Chapter 727 His Highness the Eldest Grandson (Second Update)
After leaving the Qilin Palace, the king went to find the young princess, while the crown prince bid farewell to the king and boarded the carriage to return to his residence.
Only after the carriage had traveled a considerable distance from the Imperial Preceptor's Hall did he change his impulsive and easily angered expression, becoming serious and reserved.
The carriage traveled along the wide street.
He spoke in a deep voice: "Do you know who I just saw in the Imperial Preceptor's Hall?"
Sitting on the bench beside him was a man dressed in the official robes of the Commandant's Office. His surname was Shao, and his given name was Xueyi. He held the position of Commandant of the Imperial Carriages, in charge of all the carriages and ceremonial guards of the Great Yan Imperial Palace.
The authority of the various captains was not static and sometimes overlapped with each other.
Shao Xueyi was once in charge of investigating the assassination attempt on the Crown Prince's residence.
Everyone thought he was a confidant of the Wang family, but little did they know that he had already been used by the Crown Prince. He had even accompanied the Crown Prince on a private trip to Tianqiong Academy to watch a polo match.
"Who did Your Highness see?" Shao Xueyi asked.
The Crown Prince said, "I have seen the eldest grandson of the Emperor."
"The eldest grandson of the emperor has returned to Shengdu?" Shao Xueyi exclaimed in surprise.
The Crown Prince smiled faintly: "Surprised? I haven't received a single word from him. I suspect he's not the real Shangguan Qing, but Xiao Heng."
Shao Xueyi asked, "That... Xiao Liulang?"
The crown prince nodded: "It is him."
As a confidant of the Crown Prince, Shao Xueyi naturally knew that Xiao Heng had arrived in Shengdu. He asked, "Did he reveal his true identity, or is he impersonating Shangguan Qing?"
"Impersonating Shangguan Qing," the Crown Prince said, frowning slightly. "I'm not sure either."
Shao Xueyi looked at the Crown Prince with a puzzled expression: "What is Your Highness unsure about?"
The Crown Prince sighed, "I'm not sure if that person is Xiao Heng or Shangguan Qing. They look so alike, almost identical, that I can't tell them apart."
The Crown Prince had not seen Shangguan Qing for more than ten years. He only took a peek near the Imperial Preceptor's Hall when Shangguan Qing returned to Shengdu, or looked at his portrait. He did not know much about the grown-up Shangguan Qing and could not distinguish them from their behavior and voice.
The Crown Prince said, "Even my father couldn't recognize it, let alone me."
Shao Xueyi said, "This is the brilliance of the deposed crown princess. She kept Shangguan Qing away from Shengdu and prevented him from associating with anyone, thus minimizing any distinguishing features other than his appearance. Once Shangguan Qing passed away, she could bring Xiao Heng back to her side, and no one would know that it was a different person."
The Crown Prince paused for a moment and said, "Although there are rumors among the people that Father Emperor dotes on Shangguan Qing only because he is dying, what if the eldest grandson's 'illness' is cured and Father Emperor still loves him so much? I cannot gamble on that 'what if'."
Shao Xueyi said, "That's right. The king is getting old and is less ruthless than he was when he was young. He killed Empress Xuanyuan's entire family, and it's hard to guarantee that he won't make up for his guilt on Empress Xuanyuan's descendants in his old age."
The Crown Prince's eyes flashed with a sharp light: "Therefore, Xiao Heng must die!"
Once Xiao Heng dies, Shangguan Yan will inevitably not survive either.
After a moment of contemplation, Shao Xueyi said, "Actually, it's not difficult to identify whether the other party is Xiao Heng. There are two people who have definitely dealt with Shangguan Qing."
The crown prince thought for a moment: "You mean the Imperial Advisor? He might not help me. That guy is impervious to persuasion and won't be won over by any force."
Shao Xueyi thought to himself, "That's because no force can be above the Imperial Preceptor's Hall. To put it bluntly, no one is qualified to win him over."
The Crown Prince shook his head: "Besides, he only sees Shangguan Qing once every two years, so he can't be said to know him very well. As for the subtle difference in his voice, it can be said that his voice has changed."
Xiao Heng is a man. Could his voice in his youth be the same as it is now?
Shao Xueyi then added, implying something else: "Has Your Highness forgotten there's another person?"
Crown Prince: "Who?"
Shao Xueyi: "Wang Xu".
The Crown Prince was slightly taken aback: "Him?"
“He guarded the imperial mausoleum for several years and personally taught Shangguan Qing martial arts. If anyone can distinguish the real Shangguan Qing from the fake, he is one of them!” Shao Xueyi said. “His Majesty hates being deceived the most. If the person Your Highness saw today is indeed Xiao Heng, then Xiao Heng has committed the crime of deceiving the emperor.”
“You’re right,” the Crown Prince agreed wholeheartedly. “There’s just one thing I don’t understand: why didn’t Xiao Heng directly acknowledge the King as his father, but instead chose to use Shangguan Qing’s identity?”
