Shen Yimin looked at the hand on his shoulder, then turned to face Qin Moyuan and bowed respectfully, "Zimin thanks Imperial Uncle."
He thanked him for saving his life back then, for his cultivation and guidance over the years, and for vindicating the Zheng family and restoring his identity today.
Qin Moyuan looked at the child before him, who seemed to have grown up overnight, with a mixture of indescribable emotions.
Over the years, he had unknowingly come to regard Amin as his own child. Seeing him like this, he felt both proud and a pang of heartache.
Qin Moyuan sighed silently, "When you have time in the future, come to the 왕府 more often as Shen Yimin."
Ah Shu would surely miss this child more than him.
Upon hearing his words, Shen Yimin's eyes lit up with a smile, "Then Father must keep her in the 왕府, and we can still be a family."
This "her" naturally referred to Li Yueshu.
Qin Moyuan's eyebrows twitched slightly, and he said with great confidence, "I will."
As they were speaking, an eunuch rushed over, "Your Highness, so you are here!"
"This servant greets Your Highness, and greets the Fourteenth Prince." Cao Zhuang bowed respectfully, "Your Highness, His Majesty has specifically sent this servant to invite you to the Imperial Study for a discussion."
Qin Moyuan responded with a faint "Mm" and then turned to look at Shen Yimin, "You go back to the carriage and wait."
Shen Yimin felt a sense of confusion but asked no further questions, bowing respectfully before leaving.
...
Sunlight streamed in from outside the window, mixed with a breeze, bringing a touch of coolness to the room.
In the vast Imperial Study, several rows of neat bookshelves were arranged, and at the desk in the center of the room, a man in a bright yellow dragon robe was writing something.
The door creaked open, and Cao Zhuang respectfully led Qin Moyuan in.
"Ah Yuan has arrived!" The Emperor put down his brush, gestured to the chair beside him with a smile, and said, "Come and sit down quickly."
Qin Moyuan cupped his hands in a salute before walking towards the chair.
The Emperor looked at him with undisguised joy, "After being back for so long, you've finally deigned to see me."
Qin Moyuan replied with a calm expression, "I have made my Imperial Brother worry."
The Emperor was accustomed to his aloof demeanor and sighed softly, "Where have you been these past few days? Since you are alive, why didn't you send word back?"
Upon mentioning this, Qin Moyuan's gaze lowered slightly, "Someone betrayed the information of the Hu Yuan Army. This subject was also injured, so I decided to feign death to lure out those behind the scenes and avenge the three thousand fallen soldiers of the Hu Yuan Army."
Something flashed quickly in the Emperor's eyes, and he frowned, "Then you should have informed me. I thought you had truly..."
As if unwilling to utter that word, the Emperor paused and changed his words, "I knew you were still alive. For years, rumors of your demise have circulated, but I ignored them. I even kept the 왕府 for you."
After Qin Moyuan's incident all those years ago, although his body was never found, the world gradually accepted his death. Many officials even urged the Emperor to reclaim the 왕府, disband the Hu Yuan Army, and reorganize it.
However, the Emperor firmly believed that his extraordinarily capable younger brother would survive. While he sent people to search for Qin Moyuan's whereabouts, he also withstood all pressure to keep the 왕府 and the Hu Yuan Army intact.
Qin Moyuan knew all of this.
The reason he hadn't revealed that he was alive to his Imperial Brother was, naturally, due to other considerations.
Qin Moyuan concealed the fleeting anomaly in his eyes and replied calmly, "Thank you, Imperial Brother."
The Emperor looked at his expression and was silent for a long time, then suddenly sighed, "Ah Yuan, why didn't you inform me in advance that you were returning to clear the Zheng family's name?"
They were brothers, and it was Qin Moyuan who had helped the Emperor ascend to the throne, so the Emperor's words were quite direct, "You presented evidence and witnesses in front of all the civil and military officials. This is forcing me to admit I was wrong."
"Imperial Brother was indeed wrong about the Zheng family's matter," Qin Moyuan said equally directly. "Did Imperial Brother never suspect the truth behind the accusations of the Zheng family colluding with the enemy and betraying the nation?"
The Emperor leaned back in his chair, his mouth turning downwards. "I naturally suspected it, which is why I only sent people to detain the Zheng family. I didn't expect a villain to take advantage of the situation..."
He sighed, "However, if you wanted to vindicate the Zheng family, you could have just handed the evidence to me. Why make such a fuss at the morning court?"
Qin Moyuan knew that his Imperial Brother wanted to discuss this. He replied calmly, "If the matter were not made public, there would inevitably be gossip that Imperial Brother knew the truth back then but framed the Zheng family solely to obtain the Hu Cheng Army."
Hearing this, Cao Zhuang lowered his head even further.
Only the Regent would dare to utter such treasonous words, and to the Emperor's face at that!
The Emperor's expression twitched, but he did not seem angry.
Qin Moyuan poured himself a cup of tea and continued, "Moreover, this is the only way Zimin can officially have his royal status restored."
Hearing this, the Emperor's expression shifted, and he slowly said, "It seems Ah Yuan thinks highly of Zimin?"
His tone held a hint of probing, "That child seems much more mature than before. He must have learned a lot from you over the years."
Qin Moyuan, who could discern the meaning behind his words, unconsciously rubbed the rim of his teacup with his fingertip. "Zimin has indeed learned a lot from this subject, but that is what he should learn as a prince."
The Emperor looked at him and also intended to pour himself a cup of tea.
Cao Zhuang, with keen eyesight, stepped forward to help pour the tea, then cautiously retreated to the side, acting as an inconspicuous background figure.
The Emperor held his teacup and also gently rubbed the rim with his fingertip, then slowly said, "I remember you gave Zimin his courtesy name. Among my more than ten sons, only Zimin has had this fortune."
Min, pronounced the same as "Min" (people). When Ah Yuan chose this character, he specifically mentioned hoping that Chen Nan Kingdom would have another benevolent prince who served the people.
"It was just that this subject happened to be in the palace when Zimin was born. If it were another prince, perhaps this character would not have fallen to Zimin," Qin Moyuan said nonchalantly. "I am their Imperial Uncle, and I treat all of Imperial Brother's children equally."
This statement was also to convey his stance to the Emperor: he had no intention of helping Zimin seize the throne.
The Emperor naturally understood his meaning, and his tense expression relaxed slightly, but he also expressed some helplessness, "Even if I were to give you half of this empire, you wouldn't want it, so naturally I know you wouldn't get involved in the struggles among the younger generation."
The brothers discussed topics that were sensitive and avoided in front of outsiders with great ease.
Poor Cao Zhuang, on the side, wished he could bury his head in the ground, fearing he might overhear something he shouldn't.
The Emperor took a sip of tea and said, "Speaking of which, Ah Yuan, I have more than ten sons, yet your residence doesn't even have a concubine."
He paused, then leaned closer to Qin Moyuan curiously, "I heard that when you returned this time, you even brought a woman into the 왕府?"