Wang Zhong stared at the little girl in astonishment. At first glance, he was stunned for quite some time, for in that instant, he actually thought the tiny child bore a striking resemblance to His Majesty. What utter nonsense.
Wang Zhong shook his head, driving the strange thought from his mind, and hurriedly said with a smile, “What a coincidence. My master is the same way—whenever he eats seafood, red rashes break out all over his body!”
The moment Wang Zhong finished speaking, someone let out an unhappy cough.
Wang Zhong immediately shut his mouth, only to see that His Majesty was still unabashedly studying the beautiful married woman seated across from him.
He quickly averted his gaze and pretended not to notice. He only hoped that His Majesty would exercise some restraint and not do anything absurd, such as forcibly taking another man’s wife.
Seeing that Wang Zhong had stopped talking, and that the handsome benefactor was a taciturn man besides, Cui Huaiyin suppressed her curiosity. She ordered several dishes to her liking, then toasted them with a cup of wine in thanks before beginning to feed her daughter.
Her daughter no longer needed to be fed. It was only that some of the food was too far away, requiring Cui Huaiyin to pick it up with her chopsticks and place it in front of her.
Only then did Cui Huaiyin realize that the talkative, enthusiastic young gentleman with a slight, almost feminine air was actually the servant of the silent man across from them.
When the dishes arrived, the servant stood beside the tall man, attending to him with utmost respect. He served the man food in an orderly fashion, without making a single mistake.
Even the way the man ate was pleasing to the eye—unhurried and composed.
He was far more refined than many men. Back when she had been married to Zhu Wangbei, he would smack his lips whenever he ate, which had grated on her nerves. She had advised him for a long time before he finally broke the habit.
After only a few glances, Cui Huaiyin withdrew her eyes and focused once more on her youngest daughter.
Unexpectedly, her daughter, whose cheeks were puffed out as she chewed, suddenly lifted her head. Gazing at the man in front of her with bright eyes, she tilted her little head and asked, “Why do you keep sneaking looks at my mother?”
Dantai Ji’s movements froze.
Wang Zhong’s eyes widened.
Cui Huaiyin had no idea what was going on.
The child’s innocent voice rang out again. “You! Why do you keep looking at my mother? Do you know her?”
Indeed, Rongyao was pointing at Dantai Ji with her little finger, looking as though she would not let the matter go without an explanation.
But no one knew that Rongyao was terrified. As a foolish palace maid, she naturally feared the emperor—but she could not let anyone see it.
The air fell silent in an instant.
Cui Huaiyin instinctively looked toward the man her daughter was pointing at. Their eyes met, but the man quickly looked away and pretended nothing had happened as he picked up his tea.
She was no naïve maiden fresh from her boudoir; Cui Huaiyin could recognize the veiled thoughts in a man’s eyes. Her brows drew together slightly. Taking her daughter by the hand, she rose and said farewell.
“Thank you both for coming to our aid today. It’s getting late, and my daughter and I should be returning home.”
Dantai Ji clenched his hand. He abruptly rose to his feet and stared at Cui Huaiyin with tightly pressed lips, yet he did not say a word to stop her.
Wang Zhong wiped the sweat from his brow with a handkerchief, so anxious that he nearly stamped his feet.
Cui Huaiyin was pulling her daughter toward the door when the hem of her dress suddenly tugged downward. She looked back to see her daughter clutching the fabric, her tender little face filled with urgency. Pointing at the tall and formidable benefactor behind them, the girl said, “Mother, Uncle hasn’t answered my question yet.”
Rongyao turned her head and fixed her bright, wide eyes on the disguised Emperor Dantai Ji. With the stubborn persistence of a child, she asked, “Have you truly never seen my mother before?”
Dantai Ji lowered his eyes to the little porcelain doll before him and replied coldly, “Never.”
Rongyao’s chubby cheeks tightened as she studied the emperor opposite her, a hint of disappointment in her eyes.
