Chapter 951 The Crafty Grand Prince Didn’t Recognize Qin Yuru!
The old Grand Prince arrived soon.
As the director of the Imperial Clan, who was in charge of some miscellaneous affairs about the royal family instead of taking responsibility for the national issues, he rarely went to the imperial court. He just went to the first meeting of each month.
He didn’t often come to meet the Emperor unless something important happened. Basically, he had an idle but n.o.ble job which, however, would be beneficial to him at a certain time!
“Your Majesty!” Grand Prince stepped forward and bowed to the Emperor.
“Uncle Chu, stand up, please!” The Emperor helped him up in person and granted him a seat.
However, Grand Prince refused to stand up. He kowtowed to the Emperor three times and said with tears in his eyes, “I’m guilty, Your Majesty!”
“Stand up first, Uncle Chu!” the Emperor said gently.
“Your Majesty, I feel ashamed! I don’t live up to my reputation as the director of the Imperial Clan for having such an unfilial son who disobeyed the family rules...” Grand Prince couldn’t continue. With tears streaming down his old face, he looked exactly as regretful and resentful as Qin Huaiyong did just now.
Chu Liuchen tilted his head and looked at him with interest.
“Quite smart! He knows to play this trick right off the bat! What he did just now is more pleasant to the Emperor than a direct denial.”
Sure enough, the Emperor’s face turned more friendly now. He asked a young eunuch to help Grand Prince sit down and then asked amiably, “Uncle Chu, seriously, what is going on?”
“Your Majesty, my fourth son is always s.h.i.+ftless! Since he is not the Heir of Grand Prince who has to be the mainstay of our family in the future, I never stopped him from indulging himself, taking it as raising the black sheep. However, I didn’t expect him to fool around with different women and have b.a.s.t.a.r.ds one after another! I don’t know whether they are his biological children or not! My family disgraces you, Your Majesty!”
Grand Prince sat down and wiped away his tears, looking ashamed.
According to his words, apparently, he was trying to minimize the matter as a domestic affair of his family and hint that he didn’t accept Qin Yuru!
What a crafty trick! He particularly emphasized that Fourth Master Chu always had a messy private life and once caused similar trouble. With such a precedent, he led people to doubt whether Qin Yuru was the daughter of his fourth son.
Chu Liuchen narrowed his eyes slightly, picked up the teacup lazily, took a sip, and continued to listen.
“What do you mean by saying that, Grand Prince? Don’t you recognize your granddaughter?” Qin Huaiyong was furious with Grand Prince’s words. He made it clear in front of the Emperor just before Grand Prince denied it. It seemed like he had intended to deceive the Emperor!
“Ningyuan Army General, I’m really sorry about this. But I asked my fourth son, who told me that he was not sure whether she was his daughter or not. At that time, the affair between them was... Anyway, it is all my stupid son’s fault. I will agree if His Majesty wants to compensate Ningyuan Army General by killing him. That black sheep has always embarra.s.sed me, anyway!”
On finis.h.i.+ng his words, Grand Prince cried with grievances.
It was reasonable that he, as a father, was so furious that he would say such words when his son made no progress and provoked such an affair. Nevertheless, it wasn’t acceptable anymore when it came to other people. If Chu Huairan was sentenced to death because of such a thing, what would people think of the Emperor?
There were lots of s.h.i.+ftless descendants from the royal family like Chu Huairan. How could the Emperor kill him for such a thing? If he did, it would be going too far!
Qin Huaiyong flew in a rage with a pale face. “Your Majesty, please uphold justice for me!”
He kowtowed heavily.
“That girl from Duke Yong’s Mansion...” The Emperor frowned and didn’t know how to address Qin Yuru. He could only ask vaguely, “Is she really not your biological granddaughter?”
“I don’t know. Even my foolish son can’t be sure!” Tears streamed down Grand Prince’s face again.
No outsider was allowed to insinuate themselves into the royal family! How could others decide whether one person was of n.o.ble blood or not?
“My fourth son indeed had an affair with Madam Di, Your Majesty! But neither Madam Di herself nor Duke Yong’s Mansion had ever told us that she was pregnant. After Madam Di got married, my stupid son almost forgot the relations.h.i.+p. So... I don’t know how to deal with it either! Your Majesty, I can accept it if you want me to recognize her. It won’t be troublesome for me to raise one more person in my mansion!”
Grand Prince kicked it to the Emperor.
Since Madam Di had died, no one could deny Chu Huairan’s statement that Qin Yuru was not his daughter. Chu Liuchen was not surprised by this result. “The old Grand Prince seems useless, but he is actually very shrewd. Otherwise, he would not have defeated other royal members and taken the position as the director of the Imperial Clan.”
“Your Majesty, please uphold justice for me!” Qin Huaiyong interrupted in anger again.
“Your Majesty, you make the decision!” Grand Prince showed a frustrated face and said, pus.h.i.+ng all the trouble to the Emperor.
“Your Majesty, Grand Prince failed to educate himself and his son. Please reprimand him! In addition, his granddaughter Qin Yuru burned Madam Di to death. Your Majesty, please punish that vicious woman!” Qin Huaiyong brought out everything.
