Time Is Slow - Chapter 21
A Royal Heir!
The moment Prince Rui spoke, Doctor Li felt a headache coming on.
Emperor Mingkang was a devout Daoist, obsessed with immortality and ruling forever. He had an entire group of Daoist priests in the palace dedicated to refining longevity pills. From a medical perspective, Doctor Li could only sneer. Those pills wouldn’t prolong life; it would be a miracle if they didn’t outright kill someone.
As a result, Emperor Mingkang’s health was poor, and his offspring were weak. Out of more than ten princes, only two had survived into adulthood—Prince Rui and Prince Mu.
The emperor had never appointed a crown prince, and with Prince Rui and Prince Mu being of similar age, they naturally competed in secret. As the eldest, Prince Rui should have had the advantage, but his frail health made things difficult, and like the emperor, he struggled to produce heirs. Now, in his thirties, he had yet to have a child survive.
Everyone knew that Emperor Mingkang would never name a prince without an heir as his successor.
Doctor Li’s face darkened like the bottom of a scorched pot.
This wasn’t just getting caught up in a succession struggle. This was standing right at the center of the storm, about to be battered by it!
He turned around to leave.
“Doctor, please stay!” Prince Rui gave a deep bow. “For the sake of my sincere request, please examine me.”
Seeing that Doctor Li remained unmoved, Prince Rui added, “Besides, you did not enter the capital discreetly. At this moment, many watchful eyes likely already know you’ve entered my residence. If you leave like this, your safety might—”
Doctor Li halted mid-step and fell silent for a long moment.
He then turned around and grumbled, “Where am I supposed to stay, then?”
Prince Rui was overjoyed and personally supported him. “Wherever you prefer, I will have it prepared immediately!”
Doctor Li let out a long sigh.
He had stepped into the pit, and climbing out wouldn’t be easy.
The streets of the capital were mostly deserted, as nearly all the citizens had gone to watch the triumphant return of the Northern Expedition army. The usually bustling Jin Lin Guard Headquarters, located near the imperial city, was particularly empty.
Jiang Yuanchao stopped in front of the headquarters, adjusted his black robe, and stepped inside.
“Halt! This is a restricted area, no unauthorized persons allowed!” The guards at the entrance blocked his way.
Jiang Yuanchao smirked. “Unauthorized?”
One of his subordinates stepped forward and barked, “You little brat, do you have a death wish? Don’t you recognize your own Thirteenth Lord?”
“Thirteenth Lord? Who…”
Before the young guard could finish his sentence, another guard jumped up in shock. “Good heavens! Thirteenth Lord has returned! Please, come inside!”
Jiang Yuanchao’s lips still held a faint smile, but his eyes were ice-cold. As he walked in, he asked, “Is the Grand Commander here?”
The guard, now fully respectful, bowed and answered, “The old master isn’t in. He stopped by earlier but has since returned home.”
“Home?” Jiang Yuanchao thought for a moment before asking, “Is today Miss Jiang’s birthday?”
The guard nodded repeatedly. “You have an excellent memory, my lord! The Grand Commander went home to celebrate with the young miss.”
Miss Jiang, Jiang Shiran, was the only daughter of Grand Commander Jiang Tang. Everyone in Jin Lin Guard knew she was his most treasured gem.
Jiang Yuanchao halted.
He nodded slightly and said, “You all carry on. I will go pay my respects to my foster father at his residence.”
As he and his subordinates turned and left, the young guard stretched his neck, still trying to get a good look. His colleague gave him a slap. “What are you looking at?”
The young guard, a recent recruit, exclaimed in admiration, “That’s one of the Thirteen Protectors, the famous Thirteenth Lord? He looks so young!”
“Keep your eyes open from now on. He’s the Grand Commander’s most trusted man!”
The young guard couldn’t help but mutter to himself.
If the Grand Commander trusts him so much, why did he send him away for so many years? Hmph, the minds of high-ranking officials are truly hard to understand.
Jiang Tang was deeply favored by the emperor, and his residence was located not far from the imperial palace. Before heading there, Jiang Yuanchao ordered his men to buy a set of dolls from Treasure Pavilion as a birthday gift, then carried them to the mansion’s entrance.
“Thirteenth Lord has returned! Please wait a moment, I’ll go inform the master!”
Watching the servant rush inside, Jiang Yuanchao smirked.
In the past, when he was in the capital, he never needed to wait for permission to enter Jiang Manor.
Before long, the servant came running back. “Thirteenth Lord, the master invites you in!”
Jiang Yuanchao nodded, stepped forward, and from a distance, saw Jiang Tang waiting for him on the steps. Quickening his pace, he approached and knelt on one knee. “Your unworthy son has returned to pay his respects to Father.”
If not for this man before him, he, who was once a street orphan, would have likely survived, but only in the same way an ant struggles to live. He truly respected and cherished his foster father.
The man on the steps was in his early fifties, with a general’s belly from years of indulgence. He stepped forward personally to help Jiang Yuanchao up. Though his expression remained stern, a hint of warmth lingered in his eyes.
“It’s good that you’ve returned.”
The two walked inside together when suddenly, a young girl in a pink dress dashed out of the house, her face beaming with joy as she ran toward Jiang Yuanchao.
“Thirteenth Brother, you’re finally back!”
Jiang Yuanchao subtly shifted his body to the side, avoiding physical contact with the girl, and raised the exquisite gift box in his hand before her.
“Just in time for your birthday, Ranran.”
Jiang Shiran let out a cheerful exclamation and eagerly took the gift. She opened it in front of them and saw a set of finely crafted dolls inside. Though pleased, she couldn’t help but complain,
“Thirteenth Brother, I’m already sixteen! I’m not a little girl anymore—why are you still giving me these?”
Jiang Yuanchao smiled gently.
“In Thirteenth Brother’s eyes, you will always be my little girl.”
For some reason, as he said this, a certain figure flashed through his mind.
That girl… she was the one who was truly young, yet he often forgot that fact. Perhaps it was because women who dared to throw a cactus at the Champion Marquis were so rare.
His words seemed to annoy Jiang Shiran. She stomped her foot and huffed, “I am not a little girl!” before turning on her heels and running off.
Jiang Tang sighed, looking both helpless and embarrassed. He shook his head and said,
“Thirteenth, don’t take it to heart. That’s just how she is.”
“Of course not.” Jiang Yuanchao’s smile remained indifferent, as if Jiang Shiran’s reaction had left no mark on him at all, like a raindrop vanishing into the sea.
Jiang Tang’s eyes dimmed slightly with disappointment, but he quickly waved it off and ordered, “Come with me to the study.”
The two entered the study, and Jiang Tang’s expression turned serious.
“Thirteenth, you were stationed in Jiafeng. How did the Qiao family suffer such a devastating fire right under your nose? Was it truly a natural disaster, or was it arson?”
“It was my failure. I await Father’s punishment!”
Jiang Tang waved his hand impatiently.
“Enough nonsense. Just get to the point!”
His blunt tone made Jiang Yuanchao feel an odd sense of relief.
It seemed that, despite the years apart and the inevitable cooling of relationships, his foster father had not truly changed toward him.
“Father, I firmly believe the Qiao family fire was no accident. It was deliberate!”
“Explain.”
“The fire spread too suddenly. We didn’t detect any suspicious individuals beforehand, but the behavior of the surviving Qiao heir was highly unusual. Instead of staying to mourn or recover from his injuries, he took his young sister to visit a few old family friends before promptly leaving Jiafeng.
“I believe he knows something.”