Her mother did not know the emperor, and the emperor had no impression of her mother at all. How, then, had two people who did not know each other managed to have her?
Cui Huaiyin offered Dantai Ji an apologetic smile. Without saying anything more, she forcibly pulled her daughter away.
Dantai Ji watched the figures of the mother and daughter recede into the distance for a long while. Then he suddenly asked, “How does that woman compare with Consort Chen?”
Wang Zhong’s heart gave a jolt. He was bewildered for a moment, but quickly realized whom His Majesty meant and hurriedly replied, “Consort Chen is a woman of refined character, gentle and virtuous, while that woman possesses a beauty both pure and extraordinary, with a face capable of captivating an entire city. Both are rare and admirable women.”
Dantai Ji frowned slightly, a trace of puzzlement in his expression. He looked at Wang Zhong and asked, “Do you not think their features are remarkably similar?”
Wang Zhong’s eyes widened in astonishment. He immediately fell to his knees and said, “Forgive this servant’s poor eyesight, but I truly failed to notice any resemblance between Consort Chen and that woman!”
The doubt in Dantai Ji’s eyes deepened. He gazed searchingly in the direction the mother and daughter had left and ordered, “Go investigate that woman.”
Wang Zhong hurriedly acknowledged the command. “This servant obeys!”
……
After leaving the Hundred Fragrance Pavilion, they climbed into the Cui family carriage that had been waiting nearby. Once Cui Huaiyin closed the carriage door, she fixed her stern gaze on her innocent-looking daughter.
“Yaoyao, tell Mother. Why were you so rude just now, asking those questions?”
Rongyao puffed out her cheeks. “Yaoyao thought you and that man knew each other.”
Cui Huaiyin chuckled and stroked her daughter’s head. “We merely met by chance. He helped us, and all we need to do is show our gratitude.”
Rongyao lowered her head with a frown and stared at the toes of her shoes. Her mother had made them by hand, embroidering a white magnolia on each one, along with a lifelike butterfly.
“Mother!” Rongyao lifted her little face and gazed earnestly at her mother. “Do you know a woman whose surname is Chen?”
“Chen?” Cui Huaiyin repeated. “There are many people surnamed Chen in Zhou County. Which one are you asking about, Yaoyao?”
Rongyao gripped her mother’s arm. “Someone about your age, who was very close to you! Did you ever know anyone like that?”
Looking at her daughter’s earnest little face, Cui Huaiyin’s mind conjured the image of one person.
She had indeed once had a maid named Chen Yunxiang. They had grown up together, but Chen Yunxiang had lost her life while helping her search for someone.
Cui Huaiyin had always felt guilty toward her. Whenever she thought back on it, she regretted the decision she had made that day.
If she had not insisted on searching for that person, Yunxiang would not have died.
“Mother, Mother!” Rongyao tugged at her hand.
Cui Huaiyin came back to herself, stroked her daughter’s head, and said, “There was someone. Her name was Chen Yunxiang. You should call her Aunt Yunxiang. She and Mother grew up together, like sisters. Sadly, while helping Mother search for someone, she fell from a cliff. We never even found her body.”
Rongyao’s eyes lit up. “She helped Mother look for someone? Who was she looking for?”
Cui Huaiyin froze. Looking down at her daughter, she hesitated before saying, “Someone who could be considered Yaoyao’s father.”
Rongyao’s little face flushed with excitement. Although the name Chen Yunxiang did not match, this Chen Yunxiang might very well be Noble Consort Chen—Chen Ruyun!
Chen Yunxiang had found the emperor, then taken Mother’s place!
That was very likely what had happened.
But how could they confirm it? If only Mother could see Noble Consort Chen in person.
Yet Noble Consort Chen was in the imperial palace and would not leave it easily.
“Miss, we’ve arrived at the residence. The master seems to have been waiting at the gate for you for quite some time.” The carriage suddenly came to a stop, and the coachman’s voice came from outside.
