AEKMEM chapter 50

“That crown prince is truly a romantic expert.” Emperor Chu Zhengming said with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

He was clearly angered by Chu Heng’s words.

“Listen to what he’s saying! He’s actually giving up the crown prince position for his partner! Would he rather have a beauty than the throne?”

How had he never known that Chu Heng was such a hopeless romantic?

Of course, Chu Zhengming didn’t want to replace Chu Heng as Crown Prince. The Imperial Heir Apparent wasn’t someone he could simply replace at will.

Aside from being a bit love-struck, Chu Heng was undoubtedly an excellent successor.

Chu Zhengming didn’t want to waste his breath criticizing him because Chu Heng wouldn’t listen anyway.

Taking a deep breath, he said, “Your Highness, handle this yourself! Make sure you clean up the mess and don’t leave any evidence!”

He abruptly ended the video call as if looking at Chu Heng’s face for even a few more seconds would make him explode with anger.

Chu Heng raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised.

He had thought that Chu Zhengming was going to reprimand him and “educate” him about not being so fixated on his personal feelings.

Instead, Chu Zhengming simply told him to handle it himself.

Actually, crippling Jun Yilian, an S-rank elf, wouldn’t be as serious as Chu Zhengming made it out to be.

He wasn’t acting entirely impulsively without considering the consequences.

**

In the living room, Jiang Qi emphasized, “His Highness really went to see a friend. He should be back in a while,” shifting the risk to An Qiao and saying, “If you don’t believe me, you can ask him.”

After saying this, Jiang Qi noticed that An Qiao was stunned and didn’t react.

Actually, An Qiao was stunned because he used his mental power to “hear” Chu Heng and Chu Zhengming’s conversation, especially when he heard Chu Heng say:

“After all, my overall perspective only extends to my Qiao Qiao.”

“I can endure being wronged, but my Qiao Qiao cannot.”

An Qiao was somewhat shocked.

But it wasn’t entirely unexpected. Chu Heng’s previous behavior had made An Qiao vaguely suspect that Chu Heng liked him.

Jiang Qi, with his sharp eyes, immediately spotted Chu Heng standing outside the living room door.

Finally back! Now, he wouldn’t have to lie to the Crown Princess and explain that the Crown Prince had just gone to visit a friend. Let Chu Heng handle his own troubles!

It’s baffling that Chu Heng would come up with such an easily exposed excuse as “going to see a friend.” When news of Jun Yilian’s accident spreads, won’t the Crown Princess suspect that he actually went to the capital planet instead of visiting friends in Blue Star City?

Wouldn’t it be easier to openly admit that he went to the capital planet to deal with Jun Yilian, thereby winning over the Crown Princess and moving him to tears?

Actually, Chu Heng belatedly realized how terrible his excuse was.

He shouldn’t have come up with it on a whim to hide it from An Qiao. He thought that, by the time he returned to Blue Star City, An Qiao might still be asleep, rendering the lie useless. He also felt that An Qiao was somewhat listless due to a relapse of his old injury. It was best not to let An Qiao know what he had done in the capital, lest he worry.

Seeing An Qiao sitting on the sofa, hugging a cushion at the doorway of the living room, and remembering what the butler had told him on the way there—that An Qiao had gotten up and asked where he had been, and that the adjutant, Jiang Qi, had said he had gone to see a friend, but that An Qiao clearly didn’t believe him and had guessed that he had gone to the capital—

Chu Heng felt very guilty.

Even his light and eager steps became heavy and sluggish.

He still hadn’t finished dealing with the aftermath of pretending to be “depressed” to win An Qiao’s sympathy, and now he had lied to him again…

Seizing the opportunity, Jiang Qi slipped away, giving Chu Heng a “good luck” look as he passed by the door.

“Qiaoqiao?”

Chu Heng softly called out, approaching An Qiao, who was hugging a pillow. His figure was half in shadow and half bathed in golden sunlight streaming in from the window. A few strands of his long, silvery hair fell across his cheeks. His long eyelashes drooped as he lost himself in thought.

