Chapter 83 Rebirth from the Ashes

After the Lantern Festival, the snow in the corner gradually melted, and the slush mixed with withered leaves dampened the boots. Grand Secretary Zhou Yujin walked into the East Palace with a long face and told the Crown Prince that the cabinet's draft proposals could not be sent directly to the East Palace.

"After discussing it with the cabinet ministers for so long, it was still rejected by the three imperial tutors for being against the rules."

Zhou Yujin was furious. Although the three tutors of the emperor were high-ranking officials of the first rank and enjoyed the highest honors from the royal family and officials, they should not interfere with the cabinet's decisions.

"His Majesty is suffering from hysteria. Even the Crown Prince, acting as regent, cannot directly adjudicate memorials. How can Wei Qin, who was only recently promoted, do so?"

What makes a greenhorn like him stand out?

Wei Xichen rubbed his throbbing forehead. His father had given Wei Qin too much power, seemingly grooming him to become the head of all officials, which directly threatened Zhou Yujin's interests.

The struggle for interests is the most intense.

"Wei Qin's power is too great and should be curbed. Let the Grand Secretary decide the matter."

Upon receiving confirmation, Zhou Yujin was overjoyed and immediately returned to the cabinet to make plans.

Three days later.

Inside the emperor's bedchamber, Wei Qin, who was writing red ink on the imperial brush, was hit by a fluffy ball thrown by Emperor Shunren on the dragon bed.

"Minister Wei, I would like to go out for a walk."

Wei Qin picked up the ball of fur and walked to the dragon bedside. He poured out a sleeping pill and said, "It's too cold to move around. Your Majesty, please sleep a little longer."

"I don't want to eat anymore." Emperor Shunren pointed to the bright winter sun outside the window. "It's getting warmer, I want to go out."

He was about to go crazy from holding it in.

Even with the mind of a three- or four-year-old, the emperor's hysteria is not easily fooled. Wei Qin gestured for Cao Angui to step forward, while he returned to his table and chairs.

Emperor Shunren, caught up in a playful mood, disregarded all important matters and grabbed Wei Qin's forearm, saying, "I want Wei Qin to lead me out."

"Your Majesty, I wish to approve the imperial edict."

"I don't care."

Cao Angui laughed and said, "His Majesty cannot do without Vice Minister Wei. Whenever he wakes up in the middle of the night, he summons the Vice Minister to protect him."

Wei Qin felt no honor, but rather irony. With a blank expression, he helped Emperor Shunren out of the main hall, without even preparing a fur coat.

Emperor Shunren shivered. The weather was warming up, but his body was becoming increasingly frail.

When Cui Shengzhi came to pay his respects, he saw the emperor and his ministers strolling on the jade steps. "Your Majesty looks quite well today," he remarked.

The old man bowed deeply, his eyes sweeping over the young man in scarlet robes beside him.

When Emperor Shunren was confused, he forgot many people, including his father-in-law. He grabbed Wei Qin's hand, wanting to get away from irrelevant people, but Wei Qin subconsciously pushed him away.

The atmosphere was somewhat tense, but Cui Shengzhi waved his feather fan and laughed it off, diverting Emperor Shunren's attention.

The emperor, who had difficulty concentrating, quickly forgot the embarrassment he had just experienced.

A moment later, the old man and the young man left side by side, walking down the long corridor. To the palace servants, nothing seemed amiss.

Leaving the palace together from the same sleeping quarters was just a normal interaction between colleagues.

Cui Shengzhi waved his feather fan, his eyes fixed straight ahead, his low, hoarse voice clearly audible only to the two of them.

"Zhou Yujin intends to join forces with the Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet, the Minister of War, and the Minister of Works to impeach you for misleading the Emperor and influencing the feudal lords."

All the important memorials recently submitted have passed through Wei Qin's hands, covering many areas such as conferring titles of honor, imperial examinations, and water conservancy. If there is any mistake, it could be suspected of misleading the emperor and influencing the feudal lords.

"The time is almost ripe. You've already left the heart you were meant to leave, and you've certainly gained what you were meant to gain. Prepare to restore your identity. Your maternal grandfather will stand with you through thick and thin."

Wei Qin stopped in his tracks, as if something had struck or touched his heart.

A single word, "maternal grandfather," can evoke a world transformed.

The old man, walking leisurely with his hands behind his back, casually flicked his sleeves, exuding a carefree and elegant air.

That evening, Wei Qin appeared in the back alley of the Jiang residence, where he and Jiang Yinyue leaned against the bluestone wall and gazed at the Milky Way.

"Zhou Yujin never dreamed that he would become the second eldest princess, indirectly helping the eldest prince return to the court."

