The Emperor gradually calmed down upon hearing this, "So you’re saying, she intends to seize the throne in Nanchu? And Zhou Gu..."
The old Duke bowed, "Your Majesty, Zhou Gu is not interested in marriage, neither to Daliang Princess nor to Nanchu Princess."
It was not his intention to be blunt, but the Emperor had once intended for Zhou Gu to marry the Princess, and after Zhou Gu evaded it, the Emperor indulgently allowed Qingping and Duanhua to entangle Zhou Gu, undoubtedly intending to bind Zhou Gu tightly to the position of Prince Consort or a Duke by marriage.
The Emperor paused for a moment, slowly nodded, said nothing, and asked, "How did the Nanchu Queen come to know of Su Rong’s existence?"
The old Duke shook his head, "I am not sure, according to Su Rong, someone tried to kill her many years ago. The investigation later revealed that it was orchestrated by the Nanchu Queen."
The Emperor’s expression flitted, "I want to see Su Rong."
The old Duke nodded and then shook his head, suggesting, "Your Majesty, I think, you should not rush to see Su Rong. As soon as you see her, her identity will be thoroughly confirmed. Numerous complications will follow. You should not summon her before you are fully prepared. There’s no harm in waiting until you are ready."
The Emperor fell silent.
The old Duke did not speak anymore, believing the Emperor would understand his unspoken words.
Of course, the Emperor understood. As an Emperor, his political acumen was refined to perfection. As long as he calmed down and thought about it, he would quickly understand that once he acknowledged Su Rong’s identity, it would entail many implications. The pros and cons needed careful consideration; the situation was unclear whether it was a blessing or a curse.
Indeed, the Emperor should not meet Su Rong now. Even though he already knows her identity, even though countless people in the capital have already seen her and doubted her because of her looks, suspecting her to be the daughter of Princess Zhenmin. Still, as long as he did not meet her, her identity would only continue to be speculated by everyone, and she would not be confirmed as the daughter of Princess Zhenmin.
He is the Emperor, every move of his is under scrutiny. As for Su Rong, currently, although she is just a common girl, she is already connected with many residences and because she resembles Princess Zhenmin, her every move is also under the public eye.
The Emperor also remained silent for a while, it seemed as if he tacitly agreed to the old Duke’s suggestion, "Who, besides the people in the Duke Residence, already knows the truth about Su Rong’s identity?"
The old Duke shook his head, "I am not sure, but Su Rong has been living in the Princess Qingping Residence for a long time, and Princess Qingping grew up with Princess Zhenmin, I guess she couldn’t be fooled. Now Su Rong has moved to Shen Xian’s residence, and Shen Xian has a deep friendship with Xie Yuan, it’s hard to say."
What the Emperor cared most about was not the people in the Princess Residence and Shen Residence, but his own sons, especially the Crown Prince. He went straight to the point, "What about the Crown Prince?"
The old Duke thought, no matter when, the Emperor was always wary of his own son, extremely vigilant. He shook his head, "I don’t know."
"Isn’t Zhou Gu likely to tell the Crown Prince?" asked the Emperor.
The old Duke replied, "I have always concealed it from Zhou Gu until only a few days ago did he find out about this. Since finishing his examinations, he has not gone to the Eastern Palace and has not spoken to the Crown Prince."
The old Duke simply shot straight, "If Your Majesty does not want the Crown Prince to know, when I go back, I will strictly warn him not to tell the Crown Prince."
The Emperor paused, thinking that the Crown Prince is wise, even he had his suspicions, it might not be possible to hide it from him. He merely asked this to test the relationship between the old Duke and the Crown Prince. Having tested it, he naturally waved his hand, "There’s no need for that, the Crown Prince is the heir to the throne, this matter is of great concern, at an opportune moment, I will also discuss it with him."
The old Duke nodded, "The Emperor is right, this matter is indeed a state affair, and should be treated with caution."
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