Chapter 30: Oh! So the Crown Prince was just talking!

The old Emperor took a deep breath and said to the Commander of the Royal Gurads: “Go bring the Crown Prince here.”

“My father called me?”

The Crown Prince shook his head, trying to shake off the shock from the phrase “leaving the court, abandoning the identity of Crown Prince,” and took a few steps outside, standing conspicuously between the two ranks.

This would usually be unremarkable, but at this moment…

The Crown Prince suddenly felt a twinge of foreboding.

“We should go from the other side…” and sneak away.

Before he could finish his sentence.

He heard Xu Yanmiao say: 【Hmm? Why did the Crown Prince step out?】

【He must have been called by the old Emperor. The Crown Prince is in a tough spot. He still doesn’t know his eldest grandson is gone. He loves his daughter so much; he even bought her rouge and powder yesterday. He must be a loving parent. If he knew…】

【Eh?】

The Crown Prince raised his arm to cover his face.

It’s over. Father, that matter probably…

【The Crown Prince loves his children so much. Why hasn’t he thought about rescuing his son all this time? It’s the uncle who’s been busy running around.】

【Let me see…】

【Hmm?!】

【This Crown Prince isn’t the son of the Crown Princess?! He’s the adopted child of a concubine?! The Crown Princess only gave birth to four daughters?!】

Xu Yanmiao’s eyes widened.

No wonder the Crown Prince hasn’t paid any attention to the matter of the Crown Prince lately! He’s been wandering around eating melon seeds!

Turns out the Crown Prince, like his father, only loves the direct bloodline from his wife!

The officials were astonished.

There was a sudden uproar.

The Emperor had publicly stated that the Crown Prince’s child was indeed the Crown Princess’s child!

The old Emperor: “…”

“Slap—”

The old Emperor mimicked the exact posture of the Crown Prince.

That arm covering his face…

I really… shouldn’t have called the Crown Prince out now!

The Crown Prince, limping, quickly turned and tried to run, 1.6 or 1.7 meters, 1.6 or 1.7 meters.

Prime Minister Dou grabbed the Crown Prince’s wrist: “Your Highness!” Afraid Xu Yanmiao would hear, he lowered his voice, his face expressing a mix of emotions: “Crown Prince! What’s going on?”

His own precious granddaughter was supposed to marry the Crown Prince as his legitimate wife!

Of course, what he cared about wasn’t just the legitimate and illegitimate lineage; the Crown Prince adopted under the Crown Princess’s name was indeed the legitimate heir, even holding the title of Crown Prince.

But… the Crown Princess is only forty! She could still have children! If she has a true heir in the future, and the Emperor names that true heir as Crown Prince, what will happen to his granddaughter?

You high-ranking families are too excessive and unprincipled, hiding such important matters!

The Crown Prince awkwardly smiled: “Uncle… this, actually…”

Suddenly, everything went dark as a group of people surrounded him.

Looking up, he saw it was some officials affiliated with the Crown Prince.

Crown Prince: “……”

Crown Prince: “… Uh, well.”

The officials, not daring to show any displeasure towards the Crown Prince, could only look at him with tearful eyes.

After all… they weren’t supporting the Crown Prince out of love; they were relying on his stable position as the Crown Prince! He was both the legitimate and eldest son, the Crown Princess only had him as her child, and the Crown Prince’s health wasn’t very good, often unable to attend court. If things went wrong… the current Crown Prince might directly ascend.

But now the situation…

There was a similar event during the Chu Dynasty!

At that time, Emperor Chu Zhenzong had no son for a long time, so he had to appoint a son of the royal family—later Emperor Chu Zhongzong. After Chu Zhongzong, who was only three years old at the time, moved into the palace, five years passed, and lo and behold! Emperor Chu Zhenzong had a son! He immediately sent Chu Zhongzong back.

A few years later, the young prince died, and Emperor Chu Zhenzong brought Chu Zhongzong back. After another seven or eight years, Emperor Chu Zhenzong had another son, so he sent Chu Zhongzong away again. But this son didn’t survive either, and Chu Zhongzong was brought back again…

The story of Emperor Chu Zhenzong and Chu Zhongzong even gave rise to the idiom “three returns and two departures,” warning people to always leave a way out and not to make hasty decisions.

The officials who supported the Crown Prince turned pale at the thought.

If the Crown Princess had a true son, with the Emperor’s emphasis on the legitimate heir, he might directly send the current Crown Prince back to his biological mother—what would they do then? They had been closely tied to the  Crown Prince for many years!

The Crown Prince tried to wipe his sweat.

He cursed Xu Yanmiao a hundred and eighty times in his heart, then maintained his usual playful demeanor, deliberately putting on a nonchalant act: “I understand your concerns—what’s to be afraid of? If the Crown Princess and I could have had more children all these years, we would have. Besides, His Majesty has said he will not repeat the mistakes of Emperor Chu Zhenzong. Even if another son were born in the future, as long as Eldest Brother doesn’t make mistakes, he will still be the Crown Prince. His Majesty’s words are golden. If you don’t believe it, you can ask His Majesty.”

