Chapter 689: Chapter 689: A Happy Occasion for the Lonely The horse carriage from the Eastern Palace had just arrived at the palace gate, and Leng Yuqing also arrived on horseback. He dismounted and, upon seeing Ye Yiheng and Leng Yu Yan alight from the carriage, hurriedly led his horse over, “Your Highness, sister, it is said that during the early court session…” There was a clamor of voices at the palace gate, and Ye Yiheng raised his hand to interrupt him, “Second uncle need not worry; I and Yanyan are just about to handle this matter.” “Second Brother, you should return to the military camp first,” Leng Yu Yan whispered, implying that if help was needed, he would be sought out. Leng Yuqing now managed the elite soldiers of the Northern Garrison and generally did not need to attend court. His presence at the palace gate at this moment coincided with an ongoing discussion inside about changing the Crown Prince. If he had brought elite soldiers with him, the situation would have become different. At that time, Ye Yiheng could have been accused of conspiracy by certain princes and ministers. Leng Yuqing realized this too, so when he received the news, he came alone. Now, seeing the Crown Prince’s confident demeanor, Leng Yuqing was relieved and immediately mounted his horse and galloped away. Some guards at the palace gate had been bribed by Ye Zhenyu, who had been alert when they saw Leng Yuqing arrive, fearing that the elite soldiers of the Northern Garrison might be lurking nearby. Seeing him leave, they all breathed a sigh of relief. As long as Ye Yiheng lost his position as Crown Prince, these guards would be able to lead a life of luxury in the future, possibly even marrying daughters of prominent families or even receiving titles of nobility. Considering this, the guards looked at Ye Yiheng and Leng Yu Yan with scorn. Ye Yiheng, changing from his usual practice of being supported by Leng Yu Yan, grasped the tender arm that rested on his and clenched it tightly in his hand. This time, he wanted to lead her by the hand, enter through this palace gate, and head toward Xiande Hall. At that moment in Xiande Hall, the Emperor had just announced the abolishment of Ye Yiheng’s position as Crown Prince and immediately, a minister proposed to appoint a new Crown Prince. Nearly every prince who had been ennobled was nominated, including a Seventh Prince who was about to be ennobled, of course excluding Ye Zhenxian. Appointing a new Crown Prince was a thorny issue; the Emperor considered himself still in his prime and did not wish to appoint a new heir so soon after abolishing Ye Yiheng. Previously, Ye Yiheng had been appointed Crown Prince due to being a legitimate son and also as a way to prevent fratricide and conflict among brothers. Now, as the princes had grown older, the struggle for succession was already underway both openly and covertly. Thus, he was not in a hurry to appoint another Crown Prince and opened the discussion, “My beloved subjects, since you all have candidates to recommend, let’s speak freely and discuss the merits of your recommended individuals for the benefit of Tiancheng’s mountain.” At these words, the ministers began speaking one after another. Ye Yiheng, holding Leng Yu Yan’s hand, walked briskly and soon caught up with Ye Zhenyu and Zheng Liqi who were ahead. Ye Zhenyu called out to Ye Yiheng, “Sixth Brother, why such haste?” Unexpectedly, Ye Yiheng, without turning his head, replied, “I have joyous news to share with Father Emperor.” Leaving those words behind, Ye Yiheng and Leng Yu Yan headed straight for the grand hall of Xiande Hall. Zheng Liqi suspiciously asked, “Prince, what joyous news do you think they have?” Ye Zhenyu chuckled softly, “What else could it be? Could it be that Beilan is pregnant?” At this moment, he did not address Leng Yu Yan as the Crown Prince Consort, as he was certain that Ye Yiheng had already been stripped of his position as Crown Prince. Even if the couple entered the grand hall and shared their so-called joyous news with the Father Emperor, it would not preserve Ye Yiheng’s position as Crown Prince. It should be noted that in today’s court, most of the civil and military officials belonged to him, and even many of the palace maids, eunuchs, and guards had been bribed