VGAB Chapter 3

Qi Heng reached out to suppress the resentment in Prince Chen’s spirit. He noticed traces of merit on Prince Chen’s spirit.

It was no wonder that it had persisted for so long without dissipating.

“I am another version of you,” Prince Chen paused for a moment and, seeing that Qi Heng didn’t react angrily, continued. “Although you may not believe it, we are indeed the same person.”

At this point, Prince Chen cast a curious glance at Qi Heng, wondering how they could both be born of the same parents and yet look so different, with Qi Heng having an appearance reminiscent of a deity.

Could it be that the feng shui of the two worlds was different?

“And then?” Qi Heng knew he had misunderstood, but he didn’t know how to explain, so he simply nodded in agreement.

“You know, Qi Jing is not our daughter; Yuyao is,” Prince Chen mentioned, his eyes turning slightly red as his resentment emanated. “I discovered this fact, but under the words of the Prince’s Consort and Qi Jing, coupled with Yuyao being framed by Qi Jing and losing her chastity to a hunter, I felt ashamed and gave up on bringing Yuyao back.”

Anger welled up in Qi Heng’s eyebrows. “Absurd! You know that Yuyao is our biological daughter.”

“I was confused, and I constantly wished I could kill her,” tears flowed from Prince Chen’s eye sockets as he recounted what he had seen after his death.

Ever since he learned the whole truth, Prince Chen had been consumed by regret day and night, his anguish gnawing at him. His attachment was so deep that he lingered in the mortal realm, refusing to depart. As a result, by a twist of fate, he stumbled upon an opportunity.

Prince Chen had heard many tales of extraordinary events in the past, and he quickly found the truth for himself. He traveled back to the past world.

He wanted to seek revenge against Qi Jing, but he was a ghost, and no matter how he physically assaulted Qi Jing, he couldn’t inflict substantial harm on him.

Prince Chen had been contemplating how to send dreams to his counterpart in this world, warning him to be cautious of Qi Jing. However, he hadn’t anticipated that his counterpart in this world would act so decisively, immediately invalidating Qi Jing’s status and even prohibiting the use of the name “Qi Jing.”

“You need to be cautious of Qin Shi. Don’t end up like me, having your command token stolen by her,” Prince Chen gritted his teeth.

“Your Majesty appears to be in good health now, but the toxins have infiltrated your internal organs. Your time is running out, and they will surely make a move soon.”

“I will handle the matter with Qin Shi and Zhao Jing,” Qi Heng replied calmly. He didn’t have any particular fondness for Qin Shi; he had only tolerated her because she was the original host’s wife. Now that the original host had made the request, and he had assumed the original host’s identity, he naturally intended to fulfill the original host’s wishes.

Prince Chen looked at him with a calm demeanor and suddenly felt a bit disheartened. “I’m just too powerless.”

As a son, he hadn’t fulfilled his filial duties. As a father, he had caused the death of his own daughter. As a husband, his Consort had conspired with outsiders to overthrow the Qi family’s century-old legacy.

Two days later, an exquisite carriage stopped at the Prince Chen Mansion, and a young girl stepped out of it.

Upon hearing the news in the palace, Qi Heng immediately returned to the mansion.

Zhao Yuyao followed her maidservant to the rear courtyard of the mansion. Her fair face appeared calm and composed, but the sweat on her palms, hidden beneath her sleeves, betrayed her nervousness.

She was a bit anxious as she was about to meet her birth mother. She had heard that the Prince’s Consort of Prince Chen was beautiful and noble, and she wasn’t sure if the Prince’s Consort would like her.

“Your Highness, the Princess has returned.”

Inside the crimson doors, a woman’s gentle and excited voice could be heard.

“Let the Princess come in.”

This voice carried a hint of joy, and Zhao Yuyao tightened her grip on her sleeve. Perhaps her birth mother would indeed like her?

“Princess, the Madam is waiting for you,” the maidservant whispered.

