Chapter 213 Lantern Festival (Part 2)
An hour ago, Emperor Yongjia, accompanied by the Empress, ascended the Wangxian Tower. Noble Consort Qiao and several concubines with children followed behind.
Among the nine princes of Emperor Yongjia, except for Prince Jing who had already been enfeoffed, the Second Prince also did not show up. Even the Second Prince's wife and their children did not come for some reason. Another one who did not come was the Fifth Prince who was under house arrest. Except for these three, the other six princes were all present, and the two youngest ones were carried by their wet nurses.
In the past, Concubine Li would always show up at such grand events, but this year she unexpectedly did not come. Instead, Concubine Meng, who always loved quietness, went up to the Wangxian Tower accompanied by her daughter Princess Jianing and her two grandsons.
Princess Jiayi and Prince Consort Xiao also came with their little daughter Tianbao. This was the first time the two had appeared in public since the "death" of their eldest son Xiao Zhen.
In previous years, the emperor and empress would ascend the Wangxian Tower to celebrate with the people during the Lantern Festival, but the event was not as lively as this year. The main reason was the unique acrobatics this year.
The first show of the circus troupe was a few plump white lucky dolls doing somersaults all over the stage. As they were doing somersaults, they actually flew up. With a shake of their little hands, a red silk scroll with the words "Peace and Prosperity" written on it fell from the sky. Four large golden characters were shining, facing the observation deck of Wangxian Tower.
Emperor Yongjia was in a very good mood and watched the show immediately. The concubines, royal family members, nobles, powerful ministers and their families present also applauded. Some people even praised the Fourth Prince for a job well done. In previous years, there were only some conventional singing, dancing and fireworks, how could there be such a festive occasion as this year?
At this time, Zhao Tingluo ran over with a child. When Prince Fu saw them, his face turned pale.
When he and the princess were about to go out today, they dressed up, but they only saw the prince and the princess, but not Zhao Tingluo.
The Crown Prince's Consort said calmly, "He has entered the palace and will go with the ladies in the palace."
Before the Crown Princess finished speaking, the Crown Prince said, "He's already ten years old, and he still runs to the palace all day. Sooner or later, people will gossip about him. How do you, as a mother, manage him?"
The Crown Prince's wife looked at him, her eyes sharp as a knife: "Gossip? Are you afraid of being gossiped about? Yes, the things you have done are too dirty to even mention."
Prince Fu saw that the couple was about to quarrel again and said quickly, "It's almost time, let's go."
At that time, he was only concerned with putting out the fire and forgot to ask a few more questions. Although Zhao Tingluo often went to the palace before, whenever the whole family needed to attend festivals and holidays, Zhao Tingluo would come back early and follow behind his grandfather and father.
This time, something was wrong with Zhao Tingluo.
But it was too late. There was no time to say anything. Prince Fu watched Zhao Tingluo holding the little baby and walking in front of the queen.
Prince Fu clenched his hands quietly under his robe sleeves. He had a bad feeling.
At this time, Zhao Tingluo was already standing in front of the emperor and empress, holding Xiaobao tightly in one of his hands.
The queen herself had no son, and she particularly liked this child who had been raised in the palace since childhood, especially since Zhao Tingluo was about the same age as the fourth princess. If Zhao Tingluo was not the eldest grandson of Prince Fu's Mansion, the queen would have wanted to adopt him.
"Xiao Luo, whose child is this?"
The queen's eyes fell on the little baby. This child was born so well, white, chubby, and cute. Especially after she saw those fat babies pulling red silk, she saw another one in the blink of an eye. This one was closer and she could see it more clearly. It looked more blessed than those fat babies practicing juggling.
"Empress, can you guess who he is?" Zhao Tingluo smiled and looked at Emperor Yongjia. "Uncle Emperor, today is the Lantern Festival, and there are many people guessing lantern riddles outside. Just think of this as Xiaoluo's riddle. If Your Majesty guesses it correctly, will you give Xiaoluo a prize?"
Emperor Yongjia was in a good mood, and the two handsome children in front of him also made him happier.
"Why, I guessed it right, and I'm giving you a prize? Shouldn't you give me a prize?"
Zhao Tingluo chuckled: "I would like to give it to you, but I can't afford it. The whole world belongs to you, and Xiaoluo's blessings are also given by you, so you should give it to Xiaoluo. Please have pity on Xiaoluo and give me a reward for guessing the riddle."
Emperor Yongjia was amused and said to the empress, "Who did he learn this smooth talk from?"
The Queen said angrily, "Isn't it because of your pampering, Your Majesty?"
Emperor Yongjia laughed heartily, and everyone else laughed along. Prince Lu looked at Prince Fu standing beside him. He thought his brother was not a good brother, as he would let his grandson show off in front of the emperor.
Zhao Tingluo continued, "Uncle Emperor, who will guess first, you or the Empress?"
