Xiao Yun, who had been feigning death in the Prince of Ding'an's mansion, was completely unaware of what had transpired in the palace.
He had been so committed to his act of faking death that he had actually fallen asleep.
It wasn't until he heard Yin Zhu gently knocking on the door outside: "Your Highness, someone from the palace is here. Your Highness?"
He scrambled out of bed, a vague premonition that Wang Qingyao had succeeded.
The visitor was Eunuch Tang, the chief eunuch by the Emperor's side. Earlier, when Wang Qingyao, the Emperor, and Shun Feng had been speaking, he had faithfully guarded the entrance to Ninghui Hall, allowing no one to approach.
To be the Emperor's confidant, one had to be sharp-eared, sharp-eyed, and observant.
It wasn't just about what the Emperor explicitly declared as secret; sometimes, it was about intuition, about guarding the door on the Emperor's behalf before he even gave an order, or when he forgot to.
This was the professional integrity of a confidant.
Even when the Emperor summoned him and ordered the Prince of Ding'an to be brought, with Shun Feng's body lying on the ground, his expression remained unchanged.
Although he hadn't clearly heard everything that happened, he vaguely understood that it was a momentous event, significant enough to change the tides, and that it was related to the Prince of Ding'an.
Seeing the Prince of Ding'an emerge in one piece, he felt an inexplicable sense of relief.
Xiao Yun followed Eunuch Tang into the palace.
The moment Wang Qingyao saw the entrance to Ninghui Hall, she winked at him, giving him a signal.
The information was too overwhelming, and he couldn't immediately decipher its multiple meanings.
At this moment, he saw Shun Feng's corpse.
His heart instantly relaxed.
His wife was truly amazing. A single trip to the palace, a few persuasive words, and she had gotten rid of that old geezer.
He could finally lift the heavy burden from his heart.
Xiao Yun was filled with a mix of emotions.
The Emperor beckoned to him: "A'yun, come to my side, let me get a good look at you."
As Xiao Yun approached, he noticed that the Emperor's eyes were red and teary, his voice choked with emotion.
He quickly leaned in, smiling, "Your Majesty, I am not dead. I am well. It is all thanks to the Grand Preceptor Feng Fu. If he hadn't replaced Shun Feng's green demon with water, I might truly be dead by now, and Your Majesty would never see A'yun again."
The Emperor couldn't hold back and suddenly embraced Xiao Yun, weeping uncontrollably.
Xiao Yun's body stiffened.
Did the Emperor care about him this much?
Suddenly, Xiao Yun thought of a possibility. He turned his head with difficulty to look at Wang Qingyao. Wang Qingyao, with a look of maternal tenderness, nodded with satisfaction.
He understood then.
The Emperor knew he was the son of Empress Xiaoxian.
Xiao Yun immediately felt flustered. Compared to the Emperor's inability to control his emotions, he was much calmer.
"Your Majesty..." he said, "That..."
He didn't know what else to say. He had no experience in recognizing relatives, let alone the Emperor.
The Emperor released Xiao Yun and scrutinized his face for a long time before gently saying, "You look so much like your mother. Before, I always thought it was because Consort Fang and Empress Xiaoxian were sisters. I never imagined..."
Xiao Yun still didn't know what to say. He stared blankly at the Emperor, as if speechless.
The Emperor: "Are you still blaming me? Blaming me for not protecting you and your mother?"
Xiao Yun finally came to his senses: "It's not entirely your fault..."
He was quite good at comforting people...
"Actually, Your Majesty, you don't need to feel guilty. Besides the fear brought by the curse, I have lived very well all these years. Your Majesty spoiled and indulged me. In my heart, you are no different from a father. I haven't developed a twisted personality due to the lack of paternal love, so I am truly fine."
The Emperor's tears flowed.
"Can you call me Father Emperor?"
Xiao Yun opened his mouth and tried several times but couldn't make a sound.
The Emperor looked disappointed.
Xiao Yun, without ceremony, patted the Emperor's dragon shoulder: "It's okay, we'll take it slow. Your Majesty, don't act like you've lost a son."
The Emperor, torn between laughter and tears, lightly swatted him: "Nonsense."
Wang Qingyao felt a twinge of regret that the imagined scene of father and son embracing in recognition had not occurred.
However, seeing the Emperor weep twice in one day was still a fortunate event in life.
While the Emperor was reconciling with Xiao Yun as father and son, he ordered people to summon Consort Chen, the Old Consort Dowager, the Old Duke Zhongyong, and Imperial Physician Lu.
As for Shun Feng's body, the Emperor had also arranged for its disposal, publicly stating that he had died of a sudden illness.
Once everyone had arrived, the Emperor questioned them one by one about the events of that year, his anger gradually rising.
"How dare Grand Tutor Wei! How dare he!"
"Your Majesty, please calm your anger. Your Majesty, take care of your dragon body." Everyone knelt and said in unison.
The Emperor's rage could not be contained. The death of Empress Xiaoxian during childbirth, the death of his eldest son, and the separation of him and Xiao Yun for so many years – the Emperor's heart seethed with hatred.
He had already bestowed unparalleled honor upon the Wei family, yet they were still not satisfied?
The Emperor immediately ordered a decree to be drafted, stating that Prince of Ding'an Xiao Yun was the son of Empress Xiaoxian and the Emperor's legitimate eldest son. His identity was to be restored immediately, and the matter was to be proclaimed to the world.
The Emperor acted with remarkable swiftness.
In less than half an hour, this imperial decree had spread throughout the entire Great Sheng.
Simultaneously, Xiao Mo also had his identity as the eldest son of the Xiao family restored.
Essentially, everyone in Duanjing was utterly bewildered. How could the Prince of Ding'an be the Emperor's eldest son, yet the Marquis of Fuping was the Prince of Ding'an?
What was going on?
Meanwhile, Grand Tutor Wei, who was already on his last breath, spat out a final mouthful of blood and passed away upon learning that Xiao Yun was the Emperor's eldest son.