Chapter 294: Su Yu’s Past (Part 8)
I don’t know if it’s because of this relentless abuse, but Su Yu matured very early. Perhaps from the moment he could walk, stand firmly, or speak, he has never cried again. His eyes seemed to turn cold from that time onwards.
Many times, the strong and proud young Princess Su Yaogeng couldn’t help but cry when she looked at him. She spoke to the Emperor about it more than once, but the Emperor, as if under the spell of Xia Ji, believed everything except this matter. Every time he went to Xia Ji’s palace, Xia Ji would hide Su Yu away. The Emperor never met him, so naturally, he didn’t believe it.
She and her brother thought of many ways, but every palace maid and eunuch they managed to send in mysteriously died in batches, without any benefit to Su Yu.
Until Su Yu was about four years old, another autumn hunt occurred, and the Emperor took them to the Liangshan Palace. It was there that Xia Ji personally threw Su Yu into the Liangshan Snow Forest and vanished quietly.
She and her brother sent guards to search around the Liangshan Snow Forest, but they found nothing. Everyone knew what kind of place the Liangshan Snow Forest was; none of the guards who entered ever returned safely, let alone a child so small.
The Emperor was heartbroken for a long time after Xia Ji’s departure, and they all thought Su Yu had died.
Until a year later, an old man brought Su Yu back to the Imperial Palace, saying he wanted to take him as an apprentice and take him away.
Since Su Yu was not the Emperor’s biological son, the Emperor did not put up much resistance. However, out of sentiment for Xia Ji, he retained Su Yu’s status as a Prince, allowing him to return anytime.
She and her brother were probably the only warmth in Su Yu’s memory. Later, Su Yu would occasionally return to the Capital City. In the Emperor’s late years, the struggle over the succession became intense, and her brother was often undermined. Although she helped fend off many schemes, Su Yu’s contribution was also significant.
Once her brother successfully ascended the throne, conferring Su Yu the title of Prince, Su Yu remained somewhat distant. Yet, after all, there was still some sense of family between them.
Looking back, perhaps during the times when Su Yu felt life was not worth living, they showed him some basic human goodness.
Later, he took Qiao’er out of the palace to nurture personally, probably because he saw a reflection of his former self in Qiao’er. However, Qiao’er was much luckier than him because the torments he endured, and the ones he suffered afterwards, were indescribable. Yet, all this was thanks to his biological mother.
That’s why Su Yu hated women, with rumors even suggesting he had an interest in men. Neither he nor his brother ever said anything, allowing him to live freely in the Capital City. After all, it barely counted as a home for him. Once his brother had the power, he did not wish for Su Yu to be unhappy during his occasional visits to the Capital City, so he let him be.
Few outsiders knew about Su Yu’s childhood. Those who followed Xia Ji either died or were left crippled. Moreover, with the previous palace turmoil, all the palace members had been replaced.
Su Yaogeng sighed when recounting the past, patting Han Jing’s hand and said: "Though not siblings by blood, Yun Peng indeed evokes pity. Since you’ve come to ask me about this, I suppose you’ve agreed to something with him. It’s rare for you to have such a bond. Jing’er, entrusting you to him gives your mother peace of mind."