Chapter 297: Revealed
Zhao Yi had a premonition that the truth his mother would bring would disrupt his peaceful life, and he was not looking forward to hearing this truth.
The eldest lady sensed Zhao Yi's thoughts, a very subtle connection, like a mother-son bond.
Thinking of this, her heart became more and more aching, as if she was holding his hand gently when he was a child and learning to walk.
"Yier, you are not your parents' biological son." The eldest lady's eyes moistened as she spoke, looking at Zhao Yi with blurry vision. "Your biological mother was Princess Yizhen. She passed away when you were only six months old. The emperor brought you back from Northern Qi and gave you to us to raise."
Zhao Yi was shocked. He had a bad feeling in his heart from the moment his mother stepped into Lanxue Garden.
But when he heard the truth from his mother's mouth, he still couldn't believe it.
He has been weak and sickly since childhood, and he is sick for ten months out of the twelve months in a year.
His mother took care of him every moment. Every time he opened his eyes from his sleep, he could see his mother standing by the bed, looking at him absent-mindedly.
When she saw him wake up, his mother would smile with surprise, kiss his face, and hold him carefully, as if she was holding a lost treasure.
For many days and nights, he suffered from illness, and his parents were also in torment.
They poured all their efforts and love into him, taking care of him meticulously, obeying his wishes in everything, and considering him in everything.
It is hard to imagine that such parents are not his biological parents.
"Mother, the truth is not important." Zhao Yi clenched his fists and said in a hoarse voice: "I only know that you are my parents."
He didn't know much about Princess Yizhen. He only knew that she was a hostage in Northern Qi and died of illness in Northern Qi more than 20 years ago.
In Zhao Yi's view, his biological mother gave him life, went through hardships, and brought him into this world. This grace of giving birth cannot be forgotten.
His father and mother raised him and gave him a second life, and their kindness is as heavy as a mountain.
"I'm luckier than others," Zhao Yi whispered. "I have one more mother and one more love than them."
When the eldest lady heard what Zhao Yi said, a bitterness in her heart surged to her eyes and she turned her head away.
That year she gave birth to a son, who contracted smallpox when he was one year old.
The condition was so serious that even the imperial physician was helpless. There was no medicine that could cure it, and the child was the only one who could help him get through it.
The child's body was covered with rashes. He cried loudly in pain and couldn't eat anything. He could only take a bite or two, but he would vomit it all out in a few moments.
In just a few days, the child could not even cry and could only make occasional humming sounds.
She was heartbroken and tried her best to save this little life. After hearing that there was a doctor in Wen County who was a master in treating smallpox, she took her child to Wen County without stopping.
The child was gone when the carriage entered the gate of Wen County.
She could not bear the pain of losing her son and fell ill in Wen County. Her husband was worried about her and wrote a letter to the Duke.
The Duke brought a thin child to Wen County to find them, wanting to use this child to fill the pain of losing their son.
This child is Zhao Yi.
She had just lost her own son at that time and was unwilling to raise someone else's child until the child called her "Mom" like a cat.
Her heart was touched softly, and she finally looked at Zhao Yi straight in the eye.
He was thin and small, and looked frail. She seemed to see the shadow of her son, so she raised him by her side.
He was over one year old at that time, and could only call for his mother but could not walk.
The Duke said, "He lost his mother when he was only six months old, and he has half the blood of the royal family of the Great Zhou Dynasty. The palace servants who serve him are not very dedicated. They lock him in a cage and give him only a bite to eat."
As a mother herself, she hated to see children suffer. Zhao Yi's experience made her feel pity for him.
They gave him a new name, Yi, which means longevity.
Because the life span of 100 years means a long life.
They hoped he would live a long life.
She taught him to speak, to walk, to learn to read, to feed himself, etc. What surprised her was that he learned very quickly and could master some things as soon as he was taught.
Every little detail of the mother and son's daily interactions has long been ingrained in her life.
The eldest master looked at the eldest lady, who tilted her head to wipe her tears, and handed her a handkerchief.
At that time, the eldest lady fell ill and was unable to recover.
Zhao Yi's arrival healed their pain of losing their son.
The eldest lady once said, "Yier lost her mother, and I lost my own son. God took pity on us, as we were pitiful people, and sent Yier to me, so that we could become mother and son."
Now that the truth has been revealed, it means that their son will leave them again.
Even so, the eldest master still said without hiding anything: "Yier, we don't know much about your biological mother."
"I only know that she was with the former Crown Prince, who is now the Emperor of Northern Qi, and that's when you were born."
"Because Princess Yizhen is a daughter of the royal family of the Great Zhou Dynasty and was held hostage in Northern Qi, the Northern Qi Emperor did not give you the title of biological mother. Your biological mother is gone, and the Northern Qi Emperor did not treat you well."
"The Emperor brought you back to Da Zhou and placed you in the Duke's Mansion to better protect you."
Because Zhao Yi's background was not public, he could not be raised by Emperor Jing'an as the son of Princess Yizhen.
The reason why they knew Zhao Yi's life experience very well was because Emperor Jing'an sent the Duke to Northern Qi and brought Zhao Yi back to the country.
Zhao Yi knew that he was Princess Yizhen's son, so he accepted it naturally.
Because of Emperor Jing'an's unusual favoritism towards him, if he was not Empress Yuanrong's nephew, then the only explanation would be that he was Emperor Jing'an's nephew.
But he never imagined that he was actually the son of the Emperor of Northern Qi.
The blood of the royal families of two countries flows in his body. Whether in the Great Zhou or in the Northern Qi, he is a person that makes the court officials uneasy.
No wonder Emperor Jing'an wanted to foster him in the Duke's Mansion to hide his background.
It is precisely because of this that Emperor Jing'an's trust and love for him are further reflected.
"Only the Emperor, your grandparents, your mother, and I know your origins," the elder master said solemnly. "Those of us who know your origins cannot reveal them. I suspect it was the Northern Qi who did it."
The reason they chose to confess to Zhao Yi was because they were afraid that Zhao Yi would not know the truth and would be plotted against by Northern Qi.
The Northern Qi felt confident in dealing with the Great Zhou, probably because they knew Zhao Yi's background.
Zhao Yi's brows were heavy, "Father, I understand."
The eldest master and the eldest lady knew that Zhao Yi was an intelligent man, and after their advice, he would definitely be on guard against Northern Qi.
The eldest lady looked at the overly quiet Shen Qingtan and said quickly, "Yier, talk to Tan'er. Your father and I will go to discuss this with your grandfather."
After saying this, the eldest lady and the eldest master left Lanxue Garden.
Suddenly, only Zhao Yi and Shen Qingtan were left in the room.
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