CHAPTER 464: CHAPTER 412 GLUED TO DADDY

The household physician prescribed the medicine, following the usual practice of handing the prescription to Steward Jia, who would then arrange for someone to retrieve the medicine.

Steward Jia stared at the prescription in his hand, utterly incredulous, "How did this get prescribed? Isn’t he a fraud?"

"Old Sun, what’s going on?"

He asked the physician.

The physician, tight-lipped, replied curtly, "Go ask the Crown Prince. I’m just a doctor," and then slung his medical kit over his shoulder and walked away.

Some matters cannot be meddled with, nor should one even try.

Probably, this is exactly why the Crown Prince is willing to keep him around in the household.

Steward Jia became more uneasy the more he thought. That kid almost got himself squeezed to death by him outside the residence, and yet now he’d entered the Crown Prince’s study and was being so meticulously cared for.

He was doomed!

Feeling that the situation had spiraled completely out of his control, Steward Jia hurried anxiously to the kitchen and found Granny Fang, who was checking the dishes.

"Old sis!"

He burst into the room, grabbed Granny Fang’s wrist, and yanked her out of the kitchen.

Granny Fang was furious, punching and yelling at him, "Let go! You uncouth brute, have you no manners? Are you going to take such liberties with me today?"

"Old sis, take it easy, take it easy! You’re going to break something!"

While enduring the punches, Steward Jia dragged her behind a decorative hill. He looked around carefully and, satisfied no one was present, finally released Granny Fang’s hand.

Granny Fang raised a hand and landed a hard slap on him.

Steward Jia pleaded as he grabbed her forearm, "Old sis, I’ve got something urgent to discuss! Let me finish, and then you can beat me all you want, okay? I’ll abase myself and admit my guilt!"

Seeing that Steward Jia genuinely appeared to be seeking help, Granny Fang coldly pulled her hand away, "If this happens again, you won’t get away with it! Now, speak!"

"Yes, yes, absolutely."

Though he held sway over the household affairs, when standing before Granny Fang, the one who nursed the Crown Prince, he didn’t dare put on airs.

With a panicked look, he exclaimed, "Something big has happened, old sis!"

Granny Fang clutched her chest, "Has something happened to His Highness?"

Steward Jia shook his head hastily, "Not His Highness, His Highness is quite well."

One must never curse His Highness, never!

Granny Fang made a guess, "The Commandery Prince? Can’t be, I just came from his courtyard. He was studying—what a sight, he’s just like His Highness when he was younger."

Speaking of the Commandery Prince, Granny Fang’s face lit up with pure joy, as if she were talking about her own grandson.

Steward Jia scratched his head, "Where do I even begin?"

He spun on the spot in frustration.

Granny Fang shot him a disdainful look, "What are you, a donkey? Grinding flour?"

Steward Jia gritted his teeth, gathered his courage, and said, "Today, Prince Ming returned to the Imperial City with a young man who claims to be the Crown Prince’s biological child."

Granny Fang’s face turned skeptical, "Prince Ming? He—"

Steward Jia noticed her expression and immediately clarified, "No, no, no, Prince Ming was duped by that kid too. When I exposed him in public, Prince Ming ordered me to deal with him severely—meaning to execute him."

Granny Fang asked, "Did you execute him?"

With a heavy sigh, Steward Jia lamented, "This is where the problem lies. If he’d truly died, that would’ve been the end of it—he wouldn’t have a chance to lure the Crown Prince in. That would’ve saved my neck. But just then, the Crown Prince returned to the residence! I suspect that kid calculated the timing of His Highness’s return!"

Even though he said this, Steward Jia knew it was pure coincidence that Prince Ming brought the kid back and His Highness happened to run into him.

It felt as though fate had conspired to have the Crown Prince save him.

This was maddeningly bizarre.

"Prince Ming ordered me to execute him—I even had the blade pressed to his neck! But His Highness intervened, rescued the boy, brought him back to his study, and even summoned the household physician to treat him."

Pointing to the prescription in his hand, he continued, "Look at this—freshly written! Prince Ming washed his hands clean of the matter. Seeing His Highness protect the boy, he denied ever giving the order to kill him. Now it’s all on me! Old sis, tell me, am I being wrongly accused? Wrongly accused or not?"

However, Granny Fang didn’t dwell on whether Steward Jia was wrongly accused; instead, she pondered whether the boy was truly the Crown Prince’s child.

More sons meant more fortune. Having additional heirs could only be beneficial for the Crown Prince, especially with the throne to inherit.

But the prerequisite was that they had to be legitimate sons—not allow outsiders to dilute the Imperial Family’s bloodline.

Granny Fang made up her mind. She said coolly to Steward Jia, "Enough, don’t get so worked up—I’ll take a look myself."

Steward Jia begged, "Old sis, you’ve got to put in a good word for me! My loyalty to His Highness is as steadfast as the sun and moon, as unchanging as the seas evaporating or drops of water eroding stone..."

