Fu Erkang appeared completely unhurried and leisurely. Anyone who didn't know better would think he was a high-ranking official in the palace.
*
Post station
"Father, haven't we already packed everything? What's left to pack?" Although Saiya was very unwilling to be dragged back, she still asked patiently.
“That’s just an excuse,” Ziker said, walking over to the couch and sipping some fine tea. Seeing his daughter still clueless, Ziker had no choice but to patiently explain the situation to her.
"When Princess Huanzhu came over, it was clearly the Emperor's family affair. Do you think the Emperor's family affairs are something anyone can just watch? Didn't you see the palace maids and eunuchs standing nearby, keeping their distance? And you, foolishly, went forward." Ziker thought back to the scene and unconsciously gave himself a thumbs up. "Anyway, you don't have a suitable husband in the Qing Dynasty, so it's better if we set off sooner."
"Father, aren't you curious about what will happen next?" Saiya wasn't buying it and retorted directly.
Ziker unconsciously touched his nose. To be honest, he was quite curious to see what would happen next. It was really frustrating not to finish this juicy story. "What, you think you can still get to the rest of the story? Delaying the departure is out of the question; don't even think about it."
No wonder they say no one knows a daughter better than her father; Ziker saw right through Saiya's cunning schemes.
Of course, Saiya wasn't discouraged. She skipped over to Ziker's side and nestled obediently on his shoulder. "Oh dear, Father, am I such an inconsiderate person? Let me stay at Cining Palace one more night tonight, and I'll tell you on the way tomorrow. What do you say, Father?"
In Saiya's eyes, this was a sure-fire deal. Ziker also pondered it over repeatedly and suddenly felt that his daughter's idea was excellent, to the point that he didn't quite recognize her anymore. Indeed, one should look at a person with new eyes after three days of separation.
Given that he himself was also somewhat itching to try it, Ziker finally agreed to Saiya's persistent request.
For every person who is happy, there is someone who is sad.
*
Cining Palace
The Empress Dowager has just dismissed all the palace maids and eunuchs who were serving her, so it's safe to say that everyone in the Cining Palace knows the details.
However, the Empress Dowager and the Emperor sat high above with slightly cold expressions, so even if others wanted to speak, they had to consider the feelings of the two great Buddhas above.
The Emperor's mere presence alone was enough to create a palpable oppressive atmosphere around him. Who would dare to be the first to step forward and take the lead?
An Ke yawned softly. The sun had been shining warmly, and she had been thinking that after accompanying the Emperor and the others for their walk back to Cining Palace, she could finally get some sleep. But instead, she was stuck here with a bunch of people, enjoying the air conditioning.
The Emperor naturally noticed An Ke's actions, coughed lightly, and stared intently at Xiao Yanzi and Ziwei kneeling below. "Which of you will explain to me what's going on?"
In truth, the Emperor was already mostly convinced. After all, Ziwei was knowledgeable in poetry and music, which made her seem like Xia Yuhe's daughter. Moreover, Ziwei's features did resemble Xia Yuhe's.
However, the Emperor still refused to believe that he could be so confused as to mistake his daughter for someone else. Looking at Xiao Yanzi kneeling on the ground, thinking about the joy she had brought him since entering the palace, and then thinking about the terrible trouble she had caused in recent days, the Emperor didn't even know what his feelings for Xiao Yanzi were anymore.
"Father, I, Xiao Yanzi, will take full responsibility for my actions," Xiao Yanzi said loudly, her eyes red as she glanced at Ziwei kneeling beside her. "I'm sorry to Ziwei. Back then, Ziwei and Jin Suo couldn't get over that mountain, so they asked me to take the folding fan and the scroll with them. But I was shot by an arrow and was in a daze. When I came to my senses, all the palace maids and eunuchs were kneeling in the hall. Father, I, Xiao Yanzi, cherish my head the most, so I dared not tell you."
Xiao Yanzi's statement was true, but the Emperor's face was as black as charcoal. Xiao Yanzi continued, "I have neither father nor mother. Since entering the palace, you have doted on me so much that I've become a bit arrogant. I thought I'd only be a princess for a few days before returning the title to Ziwei. But as time went on, more and more people got involved, and I became increasingly afraid to speak out." Xiao Yanzi's words actually made her seem aggrieved.
