Zhao Yao did not expect Prince Wei to be so direct. He was slightly stunned but then admitted, "Yes, I came to you because of their deaths."

Prince Wei sat down opposite Zhao Yao and confessed, "I did it," without waiting for Zhao Yao to continue his inquiry.

Upon hearing Prince Wei’s answer, Zhao Yao was both surprised and unsurprised. He stared blankly at Prince Wei for a while, then chuckled, "Eighth Brother, I didn’t expect you to be so straightforward."

"You came to me, didn’t it mean you already guessed it was me? So why should I deny it?" Prince Wei laughed softly, "Besides, there’s no need to deny this matter."

"Did you tell them the truth about the conspiracy?" Zhao Yao asked again, "Did you also tell them that the Emperor knew about their rebellion but did not stop it?"

"More or less." What Prince Wei said to Prince Dai and the others was even more heart-wrenching than Zhao Yao’s, which led to Prince Dai’s inability to accept the truth and ultimately choosing suicide out of grief. "Second Brother regretted his rebellion very much; he thought the Emperor spared him because of his love for him, believing that he wouldn’t be imprisoned for long and would then be released to continue as Prince Dai."

Zhao Yao said, "He has always been this naive."

Prince Wei toyed with the tea cup in his hand and smiled playfully, "I told him that he was nothing more than a pawn in the Emperor’s eyes. If the Emperor truly loved him, he would have stopped him from rebelling. The reason the Emperor didn’t kill him was that he didn’t want to be accused of being heartless, considering Second Brother’s significant contributions to Great Zhou."

"Eighth Brother, your words are truly piercing," Zhao Yao thought. If he were Prince Dai, he couldn’t accept the cruel truth either.

From childhood to adulthood, Prince Dai was deeply loved and relied upon by the Emperor. When the deposed Crown Prince was still alive, Prince Dai was at the peak of his power, and even the Crown Prince had to give way to him. Prince Dai always thought he was the Emperor’s most beloved son and believed he would be the Crown Prince. But Prince Wei cruelly told him the Emperor’s love and reliance were just a facade to use him. How could he accept that?

"This is the desired result," Prince Wei laughed, "They didn’t disappoint me; they committed suicide."

As he observed Prince Wei’s casual smile, Zhao Yao suddenly felt a chill down his spine, though it didn’t show on his face.

"When did you meet with Second Brother and the others?"

"The day I returned with you from Lady Liang’s place, I went to the other courtyard."

"So early?" Zhao Yao thought Prince Wei went two days ago or maybe the day before yesterday, not expecting it to be ten days ago. "Then why didn’t they commit suicide then?"

"They hadn’t figured things out yet." Prince Wei smiled indifferently, "You have to give them a few days to understand, so they become more and more desperate, wouldn’t you say?"

Zhao Yao: "..." Eighth Brother has indeed grasped the timing precisely and is truly ruthless.

"Do you think I shouldn’t have killed them?"

Zhao Yao didn’t answer Prince Wei’s question but asked, "Does the Emperor know?"

Prince Wei didn’t directly respond but countered, "Do you think the Emperor knows?"

Zhao Yao: The Emperor knows but didn’t stop it.

"The Emperor..." No matter what, Prince Dai was once his most beloved son. Was the Emperor’s affection for Prince Dai all fake?

Prince Wei discerned Zhao Yao’s thoughts and said gently, "The Emperor is also human, also a father. He’s not as heartless as you might think; otherwise, he wouldn’t have spared Second Brother and the others."

"Then why did he..." not stop you from killing Second Brother and the others...

Zhao Yao didn’t finish his sentence, but Prince Wei knew what he wanted to say.

"I was the one who wanted to kill Second Brother and the others; the Emperor couldn’t stop it."

These words were simple, but Zhao Yao heard the deep meaning behind them.

"Eighth Brother, you really had a deal with the Emperor."

Having been guessed by Zhao Yao, Prince Wei didn’t find it surprising. He nodded and admitted openly, "That’s right, I had a deal with the Emperor. This rebellion by Fifth Brother was my plan, and at first, the Emperor didn’t know."

"I figured it out." Zhao Yao had already suspected it but hearing it directly from Prince Wei still left him shocked, "What other deals did you make with the Emperor?"

Prince Wei smiled meaningfully, "It’s better you don’t know."

Zhao Yao wisely chose not to pursue further, "Eighth Brother, you orchestrated Fifth Brother’s rebellion just to get rid of those three? If that’s the case, the Emperor wouldn’t have made a deal with you."

Prince Wei responded, "Xiongnu."

"It was indeed about that!" Zhao Yao had anticipated, "Eighth Brother, Second Brother and the others were already deposed and imprisoned, posing no threat to you. Why did you want them dead?"

Prince Wei looked up at Zhao Yao, "Do you truly think they pose no threat? You forget they are military men; as long as they live, those in the army will follow them, waiting for their resurgence."

Zhao Yao didn’t speak.

"Tenth Brother, you shouldn’t underestimate Second Brother’s military prestige and his influence among the people. Even if all the officers supporting him died, his past achievements for Great Zhou are well-known among the populace. In a year or two, the people will recall his merits, sympathize with him, and pity him. He could use this to feign remorse and then emerge from the other courtyard."

Zhao Yao thought that even if Prince Dai were released in a few years, he wouldn’t be Prince Wei’s match.

"I won’t let them continue to live."

Zhao Yao suddenly asked, "Just like the deposed Crown Prince wasn’t allowed to live, right?"

"Correct, he couldn’t continue living," Prince Wei replied coldly with a very icy tone, "Even after his deposition and imprisonment, he still had many supporters both in court and among the people."

It’s exactly as he anticipated.

Zhao Yao looked at Prince Wei, opened his mouth to say something, but hesitated and didn’t speak.

Prince Wei saw the words Zhao Yao wanted to say but hesitated to voice, "I promised you I’d spare Fourth Brother’s life, and I will."

Seeing his thoughts were seen through by Prince Wei, Zhao Yao didn’t feel embarrassed but instead expressed gratitude, "Thank you, Eight Brother."

"Do you think I’m very cruel?"

Zhao Yao looked at Prince Wei, did not deny it but sincerely said, "Yes."

Prince Wei looked at Zhao Yao’s clear and honest eyes, felt a softness in his heart, and his expression became gentler.

"I am a sinister and ruthless person; it’s not like you don’t know that."

"Eighth Brother, I don’t mean to blame you." Zhao Yao felt there was no need to kill the deposed Crown Prince and Prince Dai, but he wasn’t Prince Wei; he couldn’t impose his principles on him. Besides, what qualifications or position did he have to criticize the Eighth Brother?

"Aren’t you afraid of someone like me?" Prince Wei asked casually, but he suddenly tightened his grip on the teacup.

"Why should I fear you? You wouldn’t do the same to me."

Seeing the trust in Zhao Yao’s eyes, Prince Wei felt comforted, smiled, and said, "You are my only brother in this world; I will never do such a thing to you." In Prince Wei’s heart, his only family was Zhao Yao and Lady Liang.

Zhao Yao smiled radiantly, "I know, which is why I’m not afraid of you." He knew his Eighth Brother was cunning and vicious with deep plots, but he wasn’t afraid. Because his brother wouldn’t use these methods against him.