Chapter 149: Is Rong Yang His Child?

He Yan, thinking that his relationship with Rong Juan was no longer what it used to be, said, "The gifts from the Yan Guogong Prefecture are all arranged by my mother."

"Everyone gets along quite well," Prince Xue reminded him.

The preparations by the Lady of the Yan Guogong Prefecture and the items reviewed by He He Shizi carried different levels of importance.

Qin He's meaning was that both families should prepare gifts and attend the full-moon banquet together.

This would be a face-saving gesture for Rong He Shizi, wiping out all past grievances.

For He He Shizi, Prince Xue, and Princess Xue to appear together would be an immense display of prestige.

He Yan snorted. If everyone got along so well, would Rong Juan have married Qin Bi, who had divorced him, while he was away? He and Rong Juan had known each other since childhood; both were heirs to powerful ministers assisting the Great Yan Emperor, serving as both colleagues and friends.

Rong Juan marrying Qin Bi caught He Yan completely off guard.

He had thought that no one would dare marry Qin Bi after she left him.

If only he had known Rong Juan would marry Qin Bi...

Hearing that snort, Prince Xue turned to look at He He Shizi and said, "We have also grown up playing together, and our families even opened shops together. The gifts for the full-moon banquet cannot be too light, or it would be embarrassing."

Recalling the glory days when they first opened the shops, Prince Xue went on and on, "Everyone just had some misunderstandings; once those are cleared up, it will be fine. It was so good when we were all together before."

After a cup of tea, He He Shizi said, "Draw up a list; both families should prepare identical gifts."

"Very well," Prince Xue finally took a sip of tea to moisten his throat. "To clear up the misunderstanding between Rong He Shizi and He He Shizi, I have worn out so many lips," Prince Xue said. "When I return, I will find Qin He to draw up the gift list."

Having achieved his goal, Prince Xue stood up and left.

Upon returning to the Rong Wang Fu, Qin He hurriedly went to greet him, "How did it go?"

Prince Xue was a fat man with peach-blossom eyes that held a friendly air. He smiled and said, "He He Shizi was probably still resentful that Rong He Shizi married your illegitimate cousin. Initially, he planned to let the Lady of the Yan Guogong Prefecture prepare the full-moon banquet gifts, but after I persuaded him, He He Shizi said, 'Whatever gifts the Xue Wang Fu sends, draw up a list for him; the Yan Guogong Prefecture will send the same.'"

Qin He smiled with satisfaction, "As long as He He Shizi attends the full-moon banquet for Rong He Shizi's legitimate second son, the past grievances should be overlooked. We two must pull our weight."

"Rest assured," Prince Xue took full responsibility. "Originally, there was no real grudge between the two heirs of powerful ministers; it was just some misunderstandings."

Qin He let out a long sigh and sat down in a chair, saying, "It's all Qin Bi's fault. Our families opened shops together and were close, but because she used underhanded tactics, it caused discord between Rong He Shizi and He He Shizi."

Prince Xue had heard this for the first time and asked, "Your illegitimate cousin used underhanded tactics?"

Qin He nodded, "Given Rong He Shizi's background, he certainly wouldn't marry a divorced woman. Before, Rong He Shizi showed no intention of marrying her at all. The entire Qin Yan Hou Prefecture, in an attempt to climb up to the Rong Wang Fu, tested Rong He Shizi's intentions regarding which sister to marry several times, but he always declined. Although I don't know why Rong He Shizi suddenly proposed to marry Qin Bi, I am certain she must have used underhanded tactics. Without such tactics, how could someone like her possibly be worthy of Rong He Shizi?"

Prince Xue believed Qin He, yet he couldn't imagine what tactics Qin Bi could have used.

Rong He Shizi and Qin Bi had no connection; even if Qin Bi wanted to use tactics, she had no opportunity.

However, Qin He spoke with such conviction, and since Prince Xue admired Qin He, he naturally did not doubt her.