He looked rather innocent, somewhat easy to bully.

Chu Heng felt a surge of longing and reached out to gently touch those thick, curled eyelashes, like butterfly wings fluttering.

When his fingers touched An Qiao’s eyelids, he seemed to finally snap out of his daze and slowly raised his icy blue eyes.

The silver-haired youth stared intently at him with a gaze so deep that it seemed to see right through him and an expression that was slightly strange.

Chu Heng: “… ”

Chu Heng guiltily withdrew his hand.

“What’s wrong?” Staring into An Qiao’s clear blue eyes, he felt his heart race. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Because your eyes are beautiful,” An Qiao said calmly.

Chu Heng: “… ”

Chu Heng: “!!!”

**

Still basking in An Qiao’s praise, Chu Heng was taken aback when Jiang Qi reported Jun Yilian’s transformation into a vegetative state at noon that day.

News that Jun Yilian, the S-rank elf with the strongest healing ability and the most talent in the younger generation of the Empire, had lost his abilities forever quickly ignited the entire Empire.

Elves are rare and hold a special status. Even accidents involving elves attract considerable attention, let alone one involving an S-rank elf with a powerful background and influence. Among the younger generation, he is second only to Chu Heng in prestige. He had been crippled in a clearly retaliatory manner and turned into a vegetative person.

The people of the Empire considered such a revenge plot against an elf utterly indecorous and depraved. This was especially true when the elf was Jun Yilian, a kind and benevolent being who had helped many with his healing abilities.

The people were furious and heartbroken. They demanded that the Empire’s relevant departments thoroughly investigate the truth and severely punish the perpetrator.

Some of Jun Yilian’s fans, not content with online outbursts alone, organized groups to march in the streets and protest outside government buildings, vowing not to rest until the perpetrator was brought to justice.

This incident caused a huge uproar online and became practically common knowledge in real life.

Soon after, “relevant experts” revealed that only a beastman with superpowers and mental strength at the 2S level or higher could have infiltrated the heavily guarded Jun family without a trace and crippled Jun Yilian. It was absolutely impossible for an ordinary person to do so.

Beastmen with superpowers and mental strength reaching 2S were few and far between in the Empire.

Now, the people of the Empire were speculating: Which beastman had committed this atrocity? Furthermore, they were outraged. Regardless of which high-ranking beastman committed this heinous act, he should be severely punished. Their high position and power should not be tolerated or shield them from justice!

Does a high position and power, and reliance on force, grant them the right to act with impunity, challenge imperial laws, and arbitrarily cripple a significant S-rank elf?

If the perpetrator can retaliate so easily today without being caught, they will be even more unscrupulous tomorrow!

The entire empire’s people were stirred up by this.

Another “insider” revealed that Crown Prince Chu Heng crippled Jun Yilian.

Driven by jealousy, Jun Yilian repeatedly sent assassins to kill Crown Princess An Qiao. This included an attempt on his life during the crucial period of his awakening, which resulted in his serious injury and failed awakening. Jun Yilian also lured An Yuchun into the Star Beast Forest in an attempt to harm An Qiao. Yesterday, he sent four S-rank beastmen to assassinate An Qiao in Blue Star City. In a fit of rage and impulsiveness, therefore, Crown Prince Chu Heng broke into the Jun family residence in the middle of the night and deposed Jun Yilian, seeking revenge.

Concrete evidence has been released regarding Jun Yilian’s actions, but there is no evidence to support speculation about Chu Heng’s actions.

However, this speculation is remarkably plausible. Given his feelings for the Crown Princess and his previous violent attack on Zhou Xiaoran for provoking An Qiao at the New Year’s Eve banquet, it’s likely that he’ll seek revenge against Jun Yilian for attempting to assassinate An Qiao several times.

