In the Great Qi Dynasty, the only way to verify blood relations was through a blood test.
The Empress Dowager pulled a gold hairpin from her hair, closed her eyes, and pricked her finger.
Two drops of blood were dropped into clear water.
Yin Cai watched from the side, trembling with fear.
He had absolutely no idea what was going to happen.
At this moment, the Empress Dowager said to him, "Give me your hand."
Yin Cai's face turned pale. He wanted to escape, but he couldn't.
Suddenly, the Empress Dowager grabbed his hand and said stiffly, "Don't move!"
My finger hurt, and I got a cut.
Yin Cai hissed in pain, "It hurts..."
"Bear with it, it will stop hurting soon." The Empress Dowager took his hand to the edge of the bowl and squeezed it.
A drop of blood, dropped into clear water, spreads out.
The Empress Dowager released Yin Cai, threw away the gold hairpin, and stared intently at the blood in the bowl without even blinking.
Just like the Empress Dowager, Yuan Yao didn't even blink.
This was the first time Yuan Yao had ever seen a method of family recognition in her life.
Although she had seen it countless times on television, she was still somewhat surprised when she saw it in person.
Can a drop of blood really test for kinship?
The bright red blood, which was initially spread out in the clear water, miraculously began to gradually gather and merge together...
The Empress Dowager stared at the blood in the bowl: "How could this be? How could this be..."
Even Yin Cai was so shocked that he trembled all over: "What...does this mean?"
Although he had never been to school and knew nothing.
However, he had only heard about blood kinship testing from storytellers.
His blood had actually mingled with the Empress Dowager's blood...?
Yin Cai, his face deathly pale, looked at the Empress Dowager: "You...you are my mother?"
The Ninth Prince curled his lips, his tone icy: "If she's not your mother, then could she be your father?"
"Mother?" Yin Cai stammered as he looked at the Empress Dowager with disbelief on his face.
"Smack!"
After the loud slap, the Empress Dowager's hand was raised in mid-air.
Tears welled in her eyes, and she said to Yin Cai with uncontrollable rage, "How dare you! I am the Empress Dowager!"
My child died more than a decade ago!
"I am not your mother, I am not!"
Yin Cai's eyes glazed over from the beating, and two lines of tears slid down his cheeks: "Mother, why did you hit me?"
His voice, which was already somewhat hoarse due to puberty, became even hoarser at this moment, making him sound particularly pitiful.
The Empress Dowager bit her lip, tears streaming down her face: "No...it's impossible, your mother isn't me..."
"Self-deception!" the Ninth Prince scoffed.
At this moment, the emperor spoke up: "Since the Empress Dowager has already seen the person, take him away."
Are you leaving already?
Yin Cai was pale and his face was covered in tears. He grabbed the Empress Dowager's hand and asked, "Are you really my mother?"
Ah Cai has been searching for his mother all these years. Mother, please don't abandon Ah Cai!
Please, Mother, don't abandon Ah Cai..."
Seeing Yin Cai shed tears, the Empress Dowager also shed tears.
Her gaze fell on her wrist.
The hands that were holding hers were thin and yellowish, with calluses on their fingers and palms.
Her hands were well-maintained, delicate and smooth...
Look at that face again.
He's just a teenager, someone who should be pampered by his parents, but what about him? He's tanned dark and has a sallow complexion; it's obvious he hasn't eaten properly.
Clothes too...
Yin Cai's clothes were made of coarse linen, and they rubbed against her wrists, quickly turning her skin red.
He was clearly a child, but his hair was even worse than hers, without a trace of luster...
The Empress Dowager closed her eyes and two lines of tears flowed down her cheeks.
After a long while, she looked at the Ninth Prince and asked, "Is this child the birthday gift you gave me?"
The Ninth Prince did not deny it, and asked, "Does the Empress Dowager still like it?"