“What... what? She... she burned her biological mother to death!?” Grand Prince became panicked and knelt beside his chair. “Your Majesty, I don’t dare to accept such a vicious woman who even killed her mother! It might be someone’s plot! My fourth son is not necessarily her father... Even he is, he... he might be killed as well! Even my whole family...”
Grand Prince became more panicked as he spoke, with his face turning pale.
It was hard to tell whether Chu Huairan was Qin Yuru’s biological father, but it was certain that Madam Di was her biological mother. After Grand Prince heard that Qin Yuru killed Madam Di who had raised her, it was hard for him to believe that she would be nice to Chu Huairan, a father who had never raised her! “Maybe she will kill everyone in Grand Prince’s Mansion!”
Of course, it also meant that he knew nothing about Qin Yuru.
“You...” Grand Prince’s pretentious performance infuriated Qin Huaiyong. “Grand Prince should feel guilty for that, but now it looks like I should say sorry to him!”
“Ningyuan Army General said that First Miss Qin once visited you, Grand Prince. Could you tell us what she said to you?” Chu Liuchen asked lazily.
His soft and gentle voice soothed the tense atmosphere in the Imperial Study.
“She just came to show me the tokens my fourth son had given to Madam Di. They were indeed from him. At that time, my son was young and silly... I took the tokens and showed them to my son and asked him about them, and he admitted those were what he gave to Madam Di. But he didn’t know if First Miss Qin was his bones and blood, so I asked her to leave first. I wanted to report it to you and ask for your suggestions, Your Majesty. But I didn’t expect First Miss Qin to burn her biological mother to death. Your Majesty, I... I don’t dare to accept her...”
The old Grand Prince had tears and snot on his face, looking extremely pitiful.
He was hinting that he wouldn’t recognize Qin Yuru no matter whether she was his granddaughter or not. His complaint sounded as if Qin Yuru would poison all the people in his mansion if he recognized her.
“Ningyuan Army General, my fourth son should take the blame anyway. But Madam Di had not married you yet when they met, and she didn’t mention that she was engaged either. Later, after they did the wrong thing, they separated and lost touch. He didn’t dare to accept a daughter who just suddenly appeared!”
Grand Prince turned to speak to Qin Huaiyong with a guilty and sad face.
“Your Majesty, Madam Di said in person that Qin Yuru was not my daughter!” Qin Huaiyong gnashed his teeth in anger. He really wanted to beat that pretentious Grand Prince.
“It is hard to tell only based on a servant girl’s testimony. I heard that Madam Di is living a terrible life in Ningyuan Army General’s Mansion!” argued Grand Prince.
“Why not let Qin Yuru say something?” Qin Huaiyong said sharply.
“Of course, First Miss Qin will say that she is from the Chu family. I heard that First Miss Qin was always a vain person. She refused the previous engagement to marry into Duke Yong’s Mansion before. How could she care about General’s Mansion after knowing that she might be a royal family member?”
Grand Prince wiped away the tears on his face, looking extremely pitiful.
Obviously, he wouldn’t recognize Qin Yuru, whether Qin Yuru was his son’s daughter or not. Previously, he thought Qin Yuru was beneficial for him. But after Qin Huaiyong said everything, he didn’t want to recognize such a notorious granddaughter anymore. “After all, I have many granddaughters!”
“Uncle the Emperor, Old Madam of Duke Yong’s Mansion knows about this, doesn’t she?” Chu Liuchen said lightly with sarcasm in his eyes.
One refused to recognize Qin Yuru while the other refused to take her as a daughter. It had pictured what would happen to Qin Yuru.
“Summon Old Madam of Duke Yong’s Mansion!” The Emperor nodded and felt that it was the only way.
“Uncle the Emperor, I’m going to see Imperial Grandmother!” said Chu Liuchen, who stood up and glanced at the two-kneeling people in dispute.
“Okay!” The Emperor nodded. The matter really gave him a headache, but he had to deal with it. No matter who would take Qin Yuru as a daughter, she could not escape the charge of murdering Madam Di. “Such a vicious woman will disgrace whichever mansion that takes her.”
That was also the most important reason why no one wanted to recognize her!
“No, Your Majesty! Old Madam of Duke Yong’s Mansion will definitely stand on the side of General Qin...” Grand Prince was a little fl.u.s.tered. He really didn’t want to recognize Qin Yuru.
“Grand Prince, Uncle the Emperor decides everything. You’d better listen to him!” said Chu Liuchen, who glanced at Grand Prince as he walked out.
Grand Prince was choked and couldn’t speak for a moment. He had said before that the Emperor could decide it. His objection would inevitably make the Emperor unhappy.
As his eyes fell on Chu Liuchen walking out of the door, Grand Prince felt shocked in his heart. “I have underestimated Prince Chen before!”
“Master, Prince Yue entered the Palace!” Xiao Xuanzi reported in a low voice as he walked to the side of Chu Liuchen, who came out of the Imperial Study.
“Where has he gone?” Chu Liuchen flicked his sleeves and asked gently.
“The direction you have guessed, Master. Are you going to have a look?” Xiao Xuanzi lowered his voice.
“No! Leave him alone first,” Chu Liuchen smiled slightly and raised his beautiful eyes to look in that direction. Then he turned around and left for the Palace of Benevolent Peace. “Good! Chu Liuyue came!”