I was chased by my sickly junior brother who had two lives

On a sunny morning, the atmosphere in the capital was extremely tense, like a taut bowstring.

The prince was dressed in a gorgeous dragon robe and a jade crown. He led a group of personal guards and marched towards Qingluan Pavilion in a mighty manner.

The crisp and rapid sound of horse hooves stepping on the stone road was like the drumbeats of war, announcing the coming of a storm.

Outside Qingluan Pavilion, the prince suddenly pulled the reins, and the horse let out a long neigh.

His eyes revealed determination and majesty, like a sharp sword drawn from its sheath, making people dare not look directly at him.

The guards were well-trained and quickly spread out to surround Qingluan Pavilion. Each of them held a weapon and was ready for battle. Their figures were like an indestructible wall, exuding a murderous aura.

At this time in Qingluan Pavilion, Prince Jin was nervously discussing the next plan with his advisers.

Suddenly, a guard ran in hurriedly, looking flustered, stumbling, and almost falling to the ground. He reported breathlessly: "Your Highness, the Crown Prince and his guards have surrounded Qingluan Pavilion!"

The King of Jin was startled, like a huge rock thrown into a calm lake, causing ripples. But he had experienced many court struggles, so he quickly calmed down, and a sinister look flashed in his eyes, like a poisonous snake lurking in the dark.

"Huh, he's finally here."

King Jin sneered, his laughter full of disdain and anger. He straightened his clothes, as if he was tidying up his armor, then strode out of the room and walked towards the entrance of Qingluan Pavilion, each step full of determination.

When the prince saw Prince Jin appear, a sneer appeared on his face. This sneer was like the cold wind in winter, which made people shudder.

"My prince, it's been a long time since we last met. I came here today because I want to discuss something with you."

The prince's voice was neither hurried nor slow, but it carried an invisible pressure, like a mountain pressing down on one's head, making it hard to breathe.

Prince Jin bowed slightly and said, "Your Highness the Crown Prince has come to visit us. I am sorry for not welcoming you. I wonder why Your Highness the Crown Prince has brought so many guards with him today? If my father knew about this, it would probably cause unnecessary suspicion."

Prince Jin deliberately mentioned the emperor in an attempt to put pressure on the prince, with a cunning gleam in his eyes.

The prince smiled and said, "My brother, you worry too much. As the prince, I must always pay attention to my own safety. The situation in the capital has been a little unstable recently, and I brought my personal guards with me just in case. But my brother, you are busy all day in Qingluan Pavilion, I wonder what you are doing?"

There was a hint of temptation in the prince's words, like a hunter testing the whereabouts of his prey.

Prince Jin's heart tightened. He knew that the prince had come with ill intentions, but he still remained calm, like a reef holding on in a storm.

"Your Highness, you are joking. I am only here in Qingluan Pavilion to discuss knowledge and poetry with some scholars. How come Your Highness is interested in this?"

Prince Jin tried to downplay his true purpose. His tone was relaxed, but he could not hide the nervousness in his heart.

The prince looked at Prince Jin with a hint of disdain in his eyes, as if he was looking at a clown.

"My dear prince, do you think I will believe your words? There have been frequent people coming and going in Qingluan Pavilion recently, and from what I know, you seem to have close ties with some corrupt officials. What exactly are you doing in Qingluan Pavilion? Don't think I don't know."

The prince's tone became stern, like thunderous anger.

Prince Jin's expression changed slightly, as if a trace of ink stain was found on white paper, but he quickly returned to normal, just like the calm surface of a lake concealing the turbulence beneath the water.

"Your Highness, please do not believe in rumors. I was just interacting with those officials normally, and there is nothing wrong with that. As for Qingluan Pavilion, it is a place for academic exchange, so naturally there will be people coming and going. Your Highness's groundless suspicion may chill the hearts of the ministers."

Prince Jin tried to bite back and turn the topic to the Crown Prince's suspicion, with a hint of pride in his eyes.

