Emperor Jingxuan thought for a moment and asked, "Duke Protector of the Country... has he left the capital? If he comes back, why is it worth mobilizing so many troops? He just left the capital and didn't report it. I won't get angry over such a small matter."

Generally speaking, such ministers with titles are not allowed to leave the capital without permission.

However, it is not worth coming here in the middle of the night to plead guilty, right? Qin Canglan said solemnly: "What I mean is... my and Huayin's real son is back, and the Protector of the Country in the mansion... is not the real Qin Che!"

As he spoke, he bowed his hands and pleaded guilty, "I am guilty of confusing the bloodline of the Duke of the Guardian's Mansion and causing Your Majesty to be deceived. Please forgive me, Your Majesty!"

…

"…This is what happened. I have said everything I need to say. If you don't believe me, there is nothing I can do. Go ask Big Brother yourself."

In the study, Qin Hai suppressed the anger boiling in his chest and told the story of Qin Che's life experience.

No one knows how much pain and struggle he is going through in his heart.

This is the most fucked up thing that has ever happened to me.

God must have been fed up with his idleness and wasteful behavior, so he gave him a series of loud slaps in the face.

Qin Che looked at Qin Hai with eyes as cold as ice, and there was already a hint of madness in his eyes: "I don't believe it. I don't believe a single word you said!"

Qin Hai said with a headache: "What good would it be for me to lie to you? Your mother and I..."

Qin Che shouted: "Shut up! You are not allowed to insult my mother! My mother only has my father as her husband and has never had an affair with any other man!"

Qin Hai hesitated for a moment, then waved his hands impatiently: "Okay, okay, okay, do whatever you want. Anyway, I have completed the task that Big Brother gave me! If you don't want to accept it, go find Big Brother when he comes back!"

Qin Che clenched his fists so tightly that his nails almost dug into his palms.

The dim candlelight fell on one side of his cheek, reflecting a sinister light in his eyes.

Qin Hai stood up and walked away, but stopped at the door and looked at him with a frown: "Just be content, after all, you are still the flesh and blood of our Qin family!"

If he is really a bastard from outside, dying a hundred times is not enough! Thinking of how he had been a pure and innocent person for so many years, Qin Hai was very annoyed.

"What the hell is going on!"

Qin Hai left in a rage! The rain outside had clearly stopped, but for some reason, there was another burst of lightning and thunder.

The strong wind extinguished the candle on the table, and the room was dim, making Qin Che look eerie.

He was stunned for a long time, then suddenly raised his arm and brushed off the porcelain, calligraphy and paintings on the table!

He roared with red eyes: "I don't believe it... I don't believe it! I don't believe it--"

…

Qixiang Palace.

Empress Xian sat on the chaise longue, holding a book in one hand and supporting her head with the other.

She wanted to read a lot of poetry and books, but she often felt sleepy when she opened a book.

There was a loud bang, and Empress Xian was so frightened that her body trembled, and the book in her hand fell to the ground.

The palace maid beside her bent down to pick it up and presented it to Concubine Xian with both hands.

Empress Xian was too lazy to reach out to take it.

At this time, Aunt Gui, who had served her for many years, came in with a bowl of freshly cooked bird's nest stewed with rock sugar.

Nanny Gui placed the bird's nest on the small table and took the poetry book that the palace maid handed over: "You can go down."

"yes."

The maid respectfully withdrew.

Nanny Gui put the poetry collection on the table, picked up the bird's nest and handed it to Concubine Xian: "Your Majesty, you ate little for dinner, so have some bird's nest."

Empress Xian rubbed the flesh on her belly and said, "I won't eat anymore. I'm getting fat."

In order to maintain their figure, the women in the palace were more and more restricted in their diets, and going hungry was a common occurrence.

With the status of Empress Xian and the birth of princes and princesses, it stands to reason that she doesn't need to use her beauty to please men anymore.

However, Empress Xian refused to admit her age. When she saw the young beauties coming one after another into the harem, she refused to lose to them.

"Why hasn't Your Majesty come yet?" Concubine Xian muttered.

Aunt Gui smiled and said, "I will come. Maybe it's because it's raining outside and the road is muddy and difficult to walk on, so I'm walking slowly."

"What piece is the Queen singing tonight?" Concubine Xian had already found out that it was the Queen who sent snacks to Emperor Jingxuan first, and then Emperor Jingxuan went to Kunning Palace.

This is not like a queen.

It doesn't look like Emperor Jingxuan's either.

Nanny Gui said, "Your Majesty, the Queen is the Empress after all."

