Chapter 112 Could it be that Fusu... is actually a...

The moment the words "Your Highness Prince Cheng" were uttered, Fusu, standing at the center of attention and bathed in the gaze of the entire crowd, froze like a statue. Not only that, but his mouth gaped slightly in astonishment. His chubby face, usually so clever and lively, now looked somewhat foolish.

Even the smartest person in the world would be completely baffled by this scene—wait, what's going on here?

Fusu had imagined a thousand ways his secret could be exposed, one of which was through a leak from an insider. But in his imagination, the leaker might be Su Shi, or Yan Jidao… but he never expected it to be the most composed and level-headed Fan Zhongyan!

After uttering this shocking statement, Fan, the person involved, even looked up and gave him a knowing smile. Wait, don't be so tacit! When did we, master and disciple, agree to this? Fusu suspected he had lost a piece of his memory.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty." Fusu was still in shock, his eyes glazed over. He patted Renzong's shoulder hard with his small hand: "Wake up, stop pretending to sleep..."

Your eldest son is about to be exposed!

Emperor Renzong was jolted awake by the slap. He was indeed extremely tired that day, and in his drowsy state, he vaguely heard Fan Qing say something. But those words only lingered in his ears and didn't enter his mind. What truly woke him was his son's startled cry.

Upon waking and opening his eyes, he found the entire court eerily silent, a silence so profound you could hear a pin drop, yet everyone seemed hesitant to speak. It was like the strange calm before boiling water.

Emperor Renzong immediately suppressed a yawn and sat up straight: "What did Minister Fan say?" he asked in a low voice.

Fusu's expression was extremely strange: "Uh... he called me Prince Cheng."

Emperor Renzong: "..."

Well, it is indeed a big deal that needs to be shaken awake.

Looking again at the expressions of the officials of Yanzhou below the hall, he suddenly seemed to understand. The Emperor even felt a little sympathy for them, making no mention of how his own concealment was the real culprit.

He asked again in a low voice, "What do you want to do, Su'er? Do you want to admit it?"

Fu Su's dark eyes were filled with helplessness: "It seems I can't deny it anymore."

Yes, there's no denying it.

If Fan Zhongyan's words could be considered a sign of hysteria, then how can we explain Zhao Xiaosanyuan—I mean, His Highness Prince Cheng—daring to shove the Emperor awake, only for the Emperor to not be angry after waking up, but instead chat with him privately? It can't be that all three of them were simultaneously experiencing hysteria.

So... Zhao Xiaosanyuan is His Highness Prince Cheng.

Fusu was unaware that when someone in the court deduced this conclusion, even their breathing trembled. It was truly astonishing, but Fan Zhongyan's outrageous statement, Zhao Xiaosanyuan's age, the Emperor's unusual behavior... all the facts pointed to its truth.

They had to accept the fact that the emperor's newly favored minister was actually his own son... Hmm, thinking about it carefully, it's actually not so hard to accept? The reason they couldn't win the emperor's favor or get promoted wasn't because they were useless, but because they didn't have a good father!

With this in mind, the ministers were all relieved.

None of them attempted to verify it. If it were true, directly questioning the emperor, "Is your son really your son?" would be far too offensive. His Highness Prince Cheng was a first-rank prince, the undisputed future crown prince. Who wouldn't want to offend both father and son at the same time?

"Your Majesty, could it be that Zhao Sanyuan is truly your son?"

The ministers: "..."

The ministers all turned to look: Who is it? How stupid! He just said no one would ask and he's already been proven wrong. But when they saw who asked the question, they all revealed knowing, gloating expressions: Oh, it's him. Well, then it's alright.

Zhang Yaozuo was about to cry.

His face contorted with a tearful rage, he made a final desperate attempt to pry a negative answer from the official. Otherwise, wouldn't he be finished? Openly sowing discord between "Zhao Xiaosanyuan" and "His Highness Prince Cheng," only to discover they were actually the same person?

Zhang Yaozuo looked earnestly up the steps.

Unfortunately, he failed.

Fusu finally remembered who this person was who had repeatedly jumped out to oppose him. It's hard for a person not to remember someone who tried to sow discord between them. At this moment, seeing the way the man was clutching his last straw, Fusu's frustration at being exposed strangely lessened a bit.

He slightly curved the corners of his lips, revealing a childlike and incredibly cute smile: "Yes, I am my father's son. Earlier, Lord Zhang was worried that His Highness Prince Cheng might not be able to tolerate me. Thank you for your concern, but you are really—overthinking it."

Upon hearing this, several bursts of laughter immediately filled the hall.

Those who were laughing were clearly recalling what happened back then—they didn't understand why Zhao Xiaosanyuan couldn't hold back his laughter. Thinking about it now, it's really hilarious, hahaha!

Zhang Yaozuo stumbled and nearly fell to the ground. He felt the mocking gazes from all directions, like needles pricking him, and wished he were too physically fit to faint in public! At least if he had passed out, he wouldn't have been laughed at face-to-face.

"Your Majesty..."

Zhang Yaozuo still tried to play the victim, hoping that the emperor would spare him some sympathy for the sake of Consort Zhang.

Emperor Renzong, however, unusually hardened his expression: "Return to your position immediately and stop acting like a child." He had important matters to announce and was too lazy to waste words on this person.

The next moment, Emperor Renzong suddenly stood up, still holding Fusu's soft little hand in his: "It seems that you all understand the truth. In that case, why don't you greet Prince Cheng?"

