Watching the people around them silently distance themselves with looks of disdain, these individuals were almost amused to the point of laughter, inwardly sighing that sometimes ignorance truly is bliss!
[Just who Xi Ling's biological father was remains an unsolved mystery even centuries later. If Master wishes to know, we could wait until we obtain biological samples from Xi Yan and Feng Xun to conduct a paternity test for Xi Ling later on.
Although even Xi Ling's own mother, Miao Qingling, later couldn't be sure who his biological father was, there is one person whose biological father's identity his mother would never mistake.]
"Who is it? Tell me."
By now, the dance performance in the hall had changed to a sword dance by warriors. Yue Fuguang inexplicably thought to herself that this scene was truly perfect for an assassination attempt.
[We just discussed Miao Qingling and Feng Xun, but forgot to mention Feng Xu, the older sister who helped Xi Yan detoxify.]
"How is there a follow-up with her and Xi Yan? Didn't she have her way with Xi Yan and then 'frame' Miao Qingling? Was she discovered?"
[Discovered? Not exactly. After all, Feng Xu had been married to her husband, Jiang Qi, for many years by then. She actually had a good relationship with her husband. It's just that Jiang Qi likely suffered from oligospermia; despite their frequent efforts,
and Jiang Qi taking several concubines in succession, not a single child was born.
So, when Feng Xu encountered Xi Yan that day, it was partly due to being captivated by his looks, and partly because she saw him as strong and healthy, wanting to... borrow some seeds.
Perhaps Feng Xu was just lucky, but she actually succeeded. After ten months of pregnancy, she gave birth to Jiang Yuanshan, the Jiang family's only child, whose birthday is just one day apart from Xi Ling's.]
"Did Jiang Qi know this wasn't his biological child?"
[He knew. Feng Xu told her husband everything without reservation as soon as she returned to the Jiang residence.
The reason Feng Xun and Feng Xu, the siblings, appeared at that cave in the first place was because Feng Xu was searching for medicine for her husband Jiang Qi. The siblings got separated from their guards in the mountains and stumbled into that place by mistake.
The reason Jiang Qi could accept his wife borrowing seeds to bear a child, rather than adopting one from the Jiang clan relatives, stemmed entirely from the deep-seated enmity between Jiang Qi and his clansmen.
Jiang Qi's father had only him, one son, but possessed considerable family wealth. His father died in an accident while traveling with clan brothers, a matter Jiang Qi always found suspicious.
After his father's death, the clansmen showed no remorse and even tried to seize the family's wealth and lands. If not for his mother's resolute and wise nature,
the orphaned widow and her son fought a battle of wits against the relatives. By the time Jiang Qi finally achieved success, his mother had passed away from years of overwork and exhaustion.
His father's death was suspicious, and his only mother died indirectly because of them. One can imagine the resentment in Jiang Qi's heart.
Approaching thirty without a single son or daughter, the clansmen began coveting his wealth and status again. The clan elders visited repeatedly, urging him to adopt a child from the clan to inherit the family business.
How could Jiang Qi agree? He would rather burn everything to the ground than leave the family fortune to those people. Therefore, the plan to borrow seeds had long been in the works between the couple.]
Yu Chongshan listened and nodded inwardly. His own family had already separated their lineage from the sixth branch and several other clan relatives. After the separation, the relationship between them naturally grew distant.
Sometimes, relatives are worse than strangers. Strangers might not necessarily covet your property, pressure you with grand moral arguments, and still expect you to be grateful for their supposed kindness.
Yue Fuguang, while cracking melon seeds, asked, "And then? What happened next? Did Jiang Yuanshan not go to recognize his biological father?"
[Originally, the child was raised to be the future heir of the Jiang family. At that time, Feng Xu only saw it as sleeping with a man and having a baby, not particularly concerned with who the child's biological father was.
Who would have thought that later she discovered her younger brother secretly communicating with the second prince of Western Qiang? She initially thought he was committing treason.
She secretly sought him out, reasoning with him and appealing to his emotions, urging him to cut ties with the other side.
Having no choice, Feng Xun could only tell his sister that Xi Ling was Tian Qingling's son, conceived that very day at the cold spring.
He was their Feng family's child. As for Xi Yan, Feng Xun had seen him from afar once and was shocked to realize that man was actually the one his sister brought back from outside to take the blame for her that day.]
"So Feng Xu learned her child's biological father was the current emperor of Western Qiang? She didn't develop ideas about having her son recognized, did she?"
[Master guessed correctly. After learning Xi Yan's identity, Feng Xu returned and discussed it with Jiang Qi. At this point, their opinions diverged.
Jiang Qi disagreed with Jiang Yuanshan recognizing his biological father. Xi Yan had over a dozen sons; he certainly didn't lack this one.
He would have no feelings for a son he never raised. Therefore, if Jiang Yuanshan returned, he would have no chance to compete for the throne anyway.
Feng Xu didn't see it that way. If her younger brother could support Xi Ling, then she and her husband could support Jiang Yuanshan.
Feng Xu even sought out Feng Xun, telling her brother that Xi Ling wasn't necessarily his son, hoping her brother would switch his support to her son instead.
The news soon reached Tian Qingling. It was only then that she learned the one who detoxified the Lust Snake poison for her wasn't Xi Yan, but Feng Xun.
For Xi Ling's sake, she didn't tell Feng Xun that she and Xi Yan had known each other from the start. Instead, she told him that when they woke up that day, they were lying together, and both assumed they had detoxified each other.
Therefore, Xi Yan always believed Xi Ling was his child. For the sake of their child, they must keep this secret and never let Xi Yan find out the truth.
Tian Qingling even suggested Feng Xun bring Jiang Qi into their alliance to jointly stop Feng Xu from taking Jiang Yuanshan to recognize Xi Yan as his father. Otherwise, their son Xi Ling's position would be in danger.]
"This Tian Qingling is no simple character either. So, did their plan succeed?"
[According to the original historical timeline, the current development point is where Feng Xu discovers Xi Yan's identity and wants her son to recognize him.
To prevent this, Tian Qingling returned to the Tian family and informed her father and brothers about Xi Ling. They would later become Xi Ling's support in Western Qiang.
Also, the Bai family of the Great Yan Dynasty—isn't the head of the family, Bai Yu's mother, a daughter of the Tian family? Through this connection, Bai Yu linked up with Xi Ling.
Bai Yu provided no small amount of financial resources, grain, and weaponry supplies to Xi Ling, helping him compete against the Western Qiang's eldest prince, who was supported by the Zhao family of Yizhou.]
Emperor Mingxi: He was just happily enjoying the gossip, how did this suddenly involve his Great Yan?
Bai Yu! And that Zhao family's Zhao Mingting! They truly deserve death! Eating the food of Great Yan while smashing Great Yan's bowl!
He calculated briefly; the people he sent out had already reached the four regions. The net was cast, just waiting for these individuals to jump into it in over ten days.
Regardless of how things originally were, now they would have no further chance to betray the country.
Emperor Mingxi downed the wine in his cup in one gulp, thinking bitterly that once anyone fell into his net, none would leave alive.
Having been called cowardly again today, he urgently needed an opportunity to prove himself—Xie Fei was no coward!
"After listening to your story for so long, you still haven't told me which of all these princes and princesses in the hall eventually becomes emperor."
By now, the warriors' performance had ended. The assassination program Yue Fuguang was anticipating did not materialize.
Because it was time for the Great Yan ministers to present their congratulatory gifts to Emperor Mingxi. All the princes and princesses currently in the capital had come.
