novelraw Chapter 689 - 678: The Cuckolded Prince
Chapter 689 - 678: The Cuckolded Prince
After the case was dealt with, the capital quickly calmed down, but behind the scenes, people were still on edge.
Ye Qiu’s face was gloomy as he stood in the study. He had also deduced what others might guess, and even more accurately.
The Crown Prince, Lin Jingxian, he wouldn’t let either of them off!
On the other side, Lin Jingxian was quite unsettled after the failure of the plan, but seeing that no other news came out of the palace, she temporarily let down her guard, only to lament Ye Qiu’s good fortune. Yet, she really wanted to see the Crown Prince again but had no opportunity, and could only wait patiently.
Fortunately, the New Year was not far off, and she had to find an opportunity to discuss matters with the Crown Prince again. After the New Year, two concubines were to be brought into the mansion, and she was determined to deal with Ye Qiu before their arrival.
At the time of the New Year, even the longtime unfriendly Beihu and West Wolf sent envoys to discuss a ceasefire, to the great delight of Emperor Xingwu, who held a state banquet at the palace.
On such an occasion, Lin Jingxian could no longer make excuses about the twins being too sick to attend and had them dressed warmly and festively.
But their little faces seemed to pale a bit when facing Ye Heng, who greatly resembled Ye Qiu. The children did not care so much about this, but Lin Jingxian was somewhat infuriated, and her look at Ye Heng seemed a bit off.
Ye Qiu, holding Ye Heng, boarded the front carriage, while Lin Jingxian and the twins took the one behind. However, the twins did not seem happy and clamored to join Ye Qiu and Ye Heng. Lin Jingxian had to spend a lot of effort to finally soothe them.
"Father, are my younger brother and sister truly not my real siblings?" After climbing into the carriage, Ye Heng let out a small sigh and seemed somewhat despondent.
Ye Qiu patted his head and said softly, "Your father also wishes they were."
Many attended the palace banquet, essentially all the fifth-rank and above officials and nobles of the capital. Although not favored, Ye Qiu was still a prince, so his seat was relatively in front, next to the Seventh Prince and the Tenth Prince.
Emperor Xingwu sat at the main seat, with the Empress on one side and Consort Hui, who currently enjoyed great favor, on the other. As the Fifteenth Prince was young, he was also held in her arms.
Emperor Xingwu occasionally played with this belated child, while Consort Hui smiled cheerfully, making the Empress sitting on the other side seem somewhat superfluous.
Perhaps due to the New Year, the Empress was dressed quite extravagantly today and didn’t look ill as rumored, behaving with dignified grace. Her gentle smile as she watched everyone made people feel that Consort Hui seemed somewhat out of place.
But upon reflection, no matter how heavily decorated Consort Hui might be, three years ago she was just a country girl. Everything she had today was due to giving birth to a beautiful child. How could her learning and upbringing compare to Empress Liu, who came from a noble family?
After examining the three individuals in the main seats, the attention of the assembly couldn’t help but shift downwards. The most favored and never declined Crown Prince sat at the first seat, but today the Crown Prince’s complexion didn’t seem quite right?
Looking at Consort Hui, who greatly resembled the late Empress, the courtiers felt they understood the situation. No wonder they hadn’t seen the Crown Prince out and active these days!
What they did not know, however, was that the Crown Prince had not been active these days not because of Consort Hui, but because Emperor Xingwu had confined him. Although the news of him hiring someone to harm his siblings was suppressed by the Father Emperor, he had been under house arrest for some days, only to be released today for the New Year.
Crown Prince Ye Zheng had not expected that the Ministry of Justice and the governor would actually be so capable, to the point of really tracing the matter back to him.
Thinking back on his Father Emperor’s recent cold treatment, he downed a gulp of wine in frustration.
The Crown Princess Consort Shen Xiu and Fifth Princess Consort Lin Jingxian, who were always concerned about him, watched with worry. Consort Hui’s eyebrows twitched. It’s only natural for the Crown Princess Consort to care for the Crown Prince, but why is the Fifth Princess Consort so anxious? It seems that her palace maid’s guess was indeed correct. Things just got interesting; she had been looking for something to use against the Crown Prince!
Seeing the Crown Prince’s distressed face, Lin Jingxian became thoroughly worried, hence somewhat neglecting the twins. The Dragon Phoenix twins, seeing so many people for the first time, paid no mind to their own mother as they well-behavedly followed behind Ye Heng.
Since it was the twins’ first appearance since being born, many didn’t recognize them. They all greeted Ye Heng one after another, treating him like the Eldest Young Master of the Fifth Prince Mansion. After all, it was Ye Heng who often accompanied Ye Qiu to gain worldly experience; the father and son looked alike, leading many to only know him and not the legitimate son and daughter of the Fifth Prince Mansion.
Seeing Ye Heng receiving more popularity than the twins, Lin Jingxian was shocked and immediately stopped caring about the Crown Prince’s situation, engaging with others while introducing the twins.
"They are quite cute and clever," praised an Old Princess Consort. "Why have they not yet been asked to be given titles as Heir and Commandery Princess?"
Lin Jingxian glanced quickly at Ye Qiu with a smile and said, "Their father said that since they were born as Dragon Phoenix twins and their health was poor at birth, he worried that they could not handle too much fortune."
"That makes sense," another Marchioness nodded in agreement. "But the children seem quite healthy now; it is time for them to be titled. It’s best to prevent others from coveting."
This Marchioness had her reasons for saying so. Originally, her father-in-law had been a high-ranking Duke who favoured a bastard, which later caused many scandals. It was only with His Majesty’s intervention that her husband succeeded as Marquis, so she particularly disliked bastards usurping the status of legitimate heirs. Seeing Ye Qiu’s favoritism towards Ye Heng, she felt compelled to speak out.
Lin Jingxian maintained a dignified smile as she listened: "That still depends on what the Marquis thinks."
Displeased with her non-competitive attitude, the Marchioness warned, "You should take this to heart; there are some things you can’t yield, lest those with poor character take notice."
"Jingxian has taken the advice to heart."
Hearing her modest response, the Marchioness finally nodded with satisfaction.
"Lady, my Fifth Brother must have his reasons for acting this way. The Marchioness should not meddle in others’ affairs," Xia Yixiao interjected just as their conversation was getting heated, with a tone that was neither light nor heavy.
"What are you implying with those words, Seventh Princess Consort?" the Marchioness asked with furrowed brows.
Xia Yixiao, leading Ye Heng by hand, laughed lightly: "No particular meaning. I just think that one’s own family affairs are best understood internally without the need for outside interference. Besides, Heng’er is good and not the corrupted bastard you are referring to."
"You..." The Marchioness, having been publicly slapped down by Xia Yixiao, was visibly flushed with anger. Although the Seventh Prince was not favoured, he was still a Prince, and with Lady present in the palace, she, as a mere Imperial Mandate, had no place to question. So, she left abruptly, returning to her table in a huff.
"Seventh Sister-in-law seems to be very fond of Heng’er?" Lin Jingxian said with a light smile, looking at Xia Yixiao, though there was no warmth in her eyes.
Xia Yixiao was unfazed: "Heng’er is obedient, attractive, and ambitious. Of course, I like him."