"... Brother Emperor…Yusheng cannot fulfill your last wish…"
On the magnificent golden throne, a slender figure dressed in dark red robes with gold lining remains sitting, despite being in the midst of a fire that was furiously burning the entire Palace Hall. The usual cracking sound of fire that always used to plague him since a young age has ironically given him great comfort in his last moment of death.
"What is so great about being the ruler of an Empire?... The people you were meant to protect can easily forget the sacrifice you made and accept a new ruler without much concern… There are also countless ministers who end up being corrupted … Even a blood relative can cruelly betray you…"
In the last moments of Yusheng's life, there isn't even a single person who stayed by his side.
Being born in the Imperial Family, Yusheng has always been responsible; contemplating for the people and Empire's sake, never using the power, status, and authority he has to abuse and bully the weak for his own selfishness.
He was a genuine and virtuous Imperial Prince, yet, in the end, most of the ministers who had vowed to serve the Royal Family chose to either remain silent, hiding, and running away the moment great trouble arrived.
There wasn't even a single person who tried to reach out in order to improve the terrible situation, simply giving up everything in order to save their own life.
As a member of the Royal family, is he too naive, foolish, and trusting? Is it really so bad to try to be an honest and good person? Or was he just too unlucky and destined to fail?
He has been preserving and hoping all these years but after everything that has happened, it seems that he had been hopelessly dreaming all along, and reality is showing him that he was wrong, and now his end is near.
Ah, Yusheng, all the things you did in life are extremely foolish.
"I have never been ambitious… I have never been greedy for power… nor do I want to rule the Empire like most people desire to…However, I could only silently take up the responsibility as the Imperial Prince and now, there are people who want to snatch the heavy obligation I always carried."
Emperor Brother… I'm extremely sorry… For once, Yusheng will become selfish and will stop protecting and guarding the Empire you desperately safeguarded all these years…
I could not complete your wish of carrying your legacy. How can I carry the heavy responsibility of being the Emperor if I wasn't even able to put the crown on my head after you died?
The uncrowned Prince… This is how the people will remember me for every generation to come…
That is…. If I only choose to remain quiet and resign to my fate...
"... I really don't want it…. But I also won't give it to them."
In the beautiful, dark purple eyes of the slender figure calmly sitting in the burning Palace, a twisted smile appears. The usually bright person with delicate features is now full of gloom and a depressing atmosphere.
The red flames continue to flicker and sway, consuming everything around and turning it into nothing, while on the jade floor, lies the Su Empire's Emperor's crown, which ironically was supposed to be placed on the head of the succeeding Emperor.
"Next time… I will be selfish… unreasonable and follow what I really desire… It's so tiring to always be kind and thoughtful of others..."
Brother Emperor, I have always known how extremely tired and exhausted you have been all these years, but you are simply nicer, kinder, and gentler than I am, completely unable to let go of the responsibilities our identities forced us to carry.
So, it's alright to stop now… we have already done our best.
Brother Emperor, I am also tired… I'll stop being selfless alright?
So Brother Emperor...
"... I will take the Empire along with me…"
Even though this place has given Yusheng and his older brother hardships and sorrow, but it does not change the fact that this is also the place that they called their home, and rather than letting his traitorous family give the Su Empire as a gift to the Empress of the other Empire, he will let it all burn to ashes.
The Palace, the Imperial City, the cities and towns all around, and even the people of the Su Empire, Yusheng will destroy everything he can, completely letting the fire consume the entire Su Empire.
Was Yusheng simply mad?
Yushang had been utterly broken the moment his older brother died and he could not endure for even a single second anymore.
Especially, when everything gets checkmated after Yusheng learns that he has been foolishly betrayed by the relative he once thought of as another loved one.
In the entire world, Yusheng became completely alone after his Brother Emperor died.
And the most heartbreaking thing was that the Empire they tried so hard to protect was going to be overtaken by another Empire.
Yusheng does not have anything he can treat as his own anymore.
Since it's no longer going to be the Su Empire, then let it be consumed by the burning fire.
Just like what will happen to me, everything will disappear!
"I definitely won't let you have the last laugh!"
So Yusheng continues to sit on the golden throne and smiles lightly while quietly gazing past the burning Palace Hall with his dark purple eyes, completely uncaring of the fire that has started to brush with his skin.
And a moment later, his slender figure finally swallowed by the burning fire.
The entire Palace has long been engulfed in the blazing fire, making a beautiful, but dreadful fiery red scenery in the dark night. It had also spread in the entire Imperial City and was already far too late to stop.
The entire Su Empire was immersed in chaos and destruction, completely expressing the madness and wrath of the shortest and last Emperor of the Su Empire who wasn't crowned.
Particularly when instead of using the remaining power and people left behind to live a comfortable life, the mad Emperor has instead chosen to use his power to completely destroy the entire Su Empire with everything he has and slaughtering innumerable innocent people.
Such madness was simply an unbelievable sight to behold, and much more unbelievable while personally experiencing it, especially to the people who had known the overwhelming kindness and righteousness of the Imperial Prince Yusheng.
Who would have thought that pushing the young man into a miserable dead-end would make him do such insanely destructive and unreasonable actions?
Nonetheless, amidst the chaos, a certain group of people who have managed to run out of the Imperial Capital, but still not without suffering severe injuries can only helplessly watch the burning Imperial Capital in the distance.
While among the people in the group, a person has stumblingly taken a step forward with extremely wide eyes. A second later, a furious scream has echoed in the blazingly bright dark night.
"YUSHENG!!!"