Shao Xueyi said, "Because using Shangguan Qing's identity would be much simpler."
If Xiao Heng were to use his own identity, it would involve questions such as who Shangguan Qing is, what the Crown Princess's intentions are, and how much deception the King has suffered over the years.
The Crown Princess could certainly say that she did this because someone wanted to harm Xiao Heng, but the problem is that she has no evidence whatsoever. Without proof, would the King believe her?
Given the ruler's suspicious nature, he would only assume that the mother and son were plotting something behind the scenes.
Therefore, to be on the safe side, it would be most prudent for Xiao Heng to directly transform into Shangguan Qing.
Not only would they avoid any unnecessary complications, but they would also receive all the king's favor.
Another point is that Shao Xueyi vaguely felt that Xiao Heng might not want to become a member of the Great Yan royal family. If he used Shangguan Qing's identity, he could leave without any burden after the mission was accomplished.
But Shao Xueyi quickly dismissed this guess.
That is the eldest grandson of the emperor of the most powerful nation. Who wouldn't want such a status?
I shouldn't overestimate Xiao Heng's character. He's not that indifferent to fame and fortune; everything he does is just a matter of weighing the pros and cons.
The Crown Prince was at a loss: "What you said is all correct, but what if he really is Shangguan Qing?"
Shao Xueyi sneered: "That makes things even easier. Exposing Shangguan Qing is much easier than exposing Xiao Heng. We didn't expose him before because it wasn't necessary. Anyway, Shangguan Qing won't live long, and he hasn't caused any trouble in Shengdu. As long as he stays quietly in the imperial mausoleum, we can pretend he doesn't exist. We've always wanted to get rid of Xiao Heng. But if... Shangguan Qing is fearless enough to come to Shengdu and cause trouble, then don't blame us for being impolite!"
The Crown Prince smiled approvingly: "I really can't live without you by my side."
Shao Xueyi cupped his hands in greeting: "Your Highness is too kind."
How could the Crown Prince not understand these principles? They were merely being spoken through his mouth.
The crown prince may seem innocent, but he is actually more cunning than anyone else.
The Crown Prince said, "There is another problem. The Wang family is only loyal to my father, the Emperor. I want to ask Wang Xu to serve me, but I'm afraid he won't agree."
Shao Xueyi smiled and said, "Your Highness can simply cater to his preferences. I heard that Wang Xu has taken a fancy to an antique, which is currently in the hands of the Han family patriarch."
The Crown Prince laughed and said, "If it's in my uncle's hands, then things will be much easier."
...
In the Imperial Preceptor's Hall, in the ward of the Qilin Hall, Xiao Heng took out Shangguan Qing's portrait again and examined it carefully.
Gu Chengfeng used his lightness skill to enter the courtyard, pulled the window to its maximum, and climbed in through the windowsill.
"How's it going? Hopefully, nothing's been exposed?"
“No,” Xiao Heng said.
Gu Chengfeng sat down next to Xiao Heng, looked at the unconscious Shangguan Yan, then at the sleeping Gu Jiao, and reached out his hand to Xiao Heng.
Xiao Heng gave him a strange look: "What?"
Gu Chengfeng raised his hand: "Two taels of silver. Did I buy your clothes for free? One tael of silver is for the clothes, and one tael of silver is for travel expenses. Don't you think about how much credit this outfit has given you for your success? Clothes make the man, and gold makes the Buddha. You're a performer today, and without this costume, you can't even set up your stage! Do you know how difficult it is to find clothes that resemble those in the portrait?"
Xiao Heng said, "I don't have any money on me. I'll have Jiaojiao give it to you when she wakes up."
Gu Chengfeng choked: "Then, then forget it."
Making that girl hand over her money is practically asking her to die! He'd be lucky if he didn't end up emptying his own pocket.
Gu Chengfeng's gaze fell on the portrait: "Is the person in this portrait really the eldest grandson of the emperor? The more I look at him, the more he looks like you? You two aren't twins, are you?"
“No,” Xiao Heng said.
"How do you know it isn't?" Gu Chengfeng asked.
“Our birth dates are different; his birth date is about ten days earlier than mine.” He had asked Ye Qing in the library.
Gu Chengfeng said, "Birthdates can be faked. Isn't Prince Ming the same age as Shangguan Qing? I guess, is it just a few days older that would allow him to surpass Prince Ming and become the eldest grandson of the emperor?"
Xiao Heng looked confused: "Is that so?"
"Hmm!" Gu Chengfeng even believed himself.
"Let's not worry about that for now." Once Shangguan Yan wakes up, the truth will come out. Right now, there are more important things for them to do.
Xiao Heng said, "There is one person who might see through my disguise as Shangguan Qing."
Gu Chengfeng paused in his tea-pouring motion: "Who?"
Xiao Heng glanced at a green leaf on a tree branch outside the window, his eyes turning cold as he said, "Commander Guan, Wang Xu."
(End of this chapter)
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