CHAPTER 501: CHAPTER 501 : (EXTRA) THE DETHRONED CROWN PRINCE (1)

No alphas could exist without omegas, so why was it that differentiation into an omega was seen as practically an unforgivable sin?

It was a question that occupied Xie Jianshen’s mind for a long time, starting from the time he differentiated into an omega.

"Jianshen... ahhh... Jianshen..."

Xie Jianshen shot blank stares at the ceiling of his childhood bedroom in the Golden Dragon Palace, his mother weeping in his arms incessantly.

"Imperial Mother, please don’t cry," he said softly. While the result of his differentiation devastated him, it practically broke his mother into pieces.

They both knew what was going to happen from now on. As the reigning Heavenly Empress, his mother had to give birth to a second son, and fast. This time around, that son had to differentiate into an alpha no matter what.

The entanglement between a husband and a wife, an alpha and an omega, was supposed to be a happy occurrence, blessed by nine layers of heaven. But Xie Jianshen knew for a fact that his mother had not lain with his father for years. Now that she had to resume her marital duties, she shivered uncontrollably in her son’s arms.

Just how horrible must sexual intercourse be?

Or was it the childbirth that scarred his poor mother so?

"Mother, I... Is it impossible for me to rule?" Xie Jianshen asked. He had been groomed to succeed the Dragon Throne from childhood. His wits and knowledge remained intact upon differentiation, so why could he not rule? If anything, let him take the burden of the throne for one more generation before passing it to any other clan that coveted it.

All he wanted to do was spare his mother the obligation to give birth to another child.

"No, Jianshen..."

The Empress wiped the tears from her eyes.

"I am the Empress. I need to do this. My son..."

The elder omega cupped Xie Jianshen’s face in her hands.

"I only have to give birth to another child. I can do it. Although it is such a pity that you cannot succeed the throne, it is also a blessing to differentiate into an omega."

"Mother... why would you say that?"

Xie Jianshen pressed his hands against his mother’s, confusion was evident on his face.

"Because Jianshen, life as an alpha is horrible. Even more so when you have to take the entire Heavenly Empire upon your shoulders."

"At least I would be an alpha," Xie Jianshen insisted. "I don’t want to be an omega."

"There is a beauty in being an omega," the Empress insisted. "Jianshen, without an omega, there won’t be an alpha. Remember that."

...

If that’s the case, then why did his Imperial Father look down at him in disdain as if he was nothing but a living disappointment?

"One day, you will understand."

The Empress pulled Xie Jianshen into her arms and sobbed.

"Although life as an omega is hard and painful, I will forever be grateful that I gave birth to you, my son. I love you, Jianshen, no matter what you differentiate into. One day when you give birth to your own child, you will understand your mother’s feelings."

Xie Jianshen gritted his teeth and glared behind his mother’s back.

Give birth to a child? Why would he even do that?

He would never get married, let alone give birth to a child!

The tension in the Heavenly Empress’ life grew with every passing day she failed to conceive. Every night, she went to his husband’s bed chamber to perform her duty as a wife. Every morning, she left the bed chamber with a sore waist and a slightly limping figure.

The Heavenly Emperor had never been a gentle lover. He saw his wife as nothing more than a conception tool, thus he took care to pour his seed into her womb but never paid attention to his wife as a person.

Every day after breakfast, a royal physician came to check for symptoms of conception, which remained non-existent even after several weeks had passed.

Eventually, the royal couple, sick and tired of the growing pressure for an heir, fell into a huge fight.

The Empress was left crying alone in her bed chamber, while the Emperor went on an expedition to the dragon clan’s southern territories.

"That bastard."

Xie Jianshen rose to his feet, intent on chasing after his father and giving him a piece of his mind.

"Jianshen, no!"

The Empress threw herself around her son’s legs.

"Don’t go. He is going to punish you. Don’t waste your breath for my sake!"

Xie Jianshen gritted his teeth.

"Mother, what kind of a husband is he?" he asked while squeezing his mother’s arms. "He is your mate, isn’t he? Why is he treating you this way? Why must you take everything as it is? Why don’t you fight him for once?"

"He is the Heavenly Emperor!" the Empress wailed. "Of course, he is the way he is! What else can I do but tolerate him?"

Oh, gods.

"If this is what an alpha and an omega’s marriage looks like, I don’t want to get married, ever," Xie Jianshen muttered. "I am not willing to resign to my fate as a walking womb. I am more than just an omega!"

Xie Jianshen thought that he could design the path of his life, but his father had a different plan for him.

As soon as the Heavenly Emperor returned from his expedition, he summoned the omega prince to his study. The atmosphere between them was beyond awkward. Prior to Xie Jianshen’s differentiation, the Heavenly Emperor doted on him a great deal. As soon as he turned out to be a disappointment, the Heavenly Emperor could barely look at him.

Therefore, he planned to get rid of Xie Jianshen for good.

"Jianshen, now that you differentiated into an omega, it is time for us to talk about your marriage."

Upon hearing his father’s words, Xie Jianshen curled his fingers into fists and told him what he was supposed to tell him a long time ago.