Chapter 48: Misunderstandings and Miscommunications

  The queen looked at Nan Lingrui, and for a moment seemed to have lost all language.

  "That Crown Prince is calling for himself!" Nan Lingrui looked at the Empress, without any scruples, and shouted out loud, "Come..."

  "Shut up!" The queen woke up with a start, covering South Lingrui's mouth with her hand. She looked at his eyes blinking and took a deep breath to calm herself down. "Sun Nian," she called out loud.

  "What orders does the princess have?" Sun Shangshu responded from outside.

  "Order the imperial kitchen to prepare another table of dishes, I didn't have an appetite just now and it was all eaten by Yuer! Now I feel like eating!" The empress ordered from outside.

  "Yes!" The old nurse immediately responded and went down.

  The queen let go of Nan Lingrui's hand, her face stern and majestic as she looked at him. "What is going on? Tell me the truth! How did you get this fan?"

  "I haven't eaten yet! I have no energy!" Nan Lingrui's body was limp and boneless as she lay on the table.

  The queen frowned, opened the fan and handed it to Nan Lingrui, pointing at a line of words on the fan and asked, "How can you make this palace believe that this fan wasn't stolen or robbed by you?"

  "I said I haven't eaten yet, I have no energy!" Nan Lingrui said weakly, closing his eyes lazily.

  "You..." The queen's eyebrows furrowed, seeing Nan Lingrui's determined expression that he wouldn't say anything no matter what, she had no choice but to turn to Rong Jing.

  Rong Jing took the fan from the Empress's hand, his eyes quietly gazing at the line of words. After a moment, he spoke in a warm voice, "Ten years ago, the Crown Prince of Nan Liang and the Young Master of Yun Wang Fu both went to Bei Jiang without prior arrangement, unexpectedly getting into trouble together. The two almost lost their lives in Bei Jiang. Fortunately, Master Ling Yin was also in Bei Jiang at that time, so he lent a helping hand and saved you both. Later, due to a series of misunderstandings, the Young Master of Yun Wang Fu became the Crown Prince of Nan Liang, and the Crown Prince of Nan Liang became the Young Master of Yun Wang Fu. Rui Taizi, is what Jing said right or wrong?"

  "Jing Shizi is so clever and calculating, wouldn't it be a waste of talent if he didn't become a fortune teller?" Nan Lingrui glanced at Rong Jing.

  The queen turned her head in surprise and looked at Nan Lingrui.

  However, there was a strange thing. At that time, Rui Taizi and Yun Shizi were both young children, but they were already eight years old. Their appearance had not fully developed, but it had also opened up to about 70%. It is said that when Master Ling Yin saved you two, he did not disfigure your faces, so it was impossible to mistake your appearances, yet somehow, the identities got mixed up?" Rong Jing looked at Nan Ling Rui with raised eyebrows.

  "The crown prince said so, I'm starving! No energy to talk!" Nan Lingrui didn't buy it.

  "I've always found it strange where Queen Yun came from, it turns out she's from Nanliang." Jing said slowly.

  Nan Lingrui suddenly turned his head, narrowed his eyes and looked at Rong Jing, warning: "Jing Shizi should be careful with what he says, the wind here may not be strong, but it's easy to slip up!"

  The queen stood up in shock, staring at Nan Lingrui in disbelief.

  "The Empress Dowager has also discovered it, right? Upon closer inspection, the Crown Prince still bears some resemblance to Yun Shizi!" said Rong Jingdao.

  "This... how can this be..." The queen was somewhat incoherent, unsure whether she was shocked or frightened.

  "The identity of Yun Wangfei is shrouded in mystery, and no one under heaven knows her true self. Even the current emperor, who had exerted great effort back then, was unable to uncover her identity. Apart from her own exceptional intelligence that allowed her to evade the emperor's pursuit multiple times, there was also Nan Liang secretly manipulating things behind the scenes, erasing all traces of her identity. Otherwise, I ask you, is there anyone else in this world who could evade the pursuit of the current sage emperor's omnipresent imperial guards?" Rong Jing ignored Nan Lingrui's warning and raised an eyebrow calmly.

  Nan Lingrui narrowed his eyes and stared at Rong Jing without saying a word.