Cui Huaiyin hurriedly lifted the curtain. Sure enough, she saw her father standing at the gate, craning his neck to look out. The moment he saw her, he called anxiously, “Yin’er, is Yaoyao in the carriage?”
Cui Huaiyin glanced back at her daughter and answered, “She’s in here.”
Cui Yeping hurried over. Reaching the carriage, he pushed open the door. When he saw his granddaughter, his face crinkled into a beaming smile. He reached out affectionately toward Rongyao. “Yaoyao, let Grandfather carry you down.”
Rongyao lifted her smiling face and threw herself into her maternal grandfather’s arms, allowing him to carry her out of the carriage.
Grandfather and granddaughter headed together toward the main hall.
Cui Huaiyin followed closely behind, asking her father what had happened.
Cui Yeping merely replied solemnly that there was an important matter to discuss later, then offered no further explanation.
When they reached the main hall, Cui Huaiyin discovered that her mother and several of her brothers were already waiting inside. They, too, looked bewildered and had no idea what was going on.
Cui Yeping carried his granddaughter into the hall in large strides and took his seat at the head of the room. His expression was grave as he swept his gaze over them.
His eldest son, Cui Huaiji, spoke first. “Father summoned us the moment he finished work. Has something happened?”
Cui Yeping lowered his head and gave his granddaughter a deep look. “While I was on duty today, my superior assigned me the task of auditing the relief funds and grain sent to Duzhou. The situation in Duzhou is exceedingly complicated, and the slightest oversight could drag me into the matter. I’m afraid…”
Before Cui Yeping could finish, his eldest son, Cui Huaiji, said, “Father, are you afraid that what Yaoyao saw in her dream will come true?”
Cui Yeping did not answer. He merely fell silent, his breathing growing heavier.
Cui Huaihao said, “Since you knew the Duzhou assignment would be thankless and might bring disaster upon you, why didn’t you refuse it on the spot?”
Cui Yeping glared at his second son, Cui Huaihao. “Do you think I didn’t know that? Director Ma signed my name in the records without discussing it with me! By the time I realized it, it was already too late to regret it!”
Everyone’s expression grew even graver.
No matter how they looked at it, the whole affair seemed like a deliberate trap.
If not for what Yaoyao had described in her dream—the corruption and exile that would follow—Cui Yeping would have only needed to perform his duties properly and handle the matter with care. But now, they could not help thinking more deeply about it.
Even Cui Huaiyi, who ordinarily disliked using his brains, sensed that something was wrong and could not help frowning.
Cui Huaiyi said, “Are we worrying over nothing? Yaoyao is still so young. How can we take her dreams seriously?”
Cui Yeping shot his third son a fierce glare.
Fool! How could they afford to treat the fate of the entire family carelessly?
Cui Yeping drew a deep breath and looked down at his granddaughter, forcing a smile. “Yaoyao said that in the dream, our whole family was exiled. Did anything else happen in that dream? Was there any way to avert it?”
Yaoyao looked up at her maternal grandfather, Cui Yeping, who was still hale and hearty at present, and tried her best to recall the details of how the Cui family had met with disaster in her previous life.
In her previous life, her grandfather had been framed for a grave crime and sentenced to death. The last time she saw him was at the execution grounds, and by then he had grown so thin that he barely looked human.
Rongyao sniffed and glanced at her mother, who was likewise filled with worry. Then she nodded. Suddenly, she remembered a story she had casually read in a book that morning. Her eyes lit up, and she raised her head, speaking in a clear, childish voice.
“Your granddaughter read about Cheng Ji in the historical records. Cheng Ji was a man of great learning whose talents went unrecognized. He was hindered and framed by corrupt villains, and because he held a low position, he found it difficult to advance. Later, he followed the Duke of Zhou and received his protection. Only then was he able to put his talents to use. He rose step by step until he became a prime minister of the dynasty, and the petty villains could no longer harm him.”
The surroundings fell silent for a moment. Even after the child’s tender voice had faded, no one spoke for quite some time.
