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Chapter 241
Chapter 241
Chapter 241
Su Li quickly took a few steps and stood directly in front of Changle and Li Chengqian.
Upon witnessing his peculiar behavior, a glimmer of happiness crossed Li Chengqian’s face, and he halted his steps. Changle was initially stunned and then gazed at Li Chengqian with some disbelief. “Elder Brother… why aren’t you departing?” Her voice quivered.
In reality, Su Li’s understanding of Li Chengqian was solely rooted in historical recollections, nothing more. Yet, Changle had shared her upbringing with Li Chengqian since childhood! In this world, Changle was one of the individuals most acquainted with Li Chengqian.
Nonetheless, her inherently kind-hearted nature prevented her from entertaining other possibilities after receiving Li Chengqian’s invitation. Despite her intellect, she couldn’t bring herself to contemplate such notions. In her eyes, the two of them were siblings! How could Li Chengqian conspire against Su Li?
However, as she beheld the scene unfolding before her, Changle comprehended everything. There had never been any reconciliation. It had always been her wishful thinking.
Li Chengqian fixedly stared at Su Li’s shadow as he entered the grand hall alone, and then the doors closed. He suddenly grinned and turned to Changle. “Lizhi, I remember when you were a child, you once raised a Persian cat and had an extraordinary fondness for it…” Li Chengqian said softly.
Changle suppressed the sorrow within her heart and replied, “Yes… Mingda also adored that cat. She was always like that. No matter what I cherished, she would go to great lengths to acquire it.” She paused and continued, “I granted her everything else but couldn’t bear to part with that cat.”
“Subsequently, that cat mysteriously vanished, and I recall you wept for a long time,” Li Chengqian recounted with a smile.
As Changle gazed upon Li Chengqian’s now oddly distorted countenance, she was too overwhelmed with grief to speak. She didn’t understand why Li Chengqian was raising these memories now, but she knew that from this day forward, she would lose one of the most influential figures in her life.
“You’ve always been curious about why that cat ended up at the Imperial Medical Office so abruptly…”
Li Chengqian locked eyes with Changle and grinned again. “It was Jin Yang’s suggestion… and I revealed it to her.”
Tears welled up in Changle’s eyes, and she implored, “Elder Brother, please don’t concern yourself with that cat… Whatever you’re planning, I pray you, don’t…”
Li Chengqian erupted into laughter as if he had heard a joke. He laughed uncontrollably until he was breathless, then slowly composed himself. With a peculiar little sound like “hehe,” he wiped away his tears.
“Changle, as a child of the emperor, you’ve never truly grasped how to be a princess,” Li Chengqian said, his expression abruptly turning exceedingly fierce. “Dragons are born to consume others! Otherwise, they are unworthy of the status bestowed upon us by the heavens. You don’t comprehend this, so you’ve been mistreated by Jin Yang from childhood to adulthood. Father and Mother cherish you for your gentleness and pity you. But in my eyes, you are the least like them!”
Li Chengqian stared at the pitch-black hall ahead and laughed maniacally. “But I am different. I am the Crown Prince of the Great Tang and should be the most like Father Emperor!”
“Elder Brother, please desist… you’ll perish!” With teary eyes, Changle extended her hand to attempt to restrain Li Chengqian.
Li Chengqian scoffed, “Perish? No, I won’t!” He turned his head and gazed towards the Taiji Palace, his expression exceptionally frenzied. “Many individuals will meet their demise tonight, but I will not be among them.”
After meticulously plotting for so long, the moment to execute his plan had finally arrived, and Li Chengqian was exceedingly thrilled. He hadn’t truly contemplated the repercussions. To him, assassinations and palace intrigues were simply routine affairs.
He vividly recalled the night before the Xuanwu Gate Incident when Li Er, his father, was still at home, seemingly normal, with no hint of impending turmoil. Li Chengqian even remembered that on that evening, before Li Er departed, he had playfully mentioned wanting to give him the finest gift in the world.
The next day, Li Chengqian awoke to the news that his father would become the Emperor. Soon after, he assumed the role of Crown Prince. To him, it felt as straightforward as eating and drinking. Li Chengqian had always held himself in high esteem, and while he deeply admired his father, he also harbored ambitions to surpass him.
In essence, he believed that everything Li Shimin did, he could do just as well, if not better. Li Chengqian had long planned for the time when he would have his father retire to the Taiji Palace to keep the former emperor company.
Seeing Li Chengqian in his current state, Changle realized the person before her was no longer the familiar elder brother she knew. He had completely lost his sanity.
Changle’s heart grew cold, and she felt most of her strength drained. “Are you planning to harm Su Li?” she asked.
Li Chengqian sneered and replied, “He is the biggest obstacle in my path. Tonight, he must die.”
Changle looked saddened as she said, “But didn’t you just tell Su Li that you should support each other in the future? Wasn’t that a lie?”
Upon hearing this, Li Chengqian couldn’t help but burst into laughter. “How am I lying? Since it’s about supporting each other… as my brother-in-law, shouldn’t Su Li assist me when his elder brother is in trouble?”
Li Chengqian shook his head and chuckled with great satisfaction. “Using him as a pawn, what’s wrong with that?”
With that, Changle realized there was no need to say anything more. She sighed deeply and looked at Li Chengqian with profound sorrow.
“Changle, I understand that you and Su Li share a deep bond, but emotions, especially for people like us, are utterly futile,” Li Chengqian said with a light laugh. “Rest assured, I’ll arrange a splendid marriage for you once I ascend to the throne. Just like when your cat died, you were upset, but didn’t you recover quickly? Su Li is merely a humble peasant. In comparison, he’s not even as valuable as your cat.”
Changle’s face turned cold as she gazed at Li Chengqian. However, in her eyes, there was a trace of pity. She didn’t know Li Chengqian’s plans to give him such confidence in killing Su Li. But Changle, who was nearly inseparable from Su Li, was certain that no matter what methods Li Chengqian employed, they would be futile against her husband.
The only outcome of Li Chengqian’s actions would be the complete loss of everything he had, including his life. However, Li Chengqian remained oblivious, instead tilting his head slightly with an expression of anticipation, as if he relished the thought of hearing Su Li’s desperate cries before his demise.