Reborn, the daughter of the Marquisate went crazy

In the Linde Hall, the dancers' wide sleeves fluttered, their slender waists curved like snow, and they danced gracefully to the clear sounds of stringed instruments.

Emperor Yingtian leaned back on the dragon throne, tapping the table with his fingertips, a smile in his eyes, seemingly very content. As the song came to an end, he turned his gaze slightly and nodded slightly to Eunuch Deshun, who stood beside him. The latter immediately understood and bowed quietly to withdraw.

When the last wisp of music faded, the dancers gracefully exited the stage. Emperor Yingtian raised his hand and waved gently, and the clamor in the palace suddenly froze, a pin drop audible. A smile curled his lips as he slowly spoke, "Tonight is a beautiful evening, and I have something joyful to share with you all."

"Squeak~"

The palace door slowly opened, revealing eight eunuchs in crimson robes, holding glazed palace lanterns, surrounding a young man of about eleven or twelve. The young man, dressed in luxurious brocade robes and with picturesque features, was clearly a distinguished and elegant young man, yet his complexion was pale, and he bore the undisguised sign of illness.

Eunuch Deshun stood in the shadow of the corridor outside the hall, watching the young man in brocade clothes slowly walk into the hall. His eyes suddenly turned gloomy and there was no trace of smile on his face anymore.

Just as he was about to turn, he suddenly noticed a familiar figure in his peripheral vision. His heart trembled, and he hurriedly rubbed his eyes. When he saw clearly that the girl standing by the pillar was none other than the Crown Prince's beloved daughter—the newly minted Princess Zhaoning—he gasped in shock. If the Crown Prince knew she was standing like this in the cold wind, he would probably be heartbroken.

Eunuch Deshun looked around, making sure no one was paying attention. He hurried forward and said in a low voice, "Young lady, why are you freezing here? Come with me."

He led Xie Qingli quietly into the main hall through the side hall's ear door, chose a corner half-hidden by a curtain, and settled her in. Fortunately, Xie Qingli's clothes today were similar to those of the palace maids on duty, so she was not very conspicuous among the crowd.

There was complete silence in the hall.

The young man in brocade clothes walked to the foot of the imperial platform, bowed, and his clear voice echoed in the hall: "Your son pays homage to the emperor."

Everyone in the hall was shocked and looked at each other in confusion. Who was this prince? How come they had never seen him before?

The Queen Mother and Empress Meng's expressions changed the moment they saw the face clearly. It was clearly the little Taoist boy named Qinghui who always accompanied Taoist Lingxuan!

"presumptuous!"

"Your Majesty!"

Two voices sounded at the same time.

Emperor Yingtian's eyes turned cold as he glanced at the Empress Dowager and Empress Meng. He actually stood up and stepped down from the imperial platform. He extended his hand to support Qing Hui and said gently, "My dear mother, Empress, and my dear ministers, this is the prince I found recently."

He paused, his gaze slowly sweeping across the shocked faces of the entire court. His voice was deep and resolute, "His mother was Concubine Ruan. Concubine Ruan was framed and banished to the cold palace. Sadly, I didn't know that she was already pregnant with the heir when she was sent to the cold palace."

His fingers tightened slightly, and his voice was filled with suppressed pain: "They, mother and son, have suffered in the cold palace for many years. If it weren't for Concubine Ruan's death, this child would have escaped from the cold palace to make a living, and I would have happened to meet him..."

Emperor Yingtian suddenly raised his hand and gently stroked Qinghui's cheek: "I didn't know that my own flesh and blood were living in this deep palace, living a life worse than that of a slave."

He raised his head, looked around fiercely, and said loudly: "I owe him a lot. Today, I will make up for everything he deserves."

As he spoke, he led Qinghui towards the rosewood table below the Empress Dowager, where Crown Prince Chu Yuncang used to sit.

The whole room was in an uproar, and the sky in Dongling was about to change.

