Liang Yong grew anxious. "Fourth Prince, why aren’t you eating? Even if something is upsetting you, you shouldn’t take it out on your body."

This time, Li Ying finally reacted.

He coldly spat out two words.

"Get out."

Liang Yong wanted to say more, but he immediately fell silent when he met the Fourth Prince’s icy gaze.

He sullenly withdrew.

After closing the door, Liang Yong stood outside for a moment.

Though he didn’t know what had happened, seeing the Fourth Prince’s devastated state, he figured the prince must have suffered a terrible blow.

’If I just leave him be, what if the Fourth Prince can’t get over this and does something rash?’

Liang Yong made up his mind.

He changed into dark clothes and used Qinggong to silently leave the dilapidated courtyard.

It wasn’t until around midnight that Liang Yong returned.

He hadn’t come back alone. A figure in a black cloak followed behind him.

The person was completely hidden within the large cloak, their hood pulled low. In the hazy darkness of the night, their face was impossible to see.

Liang Yong stepped forward and knocked. "Fourth Prince, someone is here to see you."

He waited a moment, but there was no response.

The room remained completely silent.

Liang Yong glanced back helplessly at the person behind him.

"He’s been like this ever since he got back. Please, try to talk some sense into him.

You’re the only one he’ll listen to now."

The person in the black cloak pushed the door open and went straight inside.

Liang Yong did not follow.

He reached out, closed the door, and then stood guard outside, keeping watch.

Inside, Li Ying was still sitting quietly.

His fingers were wrapped in gauze. In his palm lay the small sachet, now burned beyond all recognition.

"Fourth Prince."

Hearing the familiar voice, Li Ying blinked slowly.

He slowly raised his head and saw the person standing before him.

The person had pulled back their hood, revealing a gracefully handsome, almost delicate face.

It was none other than the eunuch who served by the Emperor’s side, Wu Wang.

Li Ying, seemingly not expecting Wu Wang to be here, paused in surprise before calling out.

"Uncle."

At the word "Uncle," Wu Wang’s gaze softened considerably.

Wu Wang was the younger brother of Li Ying’s birth mother.

In his search for his long-lost older sister, Wu Wang had gone so far as to have himself castrated to enter the palace as a eunuch, only to learn that his sister had already passed away.

Despite being filled with grief and resentment, he insisted on remaining in the palace as a eunuch.

Because his sister had left behind a child—the Fourth Prince, Li Ying.

For all these years, Wu Wang had been secretly supporting Li Ying. He had personally taught Li Ying his martial arts and academic knowledge, and it was also thanks to Wu Wang that Li Ying had gathered so many capable and extraordinary people around him.

Having come this far, the uncle and nephew had relied on each other to survive, and their bond was incredibly deep.

Wu Wang reached out, picked up the tattered sachet, and said slowly, "You found her."

It was a statement, not a question.

Li Ying confirmed it with a sound.

"Mm."

Wu Wang said, "I told you long ago. After all this time, the person on your mind might have forgotten you completely. But you wouldn’t listen and insisted on finding her."

His words were like rubbing salt in Li Ying’s wounds.

He was so hurt that his eyes reddened again.

"I went through so much to finally find her, but she doesn’t want me."

Wu Wang placed the ruined sachet back into his palm and said unhurriedly,

"Then just take her."

Li Ying stared at him, stunned.

Wu Wang patted his head, his voice gentle.

"As long as you ascend to that throne one day, you will possess the entire world. At that point, with a single word from you, she will obediently return to your side."

Li Ying instinctively felt that this wasn’t right.

"But what if she’s unwilling...?"

Wu Wang replied, "She’s unwilling now because you aren’t powerful enough.

Once you become the ruler of the world, she will surely be willing.

Think about the women in the imperial harem. There’s no shortage of aloof and proud ones among them.

But after entering the palace, didn’t they all obediently submit to the Saint?"

Li Ying fell silent.

Although there was reason in his uncle’s words, he felt that Hua Manman wasn’t the type of woman to curry favor with the powerful.

’The woman I love couldn’t be that shallow.’

Wu Wang knew his nephew’s temperament very well, so seeing his reaction, he continued.

"Regardless of what she thinks, you should at least fight for yourself."

And indeed, Li Ying was unwilling to give up just like that.

He slowly tightened his grip on the ruined sachet.

Wu Wang placed a hand on his shoulder, patting it twice in encouragement.

"You have to believe in yourself. You’re not inferior to anyone."

Li Ying said, "But she’s already married, and to Prince Zhao, no less."

Wu Wang immediately searched his memory for information on Princess Consort Zhao.

He recalled that Princess Consort Zhao was Hua Jieyu’s younger sister and that, like Hua Jieyu, she was very beautiful.

’Born with such flower-like beauty, no wonder the Fourth Prince has been pining for her all these years.’

Wu Wang sighed softly. "This Prince Zhao is capricious, moody, vicious, and cruel. Countless people have died at his hands.

Who knows how long Princess Consort Zhao will survive with him.

I hear he also keeps many concubines in the rear courtyard of the Prince Zhao Mansion.

Having to compete with so many women for one man, life can’t be easy for Princess Consort Zhao."

Li Ying had also heard of Prince Zhao’s vicious reputation.

He hadn’t thought much of it before, but now the thought of Hua Manman having to live day in and day out with such a cruel man filled him with worry.

’What if Prince Zhao has a sudden violent outburst and tries to hurt Hua Manman?’

’There would be no one there to protect her.’

Li Ying was suddenly reminded of the time they were abducted by child traffickers. A young Hua Manman had huddled beside him, clinging to him as if he were her only lifeline, terrified he would abandon her.

As a child, he had been unable to save her from Water and Fire. The only thing he could do back then was give her the Buddha Beads his mother had left him, hoping they would keep her safe.

But things were different now.

’I’m grown now. I have the power to protect her.’

Li Ying clutched the sachet and murmured.

"I’ll wait a little longer. When I finally have the power to protect her, I’ll..."

’I’ll take her back then.’

’I’ll treat her so well, far better than Prince Zhao does.’

Seeing that he had finally regained his spirits, a gratified smile appeared on Wu Wang’s face.

"It’s good that you’re thinking this way."

Wu Wang noticed the stone-cold food on the table, and his gaze darkened.

"Those bastards from the Imperial Kitchen, giving you this awful food again."

But Li Ying didn’t seem to mind.

He’d long grown accustomed to the palace’s way of fawning over the powerful and trampling the weak.

He picked up his bowl and chopsticks and ate every last bit of the cold food.

Even if Hua Manman didn’t want him, he still wanted to protect her.

He had to go higher, go further.

Only then would he have the power to protect her.