In Ark Simulator, why do I always get a tough start?

Chapter 141 Wei Yanwu's Past with Chen Qi, Wei Yanwu's Resolve

"Haha, this rectification has been very effective, Your Highness Prince Yan."

"After your intimidation, even those on Rhodes Island who want revenge against you probably won't dare to do anything to harm you."

After everyone else had left, only the brothers Chen Qi and Wei Yanwu remained on the deck of Rhodes Island, gazing at the distant wilderness.

Knowing their identities, no one from Rhodes Island would come here to disturb their conversation.

Here, they can speak freely.

After taking a small puff of smoke from his pipe, Wei Yanwu exhaled a clear smile and praised Chen Qi beside him:

"I was worried that although our Prince Yan is exceptionally capable, he has never properly managed his own vassal state."

"His Majesty probably made this decision because he was worried about this, which is why he sent me, a criminal who captured Longmen, to redeem myself by assisting you in commanding the army."

"However, it now seems that His Majesty was worrying unnecessarily."

After taking the last drag of his pipe, Wei Yanwu tapped out the remaining ash and spoke with a mix of mockery and shock:

"Our Prince Yan has been wandering outside for so many years, and unknowingly he has become the Emperor of Letania!"

"Not only that, he can also unite the armies of the Great Yan and Letania with just a few words, turning them into a private army that obeys only his orders."

"Tsk tsk, unbelievable, unbelievable! The third prince of the Great Yan royal family now commands the armies of the two strongest empires on land."

"If this were to reach the ears of those old scholars in the Great Yan court, it would probably shock them to death, right? Hahaha!"

However, despite Wei Yanwu's incessant teasing, Chen Qi, who had been listening the whole time, never responded to Wei Yanwu.

This emperor, who possessed the greatest power on land, silently gazed at his brother beside him.

Until Wei Yanwu could no longer meet his gaze and silently looked away.

"...Your Highness, Prince Yan."

"Are you planning to use this title and call me 'brother' for the rest of your life?"

"...Your Highness Prince Yan is joking."

However, faced with Chen Qi's pointed question, Wei Yanwu remained silent for a long time before answering with a bitter smile:
"You are the third prince of the True Dragon, the pillar of the Great Yan, and now the only emperor who can represent the land and negotiate with Agor on equal terms."

"I am nothing more than a prince who has fled and is suspected of assassinating the true dragon, and whose defense is utterly indefensible."

"How could a disgraced official like me be qualified to be brothers with His Highness the Prince of Yan?"

"—As expected, you're still bothered by Father's matter."

Hearing Wei Yanwu's dejected words, Chen Qi shook his head gently, and the memories of the past that had been sealed away once again surged into his mind.

At that time, he was not called "Chen Qi". He chose this name when he was traveling to prevent his identity from being exposed. He combined it with the name he had given himself in his previous life.

The imperial surname of the Great Yan Dynasty was "Yan," and the True Dragon named his third son, whom he had given birth to, "Yan Qi."

At that time, Wei Yanwu, who was the eldest son of the legitimate wife, was still called "Yanwu".

Unlike Chen Qi, who was born the youngest son and thus lost his right to compete for the throne, Yan Wu, as the eldest son of the true dragon, was raised as the crown prince from birth.

Yanwu lived up to expectations. During his time as crown prince, he was proficient in both literary and military arts and was regarded by the officials of the Great Yan as a new emperor whose future achievements would be no less than those of the old emperor!

What pleased the old emperor even more was that his three sons, born into the royal family, had a harmonious relationship with each other, and were brothers who were friendly and respectful to each other.

Crown Prince Yanwu had always kept the Great Yan empire in his heart since childhood, and had long regarded himself as the future emperor.

Therefore, he was already aware of the threat posed by the "Year" beneath the imperial city and would never shirk his responsibility.

The second prince was of average talent and somewhat weak-willed, but fortunately he was honest and upright, with no ambition to seize power or gain. He only wanted to live a simple life as a copyist.

