Chapter 363: All of Us Are Song

Yes, Xian'er's illness has been cured, she received the Emperor's favor and was made Crown Prince; he hasn't forgotten our maternal family and finally allowed our whole family to return to the capital.

So this family is the natal family of the Eleventh Prince's mother consort; of course, now he is recorded under the Empress's name, having two maternal families.

Because it's only a registration, the two have no mother‑son bond, so the Empress never demanded anything of him regarding his own maternal family.

In the future, when she becomes Empress Dowager, she will also look after her own natal family, so she never forced him.

Since his feelings for his birth mother run deep, he sent people to bring them all over, returning the former Zhai to them.

This family bears the Song surname; the Song elder is a veteran of three reigns, though he never held high office, and because of the Eleventh Prince's mother consort, the Emperor in a rage expelled them from the capital.

Eleven obtained the Father Emperor's consent before allowing them to return to the capital.

Both elders of the Song Family are still alive, nearing seventy, with three sons; the Eleventh Prince's mother consort is the daughter of the Song family's eldest son.

The Song family's three sons have many children, even grandchildren; dozens of people living in the huge Zhai are not at all conspicuous.

"Will you bring your family over sometime?"

"Xian'er, the date is set, right?"

They aren't married yet, but they want Ling'er to come visit them, trying to use seniority; fortunately they didn't assign any official rank, otherwise they wouldn't know how to handle Ling'er.

After the crying, they introduced each other and took seats in the front hall.

"From the Fu Wangfu."

"Has your mother consort's natal family been arranged?"

Eleven, upon hearing that the external family had returned to the capital, immediately set aside the memorial he was holding and went to the Song Family with his entourage.

When this was mentioned, any mother wouldn't understand, but since there was talk and laughter, asking about it was taken as concern; surely the Crown Prince wouldn't be angry.

"Yes, Father Emperor."

Several Song family girls stared longingly at his back, all of them completely enchanted.

"There will be time, right?"

Later he prioritized state affairs and didn't return; the Song family grew frantic, wanting to enter the palace but without a Signboard they couldn't, trying to find relatives—throughout Jingcheng, aside from the Crown Prince, no one they knew.

"Hmm."

"What?"

Each time they visited the Song family they asked about the Crown Princess; the first time he could tolerate it, the second time it annoyed him.

He cleared his throat awkwardly, and, to prevent his son from repeating his own old path, he finally spoke it out.

"Master, the Crown Prince's maternal family is at the gate; they claim to be looking for the Princess, but we servants think they don't seem like good people, so we report directly to you."

"Who are you? Who are you looking for?"

The Crown Prince looked at them with a shocked expression, said little, left some silver notes, and, citing busy state affairs, departed first.

"Yes, Father Emperor."

The gatekeeper, an old woman, got a headache seeing these people; she wouldn't even let them in, leaving a slit, she peered through and asked.

"Heavens, this is absurd!"

The Song family were shocked: "Throughout the ages there was never such a rule; which emperor or prince wasn't polygamous with three wives and four concubines?"

"We are all surnamed Song, we are the Crown Prince's maternal family, we want to look for the Tianshui Town Princess."

"That's what they say, but my heart feels uneasy."

"Why?"

"You can understand the nostalgia for the Father Emperor, but it's better for the Song family to keep limited contact."

"Exactly, another day we must properly get to know each other."

"No need for introductions; what business do you have looking for my daughter?"

Until September, the Song family hadn't seen the Crown Prince; they grew frantic and even heard about Jixiang Yuan, where the whole family had arrived.

"Then stay for now; after my Crown Prince's wedding next year, you can try the next stage. Based on your talents, I'll assign you tasks."

"Don't take your fiancée to his house; anyone who has set their mind on something won't miss any chance. You are now a big piece of juicy meat; everyone wants a bite. Ling'er is a pure, kind child with no guard against others; don't tarnish her there."

"Um, I am the Crown Prince's great‑grand‑uncle, I am the Crown Prince's maternal grandfather, I am..." A group of people introduced themselves in a circle before finishing.