  "The Cloud Princess was born into the Southern Liang royal family, and Cloud Crown Prince and Rui Crown Prince have some similarities, so it's passable. Whether it was Master Lingyin who made a mistake or the Southern Liang royal family who mistakenly identified him at first, in short, one swap is ten years. The Southern Liang Crown Prince has been living a carefree life in Southern Liang, enjoying the favor of the king and getting everything he wants. Cloud King's son has been living a simple life in Tian Sheng, being cautious and not easily revealing his talents. Although he is low-key, he still gained the deep love of Qingwen Princess, pursuing him for many years." Gong Jing smiled faintly after finishing speaking, "Rui Crown Prince, do you think what I said is correct?"

  "What's the difference? What's the difference if it's not?" Nan Lingrui suddenly turned his head back, continuing to lie on the table like a boneless person.

  "It doesn't matter! Knowing more is always good!" Rong Jing's jade-like hands fanned herself with the fan, and she suddenly chuckled: "I didn't even know she liked this! The painting of the imperial concubine is so vivid, I suppose it must be thanks to this fan that the three thousand beauties in the Southern Liang Taizi's mansion also benefited."

  "You don't know much!" Nan Lingrui snorted.

  "I don't know what's going on, but I only need to know one thing. This fan of Rui Taizi should be destroyed!" Suddenly, Rong Jing reached out and tried to destroy the fan in his hand.

  Nan Lingrui was shocked and quickly reached out to block him, angrily shouting: "Rong Jing, how dare you!"

  "After exchanging for ten years, it's no different from exchanging for a lifetime. Nowadays, under the heavens, everyone only knows that Nan Lingrui is the Crown Prince of Nanliang and Yun Mocheng is the Young Master of Yunwangfu. Now their appearances are different, and even if they wanted to switch back, it's impossible!" Rong Jing looked at Nan Lingrui, his clear eyes flashing with a hint of darkness, his eyebrows slightly raised. "You should be aware of the consequences if this fan falls into someone else's hands! Does the Crown Prince want the identity of Yunwangfei to be exposed? Does he want Yunwangfu to bear the crime of deceiving the emperor and exchanging heirs, and Nanliang to bear the crime of secretly colluding?"

  "The crown prince will naturally take good care of this fan!" Nan Lingrui said coldly.

  "I'm afraid Crown Prince Rui won't be able to keep it!" Jing's sleeve fluttered lightly, and a powerful aura burst out from his body. Nan Lingrui's hand, which had been blocking the way, was suddenly pushed open, and the intact fan in his hand instantly turned into fragments. His voice was calm and cold, "The Seventh Prince is not the current Emperor, if he discovers the secret of this fan, has Crown Prince Rui thought about the consequences? Jing knows that Crown Prince Rui can't bear it, so I'll take care of it for you!"

  "Yong Jing!" Nan Lingrui's face turned red with rage, his eyes blazing as he stared at Yong Jing.

  Rong Jing's expression remained unchanged, his complexion pale and calm, ignoring Nan Lingrui's anger. His jade-like hand trembled slightly, and the fragments of the jade fan fell from his fingers to the ground. He lightly swept his sleeve, and the window opened silently. The fragments drifted out with a gentle breeze, disappearing into nothingness outside.

  Nan Lingrui watched as the jade fan's fragments drifted away with the wind, leaving no trace in the room. He suddenly struck out at Rong Jing with his palm, the wind from his palm sharp and fierce. Rong Jing sat unmoving, his body like jade, as he picked up a chopstick with one hand and gazed calmly at Nan Lingrui: "Crown Prince Rui, if you don't want to be sealed again, it's best you stop. Otherwise, the sealing technique of the Rong Wang Fu, I won't easily undo for you. The first time was easy, but the second time won't be so simple!"

  Rong Jinghua stopped, Nan Lingrui immediately stopped, with a furious expression staring at Rong Jing.

  Rong Jing no longer looked at Nan Lingrui, put down his chopsticks, took out a handkerchief from his sleeve and gently wiped his hands, stood up and said to the Empress: "Auntie, it's getting late, I'll take my leave first!"

  The queen looked at the two of them, and for a moment she couldn't say a word.

  "You think you can just walk away after ruining my fan?" Nan Lingrui's anger did not dissipate.

  "Can't Rui Taizi stop me?" Gong Jing raised an eyebrow.

