"So your father had it tough too!"
Liu Rou Niang sighed.
At the same time, she sensed a strange movement in the spiritual spring water in the space. Upon investigation, she discovered that when she touched the divine tree, the spring water would gurgle out, and when she released her hand, the spring water would return to its single droplet state. She was very surprised and, after thinking for a moment, said, "Xiao Jin, go and get a bucket for Mother."
Mo Xiaojin hurried over, retrieved the bucket, and Rou Niang poured the spiritual spring water into it, watering the towering ancient tree. She expected a miracle, but nothing happened. Rou Niang thought perhaps she hadn't poured enough water, so she poured more, but still nothing occurred. Somewhat disappointed, she thought perhaps she had misunderstood.
She clapped her hands and said, "It's getting late. I'm leaving the palace. What business do you have in the palace? Come to the Liu residence to find me."
Then, after thinking for a moment, he said with some reluctance, "Take this bucket of water and try exchanging it again tomorrow morning."
Mo Xiaojin nodded and saw Liu Rou Niang out of the palace.
Madam Liu and the others naturally gathered around to inquire about Liu Rou Niang's situation. Liu Rou Niang answered them one by one, and everyone was shocked. They never expected that Mo Xiao Shan, who used to be in the Liu family, was actually the only son of the current emperor, now the eldest prince of the royal family, Mo Xiao Jin. It was quite a shock.
The three little girls were overjoyed, happy that Mo Xiaojin had found his biological father and that he had become a prince.
Meanwhile, the emperor found Mo Xiaojin that evening and told him that he should go to the morning court with the emperor the next day. He was surprised, after all, he was still young, why would his father want him to go to the morning court?
But after thinking about it, he realized it might be to reveal his identity, so he nodded.
The next morning, the father and son went to the morning court. The ministers below began to whisper among themselves, but the emperor ignored them and announced in public that Mo Xiaojin had been named the crown prince.
Old Wang stepped forward and said, “Your Majesty, you must not! Your ascension to the throne already defied the will of Heaven, angering Heaven and causing the divine tree to wither. Now you want to appoint a crown prince, which will likely bring down punishment from Heaven.”
The emperor was naturally furious. He wanted to retort, but Old Master Wang was already in his seventies, and he couldn't bear to be too harsh on him. Besides, Old Master Wang had students all over the country and was considered a highly respected figure in the medical field.
The man was just too old-fashioned, and the other man didn't know what to do with him.
"Lord Wang, you are mistaken." At this moment, Mo Xiaojin stepped forward, bowed politely, and said, "You say that my father's reign is illegitimate, but I disagree. I come from the common people and naturally know their hardships. The common people simply want to have enough to eat and live a peaceful life."
When the Western Yue army invaded, it was my father who led the warriors in a bloody resistance and drove the enemy away. It was also my father who devoted himself to the administration of the country, which allowed the people to live in peace and prosperity and the refugees to no longer be displaced.
I believe the people are the children of the world. Since Heaven's people are all safe and secure, why would Heaven be angry?
These words left the high-ranking minister speechless, and Old Wang was refuted without a word, but he still childishly retorted, "No matter how eloquent you are, you cannot change the fact that the divine tree has withered."
Mo Xiaojin said, "I don't believe that Heaven is blind. Today I will make the iron tree bloom. Otherwise, I'd rather not be the Crown Prince."
Old Wang, somewhat defiant, retorted, "You said it yourself."
The emperor couldn't stop them in time, and the two made such an absurd agreement.
Then Mo Xiaojin led the ministers to the Imperial Garden, where he used the bucket of water Rou Niang had left to water the ancient tree.
The reason he was so certain was because of a dream he had last night. He dreamt that he watered the ancient tree with a bucket of water, and the tree miraculously blossomed.
Then a golden dragon burst forth from the ancient tree, striking him directly in the face, and he awoke with a start.
That's why he acted this way today, but he also thought that even if it failed, he was still young, so it wouldn't matter! It was better than having his father criticized.
A bucket of water was poured into the ancient tree, but there was no reaction. The ministers whispered among themselves, while the old king smiled and said, "This old minister will take the eldest prince's youth as an excuse and will not laugh at you."
The emperor's expression also turned somewhat unpleasant. He hadn't initially perceived Mo Xiaojin as such an unreliable person after spending the past two days with her.
Alas, she's still young; she's probably fallen for Old Wang's provocation.
Just then, someone suddenly shouted, "Look! This ancient tree is sprouting new buds!"
As soon as they finished speaking, everyone looked at the ancient tree and saw that more and more new buds were sprouting, spreading out lush and green, and even pink flowers were blooming in the middle of the branches. The flowers were fragrant and beautiful.
Old Wang exclaimed, "I never imagined that this ancient tree could actually bloom."
He was a veteran of three reigns and had the privilege of witnessing the ancient tree's lush and verdant state, though in recent years it had withered increasingly. He had never seen the ancient tree bloom, however. He turned to look at Mo Xiaojin. Suddenly, a golden light flashed before his eyes, like a golden dragon, rushing towards Mo Xiaojin.
When he looked again, everyone was busy watching the ancient tree bloom and no one paid attention. The scene just now seemed like a dream, and only he was shocked.
Then he knelt before Mo Xiaojin: "This old minister greets Your Highness the Crown Prince."
And so, with Old Wang taking the lead, everyone was persuaded.
Even more remarkably, some said Mo Xiaojin was a gifted son of heaven, and the emperor wasn't angry at all. He was still quite proud that his son was being praised.
After the court session, the emperor took Mo Xiaojin back to the imperial study and said, "You were too reckless today."
"Your subject knows his mistake."
How can you be so sure that this cycad can bloom?
"Actually, I'm not entirely sure. It was a dream I had yesterday. In the dream, I watered the fruit tree with a bucket of water, and then it blossomed."
Mo Xiaojin didn't mention anything about dragons or anything like that.
The emperor was astonished upon hearing this, wondering if this child was truly a gift from heaven.
"And there's something else to report. Yesterday I took my mother to see this ancient tree. She saw that the tree was withered and tidied up the area around it. I'm afraid my mother deserves some credit for that."
It was there that the mother and son were watering the ancient tree. The emperor had naturally heard about it from the eunuch. Thinking about it, he figured Liu Rou Niang was probably a blessed person. So he thought about it and wrote an imperial edict.
The Liu family was completely bewildered when they received the imperial edict, including Liu Rou Niang.
Liu Zhong was the first to come to his senses and thanked the eunuch who delivered the imperial edict.
Li Rouniang held the imperial edict in disbelief; the emperor had actually bestowed upon her the title of Princess Youfu!
Not only was Fucheng, the city from which they arrived, granted as their fiefdom, but the princess was also bestowed with a mansion!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
