Chapter 194: Chapter 194: Princess Beilan
Lai Ran nodded his head, wanting to say something, yet he remained silent.
He gave a few instructions to the servants and then turned to walk toward the front courtyard.
This child, after all, had become estranged from him.
Lai Ran sighed. Just a moment ago, she had been able to call Yun Shi ‘Mother,’ yet she could never bring herself to call him ‘Father.’
Leng Yu Yan clasped her hands tightly together, squeezing hard before she finally turned around and mustered the courage to shout at his retreating figure, “Father King, Daddy!”
Hearing the clear and sweetly husky call, a tear slid from Lai Ran’s eye.
He quickly wiped it away before turning around, “Yan’er, Father King is so sorry! For over a decade, I had no idea you even existed in this world.”
He felt guilty and ashamed!
If only he had known sooner, she wouldn’t have had to suffer at such a young age.
She wouldn’t have had to face criticism or be looked down upon!
Leng Yu Yan choked up, “Finally, I am no longer a child without a family name!”
Lai Ran quickly walked up to her and wrapped her in his arms, “Our family is the true Leng Family. Your last name is Leng, a name to be worn with dignity and pride!”
He patted her back gently and then let her go, “Child, your father is aware of everything you’ve been through since you were young, and the affairs in the capital city. Should you have any grievances, from now on, you needn’t hide them in your heart!”
Leng Yu Yan sniffled and explained softly, “I didn’t dare to call out to you earlier because I wasn’t yet used to it.”
Miao Zhu was beside them, crying a river and continuously wiping her tears with her sleeve, “Prince, ever since my young lady was little, she’s been terribly seasick, but to find her biological father, she endured the discomfort and traveled by boat for nearly half a month, coming down from Jiangnan.”
Lai Ran was profoundly moved, “I understand, I understand!”
“Going down to Jiangnan, it was to inquire at my maternal grandparents’ home about my mother’s past, so as to find my birth father. Coming to Beilan City was because I had an agreement with Brother Lai. He said I resembled his sister and asked me to come before the Princess.”
Suddenly, several people sprang out from the grove of trees beside them, with Li Yuyue at the forefront.
“Still calling him Brother Lai?” Li Yuyue smiled warmly, “I am actually your biological big brother!”
Leng Yuqing said, “I’m your true second brother.”
Lai Yuxing joined in, “I am your true third brother.”
Leng Yusheng chimed, “I am your true fourth brother.”
Leng Yu Yan broke into a laugh amid tears, only calling out to Li Yuyue, “Big brother.”
“Good girl!” Li Yuyue replied, obviously pleased.
Leng Yu Yan smiled sweetly at Lai Ran and bowed slightly, “Daughter will head back to her courtyard first.”
“Alright!” Lai Ran nodded.
Just one “alright,” yet the tone was filled with irrepressible excitement and relief.
Leng Yuqing, Lai Yuxing, and Leng Yusheng were left gaping, without getting her to call them even once.
Li Yuyue laughed, “Ah, wasn’t it you who were calling her a liar? Is that any way to talk to your biological sister?”
The three of them crowded around Lai Ran, “Father King, please be the judge of this.”
Lai Ran chuckled, “It wasn’t easy for your father to hear the words ‘Father King’ and ‘Daddy’ from her. What turn is it for you?”
He flicked his sleeves and left with Li Yuyue.
The three brothers stood there, staring at each other bewildered.
Father and son Lai Ran and Li Yuyue headed to the Old Prince’s study.
The Old Prince was in the study, writing the name ‘Leng Yu Yan’ on a piece of rice paper. Seeing the father and son enter, he pointed at the characters with his brush.
“This child truly belongs to our family. Her character for ‘Yu’ in her name is phonetically not much different from the ‘Yu’ in their names!”
Lai Ran nodded ceaselessly, “Father, I wish to write a petition to the Emperor to bestow a noble title upon Yan’er.”
The Old prince pondered, “That’s what should be done. Our family owes Yan’er too much.”
At this point, Li Yuyue spoke up, “Grandfather, Father King, if the Emperor finds out that Leng Yu Yan is my biological sister, he may not be willing to approve.”
