Fall In Love With A Substitute – The Princess’s Beloved Wife, Chapter 63
“She’s a little monkey, Little Princess, don’t take it to heart. If you’re angry, let her apologize to you.”
Song Yingguang, with a faintly discernible red mark on her forehead, shook her head hurriedly:
“No need… no need for apologies.”
Although she was young, she understood that these were guests of her elder brother and sister-in-law, so apologies were absolutely not necessary, especially since she wasn’t hurt just now.
Feeling nervous in front of strangers, she subconsciously looked towards her sister-in-law.
“The Princess’s name is Yingguang.” Feng Yuexian turned to Song Yingguang and said, “This is the Queen of Li, and the Princess of Chu Ning, called Song Ruyan— you can call her Elder Sister.”
According to reason, the daughters of the princes should address each other as cousins. But Song Ruyan, as the Princess of Chu Ning, had a special status, so they followed the relationship from Feng Yuexian’s side and addressed each other as sisters.
Ruyan…
Song Yingguang carefully thought about the two words, which were taught to her by her mother, “Green trees enveloped in mist like the evening waves”?
Perhaps her contemplative expression was too conspicuous. Song Ruyan personally explained, raising her eyebrows proudly:
“It’s ‘as fierce as a wolf, and smoke rising like a fire.'”
“…” The Queen’s smile froze for a moment, almost unable to maintain it.
Song Yingguang had never heard the latter part of that phrase, but she couldn’t help feeling that being both a wolf and smoke sounded quite fierce.
She nodded vaguely in understanding, feeling even more obedient in the face of this fierceness:
“I understand, Sister.”
Song Ruyan nodded in satisfaction, then smiled again:
“Younger Sister.”
Song Pianxian in the seat couldn’t help but smile along.
Song Ruyan was vibrant and playful, truly a very bright color.
“Go and bring the Crown Prince and the Second Prince back to meet the Princess.” Below the dais, the Queen of Li gave Song Ruyan a discreet glare, then instructed the maidservant to go to the garden to find the two sons.
“No hurry, Yingguang will stay here for half a day.” Song Pianxian said gently, “You and Yuexian haven’t seen each other for a long time, it’s best to have a good chat.”
She stood up. “How’s Yingguang’s calligraphy? Let the Crown Prince take a look for you.”
With that, she took Song Yingguang to the study room, thoughtfully leaving the main hall to the two sisters.
One reason why Song Pianxian invited the Queen of Li, Jin Lingzhi, to the palace this time was to give Feng Yuexian face—
If she had to leave the palace to meet her relatives, it would seem like she was too restricted in the Eastern Palace and had no say, and Jin Lingzhi wouldn’t feel reassured seeing her like this.
In addition, before the banquet, you can also take a look at the Queen’s several children.
The Emperor’s brothers who survived were not many, apart from him and King Chu, there were three other brothers.
Those who survived were either smart people who were not interested in the throne and were not worth harming, like the King of the Northwest, Song Xian.
Or, they were fools who posed no threat and weren’t worth harming, like the King of Jin, Song An, and the father of Song Ziyi, the King of Xin, Song Zhe.
The title “King of the Northwest” was just a name. Song Xian’s actual title was the Queen’s King. Because this title didn’t match his personality at all and was not in line with the bold and fierce nature of the northwest region, everyone started calling him the King of the Northwest.
The King’s Queen was Jin Lingzhi, Feng Yuexian’s cousin.
The families in the capital were large, and Jin Lingzhi was only a generation apart from Feng Yuexian, but the age difference was less than ten years. When Feng Yuexian was older, she was already married. But her husband had a bad character and caused a lot of trouble. Her husband’s family also tried to control Jin Lingzhi, which was extremely embarrassing.
Jin Lingzhi was fierce and refused to be wronged. She divorced her husband and, with the support of the General’s Mansion, took Song Ruyan out— at that time, Song Ruyan was still a baby and had not yet been given a formal name.
After the divorce, by chance, Jin Lingzhi lived in the General’s Mansion for two or three years and had an excellent relationship with Feng Yuexian.
Later, somehow, she caught the eye of the King. At that time, the King was already in his thirties, and he had a wife before, who unfortunately passed away, so he didn’t remarry. Seven or eight years later, he married Jin Lingzhi, causing quite a stir in the capital.
Although the King was a widower, she couldn’t resist his high status, good looks, and the quietness of the backyard. He appeared to be a man still mourning his deceased wife, which was much better than those flashy and fickle men, and became the dream of many women.
