Chapter Four: Not a Shred of Fatherly Love

The Emperor of Zhou paused at the sound of these words, the fury in his eyes tempering ever so slightly.

"Even so, that is no excuse for you to harm your own flesh and blood!"

"Merit and offense cannot cancel each other out. As an Imperial Prince, do you not even understand such a simple principle?"

Zhou Hao laughed in extreme anger. Was this truly his own father? Even a stranger would not be so quick to kick a man when he is down, let alone his own son—the First Prince, theoretically the primary candidate for the Crown Prince!

"Very well. If merit and offense cannot cancel each other out, then let us settle things one by one!"

"Your Majesty, you promised me a thousand taels of gold and a residence. Does that not count?"

"And not only that, you were to grant me the hand of the Great General's daughter in marriage. Is your mind so filled with the Third Prince that you cannot even remember the rewards you promised me?"

The Emperor of Zhou let out a cold snort, his gaze icy. This unfilial wretch—did he truly think himself someone of consequence? Yet, the Emperor’s word was golden; he could not go back on it.

"Of course it counts, but it is also a fact that you harmed your brother!"

"Father, that is not how things are calculated," Zhou Hao replied, his face filled with an icy smile. His gaze was like a sharp arrow, as if he intended to pierce the Emperor through. "Then, is it not a fact that upon my return to the Imperial City, I was whipped in the Third Prince's residence and treated worse than a servant?"

"You wish to punish me? Very well! But everything the Third Prince did to me must also be punished!"

Zhou Hao could see clearly that the Emperor of Zhou held no paternal affection for him whatsoever. The man was incapable of delivering even a fair judgment, let alone punishing the Third Prince. What Zhou Hao needed to do was escalate the matter—if the Emperor insisted that merit and offense could not be offset, then he would blow this scandal wide open, until every official in the court could no longer ignore it. He would make the entire Great Zhou realize that the Emperor was nothing more than a heartless, unrighteous tyrant!

"You, you, you! You unfilial wretch! Can you not even show a shred of brotherly concession? You are the eldest; even if he did something wrong, can you not yield?" The Emperor clutched his chest with one hand and pointed at Zhou Hao with the other, putting on a show of being on the verge of fainting from rage. *Why didn't this wretch die among the barbarians? Why did he have to come back and vie for the throne with his younger brother?*

Zhou Hao sneered and took a step forward.

"Is this your so-called principle that merit and offense cannot cancel each other out?"

"When I err, it is a matter of strict reward and punishment. When the Third Prince errs, it is a matter of the eldest brother needing to yield?"

"Then why does he not yield to me? The Third Prince's residence is quite fine; I want it. Can the Third Prince yield it to me?"

"Since there is both merit and offense, I shall take the Third Prince's estate as my residence. Does Your Majesty dare to grant it?"

The Emperor of Zhou snorted coldly. "Very well. But you shall also bear the burden of your conscription into the military."

With a flick of his long sleeves, he turned to leave. What did it matter if he gave him the residence? Once he was sent off to the army, what use would he have for a manor in the capital? In the end, would the Third Prince not be the one living there? As for the Great General's daughter... he would let the General handle that. He simply could not bear to look at this wretch any longer.

"Father, have you forgotten something?"

Zhou Hao's voice came unexpectedly, causing the Emperor to pause.

"The thousand taels of gold will be delivered shortly, and your residence is granted. As for the General's daughter, that must be discussed with the General himself. What else do you want?"

"What of the Third Prince's punishment? Was your claim that merit and offense cannot cancel each other out merely empty talk?"

"Or is the word of the Emperor of Great Zhou ultimately worth nothing more than a fart?"

"In the imperial court, you dare to speak such vulgar words? Where is your upbringing?"

"Upbringing? Who was it that sent me to live among the barbarians? And now you talk to me of upbringing?"

"Furthermore, I have both merit and offense, and they cannot be offset. What merit has the Third Prince shown? He has only offenses and no merits, yet he receives not a single word of punishment?"

"So, is the Emperor of Great Zhou merely a tyrant who practices favoritism and lacks all sense of justice?"

Zhou Hao’s words tore off the mask of decency. Even if the Emperor wished to favor the Third Prince, he still had to maintain a facade of fairness. But Zhou Hao had long since seen through them all. Aside from himself, the entire royal family was nothing but filth—the kind of trash that would make a cesspit stink even more!

The Emperor of Zhou could no longer sit still. "How dare you, you insolent brat! What offense has the Third Prince committed that you would slander your own brother like this?"

Zhou Hao sneered, staring fixedly at the Emperor. "I served as a hostage, rendering service to Great Zhou, yet upon my return, I was treated worse than a dog in the Third Prince's residence."

"Is bullying a meritorious servant not an offense?"

"If even a loyal servant who returns to the capital is forced to live a life worse than a beast, who else will dare to sacrifice and serve Great Zhou in the future?"

Zhou Hao swept his gaze across the assembled ministers, a faint, chilling smile on his face. "I am the First Prince, and despite such merits, I suffer this tragic fate. You would all do well to think clearly before making your next decisions."

The Emperor of Zhou was now truly, violently enraged. Previously, this could have been dismissed as a family matter, but now, Zhou Hao was striking at the very roots of Great Zhou! The court officials were whispering among themselves, their expressions revealing a hint of agreement. He was right. If the First Prince could be treated this way upon his meritorious return, what about them? After they sacrificed themselves for Great Zhou, what could they truly expect in return? Nothing but cold, heartless indifference and the unrighteousness of the royal family?

Though no one looked at the Emperor, cold sweat broke out across his face. *This eldest son is truly vicious! Does he not care at all that they are family?* Even if nothing appeared to change now, a thorn had been planted—a thorn in the heart of every minister. If Great Zhou showed any sign of decline, this thorn would fester and eventually crush the kingdom.

"You cursed beast! Who taught you these words? Have you been corrupted by the border barbarians, seeking to throw my Great Zhou into chaos?" The Emperor attempted to shift the blame, hoping to crush Zhou Hao's argument entirely.

This small ploy was, naturally, well within Zhou Hao’s expectations.

"Corrupted? How nicely put! I have been back in the capital for months; is this not the first time you have seen me, Father?"

"Is ignoring a meritorious servant also a sign of being 'corrupted'?"

Zhou Hao had only one trump card: his service and the way he had been treated. The Emperor could lie through his teeth and deny everything the Third Prince had done, but the ministers could see, and the ministers understood. From the moment Zhou Hao began detailing his treatment, the officials knew this was no longer a private family matter. If the First Prince’s case went unresolved, the next blade to fall might well be their own.

"Your Majesty, this subject believes the First Prince speaks with reason."

"I, too, believe that a meritorious person, even if they have committed an offense, should not be treated in such a manner."

"Your Majesty, for the Third Prince to be so arrogant and domineering toward a meritorious servant is truly not the conduct of a wise ruler."

The ministers stepped forward, one by one, raising their voices. The Emperor of Zhou’s anger was nearly overflowing. He looked at his court, feeling the sting of betrayal for the first time. *You are all ministers of Great Zhou! I am the Emperor of Great Zhou! Do you all intend to side with this cursed beast?*

But the officials now understood: if they allowed this precedent, their own futures would be bleak. After much deliberation, the Chancellor stepped forward.

"Your Majesty, I believe this matter is being handled too impulsively. I implore you to reconsider."

The Emperor of Zhou glared at the Chancellor and roared, "Reconsider! There is nothing to reconsider! My mind is made up!"