Chapter 1005: Chapter 843, Learning of One’s Origins

At the palace gates, Daohua looked apologetically at Kang Naixin, “I’ve implicated you. The next time you see me, please don’t greet me anymore.”

Kang Naixin felt embarrassed in front of the Empress Dowager and didn’t feel as ashamed or unable to save face as one might imagine. She shook her head and chuckled softly, “Don’t blame yourself. Who knows, maybe this episode will turn out to be a blessing in disguise for me.”

Wu Dingbo was a fool, and by making her feelings clear in public this time, she wondered how he could continue to play dumb.

Understanding her meaning, Daohua smiled and said, “In that case, I wish you all the best in achieving your desires.”

The day after the birthday banquet, the Empress Dowager again announced she was ill.

Daohua looked at Xiao Yeyang in confusion as she watched the Ping Prince getting ready to stay at Four Seasons Manor, “Usually, whenever the Empress Dowager is sick, father would immediately visit the palace. What happened this time?”

Xiao Yeyang’s expression was somewhat complex.

He hadn’t expected that after the palace banquet ended yesterday, his father would return to Cining Palace to argue with the Empress Dowager on his behalf.

“For what else? His previous perceptions have been overturned. Father didn’t expect the Empress Dowager to disregard his feelings at all. I guess he doesn’t want to ingratiate himself with her anymore.”

Daohua remarked, “I think this is good. It’s better to spend more time with Teacher at the manor than to ingratiate himself with the Empress Dowager.”

In the following days, Xiao Yeyang became busy again.

The emperor began to dismantle the Jiang Family’s influence. Because he couldn’t guarantee there were no Jiang Family members in the Jinling Guard, he sent Xiao Yeyang to secretly take care of some matters.

On the twenty-second of July, the Wu Family proposed a marriage alliance to the Kang Family.

Because of the Empress Dowager’s actions, all the families in Beijing knew that Kang Naixin was fond of Wu Dingbo.

Princess Huijia had a good reputation in Beijing, and the Kang Family never mixed into messy affairs. They were excellent candidates for marital alliance. Wu Jingyi, after consulting his son and seeing that he fancied Kang Naixin, set a date, and brought a matchmaker to the Kang Family to formally propose marriage.

Upon hearing the news, Daohua immediately selected two pots of lilies and took them to the Princess Residence to congratulate Kang Naixin.

Daohua didn’t return to the Prince Residence until evening. As soon as she arrived, she learned from Guyu that the Ping Prince had returned.

Daohua was extremely surprised, “Father has only been at the manor for a couple of days. Why has he returned so soon? Did Teacher scold him?”

Guyu shook her head, “This servant doesn’t think so. If the old master really scolded him, the prince would definitely be unhappy. But from what this servant can see, the prince seems to be heavily burdened with thoughts.”

Hearing this, Daohua became puzzled. Her foster father wasn’t someone who could hold problems inside. After thinking for a while, she instructed the kitchen to prepare a few dishes the Ping Prince liked to eat and personally took them to Pingxi Hall.

After Princess Consort Ma died, the two concubines, Jiang and Ji, with their children, usually joined the Ping Prince for a lively dinner. But today, Pingxi Hall was completely quiet.

Huai En hesitated upon seeing Daohua carrying the food box, uncertain whether to let her in or not.

You see, both concubines had visited earlier, but the master hadn’t seen either one.

When Daohua saw this, she asked, “What’s wrong with father?”

Huai En was also at a loss. The master had been happily staying at the manor these past two days, but as soon as old Lord Yong arrived this morning, the master returned to the residence with a stern face and didn’t say a word.

The Ping Prince, hearing Daohua’s voice from inside the room, thought for a moment, then said, “Is that Yan girl? Come in.”

Daohua, carrying the food box, went into the room and saw the Ping Prince with furrowed brows. As she placed the dishes, she smiled and asked, “Father, have you offended my teacher?”

The Ping Prince glanced at Daohua. At that moment, he understood why his imperial brother treated this girl differently and said with no small annoyance, “Would I dare to offend him? That old man… That old master has an even bigger temper than me.”

