Cuizheng went out diligently to handle the aftermath, and in the end, he couldn’t help but think—His Highness the Imperial Grandson truly was a good person.
If it had been any other prince in that situation today, this matter probably wouldn’t have been resolved so smoothly.
When gods fight, it’s always the little ones who suffer.
With Princess Baorong’s death, of course the marriage alliance was off. But the Ministry of Rites, and even the monks of Huangjue Temple, were all at risk of being punished or dismissed in large numbers.
Now, everyone had been spared.
After sending Cuizheng away, Emperor Yongchang looked as if he had aged ten years. Sitting on the dragon throne, his face was pale.
As an emperor, of course he was angry. But as a father, after the rage passed, what remained was sorrow.
No matter how reckless or disgraceful Baorong had been, she was still a child he had watched grow up with his own eyes.
He stared at the flickering flames in the brazier, rubbed his brow faintly, then looked at Xiao Yunting and nodded. “Yunting, you’ve done well.”
Handling this matter with such discretion and care had not been easy. Emperor Yongchang was well aware of that.
With such a capable grandson, he recalled the advice from Liu Wangfei and said gravely, “You’ve grown up now. It’s time for you to start learning your duties. In a few days, come to court with me and observe state affairs.”
Attending court to observe governance—when the Crown Prince had received that privilege, he had been about Xiao Yunting’s age.
But after several failures in handling matters, the Crown Prince’s faction had all but collapsed, and from then on, everyone knew the Crown Prince was nothing more than a paper tiger.
Now, Xiao Yunting finally had his own chance.
He knelt and bowed deeply to express his gratitude. “Thank you, Royal Grandfather!”
Looking at him, Emperor Yongchang grew a bit dazed. If Liu Wangfei had never gone missing all those years ago, then Xiao Mo’s son would probably be about this age too.
But over the years, while Liu Wangfei and Xiao Mo had been innocent, the Feng family had borne guilt that wasn’t theirs to carry.
Empress Feng had especially suffered years of neglect.
Emperor Yongchang sighed with emotion. “Go and see your grandmother. Tell her to take care of her health—I’ll visit her shortly.”
Xiao Yunting had only visited Empress Feng once—on the day he returned to the capital.
Not because he didn’t want to, but because both he and Empress Feng knew that frequent visits would only bring trouble.
The Empress, who had long been out of favor and regarded with suspicion, could only survive if they both kept their distance.
This was the first time Emperor Yongchang had brought her up so openly.
Xiao Yunting remained composed and knelt once more, acknowledging the order.
As soon as he left, Xia Gongong tiptoed in and reported to Emperor Yongchang that Qi Wang was requesting an audience.
At the mention of Qi Wang, Emperor Yongchang’s expression turned complicated.
But in the end, he nodded. “Let him in.”
When the prince entered and knelt, Emperor Yongchang was startled to find his son looking haggard and worn. Even his legs seemed stiff—kneeling clearly required effort.
With just one glance, Emperor Yongchang sighed silently in his heart.
He hadn’t had many children to begin with.
Xiao Mo was mentally impaired. The Crown Prince was weak and sickly, always looking like he could die any day. He didn’t have many heirs either. That left only Qi Wang and a few other sons who had yet to be granted princely titles.
But those sons were all still far too young.
Now that all his grown sons looked like this, Emperor Yongchang suddenly felt a wave of disinterest and weariness.
So, when Qi Wang knelt crying and begged to be sent to his fiefdom, Emperor Yongchang agreed.
But unlike before, he no longer spoke to Qi Wang with warmth and kindness. He said indifferently, “I will assign you three thousand guards. Also, your fief is no longer what it was—go to Hongdu. Go there and be a proper prince. From now on, without imperial summons, do not return to the capital.”
Where he was sent, how many guards he received—these were no longer things Qi Wang could bargain over.
Just being allowed to leave was already a stroke of fortune. With tears falling continuously, he kowtowed and cried, “This unfilial son has disappointed Royal Father! I beg Royal Father, for the sake of Royal Mother, please take care of Mingcheng and Yongrong in the future—they’re still so young…”
The more Qi Wang acted like a brother who cared deeply for his younger siblings, the more lenient Emperor Yongchang would feel toward him.
He had already practiced countless times in his mind before coming—how to cry, how to stir the emperor’s sympathy. And whenever he thought of Qi Yuan, his heart would ache and sour, so crying now came from a very real place.
Emperor Yongchang saw his son sobbing until snot bubbles formed and stared at him for a while before his tone finally softened a little. He said quietly, “Ah Ling, I know your heart holds resentment. I know that you were pampered because of my favoritism. But from now on, you must never forget the words you said today.”
It was true that in the past, he had favored Qi Wang more than the Crown Prince.
What choice did he have? Before Xiao Yunting returned, the comparison between the Crown Prince and Qi Wang had been painfully one-sided.
Besides, he had always harbored dislike toward the Feng bloodline.
But now, Qi Wang had no hope left.
Emperor Yongchang wouldn’t allow him to keep any illusions—and wouldn’t let him suffer from delusions of revival.
So he decisively crushed all hopes in one blow: “Throughout history, the number of disabled men who ascended the throne can be counted on one hand. I say this to you only once, as father to son—keep it in mind.”
Qi Wang’s whole body shook.
Disabled! That word struck his heart like a blade, like a judgment worse than death.
Of course, he understood what Emperor Yongchang meant. But in this moment, he couldn’t show any reaction. On the contrary, he had to cry and express gratitude—for being allowed to go to his fief.
It had only been half a year.
And Qi Yuan had already dragged the entire Duke Chu’s household—along with him—straight to h*ll.
Everything they had cared about, everything they had longed for, had been destroyed.
By the time he walked out of Taiji Hall, he was already unsteady on his feet. Everyone’s voices sounded like they were either right beside him or from some distant place.
Until he heard the word Feng family—and that jolted him wide awake.
Eunuch Xu was by his side, cautiously watching him. “Your Highness, are you alright?”
Qi Wang took a deep breath, forced out a strained smile, and shook his head, trying to suppress the roiling emotions inside. When he finally spoke, his voice was still a little hoarse: “We’ll talk after we return.”
Eunuch Xu quickly replied “yes,” because just now, Qi Wang had pleaded to stay in the palace for a few more days to spend time with his younger siblings. So Emperor Yongchang had agreed to let him remain in the palace for the time being.
He would not be returning to Qi Wang’s residence.
Back in his quarters, he suddenly spoke up: “The Feng family is coming back.”
Eunuch Xu was still busy instructing the servants to pack and didn’t quite catch it: “What did you say, Your Highness?”
Qi Wang’s smile suddenly turned strange and mocking. “The Feng family is coming back. I really hate to leave now.”