The old emperor planned to put this honest second prince in charge of copying the history books of the Great Yan Dynasty in the future, which would also fulfill his son's wish.

As for the unexpectedly acquired third prince, namely Qi.

The old dragon had long seen that although Qi was young, his talent was by no means inferior to that of his eldest son.

However, the Crown Prince was already chosen by the old True Dragon, who had also amassed a great deal of political resources. The old True Dragon did not intend to easily change the Crown Prince for the sake of this Third Prince.

This will only cause unnecessary turmoil in the stable court.

Therefore, although the old emperor doted on Qi, he had already planned to keep Qi away from the court.

He originally planned to enfeoff Qi as a prince in a wealthy but utterly unassailable region after he came of age, so as to prevent him from being exploited by those with ulterior motives.

The eldest son manages the country, the second son manages culture, and the third son manages money.

Originally, according to the old True Dragon's plan, the power transition of the Great Yan should have been extremely smooth.

However, the once diligent and benevolent ruler, Lao Zhenlong, contracted orthophyte disease in an accident in his later years.

This unexpected event disrupted the old dragon's series of plans.

Already advanced in years and in poor health, the old dragon, now infected with Oripathy, panicked as he sensed his life rapidly slipping away.

Simply put, the old dragon found himself in almost the same predicament as Chen Qi during the Seraphim simulation.

He began to worry that his premature death would make it difficult for the Crown Prince, who still needed to gain experience, to secure his position on the throne of the Great Yan Dynasty.

He worried that his premature death would plunge the Great Yan court, which had finally managed to stabilize, into turmoil once again.

As the ruler of a country, the old dragon's panic caused his originally diligent and benevolent mindset to change drastically almost overnight.

He began to become cruel, unwilling to accept any advice from officials, and even less willing to spend time and energy explaining his actions, repeatedly imposing harsh policies.

He was too eager to finish everything while he was still alive, but the result was the opposite.

Finally, one day several years later, the once prosperous Great Yan, now suffering from oppressive rule, erupted.

He won the support of his brother, the Second Prince, and a group of civil officials led by the Grand Tutor. He brought Chi Xiao into the palace to meet the Emperor, intending to offer advice to his father, who had fallen into a daze.

However, on that very day, an accident occurred.

When Yanwu brought Chixiao to the palace to meet the emperor, the old true dragon suddenly fell ill and died due to the sudden spread of mineral disease.

Inside the palace, Crown Prince Yanwu, the only one wielding a weapon, instantly became the sole suspect in a plot to assassinate the emperor and rebel!
Faced with this unexpected turn of events, the Grand Tutor, who had been persuaded by Yanwu, volunteered to take the blame for him.

Yanwu was forced to abandon the throne and flee to Longmen with his innocent younger sister and eighteen loyal imperial guards.

It was at that time that he changed his name to Wei Yanwu.

Thus, the Crown Prince, who was originally the best heir to the Great Yan Dynasty, could only eke out a living in Longmen, which he had conquered with his own hands, and would never return to the capital for the rest of his life.

The second prince, who was originally mediocre and only wanted to be a copyist, was forced to sit on the throne, which he had never coveted.

The civil and military officials of the Great Yan Dynasty seemed to have realized that the new emperor's abilities were limited, far inferior to the deceased Emperor Zhenlong and the former Crown Prince.

Therefore, the ministers have been discussing in private whether to depose the emperor and support the more capable third prince as emperor for the sake of the people.

Some officials even met with Chen Qi in private to probe his attitude towards becoming the new emperor.

Ultimately, in order to prevent the court from splitting into two factions, Qi consulted with his second brother and was then sent to the Yan Kingdom, far from the court, by his brother's decree.

But the emperor's second brother still had his own ulterior motives.

Although the Yan state was remote, it controlled a large military force.

If we were to say which vassal king of the Great Yan Dynasty was most likely to succeed in rebellion, it would only be the Yan Kingdom.

When the vassal king of Yan is the most trusted brother of the current prince, then Yan becomes the most trustworthy front line of the Great Yan.

