital.

The officials from Tanglin got drunk and were sent to the residence prepared for them in the manor while Long Sangyu trudged toward his courtyard.

He sat in the study without lighting any candle like a ghost in the dark envying the moon in the sky. The carefully wrapped grief couldn't even come out at this point. It was so hidden that he couldn't afford to shed tears even in private.

But he found his insides being stabbed again and again. In the whole world, not many people would notice but he did.

His imperial sister prepared everything as though she predicted exactly what would happen today.

She left half of Danwan in the inner districts to protect the citizens from the soldiers of Tanglin. Sangyu knew when he watched them from the watchtower that without Danwan troops' patrolling, those soldiers from the capital would forcibly enter and plunder.

He could also tell that Xiao Bao had knowledge of the things that would happen in order to stop Sangyu from doing something reckless.

Even Mo Zhilan was relatively calm and acted as though everything was really the house of Prince Ping's doing. And the servants in Wan Li Wangfu...

Sangyu let out a shaky breath and then as if a dam suddenly broke, the tidal waves of his emotions crashed too. The duplicitous prince that everyone beheld today suddenly sobbed like a boy.

With the lead of Chief Eunuch Cheng's accusations to the Prince before he died, the last traces of the Censor's suspicions disappeared. All of these things were carefully calculated and predicted so as to protect Long Sangyu.

His palm covered his eyes as he curled up in the arhat bed.

"Da jie..." He clipped his cries as hard as he could. He couldn't waste all the efforts his sister made just because he couldn't control his emotions.

She knew she would be arrested so she led that suicide mission. She knew she would die but she didn't even tell him. Just quietly planned so he wouldn't be implicated.

Silver moonlight passed through the window and illuminated the young man. No, tonight he needed to mature as fast as he could.

Because there would be no more da jie protecting him.

From now on, he would be the one to scheme and take care of people. He didn't know how long it took for his tears to dry but he stayed seated on the arhat bed. The winter wind bit his cheeks but it didn't compare to his freezing heart.

If he listened quietly, he might even hear the cracks.

As the moon was at its highest that he couldn't see it anymore, the door to the study opened. A figure quietly approached him just like it did on multiple nights like this.

Zhang Yunlei knew that despite the bravado His Highness displayed in the day, he would still grieve for his sister at the bottom of his heart. That was why he was here to accompany him.

"Brother Sangyu-"

Before he could even complete his sentence, a hand stretched out to wrap his neck. Zhang Yunlei's breathing stagnated but the force he expected didn't come.

The hand was loose but the murderous glare didn't lie. Concubine Zhang blinked and thought it was an illusion. Clearly, the Prince was still looking at him with affection and his fingers caressed his neck lovingly.

"Yunlei came." His Highness' voice was tender.

"Yes, are you sad?" The voice didn't stutter at all. It was as if the lives that were lost today didn't affect him one bit.

Long Sangyu laughed. "Sad? How can I be sad? Yunlei helped me get rid of the biggest stumbling block in my life. Thank you."

The Prince embraced the man.

"I'm sorry, it's my fault." Zhang Yunlei's silent tears slowly fell. "I know you're soft hearted and won't have the courage to do all those things so I will do all of them. I will be the dog that can do vile things for you."

The concubine was sincere in saying this. He would support Junwang who is kind and selfless. Be his shadow if needed. Long Sangyu could be spotless and shine like the sun like he always did.

All the dirty things should be left for Zhang Yunlei to do. He was willing.

"How can I let you do that?" The Prince's tone was helpless. "Won't it be better if I do all these things in the future?"

"B-but.."

"It's alright. I'll learn slowly. Isn't that what I'm good at?"

Yes, that was what he did. He slowly learned to love a man. And he slowly learned of the poison underneath the charms.

In the place Concubine Zhang couldn't see, Sangyu hid the disgust away.

No matter what, his sister's and all other sacrifice shouldn't be wasted. Even if the devil snatched his soul, he would deceive the world until the end. He would play the role of an ingrate and a white eyed wolf.

Until the day all of these people who hurt his da jie paid with their life and blood. Sangyu would be patient but the fire in his heart would never be extinguished.

The last lesson his sister gave him was also the most important one. Trust no one.

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It took me a year to finish this. Thank you to all my regular readers! To the silent readers, please leave a like on every chapter. All your likes, comments and if you recommend this to your friends will help me become a full time writer sooner or later. I will be able update every day by then. So please, please, please... continue to support Beauty Feng.