Having received the message from Prince Xue, Qin He paid even more attention to preparing the full-moon gifts. She personally went to a jewelry shop to have a golden spiritual beast crafted, along with small bracelets with the character for 'fortune', small jade pendants, and various other trinkets.

Even for her maternal grandfather's family, such expensive gifts would not necessarily be prepared.

Qin He was a little rich woman and didn't care how much silver was spent. Qin Bi was merely an illegitimate daughter from the fourth branch of the Qin Yan Hou Prefecture; so what if she became Rong He Shizi's wife and bore two legitimate sons? Qin He was determined to take this opportunity to make Qin Bi face reality.

The only one who could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with an heir to a powerful minister was her, Qin He.

Qin He drew up another list identical to the first and sent someone to deliver it to He He Shizi.

He Yan had not yet left the palace when Rong Yang, swaying unsteadily, entered the palace, finding the exterior of the Imperial Study. He Yan had finished reviewing his stack of memorials and was just preparing to leave the palace when the child came looking for him.

Seeing the little dumpling, He Yan stopped his steps. Rong Yang walked over, "My younger brother is almost a month old."

He Yan said, "The Yan Guogong Prefecture has prepared gifts."

"What gifts?" Rong Yang asked hurriedly.

"The gift list is at the residence," He Yan lowered his gaze to look at the child, "Do you want to go to the Yan Guogong Prefecture?"

"Yes," the little one swayed unsteadily as he followed.

He Yan was stunned and looked at the child again; there was nothing unusual, so the child probably hadn't been neglected at the Rong Wang Fu. He Yan bent down and picked the child up. Rong Yang immediately started chattering about how good his younger brother was.

The Prime Minister and the Minister of Revenue saw this and stared as He Yan left.

"Have Rong He Shizi and He He Shizi reconciled?" the Minister of Revenue asked.

"Probably," the Prime Minister said, "Or perhaps it's because he has no child, so he looks affectionate towards the boy."

Before He He Shizi divorced the illegitimate daughter of the fourth branch of the Qin Yan Hou Prefecture, the two heirs to powerful ministers assisted the Great Yan Emperor together; one stayed by the Great Yan Emperor's side, while the other guarded the border, and the Great Yan was in harmony.

Since Rong He Shizi married the wife He He Shizi had divorced, the two heirs to powerful ministers were no longer as they used to be.

Now, judging by this situation, their relationship seems to have eased.

When He Yan returned to his residence, he ordered a servant to fetch the gift list Qin He had given from the Lady of the Yan Guogong Prefecture. The servant returned with the list, and He Yan took a sip of tea while Rong Yang sat at the writing desk in the courtyard eating melon seeds.

The servant handed the list to the little dumpling. The child looked at it and was dissatisfied, "Father waited a long time to have this younger brother; perhaps this is the only child Father will have in his life. Your gifts won't do. There are only two golden spiritual beasts, and the small bracelets and jade pendants are too few."

The child's milky voice struck He Yan's heart, making it pound. What did he mean that Rong Juan would only have this one child? He Yan stared at Rong Yang. If Rong Juan had only one child, could Rong Yang be his child?

A man cursed to have no wife and no children dared not harbor such hopes, because if he was wrong, He Yan could not bear it.

Raising Qin He's child was one thing; that wasn't He Yan's child, so there was no need to worry, and a few trivial items would suffice. But if Rong Yang was his child, He Yan's heart tightened.

"How do you want me to send the gifts?" He Yan stared at the child and asked.

"Spiritual rabbits, spiritual birds, various small spiritual beasts—I want one of each for my younger brother. Not crafted spiritual beasts," Rong Yang chattered, "Father raised me, shouldn't you give my younger brother the most precious full-moon gift?"

Rong Yang stood up, pinched his small arm, and looked up at He Yan, saying, "Father raised me this big and raised me so well."

He Yan looked at the child. The child was short and exquisitely carved like jade. He Yan was speechless. After a moment, he nodded and agreed, "Very well, I will go to the small space of the Demon Beast Realm. I will surely catch live small spiritual beasts for you."