However, if any of the vassal kings of Yan harbored even the slightest ambition for the throne, then Yan would be a ticking time bomb for the imperial power, second only to the "year" (a unit of time).

The emperor's second brother continued to subtly imply that if his younger brother wanted the throne, he could take it anytime.

Unfortunately, not long after Chen Qi took office in Yan, he abandoned all his burdens and traveled far and wide, leaving the poor emperor's little wish completely dashed.

Thus, of the three princes of the Great Yan Dynasty, apart from Chen Qi, the other two met with fates they did not desire.

How could I not mind?

Recalling the past, Wei Yanwu shook his head wistfully as he smoked:

"You and my second brother both know I'm innocent, but will the world believe I'm innocent?"

"Who would be loyal to a crown prince who murdered his father and killed his emperor? I am already extremely lucky to have survived."

"Even so, I have done too many unavoidable mistakes... There are just too many people I have wronged." He slowly closed his eyes, recalling his actions over the past few decades and the dramatic turn of events in his life.

And then there are his own sister, sworn brothers, and even their children, who had to be sacrificed because of his interests…

After a long sigh, Wei Yanwu, who had been melancholy, now spoke with a sense of relief;

"Perhaps I should have died long ago."

"It's just that God spared my life, as it seems useful in the future, so He hasn't taken it away in a hurry."

"Now I finally understand what I should do with my life."

At this point, Wei Yanwu looked at his brothers beside him, a smile appearing on his face as he said:

"I am a damned man, and now I am fighting alongside my third brother to save the lives of countless people in Terra."

"Even if I die today, I, Wei Yanwu, will still be remembered as a hero."

"If this is an ending I can enjoy, then I can die with a smile on my face! Haha!"

"—What? You're just going to abandon Wen Yue, the postpartum nanny, and leave her to fend for herself?"

However, faced with Wei Yanwu's unusually carefree attitude, Chen Qi shook his head with amusement and asked in a feignedly cold tone:

"And what about our niece, Chen Huijie? Are you planning to abandon her too?"

"Want to die as a hero? Old Wei, I won't let you have your way."

"The best torture for someone like you is to live a peaceful life filled with guilt and being despised by your own niece!"

Upon hearing this, Wei Yanwu also laughed loudly and said, "Alright, then let's see who between us brothers will fight to the death to protect the other."

"Third brother, don't think that just because you're so powerful now, you can do whatever you want."

"When we get to the battlefield, you're still a long shot compared to your older brother!"

The brothers' hearty laughter echoed across the empty deck.

The two brothers, who seemed to be arguing like children, actually understood each other implicitly that the other would definitely trade his life for theirs.

None of them wanted this to happen, even if it meant sacrificing themselves.

"What are you two brothers talking about? You seem to be having a lot of fun."

However, after waiting quietly until the brothers finished their conversation, Jian led Viviana, carrying a tray, to the deck of Rhodes Island and joined the conversation at just the right moment.

"Oh, so this is my sister-in-law? And my niece who is an empress."

When Wei Yanwu saw Jian and Viviana again, after his conversation with Chen Qi, he no longer concealed his identity and immediately greeted them warmly.

After carefully examining it, Wei Yanwu, in an elder brotherly tone, jokingly praised it:

"Well, sister-in-law is truly a beauty, and oh, my little niece needs no introduction, she is an absolutely stunning beauty queen who has graced this land!"

"It's just that my younger brother is a bit shameless. Look at his wife, she's only thirty years old. My brother is still marrying above his station."

"My younger brother takes advantage of his youthful appearance and doesn't age easily. Even though he's clearly in his forties or fifties, he shamelessly writes that he's only twenty-six on his file, making his wife suffer, haha!"

"As for my little niece..."

Wei Yanwu's gaze fell upon Viviana, who was as beautiful as a flower and seemed to have stepped out of an oil painting, and he exclaimed in amazement:

"This is incredible, absolutely incredible."

"If I were thirty years younger and met an empress like you, my niece, I would gladly give up my position as crown prince and become a gigolo!"

