Chapter 317 Brother and Sister Reunited
Song Zhao put down his bowl and chopsticks, his eyes trembling as he blurted out,
"What?"
Xiao Jingyan held his chin and looked at Song Zhao for a while with a scrutinizing gaze, then nodded firmly and said:
"Well, he even leaked his mouth while eating. Obviously, he kissed me."
As he said this, he smiled and pointed to the corner of his lips.
Song Zhao understood, and touched his lips with his fingertips, removing a few grains of glutinous rice that had been stuck to his lips when he was wolfing down the food, and asked again:
"Don't play dumb with me now. You are the sixth son of the late emperor, and your birth mother is the most favored concubine in the six palaces, Jing Gui Consort. What connection can there be between you and me?"
Xiao Jingyan said, "I originally planned to keep this matter to myself. After all, if one more person knows about it, my mother and I will be in more danger. But if you think about it carefully, you and I are grasshoppers tied to the same rope. If anyone lets the secret go, neither of us will survive."
He clapped his hands and leaned back against the corner of the table in a casual manner.
But just as he was about to show his romantic momentum, the light, rotten wooden table slid mercilessly to the corner, causing him to stagger.
He was so funny that Song Zhao smiled for the first time in these days.
"Don't laugh!"
Xiao Jingyan raised his voice softly, straightened his clothes, and said seriously:
"You are right. You and I should have no intersection. But our father... No, it should be said that he is our common enemy. He ruined your first half of life and also buried my mother's second half of life."
When Song Zhao heard this news, it was like thunder rolling down his face.
She was so shocked that her scalp went numb and she was so stunned that she stumbled over her words.
"Concubine Jinggui... and my father?"
Xiao Jingyan was silent for a while, not knowing what he was thinking about. He suddenly shook his head in disappointment, and finally put aside the embarrassing past buried in his heart with a smile, and slowly said to Song Zhao:
"In the 24th year of Qianyuan, when the late emperor made his third tour to Jiangnan, the old Duke of the Protectorate...your grandfather accompanied him on the trip. At the same time, Song Shicheng also went with him."
This is normal. After all, Song Zhao's grandfather was a founding hero of the Qi Dynasty. If his grandfather had not made great contributions during the time of the previous emperor, the previous emperor would not have allowed the title of Duke of Protectorate to be inherited for three generations, allowing Song Shicheng, a useless waste who is neither good-looking nor capable, to take advantage of the ready-made title.
But what Xiao Jingyan said later was enough to make Song Zhao shocked.
He continued, "During the southern tour to Lin'an, the late emperor summoned mother to take a night cruise on the West Lake. Mother arrived half an hour late because Princess Jiayi was suffering from vomiting and diarrhea due to unfamiliarity with the local climate. When she arrived, she learned that the late emperor was tied up by state affairs and did not go. Mother was ready to get off the boat at that time, but she ran into that drunk bastard!"
At this point, Xiao Jingyan's emotions became obviously excited.
There was murderous hatred in his eyes, his hands were clenched tightly, and the veins on the back of his hands were clearly visible.
"Song Shicheng was in charge of the security arrangements for the late emperor at that time. He had originally summoned prostitutes that night in order to please and flatter the late emperor. But since the late emperor did not come, they drank and enjoyed themselves. And because he was drunk, he mistook his mother, who was wearing ordinary clothes, for a prostitute and had sex with her...
All the guards on the ship were sent away that day. My mother could not struggle, nor did she dare to shout. This matter affected the reputation of the royal family. If it got out of hand, not only would that bastard be implicated, but my mother and her family would also be implicated. Afterwards, when Song Shicheng sobered up, he realized that he had made a big mistake, and agreed with my mother to keep the matter a secret for the sake of the livelihood of both families..."
As Song Zhao heard his voice gradually weakening, her heart tightened as well.
She knew that if she continued to talk about this, it would be like asking Xiao Jingyan to expose his own scars, which was very cruel.
So he added a cup of warm water and handed it to Xiao Jingyan, comforting him in a gentle voice,
"That evil man is now dead. This is his retribution."
However, although Song Zhao did not ask any further questions, he was still confused.
After all, everyone in the palace knew that Concubine Jinggui was once very favored. When the late emperor was in power, Concubine Jinggui was favored even more than Ning Wanshuang before.
Moreover, if Xiao Jingyan was really the son of Concubine Jinggui and Song Shicheng, it would not be appropriate for the sun to be a little bit off at that time.
Therefore, the fact that this matter could be concealed for so many years must be that the time when Concubine Jinggui was pregnant was very close to the time when she slept with the late emperor.
But if that were the case, how could Concubine Jinggui be sure that Xiao Jingyan was the nemesis of her and Song Shicheng, and not the bloodline of the late emperor?
After all, they are brothers and sisters alone, and perhaps they are also connected in spirit.
Xiao Jingyan only took one look at Song Zhao and knew why she was confused, so he told her everything without hiding anything.
"One month after that incident, my mother became pregnant. She didn't know whether I was the late emperor's or... I lived in confusion and no one doubted my identity. It was not until two years later that you were born into the Duke of the Protectorate's Mansion. Did your mother ever tell you how dangerous your birth was?"
Song Zhao nodded slightly and recalled: "My mother told me that I was born in May, which was the late spring in Kyoto that year, and the peach blossoms had not yet bloomed. The Duke of Huguo's mansion originally planted many peach blossoms for decoration, but I was born with an insatiable dislike for peach blossoms, so as soon as I was born and smelled the pollen, I became ill and almost died young."
Xiao Jingyan said: "This matter was reported to the palace, and the late emperor even sent a royal doctor out of the palace to treat you, which saved your life. Later, when the ladies of state came to the court, all the concubines in the palace knew about this matter.
My mother only heard the news and didn't take it seriously. My mother never liked to play with flowers and plants, and I was raised by her since I was a child. There were not many places to plant peach trees in the palace, so I didn't come into contact with peach blossoms when I was young.
However, the following year, when my mother took me to the palace of Concubine Yu to have fun with Prince Rui, we passed by the Locust Gate. There was a peach tree planted by the late emperor for Concubine Yu. I just passed by and my breathing became rapid and a rash broke out on my face, which led to the symptoms of incompatibility. "
Song Zhao's heart skipped a beat. "Are you also dissatisfied with Tao Hua?"
Xiao Jingyan responded in a muffled voice, "My mother was panicked at the time and didn't call in the imperial physician. She locked me up in the palace and treated me with folk remedies. Fortunately, I was always strong and recovered in a few days. Later, my mother privately asked someone to consult several famous doctors outside the palace, and only then did they know that my illness of not obeying the rules was also brought from Song Shicheng."
"From him?" Song Zhao couldn't help but ask, "But I've lived and eaten with him for so many years, why haven't I seen him be dissatisfied with peach blossoms?"
Xiao Jingyan said: "This is a weakness brought by the father. He is in a yin state, so he will not have an attack and is no different from ordinary people, but he will pass the disease on to his offspring. So you have it, I have it, but Song Yue doesn't. And the doctor also said clearly that if both parents do not have this hidden disease, then the child born will most likely be safe.
After repeated verification, my mother finally confirmed my background in grief. So since I was young, my mother told me to keep my illness a secret and not let anyone know...”
【Third update】
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