After Ye Jiu finally returned home, Old Man Ye and He Shi were finally able to settle their anxieties.
All day they had been on tenterhooks, even suspecting that Prince Jing might contend with them for the child. Fortunately, it was just needless worry.
Prince Jing rode back all the way, but his heart was not as at ease as his facial expression suggested.
The thought that his precious daughter had been swapped out of the Royal Residence, and he had unwittingly raised another’s son as his own for so many years, would be difficult for anyone to simply dismiss.
Regardless of whether or not there was a conspiracy involved, Prince Jing had no intentions of letting any of the people involved off the hook.
As soon as Prince Jing dismounted, he happened to catch a glimpse of Liu Yunqing’s figure flitting by, and he called over someone nearby to ask, "Why is Liu Yunqing here?"
"Reporting to Your Highness, the Princess Consort summoned Young Master Liu to join us for dinner."
Prince Jing waved his hand, dismissing the servant.
However, he became puzzled.
Liu Yunqing had a good reputation in the capital city; it was a pity though, that he was merely a son born of the concubines in the Liu Family, which gave him a somewhat unfavorable status. Otherwise, Prince Jing wouldn’t mind supporting him a little.
Usually, those whom the Princess Consort associated with were the legitimate offspring of the Liu Family. Since when had Liu Yunqing caught the Princess Consort’s eye?
Taking a stride, Prince Jing returned to his own chambers.
Having been busy at the estate all day, and even though he did not have to lift a finger, the dusty atmosphere was unavoidable and some of it had splattered onto his clothes.
After asking for water to be prepared, Prince Jing bathed and then left his room. Just as he approached the doorway of Princess Consort Jing, he heard her speaking with Liu Yunqing in an extremely gentle tone, clearly conveying a measure of concern.
However, the Princess Consort’s demeanor toward Liu Yunqing now seemed too intimate compared to their past interactions.
If it were any other time, Prince Jing might not have thought much of it, as after all, Liu Yunqing was a nephew on his wife’s side and it was natural for her to show more affection.
But now, with the incident involving Ye Jiu, Prince Jing suddenly realized he had seriously underestimated the woman who had shared his bed for over a decade!
In the past, he had only thought of her as somewhat foolish, which he deemed unimportant since the Imperial Family was never short of intelligent people. In fact, he found her simplicity rather endearing.
But to be capable of such heartless deed as to switch out her own flesh and blood, Prince Jing truly understood one should never underestimate a woman, even one who seemed incredibly foolish in his heart, because she could still deliver an earth-shattering blow.
"Your... Your Highness, this old servant greets Your Highness." Just then, Nanny Liu came out from the inside and, seeing Prince Jing standing at the door, immediately knelt down, her body trembling uncontrollably.
In Nanny Liu’s eyes, their lord was always a straightforward person, who would deal directly with those he disliked, and after a confrontation, he would face them openly.
Yet, Nanny Liu’s impression only lasted until the night before.
For last night, Prince Jing was still using her family members to threaten her, making it clear that she must not lie in his presence and also forbade her to tell the Princess Consort about the matter.
Although the Prince already knew the secret, this morning when he left, he could still smile so sweetly at the Princess Consort, pretending as if he was oblivious to everything.
This caused Nanny Liu to greatly revise her impression of Prince Jing.
It turned out that their lord was not incapable of pretense; rather, he disdained it. But once he started acting, he was in no way inferior to others and, in fact, seemed truly terrifying.
After Nanny Liu had knelt on the ground, the sounds of conversation from inside suddenly vanished without a trace.