The emperor glanced at Wei Dongling, who was on the verge of collapse due to excessive blood loss, and said coldly to the crown prince, "To me, she's not an outsider."
The crown prince's lips were bleeding from the slaps given by Commander Fang. Hearing the emperor openly state in front of everyone that Wei Dongling was not an outsider, his face instantly contorted with rage. He roared, "Even if she's the daughter of Concubine Chen, she's just a princess. In Father's heart, is she more important than I, the crown prince?"
The daughter of Concubine Chen?
Both the emperor and Murong Xuan caught their breath.
Murong Xuan turned as pale as a sheet. He looked at the emperor, then at Wei Dongling. He felt completely disoriented.
If she was the daughter of Concubine Chen, didn't that mean they were cousins?
The emperor's heart skipped a beat. He cast a sidelong glance at Commander Fang beside him.
On the night of the Qixi Festival, the emperor, incognito at a banquet, was hunted down at the lantern fair. It was the lame Wei Dongling who stepped forward to save him. She led him into the lake to avoid the danger and then found herbs to stop his bleeding. At that time, Wei Dongling had no idea who he was. She had simply acted out of chivalry.
At first, the emperor only thought she resembled an old acquaintance. Later, after several encounters, he increasingly felt that Wei Dongling looked like the late Concubine Chen! Then, by some strange coincidence, she ended up beside Prime Minister Su. The emperor grew suspicious and secretly sent people to investigate, but the trail ended at Wei Jiang with no one left to testify.
He privately asked Lord Shen to inquire with Prime Minister Su about Wei Dongling's background. Prime Minister Su firmly claimed that Wei Dongling was the biological daughter of the former follower Wei Jiang.
The emperor felt a faint sense of regret and decided to drop the matter. Whether Wei Dongling was his daughter or not, her character was quite to his liking. The emperor even intended to adopt her as an adopted daughter and confer the title of county princess on her.
Hearing the crown prince's words, the emperor's heart tightened. He quickly looked up at Wei Dongling and asked softly, "Are you really the daughter of Concubine Chen?"
The crown prince looked stunned. His father didn't know? Then why did he say she wasn't an outsider? The crown prince trembled all over and wished he could slap himself. If his father was unaware, why did he blurt it out and cause them to recognize each other?
Wei Dongling was stunned by the question. She remembered how Grandpa Su and Uncle Li had deliberately concealed the truth. Initially, she had wanted to respect their wishes. Besides, as a time - traveler, she didn't really care about the blood - relation of the original body. Moreover, if she acknowledged her identity as the daughter of Concubine Chen, it might add another obstacle to her engagement with Yu Zixi.
These were the reasons she had avoided the matter before. But now, the situation was completely different. She had been hunted down all the way, and the persecution had been endless. Many uncles had been imprisoned to save her. She couldn't just stand still and let her loved ones get hurt.
Moreover, today, Yu Zixi's master, He Jingyao, had led people into the crown prince's mansion and killed many. The mansion soldiers, archers, and secret guards lying on the ground were bleeding profusely. The emperor would surely be vigilant and conduct a detailed investigation.
If people discovered that the remnants of the previous dynasty still had such amazing strength, what would happen to Yu Zixi and Cui Huan? Once confirmed, they would surely be sentenced to death after being captured!
Thinking of this, Wei Dongling sighed silently. It seemed there was no turning back now.
Wei Dongling raised her eyes and looked at the emperor. She put on a pitiable look, frowned, and shed tears without saying a word.
She was thin, and after being injured, her face was as pale as a sheet. Her haggard appearance made the emperor feel extremely sorry for her. He quickly comforted her, "Dongling, with me here, no one dares to hurt you. You can tell the truth."
Wei Dongling wept bitterly and sobbed, "At first, I only knew Lord Rong. I didn't expect you to be my father. Finally, I'm no longer an orphan without parents."
Hearing this, Murong Xuan staggered. He almost fell to the ground.
The emperor was overjoyed. He said in disbelief and delight, "You're really my daughter? Since I first saw you, I've been thinking that my daughter should be just like you! Gentle, kind, and chivalrous!"
Hearing this, the crown prince felt as if his heart had died.
Wei Dongling's tears fell one by one. She bowed and said, "My adoptive father, Wei Jiang, never married in his life. I've always known this clearly."
Wei Jiang never married? The emperor was overjoyed. There was a high chance that Wei Dongling was the daughter of Concubine Chen! That is to say, she was his daughter!
Wei Dongling dipped her finger in the blood from her wound and wrote on the stone table in the inner courtyard of the crown prince's mansion stroke by stroke.
It was her birth date!
The emperor watched her finish writing stroke by stroke. He silently checked the date in his mind. Unable to contain his excitement any longer, he called out tremulously, "Dongling, you're really my fifth princess!"
Wei Dongling supported herself on Ruan Niang's hand and knelt on both knees. She kowtowed respectfully and called out, "Father!"
The emperor helped her up. Thinking of how father and daughter had been separated for so many years and finally met but didn't recognize each other, he couldn't help but feel a flood of emotions. He replied, "Dongling! Father will take you back to the palace today. From now on, Father won't let anyone hurt you even a little bit."
The crown prince was so angry and anxious that his vision went black. He fainted on the spot.
Hearing this, Murong Xuan was heart - broken. He had finally met a woman he admired so much, but she turned out to be his cousin? What a cruel twist of fate!
The emperor noticed that Wei Dongling's wound hadn't been properly treated yet. He glared angrily at Commander Fang and said, "Why hasn't the imperial physician come yet?"
Ruan Niang felt wronged. If the emperor hadn't suddenly come, she would have already stopped the bleeding, sutured, and bandaged Wei Dongling's wound!
Commander Fang wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and said gravely, "Your Majesty, please calm down. The imperial physician is on the way."
The emperor paced restlessly. From time to time, he would turn back to check on Wei Dongling's injury and sighed repeatedly.
Wei Dongling said softly, "Father Emperor, don't worry. Ruan Niang is a good doctor. I'm fine."
Only then did the emperor notice that all the medical instruments were at Ruan Niang's hand. He quickly waved for her to start the treatment and took Commander Fang to check on the crown prince.
The fainted crown prince was revived by having his philtrum pinched. He was supported and taken away to rest.
The imperial guards were cleaning up the dead and injured mansion soldiers and secret guards in the inner courtyard of the crown prince's mansion. The emperor was shocked. He asked Murong Xuan, "There are so many soldiers in the crown prince's mansion? And who killed them so neatly?"
Murong Xuan's resentful gaze finally shifted from Wei Dongling. He reported, "Your Imperial Uncle! It was... it was the family members of the fifth princess from the common people who came to rescue her."
"Family members?" The emperor remembered that Li Lang beside Old Su was extremely skilled in martial arts. In his youth, he was well - known and was said to be invincible in the capital. Could it be that Li Lang, out of his eagerness to protect his daughter, had come to provoke trouble and caused the death of more than a hundred people in the crown prince's mansion today?
Wei Dongling was startled. She quickly called out, "Father Emperor! It was Uncle Li Lang who came to save me today! When Uncle Li was exiled to the northern frontier, he met many heroes there. Now they've all returned to the capital. Thanks to their protection all the way, I've managed to escape danger many times in Xingshan and Hanzhong!"