Shui Youcai nodded heavily, sighed and replied:
"Yes, that child back then was Luo Lan. I named her this because the handkerchief and silver lock she always carried had these two characters on them. I figured this must be the name her biological mother or father gave her."
Hearing this, Liu Dechang, who was sitting on the side, suddenly trembled violently with his lips, but he did not say much. Instead, he continued to sit there pretending to be calm and listened.
Wu Yuanzhang and Wu Hong, who were sitting on the other side, had ashen faces, as if they knew something.
The emperor suddenly raised his eyebrows and asked directly:
"You just said you knew her background. Tell me, who is she?"
Shui Youcai's expression tightened. He turned around to look at the bewildered Luo Lan and growled in a low voice:
"Luo Lan, uncle is sorry for you. No matter whether what uncle said is true or not, uncle has tried his best."
It turned out that Shui Youcai was not sure whether his guess about Luo Lan's identity was true or false, but he was determined to give it a try. He had thought it through in the past three days. No matter what, he could not let the emperor and everyone think that Luo Lan was a witch. If his guess was true, no one would doubt her identity anymore, and no one would make things difficult for her. Even if his guess was false, it would not harm Luo Lan. So, give it a try, there would be some hope after all.
So, before he came, he had made the plan not to go back.
Thinking of this, his face became solemn, and he spoke word by word:
"I suspect that Luo Lan's biological father is the current Protector of the Great Ning Kingdom, General Liu Dechang."
As soon as he said this, everyone present was in an uproar, including Leng Yu and Luo Lan.
Luo Lan even walked up to him and said to Shui Youcai anxiously:
"Uncle, I know you want to help me, but you can't say anything like that here. You'll lose your head. Go back quickly. I'll take care of my business."
Leng Yu also quickly clasped his fists towards the emperor and said:
"Father, I have long heard that Shui Youcai has become insane. His words are unreliable. I will take him out right now."
Both of them were afraid that something might happen to Shui Youcai.
But what no one expected was that at this moment, Liu Dechang suddenly said:
"What he said is true."
His words were like a bolt from the blue, shocking everyone present. Luo Lan looked at him with suspicion.
Liu Dechang walked slowly to the emperor and said with a fist:
"Your Majesty, you are aware of the fact that my wife lost her child while she was offering incense to him while I was away on a campaign. Furthermore, my wife also mentioned in her letter that my child's name was Luo Lan, which is consistent with what Shui Youcai said."
After saying this, he came to Shui Youcai, took the longevity lock from his hand, and stroked it gently while trembling and sobbing:
"While I was on the battlefield, I heard the good news that my wife had given birth to a daughter. I wanted to fly back to see her, but the war was urgent and I couldn't get away. My wife mentioned in a letter that she had embroidered a silk handkerchief with the words 'Luo Lan' on it, so I ordered someone to forge a silver locket with the words 'Luo Lan' on it and send it back. However, I didn't expect that my daughter would be lost before I could even see her face. My wife also died early because of this."
At this point, Liu Dechang became a little emotional. He turned around and looked at Luo Lan, his eyes red and he choked with sobs:
"Luo Lan, when I first met you and heard Prince Yu call your name, I felt very familiar with it. I never thought that you are my daughter."
At this moment, Luo Lan's heart was also warmed, and her eyes were a little red. She could never have dreamed that she could find such a respectable father in this strange world.
Just as she was about to speak, Wu Yuanzhang snorted contemptuously:
"We all understand General Liu's grief over the loss of his beloved daughter, but we can't conclude she's your daughter based on just one object."
Hearing him say this, Luo Lan pulled out the handkerchief from his sleeve, took it in his hand and looked at it, then said lightly:
"Can this object prove it?"
Liu Dechang looked at her handkerchief, trembling as he came to her side. He took the handkerchief in his hand, stroking the word "Luo Lan" on it, nodding his head repeatedly, sobbing.
"Yes, this is exactly what my wife embroidered, this is exactly what my wife embroidered!"
As he said this, he held the handkerchief to his chest. He seemed to see his wife sitting there embroidering with a smile on her face, looking up at him from time to time, and smiling at him...
Luo Lan looked at Liu Dechang, who was a little agitated, and suddenly felt a little at a loss. She didn't know what to do at this moment.
Leng Yu stood beside her, holding her hand tightly, feeling indescribable in his heart.
Wu Hong, who was sitting on the side watching all this, looked a little unhappy. He half-closed his eyes and thought for a while, then suddenly said:
"General Liu, as far as I know, Shuntian Prefecture found your daughter's body by the river. You also concluded from the dead baby's belongings that your daughter was dead. Now, all these years later, another daughter suddenly appears. This is a bit strange!"
Hearing Wu Hong say this, Liu Dechang's expression became extremely solemn. He turned to look at the emperor, clasped his fists and said:
"Your Majesty, Shuntian Prefecture did indeed fish out the body of a baby girl from the river. I also believed my daughter was dead at the time. However, after seeing this longevity lock and this silk handkerchief today, I firmly believe that this is what my wife left beside my daughter. Luo Lan in front of me not only has the same name as my daughter, but also looks somewhat like my wife. Therefore, I believe that she is my daughter. Please understand, Your Majesty."
At this time, the emperor sat upright, glancing at Liu Dechang from time to time. If he was sure that Shui Luolan was Liu Dechang's daughter, then he would have no reason to question her.
However, the four princes of Daning State had turned against him, the emperor, because of her. If this continued, wouldn't she cause chaos in the imperial family? Based on this alone, he felt that this woman was not suitable to stay in the imperial family. He had originally thought that even if he couldn't be sure that she was a demon, her status as a country woman was not enough to gain a foothold in Prince Yu's mansion. He would make her a concubine first, and when Leng Yu found a virtuous and kind wife, his feelings for her would gradually fade, and it would not be too late to depose her from the position of concubine at that time.
But who would have thought that Liu Dechang insisted that she was his daughter. Liu Dechang was a man of hard work and great contributions in the Kingdom of Daning, and he was also a person highly regarded by the late emperor. If this woman was really Liu Dechang's daughter, then it would be perfectly legitimate for her to marry Leng Yu.
Thinking of this, he breathed a sigh of relief and nodded slowly:
"If Shui Luolan is truly General Liu's daughter, that would be a good thing. However, as General Wu said, we can't simply assume she's your daughter based on two items. I remember the baby girl found by the river in Shuntian Prefecture was covered in your Liu family's blanket. I think it would be best for General Liu to be cautious, lest he be exploited."
Hearing the emperor say this, Shui Youcai kowtowed hurriedly and explained in a panic:
"Your Majesty, I am guilty of this. That baby girl's body was found by the Wei River. It was… I who threw it there."
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