Chapter 325: Suspicion
Chapter 325: Suspicion
Queen Qi understood the subtle hint in King Qi's words and nodded gently. "I understand."
In truth, she wanted to say that she didn't want to restrict SuSu's friendships.
After all, children should be free to play and be happy.
However, when she thought about the situation with the Wei family, the queen's heart softened, and she couldn't bear the thought of SuSu being dragged into their mess.
If Wei Mingqiao and his sister seized another opportunity to use her and something terrible happened as a result, she would regret not being more cautious.
Queen Qi thought to herself that she shouldn't view everyone with rose-tinted glasses; while it wasn't good to assume the worst of people, it was wise to be prepared for any eventuality.
Despite their initial focus on the Wei siblings, Feng Xuanrui and his brother soon forgot about them as they rushed in, first encouraging the queen to eat, and then, seeing her refusal, eagerly digging into the food themselves.
It smelled delicious!
After lunch, the children went for their afternoon nap.
Feeling a bit warm and stuffy, Queen Qi decided not to sleep and instead sat by the door of the chamber to catch a breeze.
King Qi, unable to sleep as well, joined her, and they chatted idly about their daily lives.
Eventually, the conversation turned to the morning's incident with the grasshopper.
The king brought it up with a sense of anger still lingering in his voice. "Our SuSu is such a well-behaved and lovely child. How could they have treated her like that in the past, denying her food? Chen Dalang's family rose to prosperity and enjoyed a comfortable life thanks to the money Chen Sanniang obtained from Jinyang Hou, and yet they treated SuSu so poorly. It makes my blood boil just thinking about it!"
While Queen Qi shared his anger, she knew that such incidents weren't uncommon, even in the capital.
Whether in the mansions of the powerful or the homes of commoners, stories of stepmothers and their stepchildren being mistreated were all too familiar.
There were even cases of widows and their children being cast out by their clans.
Thinking about it used to fill her with rage, but now she felt a sense of calm and perspective.
Seeing the king's anger, she sighed softly and tried to soothe him. "Don't be angry, my king. It's all in the past now. People are different from beasts; they have the capacity for compassion. And as for Chen Sanniang's indifference towards SuSu, perhaps she was simply following the lead of others."
The king's anger only seemed to grow at the mention of Chen Sanniang. "How could Chen Sanniang be so heartless? Does she think that because she didn't rely on SuSu to enter Jinyang Hou's household, she can treat the child poorly? There's no mother in the world like her!"
These words gave Queen Qi pause, and after a moment's thought, she tentatively said, "You know... do you think SuSu might not be Chen Sanniang's biological child?"
It was a sudden leap in thought.
King Qi was taken aback for a moment before responding with a hint of annoyance. "I almost wish that were the case, as it would make our position much stronger. However, the fact that Jinyang Hou's family came to take the child suggests that they had already investigated and confirmed that he and Chen Sanniang did have a relationship and a child together."
Queen Qi hadn't considered these things before, but now she felt that her line of thinking made a lot of sense.
Despite being contradicted, she remained calm and continued to analyze the situation with the king. "That is true, and it does prove that Jinyang Hou and Chen Sanniang had a relationship and a child. However, it doesn't necessarily prove that the child is our SuSu. What if... and I'm just theorizing here... what if Chen Sanniang's own child didn't survive, and she secretly took someone else's child?"
King Qi had been angry, but now he paused to consider the queen's words carefully. Then, he slapped his thigh in realization. "By the heavens, you may be onto something there! No biological mother would treat her child like that. Even if the father is heartless, the presence of the child could still benefit Chen Sanniang, as she could use it to her advantage in the future. But her indifference towards SuSu, her lack of concern for the child's well-being... it doesn't feel like the behavior of a birth mother.
"Qi Wang felt more and more suspicious.
He paced in circles before lowering his voice and continuing, "No, I need to send someone to investigate this matter further."
A gleam of excitement entered his eyes as he added, "If we can prove that it's truly not her, then we'll have the upper hand! And that fake from the Jinyang Hou Manor will have to face the consequences!"
Upon hearing this, Princess Qi was startled. She hadn't considered this possibility before.
Now, listening to the king's enthusiasm, she felt uncertain.
However, after thinking about it some more, she realized it was just an investigation, and it might not even yield any results.
After all, it was challenging to dig into the past, especially when it came to the traces of commoners.
Perhaps they wouldn't find anything at all.
Seeing the king's rare excitement, Princess Qi didn't want to dampen his spirits.
Su Su, after waking up from her nap, discovered that...
It was raining again.
The little girl sat by the door, watching her cousin making a little hat, and asked unhappily, "Cousin, why is it raining again?"
Cousin Xiang didn't stop her handiwork and smiled as she replied, "Abundant rainfall will bring a good harvest, and the people will have an easier time this year."
Su Su didn't fully understand the struggles of the common folk.
But she knew that going hungry was unpleasant.
Hearing that the rain would bring a good harvest, she nodded, "Then let it rain, let it rain. Su Su doesn't mind the rain anymore!"
Cousin Xiang gently stroked her head, offering soft words of comfort.
Soon, the little girl was happily sitting by the door, watching the rain.
Princess Qi heard the commotion and joined them. With limited activities due to the rain, she decided to teach Su Su some reading.
Su Su didn't know many characters yet, but she was eager to learn and found reading interesting.
So, she happily snuggled up in her mother's lap, listening to her read.
Princess Qi chose simple texts like the Three-Character Classic, which Su Su was already familiar with. Having napped earlier, Su Su was wide awake, captivated by her mother's soft and melodious voice.
She loved it and wanted to hear more!
Su Su was also curious. Where had her father and brothers gone after she woke up?
But she didn't want to interrupt her mother's reading, so she quietly listened, snuggled in her lap.
Princess Qi looked down at the little girl nestled in her lap, and her heart softened involuntarily.
She thought, her child, was truly adorable!
At noon, Qi Wang had an idea. The weather was still good, so he mounted his horse and rode back to the city to find someone to help with the investigation.
While Qi Wang lacked personal connections, he...
had a noble status!
So, in the afternoon, Qi Wang went to the palace.
He hadn't intended to go to the palace so soon, especially with He Guifei's mood likely still sour due to the He manor's young master.
Qi Wang wasn't sure if the emperor had been bothered by her as well.
But thinking of Su Su, Qi Wang felt that it was a risk worth taking.
As it turned out, the emperor wasn't bothered at all.
He Guifei had been highly favored over the years mainly to balance the power dynamics in the court, and she had been chosen specifically for this purpose.
The secondary reason was that, although He Guifei had a bad temper and was willful and spoiled, she knew how to be coquettish and understood the emperor's limits.
He Guifei wasn't foolish when it came to her coquettish behavior. She knew where the emperor drew the line, and even when she was extremely angry, she retained a shred of rationality and never crossed that line.
(End of Chapter)
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