Regarding Huang Quan’s identity, after it was revealed, Emperor Tianqi had sent people to investigate, and the results were rather thought-provoking.
At that time, he was still the Crown Prince, and he had a good relationship with Nangong Qi. When Nangong Qi refused to form a marriage alliance with the royal family, Emperor Tianqi had asked him for the reason.
Nangong Qi’s response was simple: he didn’t want to marry someone who was not the person he loved.
For a young master from a prestigious family, this was something that would be considered a luxury by the royal family.
But Nangong Qi had done it, although the outcome wasn’t great…
Still, he had achieved his goal, being with the person he wanted, though he paid a price for it—he had not returned to the Nangong family for many years.
At the time, Emperor Tianqi had felt regretful about Nangong Qi’s situation.
Now, naturally, he was willing to support Huang Quan’s wishes.
“What does Qin’er think?” Emperor Tianqi asked Di Qin.
Di Qin replied, “Quan Quan’s thoughts are my thoughts.”
“Since both of you have made this decision, then I won’t hurry to issue a marriage decree,” Emperor Tianqi said, looking at Huang Quan. “Everything will wait until we find your parents and older brother.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Huang Quan said.
Emperor Tianqi looked at her. “I’m glad that you are the one Qin’er loves.”
“When Qin’er was younger, he could still make contact with people. But as he grew older, his condition worsened, and he could no longer have normal contact with others. For all these years, I have been worried about how Qin’er would manage in the future.”
“Now, with you, I no longer worry.”
Emperor Tianqi looked at Huang Quan with great relief.
Huang Quan replied, “Your Majesty, don’t worry. I will always be by Di Qin’s side.”
“Mm.” Emperor Tianqi nodded with satisfaction. After speaking for a long time, he finally let them leave.
After leaving the Imperial Study, Huang Quan looked at Di Qin. “Qin’er, it’s getting late. I’ll return to the academy.”
“Mm.” Di Qin replied warmly, “Quan Quan, we’ve made some progress with the matter regarding Haiwai Tian. I believe that soon we will be able to track his whereabouts.”
Huang Quan looked at him. “Qin’er, thank you for all your hard work.”
Since meeting Qin’er, it had always been him helping with these matters.
“We don’t need to talk about these things between us.” Di Qin gently stroked Huang Quan’s head. “Let’s go, I’ll take you back.”
“Okay.” Huang Quan responded, just about to leave with Di Qin when a palace maid approached.
“Your Highness, the Crown Prince.” The maid curtsied to Di Qin.
Di Qin looked at her with a calm expression. “What is it?”
The maid replied, “The Imperial Concubine has requested Miss Nangong to come to Shuhe Palace for a chat.”
The Imperial Concubine?
She wants to talk to her?
Without thinking further, Huang Quan immediately knew who it was.
Nangong Yue, the second miss of the Nangong family.
What would she want to talk about?
“Quan Quan, do you want to go?” Di Qin asked, looking at her. “If you don’t want to, then we don’t have to.”
“I’ll go,” Huang Quan said. “Since she’s looking for me, it would be impolite not to go.”
Di Qin responded, “I’ll accompany you.”
“No need, Qin’er.” Huang Quan said, “You are the Crown Prince. You can’t casually go to the Imperial Concubine’s palace. Go back to the East Palace and wait for me. I’ll contact you once I’m done.”
Hearing this, Di Qin said no more and nodded, “Alright.”
Huang Quan looked at the maid. “Let’s go.”
The maid replied, “This way, Miss Nangong.”
With that, the maid and Huang Quan left together.
Di Qin stood still, watching them walk away.
It wasn’t until their figures had disappeared that Yong Zhou appeared behind Di Qin, quietly asking, “Master, should we follow them?”
“No need.” Di Qin replied, “Quan Quan would notice.”
“Moreover, there’s no need. Quan Quan won’t be bullied.”
409
Shuhe Palace.
The palace maid led Huang Quan into the palace and said, “Your Highness, the guests have arrived.”
Nangong Yue raised her head to look at Huang Quan and said, “Alright, you may leave.”
After the maid withdrew, Nangong Yue turned her attention to Huang Quan. “Please, sit down.”
Huang Quan took a seat on a nearby chair and looked at Nangong Yue. “I wonder what the Imperial Concubine wishes to discuss with me?”
Nangong Yue lifted her eyelids and glanced at Huang Quan. “Since you know I’m the Imperial Concubine, why didn’t you pay your respects when you saw me?”
Huang Quan smiled slightly at her words. “Why don’t you ask His Majesty if I bowed when I saw him?”
“Let’s see if I showed respect to His Majesty when I met him?”
“If His Majesty didn’t require it, why would the Imperial Concubine mention it? Does the Imperial Concubine think herself more esteemed than His Majesty?”
Nangong Yue’s expression turned cold. “Huang Quan, do you realize what trouble your words could bring to the Nangong family if they were reported to His Majesty?”
“Does the Nangong family have anything to do with me?”
Huang Quan looked at her nonchalantly. “Besides, isn’t what I just said the truth?”
“That’s outrageous!”
Nangong Yue scolded, “You’re so disrespectful! Is that how your parents raised you?”
Upon hearing this, Huang Quan’s expression turned cold as well. “How my parents raised me is none of the Imperial Concubine’s concern.”
“If you have time to worry about me, it would be better to focus on yourself.” Huang Quan said with a hint of a smile, “My grandfather is eager for me to marry into the royal family. Why is that?”
“Is it because he knows the Imperial Concubine is unreliable?”
“Huang Quan.”
Nangong Yue said coldly, “You need not mock me so.”
Huang Quan smirked slightly. Who started the mockery first?
Nangong Yue said, “If it weren’t for your father refusing to marry into the royal family, I would never have entered the palace.”
“Your father made a mess, and I had to clean it up for him.” Nangong Yue continued, “As a junior, you don’t even appreciate it, and instead mock me. It seems that after your father left the Nangong family, he didn’t have much time to look after you. Otherwise, how could he have raised such a disrespectful daughter like you?”
Before Huang Quan could respond, Nangong Yue went on, “But thinking about it, it’s quite normal. After leaving the Nangong family, he was no longer the young master of the top family. Life became difficult, so it’s understandable he didn’t have time to discipline you.”
“As for your mother…” Nangong Yue began to mention Ling Ran, but upon thinking about Ling Ran’s identity, she swallowed the words.
“What about my mother?” Huang Quan looked at her. “Why did the Imperial Concubine stop talking?”
Nangong Yue gave her an unpleasant look, wanting to say something, but Ling Ran’s identity was something she couldn’t mention.
“The way you judge people is exactly like your father,” Huang Quan said slowly. “It’s a pity my mother never revealed she’s from the Spirit Clan.”
“Tell me, if my mother had said so, would the Imperial Concubine still have become the Imperial Concubine?”
“Probably not,” Huang Quan said nonchalantly. “I’ve heard that the late Emperor valued my father greatly, which is why he hoped he would marry a princess. But when my father and mother married, the Nangong family thought that my father would rather marry a woman with an unknown background than a princess. That embarrassed the royal family, so they thought of finding a suitable lady from the Nangong family to marry the current Emperor.”
“Unfortunately, there were no suitable ladies from the legitimate line of the Nangong family, so they had to find one from the concubines’ daughters.” Huang Quan deliberately emphasized the words “concubines’ daughters” when she mentioned it.
