The Prime Minister’s Darling-Chapter 1487 - 726 Recognition (Second Update)

Shangguan Qing took his mother’s surname, much like a child born from a woman who has called a man into marriage. Hence, he’s not regarded as the sovereign’s grandson by marriage, nor is he to be referred to as the sovereign’s maternal grandfather, but rather as the Imperial Ancestral Grandfather.

However, at this moment, Xiao Hen would not easily call out this term "Imperial Ancestral Grandfather."

Based on the sovereign’s attitude towards him, Xiao Hen had made a preliminary judgment about the status of the sovereign’s eldest grandson in the sovereign’s heart—the sovereign did care about this eldest grandson, even more than Xiao Hen had imagined.

Xiao Hen’s decision was actually quite risky; if the sovereign didn’t care for Shangguan Qing at all, then Xiao Hen would have needlessly exposed himself.

In the two bedchambers lay two people, one was Shangguan Yun who had just had surgery and was still unconscious, and the other was Gu Jiao, who had fallen asleep from exhaustion.

The sovereign’s gaze swept over the two of them and finally rested on Shangguan Yun, he asked, "Has the physician mentioned anything about your mother’s condition?"

Xiao Hen glanced at the sleeping Gu Jiao and clenched his fingers before replying, "The physician surnamed Xiao said that my mother has broken her spine in two places. In order to save her life, eight nails have been hammered into my mother’s back."

Nails into bone!

The sovereign’s aura suddenly turned cold, and the killing intent instantly filled the room.

Even the little princesses who weren’t afraid of him subconsciously hopped towards Xiao Hen’s feet, turning to look at the sovereign while clinging to Xiao Hen’s leg as if they were leg ornaments for their young uncle.

Xiao Hen didn’t move; he just let her hang there.

The sovereign was very angry about the severity of the Princess’s injuries, but it was unclear whether this was due to the lingering affection of a father for his daughter or because the dignity of a sovereign had been challenged.

Xiao Hen was internally planning what he should say next.

"I heard that my mother fell down the slope by herself."

The sovereign looked over at him.

"Before my mother went to the Imperial Mausoleum, she had been stripped of her martial arts." This matter was common knowledge and not a secret; Xiao Hen had heard about it long ago, but the next few sentences would depend on Xiao Hen’s fabrication based on Shangguan Yun’s performance at Tianxiang Pavilion, "But in these years, to help build my physique, my mother would practice martial arts with me. I am of mediocre talent and haven’t achieved much, but my mother has regained some level of skill."

To directly say that Shangguan Yun resumed practicing martial arts would make her look scheming, but it seemed less suspicious if it was said that she did it to teach Shangguan Qing, who was frail and often ill.

The sovereign recalled how Shangguan Yun climbed over the walls of the Cold Palace, and indeed, it did seem that she had some basic martial skills.

She shouldn’t be too formidable, otherwise, she wouldn’t need to escape the palace through a dog hole.

Gao Qiang’s wife also had her martial arts disabled, so Xiao Hen knew the limits to which she could retrain herself; therefore, he didn’t exaggerate how skilled Shangguan Yun had become.

He continued, "My mother is clever and has a bit of martial arts to rely on; I don’t believe she would end up injured like this by herself."

"That’s the Imperial Palace, after all; could someone really dare to harm your mother within the palace walls?" The Crown Prince wanted to say this in his heart, but saying it aloud would make him seem exceedingly suspicious.

The Crown Prince stepped forward briskly, fetching a stool for the sovereign to sit on by the bed.

Huh, how filial he still is.

He let the sovereign stand for so long.

"Father Emperor," as the Crown Prince helped the sovereign to sit down, he said with a grave expression, "Your son also finds this matter suspicious. Since you’ve already confined Shangguan Yun to... Zhaoyang Hall, I believe she would not have left of her own accord. Perhaps she went after someone suspicious, which is why she chased after them."

Good heavens, openly he speaks of the suspicious nature of Shangguan Yun’s injury, yet in reality, he’s subtly emphasizing that Shangguan Yun disobeyed the sovereign’s confinement order.

Who told you to run out of Zhaoyang Hall in the middle of the night?

If you had simply obeyed the sovereign’s order, wouldn’t you have avoided all this trouble?

Isn’t this trouble you brought on yourself?

The little princesses didn’t understand what they were saying; she remained motionless, hanging on her young uncle’s leg, like a puzzled little fruit. free𝑤ebnovel.com

Xiao Hen’s eyes grew cool as he spoke with the impetuousness and temper of a youth, "How does Your Highness, the Crown Prince, know that my mother was lured out and not kidnapped?"

The Crown Prince was taken aback, "That... "

Xiao Hen said coldly, "I have heard that shortly after my mother returned to the palace, Your Highness, the Crown Prince, had your guards injure my mother."

The Crown Prince retorted, "I didn’t! The guards acted on their own! It was too late for me to stop them! It started because your mother pushed me! She pushed me down the steps of the Pavilion! Do you know how high that pavilion is?"

Xiao Hen countered, "So Your Highness harbored resentment and had someone throw my mother down a steep slope?"