novelraw Chapter 690 - 679: The Cuckolded Prince
Chapter 690 - 679: The Cuckolded Prince
"As the Seventh Princess Consort said herself, one should refrain from meddling in the affairs of other families," the amiable Old Princess Consort spoke during the tense atmosphere between Xia Yixiao and Lin Jingxian.
The husband of the Old Princess Consort was a brother of Emperor Xingwu. Although he had passed away, the Old Princess Consort still held some prestige among the royal kin. Besides, she was generally known to be kind and just, so Xia Yixiao had no intention of opposing her.
She merely chuckled and replied, "Imperial Aunt is right. We shouldn’t meddle in others’ affairs, regardless of whose they are. It’s only proper for a legitimate son to inherit the family business. Fifth Brother is also considering his two children before he appoints a Princely Heir and a Commandery Princess. He’s not really confused. We all just find Heng’er so clever and adorable that we can’t help but dote on him a bit more."
"That’s true indeed," Xia Yixiao was well-liked amongst the Head of Family ladies, and she wasn’t one to quibble over little things. Presumably, it was genuine affection for Heng’er that made her snap earlier, so the Old Princess Consort let the matter pass with a smile.
However, Lin Jingxian’s desire to promote her twins came to nothing, and the sight of the legitimate son and daughter, born into such privilege, trailing behind a bastard upset her deeply.
Looking at the oblivious twins and then at the sulky Crown Prince, Lin Jingxian was incredibly frustrated.
Right at this moment, Consort Hui called her out: "Are those the Dragon Phoenix twins born to the Fifth Princess Consort? They do look quite adorable."
Seeing Emperor Xingwu pleased, he invited Lin Jingxian and the twins to step forward for him to take a closer look. He nodded satisfactorily after his examination: "Hmm, they’ve been raised on the manor for three years, and it seems they’ve been brought up well."
"Indeed," Consort Hui said with a pleased expression, "I also find them irresistibly lovely! They definitely inherited the Fifth Princess Consort’s beauty. You can tell they are her children at a glance. I heard that the Fifth Prince also has an eldest son who looks just like him. Where is he?"
Emperor Xingwu then summoned Ye Qiu and Ye Heng forward, and Consort Hui’s eyes gleamed with deeper amusement. She giggled while addressing Emperor Xingwu, "Your Majesty, look at them, the father and son truly share a resemblance. They’re even more handsome than Jingxian, the capital’s number one beauty!"
Emperor Xingwu was not one to be overly concerned with looks, but at this moment, he was quite taken with both Ye Qiu and Ye Heng.
"It’s evident at first glance that they are own father and son. It’s a pity though; the Dragon Phoenix twins don’t resemble the Fifth Prince at all. Such a waste of good looks. However, these two children do look somewhat like me, strangely fateful," remarked Consort Hui as she cradled the twins in her arms.
One look was enough to see the resemblance between the twins and Consort Hui. Especially their noses and lips, which shared about eighty percent similarity. To the unaware, they might even be mistaken as her own children.
Others found this curious, but Lin Jingxian and the Crown Prince were alarmed by these remarks. Consort Hui and the late Empress looked ninety percent alike, and the Crown Prince inherited half of the late Empress’s features. To say that the twins resembled Consort Hui was to suggest they looked like the Crown Prince!
Thankfully, the twins bore a closer resemblance to their mother, Lin Jingxian, which didn’t easily lead to suspicion. Still, until the Crown Prince ascended the throne, it was better to keep the twins out of the public eye as much as possible.
"The children are mischievous; let’s not let them disturb the Noble Consort. It’s time for them to step down," Lin Jingxian said respectfully.
"No matter," Consort Hui appeared unconcerned, "These two children have a fate with me. Why not let them become playmates for Liangliang in the future?"
Lin Jingxian forced a smile, "Their status is different; how could they serve as playmates to the Fifteenth Prince? Lady, you jest."
Hearing this, Consort Hui seemed somewhat irritated: "Fine, if you’re not willing, I won’t force you."
Seeing Consort Hui pout, and even though Emperor Xingwu had just been pleased with the twins, he frowned upon her reaction and quickly ordered Ye Qiu and the others to take them away.
Thus, Lin Jingxian comforted herself, trying not to be angered, thinking that once His Majesty knew the twins’ true identity, he would surely love them.
She exchanged a covert glance with the Crown Prince, unaware that this exchange had been noticed by several observant onlookers.
After three rounds of drinks and the atmosphere relaxing a bit, many of the Ministers’ Imperial Mandate wives went inside the palace to change their clothes and stroll around. Lin Jingxian took the opportunity during a lull to hand the twins over to a servant for care, then wandered off by herself to a rather secluded area.
Not long after Lin Jingxian left, the Crown Prince got up to leave as well. Consort Hui then turned to Emperor Xingwu and said, "Your Majesty, I feel a bit tipsy, would you accompany me on a walk?"
"Isn’t it enough to have a Palace Attendant? Why must Your Majesty insist on accompanying me?" Although she said that, Emperor Xingwu honestly stood up.
"I thank the Emperor," said Consort Hui with a charming laugh.
Before leaving, she winked at an Imperial Mandate Lady below her, who indeed invited the surrounding Imperial Mandate Ladies to appreciate the lanterns not long after her departure, their lithe steps proceeding gently, and the number of people at the banquet was instantly reduced by half.
Seeing this, the Empress glanced in Ye Qiu’s direction, who, raising his wine glass, together with the Seventh Prince and Tenth Prince, toasted to her quietly, with everything understood without a word.
"Where is this? Why have I never been here before?" asked Consort Hui, looking dumbfounded.
"You drunkenly pulled me here, and you still don’t know which palace this is?" Emperor Xingwu said with amusement.
"I don’t know everything, Your Majesty. It’s dark and gloomy here, there shouldn’t be anyone coming, right?" Consort Hui suddenly turned bashful.
Emperor Xingwu immediately caught her meaning, having drunk too much just now and feeling somewhat inebriated; his body was indeed getting quite hot.
"Your Majesty, let’s go inside and have the Palace Attendants step back," she said.
"Always you with the many requests."
"Can we, please?"
"Fine, I’ll listen to you."
The two of them hurriedly walked into the palace, and just as Emperor Xingwu began to make his move, he heard a rustling sound and frowned. He hadn’t even taken action, so where did this noise come from?
"Shh!" Consort Hui put her index finger to her lips and then blinked, signaling him not to alert others.
But as they kept quiet, the person inside grew impatient. Ye Zheng spoke angrily, "Tell me, did my good Fifth Brother lay a hand on you or not?"
"No, Crown Prince, as you know," Lin Jingxian endured and seemed somewhat delighted, unaware that Emperor Xingwu outside had a dark expression while Consort Hui looked astonished.
"I don’t believe it," the Crown Prince continued.
"Why would I lie to you? Ever since our last assassination attempt failed, that fool Ye Qiu has been scared stiff, always hiding in his own courtyard and not coming out. If I really had something with him, I would have taken his wealth long ago."
"Don’t bring Ming’er and Lingling out anymore; I’m afraid someone might notice something."
"I know, but when will you let them reclaim their real identities?"
"Don’t rush it. Once I take the throne, I’ll grant you all legitimate status immediately."
The two spoke without restraint, unaware that Emperor Xingwu outside had already become furiously enraged.
"Is that the Crown Prince and the Fifth Princess Consort? They... my heavens!" Consort Hui exclaimed in shock, her voice not loud, yet just enough for Ye Zheng and Lin Jingxian inside to hear.