Chapter 43 East Palace
Cui Xiao, or should we call him Liu Xiao now?
He was pushed to the position of crown prince in an extremely confused and ignorant state.
He lay on the soft couch in the Qianqing Palace. His body was still weak, and the injuries on his hips and legs still ached slightly.
Thanks to the medicine from the imperial physician and the careful care of his adoptive mother, Xiao Zhou, his broken body is slowly healing.
But the impact on the mind is far more severe and more difficult to heal than physical trauma.
Father? Crown Prince?
These two words were like thunder, exploding repeatedly in his chaotic mind.
The father in his memory was Cui Yan, Marquis of Weiyuan, a dignified marquis who would pat him on the shoulder when no one was around and look at him with approval when checking his homework.
And the emperor in front of him, wearing a dragon robe and with eyes filled with a passion, guilt and infinite love that he could not understand, actually told him that this was his biological father?
Were those fifteen years of life just a dream?
The pavilions and towers of the Marquis's Mansion, the gentle care of his mother, and the time spent studying and practicing martial arts with the Second Prince
Even the eldest prince's difficulties... all of this is based on a huge, ridiculous mistake?
He looked at the emperor, his father, with such cautious and almost humble concern.
The compensatory mentality of wanting to pile all the treasures in the world in front of him made him feel at a loss.
There was even a hint of fear. This sudden, heavy fatherly love
It was so different from the more implicit and restrained fatherly love that belonged to Weiyuan Hou in his memory.
He was lying on his couch as Fu'an respectfully read out the imperial edict appointing the crown prince.
He understood every word, but when put together, it sounded like incomprehensible writing. Crown Prince? Future Emperor?
He had never thought, not even dared to dream, of such an outrageous thing.
His greatest wish is to be a good prince, inherit the title and bring honor to the family.
To make my parents happy, I would be satisfied if I could achieve something in the court as my father expected.
Now, this sudden identity of a "real dragon" was like a huge, golden cage that suddenly covered him and made him breathless.
He saw the expectation in his father's eyes, and also felt the unshirkable responsibility and... danger behind the edict.
"Father..." He tried to speak, his voice still hoarse and weak, "Your Majesty...your son is terrified...I am afraid that I cannot handle such a heavy responsibility..." These were his true feelings.
He felt like a small boat suddenly thrown into a raging sea, completely lost.
Emperor Liu Jin immediately grasped his hand, his strength gentle but unquestionable: "Don't be afraid, Xiao'er! Your father is here! Your father will teach you and protect you! You are my biological son, Liu Jin, a natural-born dragon! The position of Crown Prince belongs to you!"
His eyes were fiery and determined. "You just need to take good care of your injuries. Leave everything else to your father."
Liu Xiao looked at the unquestionable authority and hidden paranoia in his father's eyes, and silently swallowed back the words of rejection that were about to come out of his throat.
He vaguely felt that from this moment on, his life no longer belonged to him.
The news of the crown prince's enthronement was like a huge rock thrown into a calm lake, causing waves that took a long time to subside.
The pragmatic ministers, led by the Prime Minister, quickly accepted the reality after the initial shock.
Your Majesty has few children, and the eldest and second princes are adopted sons. Now that your only biological son has been found and appointed as the crown prince, there is nothing wrong with this both legally and morally.
Moreover, when the Crown Prince was still Cui Xiao, he showed extraordinary talent and courage.
His performance in the poisoning case of the third prince was remarkable and he was no mediocre person.
Then, a large number of court officials, led by the Prime Minister, presented congratulations and expressed their support.
However, the waves in secret never stopped.
Some old officials who strictly abide by etiquette and laws have some complaints about the prince's origin and his experience of being raised by a minister.
They believed that it would undermine the dignity of the royal family, but due to the emperor's thundering measures and clear attitude, they dared not say it out loud.
There were also some forces that were originally attached to the eldest prince or had other intentions, as well as some factions that secretly supported the second prince or other royal family members, who felt great disappointment and crisis.
A prince who has an unstable foundation and appears out of nowhere is undoubtedly the biggest obstacle to their ambitions.
However, the emperor was currently immersed in the ecstasy of regaining his lost prince and was extremely protective of him, so no one dared to touch his reverse scale at this time.
But the secret spying, scrutiny and calculations for the future have already begun.
The atmosphere in Weiyuan Marquis Mansion was even more complicated and indescribable.
After the initial huge shock, Weiyuan Hou Cui Yan fell into a long silence.
He sat alone in the study all night, and when he came out the next day, he seemed to have aged ten years.
The son he had raised for fifteen years suddenly became the king and the crown prince.
The sense of loss, melancholy, and a hint of fear are difficult to explain to others.
