Close, unexplainable closeness.

Emperor Xingyuan's eyes were eager, and it took him a while to regain his composure: "No courtesy."

Xinyou stood up.

“Xin Mu, what a good name. Queen—” Emperor Xingyuan opened his mouth, but suddenly he didn’t know what to say.

  Could it be said that the queen is his mother and he is his father?

This kid must know that he gave birth to a bunch of children behind the queen's back.

Emperor Xingyuan rarely felt embarrassed.

“Your Majesty, do you want to ask me about my adoptive mother?” Xin You asked.

"Adoptive mother?" Emperor Xingyuan's expression changed and he immediately went to see He Qingxiao.

He Qingxiao lowered his head slightly and waited for the emperor to ask.

Emperor Xingyuan, however, withdrew his gaze and stared at the young man in front of him intently: "You said the queen is your adoptive mother?"

"Yes. Cao Min's mother was a maid at the foster mother's side. After giving birth to Cao Min, she died of dystocia. The adoptive mother took pity on Cao Min and adopted Cao Min."

Emperor Xingyuan didn't believe it at all: "He Zhenfu went to Wanyang to investigate. Everyone who has seen you said that you are the son of the owner of the valley."

Xin You explained: "When the grassroots were young, they didn't know that their adoptive mother was the queen, so they kept calling her their mother. I guess it caused people outside to misunderstand."

"impossible!"

Emperor Xingyuan couldn't accept it at all. When he met the young man's calm eyebrows, he suddenly realized: This child clearly had a grudge in his heart and didn't want to recognize him.

Xinxin was more than three months pregnant when she left the womb. In short, his and Xinxin’s child must still be alive!

 “The common people dare not deceive Your Majesty.” Xinyou knelt down.

 Not recognizing that he is the queen's son is not out of willfulness or resentment, but a weighed choice.

For hundreds of officials and nobles, the emperor can favor and trust a person, value a person, even if he promotes a commoner to a high-ranking nobleman, he can accept it. After all, which court does not have a favored minister and a sycophant.

 But the direct prince is different. This is a major matter related to the inheritance of the country. How about just calling a random person the son of the queen?

The queen and those she took away were all dead, leaving only such a young boy. Even if the mountain people outside said that this boy was the queen's son, it was not absurd to identify the legitimate prince based on the words of the mountain villagers.

　　Some people may even suspect in their hearts that even if this boy is the queen's son, he was born by the queen among the people. How can he guarantee that he must be the emperor's child?

The purpose of Xinyou's appearance as Mr. Xin is to fight against the unknown force that killed his mother, rather than to be involved in endless doubts about his life experience, which will undoubtedly create more enemies.

 She only recognized him as the Queen's adopted son, Mr. Songling. Baiguan Xungui guessed in his heart that she might be the Queen's biological child, but he did not dare to offend her easily.

Of course, the premise of all this is that the person in front of her still believes that she is their son.

Xin You knelt on the cold gold bricks and pursed his lips tightly. Anyone who saw him would think that he was a stubborn young man who was angry.

Emperor Xingyuan had been looking forward to it ever since he knew that he and the queen had a son. No one was willing to accept that the thing he was looking forward to would come to nothing. So when he saw Xin You like this, his reason and emotion made him immediately make a judgment. : This child is telling lies and is unwilling to recognize him.

Emperor Xingyuan opened his mouth to question Xinyou's denial, but when the words came to his lips, his heart moved.

 Perhaps it would be better to recognize this child slowly.

He knew those courtiers very well, and if he suddenly claimed that this child was the legitimate prince, he would have all kinds of doubts, and he might even have to confess his blood.

Xinxin has long said that it is not allowed to recognize a relative by shedding blood!

Although Emperor Xingyuan was a relatively powerful emperor, confusing the royal bloodline would shake the foundation of the dynasty, which was enough to make some officials die to remonstrate, not to mention the Queen Mother.

　　First keep the child by your side, let the civil and military officials and even the mother get used to it, and then look for an opportunity to determine his identity.

Having made the decision, Emperor Xingyuan said warmly: "Don't kneel down all the time, stand up and speak."

Xinyou stood up. "Are you the Mr. Songling who wrote "Painted Skin" and "Journey to the West"?"

"Painted Skin" and "Journey to the West" are stories told by the grass-roots people to their adoptive mother. The adoptive mother said that it was Mr. Songling who wrote these stories, and the grass-roots people just retold Mr. Songling's stories."

Xinyou's answer was both unexpected and reasonable at the same time.

Mr. Songling is now famous far and wide, and his talent is admired and sought after by countless people. It is really unexpected that he can resist such a huge temptation of fame at such a young age. And Emperor Xingyuan felt that it was reasonable, because he had read "Journey to the West" and "Painted Skin" many times. From the lines of the words, people's hearts are grasped, and the waves are magnificent. It is hard to believe that a child in his teens could write it.

 In his opinion, people who can write such works must be at least middle-aged, or even old.

Emperor Xingyuan looked at Xin You with gentler eyes.

 Not greedy for fame or profit, he is worthy of being his and the queen’s child.

Even Sun Yan, who was standing behind Emperor Xingyuan pretending to be invisible, couldn't help but look at Xin You a few more times, and his expression changed a little.

 “The Marquis of Changle.”

 “I am here.”

　　"Please step aside first. I want to ask Xin Mu about the queen."

 “I beg you to leave.” He Qingxiao cupped his hands and glanced at Xin You as he walked out.

 He could only see her back, like a green pine standing against the wind and snow.

With no outsiders in the palace, Emperor Xingyuan ordered Sun Yan: "Give Xin Mu a seat."

Sun Yan immediately brought a brocade stool and placed it next to Xin You: "Mr. Xin, please sit down."

Xin You didn't sit down: "The common people don't dare."

"I tell you to sit down, so you sit down." After saying this, Emperor Xingyuan felt a little stiff and coughed softly, then said softly, "You are the Queen's adopted son, so you are my adopted son. Don't be alienated from me."

Sun Yan listened silently, and his heart was shaken.

The emperor valued this child more than he thought.

He couldn't help but glance at Xin You secretly, but he couldn't see any similarity with Emperor Xingyuan.

 Perhaps she looks similar to the Queen?

Sun Yan went to Beijing to make a living many years ago. Unexpectedly, he fell seriously ill and ran out of money. In desperate circumstances, he took the initiative to become a eunuch. At that time, Queen Xin had already left the palace, so she had never seen the famous Queen.

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for giving me a seat." Xin You sat down.

 “I want to hear you tell me about the queen.”

 “What does your Majesty want to know?”

"Have you always lived in that valley? What have you done for a living these years, and where have you been..."

Emperor Xingyuan had many questions, as if he wanted to ask all the questions he had held in his heart for more than ten years.

“I’ve been in the valley as long as the common people can remember...” Xin You answered one by one.

Emperor Xingyuan listened carefully, not only wanting to know about the queen's life during her years away from home, but also using these questions to further confirm the identity of the young man in front of him.

After a long time of asking and answering, Emperor Xingyuan made a decision: "You have a lot of stories that can help me relax after the busy government affairs, so I entered the Hanlin Academy to wait for the imperial edict and listen to the imperial edict at any time."

Those who are in the ninth rank of the imperial edict and have outstanding skills in literature, medicine, calligraphy and painting, divination, monks, etc. can take this position and be on duty at the Hanlin Academy in preparation for the emperor's summons.

 To put it bluntly, it is an official position with a low status, but the emperor can see him whenever he wants. (End of chapter)