Tearing the Prince's Clothes after Withdrawing Marriage
Chapter 303 - 302: His Highness of Longteng Country, Long Xiyue

Chapter 303: Chapter 302: His Highness of Longteng Country, Long Xiyue

This was the second time Chu Qianli had seen Long Ye since Chu Huaiyu had falsely claimed her own identity.

The last time she saw him, his complexion was still pretty good.

This time, however, his face had turned a waxy yellow, and it was clear that he didn’t have much time left.

"How could this be?" Chu Qianli immediately rushed over and felt Long Ye’s pulse.

The pulse was weak and his breathing shallow, truly the signs of someone on their deathbed.

"Grandfather, why..."

"Father has always had a chronic illness, but he never mentioned it because he didn’t want you to worry,"

said Long Feifan in a somewhat hoarse voice.

Although he had known about Long Ye’s condition for a long time, seeing him like this still brought an indescribable bitterness to his heart.

"Grandfather..." Chu Qianli bit her lip, feeling utterly powerless at this moment.

His organs were failing, a condition that had accumulated over many years, and even in the twenty-first century, there was no cure.

Let alone in ancient times, where medical science was far less advanced.

Grandfather’s illness was beyond help now.

"Your grandfather... is old," Long Ye said, rising to sit up with the help of Long Feifan and leaning against the head of the bed.

He held Chu Qianli’s hand; today, his spirit was still relatively strong.

But Chu Qianli knew this was just the calm before the storm, he wouldn’t hold on for much longer.

"Little Lili... don’t be sad. Grandfather is old, and this was... inevitable."

Long Ye glanced at Long Feifan.

Long Feifan immediately retreated to the side of the door, watching quietly before nodding his head at him.

Assured of safety, Long Ye tightened his grip, holding Chu Qianli’s hand even more firmly.

"Little Lili, before, grandfather... I sided with outsiders and accused you of not being Qianyue’s daughter... don’t be angry," he said.

"I know that grandfather must have had your difficulties in doing so; I am not angry," Chu Qianli said, rubbing the corner of her eye, trying to calm herself down.

Grandfather had come to find her at this time for an important reason, she knew.

She couldn’t afford to waste his energy.

"My Lili... such a clever and understanding girl, that’s good, that’s very good... It’s just that, grandfather... I’m truly not your grandfather," he said.

Chu Qianli was stunned, looking at him in disbelief.

Could it be that she was really not Long Qianyue’s daughter?

Why... why would this be?

"You are not my granddaughter, and naturally... Huaiyu is not either,"

Long Ye took a deep breath, mustering the strength to speak more clearly.

"That day in court, grandfather was unwilling to acknowledge kinship through blood because I knew that whether it was your blood or Huaiyu’s, neither would blend with mine."

His grip tightened, so much that Chu Qianli could clearly feel the pressure.

But why?

Long Ye looked at her and after a long while, finally said in a hoarse voice, "Because Qianyue... was never my daughter to begin with; she is... Longteng Country’s Crown Prince, Long Xiyue."

Chu Qianli had also heard of the current Empress of Longteng Country.

It was said that she was formerly the Emperor’s sister, the beloved sister of the Empress.

As for how she became Empress, Chu Qianli wasn’t sure.

Long Ye’s gaze settled on an unnamed corner of the room.

Recalling those days, he felt an indescribable heaviness in his heart.

"Back then, the Empress foresaw the need to consolidate her power and had planted her own people in various nations. I, Long Ye, was the spy the Empress had placed in Beiming Country."

Between nations, there have never been permanent friends, nor permanent enemies.

To prepare for the unforeseen was to fear that one day, cracks would appear between two amiable countries.

Even, disputes.

So goes the saying, "Know thyself, know thy enemy, and you will win a hundred battles."

This belief was not solely held by the Empress of Longteng Country; all emperors harbored it.

Hence, it was inevitable that each country harbored spies sent by other nations.

Yet, emperors could only plant their people inside, and what position these individuals could rise to within the foreign courts was entirely up to them.

Of course, there were also those who, having resided in another country for long, were unwilling to follow orders from their own sovereign anymore.

But he, Long Ye, as long as he was a subject of Longteng Country, would remain loyal to Her Majesty the Empress of Longteng Country for his whole life.

He would never defect.

Loyal to the former Empress and the Crown Prince to the very end.

"Back then, the Crown Prince was framed by Prince Long Tianliu, who accused her of colluding with spies from Beiming Country to harm the Empress."

"Upon the Empress’s demise, Long Tianliu ascended as the new Empress, and the Crown Prince, burdened with dishonor, was ruthlessly pursued and eliminated by Long Tianliu, all the way to Beiming Country."

"Fortunately, the former Empress had arranged for me to be here, and as my daughter Qianyue just happened to have died accidentally, I let Xiyue take her place and live under my roof."

The trials and dangers of that time, when spoken of now, have dissipated like smoke.

But the pain and pressure that Long Xiyue faced at the time, Chu Qianli was acutely aware of.

"One reason Crown Princess Xiyue stayed in Beiming Country was that among those who collaborated with Prince Long Tianliu, were people from Beiming Country, and it’s possible that it was none other than the current Emperor."

A murderous look flashed in the depths of Chu Qianli’s eyes.

Long Ye held her hand tightly, his voice hoarse, "But I have no evidence. At the time, Princess Xiyue also wanted to get to the bottom of it, but sadly... before the truth was unveiled, she met with an untimely death in Beiming Country."

Chu Qianli bit her lip, feeling indescribably distressed.

Long Ye continued, "There’s another reason why Princess Xiyue had to come to Beiming Country."

"Grandfather, what is it?" she asked hastily.

Long Ye said, "The Princess was looking for the Imperial Jade Seal of Longteng Country."

The mysterious forces from Beiming Country had conspired with Long Tianliu to usurp the governance of Longteng Country.

It’s unclear what their initial agreement was, but it seemed to have fallen apart.

The person from Beiming Country took the Imperial Jade Seal of Longteng Country.

After discovering this, Princess Xiyue, while fleeing for her life, also sought to retrieve the Jade Seal.

"After the unfortunate death of Princess Xiyue, those loyal to her became disheartened and lost their will."

Long Ye looked at Chu Qianli, his voice turning hoarse several times, barely able to continue.

Chu Qianli immediately massaged him to help him relax; finally, he managed to catch his breath.

"Because with the death of Princess Xiyue, the bloodline of Her Majesty the Empress was severed, and even if people were resentful, there was nothing they could do."

"I understand," Chu Qianli nodded, her mood heavy.

Without the Imperial bloodline, there was no figurehead. How could they continue to fight?

And if they did fight, for what purpose would it be?

Avenging the Empress would be empty. Who would assume the position of the new Empress?

Even though Long Tianliu was the chief culprit, she was at least from the Long Imperial Family.

At the very least, she had more right to the throne than anyone else.

Thus, with the death of Princess Xiyue, the loyal followers of the old regime, having lost heart, could only disperse and go their separate ways.

It was, upon reflection, deeply lamentable.

However, Grandfather was sharing all of these things with her today because... perhaps...

Finally summoning her courage, Chu Qianli looked at him and asked, "Am I really... the daughter of Princess Xiyue?"

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