Prince Yu's eyes narrowed sharply, and he exchanged a glance with Gu Qingfeng beside him. "Second Prince, let's go outside to talk."
Inside the palace, the imperial physician examined Gu Heng's pulse. Outside, Prince Yu pushed Gu Qingfeng's wheelchair. A gust of cold wind blew by, and Gu Qingfeng felt a chill to the bone.
"Does the Second Prince truly have no desire for the throne?"
Faced with Prince Yu's direct question, Gu Qingfeng twitched the corner of his mouth and asked, "Uncle, do you think Father is happy now?"
"Am I happy?" Prince Yu was suddenly speechless. Becoming the emperor was naturally the best thing in the world. Who would think that being the emperor was not happy?
But the scene of Gu Heng just now kept flashing before Prince Yu's eyes. He was poisoned by his own son who had entrusted him with important responsibilities, and he married the woman he loved as empress but never treated her well. He ended up in this state. Was he really happy?
“Uncle, have you ever seen an emperor in a wheelchair?” Gu Qingfeng spoke again, each word striking deep into the soul of Prince Yu. “If I were emperor, I would need someone to carry me to court.”
“I cannot go on incognito visits to understand the people’s conditions, nor can I ride a horse and carry a sword to expand Daqing’s territory. These are things that I cannot do, but Ayan can.”
Prince Yu glanced at Gu Qingfeng. Why had the Second Prince changed so much in just one year?
“But Prince Keyan is the heir.”
Prince Yu's expression changed. If Prince Yan could become emperor, why couldn't his grandson?
"If the Empress Dowager recognizes Ayan as her son, then Ayan is the legitimate son."
Gu Qingfeng reached out to touch the cold wind. "Uncle, behind Ayan is not only the Empress Dowager, but also the Marquis of Dingyuan's mansion."
In other words, only Ayan can sit on this throne.
"I see."
Prince Yu left the palace with a gloomy expression. Gu Qingfeng sneered when he saw this. He always prided himself on being fair, but even at a time like this, he wanted to get a share of the spoils.
They didn't even say a word of concern for the Emperor's health.
"Second Prince." Mo Wu draped a cloak over Gu Qingfeng's shoulders, and Gu Qingfeng grunted, "Push me to Mother's place."
......
[Ayan's reluctance to return to the capital at this time is likely because he doesn't want people to assume that he should respect Gu Heng as his father.]
Gu Qingfeng waved his hand, and Mo Wu stopped. Gu Qingfeng's wheelchair also stopped outside Zhaoning Palace.
[Very well, how could my son possibly acknowledge that shameless scoundrel Gu Heng as his father!]
Gu Qingfeng's eyes widened in disbelief. What had he just heard? Ayan was the Empress's child?
"Why is the Second Prince stopping here instead of going in? It's windy outside, be careful not to catch a cold." Wanji noticed Gu Qingfeng and came out to greet him with a smile. "This servant will push you inside."
Gu Qingfeng's arrival interrupted Jiang Yu's thoughts. Jiang Yu looked at Gu Qingfeng and asked, "Has something happened at the Taihe Hall?"
"Father has suddenly fallen into a coma, and the imperial physicians are already treating him."
Gu Qingfeng's voice was still trembling; the truth was suffocating him.
The Empress Dowager was only pregnant once, but the child she gave birth to was Ayan, while the Emperor repeatedly emphasized that Ayan was not his child.
Gu Qingfeng clenched his fists. "But it should be alright, Mother. Don't worry."
Jiang Yu chatted with Gu Qingfeng for a few more minutes. Gu Qingfeng then took the initiative to say goodbye. Before leaving, Gu Qingfeng opened his mouth but could not say anything.
Outside the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
“Eunuch Cen.” Cen Hai’s face was ashen, and he couldn’t bring himself to step into the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
"Second Prince, Your Majesty..." Cen Hai said anxiously, "You must take good care of His Majesty, or you can go and plead with the Empress to allow this servant to enter the palace to serve His Majesty."
"Eunuch Cen, back then, Father Emperor only stayed overnight at Zhaoning Palace on the night of his wedding, is that right?"
Cen Hai froze, his expression becoming somewhat unnatural. "Why is the Second Prince suddenly asking about these things?"
But these reactions made Gu Qingfeng's heart sink to the bottom.
Hahahaha!
Gu Qingfeng suddenly laughed out loud, "Take Eunuch Cen away."
Following that, Gu Qingfeng asked many of the palace elders, and the answers he received were all the same—Gu Heng only stayed at Zhaoning Palace on the night of his wedding.
Inside the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
Facing the still unconscious Gu Heng, Gu Qingfeng's eyes were bloodshot.
Good heavens, what have his own parents done? They started to mistreat his mother on the night of their wedding, and they began to plot against her the moment she stepped into the palace in her wedding dress!
Ayan... Who is Ayan's father?
Gu Qingfeng was in excruciating pain all over his body. He was a child born with sin, and he had repeatedly hurt his mother.
Tears streamed down her face as Gu Qingfeng finally lost control of her emotions and broke down in tears beside Gu Heng's bed.
Why treat the Empress Dowager this way?
Why bring him into the world in the first place?
"Princess."
Inside Jing'an Palace, Gu Qingyao suddenly started crying for no apparent reason. Consort An hugged Gu Qingyao with heartache and carefully wiped away her tears.
Ever since Gu Qingyao went to Lingxi Palace and saw Consort Rong on the verge of death from poisoning, Gu Qingyao has been lost in thought all day and has nightmares at night.
Consort An was so frightened that she stayed by Gu Qingyao's side almost every step of the way.
"My heart suddenly aches so much, I need to... I need to go find my second brother." Gu Qingyao clutched her chest and made to get out of bed, but was stopped by Consort An.
"Princess, things are in complete chaos at the Hall of Supreme Harmony..."
"I absolutely have to go."
Gu Qingyao hastily wiped her face and ran to the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
The moment Gu Qingyao heard Gu Qingfeng crying, she stopped in her tracks. Even Consort An, who had rushed over, was shocked and grabbed Gu Qingyao's hand. Why was the Second Prince crying like this?
Gu Qingyao sat directly under the eaves and wouldn't allow anyone to go in and announce her arrival.
Gu Qingyao waited outside the palace for as long as Gu Qingfeng cried.
"Princess, it's too cold outside." Consort An looked at Gu Qingyao with concern. "The imperial physician said that your body is currently weak and you can't stay outside like this."
Why is Second Brother crying?
Gu Qingyao's voice trembled slightly, "Is there something I don't know about again?"
Gu Qingyao shook her head, "My second brother wouldn't cry unless it was something serious."
Only when the crying stopped coming from inside the hall did Gu Qingyao stand up, her legs already numb.
"Let's go."
"Princess, won't you go in and ask the Second Prince?" Consort An was increasingly puzzled.
"No need. If my second brother wants to tell me, he will." As a sibling, she could feel her second brother's emotions, as if he were being torn apart.
Gu Qingyao staggered all the way.
She was terribly scared.
Now that their identities as siblings have been revealed to the world, what could possibly make the second brother cry so bitterly?
Thump—
Gu Qingyao's legs went weak, and she collapsed to the ground.
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