CHAPTER 219 — TANG KEXIN KNOWS EVERYTHING
Tang Kexin let out a quiet, humourless laugh.
Had the Northern King not already "stood idly by" for more than a decade?
She didn't even know how to describe what she felt toward him.
Confusion, resentment, disbelief — all tangled together.
How was she supposed to accept a man who had never once appeared in nineteen years suddenly claiming to be her father?
Even with her ability to adapt, this was too much to swallow in a single breath.
It didn't matter to her whether he was the ruler of the Northern Kingdom or a nameless wanderer. She had never needed a powerful background to survive. She had carved her own path.
What unsettled her was the suddenness of it all — the way he had appeared with the Jadeblood Heart Grass in hand, as though offering alms.
Was she meant to thank him?
To feel indebted?
"I still want the Empress to…" she began.
But another thought struck her.
"Even you can't cure the Empress's poison?" she asked sharply. "Isn't the Northern Kingdom supposed to be formidable? Aside from the Jadeblood Heart Grass, you're telling me there's no other cure?"
"This poison is from the Western Regions," Lei Ying replied gravely. "No one in the Central Plains can cure it."
The Western Regions?
Tang Kexin's heart jolted.
Why would something from the Western Regions appear here?
There had never been any contact between the two lands — not openly, at least.
And yet the poison had reached the capital.
Which meant…
They truly had no choice but to rely on the Jadeblood Heart Grass.
"However…" Lei Ying hesitated.
Tang Kexin's eyes sharpened. "But what?"
Lei Ying glanced at her, weighing his words. "The Princess might know."
"Princess?" Tang Kexin frowned. "Which princess?"
Could it be the mysterious Northern Princess who had never shown herself?
She would soon learn that the Northern King had an adopted daughter — a secret known to very few.
"Northern Princess Bei Chengyao," Lei Ying said at last.
Tang Kexin inhaled slowly.
So that was it.
"Where is she?"
"She will arrive in the capital in a few days," Lei Ying answered. "She should be bringing the Jadeblood Heart Grass."
Tang Kexin felt a small measure of relief.
At least there was hope.
"Thank you," she said sincerely. Whatever her feelings toward the Northern King, she wanted the Empress saved.
"The Princess may be capable," Lei Ying said cautiously. "But I am not."
Tang Kexin nodded. She already had a plan forming.
Ye Lanjue, who had been silent until now, finally spoke.
"So you mean the Western Regions are involved?"
The Western Regions and the Central Plains had no dealings. Their martial arts were considered sinister, forbidden.
So how had their poison reached the palace?
"I found something from the Western Regions by chance," Lei Ying said, turning to Ye Lanjue. "And it may be connected to the person you're searching for."
Tang Kexin and Ye Lanjue exchanged a look — a silent understanding passing between them.
Lei Ying continued, voice softer now. "Young Mistress… Master has not had an easy time these past years. I hope you will not reject him too harshly."
Tang Kexin's thoughts blurred.
She didn't know how to respond.
"This humble guard takes his leave," Lei Ying said, bowing before disappearing into the shadows.
---
"Let's go back," Ye Lanjue murmured.
He could see her mood was frayed, her thoughts tangled. He didn't push her. He simply guided her back to her room, giving her the quiet she needed.
---
By the time they reached the Prime Minister's Estate, dusk had settled over the city.
It had been a long time since she'd returned.
The familiar courtyard felt strangely distant — familiar, yet foreign, as though she were seeing it through someone else's eyes.
"Your Highness, Princess, please come in. The Prime Minister and Madam are waiting," the attendant said respectfully.
As soon as they entered, the Prime Minister and his wife knelt.
"Greetings, Your Highness. Greetings, Princess."
"Father, Mother — please, don't," Tang Kexin said quickly, rushing to help them up.
Now that she knew they weren't her biological parents, she felt even more affection for them.
Especially her mother — the woman who had loved her, worried for her, scolded her, protected her.
