Chapter 201: The Details of the Matter
On a slightly tipsy spring night, Wen Mingqian took a carriage to the tea house opened by Sang Sanyang.
Sang Er alighted from the carriage and met her uncle, who was coming to greet her. The uncle and niece had not seen each other for a long time, yet they still frowned at each other upon meeting.
As Wen Mingqian was present, they couldn’t argue, so Sang Er said, “You haven’t returned to the Capital City for so long, I thought you’d been captured by bandits.”
Sang Sanyang replied, “I’m not brainless. I’d rather lose my life than my wealth. Even if bandits came to rob me, they’d only want money, and I’d just give it to them.”
Sang Er snorted, “If they were real bandits, that would be fine. I fear they might pretend to be bandits, wanting both money and life. Who told you to behave so improperly?”
Sang Sanyang was momentarily speechless, not for any other reason, but because his affair with Liu Cuiyi had almost implicated Wen Mingqian. He blushed and apologized, “I am truly sorry, Madam Wen. I did not anticipate this.”
Wen Mingqian simply smiled faintly and said, “It’s all in the past. Be more careful in the future.”
Sang Sanyang quickly said, “Please come this way. The room has already been prepared, and no one will disturb you.”
Wen Mingqian followed him through many winding paths before arriving in front of a secluded room. Lamps were lit inside, and tea and dim sum were all prepared, yet there was no one there.
Wen Mingqian then asked Sang Er to wait at the entrance. After another half an incense stick’s time, Prince Changliu arrived.
Having only seen him half a day ago, Wen Mingqian felt he had become even thinner.
“Your Highness, please sit. Have some tea first!”
“I can’t drink it. Just tell me your plan,” Ying Wuchou said somewhat impatiently.
Wen Mingqian, however, said, “Your Highness, don’t rush. One more person has not yet arrived!”
“Who else have you invited?” Ying Wuchou asked curiously.
As soon as he finished speaking, the door opened, and a person walked in.
Ying Wuchou looked up and saw it was Lord Zhu Hui.
“Greetings to Your Highness,” Zhu Hui said, dressed in a simple old blue cloth robe. He was thin and looked like an old bamboo stalk.
“Lord Zhu, please sit.” Although Ying Wuchou was a Prince, he greatly respected Zhu Hui and even stood up to offer him a seat.
Wen Mingqian personally poured a cup of tea for Zhu Hui.
“Your Highness, Lord Zhu once helped me greatly. He knows what I intend to do. Inviting him here tonight is to tell you everything, and also because one person alone cannot achieve much. More people mean more help.”
“Lord Zhu is upright and honest, so he can naturally be trusted,” Ying Wuchou said. “Then can you tell me in detail now?”
“Of course,” Wen Mingqian nodded. “You are someone my elder sister can entrust her life to, and I will not hide anything from you.”
The lamplight flickered slightly, and Wen Mingqian’s voice flowed like a stream in the dark night: “Back then, I had fetal qi issues before I even reached Shuangxi. In my haste, I had to give birth in a dilapidated temple nearby.
Not long after I entered, another group of people arrived. Unexpectedly, it was Elder Sister Shen and General Bu Yuegui, who had escaped from the palace.
At that time, Elder Sister was also in labor, and we both gave birth one after another. Elder Sister worried about my safety, fearing I would be implicated by her, and urged us to leave quickly.
I then learned that it was the Empress, consumed by jealousy of Elder Sister’s favor with the Emperor and her pregnancy. So, while the Emperor was away from the palace, she intended to eliminate them completely.
Elder Sister was escorted by General Bu and planned to escape to Your Highness’s location. However, to evade the pursuers, they had to take a detour.
They originally intended to hide in the territory of the Qiang people and then circle back to you. But unfortunately, they had to give birth midway and had to stop.
Elder Sister urged me to leave quickly, but I had received great kindness from her since childhood. How could I bear to abandon her at such a moment?
At that time, the chief eunuch by Elder Sister’s side, Wei Fu, wanted to take the young prince away, but Elder Sister said, ‘Where can you escape with him? You’ll be caught by the pursuers within two days.
Even if you hide with him, how many innocent people will you implicate?’
Hearing this, I had an idea. Elder Sister gave birth at full term, and the young prince cried loudly and was strong. My child, however, was premature, born covered in bruises, unable to even open his eyes.
So, I quietly discussed with Wei Fu about swapping my child for Elder Sister’s child.
I knew Elder Sister would never agree, so I told Wei Fu to quietly swap the children while she was asleep. After that, we left the dilapidated temple. Later, I heard that Elder Sister and General Bu were surrounded by pursuers and tragically perished, their names slandered after death.
Fortunately, no one suspected that child was fake. I couldn’t save Elder Sister, but I was fortunate enough to preserve her bloodline. This can be considered a blessing in disguise.”
It turned out that Shen Jinglian, who had been called a vixen for so many years, was completely framed and slandered.
And Bu Yuegui, who bore the stigma of corrupting the palace, was actually a loyal minister who died defending the imperial heir’s bloodline.
Ying Wuchou was greatly shocked after hearing this. He further asked Wen Mingqian for confirmation, “You mean… you mean your current son is actually a prince?!”
“Precisely. I have seen that child,” Lord Zhu said at this moment. “Not only is he exceptionally intelligent, but he also possesses the bearing of royalty. You must know that the Emperor only has this one bloodline in the world, and it is also blessed by heaven.”
“Madam Wen, please accept my bow. Your great righteousness will be remembered for ages!” Ying Wuchou stood up and bowed deeply to Wen Mingqian. “If you hadn’t sacrificed your own son back then, how could you have protected His Majesty’s only heir? You have endured humiliation and hardship for so many years; it is not something an ordinary person could do.
I know that child. Everyone in the Capital City knows him. They say he was extraordinarily intelligent from a young age and has already become Tutor Zhuge’s closed-door disciple. But it turns out… it turns out he is actually a prince, her child…”
Empress Dong, by nature, was jealous. In the early years, when the Crown Prince she bore was still alive, all princes born to other palace concubines were harmed by her.
Later, the Crown Prince died, and she wanted to adopt a son from another palace concubine.
But it so happened that those princes also died one after another, none of them growing to adulthood.
Now, she has even brought Prince Zhao and Prince Chu’s Heir Apparent into the palace, intending to choose a Crown Prince from among them.
“Your Highness, please do not be so hasty. Although I have saved the prince, I will need your strong support for the path ahead,” Wen Mingqian said. “I wish to achieve the return of the pearl and the dragon returning to the sacred abyss; it is by no means easy!”
“Even if it is difficult, this matter aligns with heavenly will and the hearts of the people. I, Zhu, would spare no effort, even if it means being crushed to powder!” Lord Zhu said with emotion. “The people have suffered under Madam Dong for too long!
Even His Majesty knows that Consort Shen was wronged, yet he cannot utter a single word in her defense. This is because Grand Tutor Dong’s power overshadows the Emperor, like Huo Guang of the Han Dynasty.
The Dong family is deeply rooted and has disciples and former officials all over the land. If this continues, the nation will be in peril!”
Lord Zhu was not exaggerating. The Dong family’s influence was too great. If it were not rectified, it would surely endanger imperial authority.
“Lord Zhu is correct. If we can rectify the court and establish the imperial heir, we will definitely be able to overthrow the Dong family,” Ying Wuchou said.