  Nan Lingrui stared at Rong Jing, and when she saw his calm face suddenly smile, "Little girl will recover her memory soon! Are you mentally tense? Very insecure? Afraid that little girl will treat the Seventh Prince the same as before? Do you want to chase after Lintai Temple now?"

  Rong Jing quietly looked at Nan Lingrui, without saying a word.

  Nan Lingrui no longer looked at Rong Jing, sat back down, picked up a chopstick and fiddled with it in his hand. "Even if I, the Crown Prince, can't regain my identity, what's wrong with carrying the title of Nan Liang Taizi for life? Blood is thicker than water. The blood flowing through my body is the same as Xiao Yatou's. I am her older brother, she is my younger sister, this fact won't change. Rong Jing, let me tell you, today you have offended me, the Crown Prince. From now on, I will deliberately help the Seventh Imperial Son. You want to be my brother-in-law? Don't even think about it!"

  "Oh?" Rong Jing raised an eyebrow, "Does the Crown Prince want to help the Seventh Prince?"

  "Naturally! The crown prince thinks the seventh prince is much stronger than you! And it's good for little Yatou too! Every year, during the seasonal changes of spring, summer, autumn and winter, he would send back seasonal fruits from Beijiang to Little Yatou. Moreover, whenever there's something good, he would pass it on to Little Yatou at the first opportunity. Beijiang is now rich and fertile, with vast fields and even barren mountains turning into treasure lands. And there are countless rare treasures in the poisonous mist peaks. If the crown prince can cooperate with the seventh prince, it would be much more beneficial than you becoming my brother-in-law." said Nan Lingrui.

  Rong Jing did not speak, quietly listening to Nan Lingrui's words.

  "You say you have what's good? Not only did you grow a face that offends peach blossoms, but also an identity that sways everywhere. The Rong Wang Fu has always been dreaded by the Ye royal family. Little girl, if she marries you, thorns will pile up into mountains. If one can't climb over, they'll be pierced all over and accidentally fall to the ground, smashing into powder. " Nan Lingrui looked at Rong Jing with a critical gaze from head to toe and continued: "Poisonous mouth, poisonous tongue, black heart, black lungs, controlling little girl this and that, getting angry with her when not pleased. The crown prince really can't see where you're good? Little girl if she marries the seventh prince, the seventh prince will probably spoil her to heaven. Moreover, the seventh prince might be the future emperor, what's wrong with little girl becoming his empress? He said he is willing to marry only her. That's a harem without concubines, how enviable it is for people all over the world! And the crown prince thinks that Rong Hua Palace isn't bad either."

  Rong Jing remained calm and composed under Nan Lingrui's scrutinizing gaze, his expression unchanged.

  "Isn't Prince Jing going to leave? Please do! What is he doing, watching me?" Nan Lingrui said for a while, but didn't see Rong Jing respond. He raised an eyebrow and looked at him, "Could it be that Prince Jing still wants to sit down and drink a pot with me? Although Prince Jing has this intention, I don't have this intention."

  "Is Crown Prince Rui satisfied?" Gong Jing looked at Nan Lingrui with a faint gaze and asked.

  "Hasn't Jing Shizi had enough? Let the Crown Prince continue speaking! Today, Xiaoyu and the Seventh Prince went to Lingtai Temple, are they going to lift the Phoenix Curse? I bet the Seventh Prince will do something during the lifting of the curse, and by then, Xiaoyu might not even remember who you are, just like she forgot about the Seventh Prince. If that's the case, haha, it would be hilarious! It would also be in line with my wishes. By then, Xiaoyu and the Seventh Prince will come out of Lingtai Temple all lovey-dovey, happily going to ask for the Emperor's permission to get married, the Emperor will surely be overjoyed, and they'll definitely get approved. By then, I, the Crown Prince, will definitely join in on the celebration with my new brother-in-law, the Seventh Prince, haha, what a wonderful thing!" Nan Lingrui laughed out loud, excitedly.

  "It seems that Prince Rui enjoys being teased, so I won't be polite!" Rong Jing looked at Nan Lingrui with a smile, but suddenly his eyes flashed with a hint of severity. Before he finished speaking, a gust of wind blew by, and Nan Lingrui's body stiffened for an instant, his laughter abruptly stopping. He no longer looked at Nan Lingrui, turning to face the Empress instead, his voice smooth and calm, without a hint of anger, "Auntie, Prince Rui has spoken so much yet still has such energy, actually he's not hungry at all. I think you don't need to feed him dinner either!"

