The Crown Prince clearly wanted to see Wang Youbao’s surprised expression when he met him, and if he ruined the Crown Prince’s mood, what would happen then was hard to predict.
Therefore, he and his daughter still followed through with the plan, continuing to deceive his son-in-law that ’Yu Chengsu’ was actually the Crown Prince, Su Chengyu.
Li Wuyu saw how fearful Wang Youbao was and felt very sympathetic; she wanted to tell Wang Youbao about his meeting with Su Chengyu. However, seeing her father signaling her not to speak, she decided to keep quiet again.
The next day, at the hour of Si, in the East Palace, the Crown Prince summoned Wang Youbao.
Wang Youbao originally stood outside the East Palace and could only enter upon being summoned by the Crown Prince.
An eunuch led the way in front.
Wang Youbao dared not deviate from the proper protocol as he followed.
Upon entering the hall, Wang Youbao didn’t even dare to look at the person seated in the main seat, dressed in the Crown Prince’s robes, and directly knelt down to perform a kowtow: "This humble subject Wang Youbao pays respect to the Crown Prince, may the Crown Prince live for thousands and thousands of years!"
"Thank you, Your Highness." Although Wang Youbao stood up, he still kept his head down and his eyes lowered, not daring to look directly at the Crown Prince, fearing he might commit a disrespect.
"Don’t you find my voice somewhat familiar?"
"This..." It was then that Wang Youbao realized that the voice of the Crown Prince did sound familiar, but he couldn’t remember where he had heard it.
"Yes." Wang Youbao, feeling he had no choice, raised his head. His father-in-law had instructed him that he should do whatever the Crown Prince asked of him as it would certainly be right.
And with that look, shockingly, Wang Youbao saw the person seated before him, looking extremely gentle yet exuding the aura of royalty, and he involuntarily exclaimed: "Master Yu?!"
Immediately thereafter, Wang Youbao, terrified, quickly knelt down again, his head hitting the floor, and he said in panic, "This humble subject has offended Your Highness, I beg for Your Highness’s forgiveness!"
In his panic, Wang Youbao remembered meeting Su Chengyu at Su Yi Jing’s hundred-day feast, where Su Chengyu said he was Xiao Changyi’s sworn brother...
If the Crown Prince was Xiao Changyi’s sworn brother, then could Xiao Changyi be...
Even though his head was on the ground, Wang Youbao’s eyes widened in utter disbelief.
It was well-known that the Emperor of Xiyun had only adopted one son, the militarily distinguished King of Eternal Victory... no, it was already decreed and declared to all under heaven that the King of Eternal Victory had been promoted to Prince Yi.
If the Crown Prince was the sworn brother of Xiao Changyi, then Xiao Changyi was absolutely that adopted son of the Emperor – Prince Yi!
The person he admired the most!
To think that he had been right beside him all along!
And they had become friends, and even now, he had started calling Prince Yi ’teacher’...
Putting it all together, Wang Youbao also remembered that Master Yu, whom he now understood was the current Emperor!
He had unknowingly met so many important figures...
Wang Youbao felt his heart might not be able to take it any longer; he nearly fainted. Even his body began trembling uncontrollably.
He felt both honored and afraid.
Su Chengyu sat there leisurely sipping tea, glancing from the corner of his eye at the trembling man kneeling on the ground. Clearly, this man was very frightened, and Su Chengyu was very satisfied.
He wanted to scare him.
Moreover, Wang Youbao’s genuine reaction confirmed that Prime Minister Li and the others had indeed not disclosed his and his royal brother’s identity to Wang Youbao.