Chapter 128: The Crown Prince Returns to the Court (1)

Chapter 128: The Crown Prince Returns to the Court (1)

When Jian He had the personal guards protect the inside and outside of Fu Jiaze's home, Fu Jiaze had already guessed the truth.

After all, the way Jian He protected his entire family was too obvious.

Fu Jiaze merely went to the village for some errands, but there would be strong and powerful attendants following him conspicuously. He also noticed that many people had been arranged at his own residence. Even the wet nurse he had invited was checked again by people Jian He sent.

The only person who could make Jian He so concerned was the highly esteemed Empress.

Fu Jiaze originally just wanted to reunite with his parents, thinking that his family had most likely been killed by the Di people, and he wanted to avenge them.

But now he suddenly knew that his identity was not so simple. His father was the Emperor, his mother was the Empress, and he was actually the legitimate son of the Great Qi dynasty.

This discovery brought new troubles to Fu Jiaze.

Would they acknowledge him? And what kind of impact would this identity bring to his small family?

Would it be better not to reveal this identity and live in ignorance for a lifetime?

Now everything was in the hands of others, and he could only wait for the storm to come, whether it would sweep him to a high place or press him and everyone connected to him into the deep sea.

His tension was seen by Lin Yingxue, who gently comforted him.

Fu Jiaze chuckled at himself, "Your body is still weak, having just given birth to our child, and now you have to worry about my matters."

"Nonsense, we are a family. Your matters are also mine, and the child's."

Lin Yingxue withdrew her hand from the child's grasp. Ever since the child was born, her favorite thing to do was to offer her finger to the child.

Now, to comfort her husband, she offered her hand to Fu Jiaze.

Fu Jiaze took her hand, enclosing her soft hand in his.

Originally, Lin Yingxue's hands were a bit cool. The process of giving birth was the best time to nourish a woman's body.

After sufficient nourishment of qi and blood, Lin Yingxue's hands and feet were no longer as cool as before but had become warm.

Holding the warm hand, Fu Jiaze didn't notice that his expression had softened.

"They will definitely acknowledge you," Lin Yingxue said confidently, "It's just a matter of when to return to the capital. You are too involved to see it clearly, but I can look at this objectively."

Lin Yingxue's words echoed Fu Heng's thoughts. Fu Heng believed that no matter how extraordinary the Empress was, she was still an ordinary mother like any other in the world.

As a mother, if she had her own child, she would definitely plan for the child's future.

Fu Heng even privately told Lin Yingxue, "To say something a bit rebellious, if I were the Empress, I wouldn't just acknowledge the child but also take the opportunity to secure the position for my child."

If the entire Great Qi dynasty were considered a large estate, the Empress was essentially the mistress of this estate. If there was no legitimate son, it would be fine, but now that there was one, the mistress of the household should definitely pull this large estate under the legitimate son's name.

Even if Concubine Chen was favored, she was still a childless concubine. The more so, the Empress should secure the estate for her son early on.

Would she really wait until Concubine Chen gave birth to a child or brought in an adopted child? Would she let the Emperor give the ancestral foundation to someone else's child?

Thinking from her own perspective, Fu Heng believed she would have no real feelings for the highly esteemed Emperor but would focus on securing more benefits.

"Moreover," Fu Heng said, "Jiaze has been raised very well. If I found out my child was not dead and had grown up to be so handsome and talented, what's wrong with sitting on that position?"

Lin Yingxue smiled slightly and whispered to Fu Heng, "Mother, you are not boasting. I also think my husband is handsome and talented, a top-notch individual."

The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law exchanged a smile. Fu Heng hugged the child and sighed, "Looking at this child, I think of the past."

The child Lin Yingxue gave birth to also didn't cry much, just like Fu Jiaze, who didn't cry even when seriously injured.

Seeing such a small child fighting for survival, Fu Heng, despite her husband saying harsh things at the time, had saved this child.

