No matter how great the emotional upheaval was upon learning that Yang Zhe was actually the former Crown Prince Qi Ming, for Emperor Taian, the benefits ultimately outweighed the drawbacks.
If Qi Ming were allowed to drift through the officialdom under the identity of a top scholar who had placed first in three consecutive imperial examinations, there was no telling when he might deliver a fatal blow to the court. Now, the confined Qi Ming could no longer stir up any waves; furthermore, when the time came to face his elder brother, the Emperor would have an additional bargaining chip.
While the fact that Yang Zhe was the former Crown Prince was not suitable for public dissemination, it was necessary to discuss it with the high-ranking ministers. Otherwise, the sudden re-arrest of a top scholar who had been released without charge would cause panic within the court.
Soon, the ministers of various departments gathered to discuss matters such as strengthening the management of floating populations in the capital and how to respond to potential movements from Northern Qi and Yuliu. This deliberation lasted for two full days before finally coming to a close.
Emperor Taian, unable to hide his exhaustion, rubbed the bridge of his nose and finally found the mental energy to reward the personnel involved in discovering that Yang Zhe was the former Crown Prince.
Cheng Maoming earned a significant merit and was promoted to Junior Guardian of the Crown Prince. Other officials involved in the investigation of the Crown Prince's murder also received various commendations, though since the Crown Prince had only recently passed away, these rewards were postponed.
As for the Heir of Prince Jing, he was a member of the imperial clan destined to inherit a princely title, so further promotions in rank were naturally impossible. However, summoning Prince Jing to the palace to praise him for raising such a fine son was perfectly acceptable.
Listening to the Emperor's praise for his son, Prince Jing secretly pinched his thigh until it turned blue just to maintain a solemn expression.
Anyone would be happy to hear their child praised, but the Crown Prince had not even been buried yet. If he showed his joy, he would be a complete fool.
Upon returning to the Prince Jing Manor, Prince Jing finally stopped relying on pinching his thigh for expression management and sighed to the Princess Consort, "Hearing Imperial Brother praise Shuo'er, I suddenly feel that Imperial Brother is quite pitiful."
This imperial brother of his had courage and ambition, but as a parent burying their child, he was ultimately a pitiful man.
The Princess Consort remarked, "I was worried that the kidnapping of Second Miss Lin would lead to a lot of subsequent gossip, but seeing the Emperor's attitude, I am relieved."
Although the marriage between the two families would not change because of the incident involving Second Miss Lin, it would not be a pleasant thing if a future daughter-in-law were ridiculed by the world.
If the Emperor could remember to praise his son amidst the grief of losing the Crown Prince, he certainly would not forget to reward Second Miss Lin. With the Emperor's gesture, those rumors would naturally vanish.
Unlike the court, which focused its attention on the former Crown Prince these past few days, the common folk—under deliberate suppression—still spent their leisure time gossiping about the three kidnapped girls.
After returning home, Chi Caiyun slept soundly for two days and finally recovered her spirits. She prepared to go out with her maid.
"Caiyun, stop right there! Such a huge incident just happened and you still dare to go out? Why are you so stressful!" Madam Chi blocked her daughter.
Chi Caiyun turned to Master Chi for help: "Father, Mother won't let me go out."
Master Chi stroked his beard: "Your mother is right. You've only just returned safely; what do you want to go out for now?"
Chi Caiyun's apple-like face puffed up with anger: "I promised to treat Miss Lin and Miss Zhu to lobster. If you don't let me go out, aren't you making me a liar?"
Madam Chi glanced at her daughter: "Do you think those two girls can go out? Noble ladies from high families are different from people like us. After something like this happens, let alone going out, it would be lucky if they weren't sent to a family temple."
Master Chi added, "Still talking about lobster. Only you, Yun'er, have such luck; those two girls probably can't even eat meat."
Fearing his daughter might cause trouble, Master Chi spoke plainly: "Our family shouldn't be eating meat either; we are still in the mourning period for the Crown Prince. It's only because we felt sorry for the hardships you suffered that we wanted to nourish you."