Zhao Yuyao took a deep breath and followed the maidservant into the room.

“Jing’er, did your father change his mind…” Prince’s Consort Qin, who was in the middle of taking medicine, froze completely when she saw who had entered.

“You…”

As she saw the joy in the eyes of Prince’s Consort Qin slowly turn into confusion, Zhao Yuyao felt a surge of disappointment. Her birth mother’s joy was because she didn’t know that it was her who was coming.

“Your Highness, weren’t you looking forward to the return of the Princess? This is the Princess, she has returned,” the maid who was serving Qin Shi happily spoke, breaking the awkwardness in the room.

Qin Shi regained her composure and wore a gentle smile on her face. “It’s Yuyao, right? Come over and let your mother see you.”

“Mother,” Zhao Yuyao suppressed her inner disappointment and slowly approached the side of the Prince’s Consort Qin’s bed, kneeling down.

Qin Shi raised her hand and gently stroked Zhao Yuyao’s cheek. This face resembled her by about seventy percent, and any lingering doubts in Qin Shi’s heart completely disappeared.

So, this was indeed her daughter.

“The Princess and the Consort seem to be made from the same mold,” the old nursemaid remarked. She was Qin Shi’s wet nurse and naturally had a say in such matters.

After hearing this, Qin Shi’s pale face broke into a gentle smile. “Nurse, please fetch the gift I prepared for the Princess.”

“Yes.” The nursemaid got up and went to a nearby room, returning with a small, exquisite wooden box.

“This is a gift I’ve prepared for you,” Prince’s Consort Qin said as she opened the box. Inside the box, on a red velvet cloth, lay a bracelet. She picked up the bracelet, took Zhao Yuyao’s hand, and gently slipped it onto her wrist.

The bracelet felt as cold as her current mood. Zhao Yuyao bit her lip but still managed to offer a smile. “Thank you… Madam, I really like it.”

A hint of inexplicable emotion flickered in Qin Shi’s gentle eyes. Although her tone had remained unchanged, she could still sense the coldness in it. “You should address me as Mother. No one taught you this in the Zhao family, but starting tomorrow, I will have Prince Chen invite a teaching nurse from the palace to instruct you in royal etiquette.”

The obvious disdain made Zhao Yuyao’s eyes briefly show a trace of sadness. “Thank you, Mother.”

“Very well,” Qin Shi closed her eyes and leaned back on the soft pillow. The nursemaid by her side adjusted the covers slightly, pulling them up a bit. “The Prince’s Consort seems tired. Perhaps Nurse can accompany the Princess around the palace.”

Zhao Yuyao replied, “Nurse, please stay with the Consort. Yanyan is outside, and she can accompany me.”

Yan’er was the little maid she had rescued in the past, and the two had depended on each other for a long time. When she returned to the palace, she had also pleaded with her previously unknown biological father to bring Yan’er back with her.

Since the Prince’s Consort Qin remained silent, Zhao Yuyao took it as consent. She curtsied and then quietly retreated outside the room.

Once she left Purple Bamboo Courtyard, Zhao Yuyao’s eyes turned red immediately. Her biological mother didn’t like her and even seemed to despise her for growing up in a rural family.

“Yuyao.” Yan’er, who was crouching outside the door, was delighted to see her. She quickly ran to Zhao Yuyao but froze when she saw her appearance.

“Yuyao, why are you crying?” She raised her hand as if to wipe away the tears from Zhao Yuyao’s face and, as if realizing something, widened her eyes in disbelief. “Did the Prince’s Consort mistreat you?”

“Don’t talk nonsense,” Zhao Yuyao shook her head. “I’m just a bit disappointed.”

As she spoke, a sense of bitterness welled up in her heart.

Yan’er found it strange. In theory, the Prince’s Consort should like her very much. However, seeing Zhao Yuyao like this, she didn’t dare to ask further.

