The main hall of Kunning Palace.

Wang Dehai stood outside the hall and looked up eagerly. Even though he had experienced two dynasties and experienced the bloody years when Prince Qiyuan was in charge of the country, his eyelids were still twitching at this time, and the hand holding the whisk was already full. Palms wet with sweat.

If Censor Gu is really the prince's child, things will probably change again in Beijing in the future.

While thinking about it, several figures climbing up the stairs gradually approached. Wang Dehai hurriedly bowed his head and said with a pleated smile: "I have met Master Gu. Master Gu, please follow me into the palace."

Gu Changjin looked down . His eyes answered "yes" and his deep voice was as steady as a mountain, neither humble nor arrogant.

Wang Dehai sighed again in his heart. With such a character, it is no wonder that after the emperor sent Gui Zhong to inquire about it, he immediately sent Xie Hushen to pick him up, for fear that something unexpected would happen to him on his way back to Beijing.

Gu Changjin followed Wang Dehai into the palace. The people in the palace were the same as in the dream, except for one more old minister.

On the day when he entered the Kunning Palace to recognize his relatives in his previous life, the old minister had already died in the Dali Temple Prison, but now he was sitting at the head of Emperor Jiayou.

Gu Changjin raised his hands and bowed respectfully.

Everything that followed was like a dream. Sun Bailong took blood from the tip of his tongue and performed a blood test in front of everyone in the palace.

At such an important moment, Gu Changjin was very calm, his heart was calm, and his lowered eyes seemed to be looking at each other with a pair of compassionate and tolerant eyes across a long time and space.

"The Xiao family has a unique secret technique to test relatives. The blood of three generations of direct blood relatives can be blended. This secret technique is only known to the Xiao family and successive envoys of Taiyuan Hospital. After I left Taiyuan Hospital, it was the Sun family who took over my mantle. Sun Bailong likes to use blood from the tip of his tongue. If you bite this medicine and apply it on the tip of your tongue, it will be safe."

When the old doctor was dying, he handed the secret medicine to him and said with a smile: "Your Highness, you know why I want to help you. ?"

The young boy raised his eyes calmly and remained silent for a long time. After a long time, he asked, "Can the heart-protecting pill you left me cure your illness?"

It seemed that he didn't expect him to respond to his words like this. , the old doctor was stunned for a moment, and after a moment, he smiled slowly and said: "I am not sick, but my life has come to an end. It is a good thing to die at a healthy age. Your Highness does not need to be sad."

The old man has silver hair, a gentle face, and a pair of compassionate eyes. He kept looking at the young man in front of him.

In every game of chess he played with this kid, he was always reluctant to let go of every piece. They would rather have a draw without fighting over the outcome, but also keep every chess piece.

He said that until the last moment, no one can say that this is an abandoned child and should be abandoned.

On the day when Yanzhou was rescued, Princess Yunhua asked him, "Do you want to catch and kill all those who stole your steamed buns so that you can breathe a sigh of relief?"

He was silent for a long time and replied in a hoarse voice: "Those who only rob food but do not kill people will not be killed; those who rob food but kill people to protect themselves or others will not be killed; those who rob food and kill people, cannibals or... □ Kill others. "

In such a chaotic world, a seven- or eight-year-old child, who experienced being robbed of food and being hunted, had to risk hiding in a dense forest for three days. If he were to leave an ordinary child alone, he would probably have lost his temper. Big changes.

He is always the same.

It was obvious that this child had witnessed his loved ones die in the most tragic way in front of him, but he had never been blinded by hatred.

Seeing a hint of sadness on the young man's usually calm face, the old doctor smiled and said: "Although the road under your Highness's feet is difficult, I believe that as long as Your Highness remains Your Highness, there will be many others like me in this world. A person who is willing to devote everything to help His Highness realize his long-cherished wish."

There was a tingling sensation on the tip of his tongue, and the compassionate eyes of the old doctor who looked at him slowly dissipated.

Everyone held their breath and stared at the two drops of blood in Sun Bailong's jade bowl. After a while, Sun Bailong said, "Your Majesty, the blood has merged" to break the silence in the room.