  The queen looked at Rong Jing and then glanced at Nan Lingrui, unsure of what to say.

  "It's getting late, Auntie should rest early. Jing Xian has taken his leave!" Yong Jing gave the Empress a slight bow, dropped a sentence and then lightly tapped her toes before floating out of the Ronghua Palace.

  "Yong Jing!" Nan Lingrui's body stiffened and she couldn't move, her eyes wide open as she watched Yong Jing leave.

  "Jing Shizi!" The empress did not expect that Rong Jing would abandon Nan Lingrui like this, and she hastily spoke out, but Rong Jing had already disappeared.

  "Damn it!" Nan Lingrui was furious and cursed out loud.

  The queen withdrew her gaze and looked at Nan Lingrui, for a moment seemingly unsure of what to say. She had never thought that the person sitting in front of her was actually her nephew. Yun Mocheng had always been distant from her, and even though she had treated him with kindness over the years, he had not become close to her. She had assumed that he must have suffered some great hardship, which had caused his personality to become so indifferent, but it turned out that their identities had been switched. Now, Rui Taizi's words and actions were gradually matching up with her memories, and she found it hard to believe that this was really true.

  "What a scoundrel! That stinky little girl could have found anyone else, but she had to find someone as black-hearted as this one! This crown prince..." Nan Lingrui glared out the window, speaking while secretly circulating his internal energy. However, his meridians seemed to be completely blocked, and no matter how hard he tried, his body remained stiff and immobile. He was even more infuriated."

  "Your Majesty, the meal is ready. Shall I bring it in now?" Just then, Sun's voice came from outside, interrupting Nan Lingrui's words.

  The queen turned her head, hesitated for a moment, and ordered: "Bring it in!"

  Grandma Sun pushed open the door and walked in, but when she saw that the person in the room had changed to Nan Lingrui, she was shocked, her legs went weak, and the tray in her hand almost fell. However, she had received too many shocks today and had developed some tolerance. Although her leg "thudded" against the ground, fortunately, the tray in her hand didn't fall. Her old face turned pale, and she trembled as she looked at the Empress, "Your Majesty, this...this Crown Prince Rui can't come in...if someone finds out..."

  "What's the crown prince afraid of? You're lucky you didn't spill the crown prince's meal, if you had, the crown prince would have grabbed your head and slammed it to the ground." Nan Lingrui was holding back a belly full of anger, seeing Sun Ayi almost throw away his food, finally found an outlet for his pent-up frustration.

  The eunuch was so frightened that he immediately shut up and trembled as he looked at the empress.

  The queen took a deep breath, glanced at Nan Lingrui and frowned, scolding: "Mind your identity! If you continue to speak and act without restraint, unknowingly being careless, the palace will now order people to throw you out of the palace."

  "You're so annoying! As soon as we meet, you start being rude to me! Letting Rong Jing bully me, how could I have a brother like...!" Nan Lingrui was furious and flailed his face, but before he could finish speaking, the Empress covered his mouth with her handkerchief. He couldn't move or struggle, and could only glare at the Empress in even greater annoyance.

  "You will put down your meal and go to order the eunuchs to guard the palace gate. Tell them that I, the Empress, am not feeling well and have gone to rest after eating. Whoever comes, do not see them, even if it is the Emperor himself, you must stop him for me!" The Empress no longer looked at Nan Lingrui, but turned her head to order Sun Mama.

  "Your Ladyship, this...this..." Sun Nian's servant knelt on the ground motionless, staring at Nan Lingrui.

  "Empress Dowager, he is..." The empress looked at Empress Dowager Sun and suddenly remembered that the fewer people who knew about this matter, the better. Not even a hint of wind could be leaked out, otherwise the consequences would be unthinkable. She immediately changed her words to: "Crown Prince Rui is someone this palace trusts. You can rest assured!"

  "Yes!" The eunuch saw that the empress treated Nan Lingrui differently, otherwise she wouldn't have let him sit here. She nodded palely and stood up, placing the tray on the table and taking away the remaining dishes. Earlier, she had wondered why Ming Niangniang, Shallow Moon Miss, and Jing Shizi were all seated at the table eating, but now it seemed that another portion was needed, originally for Prince Rui to eat.

