Chapter 220 The True Prince

However, Chen Yanqing is already dead, so all of this seems to have lost its meaning.

But unexpectedly, just as he stood up to leave...

The person in front of them, who had previously stopped breathing, suddenly exhaled a puff of hot air from their nostrils.

He didn't die!

Or rather, it came back to life!

At that moment, the words of the gray-haired old woman in the small town of Lingnan instantly flashed into Liu Jinzhang's mind.

"This kid is incredibly wicked; he won't die!"

He had initially dismissed it as mere rural gossip, but now, witnessing it firsthand, he was overwhelmed by a sense of absurdity that he couldn't help but believe.

No wonder Li Yuanzhao didn't kill him immediately, but kept him by his side.

She must have already tested it; this person is indeed unkillable.

However, looking at Chen Yanqing's still pale face, he did not think that it was the work of evil spirits.

On the contrary, a thought suddenly arose—this might be what mythical texts refer to as the "breath of a true dragon."

Although it sounds incredible, the world is full of wonders.

He had seen records of "those destined by Heaven will surely have extraordinary signs" in the secret books of the Hongwen Hall, but he never thought that he would witness it with his own eyes.

Such a person, protected by the aura of a true dragon, is born extremely lucky. He seems to have divine assistance in everything he does, and he is sure to bring lasting national fortune to the turbulent Qi Dynasty.

He even thought that perhaps it was because Chen Yanqing personally took action that he did not die in that fire.

And yet, by some strange twist of fate, he encountered him here, where he was severely injured and unconscious.

Perhaps Heaven wants me to assist Him?

At that moment, he hesitated.

One is Li Yuanzhao, a fake prince with exceptional talent and the ability to save the world.

One is Chen Yanqing, the true prince who is protected by destiny and can bring about the fate of the nation.

What should he do?

Without clarifying his thoughts, Liu Jinzhang chose to take Chen Yanqing away.

He found an abandoned meditation room on the outskirts of Beijing.

The meditation room was dilapidated and drafty.

He cleaned and tidied up the place, re-papered the windows, and bought cotton quilts from a nearby farmer. With a simple arrangement, he was able to settle in.

Although Chen Yanqing did not die, he was seriously injured, with four large holes running through his body.

Although he had read many books, he knew nothing about medicine and had no idea how to treat patients, so he could only let nature take its course.

All he could do each day was feed him something to eat and drink.

Chen Yanqing's breathing was sometimes weak and sometimes strong, and he had a high fever on and off. He kept muttering a name intermittently.

“Li Yuanzhao…Li Yuanzhao…”

Liu Jinzhang suddenly realized that the real prince, who should have been Li Yuanzhao's "sworn enemy," had fallen in love with the "fake" who had taken his place.

However, he quickly came to a realization.

Indeed, who wouldn't fall in love with Li Yuanzhao after being by her side for so long?

Didn't he himself develop feelings for her that went beyond those between ruler and subject as he assisted her day after day?

Just as Chen Yanqing murmured the name "Li Yuanzhao" once again, a thought suddenly flashed through Liu Jinzhang's mind.

This is not an either-or choice, but a win-win symbiotic situation.

If Li Yuanzhao marries Chen Yanqing, then Li Yuanzhao will have a legitimate right to govern the country and rule the world.

As the true prince, Chen Yanqing can not only prevent the upheaval caused by the transfer of power, but also protect the fate of the Great Qi with the aura of a true dragon.

The union of these two will be a blessing for the Great Qi.

One possesses the talent to save the world, the other is blessed by Heaven.

The two complement each other, and they will surely be able to stabilize this turbulent country and lead the Great Qi to an unprecedented golden age.

Unexpectedly, Chen Yanqing remained in a coma for a whole month before finally waking up today.

As a result, the outside world had already been turned upside down.

...

Liu Jinzhang poured a glass of warm water and handed it to Chen Yanqing.

Chen Yanqing felt much better after drinking the water.

After placing the water glass down, he asked somewhat shyly, "Did you save me?"

He hadn't spoken for a month, and his voice was hoarse...

He killed him, but the man turned around and saved his own life.

Such a person who repays evil with kindness evoked in him a strange sense of respect and deep guilt.

Liu Jinzhang shook his head, his tone calm: "I carried you from the bottom of the cliff to here, but I didn't save you. I don't know anything about medicine, and I didn't do anything. You survived entirely on your own."

