"Fourth brother, you used to call me imperial brother!" the Crown Prince said.
King Jing smiled, "Father always said that etiquette must not be neglected. I am not a child anymore, so naturally, I must bear it in mind."
The Crown Prince chuckled. Though their conversation remained gentle, it no longer felt as close as it once had.
It was as if an invisible barrier had grown between them. Even without speaking of it, they could sense the alienation clearly.
Over the past few years, due to various reasons, King Jing, who was once the loyal supporter beside the Crown Prince, had grown increasingly distant.
Of course, one of the biggest reasons among many is still Ye Jiu.
The incident of Ye Jiu being replaced in those days was no longer mentioned, especially after the Crown Princess Consort took the blame. Regardless of the truth, as blood brothers, King Jing was unwilling to believe that his most respected brother could possibly have targeted his own offspring that early on.
However, after the Ye Family fire, coupled with the Crown Prince's overt and covert schemes against Ye Jiu in recent years, even the children in the Crown Prince Residence found fault with his daughter.
King Jing had once been reluctant to think too much about it, but it did not mean he was a fool.
Some issues can't stand scrutiny, and no matter how many excuses the Crown Prince makes, as the problems pile and start to surface, King Jing can't help but begin to suspect.
And the tension between the brothers slowly accumulated over these trivial matters, gradually fracturing their relationship. Although it hadn't escalated to a complete fallout, both were clear in their hearts that they could never return to how they were before.
After this matter finally settled, Ye Jiu secretly rolled her eyes and glanced up, only to meet Sikong Mo's direct gaze.
Ye Jiu felt a twinge of unease and wondered to herself, could he have recognized me?
However, Sikong Mo's eyes shifted away immediately, and he never looked her way again.
While relieved, Ye Jiu felt a sense of loss in her heart.
Did he really not recognize me just because of a different face?
But, with the old Emperor sitting in the main seat, subtly giving her warning looks, alongside a Crown Prince always ready to pick faults, and King Jing occasionally glaring at her, she didn't dare be too brazen and could only stand obediently behind King Jing. Tʜe source of this ᴄontent ɪs 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭⟡𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘦⟡𝘯𝘦𝘵
Soon after, the Emperor said a few polite words and then signaled to the eunuch beside him. The eunuch, with lowered eyes, stepped forward, straightened, and began reading aloud from the imperial edict he held.
It wasn't until Ye Wenyu's name was mentioned that Ye Jiu finally became serious.
Ye Wenyu, the first in the Ye Family to make a name for himself based on his own ability, naturally garnered more of Ye Jiu's respect.
"The current left vanguard general of the Eastern Guard Army, Ye Wenyu, is to be appointed..."
Upon hearing this name, the old Emperor felt a sense of familiarity and immediately raised his hand to halt the reading of the edict.
The old eunuch, adept at observing his surroundings, noticed this simultaneously and promptly stopped speaking.
Under the bewildered gazes of the gathered ministers, the old Emperor slowly spoke, "Ye Wenyu, this name sounds rather familiar to Us!"
Ye Wenyu had stepped forward as soon as his name was pronounced in the edict.
However, with the sudden pause, Ye Wenyu, kneeling alone in the grand hall under the scrutiny of all, was left somewhat in the dark about the situation.