Unexpectedly, he married Jin Lingzhi as his legitimate wife in the blink of an eye.
It was heard that during that time, Jin Lingzhi’s ex-husband, who had once shouted, “Jin Lingzhi left me, taking the third wheel with her, she’ll be a widow hated by everyone for the rest of her life,” had a face that was always blue, and he was laughed at everywhere he went.
Later, when the King took Jin Lingzhi and Song Ruyan to the northwest, he finally breathed a sigh of relief and dared to go out.
The King was generous and treated Song Ruyan as his own. He arranged for her to enter the Royal Family register, bestowed her with the title of princess, and even after having a son, he never changed his attitude towards her, truly treating her as his own daughter.
After Song Pianxian helped Song Yingguang with her handwriting, she arranged new characters for her to practice. When she saw Song Ruyan coming over, she seemed impatient to listen to the elders’ conversation, so she came to see if there was anything fun.
When she arrived, she went to play with Song Yingguang. The two of them huddled together, whispering, and no one knew what they were talking about.
Song Pianxian didn’t disturb them. Girls have many secrets and awkward topics, and it’s better for adults not to freely express their opinions, which could shatter the children’s whimsical thoughts.
Looking at this scene, she felt a bit of warmth.
She didn’t think much more and pretended to rest with her eyes closed on the chaise lounge by the window, asking 09, “Has the data been collected?”
“It has all been successfully collected and submitted to the system for analysis. The results will be out soon,” replied to Song Pianxian.
As for who would take over the world in the future, she had no way to determine it. After all, human nature is strong yet fragile, and change is easy, especially since Song Pianxian never arrogantly believed that her judgment of people was flawless.
Therefore, she chose to use the assistance of 09’s functions.
Through data analysis and deduction, she decided who would inherit Dali in the future.
First, Song Pianxian ruled out Song Ziyi, leaving only the Kings of Jin and Li. If neither of them was suitable, she would consider the more distant branches of the family.
Initially, Feng Yuexian had avoided Jin Lingzhi’s offspring to avoid suspicion, but Song Pianxian wouldn’t do that.
It’s better to scrutinize one’s own people first before considering others. Moreover, considering the intelligence of the three fathers, the chance of getting good offspring was greater, as family education still had a significant impact on children.
As Song Pianxian contemplated, suddenly, a gentle warmth covered her legs, like a blanket, soft and cozy.
“Sister, what are you doing—” from afar, in the direction of the desk, came the youthful voice of Song Yingguang.
“Shh!” The voice was close, right beside her, with a suppressed tone, “Your brother is asleep, and I’m afraid he’ll get sick again.”
Song Pianxian felt comforted but also a little helpless.
It seems that her image of vulnerability has deeply ingrained itself in people’s minds, even a girl of around ten years old now responsibly takes care of herself.
However, she didn’t expect Song Ruyan to have both rough and delicate qualities.
Just as this thought crossed Song Pianxian’s mind, she heard from 09:
“The results are out, host. Among the three, two have reached the emperor’s threshold.”
“Among them, the one with the highest probability of becoming a wise monarch is Song Ruyan.”
King Chu entered the capital, just a day later than the King of the Northwest.
As soon as he entered the palace, he sent in his letter of attendance. Needless to say, the Emperor immediately summoned him to catch up.
Seeing the Emperor, although the illness had left some aftermath, the Emperor was still in good health due to the care of the imperial physicians. Especially after seeing King Chu, his heart was filled with joy, and he looked even more radiant.
In the eyes of King Chu, it was urgent, like a fire.
Why hasn’t this old guy died yet?
Especially when the Emperor kept talking about the Crown Prince, praising his abilities and filial piety, with a face full of “look at how capable my son is”, it made King Chu feel like he had a fishbone stuck in his throat, uncomfortable all over, yet he had to smile and praise along.
Finally, the Emperor stopped talking, cleared his throat, and pondered, “Hmm… I sent someone to check earlier. Did the divine physician who healed Feng Yong return to Jiangnan?”
King Chu lowered his head, concealing the satisfaction in his eyes.
How could he keep a divine physician to save the Crown Prince’s life?
Returned to Jiangnan?
He’s buried in Jiangnan.
“This… Brother hasn’t paid attention to this matter. I think the people sent by Brother must have made no mistake.”
“Previously, when I was ill, I didn’t find him.” The younger brother looked old and decrepit as he said, “The Crown Prince’s health has always been a concern. Since your fief is nearby, search more and have someone bring him here.”
