Chapter 66 Her Man

At noon, a beam of bright sunlight shines into the room through the window, casting a floating, hazy shadow on the soft smoke-covered bed curtains.

The father and son entered the small study on the west side of Qingyinzhai and sat down on either side of the agarwood tea table.

The emperor poured himself a cup of tea and drank it in one gulp. His behavior was full of the indifference and arrogance that came from being in a high position for so many years.

Xiao Yan suddenly asked calmly, "Father once said that you and Yuanyuan had a past relationship before the wedding of the East Palace. May I ask where this came from?"

The emperor looked at him, his eyes suddenly sharp.

Xiao Yan responded calmly and raised his eyes to look at his father.

After a long silence, the gloom in the emperor's eyes dimmed little by little, returning to his boundless solemnity and coldness.

"On March 18th last year, I went to Xuanguang Pavilion alone late at night as usual, but I met her on the road that must be passed through the Imperial Garden."

"Perhaps she was drugged, she kept pestering me, I couldn't bear it, so I had sex with her."

Xiao Yan frowned and questioned, "But on the night of the wedding, Yuanyuan's Yuanhong was still there."

The emperor was speechless for a moment, then said coldly: "Except for not reaching the last step, I have done everything she should have done. I am her first man."

Xiao Yan lowered his eyes, obviously not agreeing with what his father said.

The emperor felt as if something was stuck in his throat. "You should thank me. If I had paid a little more attention to her, you wouldn't have become her husband."

"Indeed, I am deeply grateful to you, father, for this matter." Xiao Qing raised the corners of his lips slightly.

A flash of ferocity flashed across the emperor's face.

Xiao Yan's mind suddenly moved. "Last year, not long after my son and I got married, we went to Zhuozhou to provide disaster relief. Father also ran into her in the Imperial Garden, right?"

The emperor raised his eyebrows slightly, then nodded slightly.

It had been a long time since the father and son had sat down and talked so calmly. Xiao Yan was worried that Yang Manyan would recall the sad things, so he didn't ask her about the whole story.

He only knew roughly that his biological mother, Concubine Wei Shufei, invited Yang Manyan to the Imperial Garden to appreciate the flowers, but she broke the appointment due to illness. Then Yang Manyan was abducted by his father to Yingtai in the Western Garden.

Both times Yang Manyan was murdered, it happened in the Imperial Garden. He had a vague feeling that the person who framed her was the same person.

The emperor spoke at the right time: "Not many people in the palace know that I go to Xuanguang Pavilion every eighteenth day of the lunar year."

Even Queen Mother Jiang might not know.

When the emperor was young, the Imperial Astronomical Observatory predicted that his fate was incompatible with that of his adoptive mother, the Imperial Noble Consort Tang. From then on, he was confined in the Xuanguang Pavilion for several years.

Queen Mother Jiang was afraid of being implicated by her second son, so she took the lead in distancing herself from him, claiming that she had never given birth to this evil creature.

Only the then Crown Prince Xiao Wei often went to Xuanguang Pavilion privately to visit his half-brother who had suffered an unprovoked disaster.

Also, because Xiao Wei's homework became increasingly arduous after he went out to study, he decided to go to Xuanguang Pavilion on the 18th night of every month to visit his younger brother Xiao Ke.

Xiao Wei was the later Emperor Yongshun and the biological father of the current Crown Prince Xiao Yan.

The emperor had extremely complicated feelings towards his elder brother, Emperor Yongshun Xiao Wei. There was no family affection in the royal family, but his elder brother's love for him was genuine, and he really couldn't agree with many of his elder brother's actions.

He couldn't explain why he went to Xuanguang Pavilion to meditate on the 18th of every year to commemorate his brother or for some other reason, but it had become a habit over the years.

Xiao Qi already had a vague guess in his mind, but since it involved his biological mother, Concubine Wei Shufei, he didn't dare to speak out directly.

Besides, even if the emperor knew the truth, it probably wouldn't matter. After all, those two times were not bad things for him.

Indeed, if the emperor wanted to investigate thoroughly, he would have turned the entire palace upside down. How could it be Xiao Yan's turn to make indirect inquiries now?

After pondering for a long time, Xiao Yan took a sip of tea and said, "In two days, the morning court session will resume. When will father leave for the palace?"

The emperor laughed in anger, and suddenly stood up, looking down at his son, "Zi'an, what about you? As the crown prince of a country, do you plan to hide in this Yuquan Palace every day?"

He stood with his hands behind his back, his expression cold, "I know that the commander of the Left Guard, Tengxiang, who is on good terms with you, has led nearly 10,000 elite soldiers to garrison Yuquan Mountain, but I still came here. Guess why?"

To him, the trick of his son luring him here to catch a turtle in a jar was just child's play and he was not afraid at all.

Xiao Yan lowered his eyes and said, "It turns out that I was mistaken. I will discuss with Yuanyuan when to return to the palace."

At the moment, he felt that it would be safer to return to the palace. At least in the palace, his father could no longer interfere between them as recklessly as he did last night.

Unfortunately, he still underestimated the emperor's tyranny.

At the same time, Tong Lin had just left Songfengyuan where King Han lived and was about to return to Qingyinzhai to report to the Crown Prince, but was stopped by a young girl with a bun.

"Please stay, Chief Tong!" A blush appeared on Yang Jingzhen's face.

She is somewhat similar to her elder sister Yang Manyan, both have delicate eyebrows and eyes, as bright as lotus flowers, but because she is active, she is much slimmer and has an oval face that is only the size of a palm.

The movement of her eyes reveals her playfulness and liveliness.

Meeting the girl's pair of bright black almond eyes, Tong Lin was slightly startled and inexplicably felt a little uncomfortable.

Yang Jingzhen asked tentatively: "Excuse me, who was Chief Tong escorting just now?"

Tong Lin's face changed slightly when he heard this.