good season

What? You want to acknowledge your daughter now?

Ha, whether it's people or things, anything that's easily obtained is never cherished!
Zhao Shiqing rolled her eyes again. After this eye roll, she decided not to roll her eyes for at least three days, otherwise it would become a habit.

"Want to know? It's not the right time yet. But aren't you curious about your hook-nosed grandchildren? Don't you want to ask a few more questions?"

She still has witnesses: Xu Lin and his two sons are still alive, and that old hag Madam Wei is also still alive.

Most importantly, there is no explanation for the hook-nosed man's role in the death of the former crown prince.

That won't work!

Miss Zhao has never been one to hold back her anger; she always lets it out.

"Ha, I've heard that the more powerful and influential a person is, the more likely they are to suffer in silence."

Zhao Xingzhou was taken aback: "What do you mean, 'broken teeth'?"

Zhao Shiqing gave her a knowing look: "Take this cuckolding, for example, raising someone else's son, the cuckold king."

Before he could finish speaking, Zhao Xingzhou roared again, "What cuckold king? That's nonsense!"

Zhao Shiqing was startled and patted her chest. "Miss, you're scared!"
"Okay, the term 'Cuckold King' isn't accurate enough, I apologize. After all, that treacherous concubine was just fantasizing, there was no real thing. She just used her lover's son to replace her husband's daughter. Of course, her husband was willing to let her raise her lover's son and grandson."

Zhao Xingzhou was so angry that he flew into a rage, his goatee twitching, and he lost all trace of his otherworldly demeanor.

"Shut up, shut up! What husband? Just a concubine, a lowly wretch! You don't deserve to be called a husband, you don't deserve it!"

What he is most grateful for now is that he did not make Consort Li Empress Dowager, otherwise he would have become a laughing stock.

Zhao Shiqing suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. When she was pregnant, she was called a beloved concubine, but when she discovered she was being cuckolded, she was called a lowly scoundrel. Consort Li was no good, and you are no better.

"Alright, alright, old man, please calm down. You must hold on and make sure nothing happens to you, otherwise who will avenge my poor Aunt Wan?"

Zhao Xingzhou was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized what was happening and grabbed Zhao Shiqing's sleeve: "You mean my daughter's surname is Wan? Why is her surname Wan?"

Didn't she grow up in a nunnery?

Why are there surnames?

Zhao Shiqing disdainfully pulled her sleeve away from Zhao Xingzhou's hand: "How did Aunt Wan become your daughter?"

Zhao Xingzhou: This brat! Where's the feather duster? I'm about to give him a good beating!
Even though he knew that the brat had most likely guessed his identity, Zhao Xingzhou still didn't want to tell the truth; he had his pride!

He cleared his throat: "Here's the thing. I lost a daughter many years ago, about forty years ago. Sigh, when I heard you mention that Aunt Wan, I was reminded of my poor daughter, and I lost my composure for a moment."

Zhao Shiqing: Hehe.

“Aunt Wan didn’t have a name. My grandfather said she was too pitiful and hoped that she would have a peaceful and smooth life with everything going well in the future, so he named her Wan Ruyi (meaning “May everything go well for her”).

Zhao Xingzhou sighed, "I see. May all your wishes come true, may everything go smoothly. What a good name, what a good name!"

Zhao Shiqing: Hehe.

"Old man, don't you have any doubt about the truthfulness of the story I told you?"

Zhao Xingzhou was momentarily dazed. Yes, it seemed he had never doubted anything from the beginning.

why?
Why didn't he have any doubts?
Yes, it's because of the hooked nose!
He sighed silently to himself: No wonder the second son and all his children had hooked noses. I thought it was a hereditary trait from the Wei family, but it turns out it wasn't at all.

Although Consort Li was born into the Wei family, she was initially from a collateral branch. It wasn't until she was selected in the imperial concubine selection that the Wei family adopted her into the main branch. Later, whether she was receiving a title or visiting the palace, it was always people from the main branch who came. Consort Li's biological father, although he was promoted because of his daughter, died not long after and never came to the capital, let alone entered the palace.

Sigh, when I saw the second son's hooked nose, I assumed he was related to Consort Li's biological parents, so I didn't pay much attention to it.

Zhao Xingzhou felt a pang of regret. If he had known this would happen, he should have called Li Fei's biological parents and brothers over to see the baby as soon as the second child was born.

Zhao Xingzhou then thought of his second son's sons and daughters, all of whom, without exception, had hooked noses.

The princes are one thing, but it's a pity about the princesses.

Thinking of this, Zhao Xingzhou quickly asked, "What does your Aunt Wan look like?"