“Where is His Majesty?”

“Well…” The Crown Prince turned around and discovered that the imperial carriage was already gone from the end of the road.

Crown Prince: “???”

A string of curses got stuck in his throat.

“That was close.”

On the way to Jiaofang Palace, the old Emperor, recalling the officials’ reactions, felt immensely relieved that he had… cough, left quickly.

“The Crown Prince will handle this matter well. I trust his ability.”

Yes, that’s right!

With this belief, the old Emperor entered Pepper Palace and smelled the blood in the room. His smile immediately turned into a straight line. It wasn’t until he saw Empress Dou that he walked over nervously: “Sister, are you alright?”

“I’m fine. She’s been saved. At first, she had thoughts of suicide, but I persuaded her.”

“Oh. I’m not asking about her, I’m asking about you. Are you okay?”

Empress Dou sighed and said, “I’m fine.”

The old Emperor then sat her down and started talking endlessly about the matters in court today, from why he came over to the situation with the Crown Prince.

When he heard that the Crown Prince would rather give up his position than stay with Concubine Qin, whether out of genuine feelings or anger, Empress Dou furrowed her brows.

She said, “I actually had some suspicions.”

“Hmm?”

“When I insisted on keeping Concubine Qin, aside from sympathizing with her situation, one reason was to see if the Crown Prince could truly bear the position of Crown Prince. Before meeting Concubine Qin, he was indeed a talented and capable young man, both literary and martial, with a quick mind, treating others well, and acting cautiously. We all viewed him as the third generation of great rulers.”

“Ah, sister, it’s not our fault. Who could have guessed we were mistaken?”

“I’m actually relieved that Concubine Qin’s incident exposed his true nature…” Empress Dou’s tone was very calm: “This child is used to smooth sailing and only knows how to take the easy path. Once things don’t go his way, his shortcomings will be exposed.”

The old Emperor nodded, agreeing that the Concubine Qin incident indeed revealed this.

Empress Dou sighed again: “And you and your grandson are equally stubborn. I’m worried that if Concubine Qin dies, he will resent you when he finds out.”

There was something Empress Dou didn’t say out loud.

— Given Fifth Brother’s emphasis on family, if he knew that the grandson he raised with great care hated him for a woman, he would be very heartbroken.

The old Emperor raised his eyebrows in surprise: “Why didn’t you tell me this at the time?”

“If I had told you, you would have been even more determined to kill Concubine Qin.”

“Who said that!”

“Then what do you think when you heard Qi Ge’er say he wants to leave the court?”

The old Emperor, without hesitation, said with a fierce attitude: “I want to see if he has the guts! Sister! I’ve already decided that when the time comes, I’ll directly have that Qin person executed. I want to see if he dares to stage a rescue!”

Empress Dou remained silent, just watching him quietly.

The old Emperor: “…”

The old Emperor: “… Fine, if you had told me this at the time, I would have been unable to listen.”

Not only would he not listen, but he would have been even more determined to kill Concubine Qin, to see if the Crown Prince would really hate him because of this.

This person’s temper was both foul and stubborn, and he especially liked to oppose others. Empress Dou had weathered many storms with him over the decades, so how could she not understand?

“Fifth Brother.” Empress Dou held his hand and said gently: “You can test Qi Ge’er, and I have no objections. But Concubine Qin… she’s already died once today. I want her to fake her death and leave the palace.”

The old Emperor pondered for a moment: “Alright.”

After more than a month, he was less angry.

“I’ll find a death row prisoner to impersonate her at the execution.”

He really went all out for her, huh? He better have the courage to stage a rescue.

The Crown Prince was still released from prison with slap marks on his face.

— By imperial edict, he was granted immediate release.

Some minor officials who didn’t have to attend court surrounded him and Ji Sui, offering various compliments.

“Your Highness, you’ve endured hardship and now you’re seeing rewards! This must be a tribulation that you were destined to face. Once you pass this trial, you will rise like a dragon soaring into the sea, and there will be no more disturbances!”

“We’re here to welcome Your Highness and cleanse the dust of your trials. You have suffered in prison!”

“Although you suffered, Your Highness’s spirit and demeanor remain undiminished. No amount of dust can obscure your noble presence.”

“Mr. Ji’s wisdom is remarkable, managing to come up with such a brilliant plan to rescue Your Highness.”

“Indeed, and that woman was so shameless. She was trying to trap Your Highness, clearly able to hide thousands of miles away but choosing to stay in the Princess’s residence, waiting for Your Highness to find her and rekindle the past?”

“If not for Mr. Ji, our faction would have been severely weakened without Your Highness.”