"Oh, then why didn't you explain to the Emperor later? Why did you send Ziwei disguised as a palace maid to the palace?" The Empress wanted to put on a show and interrogate him as well. Recently, the Emperor had been coming to Kunning Palace quite frequently. He even said that he had been neglecting his duties and had started to ignore the harem.
The Empress almost rolled her eyes at the Emperor. Wasn't it he who first allowed Xiao Yanzi to be so disrespectful and lacking in manners? Now he's trying to shift the blame onto her.
When Xiao Yanzi heard the Empress's question, she felt that she was right all of a sudden. "It was because the Empress said that if I wasn't Father Emperor's daughter, I would be beheaded. Otherwise, I wouldn't have kept it a secret until now."
The Empress was almost laughing in her anger; it turns out that when people are speechless, they really do want to laugh. Especially seeing Xiao Yanzi acting like a dead pig unafraid of boiling water, even trying to shift the blame onto her—was this the naiveté the Emperor spoke of?
"I am the Empress, and all the princesses and princes in the palace must call me Imperial Mother. Naturally, I have to take care of all the big and small matters in the palace." The Empress sat very dignifiedly, and her tone was particularly serious. "As for matters concerning the royal bloodline, I naturally have to be strict. Since you were already afraid at the time, why didn't you tell the truth instead of hiding it until now?"
The Empress narrowed her eyes dangerously, her tone becoming even colder and more piercing, "Even if what you said is true, when you first woke up, if you had explained the situation to the Emperor, he wouldn't have blamed you, after all, you were already delirious from your illness. But you have repeatedly concealed this matter and even brought Ziwei into the palace as a maid. What exactly are you plotting?"
This startled Fu Erkang. He realized that such a huge burden was being placed on the Fu family's shoulders.
Consort Ling's mind is now racing. Could it be that the Fu family is really plotting something behind her back? Foolish man, the Emperor is in his prime and holds great power. Dealing with a mere Fu family would be as easy as crushing a grasshopper.
Should she abandon the Fu family? Consort Ling, true to her reputation as a steadfast concubine in the palace, was now preoccupied with how to distance herself from the situation and extricate herself from blame. Looking at the Fu couple, who hadn't yet arrived, Consort Ling decided it was best to observe the situation first. What if the Fu family could still be saved? Consort Ling decided to wait and see.
Ziwei couldn't help but jump out to defend herself, "I traveled all the way from Jinan to Beijing, and the money I got from selling my property was almost gone. I wandered around the capital for several months, but I couldn't find a way to make money. That's when I met Xiaoyanzi. It just so happened that Your Majesty was hunting. In this emergency, I had no choice but to entrust Xiaoyanzi with a message to Your Majesty."
The Empress Dowager sat calmly to the side, seemingly uninterested in getting involved, yet also as if everything was under her control.
The Emperor remained seated in the same posture, silent and uttering not a word. But seeing him constantly turning the ring on his right hand, one could tell that his inner turmoil was far from the calm that appeared on the surface.
Ziwei tearfully recounted her accusations, but no one paid her any attention. Unfazed, she continued, "The Emperor also knows what happened afterward. Xiaoyanzi was shot by the Fifth Prince's arrow and fell into a coma. That's why she blurted out the words that I was supposed to deliver to the Emperor. In short, it was an accidental mishap."
"Then how did you end up with the Fu family?" The Empress Dowager stared intently at Ziwei, as if trying to see into the depths of her heart. "Does the Fu family already know that you are a true princess?"
Even the eloquent Ziwei was speechless when faced with this question. Her lips trembled, unsure how to defend herself.
“So it seems they knew,” the Empress Dowager said, though old, she was still quite sharp. “Then the entire Fu family was involved in the matter of the real and fake princesses, obscuring the royal bloodline, and keeping quiet about it. Very well, very well indeed.” With that, the Empress Dowager silently closed her eyes.
The questioning of Ziwei just now was as if it were a reminder to the Emperor.
Sure enough, the emperor's expression immediately changed. His eyes, which had previously shown a hint of heartache, were now brewing a storm.
Yes, since the Fu family knew about the real and fake princesses, why did they conceal it? Didn't Fu Lun know that this was a capital offense punishable by confiscation of their property?
"Your Majesty, my father is indeed aware of this matter." Fu Erkang could no longer stand idly by. Now that he knew almost everything, he could no longer conceal it. Otherwise, the Fu family would be severely punished. "Father had many considerations at the time. After all, Princess Huanzhu had already held a sacrificial ceremony to Heaven, and all the people knew that Princess Huanzhu was His Majesty's adopted daughter."
