After the banquet ended and they returned to Qiyun Palace, Yun Wan was nowhere to be seen. Sui, being the independent little grown-up he was, obediently washed up and climbed onto the bed in the side chamber, ready to sleep.

Yesterday, His Majesty had promised Sui that if he didn’t seek out his mother today, she would spend the entire next day with him. Filled with anticipation for tomorrow and still buzzing with joy from meeting his great-aunt, Sui yawned as drowsiness overtook him, and he soon fell asleep.

He had no idea that when tomorrow came, it wouldn’t be his mother keeping him company—but rather him keeping her company. Because his mother, having indulged a bit too much the night before, desperately needed to catch up on sleep. Sui would have to quietly do his homework beside her.

He had been tricked.

......

A few days later, Lin Xiu entered the palace. The first thing she said upon seeing Yun Wan was—

"Is Sui the Emperor’s child?"

Yun Wan froze in shock.

"Aunt, you—" How did you know?

Her face was full of astonishment.

Seeing her reaction, Lin Xiu sighed, her suspicions confirmed.

Noticing no one else was in the chamber, she spoke openly: "Don’t bother making excuses. That Lord Wei who accompanied you to my house that day—he was actually the Emperor, wasn’t he?"

Her expression was certain.

"At your birthday banquet, the moment I saw little Sui, he looked familiar. My eyelids kept twitching, and the more I thought about it afterward, the more he resembled the Emperor like father and son."

A woman’s intuition was always sharp. That night, Lin Xiu had grown increasingly uneasy, unable to sleep.

After wrestling with her thoughts for days, she finally sent word to Yun Wan and personally came to the palace to confirm the truth.

Frowning as she recalled, she said, "Though I’ve only seen Lu Fenglan once, my memory is excellent. Sui doesn’t look a thing like him."

Lin Xiu wasn’t particularly talented in many things, but her ability to recognize faces was unmatched. Sui’s features and bone structure bore no resemblance to Lu Fenglan.

Seeing how thoroughly she had pieced it together, Yun Wan smiled helplessly. "I can’t hide anything from you, Aunt. You have a sharp eye."

It was as good as an admission.

Lin Xiu’s eyes widened. "Good heavens, it’s really true?!"

Yun Wan nodded. "Sui is His Majesty’s child."

After the initial shock, a wave of concern washed over Lin Xiu. She asked anxiously, "How did this happen?"

Yun Wan: "It’s a long story—"

Lin Xiu cut her off urgently. "Then make it short. I’m listening carefully."

"Five years ago..."

There was no point hiding it now, so Yun Wan simply told her the whole story.

The more Lin Xiu heard, the darker her expression became. "That damned old hag! A heartless monster!"

She was usually a gentle-tempered woman, only growing slightly firmer after her husband’s passing. But at this moment, she felt murderous.

Rage surged through her—she could have grabbed a knife and slashed Old Madam Lu a few times.

Seeing how furious she was, Yun Wan, the one who had actually lived through it, remained calm and even comforted her. "Aunt, don’t let anger harm your health. It’s all in the past now. They can’t hurt me anymore."

"It’s not worth ruining your health over those people."

Lin Xiu affectionately grasped her hand, her eyes filled with pity. "You’ve suffered so much these years, A-Wan. It’s all because of those heartless beasts!"

Yun Wan shook her head with a faint smile. Those people no longer had any hold over her heart.

Lin Xiu wiped her eyes, steadying her emotions before asking with concern, "Does His Majesty know about this?"

Yun Wan: "He knows. But outsiders don’t."

Lin ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌‌‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌‍Xiu exhaled in relief. "That’s good."

Her biggest fear had been that the Emperor might remain unaware, only to explode in anger later and accuse Yun Wan of deceiving the throne, casting her and Sui aside.

"Then has he mentioned when Sui’s identity will be publicly announced? And what about formally recognizing him as his heir?"

Only once Sui’s status was openly acknowledged would Yun Wan truly be free of that family’s shadow.

And once Sui became a prince, no amount of envy from others would matter. Yun Wan’s position in the palace would be secure.

As for who Sui’s father was, Lin Xiu didn’t care much—as long as he was her niece’s child, that was enough.

"Plans were being made earlier, but now..."

Yun Wan lowered her gaze with a small smile. "It should be settled soon. I intend to find the right moment to tell Sui the truth."

Lin Xiu nodded in approval. "You should prepare the child. Otherwise, he might feel hurt or angry if he finds out he’s been kept in the dark. Sui is very clever, after all."

Yun Wan: "I understand, Aunt."

But she hadn’t expected the right moment to arrive so quickly.

......

"Young Master, why are you staring at this servant? Do you have something to say?"

Jiang Fusheng, who was personally escorting Sui to his exam at the Hongwen Institute, noticed the boy glancing at him repeatedly, looking like he had something on his mind.

Sui studied him for a moment before hesitantly shaking his head.

There were many things he wanted to ask, but he didn’t know where to start.

Besides, right now, he needed to focus on the exam.

Assuming he was nervous about the test, Jiang Fusheng said kindly, "Young Master, there’s no need to worry. Just relax and perform as you usually do. With your abilities, you’ll surely rank at the top."

A simple exam like this was nothing for his little prince.

Sui nodded.

As they neared the Hongwen Institute, two lavishly decorated carriages entered the palace gates. The vehicles were opulent, with gem-studded saddles exuding extravagance.

The attendants and coachmen wore unusual clothing and headpieces, their features soft and complexions slightly darker.

"Eunuch Jiang, who are they?" Sui asked curiously from the roadside.

He had never seen anyone’s carriage allowed to drive straight into the palace before.

Glancing at the carriage plates, Jiang Fusheng explained, "That’s the Prince of Pingnan and his family."

Who was the Prince of Pingnan?

"The Prince of Pingnan has been guarding the southern border for ten years. He’s returned to the capital to report to the throne," Jiang Fusheng said briefly.

He didn’t know much about this prince who had been absent for a decade.

But trouble was surely brewing in the capital soon.

Sui found the carriages’ designs and patterns fascinating and couldn’t help but stare, thinking he’d describe them to his mother later.

But then, the curtain of the second carriage was abruptly pulled aside, revealing the chubby face of a young boy.

He glared at Sui with disdain and snapped,

"What are you looking at? Keep staring, and I’ll gouge your eyes out!"

Jiang Fusheng’s expression darkened instantly. This ill-mannered brat dared speak to his little prince like that?

Memorizing the boy’s face, he waited until the carriages passed before soothing Sui. "Young Master, pay no mind to such rudeness. We don’t stoop to their level."

Sui nodded. "I understand. I’m not angry."

People like that simply had no manners.

Jiang Fusheng’s heart swelled with affection as he escorted Sui to the Hongwen Institute.

Assuming the Prince of Pingnan’s audience with the Emperor would require his presence, he said softly, "Go ahead. I’ll send someone to fetch you later."

Returning to the Emperor’s side, Jiang Fusheng saw the two carriages parked at the palace steps and made a mental note.

Inside the hall, a boisterous voice rang out. He fetched a fresh pot of tea before entering.

When he finally saw the Prince of Pingnan’s family, his gaze landed on the richly dressed boy around seven or eight years old. Feigning surprise, he exclaimed,

"Ah, so this is the Young Prince of Pingnan! This servant failed to greet you properly earlier—please forgive my oversight!"