  After the eunuch left, the empress locked the door from the inside and also locked the window. After doing all this, she walked back to the table, reached out and took out the handkerchief that was stuffed in Nan Lingrui's mouth, and said in a low voice: "Who told you to be so quick-witted and offend Prince Jing? Now you've been sealed with acupoints. Don't say that I won't untie it, the Rong Wangfu's acupoint sealing technique is unparalleled in the world, and no one can open it except for him himself. You are now sealed with acupoints, you can't even move, what do you think should be done?"

  "When the little girl comes back, this prince will make him pay! Nan Lingrui's face was extremely ugly, the food on the table in front of him, he couldn't move, couldn't eat. The fire in his heart was rising."

  "A woman's heart is not to be trusted, and even if she comes back, it's not necessarily directed at you!" The queen sat in front of the table, staring at Nan Lingrui with one eye, "Still as naughty as when you were a child. I said that if a person's temperament changes, it won't change to the point of being two different people. Emotions have been different for these years, like two different people. After that big disaster, you were rescued by... him and brought back to the mansion. At that time, I couldn't leave the palace, and when I saw him again several months later, I always felt that something was wrong. But your grandfather said that after experiencing such a great disaster, it's normal for one's temperament to change. Moreover, he has always thought you were too mischievous, just like Yuer, and becoming more well-behaved is a good thing. So I dispelled my doubts."

  "Hmph, that old fool would be overjoyed to have a grandson like him, even if he knew, he wouldn't care about my life or death!" Nan Lingrui snorted through his nose at the words.

  "Just now, Jing Shizi mentioned the matter of appearance. Others may not be able to see it, but as your relatives, your grandfather and I, as well as your father, the king, how could we not see it? And the attendants in the mansion who serve you closely, how could they not see it? But I remember that when I saw him that time, he looked just like you. That's why I thought that after this great tribulation, my doubts would be dispelled. What is going on here?" The empress frowned.

  "What else could it be, that old scoundrel naturally knew, he helped him cover up his appearance!" Nan Lingrui said, "As time went on, he gradually changed back to his original appearance. Who would still suspect that he wasn't me?"

  "Is that so? Have you asked your grandfather?" The queen was taken aback, then thought of Yun Mochan who had been living in the Cloud King's Palace all along, how could he not have seen Old Master Yun. She lowered her voice and said: "Did your grandfather recognize you?"

  "No! He doesn't recognize me, and the crown prince wouldn't even deign to acknowledge him!" Nan Lingrui snorted.

  The queen looked at him, although being controlled by the hole, still with a nose-up expression, and said with a mix of anger and laughter: "Indeed siblings! Look at your current appearance, and when you talk about Father King with Yuer, it's just one virtue."

  "Damn old man! He'd be better off if we both rolled away from him." Nan Lingrui struggled for half a breath, his face red with suffocation, but still couldn't open the acupoint. He gritted his teeth and said: "I'm starving to death! I want to eat!"

  "Serves you right! The palace doesn't have a place for you to go find Jing Shizong and get him to unseal your acupoints. If he didn't seal your acupoints after hearing those words, then it wouldn't be him. Now he must have gone to Lingtai Temple to chase after him." The empress glared at Nan Lingrui, "You clearly know what Jing Shizong cares about the most, yet you deliberately provoke him. You'll be lucky if you get a good outcome!"

  "It was him who ruined my fan. Are you or are you not my aunt? Elbowing me out of the way." Nan Lingrui glared.

  "It's not wrong to ruin your fan. That fan is lucky you still carry it with you every day, showing off in the streets. The Emperor has been in a terrible mood lately because of the Crown Prince and Qin Yuyin's marriage proposal, and also because Princess Ye was injured by a curse, now he's even more distracted by Jing Shizi and Moon's public request for permission to marry, which has thrown him into chaos. He didn't have time to deal with you just yet. Now that the Seventh Prince is back in the capital, the Seventh Prince is not like the Emperor at all, when it comes to Moon's affairs he won't miss a single detail, his mind is extremely meticulous and his methods are top-notch. If he finds out, what will happen? Have you thought about it?" The Empress looked at Nan Lingrui disapprovingly, "At that time, don't say you can't become the South Liang prince, your life won't even be guaranteed, and you'll also implicate the Cloud King's estate and Moon! The Emperor is worried he can't find any fault with the Cloud King's estate, and you're just handing it to him on a silver platter!"