Prince Cheng is a first-rank official, while the highest-ranking officials present are only second-rank. It is only natural for them to pay their respects to a first-rank prince. Upon hearing this, the officials finally grasped the reality of the matter and stood up to pay their respects.

Those in the know, such as Fan Zhongyan and Su Shi, believed it was only natural, and that this day had finally come, which made them feel relieved. Some, however, felt it was strange that Zhao Xiaosan received such high honors, and could only convince themselves to submit by constantly reminding themselves that he was the future crown prince.

Some bowed respectfully, but hid their true emotions behind their faces, which were hidden by their sleeves.

But their attempts to conceal their true intentions couldn't fool Emperor Renzong. Standing at the highest point, he had a clear view of everyone's reactions. After scanning the room, he nodded slightly. Although Fan Qing had suddenly fallen ill for some unknown reason, the treatment had been quite effective. Most people had just eaten a delicious potato dish, and feeling indebted to him, they were still quite willing to acknowledge Su'er as their son.

As for the few who were dissatisfied, he curled his lips into a smile and said he would ask Su'er for her opinion later. Whether it was demotion or retirement, it was up to him. If there were any capable people among them, Su'er would definitely step in personally and use her charm to win them over.

Just as he single-handedly made Fan Zhongyan, Fu Bi, and Ouyang Xiu protect him like a precious treasure.

But Fusu was concerned about something else.

After being grabbed, he tried to pull his hand away, but the emperor held it tightly, and he couldn't break free. He could only watch helplessly as the courtiers bowed deeply to him. How infuriating! What difference was there between this and announcing the crown prince?

No... from the moment the truth came out, there was no turning back.

Fusu secretly and rebelliously glared at his master, the "culprit." Fan Zhongyan returned the gaze innocently: "Young Master, Your Highness, why are you glaring at me? Aren't I trying my best to cooperate with your performance?"

Fusu had no choice but to reluctantly look away.

To be honest, the Emperor's methods are too ruthless. Even if he doesn't become the Crown Prince in the future, the court officials... will probably find it hard to agree. The more exaggerated his boasting about "seeing auspicious omens in his dreams" was, the more likely the court officials will cling to him desperately in the future.

And then there's the Emperor's handshake... His two fathers, unbeknownst to each other, had conspired to scheme against him, firmly trapping him in the position of Crown Prince. Strangely, he found that on this day, he didn't feel much resentment.

...The art of rulership is truly terrifying.

Just then, the Emperor turned his head and gave him a very faint smile: "Su'er, aren't you going to tell everyone to get up?"

Fusu was startled by his father's scheme against him, yet he remained calm. He muttered in dissatisfaction, "It wasn't me who made them bow."

He cleared his throat again and said in a childish voice, "Everyone, get up."

The Emperor continued to smile, pretending not to hear his son's complaints. He only glanced casually at Fan Zhongyan. He had taken in the entire exchange between Fan Qing and his son. Although he didn't know what Fan Zhongyan had misunderstood to warrant his sudden remark, it was a good misunderstanding, a brilliant misunderstanding that effortlessly resolved a problem concerning the fate of the Song Dynasty.

Fan Qing truly understands me!

Emperor Renzong's face grew increasingly radiant with pride as his eldest son finally appeared before the public—"Everyone has seen this, hasn't they? This is my son, not some Prince Pu!"

But then he thought again, no, there's another worry about hastily revealing Su'er's identity. What if the courtiers think that his achievements so far are not his own, but entirely due to my favoritism?

He immediately said, “Su’er is a gifted and talented man, but you gentlemen may not know him well enough. Su Xiao Yuanwailang, you are his classmate and friend at the Imperial Academy, and you know him much better, so you speak to him.”

Su Shi never imagined that he would one day be called upon by the emperor in court: "Me?"

But he quickly realized: "No problem!"

He's really good at praising Zhao Xiaolang—as for his purpose of making Zhao Xiaolang shy and vulnerable? Who would know if you didn't ask?

He glanced at Fusu with schadenfreude and began to recount the events one by one on his fingers: from Zhao Xiaolang's astonishing ability to recite the Book of Rites backwards when he first entered school, to Zhao Xiaolang's reforms and innovations, the establishment of the Diet Committee, Zhao Xiaolang's examination leading to a collective recruitment of scholars, and how he "accidentally" won first place in the autumn and spring imperial examinations, and then regretted his overreaction...

As for his official career, there is much more to say: writing fan fiction, weaving cotton, compiling books, digging potatoes... During his three-month leave to visit his family, he accomplished what others might not be able to accumulate in more than ten years (the officials: Enough!), and was promoted to the fifth rank.

The long paragraphs all boil down to one central idea: Zhao Xiaolang, oh no, His Highness Prince Cheng, didn't rely on the emperor's influence. He earned his place as a disciple and the favor of the examiners through his own merits.

The ministers listened attentively at first, but Su Shi's rambling became too much for them, and they quickly grew numb: "Alright, alright, I know that His Highness Prince Cheng's abilities are not due to his father."

But Fusu himself broke down. He covered his flushed, chubby face and pleaded, "Please stop talking..."

Huh? The ministers suddenly perked up. Before, no matter how much he was attacked, King Cheng, who had won the Three Excellence Awards, remained unmoved and flawless. But now, whenever he was praised, he couldn't take it anymore.

Could it be that he... is actually a high-level attacker with a low-level imitation?!

-----------------------

Author's note: The baby is so cute when praised to the point of being overwhelmed! [Let me see!]