Wei Qin remained calm, having weathered countless storms before, and had long since developed a remarkable composure. "Miss, please keep it for me..."

Before she finished speaking, Jiang Yinyue took off the jade pendant hidden in her clothes and put it in Wei Qin's palm, wrapping his hand holding the jade pendant with her small hands.

"I will live and die with His Highness, and advance and retreat together."

Wei Qin didn't say anything, "It's cold outside, let's go back inside."

A heated debate was about to erupt, and Jiang Yinyue was nervous for him, but she also knew that he was an extremely calm person, unfazed by praise or criticism, and fearless in the face of danger. "Could you stay a little longer?"

"good."

Wei Qin was very patient and stood with her by the wall for a long time.

Jiang Yinyue, however, couldn't bear to see him so tired and urged him to leave.

Wei Qin nodded, "I'll see you go back."

Jiang Yinyue lingered at the door for a while, turning back every few steps, before reluctantly closing the back gate.

Wei Qin guessed that she hadn't left behind the gate, and silently stayed with her for a while before quickly walking out of the back alley, only to encounter Jiang Song at the alley entrance.

Jiang Song, contrary to his usual behavior, bowed deeply and said, "Your subject Jiang Song is willing to serve the Crown Prince at his beck and call."

At this moment, there are no fathers-in-law and sons-in-law, only allies fighting side by side.

"I have something to ask of you."

Wei Qin helped the man up and said, "Please speak."

“I am assisting the Crown Prince in his bid for the throne. There will be some danger involved, but as a father, I must always leave my daughter a way out.”

Wei Qin understood and had considered this point. His young lady said she wanted to live and die with him, but he hoped she would live, whether in good times or bad, and live safely.

"I will not bind you, Miss. You are free."

He had also prepared a way out for Jiang Yinyue and his sister Wei Ying. If there were any signs that his power would be defeated by the Eastern Palace, he would send people to escort them away in advance so that they could escape and live a life of luxury.

Upon hearing Wei Qin's words, Jiang Song smiled broadly.

The next morning at court, Zhou Yujin intentionally or unintentionally brought up the matter of Wei Qin concealing his true identity.

The Crown Prince, who was acting as the acting head of the morning court, did not stop it. Zhou Yujin then questioned him more specifically: "Lord Wei, as the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, has an unknown background. Isn't that too absurd?"

The Ministry of Personnel was responsible for investigating the backgrounds of officials.

The Minister of Works chimed in, "His Majesty is delirious and will not hold Vice Minister Wei accountable. Does the Vice Minister think he can get away with this by relying on His Majesty's favor?"

The Minister of War chimed in, "Indeed, an official's background is no child's play! Does Vice Minister Wei think that just because he's been approving imperial edicts for a few days, he can act like a tyrant?"

Faced with repeated questioning, both civil and military officials turned to look at Wei Qin.

It seems that if he doesn't give a reasonable explanation today, Wei Qin will become the target of public criticism and be condemned by both words and writings.

Zhou Yujin faced Wei Qin directly, determined to demand an explanation, and surprisingly caught a glimpse of a smile on Wei Qin's lips.

"What are you laughing at?"

"You gentlemen have asked a good question. I am not a descendant of the Wei family, so who am I? Did I spring from a crack in a rock?"

Zhou Yujin retorted, "Stop being so ambiguous!"

"His identity is questionable; how can he approve imperial edicts on behalf of His Majesty!" The Minister of Works bowed to the Crown Prince. "I beg Your Highness to revoke Wei Qin's authority on His Majesty's behalf."

Wei Qin didn't mind being watched. He walked straight to the group of officials and said, "I'll take up a little of your time, Your Highness and everyone else, so please allow me to tell you a story from the past."

“I am from the capital. I left the capital at the age of four and was taken in by a merchant couple in Jinyang. To be precise, I needed a false identity to travel the world, so I chose them. Later, after my adoptive mother and the gambler who could not be called my adoptive father passed away one after another, I wandered around and was adopted by the Wei family in Yangzhou, becoming the Wei Qin I am today.”

He spoke slowly and deliberately, briefly recounting his past experiences, his eyes filled with darkness.

"Staying in Yangzhou was my choice beforehand. I have countless mentors in Yangzhou. They guided me in my studies at private schools, my martial arts practice on the road, and my swimming in the river. However, I cannot acknowledge them. All my mentors came from the capital and hid their identities for Empress Yide, appearing in the streets and alleys of Yangzhou."

When he mentioned Empress Yide, some of the more astute old ministers changed their expressions. Wei Xichen even slightly parted his lips and gripped the armrest of his chair tightly.

Few people mention Empress Yide, but many remember her kindness and kindness.

Cui Shengzhi took the first step and stood beside Wei Qin.