A wounded child was so endearing, so how much more lovable would he have been if uninjured? Fu Heng imagined that the Empress must have cherished the child very much at that time.

"Such a likable child, to be found again, I would be very happy if I were the Empress." Fu Heng said with a smile.

"I am not nervous, but are you nervous, Yingxue?" Fu Heng looked at her daughter-in-law and said, with an additional possible foster son who could be the Crown Prince, life would just be smoother, and there was no need to use Fu Jiaze's name for anything.

If she didn't want to deal with people in the capital, she could just stay away.

After all, her brother was there.

But it was different for Lin Yingxue. She would have to return to the capital with Fu Jiaze.

"I am a little nervous," Lin Yingxue said, touching the child's delicate fingers, "but not afraid."

On that day, she had voluntarily taken this marriage upon herself. No matter what the marriage brought her, she would walk through it calmly.

·

Jian He, covered in dust, hurried to the capital and, before returning to the Weilin Mansion, made a detour to his parents to inform them about the imperial decree he had obtained.

Old Master Jian stood up in shock, "Really? Is it true? Is he really Yun Yao's child? And has been made Crown Prince? This, this, made Crown Prince?"

Madam Liu patted her husband's arm, "It must be true. Look, our son went to the capital first to see Yun Yao. Now he has returned with the imperial decree. How could it be fake? I told you we should have gone to the Weilin Mansion first. Then we would have seen him by now."

Madam Liu stood up and sat down again in a hurry, constantly adjusting her temples, "Oh, to think he is our child. I felt an affinity the first time I saw him."

"You also dreamt of our eldest son the first time you saw him."

"Because he is our child, that's why you had such a dream. Why didn't we clarify things back then? Perhaps we could have acknowledged him earlier."

"What's wrong with being made Crown Prince? Isn't our Yun Yao the Empress? Isn't this child the legitimate son of the Empress? He solved a major case as soon as he became a county magistrate and performed well in the Weilin Mansion. He is also a top scholar. If he is not the Crown Prince, then who should be? I say this Crown Prince is appointed perfectly, an unprecedented Crown Prince!"

Old Master Jian slowly sat down again, saying, "That's because you were sick, and I was worried it would be inconvenient to see the child, in case you passed on the illness. I didn't say it was wrong to make him Crown Prince. How many sentences have you said?"

"You find me annoying, don't you?" Liu continued to speak, "I'm just so excited and nervous. What should we say when we see that child?"

"That's our grandson; it's only natural that we'll feel close when we meet."

The two of them had always wanted to see that child, but now they felt even more differently about it, knowing that he was their daughter's grandson.

They were eager to meet the child born to Lin Yingxue, and even more eager to see Fu Jiaze himself, and of course, the foster mother who had saved Fu Jiaze, Fu Heng.

Without Fu Heng, how could there be the current imperial decree? How could they be feeling so excited?

Back then, being shot by an arrow must have been extremely difficult to survive, and they were sincerely grateful that the young life had struggled to survive, sparing their daughter from carrying such a heavy emotional burden.

The old lady murmured, "I knew it, that's why I felt so close to that child; it's because he's family."

As she spoke, tears began to fall from Liu Laotai's eyes, both heartbroken and happy for her daughter.

Her daughter had lived a very hard life, and she hadn't expected that Heaven would finally show mercy, delivering a surprise at this time.

"Is your sister happy?" Liu Laotai said.

Jian He nodded, "Happy."

"Good, good, good," the two elders kept saying.

The two elders listened carefully again to the matter of the Crown Prince's investiture and began to pack their things; they were preparing to return to the capital with Fu Jiaze's entourage.

In truth, at their age, neither the old master nor the old lady had planned to return to the capital anymore. They were old, and who knew when they might pass away? Why trouble their daughter by going to see her? It would only cause her grief.

But now it was different. They were going to return to the capital happily, to witness the glorious moment of the Crown Prince's return to court.