The prince sneered and said, "My brother, you don't need to quibble anymore. I have enough evidence to prove that you are secretly plotting some unspeakable conspiracy. You recruited famous scholars not for the purpose of learning, but to cultivate your own power and try to seize the throne of the East Palace. You colluded with those corrupt officials to obtain money to support your ambitions. What you have done has seriously undermined the government. If the emperor knew about this, what do you think he would think?"

The prince looked straight at Prince Jin, his eyes filled with anger and majesty, like burning flames that were about to devour Prince Jin.

When the King of Jin heard the prince's words, he was shocked, as if struck by lightning. He did not expect that the prince had already obtained so much evidence, but he still refused to admit it, like a dying beast.

"Your Highness, you are slandering me! I am loyal to my father and I am dedicated to my duties to the court. You are accusing me without reason. What is your intention? You brought your personal guards here. Are you trying to frame me and then take the opportunity to get rid of me?"

Prince Jin became excited and his voice rose an octave, as if it was about to break through the sky.

The prince watched Prince Jin's performance with disgust, as if he was seeing a pile of rotten garbage.

"My brother, you still refuse to admit your crime? Do you think you can escape the punishment of the law? I came here today to let you know that your conspiracy will not succeed. I will present everything you have done to my father and let him judge whether you are right or wrong."

Prince Jin knew that he could no longer hide it, and his eyes became fierce, like a hungry wolf baring its fangs.

"Your Highness, please don't push me too far. I am not someone who can be bullied. Do you think you can bring me down with some so-called evidence? Don't forget that I have my own power in the court. Aren't you afraid of causing unrest in the court by treating me like this today?"

The Prince of Jin began to threaten the Crown Prince, his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

The prince looked at the King of Jin fearlessly and said, "My brother, do you think your forces can compete with the righteous forces of the court? Everything you have done is against the laws of nature and human ethics. As the prince, I have the responsibility to maintain the stability and justice of the court. If you turn back now and confess your crimes to your father, you may be able to get a lighter sentence. Otherwise, you will fall into an irretrievable situation."

"Your Highness, I admit that I may have done something wrong in some things, but I haven't committed such serious crimes as you said. After all, we are brothers. Why should we be so unhappy over trivial matters? How about this, let's sit down and have a good talk and find a solution to the problem." Prince Jin tried to ease the atmosphere and look for an opportunity to escape. There was a hint of pleading in his eyes.

The prince looked at Prince Jin and understood his intentions, as if he had seen through the enemy's conspiracy.

"My dear brother, do you still want to negotiate with me now? What you have done is unforgivable. I will not let you go today. You must pay for your crimes."

Seeing the prince's resolute attitude, the King of Jin was filled with despair and anger, like a burning flame being extinguished by cold water, leaving only angry smoke. He decided to go all out and blame the prince instead.

"Your Highness, you keep saying that I have a conspiracy, but what about you? You brought your personal guards to surround Qingluan Pavilion today. Isn't this your conspiracy? You want to take this opportunity to eliminate dissidents and consolidate your position!"

Prince Jin spoke loudly, his voice full of anger and madness, as if he wanted to tear the prince into pieces.

The prince sneered and said, "My brother, you are so ridiculous. As the prince, I do everything for the court and the people. I came to Qingluan Pavilion to expose your crimes and uphold justice for the court. But you are doing shameful things in Qingluan Pavilion and trying to turn the tables."

"Hmph, Your Highness, don't think I don't know what you did behind my back. You've always been jealous of me for being favored by my father, so you tried every way to frame me. You said I was colluding with corrupt officials, but how can you be clean? Aren't there people around you who would do anything for their own selfish interests?

"My brother, please stop talking nonsense. The people around me are all loyal and patriotic. They work hard for the court. But you, however, are colluding with those corrupt officials and trying to undermine the stability of the court. Do you think you can escape the blame like this?"

"Your Highness, you are too naive. In this palace, who doesn't fight for their own interests? You say you are fighting for the court and the people, but aren't you fighting for your throne? Do you think you can do whatever you want once you sit in that position?"

There was a hint of madness in Prince Jin's eyes, and his laughter was full of sarcasm.

The prince looked at the King of Jin angrily and said, "My brother, you are hopeless. You only care about power and desire, and you don't care about the lives of the court and the people. I must bring you to justice today and make you pay for your crimes."