Huh? The Tyrant Cries After My Inner Thoughts Were Exposed!-Chapter 186: Take Care of Your Imperial Health!
The Chief Secretary entered the palace before the gates were locked.
At this time, the Old Emperor had just finished reviewing the memorials presented by Huai State and went to the Empress Palace intending to have some private conversation. He hadn’t even warmed his seat when a eunuch hurriedly reported that Mr. Liu, the Chief Secretary, had important matters to discuss and was already waiting in the Imperial Study.
The Old Emperor was reluctant to move, having not spoken with the Empress, and the fire hadn’t even warmed up yet. During the New Year, what urgent matter could Liu Ze have?
He was about to dismiss the matter with a couple of words when the Empress beside him said, "Your Majesty, Mr. Liu is always prudent. If he enters the palace at this late hour, there must be something important."
The Old Emperor had to swallow his words of dismissal.
On the way back, he shivered from the cold, feeling that his warm clothes had already chilled, sighing to himself that it would be nice to have a replacement. Unfortunately, he had encountered someone who couldn’t curry favor with his superiors.
By the time he arrived at the Imperial Study, Liu Ze had been waiting for a while, warming himself by the fire. Seeing the Old Emperor, his face flushed and glossy from the heat, he greeted, "Your Majesty."
The Old Emperor braved the wind and snow to rush back, shivering from the cold, "You said there’s an urgent matter to report, what is it exactly?"
As he spoke, he walked inside, and as soon as he sat down, he heard Liu Ze respectfully say, "Your Majesty, you previously ordered the subject to find someone. The subject has already found them, and the token is here."
With that, he took out half of a jade pendant from his bosom and presented it.
At the sight of the half jade pendant, the Old Emperor’s expression was shocked. He stood up abruptly and rushed toward Liu Ze, nearly tripping, and was hastily supported by a nearby eunuch!
The Old Emperor snatched the half jade pendant from the Chief Secretary’s hand, his eyes red, "Found... found... My daughter, my Le’an!"
The eunuchs and palace attendants serving in the Imperial Study were all stunned. Your Majesty’s... daughter?
The Old Emperor tightly grasped the jade pendant and asked the Chief Secretary in front of him, "Where is the person?"
The Chief Secretary, also affected by his emotions, was about to speak when his gaze fell on these palace attendants, recalling the words his daughter told him: the palace is full of ears and eyes; it would be good to conceal it temporarily.
"Your Majesty, can you dismiss everyone first?"
The Old Emperor waved his hand, dismissing all the attendants and guards outside the Imperial Study, not allowing them to approach.
It was only then that the Chief Secretary spoke, "Your Majesty, the Princess passed away several years ago."
The Old Emperor’s vision went black, and the jade pendant slipped from his hand, falling to the ground with a clatter.
The Chief Secretary hurriedly stepped forward to support him, "Your Majesty, you must take care of your imperial body!"
The Old Emperor felt a chill surge from his feet upwards. He picked up the jade pendant from the ground, his body rigid, guided back to his seat by the Chief Secretary. His fingers couldn’t stop trembling, his face pale, "How did Mingxuan pass away?"
Song Mingxuan, also known as Li Ruohua, though not found back then, was conferred with the title Princess Le’an by the Old Emperor. The princess’s genealogy remains in the Zongzheng Temple, awaiting the day when the princess would be found.
But now, the genealogy remained, but the person was no longer there.
The Chief Secretary solemnly said, "Replying to Your Majesty, according to my investigation, Princess Le’an passed away from illness."
In an instant, the Old Emperor seemed to age by decades, his tightly clenched fists supporting the desk.
How could this be... how could this be. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶
The Chief Secretary continued, "Your Majesty, I also discovered that under Princess Le’an, there is a daughter who is now in the Capital City. The jade pendant was obtained from her."
The Old Emperor’s eyes widened, caught between grief and joy, his emotions stuck, "Minister Liu, quickly bring her... no, no, I will leave the palace, I want to personally bring her back!"
