The staff members didn't dare to breathe loudly, and no one dared to speak first.
When the Crown Prince pointed to one of the older men, the aide began to speculate anxiously, "The Emperor favors him so much. Logically, the Emperor and the Prince of Jin are on bad terms, so he shouldn't favor the Prince of Jin's son. There must be some deeper meaning behind this."
The prince became even angrier: "What difference does it make whether you say it or not?"
The aide quickly asked, "Your Highness, what do you think?"
"I originally thought Fu Ciyi would side with the second-in-command, but now it seems that I am in greater danger than I imagined. Originally, Fu Ciyi was only from Jinzhou, but now I know that he is also a member of the royal family. If he really has his mind set on it, he might also aim for the position of crown prince..."
Everyone present understood what the prince said before he finished speaking.
The staff member said, "I don't think Fu Ciyi can become the crown prince."
The prince's eyes swept over him: "Why?"
"The reason is very simple. It's because Fu Ciyi is the son of the Prince of Jin. When the Emperor was choosing a prince, he deliberately avoided his brothers, because he didn't want the throne to fall to the offspring of the brother who competed with him for the throne. Although the Prince of Jin was young, he was the most likely to become the crown prince because of his mother's family. In the end, the throne went to the Emperor. Given this relationship, the Emperor would never choose the Prince of Jin's son as the crown prince."
Another staff member echoed, "That must be the case. The Emperor still favors him, but he is only the Prime Minister. Even if he is the Prime Minister, he is still a minister. Even though Your Highness is under house arrest by the Emperor, he is still the ruler. There is a difference between the ruler and the minister. I believe that Fu Ciyi cannot threaten Your Highness's position."
The rest of the staff nodded in agreement: "As long as he is the son of the Prince of Jin, he has no chance of becoming emperor."
The prince felt relieved after hearing what his staff said.
"You are quite right," the Crown Prince nodded repeatedly. "I was chosen as a prince at a young age, and later appointed Crown Prince. For nearly twenty years, I have called the Emperor "Father." How could such a father-son bond be disturbed by a boy returning from a remote village?"
It must be that the emperor was impressed by Fu Ciyi's talent.
Another aide spoke up, "I believe the Emperor's move is primarily to encourage Your Highness to further his career. After all, inheriting the throne requires excellence in all aspects. Having a strong opponent will maximize Your Highness's potential."
The prince smiled and said, "That's right. Father is training me in his own way."
The emperor wanted him to run fast, so he sent a good dog to chase him, so that he could reach the throne as soon as possible.
Fu Ciyi is a good dog.
Thinking this way, he felt happy and said to the servants waiting outside, "Pass it on, I will let my concubine sleep with me tonight."
It was still morning, not even lunch time, but Cai Mushi received the news that she would be asked to sleep with him that night.
So she dressed up early.
--
More than half an hour later, in the dining room of Yan's South Garden, everyone was eating steaming hot pot.
The old Duke said to Wan Niang, "I am not an unreasonable person. There was a feud between the Jin Palace and the Yan family in the past, but the Jin Princess is a good person, and I know that. Ci Yi calls me his grandfather-in-law, so of course I recognize him. The Jin Princess does not need to worry about the couple being separated."
"Old Duke, please call me Wan Niang. I cannot bear the title of Princess Jin, nor do I want to bear it anymore." She raised her glass, "As a junior, I offer you a toast."
"Okay, okay." The old Duke nodded with a smile. Seeing that she didn't clink her glass with his, he asked softly, "Your eyes?"
"I was probably poisoned that year, and I lost my sight and my memory. I'm sorry to make you laugh."
The old Duke said in a deep voice, "I'm not saying anything, but the Prince of Jin's Mansion is a mess." Then, he softened his tone and said, "Do you remember what the fire was about?"
"I don't remember." Wan Niang shook her head.
Hong Qingyi said, "Speaking of the fire, it happened about a month or two after Prince Jin made his speech at the palace banquet."
Yan Cheng nodded: "It seems that there was indeed a month or two between the palace banquet and the fire."
"Nan Yao Bei Mo is three months younger than me." Yan Funing thought for a moment and guessed, "So when the fire broke out, my mother was already pregnant with Nan Yao Bei Mo?"
Wan Niang smiled faintly and said, "I do remember that I was indeed pregnant when I fled the capital. My belly was already very obvious when I fled all the way to Jinzhou."
"So, the twins are also the children of the Prince of Jin. The Prince of Jin is such a good father, he's completely unaware that his three other children are suffering elsewhere." Yan Cheng shook his head and sighed, "It's embarrassing to say that we didn't even know our own daughters were suffering."
"Let's not talk about this anymore. Let's eat as much as we can. Hot pot is always noisy." The old Duke picked up the cooked meat slices and put them into his mouth. Suddenly, his eyebrows raised and he smiled, "So, this kid Ci Yi might also give birth to twins?"
Hong Qingyi agreed with a smile: "Father and I originally thought the same thing."
Wan Niang also said: "If the young couple can really give birth to twins, that would be the best thing."
Zeng Kerou said gently, "My sister and brother-in-law are good-looking. The twins they give birth to will definitely be beautiful."
"I think so too." Yan Yingying said hurriedly, "It's rare to have twins, a boy and a girl. When the time comes, my sister-in-law and I will each hold one."
"No way, how could the topic change so quickly?" Yan Funing's lips twitched as she asked Yuan Lang, "Your mother will hug someone else by then, won't you feel bad?"
The little fellow ate with his mouth full of oil and said in a baby voice, "Aunt, I don't mind. The twin sister is my wife and the brother is my brother. I am so happy."
Everyone laughed at him and called him a clever guy.
Yuan Lang nodded and looked at Fu Ciyi: "Uncle, you have to work harder. My daughter-in-law depends on the ability of you and my aunt."
When these words were spoken, almost everyone laughed happily.
Fu Ciyi, with rare tenderness, helped him with the cooked meat and vegetables: "I will try my best."
He said it without changing his expression.
Everyone looked at Yan Funing with laughter, and Yan Funing had no choice but to bury her head in eating.
After finishing the hot pot, everyone went to the flower hall to drink tea.
Yan Cheng said, "Ci Yi, it's not that I don't want you to stay at the Yan family. Once your background is revealed, the King of Jin will definitely come looking for you. During this period of time, except for the time you are on duty, you should stay at the Fu family."
"Father-in-law is right." Fu Ciyi agreed and looked at Yan Funing, "Ningning, why don't you stay at your parents' home?"
Yan Funing was stunned.
What’s your name?
Ningning?
Her face flushed red and she bit her lip, not wanting to tell him in front of her family.
Hong Qingyi smiled. "Funing, you're following Ci Yi back to the Fu family. You're already a first-rank imperial consort, so you should have the courage to stand on your own two feet. As a daughter of the Yan family, bring out all your inherent pride. While Ci Yi is on duty, you'll stay at the Fu family and protect your mother-in-law, sister-in-law, and brother-in-law."
Yan Funing obediently said yes: "I'm going back to the Fu family."
Hong Qingyi nodded: "If you really can't handle it, then send someone to tell them that your parents will support you."
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