Granny Fang glared at him, "What kind of nonsense is that?"

Then she left the decorative hill and headed toward the Crown Prince’s courtyard.

Standing upright, Steward Jia watched her departing back and sneered, "Wet nurse? Acting like she’s his real mother? His real mother resides in the Imperial Palace—Princess Consort Chen!"

On her way, Granny Fang unexpectedly encountered a mother and son pair—it was none other than Dou Qingyi and Prince Jian, who had recently been recognized by the Crown Prince.

Dou Qingyi wore a veil, her attire opulent but understated, exuding an air of ethereal elegance mixed with the maturity of years gone by. Looking at her, it was evident she had been a peerless beauty in her youth.

No wonder she had captivated the Crown Prince at first sight.

"Madam."

Granny Fang bowed reverently.

As Prince Jian’s biological mother, Dou Qingyi was highly likely to become the Empress when the Crown Prince ascended the throne. Granny Fang dared not show any disrespect.

Dou Qingyi spoke warmly, "Granny Fang, I heard there’s been a guest at the estate."

Granny Fang returned a slight bow, "Prince Ming has returned."

Dou Qingyi’s voice remained sweet, "Just him alone? I heard he brought back someone claiming to be His Highness’s own child?"

So, news couldn’t be contained within the estate, especially such significant news.

Granny Fang hesitated, "This... I am not aware of the details."

Dou Qingyi smiled, "Come along with me to see for ourselves. If Jian can gain another brother to help him, it’ll be a good thing."

Indeed, Prince Jian was the first officially acknowledged Imperial Grandson and had been granted the name "Qi," signifying the mythical Qilin.

Regardless of how many other sons the Crown Prince might recognize later, Prince Jian’s lineage remained unparalleled.

Moreover, he was soon to marry the daughter of the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion, the famed heaven-sent destiny bride.

Their union seemed predestined to become the Empress and Emperor of Great Liang for centuries to come.

Suddenly, Granny Fang understood.

The Crown Prince may have many sons, but there could only be one future Emperor.

She needed to choose between Prince Jian and an unknown "son"—especially since this so-called son’s legitimacy was not guaranteed.

Granny Fang took a deep breath and bowed deeply to Dou Qingyi, "Madam, rest assured, I shall devote myself fully to serving His Highness and Prince Jian. Everything I do will prioritize the two of them. In my heart, only His Highness and Prince Jian are my true masters."

The study.

The medicine had been brewed and tested for poison. It sat steaming on the stool beside Lu Yuan.

Lu Zhaoyan flipped open a memorial, "Drink the medicine once you wake."

Lu Yuan opened his eyes and sat up, "Why did I fall asleep?"

Lu Zhaoyan set aside the memorial and picked up another without looking at him, "Your acting isn’t bad. Keep it up."

Lu Yuan protested, "You still haven’t answered my question."

Lu Zhaoyan replied coldly, "I have enough sons; I don’t need, don’t want, and won’t accept more."

Lu Yuan’s lips twitched.

Heartless.

Lu Zhaoyan, now back in his usual state of composure, asked indifferently, "How did you get those injuries and ailments?"

Turning his face away, Lu Yuan snorted icily, "Why would you care? You don’t want me anyway."

Lu Zhaoyan raised an eyebrow at this brat’s temper but refrained from asking ’Does your mother know?’ after all, it wasn’t proper to question women about such matters.

"How about your father? Does he know about people bullying you?"

Lu Yuan answered matter-of-factly, "It was him. He’s fickle—after marrying my mother, he sought another lover and fathered my younger brother. My younger brother, jealous and envious of everything, couldn’t stand me. When the teacher praised my calligraphy, he had my hand broken. Each compliment earned me a broken hand. When someone sent me medicine, he made me kneel in the snow, until I contracted a cold."

The injuries and illnesses he described were entirely true, leaving no trace of deceit.

Lu Zhaoyan withdrew his gaze and frowned, asking, "Are you really his biological son?"

Lu Yuan snapped grimly, "What difference would it make? You don’t want me anyway."

Lu Zhaoyan hesitated, glanced at the medicine bowl, and said, "Drink the medicine first."

"Not drinking. If I recover, it’s only to go back home and be bullied by my brother again. Let me just die out here instead."

Lu Yuan, speaking with all the petulance in the world, slumped back heavily onto the rattan chair, completely disregarding appearances.

Humiliation in the Southwest capital was no big deal—no one knew him there anyway.

Lu Zhaoyan sighed, "Drink your medicine first; I’ll send people to escort you home and ensure your brother won’t bully you again."

Lu Yuan turned his head away, "Hmph."

Lu Zhaoyan asked, "What will it take for you to drink the medicine?"

Just as Lu Yuan was about to answer, Lu Zhaoyan cut him off firmly, "Anything but acknowledging you as my son."

Lu Yuan, "Hmph!"

Lu Zhaoyan, "..."