Chapter 58: Entering the Capital
Kou Shijun's expression was somewhat grave, saying, "People have now come to Ningcheng searching for that child, Ningcheng is no longer safe. I originally wanted to send the child elsewhere, but two days ago, I received news that the Crown Prince's rebellion case has been overturned."
Hearing that the child seemed to be connected to the former Crown Prince's affair, Jiang Chenghan was somewhat surprised yet also found it within expectations, so he did not say much and continued listening to Kou Shijun.
After a pause, Kou Shijun continued, "...At this point, I won't hide it from you anymore. This child's original surname is Xiao, with the full name Xiao Yanchu."
A slight look of surprise appeared in Jiang Chenghan's eyes. If he remembered correctly, the imperial family of Da Qi seemed to have the surname Xiao, and it was also related to the former Crown Prince's rebellion case... Thinking of this, a guess arose in Jiang Chenghan's heart.
Soon, Kou Shijun's next words confirmed his speculation. "...That child is not the son of an old friend of mine. He is the only surviving descendant of the deposed Crown Prince. When he was young, because his mother was merely a concubine of the Crown Prince and he was born with a speech impediment, finding it difficult to speak, he was not valued within the family. Later, when the Crown Prince was accused of treason and the Eastern Palace was surrounded and attacked, the young imperial grandson's wet nurse managed to save him. She swapped him with a small pet dog that was being raised in the palace. The dog perished in the fire set during the attack, making everyone believe the young imperial grandson had died, and this allowed him to escape from the Eastern Palace."
"But this method was quickly discovered, and the young imperial grandson was pursued. Fortunately, old ministers of the Crown Prince secretly protected him, mixing him among exiled convict slaves and sending him thousands of miles to Ningcheng. Now that the Crown Prince's name has been cleared, the young imperial grandson no longer needs to hide and can restore his true identity."
"However, the situation in the capital is complex, and some people probably do not wish for the young imperial grandson to return to the capital smoothly. At present, my duties prevent me from leaving Ningcheng, so I must entrust this crucial task to you. The entry of the Danu Princess into the capital will naturally draw significant attention along the way—precisely why it presents the perfect cover. As the saying goes, the greatest hiding place is in plain sight—moving within such a prominent procession will actually make the young imperial grandson less likely to attract suspicion. Furthermore, having previously stayed with your family, he is already familiar with you. Therefore, you are the most suitable person to escort him to the capital under the guise of protecting the envoys and the princess of Danu. Nevertheless, to guard against any contingency, I will deploy a separate team to simulate a covert journey to the capital, serving as a decoy to divert potential threats."
Kou Shijun's considerations were extremely thorough and reliable, even Jiang Chenghan had nothing to add. Only one point remained: the young imperial grandson was after all just a seven-year-old child who still needed care. Mixing him among the envoys or the Danu Princess's entourage would definitely not work, he would have to travel with Jiang Chenghan's family. But figuring out how to arrange the young imperial grandson's identity troubled Jiang Chenghan somewhat.
Not knowing before was one thing, but now that he knew, he naturally could not be too casual or neglectful. Yet if they were to treat him with the respect due to a true imperial descendant, it would likely attract even more attention.
Kou Shijun seemed to see Jiang Chenghan's dilemma and said, "Your family will be traveling to the capital together on this journey, and I presume you will be accompanied by servants. In that case, we can simply present the young imperial grandson as the child of one of your attendants. At this moment, ensuring his safe arrival in the capital is our utmost priority, there is no need to worry too much about other matters."
Although Kou Shijun said this, Jiang Chenghan's status and position could not compare to his, he could not afford the same boldness. Also, he had a large and small family to consider, so his thoughts inevitably had to be more cautious and careful.
Therefore, after thinking it over carefully, Jiang Chenghan suggested, "General, I was thinking, why not disguise the young imperial grandson as a little shuang'er? Publicly, we can say he is a study companion I bought for Jiajia. This way, we can both avoid attracting attention, and our family can personally take care of him. What do you think?"
Kou Shijun thought for a moment and also felt that Jiang Chenghan's suggestion was more appropriate and secure than his own, so he said, "That works too. Let's do it that way."
After receiving Jiang Chenghan's report about the unusual situation at the charity home, Kou Shijun had moved the young imperial grandson from the charity home to another place. Therefore, once the plan was firmly settled and with their departure scheduled for the next day under pressing time constraints, Jiang Chenghan exchanged only the most essential farewells with Kou Shijun. After receiving the specific location where the young imperial grandson was currently being sheltered, he took his leave from the Governor's residence without delay.
On the way to pick up the person, Jiang Chenghan went to a cosmetics shop and also bought a carriage. Then he drove the carriage, taking the things, to pick up the young imperial grandson.
Although the young imperial grandson was only seven years old, he had never cried or made a fuss about being sent back and forth to different places. He had always been remarkably well-behaved and compliant, though he rarely spoke. Initially, Jiang Chenghan had attributed this silence to a naturally introverted personality, compounded by the anxiety of being in unfamiliar surroundings. However, he had recently learned from Kou Shijun the true reason: the boy was born with a speech impediment that made verbal communication difficult. In his early childhood, this condition was so severe that he had been mistakenly believed to be mute. Because of this, although he was an imperial grandson, he was not highly regarded in the palace.
Meeting again, it seemed Kou Shijun had already spoken in advance to the young imperial grandson and the person caring for him. They had no objections to Jiang Chenghan's appearance or his plan to disguise the young imperial grandson as a shuang'er. The young imperial grandson also obediently allowed Jiang Chenghan to proceed.
Once everything was ready, Jiang Chenghan carried the young imperial grandson out the door, placed him in the carriage, and then drove the carriage back home.
The family couldn't have an extra person appear suddenly without explanation. Jiang Chenghan naturally had to tell everyone the reason, so he just followed what he had discussed with Kou Shijun beforehand, saying only that this child was an orphan he had bought to play with Jiajia.
Jiajia often followed Yan Jingshu to the charity home and naturally recognized this little friend. Although this little friend didn't like to talk, now that he was part of the family and could play with him every day, Jiajia was extremely happy. Calling him 'little big brother, little big brother,' he took the young imperial grandson's hand and led him into his room.
Most of his things had been packed into boxes for the upcoming trip, leaving only a few toys to pass the time. He took them all out for the young imperial grandson, and even his favorite pastries, which he generously shared.
Although the young imperial grandson did not speak, seeing Jiajia, a familiar friend, he relaxed a bit. He took the toys Jiajia gave him to play with and accepted the pastries to eat, occasionally showing a faint smile, revealing a simple purity unique to children.
Seeing the two little ones getting along well, Jiang Chenghan felt relieved and quietly withdrew from the room.
Although the young imperial grandson had been to the Jiang family once before, he hadn't stayed long, and it had been a long time ago. The young imperial grandson had also grown a bit, so the servants at home no longer recognized him and did not doubt Jiang Chenghan's words. However, Yan Jingshu and the Dowager Lady Yan, who were very clear that the boy's background was unusual, would not easily believe it. But Jiang Chenghan had no intention of hiding it from them either.
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