The mother and daughter chatted and laughed for a while. Lu Wanning didn't like writing, so she put down her pen after a short while and helped the princess sort out the gifts to be sent to Luocheng.
"Twenty years have passed. Time really flies. Now my Ning'er is almost eighteen."
Lu Wanning looked up at the princess. "Mother, I'll be eighteen soon, while Shi Aohan is already eighteen. Mother, is she really the emperor's daughter?"
The princess was slightly startled and shook her head. "Silly child, only those recognized by the emperor are of royal blood."
Lu Wanning moved closer and asked, "Mother, I'm really curious about what happened twenty years ago. Could you tell me?"
Unable to resist her, the princess responded in detail and told what she knew. "Twenty years ago, the emperor was just the crown prince. The situation in the palace was not as complicated as it is now. The Empress Dowager was the queen at that time and enjoyed exclusive favor. Although there were other concubines in the palace, the previous emperor had few offspring, only four sons and two daughters in total."
"However, a good situation in the palace didn't mean a good situation for the royal family. The previous emperor had many brothers, all eyeing the throne. The emperor had a difficult time. But as the crown prince, with the previous emperor in poor health, he had to handle all the state affairs. At that time, there was a flood in Qiantang, killing thousands. The previous emperor was bedridden, and a fortune - teller predicted that only when the throne changed hands could peace be ensured."
"The emperor decided to go to Qiantang in person to control the flood in order to quell the rumors. While he was away, in the capital, the King of Jinghe forced the palace in the name of purging the emperor's side. It was your grandfather who protected the previous emperor with his life. He died at Chaotian Gate because of this."
Lu Wanning listened. Although she felt a bit sad, it was bearable. From the princess's brief words, she could sense the danger. It seemed that the previous emperor in the palace was in great danger, and the emperor outside the palace must have also had a narrow escape.
In such a situation, when life was at stake, how could the emperor have fallen in love with Shi Aohan's mother?
The princess thought for a while and then said, "I know these gossips but have never told others. At that time, the Shi family in Qiantang was one of the most prominent families in the local area. The daughter of the family married into your maternal grandfather's He family, so the Shi family rose in status. However, the Shi family also had another daughter who married into the Prince of Qinghe's mansion as a side concubine."
Lu Wanning was stunned. Did this mean not putting all the eggs in one basket? But such a sneaky move might make others more wary.
The princess said, "In that situation, the Shi family had no choice. Just when the emperor went there, the Shi family thought of letting their daughter follow the emperor. Even if she became a concubine in the crown prince's mansion, she would surely be made a consort after the emperor ascended the throne. That's how the story between the emperor and the Shi girl began."
Lu Wanning was secretly shocked. A proper family would never let their daughter take the initiative. It was probably not just taking the initiative but finding a way for the daughter to sleep with the crown prince, who was the future emperor.
"But mother, did the emperor refuse to take Miss Shi into the crown prince's mansion at that time? Did he just leave after having his way?"
The princess's face darkened. She patted Lu Wanning's head. "Who have you been with to learn such vulgar words? Is this something a young girl who hasn't been married should say?"
Lu Wanning pouted and coquetted. "Oh, mother, don't keep me in suspense. Just tell me."
The princess thought for a while, sighed, and said, "The girl back then was not Shi Aohan's mother but another daughter from a collateral branch of the Shi family. I heard from the queen that the emperor was very angry and wanted to execute that Miss Shi. Later, when he received the news that something had happened in the capital, he rushed back in a hurry and seemed to have made that girl a concubine."
Lu Wanning quickly asked, "What about that girl?"
The princess shook her head. "The emperor didn't like her, and the Shi family declined because of its connection with the King of Qinghe. If it weren't for Lady He, the Shi family might have disappeared long ago. That girl was not well - treated in the crown prince's mansion. Because she was despised for climbing into the bed, she died in depression before the emperor ascended the throne."
Lu Wanning was stunned. "So, from beginning to end, it had nothing to do with Shi Aohan's mother? Then why does she say that the emperor was in love with her mother?"
The princess didn't know either. "Actually, only those who followed the emperor at that time knew something about those things. How could we know? Anyway, the emperor didn't achieve good results in controlling the flood that year. Instead, the accompanying officials all got sick, and there was almost a big disaster. After he returned to the capital, the emperor never allowed anyone to mention this matter again."
Lu Wanning fell silent. No matter what the truth was, since the emperor didn't allow people to mention that old story, even if he had had a relationship with Shi Aohan's mother at that time, it would probably only have embarrassed the emperor.
In the palace, Concubine Qi was holding the young Eighth Prince, extremely anxious. She paced back and forth. Finally, she saw that yellow figure approaching. She rushed forward and knelt on the ground. "Your Majesty, you're finally here. Your Majesty, look, the Eighth Prince stops crying when he sees you."
The Eighth Prince was already six years old. His red face clearly showed that he was not in good condition.
The emperor glanced at him coldly. "If he's sick, summon the imperial physician. I'm not an imperial physician. Concubine Qi, do you think I'm very idle?"
Concubine Qi quickly shook her head. "Your servant doesn't dare. Your servant... is just anxious. The imperial physicians are at their wits' end. Your servant is afraid that something will happen to the Eighth Prince, so..."
"If you hadn't taken him out of the East Three Palaces, how could he have gotten sick?"
The emperor walked impatiently to the main hall and sat down.
Concubine Qi quickly carried the Eighth Prince into the hall and knelt on the ground. "It's my fault, Your Majesty. Please don't blame me. The Eighth Prince is in poor health. He missed his father and cried non - stop. Your servant thought that inviting Your Majesty here would be better."
The eunuch beside the emperor blocked in front of Concubine Qi. "Your Highness, Your Majesty's health is of the utmost importance. Since the Eighth Prince is sick, how can he get close to Your Majesty?"
Concubine Qi was stunned for a moment and then lowered her head, answering awkwardly. "It's my foolishness."
The emperor waved his hand. "What's wrong with the Eighth Prince? Why isn't he getting better?"
The imperial physician beside him quickly said, "Your Majesty, the Eighth Prince is in poor health. He caught a cold and got scared after overeating, which led to indigestion. Your servant has prescribed medicine, but he needs to be nursed back to health. It may take two days to recover."
The emperor grunted. "Has the medicine been given?"
The imperial physician answered carefully. "Concubine Qi loves the prince so much. Seeing that the medicine didn't take effect immediately, she was anxious and didn't give the medicine to the prince."
The emperor glanced coldly at Concubine Qi. "Can't you even take good care of a child?"
Concubine Qi knelt on the ground aggrievedly and said, "Your Majesty, it's my fault... In the past, I wasn't good at these things. I always asked the queen for advice, and the queen made decisions for me..."
The emperor's eyebrows twitched slightly. "Oh? All by the queen?"
Concubine Qi immediately kowtowed. "Your Majesty, your servant made a slip of the tongue. Your servant made a slip of the tongue."
The emperor didn't say much. He got up, took a look at the Eighth Prince, and then turned around and left with a flick of his sleeve.