Zhao Shiqing thrust her knife forward: "Though dressed in simple clothes, she cannot hide her noble bearing. Even in middle age, she still retains a certain charm. Her appearance is somewhat similar to that of several princesses, but some say she actually resembles Empress Dowager Qi more."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Xingzhou slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "This is truly my daughter!"
My daughters all bear some resemblance to their mother, so whenever I see them, I am reminded of her, who toiled for me for half her life. Therefore, I dote on my daughters and grant them whatever they ask for. Even though Jia Yi is devoted to the Xiao family, Jia Ning wants a divorce while pregnant, Jia An is unruly, and Jia Rou is single-mindedly pursuing the Dao, although I am displeased, I still indulge them all.

I thought I had treated my daughters well, but I never expected that I would have another daughter who had been separated from her family since childhood. She should have been a royal princess who was rich and noble, but she was reduced to not even having a name.

Zhao Xingzhou took a few deep breaths and finally calmed himself down: "Good child, where is your Aunt Wan? I, I want to adopt her."

Zhao Shiqing burst out laughing: "Aunt Wan is over forty years old and has long passed the age where she needs a father's love."

Zhao Xingzhou blushed slightly, feeling embarrassed: "I mean, I want to adopt her as my goddaughter."

Zhao Shiqing wasn't going to tolerate him: "You said you wanted to take me in as your goddaughter, but now you want to take my aunt in as your goddaughter. You're not being honest, Taoist priest."

Zhao Xingzhou paused for a moment, realizing that there seemed to be such a thing.

"Good child, how about this, I'll take your Aunt Wan as my daughter and then recognize you as my granddaughter, what do you think?"

Zhao Shiqing shook her head: "What happened to the father-daughter relationship? In the blink of an eye, we've become grandfather and granddaughter? I don't want to have another father, let alone another grandfather. Besides, you're so poor, you owe me tens of thousands of taels of silver and haven't paid it back yet. I'd get no benefit from being your granddaughter."

When her maternal grandfather and she reunited, it was a truly precious and precious bond between them. This old madman, however, had nothing but a glib tongue.

Zhao Xingzhou patted himself down. Well, he didn't have anything valuable on him anymore, just that hairpin, which this little girl had snatched away.

Seeing him fidgeting around with his hands and looking embarrassed, Zhao Shiqing, in the spirit of doing a good deed, asked, "Are you trying to give me an IOU again?"

Zhao Xingzhou suddenly realized, "That's right, I can also issue IOUs!"
"I'll give you an IOU in exchange for telling me where your Aunt Wan is, and by the way, you'll also acknowledge me as your grandfather. What do you say?"

Zhao Shiqing: The abacus beads are about to fall onto my face.

Once I become your granddaughter, I'll become one of your own. Then you can openly plant spies and spies around me, watching me and monitoring me. If I dare to expose your shameful deeds, you can force me to drink a bowl of poison and give me a violent death.

"I don't want to be your granddaughter, but can I make some conditions?"

"Of course, you tell me, what are the conditions?" Zhao Shiqing smiled coldly: "I haven't thought about it yet. Let me think about it first. Anyway, my Aunt Wan isn't here, so there's no use in you being anxious."

For a moment, she almost said she wanted to tear the mastermind behind the murder of the Shi family to pieces, but she swallowed the words back.

Useless!

The mastermind behind this is Emperor Yongjia. Can the old man bring down Emperor Yongjia?
Looking at the present, it's simply not possible!
If she says, "Alright, if you want revenge, then first help this old man sit on that dragon throne again," then...

Of course, a little girl like you doesn't have that ability, but your maternal grandfather is rich and influential, and your Liang Prince's Mansion is rich and powerful.

I bother!

Even though he's half-buried in the ground, he still pretends to be an innocent little white rabbit, saying he knows nothing, that he's been deceived by the wicked concubine, that all the bad things were done by the wicked concubine and the hook-nosed one, and that he's been kept in the dark.

Who would believe that you didn't know the second brother killed the eldest brother back then?

If you don't condone evil, will that mother and child become bolder and bolder?

However, we should still fight for what we can for Aunt Wan, and fight for it while the old man is at his most guilty. We will get much more than we will after he calms down and returns to the capital.

“My Aunt Wan has long since become indifferent. She doesn’t even have her own children, so she certainly doesn’t want another father.”

Zhao Xingzhou thought about it and realized that Wan Ruyi was forty years old. At that age, most people would already have a house full of children and grandchildren, but she probably would never have any biological children in her life.

It was one thing for her not to know she had parents before, but now that she does, and knows she was supposed to be a princess, seeing the lives of other princesses and comparing them to herself, she might start to resent her father, the emperor.

Zhao Xingzhou thought of Empress Dowager Qi. If his mother knew about this, she would be very angry.