None of them seemed able to believe that those words had come from a six-year-old child. How could a girl so young know about Cheng Ji? How could she have read the historical records?
The first to recover was Cui Huaiyi. Scratching his head, he exclaimed, “Yaoyao, you’re amazing! You’ve already read the historical records at such a young age. But… who is Cheng Ji?”
Cui Huaiji gave his third brother an exasperated look. “Cheng Ji was a renowned prime minister of the previous dynasty. As her maternal uncle, you’ve read fewer books than Yaoyao, yet you still have the nerve to speak?”
“Yaoyao is clever, and naturally I’m delighted as her uncle!” Cui Huaiyi replied, completely unbothered. “I’m not petty like certain people, always insisting on competing over everything!”
“That’s enough!” Cui Yeping interrupted them. His eyes shone as he gazed at the granddaughter in his arms, full of pride and admiration. “Yaoyao even knows about Cheng Ji. She truly is Grandfather’s good granddaughter. But when you mentioned Cheng Ji, were you suggesting that Grandfather should seek the patronage of some high-ranking official, minister, royal relative, or noble?”
Rongyao nodded earnestly.
“The situation at court is highly complex,” Cui Yeping explained. “The emperor is still young, and what he dislikes most is seeing officials form connections with and curry favor with members of the imperial family. Besides, Grandfather is merely a low-ranking sixth-rank secretary in the Ministry of Revenue. No one pays much attention to me.”
Rongyao shook her head. “Why does Grandfather need to curry favor with anyone else? You only need to win the favor of His Majesty and earn his trust.”
A bitter, disappointed look spread across Cui Yeping’s face. Did he not want to win the emperor’s favor? The problem was that he had only recently arrived in the capital and had not even managed to see His Majesty.
He would have to wait until the grand court assembly later that month for a glimpse of the emperor’s face.
Even if he did get to see the emperor, he probably would not have the chance to say a word. How could he possibly win His Majesty’s favor? He was merely a sixth-rank official promoted from a small county. He knew very well that he was ordinary. Aside from his sincere desire to serve the people, he had no remarkable qualities at all. The court was full of men like him—how could he possibly attract the emperor’s attention?
If he had been capable of winning the emperor’s favor, he would have risen to at least the third rank long ago!
Not only did disappointment show on Cui Yeping’s face, but Cui Huaiyi, Cui Huaiji, Cui Huaiyin, and the rest of the Cui family also wore helpless expressions.
He thought that, after all, she was only a child. No matter how clever she was or how many books she had read, she was still just a child—how could she possibly come up with a solution?
Even though he had not found a way out of his predicament through his granddaughter, Cui Yeping was still filled with comfort and pride. At such a young age, his granddaughter already possessed such insight. She knew of the esteemed minister Cheng Ji and understood the importance of loyalty to the emperor—she had surpassed countless others.
Cui Yeping’s delight was written plainly across his face. He was about to offer her a few more words of praise when he felt a tug on his sleeve. He looked down to see his granddaughter Yaoyao gazing at him with utmost seriousness. Her eyes were bright and clear as she spoke in her childish voice.
“The emperor is the ruler of all the people and the greatest person under heaven. If he protects Grandfather, you will surely get through this crisis!”
Cui Yeping could only offer a bitter smile. “That may be true, but your grandfather is merely a lowly sixth-rank official—an entirely ordinary man. How could I ever meet His Majesty?”
Yaoyao shook her little head in disagreement. “Grandfather, don’t worry. Mother and Yaoyao can take care of it.”
The surroundings fell silent for a moment.
Everyone turned toward Cui Huaiyin, their faces filled with confusion.
Cui Huaiyin jumped to her feet in shock and hurriedly shook her head and waved her hands, indicating that this had nothing to do with her. She did not understand what her daughter meant, either.
“Why?” Cui Yeping asked hesitantly after a moment.
Yaoyao opened her big eyes and said with utmost seriousness, “Because the emperor is Yaoyao’s daddy.”