The Queen laughed and said, "Of course the Emperor guessed first."
Emperor Yongjia's gaze fell on the face of the little kid. He had been the emperor for ten years and had accumulated great prestige. If the ministers had been looked at by him like this, they would have been frightened and trembling all over. However, the little kid in front of him was not afraid at all. Instead, he puffed out his chest.
Emperor Yongjia suddenly felt that the little baby looked familiar. He looked at Zhao Tingluo standing beside him and was shocked to find that the two people had exactly the same eyebrows and eyes, except that Zhao Tingluo had grown a little taller.
He suddenly thought of the past event, when a child was lost in Prince Fu's Mansion!
The child was found?
He still remembered that Prince Fu's Mansion had once found a child, but later confirmed that it was the wrong child.
Although Prince Fu's Mansion suppressed the matter, the Imperial Guards secretly investigated and found that the fake child was actually the concubine's son of Prince Fu's son.
Although this was a scandal, it was not a big deal for the royal family.
Emperor Yongjia hoped that the descendants of Prince Fu, Prince Lu, and even the Eight Princes were all unlearned and useless, so he did not hold them accountable, but just made a note of it in his heart, which would serve as evidence when he demoted Prince Fu's Mansion in the future.
But the child in front of me looks about 60% similar to Zhao Tingluo, so it is most likely true.
But if it is true, shouldn’t Prince Fu’s Mansion notify the Ministry of Clan Affairs immediately?
He still remembered that the fake child was reported to the clan office as soon as it was found. It was the Crown Prince's wife who ran to the clan office's house and cried and made a fuss, and the matter was put on hold. Until the Prince Fu's Mansion sent the child out of the mansion, the child was not recorded in the clan genealogy.
A child who is not even recognized by his mother, the Crown Princess, can be reported to the clan office, so why is this child not reported to the clan office?
Emperor Yongjia's gaze fell on Zhao Tingluo's face again, and he saw a hint of pleading in the child's eyes.
Is this kid begging him?
He suddenly said, "Xiao Luo, I can't guess it. Can you solve the puzzle?"
Zhao Tingluo had already made preparations for both scenarios. Now that Emperor Yongjia asked him to speak, he would speak.
He pulled Xiaobao to his knees and said, "Uncle Emperor, Madam Queen, this is my brother, my dear brother!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the whole place fell silent!
Everyone present knew about the incident of the child being lost from Prince Fu's mansion. There were several versions of the truth about this incident in the capital. The most common one was that the wives and concubines were fighting, and the child was implicated.
Emperor Yongjia looked at Prince Fu and his son, "So the emperor's uncle has found his lost grandson."
Prince Fu was about to speak when his son, Prince Fu, spoke first: "Your Majesty, please don't be offended. These are just children playing tricks. I don't know where they found this child."
As he spoke, he glared at Zhao Tingluo: "You evil creature, don't you see where you are? How can I let you mess around? I'll punish you when I get back!"
Zhao Tingluo, however, seemed not to hear what he said. He turned to the Queen and said, "Your Majesty, I have the audacity to ask you for a favor."
The Queen frowned and asked, "What do you want from me?"
Zhao Tingluo pushed Xiaobao in front of him and said, "Empress, Xiaoluo wants to ask you to take my brother in, give him a place to stay, and protect him so that he can grow up safely."
The whole audience was in uproar!
The eldest grandson of the Prince Fu's Mansion asked the Queen to protect him. Is the Prince Fu's Mansion a den of tigers and wolves?
Prince Fu only felt his old face getting hot. He had no face in front of the emperor for many years. Everyone in the world knew that he was a ruffian prince. When he was young, he did all kinds of things to flaunt his wealth in front of the retired emperor. Later, when he was old, his family was not at peace. He made countless people laugh at him. But it was precisely because of these things that he was able to go through two dynasties safely.
He always thought that these were nothing in front of his head. Among his brothers, the only two still alive, besides the retired emperor, were him and Prince Lu.
It is precisely because they are the most incompetent that they can survive until now.
Those who were smart and capable were either killed by Empress Dowager Qi or by the retired emperor.
Therefore, he never took the ridicule from outside to heart. Those people were not born into the royal family, so they knew nothing!
But now, his grandson's words made him want to find a hole to crawl into.
The eldest grandson was raised in the palace, and now the second grandson is also going to be sent to the palace, and in the name of seeking asylum.
The magnificent Prince Fu’s Mansion cannot even accommodate two legitimate grandchildren!
He was about to kneel down and apologize when Prince Fu spoke again: "Empress, please don't listen to this rebellious son's nonsense. My whole family knows nothing about this, and we don't know where he found this wild child. Please have them kicked out quickly!"
The Queen's face darkened as she said calmly, "Is Prince Fu teaching me how to do things?"
