Xin Zizhao never expected to meet this person here.
"Prince Eleven pays his respects to Your Majesty. May Your Majesty live long and reign forever!"
"Rise, Prince Eleven!" Xin Zizhao found the voice very familiar. When the young man he called Prince Eleven raised his head, shock was written all over his face.
It turned out that this Prince Eleven was none other than Sima Yongheng, the very person he and Wei Shuxuan had been searching for in Baolan Town! They had been looking for him in Baolan Town in vain. Who would have thought that Sima Yongheng had returned to the palace to claim his royal lineage.
Xin Zizhao had no doubt that Sima Yongheng was his half - brother. When Wei Shuxuan first brought Sima Yongheng before him, he had noticed that the young man bore a faint resemblance to himself. No wonder Wei Shuxuan had thought Sima Yongheng looked like him. It turned out they were truly blood - related brothers.
Xin Zizhao sized up Sima Yongheng. Dressed in a brand - new and exquisitely made robe, and with his handsome looks, he resembled Xin Zizhao even more. However, Xin Zizhao felt that there was something off about Sima Yongheng's eyes. Before his disappearance, his eyes had been full of innocence and romance, but now they seemed hollow, as if he were a walking corpse.
"Cough, cough. Yelin, it's time for you to announce the official start of the enfeoffment ceremony," the retired emperor sitting to the side reminded Xin Zizhao, seeing that he had been staring blankly at Prince Eleven.
"I understand, Father," Xin Zizhao waved to Gaozi, who was standing beside him. Gaozi immediately understood his meaning and stepped forward. "I now announce the official start of the enfeoffment ceremony for Prince Eleven, Xin Yeheng!"
Sima Yongheng, or rather Xin Yeheng now, knelt on one knee with his head lowered. One couldn't see his expression. Xin Zizhao walked towards him step by step, holding the prince's special crown. "Prince Eleven, now I bestow this crown, a symbol of the royal family, upon you. From now on, you must study hard and work for the well - being of our people in the Kingdom of Yulong."
"Yes, Your Majesty. Your younger brother will follow Your Majesty's teachings."
Xin Zizhao placed the crown on Xin Yeheng's head and then reached out to help him up. "Rise. From now on, you are the eleventh prince of the Kingdom of Yulong! I hereby announce that Prince Eleven, Xin Yeheng, has officially returned! To celebrate this occasion, I decree a general celebration throughout the kingdom! The tax in all regions will be reduced by 15%!"
"Congratulations, Your Majesty! Congratulations, Retired Emperor! You've found Prince Eleven!" The ministers below replied in unison.
Xin Zizhao didn't understand what there was to be so happy about. His father, himself, and this Prince Eleven were just blood - related relatives. He always thought that his only family was his master, and now there was an additional person, his wife, Shuxuan.
After the enfeoffment ceremony, the news spread throughout the Kingdom of Yulong, including Baolan Town.
Wei Shuxuan was sitting in her room, looking at the news bulletin that Wei Wei had just bought from the street. "I didn't expect the enfeoffment ceremony to be held so soon... But this Prince Eleven looks a bit familiar..."
She stared at the portrait in the news bulletin over and over again. The young man did look very familiar, but for the moment, she couldn't remember who he was. Just as she was wracking her brains, there came a knock on the door.
"Shuxuan, it's me."
"Come in, Zian."
Ge Zian entered with some delicious pastries he had just asked the inn's kitchen to make. Seeing the news bulletin in Wei Shuxuan's hand, he asked, "What news are you reading so intently?"
"It's the news bulletin that Wei Wei just bought for me. I think the person in the bulletin looks so familiar, but suddenly I can't remember who it is. Help me take a look."
"Sure, I'll take a look. You eat the pastries first. I just asked the kitchen to make them."
"Okay!" Wei Shuxuan's eyes lit up at the sight of the delicate pastries Ge Zian had placed on the table. She reached out to take one and eat it. Ge Zian picked up the news bulletin on the table only after seeing Wei Shuxuan eating the pastries obediently. One look and he was shocked.
"Shuxuan! This... This is Yongheng!" Ge Zian quickly called out to Wei Shuxuan. Hearing this, Wei Shuxuan, who was about to put the pastry into her mouth, dropped it onto the plate. She quickly leaned over to take a closer look at the portrait.
The person in the portrait did resemble Sima Yongheng very much! Could it be that Yongheng and Xin Zizhao were really brothers? She had thought they just looked a bit alike, but never expected they were actually brothers!
"This... Can't be true, right?" Wei Shuxuan still found it hard to believe. They had searched for this person for so long here, but he had appeared in the capital. What on earth had Yongheng been through during this period?
"The news bulletin has the official seal. It can't be wrong. Why did Yongheng suddenly become the eleventh prince of the Kingdom of Yulong?" Ge Zian was quite confused.
"Zian, don't you think Yongheng looks a bit like Xin Zizhao?"
"Come to think of it..." Ge Zian had never really paid much attention, but hearing what Wei Shuxuan said, it did seem so. "They do look quite alike."
"So, the first time I saw Yongheng, I thought he looked so much like Xin Zizhao. I even thought he was Xin Zizhao's family member. But later Yongheng said there was no one else in his family, so I gave up that thought. But now it seems that Yongheng should be Xin Zizhao's half - brother."
"Most likely. The retired emperor used to have countless love affairs."
"Handsome men are mostly like that. Fortunately, my Xin Zizhao is not such a person."
Although it was a bit hard to accept at first, Wei Shuxuan and the others had no choice but to accept this reality. Wei Wei was relieved to know that Sima Yongheng was safe, but at the same time, he couldn't help but feel worried. Now Sima Yongheng was Prince Eleven, Xin Yeheng, of the Kingdom of Yulong. He was no longer the innocent young man he used to be, and he would no longer follow Wei Wei around calling him Brother Wei.
Wei Shuxuan could see the worry in Wei Wei's heart at a glance. She patted his shoulder. "It's okay. Yongheng is now the eleventh prince. He should have his own ideas about what he wants to do."
"Miss, this subordinate just feels a bit emotional. Just half a month ago, we were traveling companions, but now he has suddenly become a prince of the Kingdom of Yulong. This subordinate just can't quite get used to it."
"Yongheng is still Yongheng. Even if he becomes a prince, he's still Yongheng."