vChapter 1118 - There Are Only Unfilial Children
Chapter 1118 There Are Only Unfilial Children
At this moment, the Emperor was hugging that puppy which was only four months old and playing with it. When he heard this news, his hand shook and the puppy fell to the floor from his hands, after crying out unhappily, it went away using its short legs.
The old Emperor spread out his ten fingers and held them out in front of him, staring at them for half a beat, then finally spoke: “All ten fingers are connected to the heart!” After saying this, he asked Zhang Yuan: “Say, has Our heart grown softer as We aged? Old Eighth harmed Us like this, but after hearing that he is dead, Or heart still feels pained.”
Zhang Yuan sat opposite him, crossing his legs, speaking earnestly: “This is not being soft-hearted, this is a normal human emotion. Just like what you said, all ten fingers are connected to the heart! That is still your son formed from your blood, how can your heart not feel pained at this. You do not leave the imperial palace that much and do not know what it is like outside. This Servant will tell you, for those impoverished citizens outside, no matter how poor they are, even if there is only enough to feed one person, they will also leave the food to their children, even if they would freeze to death or starve to death, they will make sure the children will live. This is the way of the world, there are occurrences of children not being filial to their parents, but there are no occurrences of parents and grandparents who would not raise their children or grandchildren. Thinking of it like this, you can feel relief with regards to the matter with the Eighth Prince.”
“It is not completely like what you said as well.” The Emperor rebutted him, “Look at that Feng Jinyuan in the past, he hated that he could not strangle Ah-Heng to death, isn’t that a father who would not raise his children!”
“But it was said that during his final days, he also came to realise his errors.” Zhang Yuan heard of Feng Jinyuan’s final days in the southern border and told them to the Emperor, the two of them feeling emotional.
The Emperor said: “Actually, thinking about it sometimes, Feng Jinyuan is a little cruel, but it was to protect the interests of the Feng family as a whole. Just like when We were young, there’s no need for it to be that much younger, even just 10 years back, if this incident occurred to Us 10 years ago, We can flatten all obstacles for the Ming-er’s sake, even if they are my children, for Ming-er, for Pianpian, for the might of Da Shun, We will be willing to take action. But during these two years, what happened to Us?
“This is the kinship through blood.” Zhang Yuan analysed for him, “This shows that Your Majesty has feelings and emotions and is not cold blooded. This also shows that Her Highness Imperial Concubine Yun and His Highness the Ninth Prince are people who can see the big picture, if not, just based on the massive favour bestowed on Her Highness Imperial Concubine Yun, if she did not choose to stay at Winter Moon Palace alone and wanted to fight for power with all the concubines and noble ladies in the harem, she might have already sat on the Empress’ seat today. But she did not take action against any of Her Highnesses. His Highness the Ninth Prince had a strange personality when he was younger, but he only lashed out towards the Third Prince and Eighth Prince, he still treated others rather well.”
The Emperor nodded, praising his beloved woman and son, he was always willing to hear such words. But after listening to these, he could not help but ask for more information: “Is Pianpian still in the capital?”
Zhang Yuan said: “She’s still staying at Chun Palace! His Highness the Seventh Prince just told This Servant. His Highness the Seventh Prince said, if Your Majesty asks about this, then answer like this, and then ask Your Majesty not to worry, Her Highness is doing well in Chun Palace.”
The Emperor was stunned, “Why didn’t she leave? Haven’t We allowed her to leave? In the past, she wanted to leave this place so much, she is free now, why is she not leaving now?”
Zhang Yuan asked in return: “Where should Her Highness go?”
“Go……” The old Emperor was at a loss of words. That’s right! Go where? The mountain village was destroyed long ago, being locked in the imperial palace for more than 20 years, other than her two son’s palaces outside the imperial palace, where else could be Yun Pianpian’s home? Even if she obtained freedom, where could she go?
Once he thought to this point, the old Emperor’s nose prickled, he hated himself a little: “We are to blame, We are to blame! We are at fault 20 years ago, and now, it is still Our fault! At that beginning, We hid our identity and tricked her, and after she entered the imperial palace, I thought of ways to prevent her from leaving. Xiao Yuan Zhi, Say, is Our whole life a mistake? In the end, We are unable to protect Our beloved son, and also disappointed the woman We loved the most, for Us to continue living on, what is the purpose of doing so?”
Once he heard that the old Emperor had thoughts of not being able to live on again, Zhang Yuan rolled his eyes and said: “Princess Yu said this before, dying is the action of a coward, to say something rude, you do not have to care about anything after that, but how about the people who are still alive? If you do not think of ways to redeem those mistakes while you are still alive and only think of ways to use death as a way of release, isn’t that too selfish?”
The Emperor was dazed for a while, then mumbled: “Ah-Heng said this? Yeah, only that girl can say such words! Old Ninth is really fortunate. Forget it, since it is said like this, then We will live, live as a way of redeeming Our sins, since everyone is having a bad time, then We will accompany her in having a bad time.” After saying this, he sighed deeply, “Pianpian does not have a home, and did We ever have a home? This imperial palace is only considered a place to live in, how can it be considered a home. The meaning of a home is husband and wife living in harmony while being surrounded by children. Unfortunately, inside the imperial palace, such days will never exist in the imperial palace.”
At Yu Palace, Feng Yuheng was sitting at her own courtyard and playing with Xiao Bao. That child had been frightened when he was imprisoned by the people of Zong Sui, but his physical condition was considered good, eating and drinking as he should and he did not receive too much physical harm. But having returned now, he was a little unhappy, just as Feng Yuheng held out a lollipop for him to eat, he asked Feng Yuheng in his toddler voice: “Where is my older sister? When can Xiao Bao return to Older Sister’s side?”