Daohua laughed, “So, did my teacher make you upset?”

The Ping Prince looked at Daohua but didn’t utter a sound.

Daohua arranged the tableware and persuaded, “Father, my teacher is getting on in years. Old people can have a bit of a temper. You are magnanimous, please don’t take an old man’s words to heart.”

Prince Ping fell silent, recalling the conversation he had inadvertently overheard between Old Prince Yong and Gu Jian at Four Seasons Manor earlier that morning. His expression grew complicated, and after a moment’s hesitation, he looked at Daohua, “That… I heard that old Master Gu still has a sister?”

Daohua looked at Prince Ping with surprise, wondering why he would suddenly bring up Granny Gu. Although she was puzzled internally, she kept a smile on her face and nodded, “My master does have an older sister. Back in Taohua Village, everyone loved to call her Granny Gu.”

“Father, why are you suddenly asking about this?”

Prince Ping’s expression paused briefly before he hurriedly picked up his chopsticks to take some food, mumbling evasively, “I just overheard someone mentioning her and wanted to ask more about it, to avoid accidentally saying something wrong and upsetting your master.”

Daohua noticed Prince Ping’s discomfort and knew that he must have learned something. However, she was more than willing to share more about Granny Gu with him.

“Father, Granny Gu is very kind, especially nice to me. She’s particularly fond of Xiao Yeyang. Our marriage was all her doing.”

Upon hearing this, Prince Ping suddenly realized why his imperial brother had disregarded the Empress Dowager’s objections and the mismatch of the Yan Family’s status. He insisted on arranging the marriage for Yeyang and Yan girl.

So it was she who… nodded in agreement.

“Granny Gu… must be very benevolent, right?”

Daohua eagerly nodded, “Of course, even though her face was scarred by fire, she never made anyone feel frightened. She had a pair of especially gentle eyes.”

When he learned that Granny Gu had been injured in a fire, Prince Ping asked anxiously, “How was she burned?”

Daohua shook her head, “She seems to have been trapped in a big fire. If it weren’t for my master’s life-saving efforts, Granny Gu would have perished in the flames long ago.”

Prince Ping murmured to himself, “A big fire…”

He knew that the favored consort Wan had died in a fire, but he was too young at the time to remember anything about it.

Although the Empress Dowager had not been as kind to him as the Jiang Family, and he had to diligently seek her favor to see her smile, he had always thought she was his and the emperor’s birth mother.

But it turned out not to be the case!!!

All the doubts that had accumulated in his heart were now resolved.

Why, at times, did the Empress Dowager look at him with disgust, as if he were a lowly creature;

Why, when he quarreled with the Jiang Princely Heir as a child, regardless of the reason, the Empress Dowager would always make him apologize to the Jiang Princely Heir;

Why the Empress Dowager cared about anything related to him much less than about the Jiang Family’s affairs…

She was not his mother at all, so how could she truly care for him?!

Afterward, Daohua prattled on about various events related to Granny Gu and Gu Jian, from their living in a temple and healing people for a living, to them falling into the water, being saved by her and Xiao Yeyang, and settling down in Taohua Village.

“Granny Gu had a lingering illness from her youth, and even though my master tried his best to treat her, she still couldn’t be saved.”

Daohua glanced at Prince Ping, who was immersed in some emotion, and ventured, “When Granny Gu passed away, her biggest concern was her two sons. She hoped that her Xiaowu and Xiaojiu would have a peaceful and smooth life.”

At that, Prince Ping rose abruptly and left the room in long strides.

Seeing this, Huai En hurriedly looked at Daohua and, noticing her innocent look, immediately ran after Prince Ping.

Daohua stood at the doorway, watching the hurried departure of Prince Ping, hands on her chin, lost in thought.

In the evening when Xiao Yeyang returned, Daohua pulled him aside and recounted the episode of Prince Ping asking about Granny Gu, “I think father seems to have found out something.”

Xiao Yeyang looked surprised, “How did he find out?”

Daohua shrugged, “It shouldn’t have been master who told him, right?”

Xiao Yeyang, “It’s better he knows, so he doesn’t always hover around the Empress Dowager.”