"You should go and sit with your mother in her palace. It’s been a long time since you’ve seen her; she must miss you."
Emperor Liang spoke to Prince Jin, then summoned Eunuch Yu. "Escort Prince Jin to the Imperial Concubine Palace."
Eunuch Yu bowed slightly and addressed Prince Jin. "Your Highness, this way please."
Suspicion flickered in Prince Jin’s eyes. He clasped his hands and respectfully saluted Emperor Liang. "Your son takes his leave."
As he walked out of the Imperial Study Room, he ran into Prince Ming, who was crouching sneakily on the ground.
The two stared at each other with wide eyes.
Prince Ming stood up. "I’m here on behalf of Zhaozhao to check on Father Emperor."
Prince Jin walked away expressionlessly.
On his way, his mind kept replaying the words of his father.
His father had asked him two questions in total. The first was whether he had seen his second brother at the small town on the Southwest Border.
He wasn’t clear why his father was inquiring about his brother’s whereabouts. Was it because his brother’s secret visit to the Southwest had been discovered and the emperor intended to hold him accountable? Or was it for some other reason?
The second question concerned that matter he never wanted to bring up again.
The officials who had accompanied him that night had already been silenced, and the records had been altered to modify his movements for that evening.
Could it be that his second brother had uncovered something and reported it to the emperor?
"Eunuch Yu, back at the Prince Mansion, my mother and I have always treated you well, haven’t we?"
Eunuch Yu spoke nervously, "This servant is terrified. The grace of Your Highness and the Imperial Concubine—this servant will never forget it."
Prince Jin said, "Eunuch Yu, you overstate it. There are just some things I don’t quite understand; I hope you can enlighten me."
Eunuch Yu lowered his posture further. "Please speak, Your Highness."
Prince Jin asked, "Why did my second brother enter the palace today?"
Eunuch Yu hesitated. "This..."
Prince Jin remarked indifferently, "If it’s difficult, then never mind."
Eunuch Yu sighed. "The Crown Prince said that the person he spent that night with was not Lady Dou."
After Prince Jin left, Emperor Liang and Lu Zhaoyan both fell silent.
Outside, Prince Ming was going mad with anxiety.
I’ve listened to this stupid exchange from beginning to end, and it’s all pointless! Can’t you two say something already?
My elder brother favored a woman in the past. What happened next?
Did she come to him, seeking acknowledgment?
Did she bring along a child?
Otherwise, Father Emperor wouldn’t be so preoccupied with this!
Prince Ming scratched his head in frustration, wishing he could crawl into Emperor Liang’s mind to see what he was really thinking.
At last, Emperor Liang spoke. "Your elder brother..."
Lu Zhaoyan stubbornly said, "He knew I secretly went to the Southwest, but he’s never mentioned it to Father Emperor. Why do you think that is? I suspect it’s because he feels guilty—he’s done something to wrong me and fears if he pulls at one thread, the whole thing will unravel."
For the first time in his life, he interrupted his father. And for the first time, he said so much in one breath.
Gongsun Yanming brought Dou Qingyi and her son to the palace to acknowledge their connection, but he never disclosed where exactly he had "favored" Dou Qingyi. Except for his father, none of the others—including Prince Jin—believed anything other than a fleeting affair between Gongsun Yanming and Dou Qingyi within the Imperial City.
At this moment, Lu Zhaoyan roughly pieced together the truth.
Dou Qingyi had gone to the inn to look for him but accidentally went into his elder brother’s room. His elder brother mistook Dou Qingyi for a woman gifted to him and spent a night in indulgence with her. Upon waking up, he found her to be unattractive.
By coincidence, his elder brother noticed that he, too, was staying at the inn. So, he placed the unconscious Dou Qingyi on his bed.
Dou Qingyi, unaware of this entire affair, woke up to see him and thought he was the man she had spent the night with.
This unjust blame—it was too much for him!
Emperor Liang also understood how much Lu Zhaoyan had suffered. He paused, then sighed. "Qi’er carries the fate of the Qilin, and that’s the reason you’ve retained your position as Crown Prince. One could say you’ve gained fortune from misfortune."
"By rights, I should set things straight. But if I do, it won’t just be Qi’er’s identity that changes; your position as Crown Prince will also be at risk. You can continue being Qi’er’s father, and as for Lady Dou, you can find an excuse to send her out of the mansion."
Lu Zhaoyan replied without hesitation, "I refuse."
Emperor Liang frowned. "What did you say?"
Lu Zhaoyan met Emperor Liang’s sharp gaze head-on and declared firmly, "I said, I refuse the position of Crown Prince! I want my son, and I want my wife!"