How to Deal with Having the Villainous Tyrant’s Child Chapter 149

Chapter 149

Zong Yuan was startled by the emperor’s actions. He stepped back. “Your Majesty, you hurt me.”

The boy’s clear, youthful voice seemed to awaken the emperor. He realized his own unseemly behavior.

Instantly, he released the boy’s hand and began scanning Zong Yuan’s face repeatedly, exclaiming, “So alike! Too alike! How can there be two people in the world who look so similar?”

Yuwen Min and Lu Xuzhi exchanged glances, both unsure who the emperor meant by “so alike.”

Yuwen Min, however, remembered that yesterday, Lu Hanzhi had mentioned that Zong Yuan resembled someone he knew.

Prime Minister Lin, standing nearby, sighed slightly and shook his head.

The emperor, meanwhile, returned to the dragon throne. “Since Zong Yuan has come to Great Zhao, and sooner or later he is destined to marry into our court, let him stay in the palace for now. I will have someone prepare his residence. The virtuous Imperial Noble Concubine Rong will oversee the arrangements.”

Everyone was puzzled. Unmarried, and yet staying in the palace?

That hardly seemed appropriate.

The emperor, however, added, “If the Eastern Sea emissary wants to challenge the bravest warrior of Great Zhao, he may do so after the assembly at the Martial Arts Bureau. Today, I am only hosting these two emissaries; other matters can wait.”

But his eyes never left Zong Yuan’s face. That feverish expression made Yuwen Min recall a time when he had seen Lu Hanzhi look the same way.

He suspected he was seeing things. His father was almost fifty—how could he feel such emotions toward a fifteen- or sixteen-year-old boy?

Yet emperors had never lacked concubines. Even when nearing death, they would select numerous talented women from the populace each year to enrich the harem.

A boy like Zong Yuan, with such looks, being admired by the emperor, was not entirely surprising.

What was strange was why the emperor had displayed such fervent emotion upon seeing Zong Yuan’s face.

Soon, Zong Yuan was led away.

Since the emperor had spoken, the arrangements naturally fell to Imperial Noble Concubine to prepare his residence.

The subsequent hospitality proceeded as usual, though anyone could see the emperor’s anxious expression, as if he wanted to end it quickly.

It seemed that this Zong Yuan, brought for marriage alliance, might soon enter the palace.

After hosting the Eastern Sea emissaries, the assembly was dismissed. As for the real business, it would be scheduled later.

Once the assembly was over, Prime Minister Lin and Yuwen Min, along with Lu Xuzhi, left the front hall. Only when they were a fair distance from the other ministers did Lin Xiang speak. “Your Majesty seems ready to indulge in nostalgia for a lost companion again.”

Lu Xuzhi frowned. “What do you mean?”

Yuwen Min suddenly understood. “Prime Minister Lin means that this prince Zong Yuan actually resembles someone from the Three-Life Tomb?”

Both looked at Prime Minister Lin. Seeing him nod, they all understood.

No wonder the emperor had looked so fervent just now.

Someone he had cherished for more than twenty years had suddenly appeared before him, still young and beautiful.

Without all the misfortunes that followed, without his father’s unheeded pleas before death, without the lifelong regrets that came afterward.

That person was simply standing there—alive, real, present.

If one was willing to deceive oneself, one could easily treat him as a substitute.

According to Yuwen Min’s understanding of his father, he was perfectly capable of doing so.

For some reason, he suddenly felt like laughing. In the previous life, Yuwen Mingji had succeeded in seizing the throne, and his father had been killed.

This life, he had killed Yuwen Mingji, his father had survived, yet now this incident had occurred.

He truly didn’t know whether preventing Yuwen Mingji from killing the emperor had been right or wrong.

But he firmly believed that anything not obtained through proper means would eventually backfire.

No matter how difficult the process, he had to maintain this hard-won stability in Great Zhao.

Yuwen Min said, “In any case, the fact that Eastern Sea sent someone who looks exactly like the person from the Three-Life Tomb at this moment is absolutely no coincidence.”

He refused to believe that such coincidences existed in the world—someone looking so much like another, even mirroring gestures, expressions, and movements, and yet appearing right before the emperor’s eyes.

If this wasn’t orchestrated, he would never believe it.

And if it was orchestrated, there was surely a scheme behind it.

Yuwen Min wanted to go ask Lu Hanzhi for his opinion, only to find that Lu Hanzhi was not in the residence.

He called the house steward and asked. He was told that Lu Hanzhi had gone to the estate with the little prince and Xiao Liuzi.

With nothing else to do, Yuwen Min rode out with Lu Xuzhi.

Yuwen Min looked at Second Brother in puzzlement. “Second Brother, aren’t you going to face that Eastern Sea emissary? Why come along?”

Lu Xuzhi rubbed his forehead in frustration. “I’m not particularly fond of fighting Eastern Sea people. They don’t just risk others’ lives—they risk their own as well.”

Being ruthless in combat was their characteristic, and Lu Xuzhi had no desire to fight.

It wasn’t that he couldn’t win—he just didn’t want to engage.

Unless he promised him that if he lost, he wouldn’t commit seppuku, he might consider sparring with him a little.

Furthermore, when Zong Yuan entered the palace, Imperial Concubine Rong was astonished at first sight.

She had arrived shortly after Yin Pingwu, spending considerable time in his household.

When she first saw Yin Pingwu, she realized she was only the appendage.

Prime Minister Yin’s eldest son was stunningly handsome.

Before Hanzhi, he had been the most famous beauty in the capital.