“Princess.” After they had walked a while, they coincidentally met the Grand Steward of the palace, who was walking briskly towards them. He first greeted them with a bow. “Tingxi Courtyard has been prepared. I would like to invite the Princess to have a look and see if anything is lacking.”

“Very well, please lead the way, Grand Steward,” Zhao Yuyao replied softly, her lips pressed together.

The Grand Steward bowed slightly and then gestured, “Princess, this way, please.”

Tingxi Courtyard was located to the west of the palace. The Grand Steward led the two of them through a winding corridor by the water, with groups of maids accompanying them and squads of guards patrolling back and forth. The palace was adorned with vibrant flowers, and various precious treasures were casually displayed. Zhao Yuyao had known that the palace would be a place of opulence and splendor, but she was still dazzled by everything she saw. She had even forgotten her earlier sadness.

The three of them arrived at the side of the koi pond. Just then, a dozen armed guards appeared on the white jade bridge across the pond, followed closely by beautiful maids in pink attire. When the Grand Steward noticed them, he immediately stopped and lowered his head with a respectful expression. Zhao Yuyao also came to a halt, sensing that something was amiss, and nervously bit her lip.

“Why have we stopped?” Yan’er was still unaware of the situation. She casually glanced towards the white jade bridge and couldn’t help but exclaim, “These guards look so majestic.”

“Yan’er,” Zhao Yuyao whispered softly, “don’t make a sound.”

Behind them, a group of maids in azure attire approached, carrying silver trays. As they passed by the three of them, they gently inclined their heads in the direction of Zhao Yuyao and continued to walk gracefully toward the white jade bridge.

The armed guards had now reached the side of the bridge. The maids in azure attire stopped about three steps away from the bridge. They stepped aside, and Zhao Yuyao saw a man in black attire, a golden python embroidered on his black robe, walking towards them on the bridge.

“Greetings, Your Highness,” the kneeling maids said in unison, bowing with lowered heads.

“Your Highness… Isn’t that Yu Jiejie’s father?”

Yan’er recalled the plot about the female lead’s father. In the original story, this prince had a violent temperament and cruel methods, but he was kind to the female lead. Unfortunately, he was killed by the male lead when he attempted to usurp the throne, leading to a complex and tumultuous love-hate relationship between the female lead and the male lead.

“Yan’er.”

By now, the man in black had crossed the bridge. Zhao Yuyao gave a strong tug on Yan’er’s sleeve, concerned that her words might cause misunderstandings. What if the man was just visiting the palace? Her remark could potentially lead to confusion.

“Princess, you don’t need to worry. Miss Yan is correct; that is indeed our prince,” the Grand Steward lowered his voice, “and he is your father.”

Qi Heng immediately noticed the slender figure. Despite traversing multiple worlds, he still vividly remembers the image of this child, tortured to death by Zhao Jing in her attempt to save him.

“Do you see?” The spirit of Prince Chen danced around him, pointing to the young girl standing beside the Grand Steward. “That’s our daughter. She’s clever and kind, completely different from that wicked woman, Qi Jing.”

He had personally requested the name “Huimin” from the Empress Dowager. It was a pity it was used on this impostor who bore no resemblance to the real princess.

“It’s Zhao Jing now; she no longer carries the Qi surname.”

Qi Heng spoke calmly, suppressing his aura because he understood very well that this child, despite her apparent stubbornness and boldness, was actually timid and carried a hint of insecurity.

Prepared for this encounter, Qi Heng raised his hand to stop his own attendants and approached the trio.

“I pay my respects to Your Highness,” the Grand Steward said, folding his hands and bowing deeply.

The man in black walked toward them. As he drew nearer, his features became more distinct. At the moment when Zhao Yuyao clearly saw his face, she felt a momentary confusion. Was she sure the Grand Steward’s eyes weren’t playing tricks on her?

Is… is he really her father?

Yan’er was equally shocked, “Wow, the original story didn’t mention that the female lead’s father was this handsome!”

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