Chapter 85 Things Don't Go As Planned As soon as he said that…
As soon as he said this, no one dared to run away anymore, and they all rushed up after their master with great effort.
Without the wise king's skills, these people were no match for Jiang Qu and his group.
Before they even got halfway there, they were all killed.
King Xian, under the siege of Jiang Qu and his men, was completely powerless to resist.
His hands and legs were covered in blood, and every step he took left a trail of blood on the ground, a horrifying sight.
Jiang Qu looked at Chen Gengnian and asked, "Your Highness, should I kill him or spare him? Please tell me."
Without hesitation, Chen Gengnian said, "This man is ruthless; keeping him alive will only bring disaster to the people..."
Swish—
Before Chen Gengnian could finish speaking, Jiang Qu's knife tip slashed across the Prince Xian's neck, and blood gushed out, splattering all over the ground.
"Even as a ghost... I... will not... let you go..."
No one paid attention to the wise king's words; demons would only fall into hell and wouldn't even have the right to curse.
Chen Gengnian only pulled Lin Qingan out from behind the rock after everyone had died.
Seeing the corpses scattered all over the ground, Chen Gengnian felt terrible and could only pray in his heart that his husband hadn't been frightened.
Chen Gengnian and Lin Qing'an were still in shock when the owner, along with his remaining group of people, surrounded them. Their actions left Chen Gengnian and Lin Qing'an bewildered, but the next second...
Without saying a word, the master stepped back two steps in front of Chen Gengnian, then led the group of men in black to bow in unison and shout, "Your subordinate Jiang Qu begs the Crown Prince and the Prince to return to the palace to take charge of the overall situation."
Both of them were startled by the scene and were about to ask Yang Ruo and Mo Xing, but when they turned around, the two siblings standing next to them had already joined the camp in front of them and bowed respectfully.
Chen Gengnian and Lin Qingan exchanged a glance, both puzzled by the word "Crown Prince," their confusion evident in each other's eyes.
Chen Gengnian paused for a moment before finding his voice and asking, "Crown Prince?"
He spread his hands and said, "Look carefully, where is the prince you're looking for?"
The host stood up and said with a smile, "You are the heir apparent, and the one you picked up is the current emperor's only child, the crown prince."
"What?" Chen Gengnian and Lin Qingan exclaimed in disbelief at the same time, then quickly realized what they meant and asked, "You mean Abao is the Crown Prince?"
Jiang Qu nodded and affirmed again, "Yes, he is the Emperor's only posthumous son, the current Crown Prince."
Chen Gengnian clearly hadn't grasped the meaning of Jiang Qu's words about a posthumous child, and was preoccupied with A Bao's identity, so he asked again, "Are you sure you haven't mistaken someone for someone else?"
Fearing that Chen Gengnian would ask again, the boss explained all the relationships clearly in one go.
Only then did Chen Gengnian realize that his father was actually a prince of the current dynasty, but had been demoted to a commoner.
The child he and Lin Qing'an picked up, A Bao, turned out to be the current emperor's child who had been switched at birth and left to wander the world.
In other words, he and Abao were cousins.
No wonder, Chen Gengnian suddenly remembered that Uncle Hu had said he and A Bao looked alike.
Over the years, all the help Jinyun Hotel has given him has come from his father's former friends and subordinates.
Chen Gengnian listened with growing disbelief. Although the so-called Third Imperial Uncle had already explained everything, he couldn't believe that one day he, a rough mountain man, would transform into a member of the royal family.
"This...this...I need to think about this carefully, I need to discuss it with my husband..."
Even the usually composed Chen Gengnian couldn't help but panic at this moment, shaking his hand and pulling his husband aside to discuss the matter.
Although what just happened was indeed somewhat unbelievable, considering his circumstances over the years and his interactions with Chen Gengnian, he had always felt that Chen Gengnian was definitely an extraordinary person, but he never expected that his identity was so great.
This is really dramatic.
Lin Qing'an sorted things out and asked:
"So, you and Abao are now the last bloodlines in this country besides the emperor?"
Chen Gengnian was startled and quickly lowered his voice, asking, "What do you mean?"
Seeing his cautious demeanor, Lin Qing'an knew he hadn't heard what his employer had just said, so he shook his head and explained, "Didn't they say that A Bao was a posthumous child? That proves the emperor is gone, and we need to find someone to go back and inherit the throne?"
Chen Gengnian's mouth dropped open in astonishment, his eyes darting around, looking both adorable and silly.
Lin Qingan reached out and closed his chin. "But I don't think this is that simple."
"They have power and influence, and they've won battles, so why don't they just rebel?"
Ah Meng's voice drifted over, startling the person from their dream.
"That's right! If they're so capable, why would they need the two of you who didn't help at all?" Lin Qing'an slapped his thigh. "There's only one truth..."
Chen Gengnian quickly regained his senses, his eyes darting around as if he had the same thought. The two of them exclaimed in unison, "Puppet!"
"I'm innocent!"
A mournful cry suddenly rang in the ears of the two men and the eagle, startling them so much that they took several steps back.
Lin Qing'an and Chen Gengnian looked over at the same time, only to see Jiang Qu scratching his head somewhat embarrassedly. He quickly explained, "Your Highness, things really aren't what you think. Prince Lin has no interest in the throne, which is why he sent people everywhere to search for you two. Now that the young crown prince has been found, even if he ascends the throne, it will definitely cause quite a stir. Important matters of the court will certainly be handled by the Regent first, and that position of Regent can be yours, Your Highness..."