Emperor Jiayou's gentle eyes were always fixed on the young man kneeling on the ground. After hearing this, he nodded and said: "Everyone, please go out. Gu Yushi will stay."

Queen Qi's expression paused. She wanted to get down and help her herself. From that child.

Since the blood is fused, it means that the child is Xiao Yan. Based on her understanding of Emperor Jiayou, he should directly announce the child's identity as the emperor's heir.

This suspicion only flashed through Queen Qi's mind. Soon she stood up, made a light body, and left the palace with the help of the palace maid.

After Queen Qi went out, all the ministers and servants in the main hall followed closely and filed out of the house.

With a creak, the palace door closed.

Emperor Jiayou raised the corner of his lips slightly and said gently to Gu Changjin: "Get up, sit down and talk."

He raised his finger and pointed down an agarwood chair, which was where the old minister was sitting just now.

Gu Changjin stood up, and as soon as he sat down, he heard Emperor Jiayou say again: "Do you know who you are?"

"My name is Xiao Yan." Gu Changjin's Adam's apple slowly sank, and he said calmly: "Prince Qiyuan Son, Xiao Yan. "

The hall was silent for a moment.

"Xiao Yan..." The corners of Emperor Jiayou's lips gradually flattened, and Qingyue's voice contained the majesty of the emperor, "Aren't you afraid that I will punish you for bullying the emperor?"

Gu Changjin raised his eyes, looked directly into Emperor Jiayou's eyes, and said: "I have never wanted to be Xiao Yan. I only wish to be Gu Changjin."

The young man's eyes were magnanimous and fearless. Emperor Jiayou looked at him quietly. After a long while, he asked: "Why don't you want to be Gu Changjin?" "Xiao Yan?"

"Being Xiao Yan is too tiring and painful." The young man's voice seemed to ring in Gu Changjin's ears, "When Ni Huwei said that Chen's father was Prince Qiyuan, Chen was only four years old. I always thought that Ni Huwei was Chen's father, and I even thought about taking over Ni Huwei's mantle and joining the army in the future, until I found out about his life experience and that the Prince of Qiyuan was Chen's biological father."

Gu Changjin took it out from the lapel of his clothes . That piece of jade pendant, "Everyone in the world said that Prince Qiyuan allowed the demons to bring harm to the imperial court, and he was murderous. His hands were stained with the blood of countless innocent children. I don't want my father to be such a person, and I am always afraid of the blood flowing from my body." Sooner or later, my blood will force me to become a madman. I would

rather be the son of a guard than to be Xiao Yan. But I have no choice. They are all forcing me to be Xiao Yan. Emperor Jiayou had long known who they were, Ni Huan and Princess Yunhua.

Emperor Jiayou's eyes fell on the jade pendant engraved with the word "yan". He looked at it for a moment, then he raised his eyes and said slowly: "You are not like my father."

The imperial majesty that made people's hearts tremble disappeared. At this moment, Emperor Jiayou was like an ordinary elder with a gentle temper.

"I am not like the late emperor. I know that I will never become an emperor like the late emperor in this life. A person's blood will never limit who he can be. This is the same for you and me." The corner of Emperor Jiayou's lips said again. He raised a smile and said: "Do you hate Princess Yunhua?"

"I once hated it. Sui Guan'er died of the epidemic, and I took Sui Guan'er's identity. But my aunt was still worried and set her on fire. Killed Sui Guan'er's close relatives." Gu Changjin paused slightly, as if seeing the fire again, "They died because of me. I once hated my aunt so much that she was also a poor person. She spent her whole life. The whole purpose is to allow me to live openly and honestly as a descendant of the Xiao family, but she never understands that I would rather be Sui Guan'er and walk the path he wants to take for Sui Guan'er."

Emperor Jiayou listened quietly.

"When I was young, I said that I would join the army like Ni Huwei in the future, but when I was a senior official, I told him that he wanted to take the imperial examination and become a good official." Gu Changjin's eyes were distant and there was a smile in his eyebrows. "I went to Beijing to take the exam. The reason for becoming the number one scholar is not because of my aunt's order, but to fulfill Sui Guan'er's long-cherished wish to become a good official. "

Emperor Jiayou smiled lightly and said: "You have done it."