Chen Yanqing was taken aback by his candor and hesitated for a moment before blankly following his words: "My recovery ability is indeed better than that of ordinary people, but it's fortunate that you picked me up. Otherwise, in such cold weather, even if I didn't die, I would definitely have frozen to death."

He paused, then looked at Liu Jinzhang earnestly. "Thank you."

Liu Jinzhang sat down on the wooden bench opposite him and said casually, "You're welcome."

For a moment, neither of them spoke, and the meditation room fell into silence.

Chen Yanqing felt a little awkward and could only try to make conversation: "Where is this?"

“An abandoned temple on the outskirts of Beijing,” Liu Jinzhang replied.

"Oh," Chen Yanqing responded, then didn't know what else to say.

Just then, the two spoke almost simultaneously: "Li Yuanzhao..."

As soon as they finished speaking, they were both stunned, not expecting that they would mention the same person at the same time.

Chen Yanqing quickly said, "Please go first."

Liu Jinzhang, "What do you want to say?"

Chen Yanqing suddenly remembered the scene of being abandoned by Li Yuanzhao.

Her resolute departure showed no trace of lingering affection.

She's already been so heartless to me, so why should I still be thinking about her and even try to find out about her?

How could he be so despicable?

Chen Yanqing shook his head vigorously, forcibly banishing Li Yuanzhao from his mind. "N-nothing?"

Seeing his expression, Liu Jinzhang understood. "Li Yuanzhao has already returned to the capital."

Upon hearing this, Chen Yanqing gave a faint, bitter smile.

Yes, what else can she do if she doesn't go back to Beijing?

He was merely a stand-in for Shen Churong; he only managed to stay by her side for a short while because of a slight resemblance in their features.

Did he expect her to turn back to him, or even come back to him for his sake?

In that instant, a ridiculous thought crossed his mind—he wished he had died in that heavy snow.

Will Li Yuanzhao remember for the rest of his life that she wronged him?

And because of this guilt, will you remember him for the rest of your life?

Even if this memory isn't because of love, it's better than being treated like insignificant trash, easily forgotten by her.

Seeing the disappointment that he couldn't hide in his eyes, Liu Jinzhang continued, "A lot has happened in the capital recently. Do you want to know?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Yanqing looked up at him, puzzled.

Then he thought of something and nodded seriously.

Liu Jinzhang told Chen Yanqing everything that had happened during this period.

He revealed everything because these things were already common knowledge, and even farmers in the countryside were talking about "the emperor poisoning the empress" and "the princess's identity being verified" during their leisure time. Chen Yanqing would find out sooner or later.

Secondly, he also wanted to see if Chen Yanqing was worth his time and effort in planning for him.

Upon hearing this, Chen Yanqing's first reaction was fear.

Unexpectedly, there were so many conspiracies and schemes hidden there, all aimed at Li Yuanzhao.

Thankfully, nothing bad happened to her.

But after the initial shock, countless fragmented pieces of information collided in his mind, gradually making him realize that something was wrong.

The real prince, the fake princess, the switcheroo, the Empress Shen...

He had heard that Empress Shen and Shen Churong looked six or seven parts alike.

And he himself resembled Shen Churong by six or seven points...

He then thought of his own background—he had been an orphan since childhood.

According to the elderly people in the town, she was sold from the capital to Lingnan by a peddler.

That's why he insisted on coming to the capital after he came of age.

Firstly, he wanted to realize his ambitions right here under the emperor's nose.

Secondly, he also held onto a sliver of hope, wanting to find out the truth about his origins.

There was also the wandering monk I met many years ago. When the monk looked at my face, he solemnly said that I had the "face of Fuxi with his crown pierced through the head," which meant I had the face of an emperor.

At the time, he took it as a casual compliment from the high monk, smiled and thanked him, then forgot about it.

But now, it seems that behind those words lay a deeper meaning that he never understood.

Several coincidences came together, and a bold idea arose in his mind.

Chen Yanqing looked at Liu Jinzhang in disbelief, only to see that the other man's eyes were calm, as if he had already seen through everything.

His throat tightened, and after stammering for a long time, he finally spoke in a trembling voice, "Grand Tutor Liu... am I... the real prince who was switched out?"