Furthermore, the only person capable of crippling Jun Yilian is a beastman with supernatural abilities and mental strength at level 2S or higher. Moreover, this “murderer” not only crippled Jun Yilian’s abilities, but also intended to leave him incapacitated, using clearly retaliatory methods.

This makes it almost certain that the ruthless “murderer” who crippled Jun Yilian is Crown Prince Chu Heng.

The revelation shocked and dismayed the entire empire.

Among the younger generation, Chu Heng has the highest prestige. Next is Jun Yilian, the S-rank elf.

Of course, Chu Heng’s prestige far surpasses that of Jun Yilian; even after leading the Second Legion to a crushing victory over the Zerg, his prestige surpasses that of Emperor Chu Zhengming.

Now, these two near-perfect “idols” have suddenly been exposed.

Jun Yilian, in particular, was previously marketed as the S-rank elf with the strongest healing ability and the highest talent for healing. He was said to possess a powerful background yet remain humble and kindhearted. he was said to use his healing abilities selflessly to help others and to be gentle, modest, and beautiful inside and out—almost like an elf.

However, it has been revealed that this seemingly perfect Jun Yilian is actually hypocritical and dark. Driven by intense jealousy, he orchestrated the assassination of the An family’s eldest son, whose elf bloodline was purer than his own. This caused the An family’s eldest son, who could have been an S-rank elf or even a higher-ranked individual, to fail in his awakening.

Passersby were shocked:

“I never would have guessed that Jun Yilian, the eldest son of the Jun family, would be this kind of person. He always acted like a pure white lotus, but who knew his heart was so dark?”

“His mind is too vicious. Just because he’s jealous of An Qiao’s higher elf blood purity, he ruined An Qiao’s chance to awaken.”

“What a pity about An Qiao’s originally high talent. He had the chance to awaken as an S-rank or even a 2S-rank elf, but someone cruelly destroyed it.”

“I think it’s good that he was crippled. He ruined someone. Those with talent are often ruined by others. Didn’t he know that ruining someone’s talent is almost equivalent to ruining their life? Didn’t he know how important an S-class elf about to awaken is to the empire? Yet he still did this selfishly, treacherously, and viciously! He even tried to assassinate An Qiao again afterward, showing no remorse and acting recklessly just because he’s an S-class elf.”

Meanwhile, some of Jun Yilian’s fans turned against him. A very small number of his most extreme supporters claimed that the evidence was fabricated and that someone was framing their idol.

As for the fact that Chu Heng was the culprit, the citizens of the empire had differing opinions.

Some felt that the Crown Prince’s revenge against Jun Yilian was somewhat understandable. After all, his beloved Crown Princess had been repeatedly assassinated by Jun Yilian, who was also behind his failed awakening and fall from grace. His rage and impulsiveness were normal reactions.

Beastmen naturally lose control of their emotions when their mates are provoked. In the Imperial Court, if a beastman retaliates against another beastman for harming their mate, the case is handled on a case-by-case basis. In this case, however, the perpetrators and victims of revenge were elves.

Jun Yilian, an S-rank elf, deserved his downfall! First, he sent someone to assassinate An Qiao, causing An Qiao’s awakening to fail. Then, he attempted to assassinate An Qiao again out of a desire to kill him. According to Imperial law, Jun Yilian wouldn’t receive severe punishment because he’s an S-rank elf. Perhaps this is why Crown Prince Chu Heng lost his temper and crippled Jun Yilian. But should Jun Yilian’s crimes really be overlooked simply because he’s an S-rank elf? Therefore, the crown prince’s decision to cripple Jun Yilian is understandable.

Some argue rationally that there’s no conclusive evidence proving that Crown Prince Chu Heng is the culprit. Isn’t it premature to jump to conclusions based solely on speculation? If the culprit is ultimately found not to be the Crown Prince, wouldn’t that be a wrongful accusation? He just defeated the Zerg, bringing victory and peace to the Empire. Concluding that the culprit is the Crown Prince without evidence would be disheartening for the Empire’s hero.

