CHAPTER 687: CHAPTER 569: TREASURE PIGGY’S ORIGINS

The dusk enveloped the sky.

The palace attendants began to bustle about in an orderly manner.

Emperor Liang sat in the Warm Pavilion of the Diligent Governance Hall, surrounded by a pile of silver he had won from the Miao King, Duke Jiang, and Mr. Zi Wu.

Yu Gonggong cautiously approached: "Your Majesty, shall I request the meals?"

Emperor Liang placed the memorial he was holding onto the pile he had finished reading to his left.

In one afternoon, he had read through most of the recent memorials.

He picked up a new one from his right side.

This one was about impeaching the Crown Prince and promoting Prince Jin to the position of Crown Prince.

"Twenty-seven volumes."

He said.

Yu Gonggong boldly glanced at Emperor Liang’s memorials and awkwardly said, "Back then, Crown Prince’s foundation was unstable, and the Imperial Grandson carried a false Qilin title, which inevitably worried the entire court."

Emperor Liang ceased reading the memorial, instead flipping through the archives of imperial edicts and decrees.

He saw the decree appointing Lu Linyuan as the Guardian Qilin.

"Tell me about the competition."

Emperor Liang said.

Yu Gonggong was a confidant of Emperor Liang. Lu Zhaoyan had not concealed from him the emperor’s detoxification and amnesia because, should anyone take advantage of the situation to cause chaos, Yu Gonggong would need to mediate promptly.

People were bonded by the flesh.

Lu Zhaoyan regarded Yu Gonggong as his own, and while Yu Gonggong was not overtly biased, he would not harm him.

Yu Gonggong recounted in detail the backgrounds and specifics of both the literary and martial trials of the two imperial grandsons.

Emperor Liang had long read the historian’s records, and Yu Gonggong’s account aligned with them.

Emperor Liang then inquired about affairs related to the Crown Prince’s Mansion and the Jin Prince Mansion, asking only about facts, not whether they truly respected him as their father-emperor and imperial grandfather.

He had his own judgment and did not need to rely on others’ perspectives.

Yu Gonggong, knowing well Emperor Liang’s temperament, was meticulous and refrained from any personal speculations.

Noting the slight fatigue in Emperor Liang’s demeanor, Yu Gonggong gently advised, "Your Majesty, Miss Yan said you would recover in a day or two, no need to rush now and risk tiring yourself."

However, Emperor Liang replied, "It’s rare not to be an insider."

Yu Gonggong understood.

The emperor truly needed to reflect not on those around him but on himself.

He admired greatly yet felt sorry for the emperor’s tireless dedication: "Your Majesty, let the servant request the meals, you can think slowly after eating."

As he was about to leave, Emperor Liang suddenly spoke: "Was the Miao King truly here to propose a marriage alliance with me?"

"This..."

Yu Gonggong was stumped.

"Yu Gonggong, you are aware of the relationship between Father Emperor and the Miao King. I wish to take this opportunity to restore harmony between Liang Country and Miaojiang, for the wellbeing of the people and the stability of the nation. I hope you will prioritize the bigger picture and do not tell Father Emperor of their past grievances."

Lu Zhaoyan’s sincere request flashed through his mind, leaving him at a loss for how to respond.

While he hesitated, Emperor Liang’s ears twitched, and he glanced at the doorway: "Come in."

The Hidden Guard entered the Warm Pavilion, holding Treasure Piggy.

Yu Gonggong breathed a long sigh of relief.

The savior had arrived!

Treasure Piggy had already woken up, not crying or fussing, but with an aggrieved expression.

She had just slept and lost her mother again.

The Hidden Guard placed Treasure Piggy beside Emperor Liang, knelt on one knee, and cupped his fists in salute: "I have failed my duty and was discovered by Prince Changsun."

Emperor Liang glanced at the small bundle beside him, quirking an eyebrow curiously, and waved the Hidden Guard away.

The Hidden Guard spared his life and left as fast as he could.

Yu Gonggong also felt a bit redundant and quietly withdrew, instructing Xiao Dezi to request the meals from the Imperial Kitchen.

Xiao Dezi asked, "Didn’t Your Majesty order not to request the meals?"

Yu Gonggong gave him an exasperated look: "His Majesty might not eat, but Miss Zhaozhao needs to eat."

Xiao Dezi slapped his forehead: "Look at my brain!"

Your Majesty doted on Miss Zhaozhao the most, as long as she was around, there was always food on the table in the Diligent Governance Hall.

Inside the Warm Pavilion.

Emperor Liang and Treasure Piggy stared at each other.

Emperor Liang did not remember the little bundle.

The little bundle was angry at Emperor Liang.

She put her little hands on her waist: "Did you have someone carry me back?"

