good season

Rewind to an hour earlier, when Emperor Yongjia, accompanied by the Empress, ascended the Wangxian Tower. Consort Qiao and several concubines who had children followed behind.

Of Emperor Yongjia's nine sons, only Prince Jing, who had already been enfeoffed, did not come. The second prince was also absent, and even the second prince's wife and their child were not present for some reason. The fifth prince, who was under house arrest, was also absent. Apart from these three, the other six princes all arrived, with the two youngest being carried by their wet nurses.

In the past, Consort Li would have made an appearance at such a grand event, but this year she unexpectedly did not come. Instead, Consort Meng, who always preferred quiet, ascended the Wangxian Tower accompanied by her daughter, Princess Jianing, and her two grandsons.

Princess Jiayi and Prince Consort Xiao also arrived with their youngest daughter, Tianbao. This was their first public appearance since the "death" of their eldest son, Xiao Zhen.

In previous years, the emperor and empress would ascend the Wangxian Tower to celebrate the Lantern Festival with the people, but it was not as lively as this year. The main reason is the unique variety show this year.

The first act of the acrobatic troupe was a series of chubby, white dolls tumbling around the stage. As they tumbled, they suddenly flew up, and with a flick of their little hands, a red silk banner with the words "Peace and Prosperity for the Nation" on it descended from the sky. The four large golden characters shone brightly, facing the viewing platform of Wangxian Tower.

Emperor Yongjia was in a great mood and immediately began to reward the emperor. The concubines, imperial relatives, nobles, and powerful officials present also praised the emperor. Some even complimented the fourth prince for doing a good job. In previous years, there were only conventional songs, dances, and fireworks. How could there be such a festive atmosphere as this year?
At this moment, Zhao Tingluo ran over with a child. When Prince Fu saw them, his face turned pale.

When he and the princess were getting ready to go out today, they only saw the crown prince and his wife, but not Zhao Tingluo.

The Crown Princess said calmly, "He has entered the palace and will go with the ladies of the palace."

Before the Crown Princess could finish speaking, the Crown Prince said, "He's already ten years old, and he still runs to the palace every day. Sooner or later people will gossip about him. How are you, as his mother, disciplining him?"

The Crown Princess looked at him, her gaze sharp as a knife: "Gossip? Is the Crown Prince afraid of being gossiped about? Indeed, the things the Crown Prince has done are so disgusting to even mention."

Seeing that the couple was about to start arguing again, Prince Fu quickly said, "The time is almost up, let's go, let's go."

At that time, he was only focused on putting out the fire and forgot to ask a few more questions. Although Zhao Tingluo often went to the palace in the past, he would always come back early and follow behind his grandfather and father on occasions that required the whole family to attend together, such as festivals.

This time, Zhao Tingluo was acting strangely.

But it was too late. There was no time to say anything now. Prince Fu watched helplessly as Zhao Tingluo led the little child to the Empress.

Prince Fu's hands, hidden beneath his sleeves, clenched quietly; he had a bad feeling.

At this moment, Zhao Tingluo was already standing in front of the Emperor and Empress, holding Xiaobao tightly in one hand.

The Empress herself had no sons, and she especially adored this child who had been raised in the palace since childhood. In particular, Zhao Tingluo was about the same age as the Fourth Princess. If Zhao Tingluo hadn't been the eldest grandson of the Prince of Fu, the Empress would have considered adopting him.

"Xiao Luo, whose child is this?"

The Empress's gaze fell on the little baby. This child was so beautiful, fair-skinned and chubby, with a lovely appearance. Especially after seeing those chubby babies pulling red ribbons, she saw another one in the blink of an eye. Moreover, this one was closer and she could see it more clearly. It looked more auspicious than those chubby babies who were performing acrobatics.

"Your Majesty, guess who he is?" Zhao Tingluo said with a grin, then looked at Emperor Yongjia. "Uncle Emperor, today is the Lantern Festival, and there are many people guessing riddles outside. Just pretend this is a riddle I came up with. If Your Majesty guesses it correctly, you can give me a prize."

Emperor Yongjia was in a good mood, and the two handsome children in front of him made him even happier.

"What, I guessed right, and now I have to give you a prize? Shouldn't you be the one giving me a prize?"

Zhao Tinglu chuckled: "I would like to give it to you, but I can't afford it. The whole world belongs to you, and all of Xiaolu's good fortune comes from you, so you should give it to Xiaolu. Please have pity on Xiaolu and give her a reward for solving a riddle."

Emperor Yongjia was amused and said to the Empress, "Where did he learn such a glib tongue?"

The Empress retorted playfully, "Isn't it all because Your Majesty spoiled her like this?"

Emperor Yongjia laughed heartily, and everyone else laughed along with him. Prince Lu looked at Prince Fu beside him, thinking that his brother was dishonest, always letting his grandson show off in front of the emperor.

