good season

Like Prince Lu, Prince Fu was also a brother of the retired emperor.

He was a good-for-nothing in the eyes of the retired emperor and a laughing stock in the eyes of the world, yet he was one of only two people to survive the palace intrigue and struggle for the throne, and lived a life of wealth and honor. Wasn't he also a clever person?

Similarly, as their descendants, whether it was the seemingly ignorant and incompetent Prince Lu or the still-underage Zhao Tingluo, they were all people who had fought their way out of their respective royal palaces.

They are not only not stupid, but they are also incredibly cunning.

The Seventh Prince, having grown up deep within the palace, was unaware of who Xiao Yue was, but they did.

That's a concubine's son who's not even as good as a son born out of wedlock!
The retired emperor wanted to adopt a child to succeed Emperor Xiaokang, and there were plenty of eligible candidates from the imperial clan.

Even if he didn't want to choose from the imperial clan, there were still imperial relatives, nobles, and court officials. If the retired emperor wanted to adopt a grandson, there were plenty of candidates.

Just like Zhao Shiqing, who was also a godparent recognized by the retired emperor, the Prince of Lu learned from the eunuchs during the two days he stayed at the official post station that her true identity was also extraordinary. She was actually the adopted daughter of the old Prince Liang, the younger sister of the young Prince Liang, and a registered princess in the Imperial Clan Court.

Someone like Zhao Shiqing is the right candidate to be the Emperor Emeritus's goddaughter.

If a goddaughter is treated with such care, then the godson who will succeed the deceased Emperor Xiaokang will be even more cautious.

Xiao Yue was the son of a concubine.

If it weren't for the fact that it was the retired emperor who spoke, Prince Lu's heir might have even suspected that this was an insult to Emperor Xiaokang.

However, these words came from the Emperor Emeritus, and Prince Lu's heir had also heard of the name of Young Master Guanyue when he was in the capital. The man who made a name for himself during this flood was no less impressive than Xiao Zhen!
There are also legends that he was a golden boy under the guidance of Guanyin Bodhisattva. In any case, the young master Guanyue is already famous far and wide.

Later, upon learning that the Emperor Emeritus had recognized Prince Guanyue as his godson, the Prince of Lu understood immediately that the previous praise was most likely just the Emperor Emeritus flattering his godson.

The retired emperor was old, and as people get older, they tend to like their grandchildren. Since he had been living in the Longevity Palace for many years, his biological grandchildren had no opportunity to be with him, so his adopted grandchildren took advantage of the situation.

However, a godson is just a godson; he has no chance of ascending the throne. The concubines in the harem will not see him as a thorn in their side, and the princes will not regard him as a stumbling block. On the contrary, everyone will treat him kindly, befriend him, and use him to gain favor with the retired emperor.

Therefore, before his arrival, the Crown Prince of Lu had his household prepare two generous gifts, one for Young Master Guanyue and one for Zhao Shiqing.

But now, the Crown Prince of Lu has learned that the Prince of Guanyue is Xiao Yue, and that the Emperor Emeritus has actually asked Xiao Yue to be Emperor Xiaokang’s heir. This has caused a great deal of turmoil in his heart.

He subconsciously looked at Zhao Tingluo, only to see Zhao Tingluo calm and smiling, revealing nothing about her.

Prince Lu's heart skipped a beat; he was actually no match for a child.

He took a deep breath, his nose stung, and he forced out a puff of tears.

"The hearts of parents are all the same under heaven. The Emperor Emeritus is wise! Emperor Xiaokang has an heir! He has an heir!"

The Crown Prince of Lu cried again. Those who knew that Emperor Xiaokang had an heir would think that he was Emperor Xiaokang's long-lost son.

As they were talking, the people from the Imperial Clan Court arrived.

Logically, as the retired emperor, the person accompanying the seventh prince out of the capital to welcome him should be the Imperial Clan Court Official.

Unfortunately, Zhao Chen, the Imperial Clan Court Official, is quite old and fell ill ten days ago. He has not yet recovered and cannot even get out of bed, let alone leave the capital to meet the Emperor.

Zhao Chen's children and grandchildren were all in the mansion attending to his illness, so Zhao Qian and Zhao Yong were the representatives of the Imperial Clan Court this time.

These two men are from the same branch as Zhao and Chen, but they should address Zhao and Chen as their uncles.

Zhao Chen was of the same generation as Emperor Yongjia, while these two were of the same generation as the Seventh Prince and Zhao Tingluo. To put it bluntly, they were like grandsons to the retired emperor.

Not only did the retired emperor not value them, but even the seventh prince did not take them seriously.

At this moment, the retired emperor summoned the two of them not to discuss matters with them, but to inform them.

The two of them came in a daze and left in a daze.

Back in their room, the two of them finally came to their senses.

Zhao Yong asked Zhao Qian, "Brother, you mentioned that Young Master Guanyue—no, we should address him now."

At this point, Zhao Yong paused, realizing that the Emperor Emeritus had only ordered Zhao Guanyue to be recorded in the family genealogy, without mentioning any official appointment. In other words, Young Master Guanyue remained Young Master Guanyue.