He looked at Gu Changjin, his face suddenly straightened, and he said seriously: "You are a bloodline of the Xiao family, and sooner or later you will recognize your ancestors and return to the clan. You said you don't want to do it. Xiao Yan, today I order you to be Xiao Changjin. Xiao Changjin is my second son and the legitimate son of the queen. Are you willing?"

This "destiny" did not give Gu Changjin any choice.

Gu Changjin knew it, and Emperor Jiayou also knew it.

The inner hall fell into silence again, and the thin-faced emperor gradually wiped away the smile on his face.

When the smile on his face almost disappeared, Gu Changjin finally bowed his head and said: "I obey the order." Emperor Jiayou nodded

gently, and smiled again at the corner of his lips: "Go out, Wang Dehai will take you Go to the Taiyuan Hospital and ask the envoy Sun to heal you."

Gu Changjin did not stand up, but said: "I have one more thing, please ask the emperor to do it."

But he said that after leaving the main hall, Queen Qi went. The side hall next to it. There is only a short road between the main hall and the side hall, but nothing can be heard.

Aunt Gui was pacing back and forth in the side hall, her face full of worry.

Empress Qi rubbed her brows and said, "Mommy, please stop pacing. I'm going to feel dizzy."

"I don't know what the Lord and that person are talking about. How can I not be anxious?" Aunt Gui sighed. : "I don't know what kind of agreement the emperor wants. Since he shed blood and admitted his marriage in front of so many people, the old slave still thinks that he is determined to recognize the child."

"It is precisely because the emperor recognized the child in front of so many people. It is impossible for this matter to change if I recognize my kinsmen in front of you." Empress Qi changed into her regular clothes of azurite gauze embroidered with eight groups of Kui phoenix patterns, sat on the couch, and said warmly: "Soon, the main hall will be open. There will be news soon."

Sure enough, Emperor Jiayou left Kunning Palace half an hour later, and then the Minister of Rites was announced to the Yangxin Palace. Before noon, the news that the second prince Xiao Changjin had been found back in the palace spread from inside the palace to outside the palace.

Queen Qi had just finished lunch when Wang Dehai hurried back to the palace from the Ministry of Rites and went to Kunning Palace to meet Queen Qi.

"Your Majesty asked this servant to tell the Queen that the Queen does not have to interfere with the marriage of His Highness the Second Highness.

Your Majesty will make his own arrangements." Empress Qi originally planned to arrange a marriage for Gu Changjin after he entered the East Palace. Binding him to the old members of the Qi family.

Unexpectedly, Emperor Jiayou seemed to have seen through her thoughts and specially sent Wang Dehai to talk to her.

As soon as Wang Dehai left, Empress Qi summoned Nanny Zhu and asked: "I remember that the girl who married His Highness the Second Highness first was a girl from the Marquis of Cheng'an Mansion. Go and find out which girl it is? And the two of them are because of each other. He Heli? "

When a noble lady from a high-ranking family in Beijing gets married, she becomes a married woman, and she is usually registered in the Shang Palace Bureau. Aunt Zhu was in charge of Shang Gong Bureau, and it only took her less than half a day to report back and forth.

"The one who is getting married to His Highness is Rong Shu, the legitimate daughter of Marquis Chengan. They got married in the Mid-Autumn Festival last year and divorced in March this year."

"Rong Shu..." Queen Qi murmured this strange name softly. , puzzled: "The concubine of Marquis Cheng'an is the legitimate daughter of the former Shangshu Pei, and I have some impressions of it. As for his first wife and legitimate daughter, I have never heard of it, and I have never seen it."

Aunt Zhu replied: "The first wife of Marquis Chengan is the daughter of Shen Huai, a wealthy businessman in Yangzhou Prefecture. She has a very weak relationship with Marquis Chengan. Their only daughter was sent to Yangzhou since she was a child because she had an unlucky birth date and had a conflict with the old lady in the mansion. My mother-in-law has never heard of her

being born in an unlucky year .

Queen Qi frowned slightly, not happy that she had to send a little baby away for such a reason. Even if she is a queen, she cannot easily interfere in other people's family affairs.