Zhao Tingluo then asked, "Uncle Emperor, who will guess first, you or Her Majesty the Empress?"

The Empress smiled and said, "Of course, His Majesty guessed first."

Emperor Yongjia's gaze fell on the little child's face. He had been emperor for ten years and his prestige was immense. If his ministers were to be looked at like that, they would have trembled with fear. But the little child in front of him was not afraid at all; instead, he puffed out his little chest.

Emperor Yongjia suddenly felt that the little child looked somewhat familiar. He then looked at Zhao Tingluo beside him and was shocked to find that the two had the same eyebrows and eyes, except that Zhao Tingluo had grown up a bit.

He suddenly remembered that past event: a child had gone missing from the Prince of Fu's mansion!
Has the child been found?

He also remembered that the Prince of Fu's mansion had once found a child, but it was later proven that they had found the wrong child.

Although the Prince of Fu's residence suppressed the matter, the Embroidered Uniform Guard secretly investigated and found that the fake child was actually the son of the Prince of Fu's heir's concubine.

Although it was an embarrassing incident, it wasn't a big deal for the royal family.

Emperor Yongjia was more than happy with the Prince Fu's Mansion and the Prince Lu's Mansion, and even the descendants of the Eighth Prince were all good-for-nothings who were not good at learning. So he did not hold them accountable, but he just made a mental note of the Prince Fu's Mansion, which would serve as evidence when he demoted the Prince Fu's Mansion in the future.

But the child in front of me looks six or seven parts like Zhao Tingluo, so it's most likely the real one.

But if it were true, shouldn't the Prince of Fu's residence have immediately notified the Imperial Clan Court?

He still remembered that as soon as the fake child was found, it was reported to the Imperial Clan Court. It was only after the Crown Princess went to the Imperial Clan Court Director's house and made a scene that the matter was put aside. Even after the Prince of Fu's mansion sent the child out of the mansion, the child was not recorded in the imperial clan's genealogy.

A child who doesn't even acknowledge his mother, the Crown Prince's wife, can be reported to the Imperial Clan Court, so why isn't this one?
Emperor Yongjia's gaze fell on Zhao Tingluo's face again, and he saw a pleading look in the child's eyes.

Is the child begging him?

He suddenly spoke up: "Xiao Luo, I can't guess it. Why don't you solve the mystery?"

Zhao Tingluo had already made two preparations, and now that Emperor Yongjia had asked him to speak, he would speak.

He pulled Xiao Bao down to kneel on the ground together: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty the Empress, this is my younger brother, my own younger brother!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the whole place fell silent!

Everyone present knew about the missing child from the Prince of Fu's mansion. There were several versions of the truth about this incident in the capital, the most common being that the wives and concubines were fighting each other, which implicated the child.

Emperor Yongjia looked at Prince Fu and his heir: "So, Imperial Uncle has already found his lost grandson." Prince Fu was about to speak when his heir spoke first: "Your Majesty, please don't be offended. It was just children playing around. I don't know where they found this child."

As he spoke, he glared at Zhao Tingluo: "You wretched child, don't you know where you are? How can we let you cause trouble like this? Wait till we get back, I'll teach you a lesson!"

Zhao Tingluo, however, seemed not to hear what he was saying and turned to the Empress, saying, "Your Majesty, I must ask you for a favor."

The Empress frowned and asked, "What do you want from me?"

Zhao Tingluo pushed Xiaobao in front of her: "Your Majesty, I beg you to take in my brother, give him a place to stay, protect him, and let him grow up safely."

There was an uproar!

The eldest grandson of the prestigious Prince Fu's Mansion demands the Empress's full protection. Is Prince Fu's Mansion a den of wolves and tigers?

Prince Fu felt his face burning. Over the years, he had lost all face in front of the emperor. Who in the world didn't know that he was a rogue prince? Back when he was young, he had done things like rolling around in front of the retired emperor. Later, when he got old, his family was not peaceful either. He had become a laughing stock for many people. But it was precisely because of these things that he was able to live peacefully through two reigns.

He always believed that these things were nothing compared to his own life. Of his brothers, only he and Prince Lu were still alive, besides the retired emperor.

It is precisely because they are the two most incompetent that they have survived to this day.

Those who were clever and capable were either killed by Empress Dowager Qi or persecuted to death by the retired emperor.

Therefore, he never took the ridicule from the outside world to heart. Those people weren't born into royalty, so what did they know?
But now, his grandson's words made him want to crawl into a hole.

The eldest grandson was raised in the palace, and now the second grandson is also being sent to the palace, under the pretext of seeking protection.

The prestigious Prince Fu's Mansion couldn't even accommodate two legitimate grandsons!
Just as he was about to kneel down and beg for forgiveness, the Prince of Fu spoke up again: "Your Majesty, do not listen to this unfilial son's nonsense. My whole family knows nothing about this matter, and we don't know where he found this wild child. Please have someone drive them out immediately!"

