"...I was ordered by the Crown Prince to take his place..."
The "Crown Prince" who Li Xingyuan brought back knelt inside the hall, speaking slowly and softly. The tear mole at the corner of his eye had already been wiped off in front of everyone.
This young man was delicate and charming, more beautiful than a woman, speaking in a gentle voice, with a temperant seemingly very mild.
On the other hand, the other person had a cool and aloof deanor, standing there like a sharp, cold sword.
It was hard to say for a mont which one would make a better ruler.
But there was no need for anyone to clarify.
The one who returned from Ren Zhi Palace had already proactively clarified everything, leaving no room for dispute.
After the impostor prince finished speaking, Zheng Shidao suddenly said, "I wonder if it’s just my old eyes failing, but this one does resemble Empress Xiao’ai sowhat."
When the gathered ministers heard this, they couldn’t help but look closely at the impostor prince.
Logically, it was understandable for a Crown Prince to find a stand-in who looked like him.
However, Zheng Shidao’s words were quite cleverly phrased.
The impostor prince resembled Empress Xiao’ai rather than the so-called true Crown Prince.
In the hall, so old ministers who had seen Empress Xiao’ai scrutinized further and realized that Zheng Shidao was not speaking nonsense.
This impostor prince indeed bore a resemblance to Empress Xiao’ai, even more so than the other.
For a mont, questioning glances were cast between the true and false princes.
The one in the white robe standing beside the throne remained motionless, while the one kneeling on the floor gave a slight smile and said, "Pri Minister Zheng has keen eyes. I am Yu Jun, son of Empress Xiao’ai’s brother, the forr Yongxing County Son."
A son of the Yu Family?
He was indeed a son of the Yu Family!
"When my father passed away while serving as the Inspector of Youzhou, I was still in my mother’s womb. Later, I was unfortunately separated from my family, but four years ago was fortunately found by His Highness the Crown Prince."
Empress Xiao’ai of the Yu Family had only one brother, who served as the Inspector of Youzhou during the late Emperor’s reign, dying of illness while in office, but there had never been any ntion of a posthumous child.
However, upon reflection, it was understandable.
If a posthumous child had not been hidden, that branch of the Yu Family might have lost all its mbers.
"Enough," once no doubts remained, the emperor finally spoke, "The Crown Prince’s identity is settled. Let the Ministry of Rites choose an auspicious day for the Crown Prince to move to the Eastern Palace!"
"No need to choose a day—" The Crown Prince, having watched the doubts and debates in silence along with the emperor, now spoke calmly, directly rejecting the emperor’s decision.
"I shall move into the Eastern Palace today."
...
In the fifteenth year of Taixing, on the first day of the eighth lunar month.
The Crown Prince moved into the Eastern Palace and ascended the throne at Jiade Hall, receiving the homage of all officials.
Li Mu walked out of Jiade Hall, looking to the north where the palace buildings reached into the sky.
Such a large Eastern Palace, and only he alone, it was too empty.
"Though the Eastern Palace has been empty for over a decade, it is swept daily and can be lived in," Li Xingyuan said as he followed him.
Li Mu remained noncommittal and asked, "From where did the Princely Heir rescue Ah Wu?"
The Yu Family, a noble clan of Wu land.
Yu Jun was born with his identity hidden, thus his childhood na was Ah Wu, to rember his old ho.
"I did not save Master Yu," Li Xingyuan said.
Li Mu turned back just in ti to see Yu Jun with a gentle smile.
"It was Pingyang Princess, Second Miss Tang, and Miss Qin who ca to the rescue." His gaze rippled with tenderness.
"Second Miss Tang?" Li Xingyuan was surprised.
Yu Jun was brought by people sent by Qin Rong, and he didn’t know Sister Tang was also involved.
"Where did she rescue you from? Oh dear! How could a young girl do sothing so dangerous!" Li Xingyuan was worried.
If Jiaojiao’er knew about this, wouldn’t she be worried sick?
"At Prince Jin’s East Suburban Villa," Yu Jun said.