Next were Cui Wei, Jiang Song, and their trusted confidants.

No further explanation is needed; most of the veteran officials already understand.

Wei Qin looked at the dumbfounded Minister of Works and asked, "Am I, a junior, qualified to approve imperial edicts on behalf of His Majesty?"

Before the Minister of Works could react, Zhou Yujin pointed directly at Wei Qin and his group, "Words alone are not enough; how can you prove his identity?"

Cui Shengzhi chuckled, "I guarantee it with the lives of hundreds of members of the Cui family."

"Isn't this a puppet cultivated by your Cui family?"

What proof do you need?

"There must be a token!"

"What token?"

Zhou Yujin's thoughts raced. The best proof of the Crown Prince's identity was the one that His Majesty held a grudge against...

"tour......"

"Wait a minute." Wei Xichen, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up, interrupting Zhou Yujin. He stood up and smiled faintly, "The imperial offspring born in the harem have clear records and there will never be any mistakes, but it's hard to say about those who left the palace at a young age."

Cui Shengzhi still smiled, "Your Highness the Crown Prince was so busy interrupting Grand Secretary Zhou, you must have guessed it. Facts are facts, the Youlin Jade Pendant is the only token that can prove the First Prince's identity."

When Wei Yihe was four years old, he was taken away from the Zhenfusi prison by the Imperial Guards. The officials from the Imperial Clan Court who saw him off all saw him wearing a jade pendant and getting into the carriage.

There is no doubt about that.

The Imperial Clan Court officials, including the Imperial Clan Chief and Imperial Clan Secretary, were all relatives of the emperor and could identify the jade pendant with the scales on it.

The two stepped forward, took the jade pendant that Wei Qin was slowly raising from his fingertip, examined it carefully, looked at each other, and then looked at Wei Xichen together.

He nodded.

The entire audience erupted in uproar.

Wei Xichen closed his eyes; the thing his maternal grandfather had worried about most before his death had happened.

The eldest prince, whose body was shattered, was reborn from the ashes.

Shocked and unable to calm down, Zhou Yujin asked again, but his tone was noticeably weaker, "Can a jade pendant really prove it? To put it bluntly, if my son had found it, would he be the Crown Prince?"

"I can serve as a witness."

Xie Xun, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, suddenly spoke up, walked to Wei Qin's side, turned around, and said, "I was one of the people who planned that explosion."

The audience erupted in uproar once again.

If even the Cui and Jiang families had to avoid suspicion, Xie Xun did not.

“Our family can also testify to this.”

Cao Angui, holding a whisk, entered the main hall.

Then, one by one, unexpected old friends returned, including a former censor from the Censorate, a former palace maid from the Imperial Wardrobe, and a former head chef from the Imperial Kitchen...

Their hair was already white and their wrinkles were deep.

When these people appeared and blocked the entrance to the main hall, even Zhou Yujin dared not question them anymore.

They were like figures in a painting, some of whom only appeared in the hearsay of the young courtiers.

Each one a legend.

"We are acting on the orders of Empress Yide to protect the Crown Prince."

The elderly censor at the head of the court unfolded the worn imperial edict, its handwriting elegant and beautiful, clearly written by Empress Yide.

After seventeen years, the moonlight of Empress Yide finally saw the light of day again.

Wei Xichen's eyes seemed to be stung by the moonlight, which was shimmering and dazzling, as bright as the sun, even more radiant than the moon-white brocade robes he usually wore.

He met Wei Qin's sudden gaze.

They had also looked at each other in the snow-capped mountains a year ago.

Wei Xichen held his bow and aimed at Wei Qin, who had just stepped off the carriage.

Many people were puzzled as to why the noble Crown Prince couldn't stand a low-ranking editor, and even Wei Xichen didn't know the reason.

Is it all because of Jiang Yinyue?

No, that's not it.

Back then, Wei Xichen had a preordained aversion to Wei Qin, which can now be explained clearly.

The old censor and others followed Cao Angui into the main hall.

The courtiers automatically made way for them.

They lived in anonymity in Yangzhou, becoming various craftsmen. Now, returning to the capital, they bear the marks of time and hardship.

The old censor jabbed his cane, his imposing manner undiminished.

"The retired censor of the Censorate respectfully welcomes the Crown Prince back to court."

"The Grand Master of Ceremonial Affairs respectfully welcomes the Crown Prince back to court."

"We respectfully welcome the Crown Prince back to the court."

Waves of sound drowned out the whispers inside the hall, and Wei Qin was draped in a python-patterned cloak by his maternal grandfather.

The legitimate eldest son of the emperor, reborn from the ashes.

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Author's Note: Reborn from the ashes!

Sending out some small red envelopes~