As he spoke, he was about to summon people. At his age, having searched half his life for his daughter who was no longer in the world and suddenly discovering he still had a granddaughter in the world, he regretted his indecisiveness back then that led to so much bitter fruit.
When he brings his granddaughter back, he wants the whole world to know, to make up to her what was owed to her mother. A princess of Da Jin, giving her the preciousness and favor that the world cannot offer.
Just thinking about it brought tears to his old eyes, at his age, he could enjoy the happiness of family like those ministers with many children and grandchildren.
The Chief Secretary couldn’t help but say, "Your Majesty, why not listen to the old minister finish first?"
Even if he rushed out of the palace now, what would he do at the Duke Mansion? He just heard from his daughter that Su Juan went with Heir Xie and that Junior Minister Song from Prince Jing Mansion to Baihua Building; presumably, she wouldn’t return tonight.
This esteemed Emperor couldn’t possibly run to the Baihua Building?
Moreover, Your Majesty has seen Su Juan before.
The Old Emperor reluctantly held back and sat back down, "Speak."
The Chief Secretary said in a low voice, "Your Majesty, you have also seen this girl..."
The Old Emperor was perplexed: "?" I have seen?
Could she be a palace attendant in the palace?
Or the family member of some minister?
The Chief Secretary, while speaking, observed the Emperor’s changing facial expression, "Your Majesty, you summoned her today and just promoted her to Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue."
The Old Emperor’s expression froze on his face, the tears about to fall restrained back, forcing a dry laugh, "Minister Liu, I didn’t know you could joke."
The joke almost made the Emperor laugh.
This reaction was something the Chief Secretary did not expect at all; he coughed lightly, "Your Majesty, the minister is not joking. The daughter of Princess Le’an is indeed Vice Minister Su Juan of the Ministry of Revenue."
As he spoke, he pulled out a scroll hidden in his sleeve, unfolding it in front of the Old Emperor, "Your Majesty, please look, this woman is Su Juan’s biological mother Li Ruohua, who is indeed Princess Le’an."
The woman in the painting looked like she was cast from the same mold as the Empress, even more like Su Juan. At this time, the Old Emperor suddenly realized that Su Juan and the Empress actually looked very similar.
The Old Emperor’s vision darkened, his lips trembled uncontrollably, and he waved his hands repeatedly, "Impossible, absolutely impossible!"
"How could she be my granddaughter!"
As wise and powerful as I am, how could I have such a temperamental granddaughter! Every day on court, she’s either scolding this or that, absolutely impossible!
The Old Emperor desperately denied it, as if by denying it, he could conjure another granddaughter. To say Liu Miaoying was his granddaughter, that was more acceptable.
The Chief Secretary: "..."
But even while denying it verbally, the Old Emperor’s heart knew clearly. He got up and tugged at his clothes, "I must leave the palace to the Duke Mansion to ask who her real mother is!"
The Chief Secretary sighed internally, though his mouth didn’t admit it, his actions were very urgent, "Your Majesty, Vice Minister Su followed Heir Xie and Junior Minister Song to the brothel earlier, presumably she won’t be returning to the Duke Mansion tonight."
Implying there’s no need to make the trip tonight; if you want to see her, summon her to the palace tomorrow.
The Old Emperor’s face darkened, going to a brothel!?
She, a young lady, going to a brothel with two vigorous young men?
What kind of propriety is this!
The Old Emperor repeatedly rubbed his fingers, "Minister Liu, go and check again carefully for me, see if there might be some misunderstanding."
The Chief Secretary looked confused, not understanding: "?"
The Old Emperor: "Could it be that when Le’an gave birth, the child was mistakenly carried away by the midwife, or perhaps the child died young, and Su Juan was a foster child taken in by Le’an?"
The Chief Secretary: "..." Your Majesty, listen to what you’re saying, see if it’s reasonable.
