After returning to the palace, Duan Ziqian summoned the Marquis of Anguo from the side hall to question him.
Indeed, all this time, the Marquis of Anguo had been secretly housed in a concealed room beside the palace where Duan Ziqian resided.
"Your humble servant bows before Your Majesty!"
The Marquis of Anguo knelt before Duan Ziqian and said nothing more.
The young emperor before him was increasingly acquiring the bearing of a ruler.
This change brought the Marquis of Anguo both joy and unease.
Naturally, as a minister entrusted by the Late Emperor with the care of his heir, he was overjoyed to see the new emperor advance step by step to where he stood today.
Yet it also meant that this sovereign was now utterly different from before. The warmth they had once shared was gone, leaving only the obligations between ruler and minister.
Thus, even though his heart churned like rivers overturning and seas surging, the Marquis of Anguo's face remained as still as undisturbed water.
After bringing him into the palace, Duan Ziqian had rarely seen him, and even when they met, he seldom spoke.
Since he had specifically ordered him brought to the main hall this time, there must be an important matter at hand.
Duan Ziqian looked at the Marquis of Anguo kneeling in the hall, yet the face that flashed before his eyes was Jiang Zhizhou's.
He gave a slight start, then looked down at the Marquis of Anguo and said, "You have raised a fine son, Marquis."
The Marquis of Anguo's heart jolted at these words.
Duan Ziqian's abrupt remark, offered without any explanation, filled him with quiet alarm.
A sovereign did not speak in jest.
Duan Ziqian surely meant something by it.
The Marquis of Anguo had two sons, but he