  "This crown prince is not as useless as you said! The things in my hands are not something that anyone can easily take away." Nan Lingrui was angry, but his momentum was slightly smaller. "Even if I know, what's the point? I'm not afraid of being known to everyone, am I?"

  "You can be stubborn to death! You were indeed calling the shots in Nanliang, but don't forget, this is Tian Sheng Imperial City." The Empress reminded Nan Lingrui, "If you make even a slight mistake, your life won't be worth anything here! Even if the King of Nanliang favors you because of your mother, he can't save you from the fire with distant water!"

  "Preposterous!" Nan Lingrui's tone dropped even lower.

  "This palace doesn't believe you're not clear about it in your heart. If you were a fool, the Southern Liang Crown Prince wouldn't have been sitting safely for so many years. You know better than anyone what the consequences would be if this matter were to become public." The Empress's words fell, and seeing that Nan Lingrui no longer spoke, her expression slightly eased. "You couldn't bring yourself to do it, so Jing Shizi helped you by destroying that fan, eliminating future troubles. Therefore, Jing Shizi did nothing wrong. This palace is just discussing the matter at hand."

  "Hmph, I think you've been bought off by Rong Jing! South Lingrui snorted, "One mouthful of 'auntie' after another, and you can't even tell east from west! Helping him speak. No matter what, he ruined my fan, that's just not right! The crown prince won't rest until I get back in the game!"

  "Want to regain your composure? Wait for you to untie the acupuncture points first! The empress won't argue with you!" The queen turned her face away, not looking at Nan Lingrui.

  "I want to eat!" Nan Lingrui saw that the Empress did not intend to pay attention to him again and spoke up once more.

  "How are you going to eat? Starve then!" The queen turned her head and glanced at him.

  "What else can I eat? You feed me then. Am I supposed to starve while watching the food? When will Rong Jing return?" Nan Lingrui looked at the Empress, seeing that she wasn't moving, "Or you can also not feed me, Auntie is the Empress after all, and the Empress's hands are too noble! You call a little beauty from outside to come in and feed me. That way I'll eat more comfortably!"

  "The mountains and rivers can be changed, but one's nature is hard to shift!" The empress rebuked in a sentence, glanced outside for a moment, then picked up her chopsticks to pick at the dishes.

  Nan Lingrui suddenly became happy and immediately said: "I don't want to eat vegetarian food, meat, you give me meat!"

  The queen picked up the chopsticks, clamped a piece of chicken meat and stuffed it into his mouth. Nan Lingrui looked like he was starving, swallowing in two or three bites, his eyes scanning the table: "Anything with meat, give it to me, I won't eat anything without meat!"

  "You and Rong'er have been like this since childhood, and you haven't grown up after all these years!" The queen was amused. While feeding him meat, she scolded him with a smile.

  Nan Lingrui was too busy eating and couldn't say a word.

  The queen did not speak again.

  After finishing all the meat on the plates, Nan Lingrui let out a satisfied burp and saw the Empress put down her chopsticks. He smiled and praised: "Gugu is still the best!"

  "Don't be coy with me!" The queen rubbed her wrist and asked, "Tell me, what was the story back then? Didn't the King of Southern Liang recognize you? How did you manage to stay in Southern Liang for so many years?"

  Nan Lingrui ate a bit too much, his body stiff and unable to move. He let out a somewhat annoyed yawn and cursed: "The Seventh Prince would do well to cause some trouble, the little girl's memories have recovered and gone awry, Rong Jing had best be driven to death, only then can this Crown Prince feel at ease..."

  As soon as he finished speaking, his head was slapped hard. He looked up to see the empress glaring at him, scolding: "Is there such a brother like you? Moon and Jing Shizi are fine. What did you curse her for? If you say one more sentence that's not right, I'll really throw you out! Speak properly!"

  Nan Lingrui slowly opened his mouth, "Back then, it was the King of Nanliang himself who went to the Northern Border. How could he possibly mistake his own son? He knew I was the Crown Prince of Yunwangfu and intentionally took me back as his own son. You think I wouldn't have a good life in Nanliang all these years? One of them is worried about their daughter, one is worried about their younger sister, this Crown Prince has really had a hard time all these years!"

