VGAB Chapter 2

To verify that the curse wouldn’t affect his actions, Qi Heng ordered a carriage to be prepared for his entry into the palace.

Emperor Jin Yuan was unaware of the affairs of the Prince’s residence. So when he learned that the Prince requested an audience, he was puzzled but still granted the request.

His affection for this younger brother was not particularly deep. Firstly, there was a significant age gap between them. While he was engaged in intense power struggles with his other brothers to secure the position of the Crown Prince, Prince Chen, as Qi Heng was known in his youth, was still in the Empress Dowager’s arms, learning to speak.

Secondly, as this younger brother grew up, there were unclear ambitions regarding the imperial throne. Moreover, the late Emperor had set up a test for him before his death. Astonishingly, he bestowed the Tiger Seal, which commanded an army of three hundred thousand on the border, to Prince Chen. Emperor Jin Yuan felt that merely sparing this younger brother’s life could be considered a display of brotherly concern.

Of course, this also had to do with the fact that Prince Chen had never made any mistakes or missteps, leaving Emperor Jin Yuan without any pretext for action. Furthermore, the Empress Dowager was still alive. Though she doted on Prince Chen, she was also favorable towards Emperor Jin Yuan. Their mother-son relationship was excellent. So, out of respect for the Empress Dowager, as long as Prince Chen remained obedient and didn’t cause trouble, Emperor Jin Yuan was quite tolerant of his younger brother.

Emperor Jin Yuan sat on the Dragon Throne, squinting his eyes as he watched the figure approaching from a distance. However, he knew he had to find a way to retrieve that Tiger Seal.

“I greet Your Majesty,” Qi Heng bowed and then lifted his robe before kneeling down. “Today, I enter the palace to implore Your Majesty to arbitrate on my behalf.”

“What is my royal brother doing?”

This kneeling surprised Emperor Jin Yuan. After all, the late Emperor had exempted Prince Chen from this ritual, and Emperor Jin Yuan had continued that tradition after ascending to the throne. It was just a minor matter, and Emperor Jin Yuan was quite lenient about it, as long as Prince Chen didn’t cause any trouble before he could reclaim the Tiger Seal.

However, today, Prince Chen, who had never knelt before, was now kneeling before him, beseeching him to mediate!

Emperor Jin Yuan’s anger flared. What could have happened to make Prince Chen so desperate to seek his help?

Indeed, although Emperor Jin Yuan had no great fondness for Prince Chen, he couldn’t help but feel that Qi Heng’s kneeling was an enormous indignity for the prince.

Emperor Jin Yuan’s current state of mind was, ‘I haven’t even done anything to him yet, and you dare to bully my royal brother.’

Lin Dahai, the chief eunuch standing nearby, noticed Emperor Jin Yuan’s displeasure. He had served Emperor Jin Yuan for many years and knew him extremely well. Therefore, he quickly stepped forward to help Qi Heng up.

Qi Heng dodged Lin Dahai’s hand and remained silent, still kneeling on the ground. Emperor Jin Yuan furrowed his brow and said, “Heng, please rise and speak first. What exactly has happened? I will support you.”

With Lin Dahai’s assistance, Qi Heng stood up. His soul had been severely damaged. Although he had successfully cultivated his qi into his body, his damaged soul couldn’t store spiritual energy. The cultivation of qi into the body could only barely enhance his physical abilities.

As for Qi Jing, she was a peculiar case. She was the child of destiny. As long as her destiny remained intact, he couldn’t harm her.

“Qi Jing is not my daughter,” Qi Heng began to explain after a moment of silence. “When my wife disappeared during the incense offering years ago, it so happened that a village woman was nearby. She rescued my wife and took her into her home. This village woman had a neighbor who had a newborn daughter. My wife had also recently given birth. When that neighbor noticed that my wife’s clothing was unusual, she swapped her own newborn daughter with the child born to my wife.”

“I have investigated it thoroughly. Zhao Yuyao is my true biological daughter.”

“What about that family? Have they been apprehended?” Emperor Jin Yuan’s anger flared. His brother had been unknowingly raising another family’s child for fifteen years, which explained why he was so desperate to resolve the situation.

Qi Heng smiled bitterly and shook his head. “The only people left in that family now are the village woman who saved the queen back then and my biological daughter.”

“Mixing the royal bloodline deserves the most severe punishment,” Emperor Jin Yuan slammed his hand on the table fiercely.

Qi Heng lowered his gaze. “The village woman who saved the queen owed her a debt of gratitude and was unaware of the swap. The main instigator has long since passed away. Heng only wishes for everyone to return to their rightful places.”

“Naturally, they should return to their rightful places,” Emperor Jin Yuan’s eyes were filled with anger. “Has the child been brought back?”

“Heng has already sent someone to fetch her,” Qi Heng replied in a low voice. He kept his head down, but Emperor Jin Yuan could still see the hint of grievance in his demeanor.

Being deceived for fifteen years, how could one not feel aggrieved?

Emperor Jin Yuan softened his heart and assured him carefully, “Heng, rest assured, I will ensure justice is served in this matter.”

Having received Emperor Jin Yuan’s promise, they went to the Empress Dowager’s Shoukang Palace. After Emperor Jin Yuan explained the situation, the Empress Dowager, upon hearing it, was both angry and heartbroken, shedding tears. Qi Heng had to console her for a while before gradually calming her emotions.

“Mother, what do you think should be done about this?” Emperor Jin Yuan said, “Qi Jing is Princess Huimin, after all, and your decree.”

He had the authority to strip her of her titles. Still, if he issued such an edict, outsiders might speculate whether he and the Empress Dowager were in disagreement, which could damage her reputation.