Xie Qingli, hidden in the shadows of the curtains, took in the various scenes in the palace. The Empress Dowager and Empress Meng on the high platform cast glances at the prince with contempt and hatred, but when they met Emperor Yingtian's cold gaze, they swallowed back the words that were on their lips.

Some of the court officials also recognized the prince's identity, and their faces were filled with anxiety, as if they wanted to say something but couldn't.

Xie Qingli narrowed her eyes slightly. This scene of the prince returning to the throne had never happened in her previous life. Her gaze fell on the prince, but she saw that his face was calm, and his brows were filled with a calmness that belied his age. This made her even more curious. Who was this person?

Emperor Yingtian slowly ascended the jade steps and sat upright on the dragon throne. He glanced at the people in the hall and spoke calmly, "I have already given the prince the name Chu Yunyan, and recorded it in the imperial royal register. Although his age is between the fifth and sixth sons, to avoid confusion among you, I hereby appoint Yan'er as the King of Qi and grant him the two prefectures of Ling and Jiang as fiefs."

As soon as these words were spoken, all the ministers in the palace were shocked. Several adult princes had yet to be granted the title of prince, and now this prince of unknown origin had just returned to the court and was being treated with such great favor by the emperor!

Those court officials who used to fight openly and secretly for their respective princes now looked at each other and sighed in unison. A subtle silence suddenly filled the hall.

Emperor Yingtian's gaze swept through the courtiers below him, and seeing that they all lowered their brows and eyes, no one dared to question him. Although he felt satisfied, a hint of regret flashed through his mind. He had originally thought that if someone with no sense of humility could jump out and question Yan'er's identity, he would use this opportunity to make an example of him and frighten the whole court!

Queen Meng pursed her red lips slightly, and she noticed that the Queen Mother had closed her eyes to rest, and all the civil and military officials in the court were silent, but for the sake of the Second Prince, she had to step forward.

A perfectly gentle smile graced her lips as she spoke softly, "It is truly a joy for the royal family that His Majesty is reunited with Yan'er. However... the royal bloodline is the foundation of the nation, and there can be no room for error."

Her eyes fell on Qing Hui, and her tone became softer: "I was very close to Sister Ruan in the past, and I still remember her appearance clearly. When I saw Yan'er today, I felt that her eyebrows and eyes..."

"Are you questioning me, Queen?" Emperor Yingtian interrupted Queen Meng. A cold light flashed in his eyes, and his pressure was like a mountain collapsing. "Since I have recognized this child, I have perfect evidence."

Queen Meng's lips trembled slightly, but she remained silent. The Emperor was so protective of Chu Yunyan, and if she continued, her position as Queen would be in jeopardy.

Suddenly, the Seventh Prince Chu Yunze, who had been sitting quietly, stood up and pointed at Qing Hui, his voice filled with unconcealed joy: "I... I remember now, you are the little Taoist boy beside the Imperial Master!"

Fu Zhaoyi's face suddenly changed. She quickly stood up and covered Chu Yunze's mouth, her voice filled with unprecedented panic: "Ze'er! Shut up!"

"Mother, what are you doing!" Chu Yunze was used to being spoiled. He twisted and struggled in public, shouting, "I didn't admit my mistake. In the summer, he helped me pick up the slingshot..."

"How dare you!" Emperor Yingtian slammed his palm on the imperial desk, his eyes gleaming coldly. "I didn't know that Concubine Fu raised the prince in this way?"

Fu Zhaoyi was so frightened that her face turned pale as paper. She pulled Chu Yunze to his knees and said, "I deserve to die! It's my fault for not disciplining you properly. I beg Your Majesty to have mercy on me..." Then she pressed down on the back of Chu Yunze's neck and said, "Why don't you apologize to your father!"

Chu Yunze staggered under the pressure, and then he became frightened and cried out, "Father, I know I was wrong..."