This incident erupted so suddenly and swiftly that it must have been orchestrated by someone with ulterior motives. What if His Highness’s political enemies planned it to frame him and remove him from power? Wouldn’t they then become accomplices?

Everything must wait until the truth comes to light. One must not casually pass judgment or slander people.

Some people believe that Crown Prince Chu Heng is the culprit and hope the relevant imperial departments will handle the matter according to law. Although Chu Heng’s revenge against Jun Yilian was not without reason, it was excessive. He could have exposed his crimes and ensured that he received the punishment he deserved. Instead, relying on his power and status, Chu Heng disregarded imperial law, acting recklessly and arbitrarily. He crippled an S-rank elf of great importance to the Empire based solely on personal feelings.

If he can act like this while being only the crown prince, who knows if he will become even more lawless as emperor, disregarding rules and laws and acting solely on his own whims? Chu Heng’s behavior disqualifies him from continuing as crown prince.

The accusations that he was unworthy of his position grew rampant, fueled by the Second Prince’s faction, other influential figures, and online trolls.

Compared to the turmoil outside, however, Chu Heng remained remarkably calm and composed.

He even had the leisure to inquire about the factions behind these maneuvers.

The most vocal were the Second Prince’s faction, including the Mo family—his mother’s family—the Zhou family, who cling tightly to the Second Prince, and the Jun family, who were previously neutral but immediately sided with the Second Prince after the incident.

To Chu Heng’s surprise, one of his uncles, Chu Zhengming brother, who had lost the throne contest and remained quiet, was also one of the masterminds behind the scenes.

This reminded Chu Heng of the information he had obtained from the Greedy Wolf Star Pirates. The “mysterious person” who hired the pirates and coordinated their efforts to abduct him shortly after his birth held considerable power in the Imperial Capital Star and harbored ill will toward him.

Chu Heng narrowed his eyes thoughtfully, suspecting that this “mysterious person” might be his uncle, who was adept at disguises.

Few people harbored ill will toward him, given his exceptional talent detected at birth. The Mo family, among others, had malicious intent but couldn’t act. However, his uncle had both the motive and the means to carry it out.

“Can you resolve this?” An Qiao asked, furrowing his brows.

“If you can’t solve it, I can help.” He looked at Chu Heng, his eyes clear and earnest.

“After all, I was the one who started this.”

—So helping is only right and proper. Don’t feel embarrassed.

Chu Heng didn’t need to guess what An Qiao meant by “helping.”

It would probably involve revealing his true identity as an elf and explaining that Jun Yilian had repeatedly tried to assassinate him. This angered him and therefore “threatened” him, the crown prince, into helping him take revenge on Jun Yilian.

An Qiao hadn’t wanted to reveal his elf identity, but now, to help Chu Heng, he was willing to do so.

Chu Heng couldn’t help but smile, thinking smugly:

Qiao Qiao really does care about me!

“Thank you for your concern, Qiao Qiao,” he said, his deep, rose-colored eyes holding a hint of a smile.

“However, I allowed this situation to lure out the ‘big fish’ behind the scenes. So, Qiao Qiao, you don’t need to worry. I can handle this myself.”

An Qiao raised an eyebrow.

So, was it to lure out the “big fish”? He knew that Chu Heng’s methods weren’t simple. There was no way the situation would be as passive as it seemed—there had to be a reason!

Although he trusted Chu Heng, he couldn’t help but say:

“If you can’t easily resolve it in the end, don’t force it. I have my own methods. I really can hel—”

Before he could finish, he suddenly widened his eyes.

Chu Heng had taken advantage of his distraction to gently pinch his cheek. “Qiao Qiao is really cute when he’s worried about me.”

An Qiao: “… ”

By the time he reacted, Chu Heng had already withdrawn his hand.

“Don’t worry.” Chu Heng lowered his eyes slightly and looked at An Qiao. The corners of his eyes and brows carried a smile. He was as proud as a peacock displaying its tail. “Do you still not trust my ability?”

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