Chapter 138 - Twins?
Even though Jiang Danhe knew where they were, he could not say that he knew. After all, this was the emperor’s territory. How could he reveal that he already knew? He still had to ask symbolically.
“They are here for the exhumation of the graves. They are now resting in the hall adjacent to Yangxin Hall.”
“Just look at you, I don’t believe you don’t know where they are.”
Shao Zhan looked at Jiang Danhe with a smile.
When Jiang Danhe heard this, he understood. So this was the reason why they had come to the capital. So this was part of the emperor’s plan…
Jiang Danhe looked at Shao Zhan with an obscure look on his face. So the emperor’s plan was to keep them here so that he would be obliged to stay.
So that explains why…
Jiang Danhe shook his head. He knew that this was not the time to talk about this. It was more important to reunite with his family first.
It was almost time. Shao Zhan did not continue to tease Jiang Danhe. Instead, he asked Eunuch Su to call for dinner.
Eunuch Su took his leave to announce dinner. Shao Zhan brought Jiang Danhe, who could no longer sit still, to Yangxin Hall.
“Oh, look at you. You’re sweating.”
Xiaoguo was sitting in a chair and talking to Zhixia when Zhuang Zhuang ran over and pounced on her.
The weather was a little cold now, but the two children were perspiring after playing.
Xiaoguo pushed Zhuang Zhuang away and wiped his sweat with a handkerchief she had brought with her. If she didn’t dry his sweat in time in this weather, he would definitely catch a cold.
Wen Xiaoyi was following right behind him. He was also drenched in sweat from running. When Zhixia saw him, she also wiped his sweat with a handkerchief.
Wen Xiaoyi raised his head and let Zhixia wipe his sweat. Although they both have someone to dry their sweat, there were slight differences.
Looking at the atmosphere on Zhuang Zhuang’s side, Xiaoyi was a little envious. He was envious that Zhuang Zhuang could act cute and kiss his mother, while for him…
Wen Xiaoyi looked up at Zhixia, who was wiping his sweat with her head lowered. He couldn’t help but think to himself, “If only my mother was still here. She will be like Zhuang Zhuang’s mother.”
After a while, Eunuch Su’s voice sounded from the door.
“Madam Qin, please move to the main hall for dinner.”
Zhixia stood up first, promising to meet up again. After which, she left the room with Wen Xiaoyi.
Xiaoguo came out of the room with Zhuang Zhuang. When Eunuch Su saw that Zhixia was leaving, he quickly stopped her. “Aunt Zhixia, please wait. The emperor wants you to bring the little crown prince along.”
Wen Xiaoyi had the biggest reaction when he heard that. He squeezed Zhixia’s hand tightly and looked up at her pitifully, hoping that she understood his thoughts. He did not want to eat with that person at all.
Zhixia sighed. How could she not know? No matter what, he was still Wen Xiaoyi’s biological father. The two of them were already estranged, but they could not continue like this. They had to get closer.
“Xiaoguo, my husband is about to reach home. It’s not convenient for me to bring the Crown Prince over. Why don’t you do me a favor and bring the Crown Prince over for dinner?”
If they went together, Xiaoyi would definitely hide by her side. In order to let him get closer to the emperor, she decided not to go.
Xiaoguo hesitated. The truth was, she didn’t wish to see the emperor either.
He was the ruler of the world. How could she be at ease around him? If she were to say something wrong, it would be catastrophic.
“… Sure.”
Eventually, Xiaoguo agreed to her request. It seemed like she didn’t have a choice. She had to go no matter what. Later on, she had to stay alert and figure out why she had come to the capital. After that, she should be able to go home the next day.
On her left was Xiaoyi, and on her right was Zhuang Zhuang. The three of them followed Eunuch Su to the main hall.
Xiaoguo thought to herself, “How am I going to kneel down later? What am I going to say? Long live the emperor, just like on TV?” But she was afraid that she would laugh. Should she kneel or kowtow first?
Xiaoguo thought through the entire process. The more she thought about it, the more confused she became. If she could escape, she would have done so long ago.
For the sake of her dignity, Xiaoguo tried to look very calm. Even Eunuch Su was deceived by her appearance. In his heart, he was feeling impressed by her calm and composure.
But who would have thought that this calm-looking woman’s heart was already in turmoil?
Zhuang Zhuang and Xiaoyi followed quietly beside Xiaoguo. Neither of them spoke. Xiaoyi did not speak because he did not wish to meet that person. Zhuang Zhuang did not speak because he could sense Xiaoguo’s uneasiness. Her hands were usually not sweaty, but Zhuang Zhuang could feel dampness in her warm palms now.
Zhuang Zhuang looked up at Xiaoguo. Was his mother nervous because she was going to see the emperor? Zhuang Zhuang held Xiaoguo’s hand a little bit tighter, hoping to give her some courage.
Sensing Zhuang Zhuang’s concern, Xiaoguo looked down at his worried eyes and gave him a reassuring smile. She then held his hand tightly.
Just as Xiaoguo was wondering how to kneel, Eunuch Su had already brought the three of them to the entrance of the hall.
On the blue plaque with golden words, the words “Yangxin Hall” were written horizontally.
Xiaoguo quickly scanned her surroundings. It was indeed the center of the inner palace. Even the number of guards around had doubled in numbers.
After Eunuch Su finished his announcement, he received approval from inside the hall. He then stepped aside and bowed to usher the three of them in.
Xiaoguo brought Zhuang Zhuang and Xiaoyi into the hall. She had mentally prepared herself countless times. Just as she was about to kneel down and pay her respects, Zhuang Zhuang exclaimed loudly before she could move.
Xiaoguo quickly looked at Zhuang Zhuang, wondering what was wrong with him.
Zhuang Zhuang was looking in a certain direction with his mouth agape. His eyes were wide open in disbelief.
Xiaoyi was also curious about what Zhuang Zhuang had seen. He looked up and saw that there was only a big table in the room. There was also that man and General Jiang. There was nothing strange about them. What was up with Zhuang Zhuang?
Wen Xiaoyi scratched his head and looked at Zhuang Zhuang curiously.
As Xiaoguo had her head lowered from the moment she entered the hall, she did not have a clear view of the situation inside. At first, when she saw Zhuang Zhuang’s surprised expression, she thought that he had seen something inappropriate in the room. After all, this was part of the inner palace. It was possible that the emperor would be in the company of women here.
Could Zhuang Zhuang have seen something? Xiaoguo could not think of another reason.
When Jiang Danhe heard the announcement by Eunuch Su, he started to feel uneasy and kept staring at the door anxiously. Shao Zhan even took the chance to tease him.
It was already funny enough to see Jiang Danhe wearing this color today. Now that he saw him in this state, he felt even more amused. Was this still the bold and courageous Jiang Danhe that he knew?
Then, he saw an adult and two children walking in. He felt relieved when he saw that one of them was his son. Jiang Danhe’s current mood should be exactly like his when he first saw Wen Xiaoyi. It was a sense of excitement, nervousness and fear—a bunch of mixed emotions deep in the heart.
Jiang Danhe stood up immediately when he saw them. The woman had her head lowered, so he couldn’t see her face. But wasn’t the boy beside her the little fatty he saw at the rockery?
“Was this boy his son?!”
Jiang Danhe was extremely excited, but there was also a hint of hesitation. Could there be a mistake in the information? Maybe he didn’t have a daughter, or perhaps there was a twin?
Jiang Danhe suddenly thought of another possibility. He started to believe that it was real. Perhaps they were twins!
He couldn’t help but feel a little anxious. Don’t ask him why he didn’t hurry over. It was because his legs were numb from excitement…