"Then we will obey Mother."

"No rush, no rush; being able to return is already good. We're all quite old; what officials should we be? If there's a chance, just promote your cousins, that's all."

"Remember, in this life, protect Ling'er and don't let her suffer any grievance; love each other forever, otherwise your mother‑in‑law will be..."

"No problem, just do as usual; that's the birth mother's natal family. He's only recorded under my name; we can't have any big..."

"Having taken a primary wife, does that mean you must take concubines? How many do you plan to take?"

"Yes, aunt, on the first day of the third month next year."

The old woman rolled her eyes, wondering when such a person appeared in Jingcheng; the Crown Prince's maternal family is surnamed Rong, so is this Song family...?

The gatekeeper finally understood, "You wait,"

Upon meeting, they all embraced and began to cry; it seems Eleven's feelings for them are still quite deep.

She surveyed the Song family, "What business do you have looking for my daughter?"

The girls secretly tugged at their mother with their hands, whispering.

"What if in the future she doesn't bear a son?"

"Yes, Father Emperor."

"Which family's daughter?"

If in this life she can marry such a man, what regrets remain?

"I suppose the Fu family's daughter has something special, that she made the Crown Prince vow that he will have only one woman in this life?"

"Just be casual; if he goes, you welcome him; if he doesn't, don't say anything, so we don't look like a big‑belly family."

"Back then, your mother consort was the woman I cherished most, but why did I delay promoting the Song family? Because... now you understand why I expelled them from the capital, right?"

Then we'll start with one from a side branch, an heir bearing the Li Family bloodline.

Several girls of the Song Family have reached marriageable age, and as they look at the handsome Crown Prince before them, each of their gazes shows an unusual expression.

Your servant will be more careful.

A girl as fine as the fiancée cannot be brought to be scolded by them.

Qiao Mai set the book down, followed the matron to the courtyard gate, and when the gate opened, Qiao Mai opened her mouth in slight surprise—there were indeed many people; she had thought they were gathering to cause trouble.

Go wherever you like; wherever he wishes to go, he may go. No matter how, in the future this palace will be the Empress Dowager's, and he must still be filial to this palace.

Thank you, Crown Prince Highness.

Time passed quickly; in the blink of an eye more than a month had gone by, and the Crown Prince had only visited the Song Family twice before never going again.

This is the Crown Prince's own volition,

The Song Family members listened to the girls' low murmurs, each silently weighing the numbers in their minds.

Great-grandfather, grandfather, although the Father Emperor promised to let this Crown Prince bring you back, the official posts have not been restored.

An outsider's family can never be as close, but there's no hurry now; they must first settle down, and we'll speak of it once they have secured a certain standing in the court.

Mother, I heard the Crown Prince has not taken a consort.

Rui'er, when the time comes after his grand wedding, with the Crown Princess, will she come to our family or go to the Song Family?

No one believes it; the future emperor will only marry one woman, yet their family has many children, so eventually they must squeeze one in for him.

And it's an in‑law family, with an Empress in between; if one's footing isn't steady, what can they compare with others?

Inside the Imperial Palace, in the Yushufang, the Old Emperor and the Crown Prince were speaking.

When the Emperor finished speaking, the Crown Prince was drenched in cold sweat; he knew the Father Emperor had no need to lie.

I will not take any; in this life this Crown Prince will have only one wife.

The one who arrived was the Empress's mother. "Rui'er, Eleven is recorded under your name, yet you flaunt it so openly and bring his mother's consort's natal family over; what does this leave our Rong Family to do?"

The Song Family's arrival in the capital did not cause much uproar, but the Empress's natal family, after hearing the letter, entered the palace.

The matron hurried inside to report, but not to Ling'er, rather to Qiao Mai.

We want to see the Crown Prince, but we cannot enter the palace; it's been so long, and he hasn't gone to the Song Family even once.

So you're looking for the Crown Prince; go home and wait. I'll send someone to the palace to inform him.

In‑laws, won't you invite us in to sit?

We'll discuss it when Crown Prince Highness personally brings you over.

(End of chapter)