"But my birth mother was a princess," said Chu Yan.
"So what if she was a princess? You still have to call me ’Uncle,’ and that’s that," Emperor Muwu waved dismissively, standing firm in his stance. "You carry the royal bloodline of the Ye family, and Emperor Qi has already paved the way for you. No one is more suitable than you."
This was the royal heir his ninth brother had selected for him—there could be no mistake.
Chu Yan felt his thoughts churn in chaos. He instinctively glanced at Chu Hanlin and Nanli.
Chu Hanlin opened his mouth as if to speak but was held back by Nanli. She said, "Fifth Brother, no matter what choice you make, you are always a son of the Chu family and my fifth brother."
Chu Yan’s breathing grew heavier as the crowd waited for his decision. He retrieved a red jade pendant from his clothing. It matched the one Qi Hong had, forming a pair. He had always kept it hidden to avoid drawing attention. Suddenly, he clenched the red jade tightly, his face and gaze resolute.
"The road my elder brother paved for me with his life—I must seize it and press forward with determination!"
Emperor Muwu sighed with relief and nodded repeatedly. "Good, good, good! Once you pay respects to your ancestors, I’ll take you to the Inner Cabinet. Rest assured, now that Elder Cao is gone and I’m here, no one will dare give you trouble!"
Ye Siheng rolled his eyes at him.
Elder Brother, are you sure you’re not just trying to shirk your responsibilities?
"Chu Yan still needs to familiarize himself with the military camp. How else can he command troops in the future?"
Emperor Muwu felt it was a pity but still said, "What’s the rush? Let him tour the Inner Cabinet first!"
After all, the burden of governing the country would soon fall to Chu Yan.
Nanli suddenly grew sorrowful. "Then, Fifth Brother, does this mean in the future you’ll call me ’Aunt’ or ’Maternal Aunt’? This... this... I can’t accept it."
Chu Hanlin also looked dejected.
To be honest, he couldn’t accept it either. After all, this was the good son he had painstakingly raised!
The crowd fell silent. After all, etiquette could not be ignored.
Ye Siheng, who had already adjusted to the new titles, knew how much Nanli cared for her brother. Now that her brother had become her husband’s nephew, it was impossible not to feel awkward. That was precisely why he had avoided telling her at first.
"A’Li, in public, just go along with appearances. When it’s just family, you can call each other whatever you like," Ye Siheng comforted her.
Nanli nodded reluctantly. This was the only solution for now.
Emperor Muwu wanted to keep Chu Yan in the palace, but Chu Yan wished to return to the Chu family to explain everything to his family.
"Go ahead," Emperor Muwu said, patting Chu Yan’s arm in a gesture of comfort and gratitude. "The Chu family raised you well. It’s only right for you to go back."
In stark contrast, the late emperor hadn’t even cared about his own daughter.
But that wasn’t surprising. Back when the brothers were vying for the throne, the late emperor never interfered, letting them fight among themselves.
If Chu Yan had been raised in the royal family, he might not have turned out so well.
Once they left the palace, they encountered Elder Cao waiting at the palace gates.
No, he was no longer an elder; he had been dismissed and should now be called Cao Qing.
Qing Feng stood by the carriage and reported, "My lord, my lady, this man surnamed Cao refuses to leave and insists on lingering here."
Cao Qing’s wounds still seeped blood. His white hair was disheveled, and his inner garments—visible now that his official robes had been stripped away—were full of patches.
Upon seeing them, he screamed hoarsely, "I understand now! I understand! Ye Siheng, you dare defy the late emperor!"
Turning to Chu Yan, his gaze was sharp and hateful. "This child is the offspring of a wicked demon who brought ruin to the nation! And now you want to make him the royal heir? How can you face the late emperor?!"
Ye Siheng regarded Cao Qing coldly and smirked.
No wonder this man had held his ground in court for so long—he was clever enough.
"Offspring of a wicked demon? That’s merely Yao Sheng’s baseless accusation. But my A’Li says that my nephew exudes the aura of a ruler and has the potential to unify the world as the Ruler of All Under Heaven," Ye Siheng said indifferently.
Cao Qing flailed his arms like a madman. "Nephew? He is the child of a princess! He is an outsider!"
But to Qing Feng and the others, Cao Qing seemed like a lunatic spouting nonsense after suffering a blow.
Chu Yan, however, stepped forward. His face was stern, and his eyes were piercing.
Cao Qing shrank back. "You... you’re not going to commit murder here at the palace gates, are you?!"
"No, I won’t kill you," Chu Yan replied calmly. "You merely want to suppress the Chu family. But I will let you witness how I, a member of the Chu family, will someday control the court."
Cao Qing’s eyes widened in fury.
Chu Yan’s words cut like knives. "My birth mother, whom you call a wicked demon, and my birth father, the late emperor of Qi Nation—this bloodline you despise will one day make me the royal heir, perhaps even the emperor. That’s what infuriates you the most, isn’t it?"
Cao Qing’s face turned red as he choked on his rage.
Chu Yan stepped back, smiling coldly. "You’re right about one thing—I’m as ruthless as Emperor Qi. If I can’t have peace, neither will you."
He turned and addressed Ye Siheng. "Father also said that Elder Cao has contributed much to the court. We can’t let him die at the palace gates and tarnish our reputation among the people. Let’s send him home and have the imperial physicians treat him."
Ye Siheng raised an eyebrow but instructed Qing Feng to carry out the orders.
Cao Qing was sent back to his residence. The imperial physicians arrived to treat his wounds, bandaging them meticulously.
Cao Qing grabbed one physician’s hand and exclaimed, "That Chu Yan is the child of Emperor Qi and Royal Princess Huiyang! He is not the emperor’s biological son. Do you understand?"
Having witnessed the commotion in the palace, the physician was well aware of the situation. "Royal Princess Huiyang died before she turned fifteen. How could she have borne the late emperor of Qi’s child? Mr. Cao, you’d better stop spouting nonsense—such words could cost your head."
"A loyal minister fears not death!" Cao Qing shouted. "They’re corrupting the royal bloodline! If I don’t set things right, how will I face the late emperor in the afterlife?"
The physician shook his head, thinking Cao Qing had gone mad. "Of course, of course. Take care of yourself, Mr. Cao. You’ll need strength to right these wrongs."
Cao Qing hesitated but eventually nodded.
Yet later, he grew impatient. The matter was too urgent to delay.
He called out several times, but no one responded.
Forcing himself up, he staggered to the door and opened it, only to find servants carefully carrying boxes out of the residence.
"What are you doing?!" he roared.
Startled, a servant stumbled, causing the box to crash to the ground. Rare and valuable books spilled out—prized volumes that Cao Qing had painstakingly collected over the years, never parting with even during his most impoverished days.
His body trembled with anger. "Thieves! I’ll report you to the authorities!"
"Master!" Song He rushed in from the moon gate, flustered. "Your student only intended to borrow them for a few days. This is no theft."
Seeing Song He, Cao Qing ignored the supposed theft and seized the opportunity. "You’ve come at the right time! Quickly gather everyone—I have something important to discuss!"