Concubine Xian snorted coldly, "What's wrong with the Empress? She is not favored, and can't give birth to a son. She is just the empress in vain! If it weren't for her daughter's good fortune, Your Majesty would really love her so much!"

Aunt Gui smiled helplessly and scooped a spoonful of bird's nest to feed her mouth: "My lady, please eat some."

In the end, Empress Xian couldn't help herself, and took two sips with the spoon handed to her by Nanny Gui. Then she gently pushed the bowl aside and refused to eat any more.

At this time, the eunuch who was ordered to deliver the message brought the news that Emperor Jingxuan had been abducted.

Concubine Xian's eyes became fierce: "Who is this bitch this time?"

Nanny Gui said, "It's the old Duke of the Protectorate."

Hearing that it wasn't a woman from the harem, Empress Xian's expression eased a little: "Is there going to be another war at the border?"

Qin Canglan had not attended court for a long time. The only reason he could run to the palace in the middle of the night was, in Empress Xian's opinion, because there was a war on the border.

Concubine Xian smiled and said, "If the old Duke of the Protectorate leads the army again, let the Third Prince go with him and earn some military merit."

Military merit is the support of the people, and ordinary princes have no chance to gain military merit.

As for the safety of her son, Empress Xian was not worried at all.

With Qin Canglan here, why would the Third Prince really go to the battlefield? Qin Canglan will go to the front, and the Third Prince will just wait to receive the military merit.

Concubine Xian smiled happily: "Liu Sande, send a bowl of ginseng soup to His Majesty, and tell His Majesty that I have the imperial physician to take care of me, so His Majesty doesn't need to worry."

Liu Sande came back from the imperial study, his face not quite right: "Madam, something happened!"

Concubine Xian asked indifferently, "What are you so flustered about?"

Liu Sande glanced at Nanny Gui. Nanny Gui was Concubine Xian's confidant, so there was no need to avoid her.

Liu Sande then told the news he had accidentally heard from the imperial study.

Concubine Xian sat up straight in shock: "What did you say? The Protector of the Country is not Qin Canglan's son? Then who is he! Where is the real Protector of the Country?"

Liu Sande said with a stiff face: "Who is he...I didn't hear it clearly. Anyway, it seems that there was a mistake back then. Now the real Protector of the Country has returned and is living in the capital."

He just went to deliver the ginseng soup and stood outside for a while, hearing intermittent calls.

Empress Xian was extremely anxious.

Her son was engaged to the Duke of Huguo, but if that Qin Che was a fake, wouldn't this marriage be -

Empress Xian looked worried: "What does your majesty say?"

Liu Sande said embarrassedly: "I only heard this much. Later, Eunuch Fu brought the ginseng soup in. It was inconvenient for me to stay any longer, so I had to leave first."

Nanny Gui advised, "Your Majesty, why don't you wait a little longer? Maybe tomorrow, there will be news from His Majesty."

"Can we wait for something like this?" Concubine Xian stood up and paced around the room. "No, I can't just sit there and wait for death. Sandezi, go to the Jing family and tell my father about this. Ask him to find out the identity of the real Qin Che as soon as possible!"

Liu Sande walked out of Qixiang Palace trembling in the midst of thunder and lightning.

He was lucky. After he had taken a few steps, Xiao Anzi came over.

Xiao Anzi worked in the Imperial Study and had received favors from Liu Sande.

Xiao Anzi said, "Eunuch Liu, I heard some news."

A quarter of an hour later, Liu Sande returned to Qixiang Palace and told him the news he had obtained.

"It was the people from the Zhenbei Marquis' Mansion who brought them back to the capital. The Su family returned to their hometown to worship their ancestors and happened to meet that family..."

"That man changed his name to Su Cheng. He wandered among the common people and had no idea who he was. He grew up in a bumpy way... He got married in the countryside and had a son and a daughter who are about the same age as Miss Qin and the young master."

Concubine Xian said coldly: "What young master? That's all fake!"

"Ah, yes, yes!" Liu Sande was secretly annoyed that he forgot to change his words, and hurriedly said with a smile, "The one from the common people is the real young master."

Empress Xian said thoughtfully, "You just said... the real Qin Che also has a daughter who is the same age as Qin Yanran?"

Liu Sande said: "Yes."

The two families have made an engagement. If the girl who grew up in the countryside is the real daughter of the Qin family, then will she become his daughter-in-law?

Concubine Xian frowned slightly and said, "Is a girl who grew up in the countryside worthy of my son?"

(End of this chapter)