But he was rational after all. He knew that the emperor could so quickly appoint Xiao'er as the crown prince and clearly state in the imperial edict that "the merits of the Marquis Weiyuan and his wife in raising him were worthless".
It is already a great grace and comfort, and it is even for the protection of the Marquis' Mansion.
He had to accept it, he had to be grateful, he had to... let go.
He sternly warned everyone in the house, especially the frightened Second House and his worried sister Cui Baiyu.
Be careful in what you say and do, and never have any unreasonable thoughts or resentful words again
All old items related to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince Cui Xiao were carefully sealed away, as if to seal away those fifteen years as well.
As for Xiao Zhou, she was mixed with sadness and joy.
The joy is that his son has survived the ordeal and has ascended to heaven, with a future of unlimited honor;
Sadly, the son is no longer her son.
He is the crown prince, the emperor's own flesh and blood.
She may never hear the word "mother" again.
She was granted special permission by the emperor to visit the palace from time to time, but due to the relationship between the monarch and her subjects, it was impossible for her to visit the palace often.
She could only bury all her maternal love deep in her heart, turning it into countless exhortations and silent care.
She knew that her Xiao'er had flown to the sky that she could not reach.
The second prince Liu Cong was the one who adjusted the fastest and also suffered the most.
He clearly saw the meaning of "only biological son" behind his father's edict.
He also completely understood the limits of his "adopted son" identity.
Overnight, he became the future monarch of the empire, someone he had to keep his distance from.
The loss and pain in his heart washed over him like a tide, but he forced himself to suppress it.
He told himself: This is fine. At least, no one can shake Ah Xiao's status.
He can get the best protection and the most honorable future.
And let my love that is unacceptable to the world be buried forever in the deepest part of my heart.
From then on, he was his subject, his elder brother, and he would do his utmost to assist and protect him, to see him rule the world and live a peaceful and happy life. Perhaps this was another form of fulfillment from fate.
He restrained all outward emotions and went to the Eastern Palace more frequently as an elder brother and a subject.
He no longer had any inappropriate actions or words, but only cared about his injuries and discussed knowledge with him.
Sharing court anecdotes, accompanying him in another way. His calmness and constant care
It gave great comfort to Liu Xiao, who had just entered the Eastern Palace and felt lonely and stressed.
Liu Xiao could feel that the Second Prince treated him differently than before, and seemed more restrained, but the sincerity and warmth in his eyes remained unchanged, which made him feel at ease.
He has not been able to fully adapt to the identity of "Crown Prince" for the time being, but the existence of his second brother makes him feel that there is a familiar warmth in this cold East Palace.
Emperor Liu Jin was immersed in great joy, but he did not lose his imperial vigilance and cruelty.
He knew that making Xiao'er the crown prince was only the first step. There was still much to do to ensure that his son would secure this position and smoothly inherit the throne in the future.
On the one hand, he used thundering means to purge all forces that were too closely related to the eldest prince Liu Xuan and the obvious opponents in the court.
He showed no mercy and cleared the obstacles for the future new emperor. His methods were so cruel that the court and the people once again witnessed the emperor's ruthlessness.
On the other hand, he stepped up his investigation into the truth behind the baby room swap.
The power of the Neihangchang was used to the extreme. All the old people who might be related to the incident that year, whether they were palace maids, eunuchs, maids, or even the guards stationed in that area at that time, were secretly arrested and strictly interrogated.
Fu'an personally supervised the matter. For a time, undercurrents surged inside and outside the palace, and everyone felt insecure.
The emperor swore that he would find out who was behind the substitution of his son and tear him into pieces!
At the same time, he equipped Liu Xiao with the best teachers to instill the way of the emperor as quickly as possible.
A group of young, promising, and clean-born sons of nobles and officials were carefully selected to serve as officials and companions in the Eastern Palace, with the aim of cultivating a future team for the prince.
He showed extraordinary concern and strictness for Liu Xiao's studies and growth.
That kind of compensatory doting is intertwined with the eagerness to see one's son succeed.
And under this seemingly calm layout, deep in the shadows, unnoticed by anyone, a poisoned blade has quietly aimed at the newly appointed Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace, whose foundation is not yet stable.
The eldest prince's biological mother, the wife of the current emperor's cousin, heard the news that her son was deposed and her enemy's son was made the crown prince. She pinched her palms with her nails and her eyes were filled with bone-eating resentment.
Although her family power suffered a blow, she was still alive and well.
Some princes of the royal family were also suspicious and resentful about this "crown prince" who suddenly appeared.
Even the second master Cui Jun, who seemed to have accepted his fate and was only concerned with self-preservation, would have a flash of resentment and resentment in his eyes in the dead of night.
A new storm is quietly brewing beneath the seemingly calm sea.
Liu Xiao's road to becoming the crown prince is destined to be full of thorns, and his real test has just begun.
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