Chapter 396: Prince Xing's Unexpected Stay
Chapter 396: Prince Xing's Unexpected Stay
The Emperor nodded in agreement, stating that he would discuss this matter with Prince Xing and the court officials.
Although adding a posthumous title to a concubine was considered a private matter within the royal family, the Emperor knew that there were no truly private affairs in the royal court. He would need to seek the opinions of the court officials, especially the outspoken censors from the Censorate.
If they disagreed, it would become a drawn-out affair.
However, the Emperor didn't see any reason for disagreement. When Prince Xing and Duke Ling entered the palace to discuss Suixui's identity, the Emperor engaged in another round of discussions with them.
The final decision was that since Suixui's identity had withstood the test, it should be handled openly and honorably.
So, why consider adoption? They would simply announce that she was Prince Xing's daughter, who had been missing for many years due to various reasons and was now found, a joyous occasion!
The Emperor also mentioned the matter of posthumously honoring her mother, "My intention is to promote her to the rank of Consort and add a posthumous title."
Bringing up Consort Wen's identity would also benefit Prince Xing.
Although his mother wasn't favored and had a low presence during her lifetime, it would be a good thing if she could receive posthumous honors.
Prince Xing did not refuse the Emperor's kind gesture.
Suixui's coming-of-age banquet had just been held, and Duke Ling suggested waiting a while longer, until the weather cooled down, before announcing her identity.
Prince Xing agreed with this suggestion.
The Emperor left the decision to them.
After discussing the matter, they spent some time working out the details.
Duke Ling and Prince Xing went to pay their respects to the Empress Dowager and then left the palace.
Although Suixui had recognized her daddy, she had been living in Duke Ling's Manor recently and had become quite accustomed to it. Returning to Prince Xing's Manor at this time without any familiar faces around her made Duke Ling and the Duchess uneasy.
So, Duke Ling discussed with Prince Xing and decided to let Suixui stay in Duke Ling's Manor for the time being.
Allowing Suixui to return to Prince Xing didn't mean severing her ties with Duke Ling's Manor. He didn't want Prince Xing to feel lonely and pitiful.
"Since the child calls me Father King, I will take care of her for life."
"Besides, you don't have any female relatives in your manor to take good care of her."
"With your sister-in-law looking after her, you can also be at ease."
...
Duke Ling's words made perfect sense.
Prince Xing had no rebuttal.
He himself wouldn't be eager to let go in such a situation.
Duke Ling openly showed his affection for Suixui and wanted to give her time to adjust.
So, Prince Xing didn't bring up taking Suixui back to his manor, but!!!
He came to Duke Ling's Manor as a guest and decided to stay.
Duke Ling: ...
Suixui quite liked this new father of hers.
Previously, she had been a little afraid of this royal uncle, always feeling that his cold demeanor suggested he might eat children.
However, as they spent more time together, Suixui discovered that Uncle Xing looked stern but was actually a kind person who often brought her gifts.
Now that he was her daddy, Suixui was even less afraid!
Feng Xuanrui and the others were surprised when Prince Xing suddenly came to stay at the manor.
The children would eventually find out about this matter, so after dinner, Duke Ling summoned the two consorts and gathered the children to briefly explain the situation.
He didn't go into the complex details, only stating that Suixui was Prince Xing's biological child and that the Emperor had thoroughly investigated the matter.
Moreover, in the afternoon, Prince Xing recalled the birthmark on Suixui's body—a small crescent moon on her lower back.
The Duchess of Duke Ling, Aunt Qiu, and Aunt Qiu were all aware of this birthmark.
However, the birthmark on the young lady's body was not something to be casually mentioned to outsiders.
Thus, they kept it a secret and never spoke of it to anyone else.
It was only when Prince Xing remembered and quietly inquired that they revealed the truth.
He wasn't questioning the information His Majesty had gathered; he just wanted to ask more questions to ease everyone's minds.
Duke Ling had no knowledge of this birthmark, so he looked at Princess Qi, who confirmed it, finally putting his worried heart at ease.
Suixui was indeed Prince Xing's child.
There was evidence, and the birthmark proved it.
Suixui's identity no longer needed to be questioned.
Therefore, Duke Ling, Princess Qi, the two Consorts, and the five young masters were all informed of this matter.
Upon hearing this, Feng Xuanrui was unhappy. His sister was no longer his sister but had become the niece of Prince Xing's family. "No, Father, can't you try harder to make her my real sister?"
Duke Ling: ?
Is that something I can achieve with effort?
Don't be unreasonable!
In his heart, there were still wounds that hurt with the slightest touch.
Feng Xuanbin also felt it was unfair.
Clearly, she was his biological sister, so how could she become a cousin?
Feng Xuanbin didn't care; he put his hands on his waist, puffed out his little belly, and said indignantly, "I don't care. I will call her my sister for life, and she will always be my real sister."
Without fearing Prince Xing, he ran to Suixui, picked up the little girl, and gave her a loud kiss on the cheek.
Prince Xing watched with twitching eyelids but ultimately didn't stop him.
Feng Xuanbo was also displeased, but he didn't throw a tantrum. He looked at Duke Ling with resentment, "Father, can't my sister stay in the manor for now?"
Duke Ling smiled and nodded, "Of course."
As for when Prince Xing would be ready to take her, that was none of Duke Ling's business.
As long as his obedient daughter could stay one more day, that was enough.
However, Duke Ling wouldn't make things difficult for Suixui.
Consort Ren and Consort Meng were both surprised to learn that Suixui was Prince Xing's child! Prince Xing!
The two of them felt a little embarrassed to look at this person.
One of them had a cold demeanor and a reputation for being ruthless, making them hesitant to approach.
The other situation was also a bit awkward.
They were surprised but also felt that this wasn't a bad outcome.
Suixui now had more people to love and protect her.
This child would have a bright and smooth future, making up for the hardships she had endured.
After the child fell asleep, Consort Ren and Consort Meng also returned to rest.
Duke Ling, Princess Qi, and Prince Xing sat there, discussing how to deal with the Chen family.
"She was already buried." is a common idiom in Chinese, means "to be already in a state" or "to have already been in a state". Instead of translating the Chinese part "" literally, I will translate it to:
But exhuming her body for posthumous punishment shouldn't be difficult, right?
The question was whether they could still find her grave.
Besides Chen San's family, every possibility was examined.
There was also a fake one at Jin Yangzi's manor.
When this matter was mentioned, Princess Qi hesitated for a moment before speaking, "I heard something that seemed a bit... odd."
If this were a private conversation between husband and wife, Princess Qi might not have needed to hesitate so much.
However, with Prince Xing present, she had to choose her words carefully.
After thinking it through, Princess Qi continued with Duke Ling's nod of approval, "The fake one's parents and siblings, Chen Dalang's family, came to the capital city some time ago. Today, they were brought back to Jin Yangzi's manor. Strangely, they were driven out today, along with the fake one, and forced to leave the manor."
Second update at 7 PM.
(End of Chapter)
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