After finally going out with her mother, why were adults so clueless?

Emperor Liang: "Who are you?"

Treasure Piggy widened her eyes: "I’m Baby!"

Emperor Liang: "Whose family?"

Treasure Piggy: "Yours!"

Emperor Liang skeptically studied the small creature; round, chubby, and a little bit fiercely adorable.

This really was his child?

Emperor Liang asked: "What do you call me?"

Treasure Piggy turned her back, giving him a sulky look with the back of her head: "I won’t call!"

Emperor Liang warned: "If you don’t, I’ll toss you out."

Treasure Piggy turned back, looking utterly shocked at him.

The little one cherished in the palm of his hand, suddenly faced such coldness, immediately became overwhelmingly aggrieved, tears flowed, and she began to cry loudly.

"Great Grandfather is bad—Baby doesn’t want Great Grandfather anymore—Baby wants Great Grand Duke—"

Great Grandfather, Great Grand Duke.

Emperor Liang swiftly deduced the little one’s identity—his and Miao King’s great-grandchild.

Wait, that didn’t sound right.

His great-grandchild, Miao King’s great-granddaughter.

Emperor Liang sternly asked: "Is your father Lu Linyuan?"

Treasure Piggy got upset: "Baby doesn’t want Stinky Dad! I don’t want Stinky Great Grandfather!"

Emperor Liang seriously said: "I am not stinky."

Treasure Piggy cried for a long time, but Emperor Liang didn’t coax her, making her cry even harder when she looked at the astonishing emperor.

Emperor Liang was getting a headache: "Stop crying."

"Wah—wah—wah—"

Treasure Piggy cried earth-shakingly.

Emperor Liang’s mind buzzed: "Yu Hai!"

Yu Gonggong entered: "Your Majesty."

Emperor Liang: "Take her outside."

Yu Gonggong: "..."

Yu Gonggong whispered: "Your Majesty, this is your most cherished Miss Zhaozhao."

Emperor Liang: "You’re talking nonsense."

Treasure Piggy felt terribly wronged, sobbing to the point of gasping between breaths.

Yu Gonggong awkwardly added: "The servant can’t manage, when Miss Zhaozhao cries, only Your Majesty can soothe her. Miss Zhaozhao clings to Your Majesty the most; she waits every day in the Diligent Governance Hall for Your Majesty to finish court, and if Your Majesty finishes court late, she even goes to Jinluan Palace to fetch Your Majesty."

Emperor Liang looked at the little one dubiously and stretched out a stiff hand to pat the little bundle’s head.

Treasure Piggy hiccuped and said, "Don’t...think that by patting me...I’ll forgive you..."

Emperor Liang asked: "What do you want then?"

Treasure Piggy sobbed: "You need to hold Baby! Soothe Baby!"

Emperor Liang turned his face, muttering under his breath: "Children are really troublesome."

He awkwardly picked up the little one.

"Walk."

Treasure Piggy commanded.

"You really ask for a lot."

Emperor Liang walked around the Warm Pavilion with a stern face while carrying the little one.

Treasure Piggy instantly stopped crying, snuggled in his arm, leaned against his chest, and contentedly kicked up her small feet.

The meal was fed by Emperor Liang, and it was Emperor Liang who coaxed her to sleep.

Emperor Liang called for Yu Gonggong: "Bring the Dragon Stone."

Yu Gonggong: "Your Majesty?"

"I suspect she isn’t my own great-grandchild, but is a gu cast upon me by a thief."

Emperor Liang frowned as he looked at the sleeping little one in his arms, "Clearly she’s so bothersome, yet I still like her a bit; I must be under a gu spell."

Yu Gonggong: "..."

Yu Gonggong went to fetch the Dragon Stone.

The Dragon Stone was a gift from Medicine King Valley during the late emperor’s reign, through which all descendants of the late emperor could confirm kinship by a drop of blood.

The Imperial Grandson and Prince Jian had been tested without their knowledge.

Miss Zhaozhao had not yet been tested.

"Can you bear it?"

Prick once, lest he feels distressed afterward.

Emperor Liang had to make this decision.

Yu Gonggong returned with the Dragon Stone.

Emperor Liang didn’t wake the little one, just carefully extracted a drop of blood.

If the Dragon Stone showed no response, it wasn’t a blood relative.

Yu Gonggong suddenly remembered the Crown Prince’s words: "Yu Gonggong, there’s one more thing, actually Zhaozhao isn’t of the Lu Family’s bloodline; she is a child adopted by Yuan’er."

"Your Majesty!"

He tried to stop him but it was already too late.

Yu Gonggong stared at the blooded Dragon Stone, and his eyes instantly widened: "This..."