A matter involving the blood of the imperial house was not something to be taken lightly.

Prince Sang immediately summoned the palace physician, who conducted a blood recognition test between the Great King and the Third Prince in front of everyone present.

In truth, Jiu’er herself felt a small trace of uncertainty. She still had medicine in her pouch, and if necessary, she could demonstrate it to them again.

But that was a last resort — not something she would bring out unless absolutely necessary.

As it happened, the result came back: the blood merged together. He was indeed the Great King of Yuehe’s own son.

“My own son!” The joy of what was lost and now found again made him nearly forget there were others still present in the hall. He gathered the child into his arms, kissing him again and again, barely able to keep the tears from spilling down his face.

“Your Majesty, there are… there are still others here.” Prince Sang felt compelled to remind him.

The Great King of Yuehe came back to himself, drew a deep breath, and was just about to speak when Jiu’er said, “This child has been unsettled and on the move since he was born, and has never once had a proper meal.”

“Quickly! Have someone fetch a wet nurse — no, fetch ten! Quickly!” His own son had not been properly fed — how could this be allowed? He was the Great King of Yuehe, and his son was Yuehe’s Third Prince.

A Third Prince of such standing, unable to even eat his fill — how could that be!

Prince Sang had someone make the arrangements, and after a fair bit of effort, several wet nurses were finally brought in.

The child was handed over to the palace maids and wet nurses, and the hall at last returned to quiet. By now the guards had withdrawn, and only those present remained in the hall.

“What exactly happened?” The Great King of Yuehe finally had the space to ask. “Why did Noble Consort Lian… why did she die? How did the child end up in your hands?”

“Noble Consort Lian died from complications in childbirth. Two midwives were present at the time and can attest to this.”

Feng Jiu’er had not been there herself, but Qiao Mu had heard the account from Xiao Yingtao and had relayed the general particulars to her.

“On the day Noble Consort Lian gave birth, a squad of guards arrived from the palace and attempted to seize the child. My people had no choice but to take the child away — after all, we had no way of knowing who these men were.”

She let her gaze drift, lightly and with apparent casualness, toward Tuoba Keyan. “There are those who genuinely did not want Noble Consort Lian’s child to be returned to His Majesty’s side — because doing so would prove that His Majesty had previously wronged the Second Prince, and certain individuals might then have to bear the charge of falsely implicating the Second Prince.”

“You scheming woman! You weave slander to cast this prince into disgrace?” Tuoba Keyan said in fury.

“I myself find this matter unclear enough, but whether the child’s return benefits me or the Second Prince I support, it can only be to our advantage. So whether I would want to harm the Third Prince — His Majesty should understand that in his heart.”

The Great King of Yuehe said nothing, but the meaning within Feng Jiu’er’s words was something he did understand.

If Feng Jiu’er and the Second Prince were indeed on the same side — and by all appearances they clearly did have some connection — then it was entirely logical that Feng Jiu’er would want the Third Prince returned in order to clear the Second Prince’s name.

Feng Jiu’er then asked without warning, “Your Majesty, was it you who sent guards to hunt us down yesterday?”

“It was not.” Prince Sang answered on the Great King’s behalf. “The matter of dispatching guards to search for traitors has always been… handled by the First Prince.”

“Imperial Uncle — are you also like this scheming woman, convinced of this prince’s guilt?” Tuoba Keyan said with a cold laugh. “Even if the Third Prince and the Second Prince truly have nothing to do with one another, the Second Prince consorting with foreign enemies — is that not something everyone witnessed with their own eyes?”

“No. The Second Prince was not consorting with people from Bei Mu Nation. It is simply that he knew the First Prince harbored treasonous designs against the Great King, but that his own power was insufficient to oppose the First Prince alone. So he sought to work with us in order to expose the First Prince’s crimes together.”

Feng Jiu’er glanced at the time and, judging it was about right, decided she did not want to waste any more of it.

“First Prince — the matter of you secretly forging large quantities of weapons: does the Great King of Yuehe know of this?”

“What did you say?” The Great King of Yuehe and Prince Sang spoke at the same moment — a testament to just how grave a matter this was.

Tuoba Keyan’s expression shifted, but he quickly broke into a cold laugh. “Could it be that you’ve been taken in by some slander, and that is what leads you to make such reckless claims? Or rather — were those rumors deliberately spread by your people to begin with?”

“If you truly have evidence that this prince is plotting rebellion, present it here. This prince too would like to see what tricks you are still capable of pulling.”

“Is the First Prince so certain that location is well-hidden enough that we could never possibly find it?”

Feng Jiu’er smiled, looking toward the Great King of Yuehe. “Your Majesty, would you be willing to send your most trusted men to accompany this general to inspect that secret base? Of course, before that, the First Prince must first be detained — otherwise he may tip off his men and have them relocate before we arrive.”

“Feng Jiu’er — you dare!” She actually dared suggest that Father confine him?

Of course, acting on the words of an outsider and detaining one’s own nation’s First Prince was something that could not be done. For one thing, it would be a loss of face; for another, it would be a declaration to all that they could not even maintain unity among themselves. A ruler too suspicious of his own people — how could he lead his nation?

Yet the matter of secretly forging weapons was far too grave. This was no longer merely a question of face — this was a matter of national upheaval.

The Great King of Yuehe exchanged a glance with Prince Sang, who too wore an expression of difficulty. But Feng Jiu’er had spoken with such certainty — it did not seem like something fabricated.

The key question was: what possible benefit would she gain from lying to the Great King at this moment? Did she think she would have a chance to escape during the search for the weapon-forging site? The Great King would certainly send troops to accompany them — the possibility of escape simply did not exist.

“Your Majesty, if you do not believe me, simply send men to investigate. This general can lead the way. If you fear I may escape midway, there are still people of mine in the courtyard recovering from injuries — post guards over them as you see fit.”

Tuoba Keyan fixed his gaze on Feng Jiu’er, his expression turning frostbitten. “And if this so-called weapon-forging camp cannot be found — then what?”

Feng Jiu’er said evenly, “Since this general is personally leading the way, it will certainly be found.”

“You little girl — I rather admire you. If it cannot be found, why not stay on as this prince’s consort of Yuehe? How would that suit you?”

“You…” Qiao Mu’s expression darkened immediately as she was about to erupt.

Feng Jiu’er pulled her back and smiled. “That would be wonderful. Being a prince’s consort is far less troublesome than being a general. I only fear I am not so fortunate.”

She then turned to the Great King of Yuehe, a smile still on her face, though her expression instantly turned grave: “This general asks that Your Majesty dispatch men to accompany me at once. Otherwise, I fear the army camped at your border may be heading into danger.”