None of that had been false.
Her heart warmed painfully.
"I wonder why the Third Prince and Princess have returned so suddenly?" the Prime Minister asked, concern flickering in his eyes. He had always worried that Xin'er would struggle in the palace.
But seeing the two of them together now… he felt reassured.
"Xin'er wished to visit," Ye Lanjue said simply. "Naturally, I accompanied her."
The words were ordinary, but the meaning beneath them was not.
The Prime Minister's wife squeezed Tang Kexin's hand. "Xin'er has always been wilful. I hope the Prince will forgive her."
Ye Lanjue glanced at Tang Kexin — who had lowered her head, cheeks tinged pink — and felt a warmth spread through him.
"She is fine as she is," he said softly.
Tang Kexin shot him a glare.
"Mother," she said suddenly, "I want to sleep with you tonight."
The Prime Minister's wife blinked. "You're married now, Xin'er. How can you still sleep with your mother?"
Tang Kexin pouted — actually pouted — and Ye Lanjue nearly choked.
If they weren't in public, he would have kissed her senseless.
"Mother, I haven't been home in so long," Tang Kexin said sweetly. "Just one night?"
Ye Lanjue's mouth twitched.
She was doing this on purpose.
"It's fine," he said calmly. "Let her stay with you tonight."
He sounded composed, but inwardly he was thinking: I have plenty of nights to steal her back.
"Very well," the Prime Minister's wife said, though she eyed her daughter suspiciously.
---
Later that night, as they lay beneath the familiar canopy, the Prime Minister's wife finally asked:
"Xin'er, what's wrong?"
Tang Kexin hesitated — then whispered, "Mother… you know the Empress was poisoned?"
"Yes," her mother said quietly. "I heard."
"But the Jadeblood Heart Grass must be refined with the blood of her own child."
She said it lightly — but the weight of the truth hung between them like a blade.
—————————————-
CHAPTER 220 — HIS HIGHNESS WAS VERY CAREFUL
The Prime Minister's wife felt her heart twist.
So Xin'er had sensed something. She had returned unsettled, her eyes shadowed with thoughts she hadn't voiced.
"Xin'er… do you know something?" she asked softly, pain flickering through her gaze.
Tang Kexin's breath caught. "Why does Mother say that?"
"Even if you are not my flesh and blood," the Prime Minister's wife murmured, "after more than ten years together, some things become etched into one's bones."
"Mother…" Tang Kexin's voice trembled. She didn't want to hear it, yet she needed to.
"Some truths have been buried for over a decade," her mother whispered, stroking her hair with a tenderness that made Tang Kexin's chest ache. "And now… they are beginning to surface."
She paused, eyes distant with memory.
"That year, Qing'er and I gave birth at the same time. My child… died young." Her voice cracked, but she continued. "The Qing'er begged me — begged me — to raise you as my own."
Tang Kexin's heart clenched.
"I didn't understand why," the Prime Minister's wife said, "but she was resolute. So I took you in. And that decision… lasted nineteen years."
Her voice softened. "Qing'er…"
She hadn't meant to use the Empress's childhood name aloud, but the memories were too vivid — two young women, two infants, one tragedy.
"Later," she continued, "Qing'er returned to the palace with another child. I never asked where the child came from. Some things… one simply cannot ask."
Tang Kexin's breath stilled.
Ye Lanchen.
Everything aligned with painful clarity.
"When His Majesty bestowed the marriage between you and the Third Prince," her mother said, "I thought… surely she would refuse. But she agreed."
She shook her head, bewildered even now.
"And who would have imagined," she whispered, "that your father was never the Emperor at all?"
The weight of the secret seemed to crush her. She closed her eyes tightly, as though holding back years of exhaustion.
Tang Kexin leaned into her, voice soft but unwavering. "You have always been my mother, and you will always be."