The Emperor looked up at Fu Erkang kneeling below. This was the first time Fu Erkang had been stared at like this by the Emperor, and within moments, large beads of sweat covered his forehead. "Continue."
"Yes," Fu Erkang said, not even bothering to wipe the sweat from his forehead, "At that time, how could Father report to the Emperor? Besides, it was nonsense to say that the real and fake princesses had been identified. Father told us to be careful with our words and actions."
"Oh, really?" The Emperor stared intently at Fu Erkang, who felt a chill run down his spine.
Now that things had come to this, Fu Erkang had no choice but to bite the bullet and say yes. Otherwise, wouldn't he be contradicting himself just now?
"Someone, summon Fu Lun to the palace immediately," the Emperor coldly ordered.
Fu Erkang secretly breathed a sigh of relief. No matter what, he was still a Fu, and his father wouldn't just stand by and do nothing.
"Then why do you want to enter the palace? Ziwei, tell me the truth." The Emperor said with a grim face. "Since Xiaoyanzi was just saying she was afraid of losing her head and being beheaded, are you now saying you don't care about her head at all?"
In an instant, the Cining Palace fell silent. Everyone held their breath, afraid to even breathe loudly, lest they miss something exciting.
Seeing her father interrogating Ziwei like this, Xiao Yanzi noticed that Ziwei was already in tears and swaying uncontrollably. Xiao Yanzi's sense of loyalty surged up again. "Father, I'll tell you the truth. It was because I said I didn't want to be a princess that you punished me. Ziwei wanted to enter the palace because she was worried about me."
Under the Emperor's intense gaze, Xiao Yanzi was starting to feel the pressure. She swallowed hard and continued, "As for becoming a palace maid, well, there was no other way. Otherwise, how would Ziwei have entered the palace? Besides, Ziwei is your own daughter. I've occupied her position for so long, so naturally I have to return it to her. That's just how it is, Father Emperor. If you're angry, just cut off my head and spare everyone else."
Having heard this much, everyone had pretty much got the gist of the story, but their emotions were like a rollercoaster ride. The most intense reaction came from Consort Ling.
The Emperor merely glanced in Consort Ling's direction, and Consort Ling immediately became obedient, sitting motionless in her seat.
Ziwei seemed to have just come to her senses, probably already having prepared her words in her mind. "Your Majesty, there's something I haven't told Xiaoyanzi. My mother said, 'You should be like a rock, while my heart is as soft as silk.' I ask Your Majesty, is a rock truly immovable?" As she finished speaking, another tear rolled down her cheek.
An Ke had to admit that Ziwei's move was brilliant. Mentioning Xia Yuhe at this moment would only make the Emperor feel guilty for breaking his promise to Xia Yuhe; the method was truly ingenious.
A flicker of heartache immediately flashed in the Emperor's eyes. After all, she was a woman he had once loved, and a woman he had once wronged. How could he remain unmoved?
At this moment, the Empress Dowager opened her eyes and said, "This matter cannot be solely the involvement of the Fu family. As you just mentioned, more and more people are getting involved. So, who else is involved?" The Empress Dowager's words were truly insightful and her understanding of the issue was sharp.
An Ke wasn't unaware of the intricacies and nuances of the matter. It was simply that she shouldn't approach it directly.
Ziwei was still hesitant. After all, she had witnessed the changes in Yongqi and Benjamin during this time. Did she really want to involve them?
It was as if two little people were fighting in Ziwei's mind.
White-clad Little Man: Don't drag them down. They've already done everything they could, they've helped as much as they could. Don't drag them into this mess.
The little man in black: Why can't we talk about it? They both clearly knew everything about this matter. Besides, with them involved, the Emperor should think things through carefully.
White-clad figure: No!
Black-clad figure: Yes!
While Ziwei was still pondering, Xiaoyanzi blurted out, "And Yongqi and Benjamin too."
Consort Yu, who was sitting upright above, felt a pang of unease when she heard Yongqi's name. At that time, Yongqi was always running to Shufangzhai. She was still Xiaoyanzi, the emperor's daughter, and the daughter the emperor owed so much to. Although men and women were supposed to be kept separate, Consort Yu thought that they were siblings after all, and that the two of them were getting along like this, so she did not stop them.
Now, Consort Yu only regrets her own stupidity back then, why didn't she stop her dull-witted son more?
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