“No need.” Chen Gengnian interrupted before he could finish speaking, “I have no interest in official positions, and besides, my father was demoted to a commoner, so I am not worthy of the title of regent.”
Chen Gengnian dismissed everything with a single sentence. Having known him for so many years, they knew his temperament. The group knelt down with a thud. Jiang Qu earnestly advised, "Your Highness, please help the young crown prince. After all, you are his closest confidant. If you are unwilling to go, he certainly won't be either. The longer the court is without a ruler, the more turbulent it becomes. The people have suffered greatly from war these past years. If we quell external rebellions only to have internal strife arise, what a miserable place that will be..."
Chen Gengnian was used to his boss's carefree attitude and sincerely treated him as an elder. Now, seeing this old man crying his eyes out in front of him, Chen Gengnian felt a mix of emotions.
"Prince Lin?" Lin Qing'an's clear voice suddenly rang out. He looked at Jiang Qu and asked, "Wasn't it said there were only three princes?"
Only after Lin Qingan asked him did Jiang Qu remember to explain.
"This Prince Lin was picked up by the late emperor when he went out of the palace to look for my prince. He looks somewhat like the prince, so he was brought back to the palace to be a comfort. Therefore, he cannot succeed to the throne because his bloodline is not pure."
Seeing that Chen Gengnian and Lin Qing'an still showed no intention of agreeing, Jiang Qu stopped pressing them and instead conceded, saying, "How about this, you two think it over first and give me your answer tomorrow. Everyone's tired, and some of the injured brothers need to recuperate, so Your Highness, what do you think..."
"Okay." Before Jiang Qu could finish speaking, Chen Gengnian readily agreed, saying, "Let's take everyone to where we're staying. There's food and drink there, it's quite convenient."
"Thank you, Your Highness!"
Jiang Qu only thanked him but did not fully agree.
Everyone bowed and thanked him in unison. Chen Gengnian was not used to this scene, so he said, "You don't need to call me that anymore. Just say that I met you by chance and that I will leave tomorrow. You must not reveal my identity to the other villagers."
"Yes, sir!"
Again, a chorus of replies.
Chen Gengnian didn't want to correct him anymore, so he pulled Lin Qingan along and led the way.
As they passed the thatched hut, Jiang Qu suddenly ordered everyone to stay there and wait, while he, Yang Ruo, and Mo Xing followed Chen Gengnian and the others to their residence on the back mountain.
At this moment, Chen Gengnian seemed to understand why the rice jar had suddenly been filled a few days ago. He glanced at Jiang Qu and asked, "This must be the first time the owner of this place has been a guest here, right?"
He asked tactfully, but everyone knew the truth. Jiang Qu cupped his hands and no longer concealed it, just chuckled a few times to get by, and then turned to Chen Gengnian and said, "Your Highness, I used to call myself the master because of my status, which was really out of necessity. Now that I have told you frankly that after we recognize each other, you can just call me by my name."
Jiang Qu spoke respectfully, but Chen Gengnian hesitated. He stepped forward, helped Jiang Qu up with both hands, and called out in a clear voice, "Uncle Jiang."
Jiang Qu looked up and met his gaze. Chen Gengnian continued with a smile in his eyes, "You deserve to be called Uncle Jiang. I am extremely grateful for your protection of me in secret all these years. You are my elder in both reason and word. Besides, my father is a commoner now, and so am I. So this identity is given to me by you. I have never acknowledged it. Let's talk about the future later!"
Jiang Qu's eyes were filled with tears as he stared blankly at Chen Gengnian's face for a moment, his emotions shifting in a complex way, and no one knew what he was thinking.
Lin Qing'an couldn't bear to see the injuries on those people, so he quietly took out some spiritual spring water and handed it to a man in black. "I added some medicinal herbs to this. It's good for the wounds. Give everyone a sip."
The man accepted the gift with both hands and said in a clear voice, "Thank you, Princess Consort."
Lin Qingan: ?
Chen Gengnian, upon hearing this, curled up the corners of his mouth, stepped forward, took his husband's hand, and left.
Upon arriving at his residence, Jiang Qu respectfully paid his respects to Chen Yuetao. Lin Qing'an and Chen Gengnian had not intended to hide their identities from their mother. They had assumed that Chen Yuetao would be as surprised as they were, but to their surprise, she was the most composed and self-possessed of them all.
But Abao's reaction was surprisingly strong.
After Chen Gengnian briefly explained his identity, Jiang Qu stepped forward to pay homage. Whether out of nervousness or something else, A Bao suddenly darted behind Lin Yanfeng and refused to come out again.
Seeing this, Chen Yuetao quickly stepped forward to change the subject.
"Although I didn't know my husband's background before, his manners and speech were so elegant, unlike ordinary people." Chen Yuetao poured Jiang Qu a cup of tea, then murmured, "If he doesn't tell me, I won't ask. I only wish for family reunion, but..."
It's just that things didn't go as planned.
At this point, Chen Yuetao's voice became a little hoarse. She took a sip of tea and composed herself before looking at Chen Gengnian seriously and asking, "A-Nian, what are your thoughts?"
Now that Jiang Qu has made everything clear, she can't interfere in this matter at all. Her son has always been more farsighted than her, and she won't stop him from making any choice.
Jiang Qu dared not urge Chen Gengnian, but now that Chen Yuetao had asked him, he was eagerly looking at her.
Chen Gengnian paused for a moment and said, "I still need to discuss this with Aqing before making a decision."
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