The Prime Minister's wife's hands trembled as she stroked her daughter's hair. "Yes… always."
After a long silence, she exhaled shakily. "Go to the Third Prince. Go to your father. Whatever happens, you will always be our daughter."
Tang Kexin forced a smile, though her heart felt raw. "Yes."
Her mother smiled too — and tears spilled down her cheeks.
Tang Kexin held her tightly, offering what comfort she could.
Only after her mother had calmed did she escort her back to her room.
---
"How did it go?" Ye Lanjue asked when she returned. He hadn't slept; he'd been waiting.
Tang Kexin didn't answer. She simply climbed into bed and curled against him.
Ye Lanjue froze for a moment — then wrapped his arms around her, holding her close without asking anything more.
---
Elsewhere in the estate, the Prime Minister listened to his wife's quiet sobs. His own eyes stung as he pulled her into his arms.
"You've worked hard," he whispered.
He wasn't immune to sorrow — but what pained him most was how she had carried this burden alone for so many years. She had loved Xin'er as fiercely as any mother could.
"Xin'er has always been our daughter," he said firmly.
His wife nodded. There was nothing more to say.
The truth was out.
And now, everything depended on fate.
---
The next morning, Ye Lanjue left early for court. Tang Kexin washed, dressed, and slipped out of the manor with Wen Yu.
"Princess Consort, where are we going?" Wen Yu asked, though her tone remained calm and unreadable.
"You'll know soon enough," Tang Kexin replied.
The Wordless Restaurant on the west side of the city was quiet even at midday. Tang Kexin walked in with the ease of someone who had been here before.
Wen Yu followed, her expression subtly tense.
"What would Miss like?" the shopkeeper asked — then froze when he recognised her. His gaze flicked nervously to Wen Yu.
Tang Kexin didn't bother with pleasantries. "I'm here for the Suo Yan Sect."
The shopkeeper swallowed. "Very well, but…"
His eyes darted toward Wen Yu again.
"Wen Yu, wait here," Tang Kexin said.
"Princess Consort, be careful," Wen Yu murmured, lowering her voice.
Tang Kexin nodded and followed the shopkeeper upstairs.
"This isn't the same room as last time," she said quietly.
"The leader isn't here," the shopkeeper replied.
"Not here?" Tang Kexin frowned. He had been waiting for her last time — why disappear now?
The shopkeeper stopped at a door. "Go in."
Tang Kexin pushed it open.
A masked man stood inside — not the one from before.
"What does Miss wish to know?" he asked, voice stiff and cold.
"Do you know where else I can find a Jadeblood Heart Grass?" she asked, though she didn't expect much.
"No."
The answer was immediate.
"We have never seen it. Jadeblood Heart Grass is rare beyond measure."
Tang Kexin pressed her lips together. She had wanted to ask about the past — but decided against it. The fewer people who knew, the better.
"Anything else?" the man asked.
"No."
She turned and left.
Downstairs, she found Wen Yu speaking quietly with the shopkeeper. Something flickered in Tang Kexin's mind — a thread connecting, a suspicion forming.
"Wen Yu, let's go," she said lightly.
Wen Yu straightened, her expression a touch too composed. "Yes, Princess Consort."
Tang Kexin didn't expose her. Not yet.
---
In the carriage, the space between them felt small, intimate — and perfect for questions.
"Wen Yu," Tang Kexin said casually, "has your master ever mentioned the Suo Yan Sect?"
"Yes," Wen Yu replied calmly. She had expected the question.
"Are they close?"
"I believe so. This servant doesn't know the details."
Tang Kexin nodded slowly.
It was a reasonable answer — and exactly the kind Wen Yu would give if she were hiding something.
"So that's how it is," Tang Kexin said lightly. "I thought you might know more."
She smiled faintly.
"I'll ask Jue when we return."
And Wen Yu's fingers tightened ever so slightly in her lap.
Tang Kexin saw it — and her suspicions deepened.