Ministers Begging Me to Ascend the Throne

Chapter 561: Chapter 294: Revenge

The second legitimate son of the Yuan Family is named Yuan Qiong. A while back, he went to the Western Regions to inspect business. On the surface, this was the official reason, but in reality, he secretly went to see the Right Virtuous King of the Xiongnu.

What Xiao Qing told Zhao Yao a few days ago was actually about this matter.

"Your Highness, who killed him?" Although Tong Xi had never met the second legitimate son of the Yuan Family, he had heard about him. He was renowned in the capital as a charismatic figure and the ideal man in the hearts of many young women from noble families. He didn’t like officialdom and only enjoyed doing business, and he was very adept at it. It’s said that he was responsible for the Yuan Family’s business, which is now very large and not inferior to other noble families.

Zhao Yao asked in return, "What do you think?"

Tong Xi quickly realized something, and his face showed a horrified expression: "Your Highness, could it be that the Eighth Prince ordered the killing?" Tong Xi’s voice grew quieter as he spoke, and when he mentioned "Eighth Prince," he was especially hushed, fearing that speaking louder might be overheard.

Zhao Yao nodded with a somber face, saying nothing.

Tong Xi covered his mouth immediately with both hands, a look of fear on his somewhat delicate face.

It really was the Eighth Prince!

Good God, the Eighth Prince, he... he...

"Your Highness, why would the Eighth Prince want to kill the second son of the Yuan Family?" Tong Xi’s face was filled with confusion and lack of understanding. "Did the second son of the Yuan Family offend the Eighth Prince? Does the Eighth Prince know him? Do they have any connections?"

Zhao Yao guessed, "My eighth brother and the second son of the Yuan Family probably have no connections."

"Then why would the Eighth Prince want to kill the second son of the Yuan Family?" Tong Xi was full of questions. "They bear no enmity, why would he want to kill him out of nowhere?" He felt that the Eighth Prince was becoming more frightening.

Zhao Yao pondered, "Revenge."

"Revenge?" Tong Xi asked with a face full of doubt, "Your Highness, didn’t you just say that the Eighth Prince and the second son of the Yuan Family had no connections? Why would the Eighth Prince seek revenge on him, what did he do to earn the Eighth Prince’s wrath?"

Zhao Yao lightly tapped the table with the index finger of his right hand and pondered, "Revenge for Southern Wei."

"Southern Wei, what does this have to do with Southern Wei?" Tong Xi listened with increasing confusion.

Zhao Yao asked, "Do you remember the incident where the Yuan Family framed the Pei Family, leading to its extermination?"

Tong Xi nodded, saying, "I remember, I also remember Your Highness said that Noble Consort Pei’s grandmother was from Southern Wei. When the Pei Family was exterminated, it had something to do with this. But what does this have to do with the Eighth Prince killing the second son of the Yuan Family since the Eighth Prince is not from Southern Wei either?"

"Are you stupid? What’s Eighth Brother’s relationship with Southern Wei right now?" Zhao Yao rolled his eyes at Tong Xi. "Eighth Brother is now in a close cooperative relationship with Southern Wei, naturally he would help Southern Wei people seek revenge."

"Oh, right." Tong Xi suddenly looked around, wary and cautious, lowered his voice, and said, "Your Highness, is the Eighth Prince planning to kill all the members of the Yuan Family?"

"The people of Southern Wei have started to take revenge, they definitely won’t spare the Yuan Family. However, with Eighth Brother’s methods, he would first kill the second son of the Yuan Family and then the legitimate firstborn, Yuan Han." Zhao Yao speculated, "Eighth Brother first kills the two most important people of the Yuan Family. Firstly, to avenge the Yuan Family, and secondly, to demonstrate power to the Yuan Family. As for exterminating the entire Yuan Family, Eighth Brother wouldn’t do that himself; he would probably reveal the Yuan Family’s collusion with the Xiongnu at the right time."

"The Yuan Family deserves it." However, the Eighth Prince’s methods are truly terrifying. Tong Xi suddenly thought of Prince Chen and hurriedly asked, "Your Highness, do you think the Eighth Prince might kill Prince Chen?" Prince Chen is the sixth prince, who came of age the year before last and went to his fief.

When Zhao Yao heard Tong Xi’s question, he frowned tightly and then said with a somewhat heavy expression, "He probably would."

Tong Xi gasped in shock. He stammered, "The Eighth Prince really wants to kill- kill- kill Prince Chen..."

"Sixth Brother is the hope of the Yuan Family, killing Sixth Brother would be a significant blow to the Yuan Family." Zhao Yao speculated internally, after Yuan Han’s death, it would be Sixth Brother’s turn next.

Tong Xi’s face turned pale with fear, "Your Highness, does the Eighth Prince really dare to kill Prince Chen?"

"What’s there to be afraid of?" Zhao Yao retorted, "Do you think Eighth Brother is timid?"

"No, I just feel..." Tong Xi couldn’t quite articulate for a moment. He hesitantly said, "I just feel the Eighth Prince’s murders are a bit frightening." In front of His Highness, the Eighth Prince had always been a good brother, but suddenly finding out he would murder, made him feel not only fear but also some difficulty in accepting it.