The first reaction of all the civil and military officials who realized this was actually-Emperor Mingze had already uncovered so much. They really had to take the little one away as soon as possible!
Right Chancellor Tan Wenhan exchanged a glance with Kan Ruifeng beside him, his heart sinking. He stepped out of the ranks once more and, before speaking, properly performed a deep ceremonial bow. "Your Majesty! Your subject is advanced in years now, and fears-"
Jiang Yanchuan suddenly let out a heavy sigh. "Elder Tan."
Tan Wenhan's lengthy speech was abruptly stopped in its tracks.
Jiang Yanchuan said helplessly, "Why do you all think I held the little one in my arms at the New Year's Banquet?"
In truth, he did not care about blood ties nearly as much as everyone imagined. Had the little one not rushed forward that day without a care for anything else, he would probably still have been like a lone wanderer, coming and going like the wind through this vast Imperial City.
The assembled officials choked, instantly forgetting every speech they had prepared.
Their eyes held varying degrees of bewilderment.
His Majesty had picked up the little one because...
He had feared that the Ruler of Danxia would fly into a murderous rage out of humiliation? Feared that the little one would lose her sense of restraint and recklessly charge forward? Feared that her lone voice would be too small for anyone to bother listening?
These men had weathered decades of ups and downs in officialdom, yet their eyes now looked like those of fresh recruits entering government service, their confusion carrying a hint of clear-eyed stupidity.
Jiang Yanchuan: "..."
He wanted to say that it had been an instinctive response born of concern. He wanted to say that he had also