The usually benevolent and serene Empress Dowager now had a stern expression. “Naturally, she should be demoted and her titles revoked. She has replaced my own granddaughter as the County Princess for fifteen years. Considering what her birth mother did, not ordering the extermination of her entire clan is already your mercy, Emperor.”

In the past, she had doted on Qi Jing and had treated her uniquely. As a County Princess, Qi Jing received favor comparable to that of princes and princesses. However, all of this was based on the fact that Qi Jing was the beloved only daughter of her dearest Prince Chen. Now that the truth had come to light, her own granddaughter had suffered outside while an impostor enjoyed everything that should not have belonged to her. The more the Empress Dowager thought about it, the angrier she became.

She immediately issued an imperial decree to revoke the title bestowed upon Qi Jing. Following her, Emperor Jin Yuan issued an edict stripping Qi Jing of her County Princess status, restoring her Zhao surname, and demoting her to commoner status.

The imperial decree and the Empress Dowager’s edict arrived at Prince Chen’s residence one after the other. When the Prince’s Consort heard it, she immediately turned pale and fainted. Qi Jing knelt on the ground, seemingly lost in a daze, not even feeling her nails digging into her flesh.

“Princess Huimin…no, Miss Zhao, the truth has come to light, and the residence of Prince Chen is no longer where you should stay,” Lin Dahai’s eyes revealed a hint of disdain. “You should leave.”

Zhao Jing clenched her fists tightly. “Could I stay until the Prince’s Consort wakes up? I have a deep sense of gratitude towards her for raising me—”

“Miss Zhao,” Lin Dahai raised his voice, “the Prince’s Consort has fainted and will be attended to by court physicians. The Empress Dowager has spoken. From now on, there will be no Princess Huimin in Prince Chen’s residence, only Princess Mingzhu. I urge you to leave early to avoid causing displeasure to His Highness and Princess Mingzhu.”

Mingzhu!

This title blatantly told her that Zhao Yuyao was the real gem, and she was nothing more than a counterfeit.

Zhao Jing couldn’t understand where she had gone wrong. Qin Shi, the Prince’s Consort, had promised her that she would never let Zhao Yuyao drive her out. In the past, because of Qin Shi’s frail health, Prince Chen had always been accommodating to her. How could this have happened?

Zhao Jing’s eyes were bewildered. But after encountering Lin Dahai’s impatience in his eyes, she turned around with a heart full of reluctance and stepped out of Prince Chen’s residence. She knew that if she didn’t leave now, she would undoubtedly be thrown out.

The sound of bells tinkled, and a subtle fragrance wafted closer. Zhao Jing had initially intended to find a place to settle, but she stopped in her tracks the moment she saw the carriage.

It was Prince Chen’s carriage.

The coachman lifted the curtain, and a pair of slender, fair hands reached out. The servant boy assisted, and following that, Prince Chen, who was as handsome as a deity, stepped out in his dark prince’s robe.

Zhao Jing felt something strange in her heart. She suddenly realized that she had no recollection of her foster father’s appearance at all.

Although she had doubts in her heart, the moment Prince Chen got off the carriage, she immediately adopted a pitiful demeanor and cried out, stammering, “Father, Father…”

Qi Heng halted his steps, his deep black eyes devoid of any emotion. Zhao Jing cried, “Father, do you no longer want me?”

“I am not your father,” Qi Heng remained unmoved, answering coldly.

“But you raised me, in Jing’er’s heart, you will always be the father who taught me to write and play the zither.”

Qi Heng said nothing. He looked at Zhao Jing with a deep gaze, and the icy coldness on his face seemed to soften, making people wonder if he was wavering.

“Are you a fool believing the words of this poisonous woman?” A slightly chubby man spoke while glaring at Qi Heng.

Zhao Jing naturally noticed the change in Prince Chen’s attitude. She was about to say something more to try and persuade him to change his mind when suddenly, she felt a chilling wind blow behind her, causing her hair to stand on end.

“Ah!” Zhao Jing’s pupils suddenly dilated, and she screamed before fainting.

The man who had been beating Zhao Jing was stunned. He looked at his own fists and then at Zhao Jing lying on the ground. Could he have hit this woman?

“My Lord, this…”

Qi Heng gave him a cold glance, and his gaze passed over the shocked man’s face. “Have her taken to the medical clinic. Don’t concern yourself with the rest.”

“Yes.” The guards on either side immediately stepped forward and carried Zhao Jing away. Qi Heng walked towards the entrance of the mansion, and as expected, he saw the slightly chubby man following behind.

Upon reaching the main hall, Qi Heng ordered the attendants to withdraw, leaving only himself and the figure before him.

The man who had assaulted Zhao Jing was not a living person; he was a spirit.

Qi Heng’s gaze was filled with a strong sense of appraisal, and the slightly chubby man couldn’t ignore it. He looked at Qi Heng and cautiously pointed at his own nose. “Can you… can you see me?”

“Prince Chen,” Qi Heng uttered these two words. 

The slightly chubby man was momentarily stunned and then expressed his joy, “You can really see me!”

Qi Heng didn’t have a chance to speak before he saw the man in front of him, a man in his thirties approaching his forties, burst into tears.

It was unclear how, as a spirit, he was shedding so many tears.

“Have you been following Zhao Jing all this time?” Qi Heng suddenly spoke. The man, who had been crying, stopped his sobbing, and his spirit gradually became tinged with resentment. “That poisonous woman harmed my biological daughter and disrupted the order of the Jin Dynasty. I want to kill her!”

---