Long Han Yuan (Past Life Extra Chapter 1)

  He was the son of the most noble person in this dynasty and this imperial palace, also a noble prince. However, his mother was the humblest maid in this imperial palace, although she was a personal maid beside the empress, still a lowly maid. But it was this lowly maid who got pregnant with the child of the most noble person after one night's imperial favor. Unfortunately, her luck didn't last long, and she died in labor on the same night he was born, her soul gone forever.

  After the death of his birth mother, he was raised as a foster son by the empress dowager. However, he was only nominally adopted by the empress dowager, who had her own biological son, the crown prince. She adopted him merely to provide an assistant for the crown prince in future power struggles. His childhood memories were all centered around the crown prince: when the crown prince went to school, he accompanied him; when the crown prince got into trouble, he was punished.

  At first, he didn't understand why both he and the crown prince were sons of the empress, yet the empress only smiled at the crown prince, only showed warmth to the crown prince. Many times, when he saw the empress smiling warmly at the crown prince, he couldn't help but approach them, only to see that smile suddenly turn cold when it turned to him.

  Later, he realized that he was only the empress's adopted son and no longer had extravagant hopes but still couldn't help but fantasize. If he were more excellent than the crown prince, would the empress smile at him with the same warmth as she did at the crown prince? Until one day, when the empress returned to check on the crown prince's studies, the crown prince stumbled over his words, and he finally couldn't help but speak up. Seeing the empress and the crown prince's gaze, he recited all of the classics that the imperial teacher had taught the crown prince in one breath.

  He thought that would win the queen a gentle smile, but who knew that on that day, after hearing his fluent recitation, the queen's gaze towards him was icy and wary.

  After returning to the bedroom, the prince threw out all his things. That night, he curled up alone in a corner of the cold winter imperial garden until dawn.

  Then came three days and nights of high fever, after which he began to become silent. The queen and the crown prince did not like his excellence, children in the palace had no right to be naive and simple, especially those without mothers like him, he started to hide, only appearing where the crown prince was, never crossing the crown prince.

  However, his precocious performance that time really left an indelible impression on the Queen and the Crown Prince. Although he was humble and unobtrusive among the crowd, as he grew older, the Crown Prince became increasingly wary of him, less and less trusting.

  He treated himself as a dog beside the crown prince, coming when called and going when summoned.

  At first, he really had no ambition to take that position. He also wanted to follow the will of the empress and be a true assistant to the crown prince. On the one hand, he replaced the crown prince in solving problems that the crown prince was not convenient to face or deal with, while on the other hand, he endured the crown prince's suspicion, jealousy, and humiliation.

  When did he come up with that idea? Maybe it was the exhaustion of facing the prince's repeated difficulties and distrust, or maybe it was on a cold winter day when he was forced to kneel in the snow for a small matter until his knees were numb and he couldn't feel anything. He didn't know what had triggered that thought. Perhaps he was born with such ambition, no man is without ambition, and he himself could not escape this commonality.

  So, under the banner of doing things for the crown prince, he began to secretly cultivate his own power. The things that the crown prince ordered him to do started to be perfunctory and insincere, and in front of the emperor, he gradually showed off his own talents and abilities. Although he still did things for the crown prince, he knew that some things were different now, and perhaps the crown prince also gradually sensed something and began not to entrust him with handling certain matters.

  He doesn't care, it's just the right time to spend time cultivating his own power. In this way, slowly but surely, he begins to change the impression of him in the minds of the courtiers, yet still hiding in the crown prince's camp and refusing to leave. Why should he really leave? He makes the crown prince wary of him yet unable to do without him.

  The path of the emperor has always been a road filled with blood, filth and loneliness. Since he chose this path, he was prepared to sacrifice everything for this choice. What's more, what is that vague thing called love?

  That day, he took Seventh Brother and Princess Xianling to the streets to have some fun. It was just that he and Seventh Brother were being pestered by this sister until they couldn't take it anymore. After leaving the palace, Xianling had always been very lively, full of curiosity about things on the street. Looking at Xianling's lively and curious appearance, his mood wasn't good or bad. However, in the imperial harem, it was not easy to have such a happy and simple child. Thinking of his own childhood, he became somewhat distracted.

  Just as he was lost in thought and turning a corner, he accidentally bumped into someone. The woman was dressed in a bright red outfit, with an arrogant and overbearing expression on her face, clearly the spoiled type. He instinctively disliked this kind of look, and seeing the woman's shocked and infatuated gaze made him even more displeased.

  As a prince, even if his birth mother was humble, he was still the emperor's son and a noble prince. Moreover, he had a pretty good appearance, and somehow, whenever women passed by him, they would accidentally drop their handkerchiefs or make gestures towards him. He categorized this woman with those women, but as he glanced at her, his gaze fell on a figure in white behind her, a woman as clear as water, and for a moment, he was taken aback.

