Chapter 678 – What One Thinks (2/2)
Prince Chen Liu was somewhat taken aback, then he bitterly smiled once more.
As expected of Chen Changsheng. Without needing to deliberately do anything, only looking into the true depths, he could expose the truth of the matter with the simplest of statements.
”Correct…in those years, the Empress treated me quite well, and everyone in the palace treated with great respect, but I truly lived a very bitter life.”
Prince Chen Liu bent down and placed his cup on the grass, then continued, ”Because my surname was Chen.”
Chen Changsheng looked into his eyes and asked, ”So no matter how she treated you, you still wanted her to die?”
Prince Chen Liu very seriously pondered this for a time, then answered, ”Perhaps because I never understood just what sort of person she was, so I feared her.”
Chen Changsheng contemplated this answer, then agreed. ”I also didn't understand her.”
Prince Chen Liu looked at him and seriously said, ”But even now, you still stand on her side…you know that I am speaking of standing on her side in spirit.”
Chen Changsheng did not explain. ”Your Highness, why have you come seeking me?”
Prince Chen Liu requested, ”I wish to pay my respects to her.”
Chen Changsheng used silence to give his answer.
He would not tell anyone where he had buried the Tianhai Divine Empress's body.
Even if Prince Chen Liu was raised by the Divine Empress.
”Ping was taken back by the Tianhai clan,” Prince Chen Liu suddenly commented.
This was a matter that Chen Changsheng did not care about, but he knew that since Prince Chen Liu had mentioned it, he was going to say something more.
”Besides the person on the imperial throne, not much has changed in the world. There's an ugly side, but also a tender-hearted side.”
Prince Chen Liu looked at him and said, ”Perhaps this world has let you down, but I do not wish for you to lose all hope in this world.”
Not long ago, the Pope had said something similar in the library.
Chen Changsheng asked, ”Your Highness, just what do you want to say?”
Prince Chen Liu asked, ”Do you still remember what Archbishop Mei Lisha said to us before his death?”
Chen Changsheng's thoughts returned to that room brimming with plum blossoms, recalled that elder and his face covered in wrinkles. For a long time, he said nothing.
”His Eminence said to me that I must remember the price that you paid.”
Prince Chen Liu continued, ”At the time, we didn't understand what he meant, but now, we know.”
Maturing, fruit, sacrifice—many of the cryptic and incomprehensible words once mentioned by Mei Lisha now had an answer after the coup of the Mausoleum of Books. In order to overturn the Tianhai Divine Empress's rule, people had used Chen Changsheng, and for this, he had paid many things, very important things difficult to describe with words. If one had to use words to describe them, they would probably be: trust, hope, a sense of being, and emotions.
”I don't know what Principal Shang is thinking, what Father is thinking, what my uncles are thinking, or what my brothers are thinking, but the Chen clan owes you, and I will repay you in their place.”
Prince Chen Liu looked into his eyes and earnestly declared, ”I will exhaust everything to ensure your safety and interests.”
Chen Changsheng replied, ”Thank you.”
He was very calm, even somewhat wooden, but a hint of warmth finally appeared in his body.
Prince Chen Liu added, ”I understand what you are feeling, but I hope that you can pull yourself together as quickly as possible. Today, His Holiness gave such enormous support, and if you give it up, or leave, how can His Holiness face his millions of believers? And what of the teachers and students of the Orthodox Academy? And what will happen to His Majesty?”
Chen Changsheng thought of those words Eunuch Lin had said to him earlier in the day and felt rather tired. ”I thought that these weren't questions that I was required to think about.”
Prince Chen Liu answered, ”If the rumors are true, and His Majesty really does love you as a brother, then these are questions that you must consider.”