"Grandpa, the reason why Aunt Wan is in such a miserable state is because her biological mother abandoned her and her biological father neglected her. She doesn't know this yet. Why don't you take this opportunity to give Aunt Wan a little something? She has nothing, and even her household registration was arranged by us. It's fake."

"Yes, let's go back. I need to write a letter. Let's go!"

Zhao Shiqing quickly led the way back into the house. Zhao Xingzhou immediately wrote a letter, which Zhao Shiqing openly peeked at without hiding it.

The letter was addressed to the Imperial Clan Court. Zhao Xingzhou said he had adopted a daughter named Wan Ruyi, who was to be granted the title of Princess Jiabao. She would be given the first mansion in the capital, two imperial estates near the capital, a fief of 500 households, and an additional 60 hectares of farmland.

The retired emperor only gave a number; as for where the fiefdom of five hundred households would be located, and where the sixty hectares of farmland would be, he didn't need to worry about that, as it would be arranged properly.

After finishing the letter, Zhao Xingzhou looked at Zhao Shiqing. This little girl had been staring at him so intently, and he hadn't stopped her. Now, she should give an answer.

"Now you should at least tell me where Wan Ruyi lives, otherwise where will we send the rewards?"

Zhao Shiqing reached out her hand: "Aren't you afraid that before I, Aunt Wan, can even secure my title as princess, I'll be silenced?"

Will the hook-nosed family let my Aunt Wan live?

Or perhaps it was because you, sir, successfully cultivated your Dao and were able to fly on a sword, so that you could arrive in the capital in a flash, shout loudly, and summon heavenly soldiers and generals to protect my Aunt Wan.
You can't do any of that, can you?

Since it's impossible, we must recognize the situation.

Since you want to be Aunt Wan's father, as long as she is willing, I will reunite you and your daughter sooner or later.

You can rest assured, I will not raise other people's children.

His last words were like a knife to Zhao Xingzhou's heart, stabbing the old man until he was panting heavily.

Don't be angry, don't be angry, I'm not angry. Although the brat is annoying, what he said makes sense. If the second son knew that Ruyi was still alive, he would definitely not let her off the hook.

If the eldest brother is still alive, even if I am not in the capital, he can still protect Ruyi.

At this moment, Zhao Xingzhou missed his deceased eldest son more than ever before.

When the eldest prince was young, I liked him very much. But later, the second prince was born. The second prince was more likable and had more courage and means than the eldest prince. I once had the idea of ​​making the second prince the crown prince.

But as soon as the thought came to mind, I suppressed it.

Empress Yuan and I were childhood sweethearts. Although she died later and there were many other women around, my feelings for her were genuine.

The eldest son is the legitimate heir. If I were to change the heir to the second son, the senior officials in the court would not agree. Besides, although the eldest son, the crown prince, has no merits, he has also made no mistakes.

I just didn't expect so many things to happen later.

Of course I knew that it was all the work of the second prince, but at that time, I had no choice but to suffer in silence.

Empress Wang's niece frequently visited the palace and sometimes stayed there for a while. Later, she married the Crown Prince of Wu and gave birth to a full-term baby boy seven months after their marriage. Subsequently, the Crown Prince of Wu died of poisoning. Wang admitted to having an affair with another man and, fearing that the Crown Prince of Wu would pursue the matter, killed her husband to protect herself.

The King of Wu was furious and led his troops into the capital to demand an explanation for his son's actions.

To appease the King of Wu, I killed Lady Wang, deposed Empress Wang, confiscated the property of the Wang family, and exiled the male members. Although the King of Wu was appeased, rumors began to circulate against me.

Before her marriage, Lady Wang was raised in seclusion and had no opportunity to meet men except when she entered the palace. She never revealed the father of the child in her womb until her death.

Therefore, everyone believed that the child belonged to the Emperor!
At that time, memorials were brought to the emperor in baskets, and some even asked me to issue an edict of self-reproach.

Just then, the second son turned against the eldest son. Someone impeached the eldest son for neglecting state affairs. At the time, I had my own selfish motives, thinking that I could take the opportunity to divert the war.

But things escalated, and the second son became too ruthless. By the time I realized something was wrong, the eldest son was already dead!

And I am surrounded by dangers. What else do I not understand? The Wang family's affairs are most likely the work of the second prince.

Who would have thought that I would be outmaneuvered by my own son?

I was trying to comfort myself back then, after all, I had also ascended the throne on the blood of my brothers, and now that person was my son. A true emperor should be as cunning and resourceful as him, and ruthless enough.

At that time, I was focused on cultivating Taoism and thought it would be better to abdicate and concentrate on cultivating immortality, living a carefree life.

Looking back now, I realize I was deceiving myself.

If I had known that the wicked child was not my own flesh and blood, I would never have tolerated it.

Unfortunately, I didn't know that at the time. (End of Chapter)