The Queen has always been gentle and docile, and no one has ever heard her say anything harsh in public. However, what she said made a lot of sense. Yes, wasn't Prince Fu teaching the Queen how to do things?
What's more, the emperor is still there.
Sure enough, a hint of anger flashed in Emperor Yongjia's eyes, and he said to the empress: "Zi Tong, since Xiao Luo asked you for help, then this matter will be handled by you."
The queen said "yes" and waved to Xiaobao: "Come, come to me."
Xiaobao hesitated for a moment, but his brother gently held his hand and said, "Go ahead. The Queen is a good person."
Xiaobao got up from the ground and walked to the queen on his short legs. The queen stroked his head and asked, "What's your name?"
Xiaobao said, "My name used to be Ni Xiaobao, but my mother and brother said my last name was Zhao. Now I'm Zhao Xiaobao."
The tender and babyish voice made everyone feel soft inside.
Concubine Meng, who had remained silent the entire time, asked curiously, "Why is your surname Ni? Is the surname of the person who adopted you Ni?"
Xiaobao said: "My brother was picked up from the mud pond, so his surname is Ni. I was picked up by my brother, so I have the same surname as him."
Everyone was shocked. The brother Xiaobao was talking about was obviously not Zhao Tingluo, but the person who picked him up.
The Queen asked again, "You call that benefactor brother, so he's not that old, is he?"
Xiaobao nodded. "When my brother found Xiaobao, he was twelve years old. He heard from the aunt in the yard that someone wanted to buy Xiaobao, but my brother was reluctant to let him go. So he took Xiaobao to the door of a baby's house and kowtowed, begging the aunt to feed Xiaobao. That's how Xiaobao grew up."
Concubine Meng wiped her eyes with a handkerchief and said, "Alas, this poor thing! He is obviously a child of great wealth and status, yet he has suffered so much injustice. Fortunately, he is blessed. You were able to meet that benefactor. It must be the spirit of the great grandfather who appeared to bless his descendants."
Concubine Meng was the concubine of the retired emperor and the biological mother of Princess Jianing. She had no children and was very good at observing people's words and expressions. Princess Jianing followed her example and was also very capable in handling things. Therefore, the Queen entrusted her with the responsibility of organizing the Spring Banquet.
Although Concubine Meng did not give birth to a prince, both the former emperor and the current Emperor Yongjia valued her very much.
As soon as she opened her mouth, everyone understood that the royal family had acknowledged the child.
Prince Lu didn't even look at his elder brother and shouted, "Grandpa Taizu is wise!"
Everyone...
He usually only said four words, "Your Majesty is wise," but now it has changed to "Grandfather is wise," with one more word.
This kid is really proud to be able to make Prince Lu say one more word.
Although Emperor Yongjia said nothing, when Prince Lu said these five words, the corners of his mouth twitched involuntarily.
He said to Concubine Meng, "Does Concubine Meng also think that this child is of royal blood?"
Concubine Meng said, "My eyes are dim and I can't see anything else, but this child has a blessed face. He looks like Xiao Luo, just like they were cut from the same mold. Your Majesty, take a closer look. Don't they look a lot like Xiao Luo?"
Emperor Yongjia nodded: "Yes, there is some resemblance."
Prince Fu was anxious when he heard this. He couldn't wait to speak, and Prince Fu couldn't stop him: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, please don't be deceived by this rebellious son. I didn't even know about this. Oh, it was the Crown Prince's Consort, that bitch, who instigated that rebellious son to find this bastard from somewhere and confuse the royal bloodline. They hid it from me because they knew I would never recognize this bastard, so they..."
Prince Fu wanted to cover the mouth of this rebellious son, but at this moment, a clear voice rang out: "Father, are you talking about me when you say rebellious son?
As the saying goes, even a tiger won't eat its own cubs, but not only do you throw dirty water on me, you also refuse to acknowledge me as your brother. Do you hope to call a horse a zebra again and use that illegitimate child raised in the farm to pretend to be my real brother?
When my brother was lost, not only did you not go to look for him, you couldn't wait to bring the illegitimate child home and forced my mother to recognize him.
My mother refused to acknowledge you, so you threatened my life. My grandparents became ill from your anger, and my mother was almost driven to death by you.
I thought that if I found my brother, you would stop worrying about my grandparents and let them enjoy their retirement. You would be nicer to my mother and me, so that we wouldn't have to live in fear day and night. I thought...
After all, I was too naive. It turns out that even if my younger brother was found, you would not recognize him. It turns out that the one you wanted to inherit the Prince Fu's Mansion was not me, the eldest son, nor my younger brother who was lost and found again, but your illegitimate son.
If it was just a child born out of wedlock, it would be fine, but the mother of that child born out of wedlock is the sister of the murderer who killed my brother!
Father, would you be happy if all three of us, mother and son, died?"
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