Besides lying down, I also know a little about power struggles

Chapter 150 Heartbroken
The news shocked the emperor and he became furious.

He simply couldn't imagine that, right under his nose, a little palace maid could have concealed the truth and left behind evidence of his absurd night.

"I'm very lucky," Feng Twelve said, "When His Majesty heard the news, the Crown Prince was also there."

The young Feng Yunxi didn’t know why the emperor was angry, he only knew that he had a little brother.

"The prince asked to see me, so I was brought before His Majesty." Feng Twelve said.

He was still a baby in swaddling clothes at that time and had no idea that his life was in danger. It was only after he could remember things that his mother told him that when Feng Yunxi saw him, he said that this was his biological brother. When he saw the emperor ordering people to take him away, he cried heart-wrenchingly on the spot and almost suffocated to death.

After that, Feng Twelve was recorded in the royal jade book as the emperor's twelfth child.

According to royal custom, all newborns in the harem should be named by the emperor. When people from the Zongzheng Temple came to request a name for the imperial edict, the emperor casually wrote "Twelve" and threw it over. Twelve then became the first prince of Dazhao to be named according to his seniority.

Although the emperor recognized Feng Twelve, he still allowed him to live with his mother in the palace.

Sometimes Feng Yunxi would go to visit his youngest brother. He was just a child at that time and could not help them with anything. However, when the emperor saw that he was still obsessed with this little brother, he gradually gave up his murderous intention.

Feng Twelve's mother was very cautious and never appeared in front of the emperor. She only hoped that the child she was protecting could grow up safely, even if he did not have the title of prince, at least he could be an ordinary person.

For Feng Twelve, life in the Ye Ting was not difficult. Although he and his mother lived in a small and simple residence, no one bullied them, and kind palace servants would even bring him some interesting little gadgets from outside the palace.

His childhood was like a weed growing in a corner, which could thrive even with only occasional sunshine and rain.

His mother was like the land in which weeds took root; she was not weak and never complained. Even though she herself was poor, she still did her best to provide him with nutrients for survival.

He often heard his mother talk about her hometown. She came from a small border town. At that time, the border of Dazhao was not very peaceful. A war destroyed the city, and the survivors fled everywhere. His mother sold herself to bury her family, and was taken to the capital by a man. After changing hands several times, she entered the palace and became a maid.

When the young maid heard that the war in her hometown had subsided, she secretly saved up her monthly salary, looking forward to the day when she would be released from the palace. According to the palace rules, maids could be released from the palace when they turned 28, and she planned to return to her hometown in the future and live out the rest of her life in peace.

However, she never waited for that day.

Because she had similar features to the Crown Prince's mother, she was set up in a trap and sent to the Emperor's bed, becoming a victim of a conspiracy.

"If it weren't for me, when His Majesty had forgotten about this matter in the future, maybe my mother would have had a chance to leave the palace," Feng Twelve said, "but for me, she completely gave up this opportunity."

A palace maid can be released from the palace, but a woman who has given birth to a child for the emperor can only die of old age in the palace.

He said this and fell silent.

Fang Tong sat with him quietly, without saying a word.

She wanted to say something to comfort him, but she didn't know how to start.

Their childhoods were somewhat similar, but not exactly the same.

He was not accepted by his father, and she was abandoned by her parents at birth. Both of them had a tragic start in life, but there was also luck in the tragedy.

He had a mother and palace maids who loved him, and she had an orphanage director and teachers who loved her. The love of these people cleared the way for them and paved a path for their lives.

She thought she could understand why Feng Twelve's tone was so calm when he talked about the past, because he knew what happiness was like, and that warmth prevented him from becoming a cynical person.

But she felt very distressed at the same time.

Because she had never heard anyone in Feng Twelve's mansion mention his mother, the innocent palace maid might have died long ago. Otherwise, with Feng Twelve's personality, even if he did not get along with the emperor, he would always think about his biological mother.

She didn't dare ask him how he dealt with his mother's departure, and how old he was at that time.

She couldn't tell why she was so sad, but she felt her nose sore and her eyes swollen. She lowered her head and tried to blink back the tears that were welling up in her eyes.

She almost succeeded until a few drops of water hit the hem of her skirt.

Feng Twelve saw that she lowered her head and remained silent. Just as he was about to speak, he paused slightly when he saw the few drops of water falling.

There was a flash of annoyance in his eyes.

He didn't think his experience was worth anyone else crying about. His words must have brought back her sad memories, which was why she felt so bad.

He remembered the scene he had seen in his dream. That was Fang Tong's world. She had a small house, but there was no sign of other people in the house.

She seemed to be alone in that world, but her house was decorated very warmly, and she should be the same smiling girl as he saw.

He liked to see her smile and never meant to make her cry.

He pulled a handkerchief out of his sleeve and handed it over silently.

Fang Tong didn't answer.

She put the back of her hand against her eyes in self-abandonment and sniffed: "Don't look at me."

Feng Twelve frowned.

Fang Tong said in a muffled voice: "I'm just a little sad, just wait for me to calm down for a while."

Her tears flowed down the back of her hands, quickly soaking her sleeves, but she never said a word. She sat there quietly, covering her face with her hands, and twitching her shoulders from time to time.

Feng Twelve couldn't bear to watch it any longer, so he sat down next to her, raised his right hand, and gently patted her back.

After this slap, Fang Tong let out a sob.

"I told you to leave me alone." Her voice was vague and she moved to the side.

Feng Twelve raised his hand but it stopped in mid-air, not knowing whether he should continue shooting.

After a long while, Fang Tong stretched out his hand to him: "Handkerchief."

Feng Twelve quietly handed over the handkerchief.

Fang Tong wiped her eyes and nose with a handkerchief, rubbing herself like a bullied rabbit, and then she looked at him.

"and after?"

“Later…” Feng Twelve paused.

There is actually not much to say about what happened later. Fifteen years ago, his mother died of a cold.

There was no conspiracy or backstabbing. She was weak when she gave birth to him and had not received any care during those years. In the winter when he was nine years old, a heavy snow and a cold took her life.

"Ironically, after my mother passed away, the Zongzheng Temple said that the prince could not be left uneducated, so I was moved into the harem and had my own palace." There was a hint of mockery in Feng Twelve's eyes.

He didn't even have much time to grieve for his mother's death. Although the palace gave him the treatment of a prince, there was not a single palace servant in the palace that he was familiar with.

As a nine-year-old child, he had to be the master of that palace, not someone else's puppet.

He struggled for a long time for this.