This persimmon feels hard to the touch, but it looks yellow, so it should be ripe.

Wan Ge took out a handkerchief to wipe it clean and then took a bite. Whether it was because it wasn't ripe enough or something else, the bite was both sweet and astringent.

It has the sweetness of a ripe persimmon, but also the astringency of an unripe one. He actually said it was delicious, despite being both sweet and astringent.

"Is it not tasty?" Chu Yue Zhao asked, somewhat puzzled. He thought this persimmon was tastier than many other things he had ever eaten; did she think it was unpalatable?

Looking at the boy's serious expression, Wan Ge seemed to realize that he had never joked with her; he genuinely thought the persimmon tasted good the way it did.

Wan Ge replied softly, "This persimmon should be very sweet when it's fully ripe, but it's not ripe enough yet, and it still tastes a bit astringent. Perhaps you can wait a little longer."

Yue Zhao's cheeks flushed slightly, and she lowered her head somewhat awkwardly: "I'm sorry, maybe it's just that I'm used to eating it, so I didn't think there was anything wrong with it. I thought you liked it too."

"No, no, no, you don't need to apologize to me. I should thank you for taking me to eat persimmons. Although they were a bit astringent, they were also very sweet. I just think they would taste even better when they were fully ripe."

Hearing him say that, the other person seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.

Wan Ge looked at him and said, "Whose child are you? Why are you here all alone?"

When Wan Ge asked that question, Yue Zhao's gaze fell on something not far away, but he quickly looked away: "You don't need to know."

"Come down quickly, it's dangerous in the tree. Don't be afraid, I'll catch you."

Looking down at the tree below, where someone was taller than herself, Yue Zhao was prompted to shake her head at the pretty older sister: "I'll come down now, you don't need to come to me."

After saying that, he quickly climbed down again.

Wan Ge reached out and brushed the dust off his clothes. Looking at the thin and frail boy in front of her, she felt inexplicably sad.

Another gust of cool wind blew by, and seeing how thinly he was dressed, the cold in his heart was colder than the wind blowing on his face. Thinking of this, he took off the cloak he was wearing: "It's very cold now, don't dress so lightly, this is for you."

Remembering that she had just been carrying a piece of hibiscus cake, she said, "This is delicious, you can have this too."

Yue Zhao held the hibiscus cake in her hand, looked at it for a long time, and finally accepted it: "Thank you."

Wan Ge reached out and patted his head again: "No need to thank me, I'm leaving now. Try it again later."

After finishing, he waved goodbye to the young boy in front of him and headed straight to the banquet venue.

…

Although Meng Yuzhou was a little puzzled when she saw her sister return, she didn't dare to ask anything and just sat down silently next to her sister.

Soon, the banquet began.

However, in the middle of the banquet, Wan Ge led everyone else to one side of the Imperial Garden in order to perform a show.

But when everyone was there, they saw several palace maids and eunuchs surrounding a boy, punching and kicking him. At the same time, one of the palace maids was holding a very beautiful, pure white cloak.

When the King of Chu arrived at the thin boy, he was puzzled: "Who is this person? I have never seen him before."

The palace maids and eunuchs who were punching and kicking Chu Yue Zhao were so frightened by this voice that their legs went weak and they knelt down.

"Your Majesty, please forgive me! Your Majesty, please forgive me!"

The King of Chu was particularly puzzled by this person's identity, seemingly not understanding how such a person could appear before him.

Although the people around the emperor had never seen Chu Yue Zhao, they still had some impression of the palace maids and eunuchs who took care of him. At this moment, the chief eunuch of the emperor replied, "Your Majesty, this is the child that Consort Yue gave birth to in the Cold Palace. He is the Ninth Prince."

Upon hearing this, the emperor's expression instantly changed, and his icy voice rang in everyone's ears: "Insolence! Guards, seize these lackeys!"

The person kneeling on the ground continued to kowtow repeatedly: "Your Majesty, please forgive me, Your Majesty, please forgive me."

"What is your name? Raise your head and let me see you," the emperor said slowly, looking at Chu Yuezhao, who was also kneeling on the ground.

Chu Yue Zhao obediently raised her head and looked at him.

The emperor was stunned the moment he saw the other person.

Then the young boy's gentle voice rang out: "Father, my name is Yue Zhao."

The moment the name was uttered, the emperor felt a sharp pain in his heart.

Consort Yue's father abused his power and violated the law, resulting in the execution of his entire family. Consort Yue was also a person with impure intentions, and ultimately, for this reason, she was banished to the Cold Palace.

But before that, he and Consort Yue had a very beautiful past.

Consort Yue was once the most beautiful woman in the Chu Kingdom, possessing unparalleled beauty that could topple kingdoms. From the moment the emperor saw her, he knew he had to have her.

Later, he discovered that she was also willing to be his woman, and they had a wonderful time together. Unfortunately, his father was corrupt and abused his power, and she was a vicious woman with impure intentions.

He did remember that Consort Yue had given birth to a son for him while she was in the Cold Palace, but he had no recollection of the child.

Because at that time, the emperor disliked Consort Yue and her child as well.

He just hadn't expected that the other person would actually be going through such a difficult time. He looked a lot like Yuefei, and also a lot like him. He was just too thin; he was quite tall, but he was almost skin and bones.

…

Seeing that the palace maids and eunuchs were about to be arrested, one of them quickly spoke up again: "Your Majesty, we did not do it on purpose. It was just that we were too anxious for the Ninth Prince to steal, fearing that he would develop a habit of stealing and become a dishonest person in the future. It was not intentional. Please investigate thoroughly, Your Majesty."

At this point, everyone's gaze fell on Chu Yue Zhao. The clothes Chu Yue Zhao was wearing were somewhat worn and tattered, and it was unclear where they came from. They did not look like what a prince should wear.

At that moment, the palace maid holding the cloak presented the cloak, which looked quite expensive.

The emperor frowned, seemingly recalling the scene when Chu Yue Zhao's mother framed someone else, and his expression darkened even further.

But at that moment, a clear and melodious female voice rang out: "Your Majesty, the Ninth Prince did not steal anything. That cloak was a gift from me to Your Highness. I only gave it to you because I saw that the weather was cold and Your Highness was dressed too thinly. In addition, I also gave the world a portion of hibiscus cake."

"If Your Majesty does not believe me, the hibiscus cake should still be there."