This old guy, now he knows how to play this game. That divine physician has been lying underground for three or five years.
If it weren’t for his grudge against Feng Yong in the past, being exploited by him, he would have sent him to see those sick pots when the divine physician was in the capital.
At this moment, the Emperor suddenly let go of his grudge. King Chu felt the irony, and also sensed that this meant that the Feng Family’s weight in the Emperor’s heart had increased significantly.
Was it because Feng Yuexian willingly married? Or was it because the Feng Family had previously merited saving the Emperor?
As King Chu contemplated this, his face was filled with eagerness: “Brother, I will write a letter now, instructing the people in the mansion to find a physician for the Crown Prince.”
The younger brother was very receptive to this, expressing satisfaction: “You’re concerned, so it’s naturally good.”
The Emperor asked again, “Do you still have a son under your knee?”
“Yes.”
Bringing up this matter, King Chu also felt regretful. He didn’t know if it was because of his wicked deeds or if his fate with offspring was shallow. He had married a main wife early on, as well as a concubine and several mistresses in his harem, yet none of them bore him a child, except for the main wife, who had given birth to a lone son.
In contrast, the Emperor’s harem had produced two children for him.
Thinking of this, King Chu felt triumphant. When he looked at the Emperor in front of him, he felt particularly pleased.
Just as his spirits were soaring, in the next moment, he heard the Emperor say:
“It’s a pity, the Crown Prince wants to adopt a clever child as his heir to inherit the family line. Originally, your family was the most suitable, but we can’t deprive you of your future heir, haha.”
“…”
King Chu felt resentful in his heart but had to keep smiling. His forced smile was even uglier than crying.
After leaving the Imperial Resting Hall and walking to a deserted place, King Chu’s face suddenly darkened.
The Crown Prince wants to adopt a grandson?
That’s understandable, his body can’t produce anymore.
King Chu pondered for a moment.
With Song Duan around, from the perspective of kinship, this imperial throne might not necessarily belong to this so-called grandson. Moreover, even if the identity of the Crown Prince’s heir was determined, as long as he got his hands on it, it’s possible that he might die earlier than the Crown Prince.
“Sir, do you want to go see the Third Prince?” the subordinate asked quietly.
Normally, when entering the palace, King Chu would always find an excuse to visit the Third Prince and bring him unusual toys, so father and son could meet.
This time, King Chu furrowed his brows. Hearing that Song Duan was once again restricted, it seemed his character wasn’t good.
But Song Yingguang was said to be very obedient, and her handwriting was not bad. It seemed that He Qiuchan was good at teaching children.
Thinking about the impression left by Song Duan’s mother at the Emperor’s, “Then don’t see him, let Xuancao properly restrain him. It’s just a little excitement, don’t cause too much trouble, so the Emperor won’t find out.”
The subordinate’s voice became even quieter: “Then… what about Lady Xi?”
King Chu’s gaze swept over like a sharp blade.
The subordinate lowered his head.
“She’s just a discarded piece. There’s no need to ask again. After you return, take the punishment yourself.”
“Yes.”
King Chu’s affairs in the palace were naturally known to the Eastern Palace.
The conversations in the Imperial Resting Hall could never be hidden from Feng Yuexian. When she heard that the Emperor had also asked about the secluded divine physician in Jiangnan, Feng Yuexian recalled this matter.
She had sent people to Jiangnan to search repeatedly but had not found such a person. Someone like the divine physician Xue, who helped people without asking for reasons, would not abandon his medical skills without cause, and would rarely show himself.
The major medical halls, even the villages, were searched, but this person was not found. Jiangnan is different from other places, there are not even a few hills. If he is not truly a celestial being, he is likely to have less luck and more misfortune.
Feng Yuexian’s face sank.
Previously, she wrote a letter to Jin Lingzhi, asking for help in finding a famous doctor in the northwest.
During their last meeting, she asked Jin Lingzhi, who said that she had brought the famous doctor into the capital and was settling him in the front courtyard of the Prince Li’s Mansion.
It was inconvenient for outsiders to enter the palace, and the Crown Prince’s move to seek medical treatment was also easy to attract attention from all sides, stirring people’s hearts, and even causing various troubles. It’s better to leave the palace to meet.
Having made up her mind, Feng Yuexian was going to find Song Pianxian to discuss leaving the palace.
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Translator: Glariosa
Editor: Ruu
