CH 89.1

As soon as An Yi said this, everyone’s hearts jumped. They couldn’t help staring at him.

“That day, after I led the killers away and hurried back, I passed by an alleyway. There, I saw two beggars surrounding a woman, wanting to do something despicable. I was anxious about His Highness, so I didn’t intend to make a move, but the two beggars were as timid as a mouse. As soon as they saw me, they were scared into fleeing. As for that woman, she was Lady Su. Her appearance was messy and her clothes were untidy, as if…” 

An Yi didn’t continue his words, but everyone understood his meaning.

The daughter of a clean and scholarly family appeared in the red light district at night. Although it was only an alleyway, it was enough to make people speculate.

“This Lady Su is a daughter of a respectable family. Her father is a xiucai¹, and her brother-in-law is a minor official in the county government,” said Fucheng.

“Your Highness!” said Yu Yan suddenly.

Everyone looked over and saw Jin Wang standing outside the door. Suddenly, they all knelt down, except for Doctor Liu and Mammy Mu.

“Your Highness…”

“This old servant deserves to die for discussing the master’s affairs.”

Mammy Mu stood up and said, “Your Highness, this matter is not to be blamed on Fucheng and the others. It was this old woman who had been thinking too much.” 

At this time, Doctor Liu, who was in deep thought, suddenly burst out with a startled cry. “It makes sense that it’s the blood that’s wrong! It explains why after taking the medicine, not only does the poison not slow down, but it actually worsens. It’s because of the incompatibility of blood types… ” When he realized that no one was making a sound, he turned to look at everyone and saw Jin Wang.

Suddenly, his old face was slightly embarrassed. “This old man was only talking gibberish. This old man was only talking gibberish.” After that, he seemed a bit unresigned and mumbled, “But only this way does it make sense.”

Jin Wang’s face was dark. After a long time, he said, “Go call her over.”

After speaking, he turned and left.

Call who over? Fucheng, who immediately understood, left to do just that, leaving the others staring at each other, unable to speak for a long time.

Yaoniang was soon invited over.

She felt a bit anxious in her heart. Usually, once a day was enough, so why…

Before she could think of a reason, she had already entered the bedroom and saw Jin Wang with his eyes half-opened. He was leaning against a blue satin pillow embroidered with gold.

“Your Highness, are you feeling better?”

She didn’t think too much. Approaching the edge of the bed, she sat down then looked at Jin Wang with concern.

She didn’t notice that his gaze was a bit unusual until she realized that Jin Wang didn’t reply.

“Who is Xiaobao’s father?”

Yaoniang’s face turned pale. For some reason, she thought of that repulsive man Yan’er brought over. His tears and confession caused nothing but disgust in Yaoniang’s heart. She didn’t want to think of him at all. Even less the man from that night…

Once upon a time, she always worried that Jin Wang would ask her about it.

Fortunately, he never asked, for which she was grateful from the bottom of her heart. But now in his current state, he suddenly asked her about it. Could it be that person really did say something to Jin Wang? Did he believe that she was insulted by those two beggars? Or… 

Yaoniang’s mind was blank. Holding back the urge to cry, she cleared her throat to explain, “Did you hear something from someone? I wasn’t insulted by those two people that day, I didn’t…”

“Why did you appear in that kind of place?”

What kind of place? Naturally, he was referring to the red light district.

According to the practice of the Dagan Dynasty, brothels and gambling dens weren’t opened in random places. They were usually gathered together. For example, Yihong Courtyard was in the red light district. There were also many other brothels in that area.

Why would the daughter of a clean family appear in such a place? Naturally, there must be a reason.

She couldn’t hide it anymore!

Yaoniang clasped her hands tightly. She thought of Xiaobao and she touched her belly. She didn’t want to hide it anymore. If he really thought that she was dirty, she would leave.

But Yaoniang still felt panicked and scared. She didn’t even dare to look at him. Yaoniang whispered, “That day Yan’er lied to me about buying something at the embroidery workshop. She wanted me to help her pick some embroidery thread, but instead, she led me to the red light district. I’ve never been to that kind of place, so I didn’t recognize it. Then I was knocked unconscious from behind… When I woke up, I was in an empty alleyway…”

“You became pregnant with Xiaobao from that time?”

Without raising her head, Yaoniang agreed in a low voice.

Jin Wang did not speak.

Yaoniang’s heart was a mess. She didn’t want to stay here anymore, so she hurriedly got up and left with her head down.

Naturally, she didn’t see Jin Wang’s ugly and complicated expression. He had stretched out a hand to pull her back but then withdrew it for some reason.

So everything could be explained?

Why Hu Mingyu killed that man, why she wanted Xiaobao to disappear, and why Tao Hong stole Xiaobao, then passed him to Yong Wang’s people. Why that lass² died so decisively when she was exposed, why she put to use the relationship between He Wanyi and Xu Yanru, and also why she poisoned Hu Mingyu…

Everything had an explanation!

And he was played like a fool! He failed to see who was close to him and didn’t raise his own son but a wild species instead!

A mouthful of blood spewed out, and Fucheng, who was waiting outside, immediately rushed over, “Your Highness…”

Soon, Doctor Liu was invited.

He took Jin Wang’s pulse while applying acupuncture to him.

Fucheng, who was standing at the side, hesitated and said, “Should I bring the child, no, the young master over?”

A very weak voice came from the bed, “Let An Yi go. Go personally to investigate!”

“But your body can’t hold on…”

“This prince won’t die so soon.”

Even if he died, he deserved it!

Xiaobao glanced at his mother, then glanced at her again, but Yaoniang still didn’t notice him.

He sighed, despairing a bit at his mother’s intellect.

He lowered his head and played with the rattle in his hand but his thoughts couldn’t help but wander.

He remembered that Father Emperor only had him as a son. Both the court and the harem were unhappy about this, but his Emperor Father had always acted according to his own wishes. After he suppressed them a few times, no one dared to provoke him anymore.

Although no one dared to say anything on the surface, many people had other thoughts in private. Despite being bedridden from illness, he often heard about the daughter of so and so family meeting with His Majesty in the Imperial Garden. He also heard about the daughter of this and that family flattering His Majesty without shame. As for the maids who tried to climb into his father’s bed, there were countless.

In his fifteenth year, there was an incident where a maid from Qianqing Palace³ suddenly became pregnant.

This was extremely absurd. In the entire palace, the only man was his Father Emperor. Eunuchs didn’t count. So how did she get pregnant? Who was the father?

At first, he thought the maid had an affair with a guard, but it was later revealed that the child was his Father Emperor’s.

The maid had explained everything in a logical and sensible manner. His father had been drunk that day. Not ordinary drunk but very drunk. He also knew why his father was so drunk. That day was his mother and Erbao’s death anniversary.

Although he had felt quite complicated, he also let out a sigh of relief. He thought to himself that this was also good. It was better than his father dying without any successors. At that time, he already knew that he couldn’t live for many more days.

Back then, the entire harem and imperial court had their eyes set on the palace maid. But his father had seemingly forgotten to give her a rank. He only found a palace for her to live in and ordered people to watch over her.

When the day finally arrived, she gave birth to a baby boy.