The Rebirth of an Ill-Fated Consort

157 - 158

Chapter 157 : Reversal

This earth-shattering announcement dropped into Golden Throne Hall like a rock thrown into a lake- immediately setting off a tsunami. And then a figure, small and ramrod-straight, and shielded by a palace maid and an eunuch, entered with an unusual expression in his eyes. Who was it if not Xuan Pei?

Everyone stared at Xuan Pei in amazement. This Thirteenth Prince was virtually ignored by everyone in the imperial court. Even if one said that Xuan Lang was incompetent, he still had the backing of Imperial Consort Xian and would therefore not be bullied. In contrast, Thirteenth Prince, Xuan Pei, had been born of a lowly palace maid. Now that his birth mother had died, no one in the palace paid him any attention, and if it were not for people mentioning him occasionally, no one would ever remember that such a person even existed .

Perhaps Xuan Pei had dressed up especially for today's occasion, as he was wearing a lotus-green brocade robe that he must have dug up from somewhere. It was a solemn colour, and since Xuan Pei was still young, he looked rather peculiar in the robe. Moreover, even though the brocade was clearly of the finest quality, the style of the robe was that of many years ago, and it only took a glance to see that it did not fit him.

Even so, that small figure strode forward confidently, calm and steady despite his short stature. The Emperor could not help the astonishment that showed momentarily in his eyes. It is said that one can sense a person's bearing and presence by the way that person conducts and carries themselves. With his unexpected appearance before the officials and everyone present, it was obvious that this was not the weak prince born of a lowly maid, but one who possessed a magnificent bearing. It was such that those present began to imagine that in time this prince would not be someone without talent. Although he was so young, he already had a reserved and composed disposition. Furthermore, while it was true that all the members of the imperial family were blessed by heaven with innate traits, even at the same age Xuan Li could not come close to him.

Xuan Pei walked into the middle of Golden Throne Hall. Lifting up a corner of his robe, he knelt next to Jiang Lisa and said, "Imperial Father, this subject can testify that Princess He Yi was not killed by Hong'an Junzhu!"

Jiang Lisa had been staring at the youth in front of her in astonishment. Looking at him at such close quarters, he was completely different from the boy who had been bullied previously. It was as if Xuan Pei had transformed into someone else by making himself appear more mature, thus making him seem exceedingly unfamiliar to her.

Xuan Pei had always been timid due to his birth mother, and had also been subject to much humiliation within the palace. In her previous life, she had also entered the palace around this time, and had encountered Xuan Pei being bullied. At that time, she had comforted him with a few words, and this situation had somehow reached the Emperor's ears. Thereafter, the Emperor had handed Xuan Pei over to her to raise.

In her previous life, she and Xuan Pei had depended on each other for survival. Xuan Pei had been the most sensible child she had ever met. Such a good child, but he could only, like her, be trapped in the depths of the palace. Xuan Pei had never even had the opportunities to flourish and display his talent in the court, unlike the other princes. Moreover, before Xuan Pei had met her, he had been abandoned and denied his birthright by someone with ulterior motives in the palace. Thus, although he was no longer a young child, he had the sensibility of one.

Now, this child was an absolutely different character. His gaze contained nothing of the clingy dependency which had been seen in his previous life; he was clearly sober and calm. Xuan Pei had been born with natural advantages, and Li Dong had fancied him in her previous life because of his matchless good looks. At present, this child's appearance was certainly first-rate, and when he knelt together with Jiang Lisa, all the people in Golden Throne Hall could not help but be astonished, feeling that these two people were largely similar in bearing. Yet, on second thought, they were probably overthinking the resemblance.