The Marquis Mansion’s Elite Class

Even now, he still couldn't believe what had happened.

The nephew he had cherished and doted on, the one he held dear in his heart, had personally led men to capture him and lock him in an iron cage.

The uncle's disbelieving questions felt like a hammer weighing a thousand pounds, striking the softest part of Jin Cheng's heart.

He sniffled and stepped closer to the cage. "Uncle, I'm not playing around. The competition was real, and this cage is real too. I've been planning this day for a long time."

The last thread of Luo Jingfeng's composure snapped.

His eyes burned red, but he still roared in unwilling fury, "Who was it?! Who put you up to this? Tell me—was it Zong Zhao? Or Chu Heng? Did they poison your mind against me?!"

Luo Jingfeng glared around wildly, but there was no trace of any suspicious figures—not even Zong Zhao, whom he had treated like a son.

Jin Cheng shook his head, tears welling in his eyes. "It was me. From start to finish, this was all my idea. No one gave me advice, no one helped me plan, and no one assisted in carrying it out. I just wanted to defeat you—with my own strength."

Luo Jingfeng was stunned, his expression shifting between shock and disbelief. "Defeat me? You went this far just to defeat me? What do you really want?"

Jin Cheng's lips trembled as he answered, "I want the military authority."

"Military authority?" Luo Jingfeng found it absurd. What the late emperor had coveted for over a decade was, in his eyes, merely a means to protect his family from harm.

With someone like Chu Heng—a prince beloved by the people—by Jin Cheng's side, Luo Jingfeng had never considered handing over military power while the boy was still young. But Jin Cheng didn't see it that way. He wanted the authority.

He wanted the military authority.

And the reason he wanted it… was because he didn't trust his own uncle.

Luo Jingfeng pieced everything together and arrived at the answer, but he still couldn't accept it. Gripping the iron bars like a wounded lion, he summoned the last remnants of his affection and asked hoarsely, "You… fear me?"

Jin Cheng's eyes reddened further, the words he wanted to say stuck in his throat. His silence was as good as confirmation, shattering Luo Jingfeng's last shred of reason.

He threw his head back and laughed—wild, bitter laughter that dissolved into tears. "Fear me… fear me… Fear me?! I cleared every obstacle for you, put you on the throne, expanded your empire, and made sure you sat securely as emperor! What uncle in this world has ever treated his nephew as well as I have?! I gave you everything—and this is how you repay me?! Chu Jincheng—you fear me?! Hahahaha… Good, good! You're truly worthy of the Chu name! You and your father are cut from the same cloth—no, you're even crueler than he was!"

Luo Jingfeng had lost his mind.

The nephew he loved most in this world had dealt him a devastating blow, crushing all his reason. He spat out the most vicious words, wanting everyone to feel the same agony of being burned alive.

His cries of pain resonated with Jin Cheng, who replied tearfully, "Uncle, I never wanted it to come to this. But you always made decisions for me, treating me like a puppet, a doll, a mere figurehead. I couldn't take it anymore. I've had enough. I couldn't bear being hurt by you over and over, so I orchestrated all of this. I don't want to kill you—I just want to keep you locked up, to make you listen to me, to—"

"Shut up!" Luo Jingfeng roared, making Jin Cheng flinch and fall to the ground.

In the past, Luo Jingfeng would have worried if he'd hurt himself. But now he knew this nephew wasn't fragile—it might all be an act!

"Spare me your false kindness! Lock me up? If you want to kill me, then do it! Do you think I, Luo Jingfeng, fear death?!" He glared down at Jin Cheng with a calm yet deranged gaze. "Go on, kill me—kill your own uncle! Let me see just how ruthless an emperor you can be! Let me witness the heartlessness of your royal bloodline!"

Jin Cheng scrambled backward, covering his ears.

Because every word Luo Jingfeng spoke pierced his heart, hurting more than all the wounds his uncle had ever inflicted.

It turned out that hurting someone else could wound oneself just as deeply.

Luo Jingfeng continued his desperate howls. "Come on, kill me! How can you rule if you're not ruthless? Isn't this what you wanted?! Kill me!"

Buyan watched with a heavy heart.

He stepped forward to help the young emperor up and asked quietly, "Your Majesty, where shall we imprison the Guardian Duke?"

Disgraced officials were usually confined in the Ministry of Justice or the prison for those awaiting execution—without exception.

But Jin Cheng said, "In my bedchamber."

Buyan and the guards were stunned.

No one had ever heard of such an arrangement.

Luo Jingfeng sneered. "What's the matter? Too scared to kill me outright? Afraid the Luo family will rebel if I die? You're so clever—why not frame my death as a heroic sacrifice to protect the throne? What are you waiting for?!"

Jin Cheng met his uncle's frenzied gaze and answered solemnly, "I'm not you. I'm not His Highness, and I'm not the late emperor either. I'm my own person, with my own thoughts. I won't act according to anyone's will."

Luo Jingfeng scoffed in disdain.

He refused to believe a single word Jin Cheng said now.

Because to him, it was all lies.

This little liar, with his sweet words—everything was deceit.

Following Jin Cheng's orders, Buyan had the iron cage moved into the emperor's bedchamber. Due to its size, it could only fit beside the bed, so it was placed there.

Eunuch Huang, having settled the soccer team members, hurried back—only to witness this scene.

The uncle and nephew had broken apart, yet not completely.

Buyan informed him, "His Majesty has gone to change. He instructed that the Guardian Duke will stay here from now on, with all meals and daily needs personally attended to by you, Eunuch Huang. No one else is to interfere."

Eunuch Huang bowed repeatedly. "Understood, understood. This old servant obeys."

It happened to be lunchtime, so Eunuch Huang brought the meal. But before he could set it down, Luo Jingfeng kicked the tray through the cage bars, sending dishes clattering to the floor. "Get out!"

Jin Cheng had just entered when he saw the shattered dishes.

He didn't get angry, only calmly instructed, "Eunuch Huang, clean this up carefully and bring another serving."

"Yes, yes. This old servant will prepare it at once." Eunuch Huang tidied the mess and hurried out to arrange a new meal.

Luo Jingfeng looked up and saw that Jin Cheng had changed into a purple casual robe.

The same matching uncle-nephew outfit they once wore together.

Back ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‍then, seeing these clothes had made him think Jin Cheng was growing closer to him. But it had all been a scheme—a way to lull him into lowering his guard.

And now he wore it again—was it to mock his past foolishness?

Luo Jingfeng spat coldly, "Get out."

Jin Cheng had never imagined the day would come when his uncle—cruel to others but always warm to him—would say that word to him.

But on second thought, perhaps he should have expected it.

He pressed his lips together, sitting at the edge of the bed, his gaze level with Luo Jingfeng's. "Uncle, there was a time when I couldn't understand why His Highness never killed me. Even if he couldn't bring himself to do it that night twelve years ago, he had over a decade afterward to finish the deed. Keeping someone like me alive—wouldn't that be nurturing a tiger that would one day turn on him? This question haunted me for years, and I never found an answer. But now, faced with this situation between you and me, it suddenly makes sense. I understand what His Highness was thinking. So I want to give you the same chance. Can you learn from me? Can you try to be a better man?"