“The Emperor was extremely furious this time. If not for Mr. Ji’s decisive action to make the Emperor realize that it was all that wretched maid’s fault, Your Highness might have faced severe punishment.”

“Mr. Ji is indeed exceptionally intelligent!”

Ji Sui absorbed these praises with a slight smile.

Then he saw Xu Yanmiao leaving court. Xu Yanmiao was clearly deep in thought and did not notice him.

… What a bad omen.

But since his nephew was saved, Ji Sui thought he could at least see Xu Yanmiao with some degree of calmness. Regardless of what Xu Yanmiao was brooding about, he…

[This circle is so chaotic. Let me sort this out… First, the Crown Prince is supposedly the legitimate eldest grandson, but actually, he isn’t the son of the Crown Princess. He’s a son recorded under the Crown Princess’s name, but a concubine’s child.]

Ji Sui was momentarily stunned and turned to look at the Crown Prince.

The Crown Prince had just mounted his horse and noticed the gaze, turning his head in confusion: “Uncle?”

He did not resemble his sister, but he looked somewhat like the Crown Prince, so Ji Sui did not think too much of it.

However…

Considering their years of interaction, Ji Sui felt a bit awkward but decided to let it go—

He truly regarded him as a nephew, and his sister had always treated the child as her own, frequently providing him with allowances from her dowry. As long as there were feelings, what did it matter if they weren’t biologically related?

[Hmm… and then… Mr. Ji has a missing daughter, but she wasn’t born to his wife, Princess Qinghe.]

Ji Sui furrowed his brows slightly but wasn’t overly distressed.

He planned to hide this for a few days and leave the capital…

[Finally, his missing daughter gave birth to an only daughter, who is Concubine Qin, having an affair with the Crown Prince!]

… Who?!

Ji Sui suddenly felt everything spinning in front of him, staggering and grabbing onto the prison gate pillar as if he had been struck by a loud slap, and his mouth seemed to be filled with blood.

Xu Yanmiao, inwardly cheering and saying: [Great! Finally figured it out! Turns out Concubine Qin has no blood relation to either the Crown Prince or the old Emperor! I was so scared!]

After clarifying, Xu Yanmiao happily walked home, while Ji Sui felt dizzy, trying to reach out to grab him. But his vision was swaying, his body was shaking, and his legs gave way, causing him to fall to his knees.

Wait… come back… explain clearly…

At this moment, a messenger rushed in: “Your Highness! Miss Qin has been sent to the execution ground and will be executed at a quarter past noon!”

The Crown Prince was stunned: “What? Ah Zheng is still alive… Oh!”

He was thrown to the ground and, about to get angry, saw Ji Sui mounting his horse and galloping away.

The Crown Prince shouted: “Uncle! Uncle! You don’t know how to ride! Be careful! You’re going to crash—Uncle! Right side! Hey, hey, hey! Left side!”

Ji Sui quickly disappeared from sight, and the Crown Prince muttered: “What’s he rushing off to? Riding so urgently that even the horse is almost out of control.”

The messenger said cautiously: “Your Highness, Miss Qin… please don’t do anything reckless!”

The Crown Prince took a hesitant step forward and then retreated.

“Hmm.” He closed his eyes, bearing the resentment: “I will act cautiously.”

On the pavilion beside the execution ground, the old Emperor sat in a grand manner, exuding a sinister aura: “I want to see if this rebellious grandson shows up!”

On the execution ground, the executioner took a sip of wine, spitting it onto the large knife, making the blade glisten.

A woman with black hair covered her face, kneeling on the execution ground.

The knife was about to fall.

From a distance, the sound of galloping hooves approached urgently.

The knife was raised high, reflecting the sunlight, and a figure appeared on the street, galloping wildly.

A voice, choked with pain, rang out: “Spare her life!!!”

The old Emperor stood up with a grim expression, grabbing the knife on the table, exuding murderous intent.

“Rebellious…”

Ji Sui rushed out, hugging the woman, looking as if he had found her again: “Nannan! It’s me, your grandfather!”

The old Emperor: “?”

Why is it Ji Sui? Where’s that rebellious grandson?

Wait, what did he say? Grandfather? Ji Sui’s granddaughter is his…

The old Emperor sat back down with a crash, clutching his chest, his face contorted in pain.

[Wrong, wrong!] Xu Yanmiao’s voice followed: [That’s not the daughter of you and your former wife; that’s an imposter! It’s a death row prisoner!]

The old Emperor: “…”

Daughter of the former wife? Not born to Princess Qinghe?

The old Emperor, unable to care about being deceived, sighed in relief, drenched in cold sweat.

So, everyone present saw the old Emperor, after a moment of silence, suddenly stand up and start cursing: “Xu Yanmiao! You scoundrel!”

— It must be Xu Yanmiao’s inner thoughts that made Ji Sui suddenly rush over!

— That “grandfather” almost made his heart stop!