Upon hearing this, both the Old Prince and Lai Ran felt it made sense.
The Emperor’s intentions were to suppress the Prince Zhenbei Mansion, and to rashly declare that Leng Yu Yan was the legitimate daughter of the Leng Family might arouse the Emperor’s suspicions.
Lai Ran pondered for a while before saying, “I originally wanted to use this opportunity to clear my daughter’s mother’s name, and with the title, it would announce to the world that my daughter’s mother’s reputation would thus be preserved.”
“It was shortsighted of me.” After a brief pause, Lai Ran continued, “In the petition, I will only say that I found my lost daughter and am specially requesting a decree for a title.”
He didn’t specify that the daughter he found was Leng Yu Yan.
The Old Prince nodded, “That would be very good! The Emperor will not refuse.”
Nowadays, Tiancheng is controlled by the Ye Family, so the proper procedures must still be followed.
Lai Ran said, “I’ll go write the petition now and send it to the capital with utmost urgency.”
Only with a title will the daughter of the Prince Zhenbei Mansion have the rank of a Commandery Princess.
He intended to fully compensate her for what she was owed.
Yan’er had suffered a lot, having been a lady of the Marquis Mansion before, and now acknowledging her biological father, her status naturally couldn’t be any less than before.
Dinner was served in the dining hall.
Dressed once again as a woman, Leng Yu Yan’s appearance in the dining hall was so stunning that the Leng Family members forgot to blink.
Even though they knew she resembled Mian’er greatly, seeing her dressed as a young lady before their eyes still captivated them.
Her beauty was flawless, with snow-white skin and graceful figure.
She could be called the number one beauty in Tiancheng!
Madam Yun was the most delighted, “I haven’t seen my daughter for three years, and now she has grown so beautifully, I am truly relieved.”
Yet a troubling question arose in Lai Ran’s mind, with a daughter , what kind of son-in-law should he choose?
It seemed as if there was no man in Tiancheng worthy of his daughter!
Suddenly, he remembered that he hadn’t raised her. Now that she had come to his side, he as her father, ought to take good care of her.
For a few more years.
Until he found a man worthy of her!
That day, Lai Ran’s petition to the Emperor was urgently dispatched to the capital city.
The courier changed horses every six hours and rode day and night, finally reaching the capital in ten days.
The Emperor received Prince Zhenbei’s petition during the morning court session.
A petition from Prince Zhenbei was a rare occurrence.
In front of all the civil and military officials, the Emperor ordered Eunuch Ye to read Prince Zhenbei’s petition.
“Lai Ran wishes peace upon the Emperor, your servant has recently found his lost daughter and humbly requests a decree to bestow a title upon her.”
After reading, Eunuch Ye closed the petition.
The Emperor, upon hearing it, asked Eunuch Ye, “Is that all?”
Eunuch Ye respectfully nodded, “Yes, your Majesty, the Prince Zhenbei indeed wrote only this sentence in the petition.”
The Emperor burst into laughter, “Three years ago, Lai Ran lost a daughter and now has found one. As such, let’s grant his newly found daughter the title of Princess Beilan.”
Immediately a minister said, “Bestowing the title of Beilan City is a great privilege, Prince Zhenbei will surely be grateful to your Majesty!”
Other ministers quickly voiced their agreement.
The Emperor said, “Actually, before the Crown Prince’s marriage decree earlier this year, I had regretted that Prince Zhenbei had lost a daughter. If during the time of the Crown Prince’s marriage decree, Prince Zhenbei still had a daughter, she would have been the Crown Prince’s betrothed.”
How could it have come to anyone else, it would’ve been a joke.
The previous thought resurfaced, and the Emperor declared loudly, “Only the daughter of Prince Zhenbei is fit to be the Crown Princess Consort, do any of you have objections?”
The Crown Prince was in poor health, his life not expected to be long.
The ministers below understood the Emperor’s words.
Although it sounded good, it was actually meant to suppress the Prince Zhenbei Mansion.
On the spot, all the ministers shouted in unison, “The Emperor is wise!”
The Emperor waved his hand grandly, “Then I shall decree that the Princess Beilan will be bestowed as the Crown Princess Consort to the Crown Prince!”