The Empress Dowager picked up a handkerchief and wiped away Yin Cai's tears. Then, she looked at the Ninth Prince and said, "Keep him by my side for three days. After three days, whatever you want, I will give it to you."
The Ninth Prince raised the corner of his lips slightly: "In that case, my men will come to pick him up in three days."
In the coming days, the Empress Dowager must remember her identity as the Empress Dowager of the Great Qi Dynasty and refrain from doing anything inappropriate.
The Empress Dowager said with restraint, "I...understand."
The Ninth Prince nodded, then carried Yuan Yao out of Huining Palace.
By this time, the downpour had stopped.
Night falls and the palace lanterns are lit.
The misty steam diffused the dim yellow light, making the entire palace seem draped in a thin veil, hazy and mysterious, lonely yet beautiful.
The emperor followed behind the Ninth Prince, looking at the father and daughter in front of him, and felt a strange pang of sadness.
He really envied Yuan Yao!
Wherever A Yuan went, he held Yuan Yao in his arms, as if afraid that she would get tired after walking a few steps.
Moreover, when A Yuan spoke to Yuan Yao, his tone was incredibly gentle.
The moment you start talking to him, you immediately become unfriendly and speak in a cold tone...
"A-Yuan," the emperor couldn't help but say.
"Hmm?" The Ninth Prince responded without stopping.
His voice was extremely flat and devoid of emotion.
The emperor was delighted to hear this.
Ah Yuan wasn't actually that cold to him!
The emperor was greatly encouraged and quickened his pace, walking shoulder to shoulder with the Ninth Prince: "A-Yuan, is the flood in Huai River City very serious?"
"Hmm," the Ninth Prince replied.
The emperor pressed on: "Are you having a hard time over there?"
Hard?
Oh……
The Ninth Prince paused, stopped, and looked at the Emperor in the dim light: "What do you think?"
The emperor choked.
By the light, he could see that A Yuan's eyes were bloodshot and there were deep bruises under his eyelids...
The emperor felt a pang of sympathy.
He said awkwardly, "I...you've had a hard time all these years."
"Since you find me too tired, then take care of the affairs in the palace and don't bother me for the next few days."
The Ninth Prince uttered a single sentence, then picked up Yuan Yao and strode forward.
Yuan Yao nestled in the arms of the Ninth Prince, resting her chin on his shoulder, and looked back.
The emperor looked troubled.
When she looked over, the emperor glared at her.
Yuan Yao: "?"
Why did the emperor suddenly glare at her?
Originally, she was going to give him a day off!
Since he dares to glare at her, then he can forget about taking a break!
Yuan Yao said to the emperor, "Your Majesty, you ate and drank a lot today. You must exercise tonight to make up for what you ate and drank!"
What?
The emperor glanced at his stomach: "I didn't eat much!"
"Your Majesty is lying!" Yuan Yao said in a childish voice, "Yao'er doesn't care, Your Majesty must practice for a full hour today!"
"You little brat..." The emperor gritted his teeth in anger.
He finally thought he could take advantage of the Empress Dowager's birthday to skip a day of exercise.
Unexpectedly, Yuan Yao still remembers!
unwise!
He shouldn't have followed A Yuan all the way here...
At this moment, the Ninth Prince asked, "What should we practice?"
He even stopped and turned to look at the emperor.
The emperor was originally like a wilted eggplant, completely listless.
Upon hearing the question from the Ninth Prince, he immediately perked up and replied, "Yuan Yao thinks I'm ugly and makes me lose weight and take care of my skin. It's exhausting..."
His tone carried a hint of grievance.
Yuan Yao: "???"
Your Majesty, your tone sounds so much like Jiang Lanyue's!
Weight loss? Skincare?
The Ninth Prince raised an eyebrow slightly.
No wonder, when he saw the emperor today, he vaguely felt that the emperor had changed a lot.
So, it was his son's encouragement that made it happen?
At this moment, the emperor leaned closer, his tone slightly ingratiating: "A-Yuan, do you think I've become a little more handsome?"
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