  People will notice Gu Qingyao, perhaps because of her elegant dress, like a crescent moon in the darkness. Those who have been in the dark for a long time say they don't yearn for light, but instinctively pursue it, and that's all.

  After returning, he soon forgot this matter. His life was not a woman, but that supreme position. Then, Mongolia invaded, and he followed his father to the expedition with his sixth brother.

  Then there was Gu Huaiyi's rescue, and after leading him and his sixth brother to break through the siege of the Mongol army, he reunited with his father, Emperor, and saw his father's praise and fondness for Gu Huaiyi. He knew that Gu Huaiyi was the second son of the Duke of Anji, and the one who succeeded the title was his elder brother.

  The Emperor quickly redeployed, and the Mongol army was defeated by Taijing in a series of battles. However, Mongolia was still Mongolia, a fierce and warlike nation. In October, Mongolia finally sent an envoy to negotiate with Taijing, willing to return the cities and offer treasures.

  The Emperor accepted the Mongol's offer of peace talks. In October, Da Jing and the Mongolian army negotiated a peace treaty. In November, the Emperor returned to the capital with him and the Sixth Prince.

  After returning to the capital, everyone knew that it was Gu Huaiyi of the Anji Marquis Manor who had saved the emperor on the battlefield. The rise of the Anji Marquis Manor was imminent, but no one expected that Gu Huaiyi would refuse the emperor's reward in the grand hall, saying that what she did was what a subject should do. The emperor indeed withdrew his intention to promote and ennoble Gu Huaiyi.

  After the news spread, all the officials laughed at Gu Huaiyi's foolishness, but only he saw the ambition in Gu Huaiyi's eyes and Father Emperor heard Gu Huaiyi's words although not moving his expression, yet with a more appreciative look.

  Soon, his guess was confirmed. The emperor summoned him and his sixth brother to the imperial study a few days later, explicitly and implicitly indicating that they should go to the Anji Marquis's residence to express their gratitude, as it was customary for people to thank those who had saved their lives. From this, he understood the emperor's intention of supporting the Anji Marquis's household.

  The next day, he and the sixth prince followed the emperor's instructions to visit the old lady of the Anji Marquis Manor. They met Gu Qingjin and Gu Qingyao. In fact, after Gu Huaiyi rescued them, he had someone get a copy of the Anji Marquis Manor's information and learned that the red-clothed woman who bumped into him on the street that day was the legitimate daughter of the Anji Marquis Manor, Gu Qingjin, and the white-clothed woman was the legitimate daughter of Gu Huaiyi, Gu Qingyao. He believed that many people had a copy of this information. It's worth mentioning that Gu Qingjin was actually the granddaughter of the former emperor's appointed General of the Nation.

  Due to his and Sixth Prince's visit, the Anji Marquis Manor rose rapidly, and everyone also understood that Gu Huiyi's rejection of the emperor's favor did not make Emperor Ming abandon the Anji Marquis Manor, but instead made him more determined to support the Anji Marquis Manor.

  In the capital city's influential families, who doesn't have a mind full of twists and turns, with eighteen different thoughts at once? Thus, the Anji Marquis Manor was quickly accepted by the capital city's various influential families.

  It was at a hunting banquet hosted by several imperial sisters that he met Gu Qingjin and Gu Qingyao again. He didn't know that a woman's riding skills could be so impressive. Gu Qingjin wore a red dress, as bright as the morning clouds, with her horse galloping furiously, she was radiant and dazzling, a sight no one had ever seen before.

  That day on the street, he only noticed Gu Qingyao's elegant beauty like a green lotus, and didn't pay much attention to Gu Qingyan. Now, it made him realize that Gu Qingyan's beauty was not inferior to Gu Qingyao's. Such beauty was stunning, but it was what he disliked the most. After a glance, he no longer had any appreciation for her.

  In the subsequent interactions, Gu Qingjin seemed to be following him around, and he thought it was just his own illusion. However, as time passed, he discovered that Gu Qingjin's gaze always seemed to be following him. Gu Qingjin had a good impression of him, but he already had a legitimate wife, and if his guess was not wrong, the Emperor should also have this intention.

  However, under the current circumstances, Gu Qingjin is likely to be the legitimate wife of the Sixth Prince. Although the Sixth Prince usually appears calm and collected, he knows that this younger brother has ambitions for the throne just like him. If he were a bit more humble and could win over Gu Qingjin's favor, after she marries the Sixth Prince, he would not stoop to using a woman in his schemes. This doesn't show that he is upright and honest, but rather that even if he wants that position, he has his own pride and principles.

  So, towards Gu Qingjin's approachable behavior, he pretended not to know and didn't respond, thinking that after a long time, Gu Qingjin would give up. However, he clearly underestimated Gu Qingjin's persistence. She always found various opportunities and excuses to appear by his side, her eyes openly showing her liking for him. Perhaps the obvious liking in her eyes was too much, so he started occasionally responding to her words. Seeing that he responded, Gu Qingjin showed unhidden delight, an expression he didn't understand but also didn't find particularly annoying.