My cultivation disguise has been exposed by Xiao Sizi.

The night was as dark as ink, and the waning moon hung high in the sky.

The night watchman's gong in Chang'an has sounded three times already.

In the courtyard of the side hall, the chirping of crickets rose and fell, carrying a hint of the approaching chill of late autumn.

Li Chengqian sat on the bluestone steps in front of the main house.

He was wearing a faded coarse cloth shirt with the sleeves rolled up above his elbows.

The sandalwood cane that had accompanied him for many years, a symbol of shame and disability, was carelessly tossed aside in the mud a few steps away, covered in dust.

He hugged his knees, staring blankly at the moss-covered dry well in the center of the yard.

His eyes were vacant and unfocused.

Ever since that night, after witnessing that seemingly cursed future, this crown prince of the Tang Dynasty has been like a puppet whose soul has been ripped out.

During the day, they mechanically chopped wood, started fires, and fetched water without saying a word.

At night, he would sit blankly on the steps like a walking corpse, and would sit there all night long.

Only when a cold wind blows occasionally will his body tremble slightly uncontrollably, and he will let out a dry laugh that sounds worse than crying.

"Squeak—"

The wooden door behind me was pushed open.

Li Chen, dressed in a loose undergarment and cloth shoes, slowly walked out, carrying a chipped, rough porcelain teacup in his hand.

The teacup was filled with wild chrysanthemums, which I don't know where they came from, emitting a faint bitter fragrance.

He walked up to Li Chengqian and, without any politeness, kicked the prince's buttocks with his toe.

"Move aside, you're blocking my view of the moon."

Li Chengqian turned his head blankly and glanced at Li Chen.

There was no anger, no dignity befitting a crown prince, only utter despair.

He moved two spaces to the side like a wooden doll, and continued to sit there, hugging his knees and staring blankly.

Li Chen plopped down in the spot he had just vacated.

He blew on the foam on the surface of the tea and slurped up two mouthfuls.

"You've been sitting here for five days straight. What, are you planning to become a Buddha in this dilapidated courtyard, or are you preparing to hatch into a waiting-for-husband stone?"

Li Chen's voice was exceptionally clear in the quiet night, carrying his usual smugness and mockery.

Li Chengqian did not refute.

He lowered his head, looking at his calloused hands, his voice hoarse as if two pieces of sandpaper were rubbing together.

"Sixteenth Brother, tell me... isn't 'Man can conquer nature' the biggest lie in the world?"

He tugged at the corners of his mouth, revealing a smile that looked more like a grimace.

"From a young age, I was taught to be benevolent and filial, to be kind and generous, and to be a good crown prince of the Tang Dynasty. Every day I would get up before dawn to study, listen to those old Confucian scholars talk about classical Chinese, and listen to them scold me for not being a good emperor."

I don't even dare to laugh out loud.

"And the result?"

Li Chengqian pointed to his right leg.

"My leg is lame. My father's gaze towards me grows colder with each passing day. Qingque is recruiting soldiers in the Wude Hall, pressing me relentlessly. And I, even if I do nothing, will end up being accused of rebellion and forcing the emperor to abdicate, suffering disgrace and ruin."

He suddenly turned his head, staring at Li Chen with bloodshot eyes.

"Since no matter what I do, the ending is destined to be tragic, what has all my endurance and humiliation over the past ten years amount to? Is it all a complete joke?!"

Li Chen, holding his teacup, looked at his distraught state without a trace of sympathy, and instead chuckled softly.

"I have a question for you."

Li Chen put down his teacup and looked directly at Li Chengqian.

"Do you still want to be emperor?"

This question struck Li Chengqian like a thunderbolt, hitting him squarely on the head.

He shuddered violently, instinctively wanting to blurt out "I want to," but the words wouldn't come out.

The image of the dragon throne's supreme power and the homage of the officials flashed through his mind.

But then, the image of his father's cold riding whip and his own hysterical, miserable laughter from the illusion surged up again like maggots clinging to his bones.

He remained in a daze for a long time.

A full incense stick's time passed before he painfully clutched his hair and buried his face deeply in his arms.

"I think……"

"But I don't want to..."

His voice was filled with suppressed sobs.

"I want to prove to my father that I am not a good-for-nothing, and that I can be a good emperor of the Tang Dynasty."

"But... I'm scared. I'm really scared. That chair is covered in blood. If I sit on it, I'll turn into a monster who can even drive his own son to his death."

"Sixteenth brother, what should I do?"

Li Chen looked at the almost broken Tang Dynasty Crown Prince in front of him, a barely perceptible glint of light flashing in his eyes.

This is a fantastic experience pack!

If this guy is completely ruined, the historical trajectory of the Tang Dynasty will return to normal, and where will I get my own destiny?

We have to give him a push and drive him completely insane.

"What should we do?"

Li Chen reached out and slapped Li Chengqian's messy head without any hesitation.

"You're a complete idiot."

Li Chengqian was stunned by the blow and looked up at him in astonishment.

"You want to be emperor, but you're afraid of being emperor. You want to rebel, but you're afraid of getting a beating from your father."

"To put it bluntly, you're just bound up like a dumpling by all the rules and regulations around you, by those pedantic scholars spouting platitudes, and by your ridiculous princely baggage!"

Li Chen sneered and pointed at Li Chengqian's nose.

"Look at the pathetic state you've become! At the slightest setback, all you do is hide here wallowing in self-pity, like a heartbroken, abandoned woman. Where has that fighting spirit you had in the future, that courage to point your finger at your father and curse him?"

"I..." Li Chengqian opened his mouth, wanting to explain, but he was speechless.

"You've listened to quite a bit of me teaching Sizi to read these past two weeks, haven't you?"

Li Chen picked up the teacup again and leisurely took a sip.

Confucius taught us to sweep away hunger... no, that's not right. We should sweep away all constraints and be ourselves.

Li Chen stared intently at him.

"Since you're already confused, since you think the ending is the same—death anyway—what do you care about these damn rules? What do you care about royal decorum?"

"Do whatever makes you happy! Live life to the fullest!"

"What are you afraid of? Even if the sky falls, your mother is there to hold it up. No matter how angry your father is, considering your mother's narrow escape from death this time, do you think he would dare to easily chop off your head?"

Li Chengqian was stunned by these treasonous remarks.

"To...to be myself again?"

He muttered to himself, as if savoring the madness hidden in those words.

Yes, be yourself.