"Oh, never mind whose good fortune it is, hurry up and come home with me. My old man is waiting!" Liu Zhiheng felt relieved, but also remembered his own predicament.
"I just blurted out that the Crown Prince has been replaced. But my father doesn't know anything else yet, and he's probably quite worried right now..."
As he spoke, he instructed the driver to hurry on their journey and head straight back to the Liu family mansion.
Sure enough, as soon as they entered the gate, they saw Madam Liu waiting at the door.
"You're finally back! What happened? Father sent people to wear out the doorstep, just waiting for you to come back!"
Before Liu Zhiheng could speak, the old man's personal attendant arrived again.
Upon seeing Liu Zhiheng return, the servant seemed to have seen a savior. "Oh, Master, you're back! Go and see the old master. He hasn't even had his tea and has been pacing around for half an hour."
Liu Zhiheng grabbed the hem of his robe and ran, afraid that his father would kick his butt if he was late.
Mr. Wen and Mr. Li nodded to Mrs. Liu and went to the study.
Although Madam Liu did not know what had happened, she was somewhat relieved to see that the others looked alright, and she began to have the kitchen prepare a feast.
The sun is almost overhead; we should invite Mr. Wen and Mr. Li to have a meal together!
Leaving aside the Liu family, Old Master Liu was extremely surprised when he learned of the Crown Prince's identity.
Inside Zhilan Palace, the Third Princess was already jumping around like a monkey.
"Gu Li?! Steward Gu is actually the First Prince? My elder brother? How is this possible?!"
She pounced on Jiayin, shaking Jiayin's arm violently, "Guli is your manager, didn't you know anything about him? He was hiding so well, who would have thought, who would have thought!"
Although Jiayin had some guesses, she still needed time to process the truth when it was finally revealed.
Most importantly, think carefully about whether you have offended... the new crown prince before!
However, this matter did not bother her for long, after all, she had received a dividend of more than a thousand taels of silver from others last month!
Being generous with money is always a good idea!
"Princess, please let me go!" Jiayin hugged the Third Princess tightly. "If you keep shaking me, my little body will fall apart."
The third princess quickly let go, but her words were sharp: "Who told you not to say anything? Did you already know?"
"I don't know!" Jiayin spread her hands, utterly helpless. "If I knew, would I still dare to treat the prince like a steward?"
The third princess blinked twice and immediately deflated, "That's true. Father is really amazing. No one would have thought he would be willing to let a prince be a steward. But your family is kind and honest. They treat their servants and stewards very well and never beat or mistreat them."
"Perhaps my father also valued this point, which is why he felt at ease leaving my elder brother in the Broken Gold Beach for so many years."
As she spoke, she became happy again.
“Your family will be powerful from now on. Once your eldest brother is made crown prince, your family will be able to do whatever we want in Xindu.”
Jiayin wasn't so optimistic, vaguely replying, "Our family doesn't want to be kings and tyrants; we just want to live peacefully."
Unfortunately, the third princess couldn't understand.
She smiled with curiosity and urged Jiayin, "I heard that the Crown Prince lives in Xilong Pavilion, which is very close to here. Why don't you go and talk to him?"
Jiayin immediately shook her head, "Let's not go. His Highness the Crown Prince has just stepped out from behind the scenes and must be very busy. Let's not cause trouble! When it's time for you to see him, your Imperial Uncle will definitely send someone to call you."
The third princess thought about it and realized that it made sense, so she gave up the idea.
As a result, just as the sun was setting, Eunuch Feng came running to deliver the news.
"Your Highness, Princess, His Majesty the Emperor and the Crown Prince will be coming to have dinner together soon. Please make your preparations in advance!"
"What?! Father and Crown Prince are coming over for dinner?!" The Third Princess was immediately excited and exclaimed happily, "Father still loves me the most, he brought Crown Prince to see me right away!"
After saying that, she repeatedly called out to Caiyun to find her a new dress and matching jewelry.
Jiayin had no choice but to slip a purse and a box of pastries to Eunuch Feng before going to the kitchen to prepare the dishes.
There are home-style dishes that the emperor usually likes to eat, as well as dishes that Gu Li used to like to eat at the Li family's house.
After finishing all that, she went back and changed into a clean and cool dress.
So when the Emperor and the Crown Prince arrived at Zhilan Palace under the moonlight, they saw two girls standing in front of the gate.
The tall, slender woman, dressed in a sunset-colored brocade dress and adorned with a phoenix hairpin, exuding a noble and glamorous air, was none other than the Third Princess.
Standing beside her, Jiayin wore only a light blue dress with a pearl belt, which subtly complemented the pearl headband in her simple updo, making her eyebrows and eyes appear even more bright and clear.
The Emperor was in a good mood today and said with a smile from afar, "What are you two maids doing waiting at the door? The night breeze is so chilly. Come on, let's go inside and talk."
The Third Princess and Jiayin quickly bowed. The Third Princess smiled and stepped forward to take the Emperor's arm, coquettishly replying, "Father, did you bring my Crown Prince brother to recognize our family?"
"Of course, he is your elder brother. From now on, Father... cough cough, anyway, you must not be willful in the future. Listen to the Crown Prince more often, understand?"
"I know!" the Third Princess replied reluctantly, muttering, "Father doesn't trust me. First, he sent Jiayin to watch over me, and now he's having my brother, the Crown Prince, manage me. I feel so unfree!"
Everyone laughed when they heard this.
At this moment, the prince stepped forward and stood completely in the bright lantern light.
He was still wearing that black embroidered dragon robe, and now, illuminated by the light, the dragon patterns seemed to be about to fly away.
He smiled broadly, but his first words were addressed to Jiayin.
"Princess, we meet again."
Jiayin took a deep breath, smiled, and bowed, replying, "Yes, Your Highness. Congratulations on returning home!"
The once composed steward has now successfully transformed into a noble and elegant crown prince.
No, going back even further, that thin little boy who followed Mr. Jiang back then has already found his rightful destiny.
The Crown Prince was filled with mixed emotions upon hearing the words "go home," but the Emperor was overjoyed.
"Fu Niu'er is still the most considerate! My children have all returned home and are by my side. I really have no more desires."
Jiayin smiled and stepped forward to support the Emperor's other arm, saying, "Such a happy occasion must be celebrated! I've made some dishes that Uncle Emperor likes, and I'll warm up a pot of fine wine for you in a bit."
"Alright, I'll make an exception and have a few drinks too." The Emperor smiled and led two maids inside.
The crown prince followed leisurely behind, occasionally glancing at the surrounding furnishings, but his gaze remained mostly fixed on what lay ahead...
Soon, everyone washed their hands, and Shui Ling and Cai Yun set out the food.
Finally, everyone except Steward Yi stayed behind to take care of things, and the rest of them retreated outside.
Jiayin's cooking skills are impeccable; the food is as delicious as ever.
The Emperor has tasted all the delicacies in the world, and recently he has been taking medicine, so his appetite has diminished considerably.
What he prefers is the happiness and joy of being surrounded by his children.
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