"Tell me, who is Young Master Guanyue? Could he also be from one of the Eight Great Princes' Mansions, like Miss Zhao?"

Similarly, neither of them had ever met Xiao Yue.

Those who had met Xiao Yue were either young or idle like the heir of the Prince of Lu. Although Zhao Qian and Zhao Yong were also grandsons, they were already over thirty years old and worked in the Imperial Clan Court. They only knew that Xiao Yue had a mistress, but had never met her.

"Miss Zhao is a registered princess in the Imperial Clan Court. I was the one who wrote her name down. But have you ever seen this name in the Imperial Clan Court, Young Master Guanyue? No, right? Even if he is a descendant of the Eighth Prince, he is still a concubine's son. But then again, Miss Zhao is an adopted daughter, yet she can be recorded in the Imperial Clan Court. How could the Eighth Prince's concubine's son be left out of the clan and not recorded in the clan's genealogy? Is it so difficult to record a concubine's son under the name of a concubine or a mistress?"
"Besides, this Young Master Guanyue, in terms of both appearance and demeanor, surpasses even the princes. How could the Emperor Emeritus not like him?" Zhao Qian said.

Zhao Yong nodded: "Brother, you are right. This young master Guanyue has an innate air of nobility, but he should not be a descendant of the Eighth Prince. But that makes even more sense. Emperor Xiaokang has been dead for more than ten years. Why would the Emperor Emeritus suddenly think of adopting a son for Emperor Xiaokang?"

Zhao Qian patted his shoulder: "This is not our business. All we can do is write. Can't you tell that Uncle is not sick in the morning or at night, but has fallen ill at this time?"

Zhao Yong was taken aback. When did Zhao Chen fall ill?
It seems that this happened after the news of the retired emperor adopting godchildren, finding his biological grandson, and arresting his biological grandson reached the capital.

Zhao Yong suddenly realized something and looked at Zhao Qian for help: "Brother, why didn't you say so sooner? If I had known, I..."

Zhao Yong: "Don't worry about gains and losses. We're just small people. We don't even have the right to pretend to be sick. Let's take it one step at a time."

The same goes for Prince Lu's heir. After returning from the Emperor Emeritus's place, Prince Lu's heir felt like he had a rabbit in his hand, his heart pounding with anxiety.

After thinking about it, he decided to go find Zhao Tingluo.

It's laughable to think about it. He's thirty-seven, and Zhao Tingluo is ten or eleven? Younger than his son. But now, he feels that Zhao Tingluo is his pillar of support.

“Nephew, you recognized him too, didn’t you? That Young Master Guanyue is Xiao Yue. Why do you think the Emperor Emeritus would do this?”
You know, I have a younger brother who died of smallpox when he was eight years old. A few years ago, my mother wanted to adopt my second son to him, but the Crown Princess disagreed. There was a huge fight between the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. Later, my two unfilial sons caused trouble, and my mother suddenly realized that if she adopted that troublemaker, it might affect my brother's reincarnation. So she decided to adopt one from the royal family.

My father personally selected a child from the royal family camp and brought him back. When my mother inquired, she learned that although the child was the legitimate son of the second wife, he was born six months after the second wife entered the family.

To put it bluntly, this is an illegitimate child.

My mother was furious and even scratched my father's face. My father claimed he knew nothing about it. I remember him saying, "What father would give his own son an adopted child born of an adulterer?"

The Crown Prince of Lu stopped there, staring intently at Zhao Tingluo; that last sentence was the key point.

Xiao Yue was the son of a concubine, which is equivalent to an illegitimate child.

Although Emperor Xiaokang has been dead for many years, he was still an emperor, even if he was posthumously honored!

Even a notorious playboy like Prince Lu wouldn't do something as simple as giving away a child born out of wedlock to his youngest son who died young. How could the Emperor Emeritus possibly give away a child born to a concubine to his son who was the emperor?
Zhao Tingluo rolled her eyes: "Prince Lu said that because the Princess Consort has confirmed that the child is indeed an illegitimate child." Prince Lu's heir paused, then his eyes widened: "You mean, you mean, he, he isn't?"

Zhao Tingluo laughed and said, "I didn't say anything."

The Crown Prince of Lu chuckled dryly: "Hehe, you really didn't say anything. Your uncle must have misheard."

Prince Lu returned to his room leisurely and sat there for a long time.

Yes, if Xiao Yue is not an illegitimate child, then this matter makes sense.

But how could the Emperor Emeritus know that Xiao Yue was not a concubine's son?

Oh right, Xiao Zhen is there; Xiao Zhen can tell him.

But then again, if Xiao Yue isn't a concubine's son, then who is he?

Back then, who in the capital didn't know that Princess Jiayi caught her husband cheating in the street?

The Prince of Lu's mansion sent people to watch the spectacle.