Without waiting for Feng Yuheng to speak, Huang Quan could not help but speak from the side: “Your older sister treated you this badly, why do you still want to go back to her?” Currently, Xiao Bao was not as dark as when he was younger and he had developed a lot, white and chubby, he was very cute, looking completely different when compared to before. Even Huang Quan who did not like him before seemed to not mind him that much, occasionally playing with him.
Xiao Bao looked up and Huang Quan, his small mouth scrunched up: “How do you know Older Sister treats me badly?”
“Of course I know!” Huang Quan squatted down, squeezed Xiao Bao’s face and asked: “Does she hit you often? And also scolds you? I have heard about all of this, your older sister did not worry about you as much as the Fifth Prince, you were lost for so many days, the one who was searching for you outside was only the Fifth Prince, your older sister did not do anything at all!”
Xiao Bao was unhappy hearing this, he actually stretched out his arms and pushed Huang Quan forcefully. Of course, he could not push Huang Quan back, not only could he not push her back, the impact of this contact caused him to back up two steps, then he sat down on the ground with a plunk and cried “Uu! Uu! You are a bad person, you cannot talk about my older sister like that, Xiao Bao likes older sister, even if Xiao Bao gets hit, Xiao Bao wants to be with older sister. Uuuu!”
Feng Yuheng could not watch and quickly approached, holding up the child and pulling him into her embrace. Xiao Bao was rather close to Feng Yuheng, wrapping his arms around her neck and was not willing to let go, but he did speak rather energetically: “Help me find my older sister! Xiao Bao wants to look for my older sister!”
Feng Yuheng placated him while chiding Huang Quan: “Why are you saying such things to a child? What would he know?”
Huang Quan said with a smile: “This Servant is only worried that this child would be raised badly by Feng Fendai! With Feng Fendai’s temperament, if this child keeps growing up around her, it will be unknown how he will be like in the future, he might even become another Feng Zihao!”
“That is this child’s fate!” Feng Yuheng said, “If he really becomes like Feng Zihao, that means that the Feng family’s genes are in his bones, it would be the same regardless of who raises him.” She spoke as she looked at Xiao Bao in her arms, and after looking for a while, she could not help but frown, asking Huang Quan again: “Don’t you think this child looks much better, maybe even too much, compared to when he was young? Not only is his skin fair now, even his brows, eyes and features have changed.”
Huang Quan nodded, “I know right! This Servant wanted to tell Young Miss, could it be that Feng Fendai switched the child? Was this still Xiao Bao in the past?”
“He wasn’t switched.” Feng Yuheng said: “No mater how much he changed, the base is still there, I would not make a mistake in identifying him. It is said that the appearance of children can change every day, his father in the past was a little dark, but talking about his features, they are rather good. Else, how can he be a theatre actor? Have you ever seen an ugly theatre actor?”
“That is true.” Huang Quan said: “With Young Miss saying this, This Servant also remembered, that actor is handsome, it was just that his skin is dark and after he removed his oil paints, people are not willing to take a few more looks. This child looking better and better as he ages, he is taking after that actor. As for him growing fairer, he probably took after Han Shi?”
“Possibly.” Feng Yuheng handed Xiao Bao over to a granny in the courtyard to coax him to sleep, instructing her: “When Wang Chuan brings the snacks over, let Xiao Bao eat some then coax him to sleep, else he will wake up quickly from hunger.” Seeing the granny carry Xiao Bao away, this was when she told Huang Quan: “Go to the front courtyard and take a look! If my estimates are not wrong, Feng Fendai will come soon to ask for him.”
“You’re going to hand him over to her so easily?” Huang Quan was a little unhappy, “She was the culprit who harmed Third Miss!”
“If not that, then what?” Feng Yuheng asked in response: “Forcefully keep the child? Then we will raise him?” She shook her head as she spoke, “You also saw how close Xiao Bao is to Feng Fendai, even if Feng Fendai hit him, he also wants to follow his older sister. That is blood kinship and cannot be cut. Go! Welcome her in if she comes, as for the matter with Xiangrong, the debt to pay has already been cleared with Yu Qianyin. With regards to Feng Fendai, there is no point in bringing it up again.”
Feng Yuheng’s estimate was accurate, when Huang Quan went out, Feng Fendai came after a short while. Leading her into the small courtyard, Huang Quan stood behind Feng Yuheng with a cold expression, glaring at Feng Fendai for a long while, only going to brew tea when Feng Yuheng instructed her to do so. However, the tea that was brewed came in one hot and one cold cup, the cold cup was naturally given to Feng Fendai, and it was put down with some force in a rude away, expressing her unhappiness.
Feng Fendai did not feel that it was strange, she was already used to the attitude from Feng Yuheng’s side, not to mention that she also made mental preparations beforehand when she came. She kept warning herself, she came to take Xiao Bao back and did not come to quarrel and cause trouble. Therefore she smiled at Feng Yuheng calmly, calling out: “Second Sister.”
Feng Yuheng did not show much expression on her face, and only said this sentence after hearing Fendai address her: “That is too much.” Then she asked proactively: “For Feng Fourth Miss to come to Yu Palace, what business do you have?”
The words were so distant that Feng Fendai was rather stunned, but she immediately understood, Feng Yuheng was drawing a clear line with her! She did not deserve to be Princess Yu’s younger sister, in the eyes of this Second Sister, she only had one younger sister, that would be Feng Xiangrong, not her.
Feng Fendai smiled in a self-mocking manner, immediately changing her tone: “Princess Yu, This Commoner was too rude.”