As the legitimate eldest son, few such sons were raised as Xiao Langjun.

The problem lay in the fact that Prime Minister Yin’s legitimate wife was a short-lived merchant woman.

Although from a wealthy family, she was not of the imperial merchant class, only an ordinary merchant’s daughter.

In ancient times, scholars and farmers despised merchants the most.

As for why Prime Minister Yin married her despite this, there were many unspoken reasons.

So, a pair of resentful spouses ended up together.

Prime Minister Yin’s legitimate wife was also a famed beauty, and her son inherited her looks.

Tragically, she died young, when Yin Pingwu was three or four.

Before dying, she made Prime Minister Yin promise one thing: to raise her son as a Xiao Langjun.

Not for any other reason, but because she knew that without her as the mother, if Prime Minister Yin remarried and had more sons, there would surely be disputes over inheritance.

In great families, fights over rank and inheritance often led to deaths.

Without maternal protection, could Yin Pingwu grow up safely?

She clung to life only to secure Prime Minister Yin’s promise.

Finally, Prime Minister Yin nodded, agreeing to her request.

But that single nod sent the child onto an irreversible path.

People said Heaven envied beauties. Yin Pingwu and his mother truly had a tragic fate.

Fortunately, Prime Minister Yin still loved his eldest son.

He arranged for him to serve as the crown prince’s companion from childhood; the two grew up together and naturally developed affection.

It could also be considered a tale of sorts.

Rong Sa did not feel jealous of them; before entering the residence, she already knew her proper place.

Moreover, Yin Pingwu was extremely easygoing and pleasant to be around; he had a gentle temperament.

He was well-mannered and educated, intelligent and perceptive, never raising his voice to argue with others.

She thought to herself, how could someone like this even exist in the world?

Sure enough, someone too perfect rarely lived a smooth life.

Looking at the young man before her, Imperial Concubine Rong’s thoughts drifted further and further, and she ended up staring blankly for quite some time.

It was only when Er Ya nudged her arm that she finally came back to her senses.

Rong Sa looked at the boy and said, “So you are the prince from Eastern Sea?”

The boy was polite and formal, performing the proper ritual of Great Zhao. He said, “I pay respects to Imperial Concubine, Your Highness. I am Zong Yuan, the Prince of Eastern Fan.”

Though adopted, he was still granted the title of Prince.

Imperial Concubine Rong nodded. “Since you are not part of the harem, I will arrange for you to stay in Yangming Palace. That is where the princes reside—you may speak with them more often there.”

In the palace, there were several princes over twelve but not yet of age. The emperor, seeing how some consorts spoiled their sons, allowed the twelve-and-up princes to live separately, all housed within the Yangming Palace complex.

Zong Yuan had no objections to his assigned residence, and Imperial Concubine Rong did not treat him with any hostility.

Though she knew in her heart, this Zong Yuan’s arrival was far from ordinary.

The emperor was merely pretending to sleep; his fixation on Pingwu for over twenty years was likely just to cover up and numb himself to the mistakes he had made back then.

Yin Pingwu had died in childbirth, leaving both mother and child dead. Why had it been so difficult?

The fetal position was not abnormal, yet the child still could not be delivered.

On that day, the Crown Prince did not return for a long time. When he did, Young Master Ping had already passed away.

The Crown Prince nearly fainted from grief, killing several servants in the household in his despair.

Yet Rong Sa had never fully understood that Yin Pingwu’s death was far from simple.

But it had been over twenty years. If there were a next life, Young Master Ping would likely have become a father again—what was the point of dwelling on it?

Imperial Concubine Rong returned to the palace feeling somewhat fatigued and asked Er Ya to help her rest for the afternoon.

She did not expect that, after she had only lain down for a short while, the emperor arrived.

Imperial Concubine Rong had no choice but to rise and go to meet him.

The emperor, in a rush, immediately pulled her up, his eyes shining with obvious eagerness.

He joyfully exclaimed, “Sa’er! He’s back! Ping’er is back! Did you see him? My Ping’er… he’s back!” Then the emperor laughed.

Imperial Concubine Rong smiled awkwardly but patiently reminded him, “Your Majesty, you jest. Young Master Ping has been gone for so many years. How could he return? You must have dreamed of him again.”

The emperor shook his head. “No, no! Sa’er, you are pretending not to know! Today, the Zong Yuan you saw… he is him! He has grown up! He has come back to find me! Sa’er, didn’t you recognize him, since you were closest to Ping’er?”

Imperial Concubine Rong sighed. “Your Majesty, Zong Yuan is the Prince of Eastern Sea. He is not Pingwu. He only resembles him! There are too many lookalikes in this world. Are you expecting him to take Pingwu’s place in your heart?”

The emperor was momentarily stunned but shook his head violently. “No, no! He is Ping’er! Rong Sa, you are my Imperial Noble Concubine. You cannot… cannot let me rejoice in vain!”

Imperial Concubine Rong knelt before the emperor. “Your Majesty, Your Majesty has the divine mandate. As your servant, I must obey. Since Your Majesty has already made up your mind, why ask me?”

The emperor closed his eyes, looking pained, and then helped Imperial Concubine Rong stand again.

His voice trembled slightly as he said, “For over twenty years, Pingwu has haunted my dreams and my soul. Without deceiving myself, my beloved, do you understand this feeling? He is my obsession… I… I cannot overcome this barrier.”

Imperial Concubine Rong asked, “Then what does Your Majesty intend to do?”

The emperor replied, “I… I want to confer upon him the title of concubine!”

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