"What a pity, you were also ruined by my damned younger brother. You've wasted your best years on the country. It's such a shame~"

"Well, um, Uncle, you flatter me."

Viviana was clearly surprised that Wei Yanwu, the ruler of Longmen and former prince of the Great Yan Dynasty, was so kind and enthusiastic.

If Viviana closed her eyes, she might really mistake Wei Yanwu for one of those old men you see everywhere on the street, chatting and arguing with young people.

Even after being empress for over a decade, Viviana, who still couldn't maintain her imperial airs when facing her family, could only smile and reply to the enthusiastic Wei Yanwu:

"Uncle, Jian's mother and I brought you and Father some desserts and tea."

“We are sailing to Iberia. You can sit down and eat and chat.”

"Haha, my little niece is so sensible. Compared to my husband, she's such a sweetheart."

As Wei Yanwu took the tray from Viviana's hands, he turned his gaze to Chen Qi behind him.

However, when he noticed that Chen Qi, who had been silent, was holding a communicator, a sense of foreboding rose in his heart.

"Little brother, what are you trying to do holding up that communicator?"

"—It's nothing, I just plan to record everything you just said, brother, and when I have the chance to go to Longmen in the future, I'll play it for Sister Wenyue and Chen Huijie."

Having finished recording, Chen Qi ignored Wei Yanwu's drastically changed expression and chuckled to himself:

"I'm really curious, given Aunt Wen's temper, how will she deal with you when she gets back after hearing you say such harassing things to your little niece?"

"Ah, if you need help finding a washboard, I can help you. I may not have much else, but I have plenty of steel!"

"—You little brat! Are you looking for death? Delete this right now!"

Finally, with Chen Qi in control of his "lifeline," Wei Yanwu could no longer maintain his composure. He immediately used his opium pipe as a sword to catch up with Chen Qi.

However, although Chen Qi was far inferior to his elder brother in martial arts, his magic allowed him to move freely on the ship.

What should have been a dangerous chase turned into a one-sided game of cat and mouse, with the younger brother constantly weaving and flashing across the Rhodes Island deck while the older brother panted and chased after him.

Laughter, curses, and angry shouts echoed clearly on the deck of Rhodes Island.

Amidst the laughter and joy, it was as if time itself had turned back to the imperial palace decades ago.

At that time, they were still young and could play and frolic in the palace, enjoying each other's company and being very happy.

But now, both of them are heading to Agor with the thought that they will never return. Who knows if such a heartwarming scene will ever happen again?

I'm sorry, Third Brother.

No one can undo the sins of the eldest brother. The last thing the eldest brother can do for you and the second brother is to do everything in his power to protect you both and your family.

Consider this my apology to you.

At that time, third brother, you'll have to take care of your sister-in-law and niece, Chen Huijie.

Wei Yanwu, chasing after his younger brother, appeared outwardly panting, but inwardly he was already smiling and shedding tears for this scene that only appeared in his dreams.

……

"What? Eldest brother? You're planning to personally lead the army to help third brother?"

A few days ago, in the Great Yan Imperial Palace, the second son, who was already the emperor, immediately objected to Wei Yanwu's plan after hearing about it.

"Absolutely not!"

"This journey to Agor, to face the threat of Haisi head-on, is already fraught with peril. How could I possibly let you, my elder brother, also put yourself in danger?!"

"If my third brother were to fall, how could I, as the eldest brother, abandon him and leave him to fend for himself?"

"Don't worry, second brother, I won't let my third brother suffer any loss."

Wei Yanwu still remembers how, in the palace, he patted his chest and assured his second brother, who had "betrayed" him once, that he should trust him, his elder brother, one last time.

"My elder brother has already let you down once, how can I let you down a second time?"

"I am a man who deserves to die. If I can use my life to save my third brother this time..."

"Brother, I have no regrets even if I die!"

...Third brother, your elder brother will definitely protect you this time.

Whether it's saving the world or rescuing Terra... Big Brother will never let Agor, or any of those Sea Siegs, ruin you.

Absolutely not.

(End of this chapter)