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"Alright. Since it is His Highness the Crown Prince's wish, I will set off immediately!" Du Yan felt the urgency of the situation.
"Then General Du, hurry and prepare to depart! I still need to return to the Eastern Palace to report!" Niu Fu bid farewell to Du Yan and left Prince Qin's mansion, rushing back to the Eastern Palace.
When Consort Li heard that Niu Fu had returned alone, she felt a surge of anxiety. It was only when she learned that the Crown Prince would be returning shortly that she finally felt at ease. Of course, it wasn't just her; everyone in the Eastern Palace breathed a sigh of relief.
Knowing that Li Jiancheng was coming back, the people in the Eastern Palace naturally gathered at the main gate to prepare for His Highness's return.
Meanwhile, Li Jiancheng encountered Du Yan on his way not far outside Chang'an, as Du Yan was heading towards Ren Zhi Palace. The sky was darkening, though it had not yet turned completely black.
"Your Highness the Crown Prince!" Upon seeing Li Jiancheng, Du Yan quickly dismounted and bowed in greeting.
"General Du, I must trouble you this time!" Li Jiancheng dismounted and helped Du Yan up.
"Trouble? I do not understand Your Highness's meaning!" Du Yan was puzzled.
"This is the situation, General Du!" Li Jiancheng explained the task he needed Du Yan to undertake at Ren Zhi Palace.
"Ah?" Du Yan was taken aback. If he were to say that Er Zhu Huan and Qiao Gong Shan were Prince Qin's people, it would mean he could no longer stay at Prince Qin's mansion and would be treated as a scapegoat facing severe consequences.
After his surprise, Du Yan understood that this was a matter arranged by both the Emperor and the Crown Prince, and he had no choice but to carry it out!
"General Du, please rest assured. You will only temporarily face some difficulties; your contributions will be remembered by me, and you will certainly be compensated in the future," Li Jiancheng reassured him.
Du Yan knew that the future referred to by the Crown Prince meant after his ascension to the throne. With this thought in mind, he immediately declared, "I will serve His Highness without feeling wronged!"
"Good, General Du, go with peace of mind!" Li Jiancheng nodded.
Du Yan once again paid his respects to Li Jiancheng before mounting his horse and galloping away. Li Jiancheng also mounted his horse and hurried with Ma Qiang towards Chang'an City.
They finally entered Chang'an City just before the city gates closed. Li Jiancheng and Ma Qiang did not stop but headed straight back to the Eastern Palace.
Night had fallen, yet the Eastern Palace was brightly lit. Almost everyone had gathered at the main gate, standing on either side to welcome the Crown Prince's return.
On one side were Li Jiancheng's family—wives, concubines, children—and on the other were the staff of the Eastern Palace. The palace maids and servants stood behind them.
Upon arriving at the Eastern Palace, Li Jiancheng and Ma Qiang dismounted, and someone promptly came over to greet them and take their horses away.
As they entered through the main gate, everyone shouted in unison: "We welcome Your Highness back!"
The children excitedly exclaimed: "Father has returned!"
The palace maids and attendants knelt down on the ground.
Li Jiancheng looked at everyone, feeling quite excited. He first addressed the palace maids and attendants, saying, "Everyone, please rise!" Only after receiving permission did they all stand up. The return of the Crown Prince brought them great joy. After all, if the Crown Prince were to be declared guilty of treason, everyone from the Eastern Palace would be implicated. Thus, their spirits had been quite unsettled during this time.
Then Li Jiancheng nodded to his advisors and said, "It's getting late; you all should go back and rest!" The advisors exchanged polite remarks before dispersing.
At this moment, Li Jiancheng approached Consort Li Zheng Guanyin and Concubine Lu Lingling. "Guanyin, Lingling, I’m sorry to have worried you!"
Concubine Lu Lingling was a marriage Li Jiancheng entered into when he was sixteen. She was beautiful and dignified, with a graceful presence. Although she was ten years older than Zheng Guanyin and married to Li Jiancheng earlier, her humble background meant she could only be a concubine.
"It’s good that you’re safe!"
"Now that Your Highness has returned safely, I can finally rest easy!" Zheng Guanyin and Lu Lingling replied in turn.
Several children quickly gathered around, calling out "Father! Father!"
He had a total of nine children—five sons and four daughters—ranging from fourteen years old to just two. Seeing his children, especially the five sons, reminded Li Jiancheng of their tragic fate during the Xuanwu Gate Incident, causing his eyes to well up with tears.
He vowed to reverse the outcome of the Xuanwu Gate incident and save the lives of his five sons. In fact, he had six sons; the eldest had already passed away. Otherwise, he would have been sixteen now and could have married and started a family according to Tang Dynasty customs.
Zheng Guanyin did not understand why Li Jiancheng's eyes were moist; she thought it was due to his excitement. She said, "Your Highness, please go back to your room! Have something to eat and get some rest!"
Sleep? Upon hearing that word, Li Jiancheng felt a surge of excitement. After crossing over into this world without enjoying any benefits and living in fear for several days, tonight he could finally sleep with the beautiful Zheng Guanyin—this was the reward he should enjoy after his arrival.
So he nodded and said, "Alright! I am indeed hungry and tired!"
With that, he walked toward his room. His children wisely made way for him as they dispersed.
Zheng Guanyin accompanied Li Jiancheng to the dining hall. Aside from a few close palace maids, everyone else, including Lu Lingling, had returned to their own rooms.
The meal had long been prepared, and Li Jiancheng began to eat ravenously. The food in his temporary cell had been terrible!
Watching him eat in such a manner made Zheng Guanyin feel uneasy. No matter how hungry he was, he was still the Crown Prince; how could he eat like that?
However, as a consort with a lower status than men, she couldn't say much about it. Although she held a higher position than most women as Consort Li, she still couldn't compare with men.
Nevertheless, Zheng Guanyin was clever; she changed the subject: "Your Highness, would you like to have some wine?"
Wine? Li Jiancheng immediately shook his head: "No wine; I’ll sleep after eating. I’m too tired!"
It wasn't that he didn't like drinking, nor was it that he couldn't hold his liquor; it was simply that drinking took time and would delay his own affairs, so Li Jiancheng immediately declined.
Zheng Guanyin had no choice but to remain silent, patiently waiting for Li Jiancheng to finish his dinner. After a simple wash-up, Li Jiancheng hurriedly made his way to the bedroom. Zheng Guanyin naturally accompanied him. Seeing the burning gaze and impatient demeanor of Li Jiancheng, a strange feeling arose in Zheng Guanyin's heart. They had been married for over ten years, yet she had never seen him like this before! Even on their wedding night, Li Jiancheng had not acted this way!
Could it be that this Li Jiancheng was an imposter?
The thought startled Zheng Guanyin! Impossible! Not only did he look exactly the same, but Ma Qiang and the others had been following him all along; how could there be a fake?
Zheng Guanyin forcefully suppressed the strange thoughts bubbling up in her mind and gently said, "Your servant is with child; Your Highness should be a little gentler!"
Ah, with child? This doused Li Jiancheng's eagerness with a bucket of cold water.
Indeed, historical records indicated that Li Jiancheng had five daughters; now there were four, meaning the one in Zheng Guanyin's womb must be the fifth! No wonder Zheng Guanyin later lived with her youngest daughter. It turned out that during the Xuanwu Gate Incident, the youngest daughter was only about a year old and still needed her mother's embrace. With no husband and no son, it was only natural for Zheng Guanyin to raise her daughter and live alongside her.
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