Although he was not born out of wedlock, he was taken into the Princess's mansion and grew up in luxury. Although his status was awkward and he was often ridiculed, he was protected by Xiao Zhen. When Xiao Zhen was alive, none of the playboys in the capital dared to do anything to Xiao Yue. Even Zhu Yu only took action against Xiao Yue after Xiao Zhen "died".

But then again, Zhu Yu is also dead. Who knows if he really did something to Xiao Yue?

The Crown Prince of Lu slapped his forehead. Why had it taken him so long to realize this!

From another perspective, it's clear that Xiao Yue is being protected by Princess Jiayi's family!
Princess Jiayi was Emperor Xiaokang's younger sister, his only younger sister!
The retired emperor was their biological father!
If Xiao Yue is not the son of Xiao Fuma, then who is his biological father?
A name was about to be uttered, and the Crown Prince of Lu turned deathly pale.

He now wants to rush back to Beijing to find his biological father.

Dad, I've learned a secret, but I don't want to know it! Waaah, what should I do?

Zhao Tingluo, you little devil, why did you have to wake me up? I wish I could turn back time and be that silly me again.

Of course, the heir of Prince Lu couldn't return to the capital to find his father, so he went to find Zhao Tingluo instead.

"Nephew, do you have a moment? Let's have a chat, just the two of us."

Zhao Tinglu yawned: "Uncle, I'm sleepy. I'm young and love to sleep."

Voiceover: I'm still a child, we can't connect.

The Crown Prince of Lu was furious.

Your grandfather and my father were known as the Crouching Dragon and the Young Phoenix, a pair of scoundrel princes in the Great Yong Dynasty.

Now that I am the heir apparent and you are the grandson, we should inherit our elders' mantle and continue to be scoundrels hand in hand.

But while I'm still on my way to becoming an old bastard, you little bastard aren't including me in the game anymore.

Waaaaah, you're so mean!
Prince Lu returned dejected. Carrying a secret is a terrible thing. Prince Lu wished he could turn into a turtle and hide in his shell.

But someone just didn't want him to play the turtle. He had just dismissed the servants and wanted to be alone when he turned around and found a man in black behind him.

Before he could even cry out, his mouth was gagged, and then he was hoisted up.

The man in black slipped past the guards and led him into a courtyard without him noticing.

He had just visited this courtyard during the day; it was the courtyard where the retired emperor lived.

The Crown Prince's fears not only did not diminish, but doubled.

The retired emperor is dead, so let's make him the scapegoat!
The retired emperor knew he had discovered the secret, so he carried him over to silence him!
Prince Lu regretted discovering the secret. He should have sent a message home to tell his two unfilial sons to run as far away as possible. They wanted to roam the world, so let them go. They should never return to the capital in this life or the next. Waaah, the capital is so scary.

The next moment, Prince Lu was thrown to the ground. Someone walked up to him with a lantern and saw a pair of blue shoes embroidered with white flowers, with a linen embroidered strip sewn onto the upper.

Embroidered shoes signify mourning!
He slowly raised his head, and there he saw the owner of the embroidered shoes.

Zhao Shiqing!
Yes, it has been less than three years since the death of King Liang. Although Zhao Shiqing is his adopted daughter, she still has to wear mourning clothes.

Thinking of the mysterious death of the old Prince Liang, Prince Lu felt a chill in his heart.

There are far too many of these inexplicable deaths within the royal family.

In the last ten years or so, there have been the Crown Prince of Wu, Emperor Xiaokang, and the old King of Liang.

Now, having another heir apparent like Prince Lu doesn't seem like a bad idea.

Tears welled up in the Crown Prince's eyes; this time, it wasn't a trick, but a genuine emotion.

Zhao Shiqing was stunned. The Broken Stone Brothers actually had a sentimental father?

Uncle, why are you crying? I didn't even say a word, and I didn't bully you.

The Crown Prince of Lu cried more and more bitterly, so Zhao Shiqing had no choice but to let him cry it out.

After crying for a while, seeing that there was no sound around, the Crown Prince of Lu looked up and saw Zhao Shiqing covering her mouth with her sleeve and yawning. Watching someone cry was also a kind of hypnotic thing.

"Are you still crying? Why don't you cry a little longer?" Zhao Shiqing asked.

Prince Lu's thick skin actually felt a little hot. He said awkwardly, "Seeing you, young lady, reminded me of your father, and I was moved to say this."

Zhao Shiqing nodded: "You're so kind."

Inside the gate, the retired emperor was chatting with Shen Guanyue. Since he wasn't familiar with his grandson, he took the opportunity to call his grandson over for a chat.

We're talking about Dawang Village now. The Emperor Emeritus stayed in Dawang Village for three days and was able to chat with Shen Guanyue.

"The village head's eldest son married Sister Li's daughter? I was right. The village head's eldest son helped Sister Li carry water. He was helping, but he was blushing. It's obvious he had ulterior motives."

"It's a joyous occasion to get married, but it's a pity I couldn't attend the wedding banquet."

When the Crown Prince of Lu entered, this was what he heard. He stared blankly, thinking there must be something wrong with his ears; he must have misheard. (End of Chapter)