  "Ah, so your mother was a princess of the Southern Liang royal family!" The empress's eyes widened in surprise, and she furrowed her brow in confusion. "But wasn't it said that for decades, there hasn't been a single princess left in the Southern Liang royal family? The previous king and queen were deeply in love, and after the queen gave birth to their only son, she barely survived a difficult labor and was unable to bear children again. Although the king had three thousand beauties in his harem, it was actually an empty palace, with him doting on only one person. How could there be a princess?"

  "That year, wasn't it just one child? Actually, it was a dragon and phoenix birth!" Nan Lingrui said lazily: "When they were born, the mother and two children's lives were in danger. The imperial palace only had one Tian Shan Snow Lotus at that time, which could only save two people's lives. My grandmother asked to save the two children, but my grandfather saved my grandmother first. Later, my grandmother wanted to preserve the Nan Liang lineage, so she used half of the Snow Lotus to save my uncle, who is now my father."

  The queen did not expect that there was such a secret, the Southern Liang royal family guarded it so tightly, and this secret has remained unknown to this day. She looked at Nan Lingrui in surprise, "Then your mother..."

  "My mother was originally destined to die, but coincidentally, a wandering Taoist happened to be passing through Nanliang City at the time and somehow learned of the news. He quietly entered the palace and said he could save my mother, but had to take her away for treatment. From then on, there was no longer any princess in the Nanliang imperial family. My grandparents were overjoyed and could only agree. So, although my mother was born into the Nanliang royal family, she did not grow up in the Nanliang royal family. The news was sealed off from the outside world by Nanliang, and only a few people knew about this matter." said Nan Lingrui.

  "So that's how it is!" The empress nodded, "Then who is this wandering Taoist?"

  "I don't know!" Nan Lingrui shook his head.

  "Still don't know until now?" The empress couldn't believe it. "It's been about forty years, right? Your mother and I were not much different."

  "Hmm! To this day, I still don't know. My mother was in her teens when she returned to Nanliang on her own, but it was very secretive and she didn't stay in the palace for many days. My grandfather and uncle couldn't persuade her to stay. As for where my mother lived, what she did, even the Nanliang royal family's secret guards couldn't find out. Only when my mother herself returned could I see her, but that was very rare, only once a year. Later, I found out that she had married into the Yunwang Fu for some unknown reason, and then I received news of her passing away. I was overcome with grief."

  Nan Lingrui's words trailed off, his eyes already drooping from exhaustion, "So, when they discovered I was my mother's son, they took me back with them, that's all there is to it. I'm like a substitute for my mother, and after I went there, they lavished all the good things on me, including women. The beauties in the Crown Prince's residence were each as lovely as a flower..."

  Before he could finish his sentence, his voice gradually faded away and eventually disappeared, replaced by the sound of even breathing, and he fell asleep.

  Digression

  Nan Lingrui is Moon's older brother! That's right! (⊙_⊙)

  The beautiful scenery finally didn't calm down! o (∩_∩) o Ha!

  Beautiful people with tickets, did you see that beautiful woman weakly calling out for help? Waaaah...... (~_^)

  Thank you for the diamond rewards and flowers from everyone below!

  ycf526 (84 diamonds 3 flowers), Lao Lao (200 flowers), sheryl0012 (13 diamonds), zhejiang2834 (3 diamonds 50 flowers), Bu Tao Xi De Wan Zi (20 flowers), 18032877630 (2 diamonds 10 flowers), Cao Mo Ling Yan (3 diamonds), zhz12345 (2 diamonds), Qing Ye Hua Zhen Zhen (10 flowers), Meng Xuan Er (188 rewards), arielh256 (188 rewards), wendychi (1 diamond), Li Qian Qian0805 (1 diamond), Nong Chao (1 diamond), 18753134339 (1 diamond), Bu Tao Xi De Wan Zi (7 flowers), Xu Xiao Jie (5 flowers), Duo Duo5257 (3 flowers), Xuan Cheng (3 flowers), lwf Luo Xue (2 flowers), Si Kong Yuan Yan (1 flower), Kuai Huo Cheng Li Shen Xian Ju (1 flower), may201208 (1 flower), mei mei o (∩_∩) o~