The Empress's face darkened, and she said in a low voice, "Is the Prince of Fu instructing me on how to do things?"

The Empress was always gentle and compliant, and no one had ever heard her say anything harsh in public. Yet, what she said made perfect sense. Indeed, wasn't the Prince of Fu teaching the Empress how to do things?
Moreover, the emperor is still alive.

As expected, a hint of displeasure flashed in Emperor Yongjia's eyes. He said to the Empress, "Zitong, since Xiaoluo is asking you for help, then you shall handle this matter."

The Empress said "Yes," and then beckoned to Xiao Bao: "Come, come to me."

Xiao Bao hesitated for a moment, then his older brother gently grasped his hand: "Go ahead, Her Majesty the Empress is a good person."

Xiao Bao got up from the ground and walked to the Empress with his two short legs. The Empress gently stroked his head and asked, "What's your name?"

Xiao Bao said, "I used to be called Ni Xiao Bao, but my mother and brother said my surname was Zhao. Now I am Zhao Xiao Bao."

The child's innocent voice was so sweet and endearing that it softened everyone's hearts.

Consort Meng, who had remained silent until now, asked curiously, "Why is your surname Ni? Is it because the person who adopted you has the surname Ni?"

Xiao Bao said, "My brother was picked up from a mud pond, so his surname is Ni. I was picked up by my brother, so we share the same surname."

Everyone was shocked. The older brother Xiao Bao mentioned was clearly not Zhao Tingluo, but the person who found him.

The Empress then asked, "You call that benefactor 'brother,' but he's not very old, is he?"

Xiao Bao nodded: "When my brother found me, he was twelve years old. I heard from the aunt in the yard that someone wanted to buy me, but my brother couldn't bear to part with me. So he took me to the door of a house with a baby and kowtowed, begging the aunt to breastfeed me. That's how I grew up."

Consort Meng wiped her eyes with a handkerchief: "Alas, this poor child, clearly a child of noble birth, yet he has suffered so much injustice. Fortunately, he is blessed. The fact that you met that benefactor must be the work of the founding emperor, who is protecting his descendants."

Consort Meng was the Emperor Emeritus's concubine and the birth mother of Princess Jianing. She had no children and was very good at reading people. Princess Jianing followed her example and was also very good at handling things. Therefore, the Empress entrusted her with the task of organizing the Spring Banquet.

Although Consort Meng did not give birth to a prince, both the former Emperor Emeritus and the current Emperor Yongjia valued her highly.

As soon as she spoke, everyone understood that the royal family had accepted the child.

Without even glancing at his elder brother, Prince Lu loudly proclaimed, "The Great Ancestor was wise!"

Everyone
This person, who usually only says four words, "Your Majesty is wise," has now changed it to "Your Majesty the Great Ancestor is wise," adding an extra word.

This child is truly impressive to have gotten Prince Lu to say even one more word.

Although Emperor Yongjia remained silent, the corner of his mouth twitched involuntarily when Prince Lu uttered those five words.

He said to Consort Meng, "Does the Consort also believe that this child is of royal blood?"

Consort Meng said, "My old eyes are failing, and I can't see anything else, but this child has a blessed face and looks just like Xiao Luo. Your Majesty, take a closer look and see if he and Xiao Luo look very alike."

Emperor Yongjia nodded: "They do resemble each other somewhat."

Upon hearing this, the Prince of Fu's heir panicked. He spoke hastily, and the Prince of Fu couldn't stop him: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, don't be deceived by this rebellious son! Even I didn't know about this! That's right, it was the Princess Consort, that vile woman, who instigated that rebellious son to find this bastard from somewhere to confuse the royal bloodline. They kept it from me because they knew I would never acknowledge this bastard, so they..."

Prince Fu tried to cover the mouth of his rebellious son, but just then, a clear voice rang out: "Father, are you talking about me, the rebellious son you're referring to?"
Even tigers don't eat their cubs, yet you not only smear me, but also disown my brother. Do you expect to call a deer a horse again and pass off that illegitimate son raised in the village as my own brother?

When my younger brother went missing, instead of looking for him, you eagerly brought home your illegitimate child and forced my mother to acknowledge him.

My mother refused to acknowledge me, so you threatened me with my life. My grandparents were both made sick by you, and my mother was almost driven to her death.

I thought that if you found my brother, you would stop worrying my grandparents and let them enjoy their old age. I thought you would treat my mother and me better and stop us from living in fear day and night.
In the end, I was too naive. It turns out that even if my brother is found, you can still not acknowledge him. It turns out that the one you really wanted to inherit the Prince of Fu's mansion was not me, the eldest son, nor my lost and found brother, but your illegitimate son.

If it were just an illegitimate child, that would be fine, but the mother of that illegitimate child is the sister of the murderer who killed my brother!

Father, would you be happy if all three of us—mother and children—died? (End of Chapter)