Free Web NovelChapter 1296: Chapter 1285: Illegitimate Son
The tall and imposing city gates were right in front of him, and Prince Kang couldn’t help but feel a surge of emotion. It had been twenty years, and during these twenty years, he had returned to the capital city only a few times—people had almost forgotten about him, the legitimate eldest prince!
Perhaps for everyone, his initial request to go to Nanyue was seen as voluntarily giving up the throne. But it was a strategic retreat for him. Considering Father Emperor’s displeasure towards him at the time, his favoritism towards his third younger brother, as well as the threat from Noble Princess Consort Zhu and others, if he had stayed in the capital, he would have been schemed against and committed a grave mistake a long time ago.
Everything that happened now was enough to prove the correctness of his decision back then. The power of Noble Princess Consort Zhu and the Second Emperor had been weakened, Princess Rou and the third younger brother had also lost the favor they once had, and the concubines and princes below were all coveting that seat and saw the two of them as the first major obstacles.
In contrast, once apart from having nothing but lineage, he had not only thrived in Nanyue but had also gradually gained Father Emperor’s sympathy over the years. Although Father Emperor still had not considered proclaiming him as Crown Prince, at least now he not only held the title of a legitimate eldest son and Father Emperor’s apparent favor, but he also had Nanyue, which gave him the greatest confidence.
Everyone thought Nanyue was a poor and uncivilized land, but little did they know that the Nanyue of today was not what it used to be. Its rich resources and the port trade brought him a lot of wealth. He could explicitly say that not even his previously most favored imperial brothers combined had as much wealth as he did.
Everyone pitied him, not knowing that he pitied those captivated by the capital’s power and splendor. He could return after he left, but these people had never even stepped out and knew nothing of the outside world or the high aspirations one could hold far away from the Emperor.
It was precisely because he had governed Nanyue that Prince Kang was even more unwilling to hand this world over to other brothers. Firstly, he didn’t want others to discover the prosperity of Nanyue under his rule, because once it was discovered, his peaceful days would be over. Secondly, he was confident that no one else was more talented than him to govern this world.
"Ruirui, this is the capital city. Your Grandpa is waiting for us inside the city!" Prince Kang looked at Xiao Rui with a bright and penetrating gaze.
Xiao Rui had grown into a handsome young man with refined features and a stature even more impressive than Prince Kang’s, attracting many glances as he rode on horseback.
"Father, I won’t disappoint Grandpa’s favor. I will be filial to him." Xiao Rui understood the purpose of their family’s visit to the capital and had his plans in mind.
Before arriving, he already knew that Grandpa had prepared the side hall of Yangxin Hall for him. Such favoritism made him both excited and filled with pressure and caution.
He knew that the city’s princes and grandsons looked down upon him for his rural upbringing, but he, in turn, looked down on these stagnant cousins. Did any of them have more treasures than he did? Had any of them traveled abroad or seen exotic landscapes?
His family had only been hiding their strength, and he also had an uncle at the Northern Border with command over hundreds of thousands of troops! Where did these people get the audacity to look down on him?
He just enjoyed seeing these people putting on airs yet internally consumed by jealousy. This time, he would flatter Grandpa properly, making them even more envious and yet helpless.
This time, Prince Kang’s return to the capital aroused many complex feelings among the populace. Some thought it indifferent as if he would return after simply celebrating the Longevity Festival, just like before. Yet, others vaguely sensed something unusual, for Prince Kang was not entering the capital alone this time, and the entourage he brought was more than twice what it used to be. However, no matter what they felt, everyone decided to watch and wait.
Because now it was evident that His Majesty had suspicions about the other princes, and showed special favor towards Prince Kang who had just entered the capital. To target Prince Kang now would be asking for trouble.
Prince Kang and Xiao Rui went directly to the Imperial Palace, while Ye Jing took the remaining people back to Prince Wang Mansion, reuniting with the Princess Consort, whom he hadn’t seen for twenty years.
The Princess Consort looked significantly older, her thin face with high protruding cheekbones, giving an impression of severe sharpness. Her once dignified and fierce eyes were now clouded, making people feel extremely uncomfortable.
Ye Jing grew cautious at heart, intuitively feeling that the Princess Consort was unkind to her, so she maintained her etiquette meticulously, without making a single mistake.
Indeed, the Princess Consort harbored displeasure towards Ye Jing. Initially, this woman was just a small concubine sent into the mansion as a pawn, but now, not only was she a rank just below hers as Lady Rong, but she had also borne the mansion’s Princely Heir.
Lady Rong—the Prince had given this woman the honorific "Rong"-word. Was he trying to tell everyone that this concubine enjoyed immense favor?
Both with a title and having borne the heir, who indeed was the mistress of this mansion now—herself or this other woman?
The servants were all opportunists, seeing that Lady Rong was returning to the mansion, they each thought to curry favor, although she herself was the main wife, what did these people take her for?
Ye Jing surely was smug now. She spent twenty years accompanying the Prince in Nanyue, while she herself had to keep her own company in the capital, alone in an empty house for those years. She must be secretly mocking her misery.
"Sister, what maintenance methods have you been using these years to still look this youthful? The Prince must really favor you!" The Princess Consort didn’t ask Ye Jing to stand up but instead grabbed her chin with some sharp and sarcastic remarks from a higher position.
Ye Jing showed a look of embarrassment and humiliation but never resisted, replying aggrievedly, "Princess Consort, attending to the Prince is my duty as a concubine."
"Dutiful indeed—a seducing fox-spirit. Have you been secretly laughing at my loss of the Prince’s favor all these years? Did you return this time to flaunt your superiority in front of me? I tell you, as long as I am here, your son will always refer to me as Queen Mother, and the mistress of this mansion can only be me. I was too busy to restrain you before, henceforth come to my place every morning to learn the rules!"
The Princess Consort spoke with great satisfaction, her expression thoroughly arrogant; her entourage appeared accustomed, showing little emotion, while Ye Jing’s party felt indignant and was about to speak up for Ye Jing, but got stopped by her.
Ye Jing lowered her head and yielded, "Having not served by Princess Consort’s side for these years is my negligence as a concubine. I will heed the Princess Consort’s teachings."
"Wise decision, then kneel for an hour today and reflect upon any lapses in attending to the Prince all these years." With that, the Princess Consort left gracefully, seemingly without any regard for the consequences.
"Princess Consort, are you not going a bit too far? What if the Prince returns and sees this?" The housekeeper beside her said worriedly.
The Princess Consort chuckled coldly, "Do you really think I’m a fool? The Prince has just entered the palace, how could he be back so soon? If he comes back and Ye Jing complains, I’ll have all the more reason to deal with her."