"Did she co to save you personally?" Li Mu asked.
His voice was icy, making Yu Jun shiver.
Upon looking up again at those eyes, deep and dark, they were even more frightening.
"Yes, she did co..." Yu Jun answered timidly, not daring to ntion that Second Miss Tang also sprained her ankle.
But Li Xingyuan pressed on where it hurt: "Was she injured?"
...
A sprained ankle, though painful, was not much of an injury.
After applying dication, Tang Xiaobai rolled up her trouser leg to her calf, left her bare foot on the edge of the soft couch to air, leaned against a large pillow, dazedly thinking about today’s events.
Suddenly, a gust of wind swept into the room.
She instinctively sat up straight, pulling a thin quilt over her foot.
When the wind stopped, she looked carefully—
"Ah Xiao?" She instinctively called out the familiar na.
But soon realized and hesitated for a mont, awkwardly changing her address, "Your Highness the Crown Prince."
Her gaze fell on him, involuntarily complicated.
Red gauze clothes, black leather shoes, a golden hooked leather belt, with dragons embroidered on the robe’s cuffs and hem, of utmost nobility.
She had already heard about his moving into the Eastern Palace.
Approved by the emperor, receiving homage from all the officials, spirited and proud.
This attire should be the ceremonial robe worn when accepting the officials’ homage. Why had he not changed before coming?
Tang Xiaobai’s heart softened, gently chiding, "Why did you co in like that? Even if my father and brother aren’t here, you can’t just barge in!"
Who just walks into soone’s backyard like that? If her father and brother were ho, even if he’s the Crown Prince, they’d probably kick him out, right?
But as soon as he spoke, Tang Xiaobai could no longer complain.
"Where were you injured?" Li Mu asked.
As soon as he entered, he examined her carefully from head to toe.
When he asked, his gaze fell on her covered foot.
"Uh... I’m not injured—"
Before Tang Xiaobai could finish her sentence, the thin quilt covering her foot was already lifted by him.
He knelt on one knee beside her foot, gently holding her ankle with his right thumb and forefinger.
Tang Xiaobai shrank back sensitively, awkwardly saying, "Don’t do that... it’s just a sprained ankle, not an injury."
Seeing her blushing face, Li Mu was also belatedly aware, the tips of his ears turning red: "I just wanted to check... not intending to be inappropriate..." he hurriedly covered her foot again with the quilt.
Tang Xiaobai rubbed her flushed face, cleared her throat, and asked seriously, "How did you co out just like that? Is everything settled in the palace?"
Li Mu nodded and sat down by her feet, saying, "I heard you were injured, so I ca out."
Speaking, his eyes focused on the delicate outline under the quilt.
Though earlier he was only concerned about her injury, now, with the quilt covering, all he could think of was the image of her delicate, fair feet.
The slender arches, toenails like petals, pink and crystalline, so adorable.
He wanted to hold them in his hands...
He thought as his hand unconsciously reached out.
Before he could touch, they quickly hid away, like scared little rabbits.
"What are you doing..." the girl glared at him, a mix of annoyance and bashfulness.
Li Mu’s heart wavered, leaning slightly closer to her, lowered his voice, "Ah Jiao, I... it’s all settled, I’ve moved into the Eastern Palace—"
"I know," Tang Xiaobai interrupted him.
Speaking of it brought a touch of annoyance, so she kicked him lightly, snorting, "So, Your Highness the Crown Prince, is there anything you wish to say to ?"
Li Mu was taken aback, feeling as though she emphasized "Your Highness the Crown Prince" a bit too much, and she seed sowhat dissatisfied with him.
Thinking it over, he still couldn’t figure it out, so he dropped it, just saying what he wanted: "When are we getting engaged?"
Her face flushed again, but she kicked him harder: "Your Highness the Crown Prince! Don’t you have sothing to explain?"
Li Mu pondered for a mont, his expression suddenly changing: "You didn’t know?"
(Don’t bla the Chapter breaks, even if I wrote two more sentences, it would still be a cliffhanger~)
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