Ministers Begging Me to Ascend the Throne
Chapter 69: The Secret of the Third Prince

Chapter 69: Chapter 69: The Secret of the Third Prince

Tong Xi summoned all his strength to rescue the eunuch from the well.

Perhaps because he had just felt the terror of death in the well, the eunuch looked ghastly pale after being rescued, his eyes filled with horror, and his whole body trembling.

Tong Xi was so angry he almost wanted to beat the eunuch. If it weren’t for his martial skills, this eunuch would surely have drowned in the well.

"The Prince and I went to great lengths to save you, and yet you seek death again. Your life belongs to the Prince. Without the Prince’s permission, how dare you die?"

The eunuch suddenly burst into tears, startling Zhao Yao and Tong Xi.

Tong Xi hurriedly covered the eunuch’s mouth. The eunuch grabbed his arm forcefully, sobbing silently.

Zhao Yao stood quietly to the side without speaking.

After a moment, the eunuch finally calmed down, no longer crying out loud, but his eyes were still red from crying. His tear-streaked face looked like a pitiful little rabbit abandoned by others.

Seeing the eunuch calm down, Tong Xi finally let go.

"Speak."

The eunuch lifted his head, looking misty-eyed at Zhao Yao. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but hesitated.

Seeing the eunuch’s conflicted expression, Zhao Yao did not press him.

"If you don’t want to say, then don’t."

Upon hearing this, the eunuch’s eyes suddenly widened.

"I have no desire to know my third brother’s secrets." Zhao Yao rescued the eunuch not to learn about the secrets regarding the third Prince from his mouth.

"Your Highness..."

"I’ve saved you twice. If you still wish to die, I won’t save you again." Zhao Yao did not intend to save someone who was determined to die repeatedly. "Tong Xi, let’s go."

Tong Xi looked at the eunuch kneeling on the ground, soaking wet, "Your Highness, are you really going to leave him?"

"He doesn’t want to live, and no amount of saving will help." Zhao Yao glanced at Tong Xi, who was also soaking wet, "If you don’t go change your clothes soon, you’ll catch a cold."

"Your Highness, I’m not cold..." Before Tong Xi could finish speaking, a gust of wind blew, making him shiver uncontrollably.

"Let’s go back." Zhao Yao still had beef in his arms, intending to take it back to Liang Zhaoyi and the others to eat.

Tong Xi glanced at the eunuch again, seeing him biting his lip without speaking, and decided not to bother with him anymore.

"Yes, Your Highness."

Just as Zhao Yao and the others turned to leave, the eunuch suddenly called out, "Your Highness."

Zhao Yao turned to look at the eunuch without speaking.

The eunuch kowtowed heavily to Zhao Yao three times and then said, "Your Highness, this servant does not want to die." After jumping into the well and being submerged, he deeply felt the choking pain and terror. "Your Highness, this servant wants to live."

Hearing this, Tong Xi was delighted, "That’s more like it."

Zhao Yao said, "Our efforts to save you weren’t in vain." He added, "Since you want to live, then live well."

"Your Highness, this servant’s name is Hua Qing. He used to serve the fifth Prince but was later taken by the third Prince because he saw this servant is good at painting. In the end, this servant discovered it wasn’t like that."

"Third brother took you not because you paint well," Zhao Yao said, "but for another reason?"

Hua Qing, struggling to suppress his fear, said, "The third Prince enjoys whipping us for fun..." Thinking of the pain of being whipped over those days, Hua Qing began to tremble violently.

Tong Xi understood, and his face showed anger, "The third Prince actually... enjoys abusing you for pleasure!"

Zhao Yao showed an expression of disbelief upon hearing this.

"When the third Prince whips us, if we don’t scream, he whips harder." To Hua Qing, the days serving the third Prince were like living in hell, "If we scream, the third Prince becomes very happy and whips even more fiercely."

Zhao Yao: "..."

"Did you escape from the third Prince?" Tong Xi asked.

"This servant escaped while no one was watching," Hua Qing said, kowtowing heavily to Zhao Yao three more times, "Your Highness, I beg you to save this servant. If I return to the third Prince, I will surely be beaten to death."

Zhao Yao finally recovered from the shock. He asked incredulously, "Does third brother really enjoy torturing people for fun?"

"This servant dares not deceive you."

"I never expected..." Third brother always appeared as a modest gentleman; how unexpected it was to be a sadist.

"Your Highness, please save this servant," Hua Qing begged bitterly, "This servant will work like a slave for you." He never wanted to return to the third Prince.

"Your Highness, please be merciful and save him," Tong Xi, having heard Hua Qing’s ordeal, felt increasingly sympathetic towards him.

Zhao Yao held his chin, frowning slightly as he pondered.

"Rescuing you from third brother won’t be easy, especially since you know his unspeakable secret."

"Your Highness..."

"Your situation is quite tricky," Zhao Yao analyzed, "If I ask third brother for you, he’ll definitely refuse." Third brother always disliked him, and anything he asked for would be denied. If it were fifth or sixth brother asking, he’d agree to give.

Hua Qing misunderstood Zhao Yao’s words as reluctance and hurriedly said, "Your Highness, this servant will be wholeheartedly loyal to you, begging you to save this servant." Having nearly died once, Hua Qing didn’t want to die again.

Zhao Yao folded his arms, the index finger of his left hand tapping lightly on his left arm.

"You can’t return now. Back with third brother, you’ll be beaten to death sooner or later."

Hua Qing pleaded again, "Your Highness, please take this servant in; I can do anything."

"There’s a place where third brother won’t find you."

Tong Xi immediately realized what Zhao Yao was suggesting and blurted out, "Cold Palace."

"Exactly, no one goes to the Cold Palace, and third brother won’t think to look for you there." Zhao Yao said, "Hide in the Cold Palace."

"This servant is willing to go to the Cold Palace." As long as he could survive, he would go anywhere.

"Tong Xi, take him to the Cold Palace now and let Tong Le take care of him." Zhao Yao finished speaking and gave Tong Xi a meaningful glance.

Tong Xi understood Zhao Yao’s intention, "I’ll take him to the Cold Palace now."

Seeing he was saved, Hua Qing kowtowed several more times to Zhao Yao, bloodying his forehead.

"Thank you, Your Highness, for saving my life."

"Who gave you the name Hua Qing, fifth brother or third brother?"

"The third Prince did."

"I don’t like that name. You’ll be called Tong An from now on."

Tong An hurriedly thanked him, "Tong An thanks the tenth Prince for the name."

Zhao Yao said nothing more to Tong An, turning instead to Tong Xi, "Take him to the Cold Palace."

"Yes, Your Highness."

On the way to the Cold Palace, Tong Xi spoke extensively to Tong An. This included warnings that if Tong An betrayed Zhao Yao, he would make life worse than death for him.