She nodded gently: "Can you find out the reason why the two of them reconciled?"

Madam Zhu lowered her eyes and said: "The marriage between the two families was initiated by Madam Hou. With the status of the Second Highness at that time, the Marquis of Cheng'an Mansion wanted to How could he refuse the marriage? He was forced to marry a girl from the Marquis of Cheng'an, so he naturally didn't want to get close to her. I heard that His Highness had a sweetheart before they got married. "

" Sweetheart?" Queen Qi said. Do you know who it is?"

Aunt Zhu lowered her head, "I only found out that she was a girl we grew up with, her name is Wenxi. Two months before His Highness got married, Miss Wenxi left to go to Beijing alone. "

When she heard the word "Wenxi", Queen Qi's heart skipped a beat.

Wenxi...

Meng Zong said that after Xiao Fu abducted the child, he kept the child by his side, and the only girl Xiao Fu had taken care of over the years was this girl named Wenxi.

"Do you know why she left?"

"My servant has not yet found out the specific reason why Miss Wenxi left." After speaking, Aunt Zhu paused for a moment, as if she was considering her words, and said hesitantly: "Maybe she didn't want to. It's just delaying His Highness's future."

Queen Qi looked at a vase in the corner and said "Hmm" after a while, "I know what I'm doing. Just step back."

After Mammy Zhu left, Aunt Gui then stepped forward to pour tea for Queen Qi and said, "Don't worry, Madam. Master Meng has sent someone to take the little princess back. You will be able to see her soon."

Queen Qi took the tea cup and lowered her head. Looking at the pair of peach blossom eyes reflected in the tea, he said calmly: "Does the person we sent to Suzhou have any news?"

"It will take at least a month to come and go to Suzhou. Only half a month has passed now, probably It will take some time before there is any definite news. Does the empress suspect that Miss Wen is the little princess?"

Aunt Gui pulled a small brocade tree, sat next to Empress Qi, and said in a low voice: "Just now, Aunt Zhu said. Miss Wen left Shangjing and went to Suzhou two months before His Highness got married. Did the girl leave voluntarily because of sadness, or did the Marquis of Chengan force her to leave Shangjing? Aren't she and His Highness..."

Aunt Gui stopped talking, and Queen Qi understood what she was worried about.

If Wenxi were the child, she and Gu Changjin would be cousins. In this case, the two of them could not have any rumors that went against Gang Chang's ethics. Otherwise, with Emperor Jiayou's methods, this child is their child and may not be able to return to her.

"This is also one of the reasons why I want to marry him personally." Empress Qi squeezed the tea cup tightly, "When Xiao Fu told Prince Qiyuan... Wen Xi is most likely the child. Xiao Fu is... Take revenge on me."

As soon as she heard the word "Xiao Fu", Nanny Gui felt frightened. This princess was like a poisonous snake. She couldn't rest at ease until she was caught.

Aunt Gui thought for a while and consoled her: "Since Miss Wen left before His Highness the Second Prince got married, I think Princess Yunhua also knew that there couldn't be any bad rumors between the two of them, so she arranged for her to leave and go to Beijing."

Queen Qi closed her eyes tightly.

Aunt Gui was right. In all likelihood, Wenxi's departure was not forced by people from the Cheng'an Marquis Mansion, but was arranged by Xiao Fu. But she always felt uneasy, always feeling that something bad was waiting for her.

Five days later, according to the auspicious day chosen by the Qin Tian Jian, the emperor and the empress, together with the court officials, went to the Ancestral Temple to offer sacrifices to heaven, earth and ancestors, and officially announced to the world the identity of the second son of Emperor Gu Changjin.

After the worship ceremony, Emperor Jiayou named Xiao Changjin, the second son of the emperor, as the crown prince of Dayin. On October 23, Gu Changjin took over the East Palace mansion, which had been empty for more than 20 years.

After the news came out that Gu Changjin was established as the prince, it can be said that one stone stirred up a thousand waves in Shuntian Mansion.

Rong Shu knew the news a few days earlier than the common people. Seeing that Chang Ji, who came to deliver the message, was both happy and worried, he smiled and said: "It is a good thing for Mr. Gu to recognize his ancestors and return to the clan. At present, the Qi family has no trouble. Xing The family did not dare to act rashly because of the assassination. Mr. Gu has the support of several important ministers and the support of the people. No one can shake his position."