by him. Just yesterday, he married Miss Zheng, which was a joyous occasion in itself. If today he could be appointed as Crown Prince by the Father Emperor, it would be an even greater joy. Father Emperor had not yet held the morning court, and he rushed to bring Li Qi into the palace to present tea, so as to find out sooner that he had been appointed as Crown Prince. As for whether Leng Yu Yan was pregnant, although he said so to Li Qi, he barely believed it himself, as Ye Yiheng and Leng Yu Yan had been married for less than a month, and conceiving was no easy matter. Thinking of this, Ye Zhenyu gazed at Leng Yu Yan’s departing figure with a trace of disdain. Once he became Crown Prince, he could then remove Ye Yiheng under some groundless charges, and by then he could think of a way to conceal Leng Yu Yan. If she were obedient, he would call it keeping a concubine in a golden house. If she were not, he would imprison her for his own amusement. Envisioning his future life, a flicker of cold light flashed in Ye Zhenyu’s eyes. Li Qi was completely oblivious; she watched the couple walking ahead into the grand hall with resentment, imagining the expressions on Ye Yiheng’s and Leng Yu Yan’s faces when they found out he was no longer Crown Prince, and she was no longer Crown Princess Consort. The moment of triumph she had been anxiously awaiting. Alas, she was off to present tea to Consort Xian and could not witness Ye Yiheng’s and Leng Yu Yan’s reactions herself. Thinking that the time was closing in on when they would kneel before her and call her Crown Princess Consort, she felt utterly relieved. The two rounded a corner and headed towards Chenglan Palace. At this moment in the grand hall, the Emperor and the officials present were very surprised to see Ye Yiheng with Leng Yu Yan. For origınal chapters go to 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵⚑𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮⚑𝓷𝓮𝓽 “Greetings, Father Emperor,” the pair said as they bowed. The Emperor frowned, his voice cold, “Ah Heng, how come you are here?” Ye Yiheng removed his eye veil and said, “Your son has come with the Crown Princess Consort to share some good news with Father Emperor.” “It’s just that, today’s morning court is unusually lively, beyond my expectation,” he walked slowly to the front of the officials, casting a light glance at his brothers, “I’m surprised to see Second Brother attending the morning court,” his gaze shifted from Ye Zhenxian to Ye Zhenduan, “And Fifth Brother too, quite rare.” Then he turned his eyes to Ye Zhengmo, his voice usurious and chilly, “Seventh hasn’t been titled as Prince, attending the morning court seems a bit improper, doesn’t it?” Ye Zhenxian, Ye Zhenduan, and Ye Zhengmo exchanged glances, their expressions filled with suspicion and speculation. What could Ye Yiheng possibly see? How could this be? Ye Yiheng, ignoring the vivid expressions of his brothers, took a few more steps forward and bowed to the Emperor: “Father Emperor, aren’t you going to ask what the good news is?” Ye Yiheng’s behavior astounded those present. The Emperor was even more shocked, his dull eyes widening as he stared at Ye Yiheng, whose indifferent gaze carried a hint of disdain for the world, causing the Emperor’s heart to tremble, even frightening him to some extent. For a moment, the Emperor did not know how to respond. Prime Minister Zheng glanced towards his people, and soon someone stepped forward: “How audacious, Abolished Crown Prince, you should not enter the court without being summoned!” Ye Yiheng suddenly laughed, “On what grounds do you abolish me?” The Emperor then narrowed his eyes, “Ah Heng, your eyes…” Ye Yiheng laughed again, “Father Emperor, let your son guess—presumably, Father Emperor abolished my position as Crown Prince on the grounds of my supposed blindness, correct?” At that question, several ministers stepped forward. “If you are blind, naturally you cannot be Crown Prince.” “Just now, His Majesty had verbally decreed the abolition.” Hearing this, Ye Yiheng chuckled: “A verbal decree means it hasn’t been issued by imperial decree, nor announced to the public yet.” He bowed to the Emperor and said, “Father Emperor, your son came here today to inform you that his eyesight has been restored.”