Following the death of the Crown Prince, slaughtering was banned among the commoners for five days. However, compared to the officials and nobility who had to strictly adhere to various rules, the commoners were much more relaxed; as long as they didn't beat drums and gongs to hold a wedding, no one would pursue them.
"Then why did our family buy lobster on the day I had the accident?"
Facing his beloved daughter's persistent gaze, Master Chi looked at Madam Chi.
Madam Chi's eyes flickered, and her voice instinctively lowered: "Wasn't it because the Crown Prince passed away, and that seafood shop was selling things at a dirt-cheap price..."
Large lobsters transported from the distant coast were normally very expensive.
Chi Caiyun understood now: "Fine then. I'll treat them to a meal after this period passes."
Seeing that her daughter was no longer making a fuss, Madam Chi breathed a sigh of relief and comforted her: "Don't worry, your father sent many thank-you gifts to the Prince Jing Manor, the General's Manor, and the Earl of Yichun's Manor. Those two girls won't misunderstand you as being heartless."
"Correct, Father prepared generous thank-you gifts long ago." Mentioning this, Master Chi was secretly pleased.
His daughter's safe return had turned a disaster into a blessing for their family. This naturally allowed them to establish connections with the imperial clan and nobility. In the future, as long as they were clever, being able to climb up to the stewards of these three houses would bring great benefits.
As for his daughter's reputation after being kidnapped? They were merchant folk and didn't care for such things. As long as he had money, there would be plenty of men wanting to marry his daughter.
Compared to the Chi family's composure, the atmosphere at the Earl of Yichun's Manor was much more somber.
Since her daughter's accident, the Countess of Yichun had cried countless times, and her eyes had not stopped being swollen.
"We were just discussing a marriage proposal when the Crown Prince's accident happened, so we had to stop. I thought we could continue after a while, but who would have thought Yu'er would encounter such a thing... Why is Yu'er's life so bitter..."
Zhu Jiayu was the late-born daughter of the Earl and Countess of Yichun, raised as the pearl in their palms. Thinking of her daughter's future, the Countess was truly heartbroken.
The Earl of Yichun was getting a headache from the crying: "Enough. Crying won't change the fact that it happened. If you ask me, we should be satisfied that Yu'er returned in one piece. Look at the General's Manor; they are quite happy."
The Countess moved her lips, wanting to say that the Lin family simply had too many "lice" to feel the itch, but remembering her daughter's words about how Second Miss Lin led them to escape, she kept the unpleasant words to herself.
But she was still miserable!
The Countess of Yichun began to shed tears again.
Unlike the Zhu and Chi families, who felt gratitude toward Lin and kept their tongues civil, the world's gossip about the matter was much harsher; there were even rumors that the Prince Jing Manor intended to break off the engagement.
It wasn't until the imperial sedan stopped prominently in front of the General's Manor and various imperially bestowed gifts were carried inside in a steady stream that these rumors vanished instantly, turning instead into curiosity about Second Miss Lin.
Aren't high-born families the most concerned about a girl's reputation? Why was Second Miss Lin an exception? Not only was she not shunned by the Imperial Family after such an incident, but she actually received rewards from the Emperor.
Whenever Wen Rusheng went for a stroll, she heard countless such questions and felt an urge to jump up and scream, "I know!" Unfortunately, as soon as she opened her mouth, she was dragged home by Wen Ping, who had been instructed by Wen Feng. She had no choice but to tell the truth to Wen Ping.
The tormented Wen Ping: "..." He didn't want to hear it, and he even felt a bit scared, because he was actually starting to believe her!
The weather grew colder day by day, and the funeral rites for the Crown Prince continued. The common folk lacked their usual festivities, and the entire capital seemed shrouded in a layer of dark clouds.
Just as the twelfth lunar month arrived, a major event occurred.
(End of Chapter)