She and Chang Ji were in Wanping County, and Chang Ji was there every day. By spreading the news to Beijing, he naturally knew about Gu Changjin's entry into the East Palace earlier than ordinary people.

Although Rong Shu didn't understand why something that was supposed to happen in July of the 23rd year of Jiayou was advanced to October of the 21st year of Jiayou, it probably had something to do with the incident in Yangzhou Prefecture.

But no matter what, it's always a good thing.

After Gu Changjin entered the East Palace, he was able to have a team of East Palace guards. I heard that Emperor Jiayou directly transferred all the Jinwu Guards and the Warriors Battalion to the East Palace.

This way, he won't get hurt easily.

Thinking of this, Rong Shu couldn't help but think of the injury he suffered on the last trip.

I don’t know if his injuries are healed? When the two separated at the wooden house in the valley last time, he was still suffering from a high fever and the wound on his back was still bleeding. It was uncomfortable to run all the way back to Beijing.

Rong Shu sighed a few words in his heart and stopped thinking about it. He didn't notice the hesitation on Chang Ji's face.

"So Zhuangtou is leaving Zhuangzi tomorrow, but has he arranged for people to ambush him on the road?" she asked.

"Everything has been arranged." Chang Ji said hurriedly: "This Zhuangtou will go to Beijing every month. As long as he doesn't get lost tomorrow, he will know who the person in the Hou Mansion is connecting with him."

Chang Ji said this, Not forgetting to give his master a sense of presence, he added: "Don't worry, girl, the people trained by the master will never be lost."

Rong Shu nodded and said seriously: "We just need to find out who the contact is. That's it, don't scare the snake."

After a few careful words, Rong Shu asked Chang Ji to go down and prepare for tomorrow.

Yingyue and Yingque came in to help her wash up.

Gu Changjin specially sent someone to pick her up from Minglu Courtyard two days ago. Rong Shu was really surprised. She didn't expect that he would be so busy and pay attention to such trivial things.

She was the only one who was naturally happy to see Yingyue and Yingque. The three masters and servants talked for a long time before they stopped.

After learning that Zhang's mother had poisoned her, Yingque was so angry that she cursed loudly. After cursing, she and Yingyue burst into tears together, feeling very sorry for his girl.

The relationship between the girl and Mama Zhang was so good. How uncomfortable was she when she stabbed Mama Zhang with her own hands? She really hated that the two of them were not in Yangzhou. Yingque would rather she stabbed Zhang's mother than the girl. She really didn't want the girl to feel guilty for the rest of her life.

Rong Shu persuaded her for a while and reassured her that nothing was wrong, and then she stopped the two of them from crying.

The two of them languished for a day, and finally returned to normal today.

After washing, Yingyue applied ointment to Rong Shu. When her hand brushed her neck, she accidentally hooked a red string around her neck and pulled out a jade Buddha bead the size of a little finger.

"Girl, this rope is faded. Do you want my slave to rub another one for you?"

This jade pendant is all white and crystal clear. It is so small that it has six Buddha faces carved into it. It is a work of art.

Rong Shu lowered his eyes and looked at the jade pendant.

She has worn this jade pendant since she could remember it. The red rope hanging the jade pendant was rubbed by Zhang's mother herself, and she has been wearing it for more than ten years without knowing it.

In her previous life, in order to investigate matters in the Marquis Mansion, she ran around trying to establish relationships and spent all her dowry.

The last time I went to Dali Temple Prison to see my mother-in-law, the jailer thought the purse she handed over was too light and refused to accommodate her. She had no choice but to take off the jade pendant and put it into the hands of the jailer who was guarding the door. Only then did she successfully meet her mother-in-law.

Her slender green-white fingers were stroking the smooth and clear jade bead. Rong Shu was used to being a nostalgic person, but this time, she said lightly: "Just rub another red rope for me. This one is old after all."

In this life, she will not let her fall into the Dali Temple prison again, and the jade pendant will stay with her well, but the old rope no longer needs to be kept.