Chu Yunwei was stunned by Yu Jing's words.
He looked at Chu Yu, then at Yu Jing.
He still couldn't quite believe what he had heard.
How could this be? How could it be?
In his previous life, it was he who had seized Bei Chu…
No, after returning from Da Liang, he had barely done anything, and had easily taken Bei Chu for himself.
Chu Yu and Yu Jing, who were alive at the time, had never reappeared, let alone troubled him or spoken of restoring the kingdom.
So, so this was all their doing.
They no longer wished to manage Bei Chu's affairs.
He had always heard that his uncle was a man who loved beauty over his country. At first, he thought it wasn't true.
After all, he had thrown himself into the struggle for imperial power after his return from Da Liang as a hostage.
Anyone would think he still loved power, so he had never imagined that he would give up the throne so readily.
He had always thought he had seized it.
If it weren't for today's events, he would have always believed that he had orchestrated everything.
He had kept everyone in the dark.
But in reality, the one who understood nothing was him, not the King or the Queen.
It made sense. With their formidable abilities, how could they have been deceived by him?
He had been naive!
His body went weak, and he fell backward.
Now, everything was ruined!
He had thought that heaven had allowed him to be reborn to give him a strong body, so that he could possess Bei Chu for a long time.
But who would have thought that in his second life, he would choose the wrong path?
At this moment, he wished he hadn't been reborn.
Chu Yunwei's regret was evident on his face.
He felt a sense of defiant despair.
Upon realizing that all his actions had fallen under the control of the King and the Queen, he had almost lost all will to resist.
After all, it was all futile; there was no need to do anything.
He let down his guard and stood still, waiting for the King of Bei Chu to pass judgment on him.
"You are utterly mistaken!" Chu Yu looked at his admired junior, who had done such a thing, rendering all his plans and promises to Yu Jing useless.
He was frustrated.
"Why couldn't you have endured it for a moment? You just had to…" Chu Yu wished he could hit Chu Yunwei on the head a few times to enlighten him.
What a pity!
Unlike Chu Yu's regret, Yu Jing deeply resented him for laying hands on her beloved daughter. Gritting her teeth, she angrily ordered, "Take him back to the palace and confine him!"
Chu Yunwei's body felt even weaker, his steps faltering. He knew that his fate, at this moment, had been largely sealed.
Imprisonment and confinement would accompany him for the rest of his life!
After the person was sent away, Yu Jing dismissed everyone else, leaving only Su Xiaoqi and Chu Yu.
Now was the time for them, father and daughter, to recognize each other.
"Wait, let my husband stay," Su Xiaoqi called out to Shen Yun.
She felt uncomfortable without him.
Yu Jing agreed and, pulling her toward Chu Yu, said, "Yu Ge, this is our Xiaoqi!"
Chu Yu looked at Su Xiaoqi before him. In fact, he had recognized her at a glance without Yu Jing's introduction.
She looked so much like Yu Jing.
The two of them were as if molded from the same mold.
The same phoenix eyes, the same slender willow eyebrows, the same cherry lips, the same jade nose…
"Xiaoqi, my daughter!" Chu Yu reached out, wanting to embrace her, but seeing Shen Yun's guarded face standing beside her, he abruptly withdrew his hand.
Su Xiaoqi, however, was magnanimous. She patted Shen Yun, urging him to relax.
Then she stepped forward and embraced Chu Yu, softly calling out, "Father!"
"Father… Xiaoqi, you're willing to call me that?" Chu Yu hadn't expected Su Xiaoqi to be so unreserved.
Not only had she given him a big hug immediately, but she was also willing to call him father directly.
He had been afraid that Su Xiaoqi would not acknowledge him.
After all, he hadn't even been able to protect his own daughter, making him a truly failed father.
Moreover, the last time he had received a letter from Yu Jing, he had come here with people, but because he had wholeheartedly trusted Chu Yunwei, he had missed the opportunity to find Su Xiaoqi.
He was worried that Su Xiaoqi would resent him.
However, Su Xiaoqi did not.
Her face showed no dissatisfaction; she was willing.
In fact, none of them knew Su Xiaoqi's true thoughts.
It was simple: the identity she now possessed belonged to the original owner.
Frankly, it had nothing to do with her.
So why should she make others unhappy?
It was better to be open-minded and generous.
After all, if the victim did not pursue the matter, then others had no standing to pursue it.
What was supposed to be a touching reunion of a family of three, due to Su Xiaoqi's calm self-possession, made the meeting appear extremely rational.
Chu Yu felt something was missing.
Yu Jing, on the other hand, felt complete, holding Su Xiaoqi and unwilling to let go for a long time.
Chu Yu was almost envious.
Su Xiaoqi, catching a glimpse of his emotional shift from the corner of her eye, couldn't help but curl her lips.
It seemed that for the King of Bei Chu, not only was the country secondary to his beloved, but even his own daughter had to take a backseat.
He must have loved Yu Jing dearly.
No wonder she was willing to give up a comfortable life in Da Liang for him.
Although Su Xiaoqi was not a direct participant, merely observing the small details of their interactions, she deeply felt the years of mutual support they had shared.
Thinking of this, Su Xiaoqi finally remembered Shen Yun.
She magnanimously introduced Shen Yun to Chu Yu.
Just as a mother-in-law's affection for her son-in-law grows with time, Yu Jing had observed Shen Yun in the capital of Da Liang for a long time and knew him reasonably well.
Her dissatisfaction with him initially had not taken long to turn into satisfaction.
But Chu Yu's approval was clearly not going to be easy.
He first assessed Shen Yun.
Shorter than him by an inch, unsatisfactory.
And he was too thin.
His skin was a bit pale; was he a pretty boy?
Moreover, he was too handsome. How could such a man be worthy of the princess of Bei Chu?
The more Chu Yu thought about it, the more dissatisfied he became.
In fact, if Chu Yunwei hadn't been so foolish, he would have been willing to marry his precious daughter to him.
At least Chu Yunwei was tall and a renowned warrior in Bei Chu.
He excelled at horse riding and archery.
This was something Chu Yu truly appreciated.
But this Shen Yun…
He heard he was a civil official, a Zhuangyuan, a scholar. What was the point of studying?
Chu Yu disapproved.
Chu Yu was not good at concealing his emotions; his dissatisfaction with Shen Yun was written all over his face.
Yu Jing felt a bit awkward. She didn't want her beloved daughter to be embarrassed.
Shen Yun was Su Xiaoqi's choice, and she had always protected him.
It could be seen that she truly loved him.
Chu Yu's disapproval of Shen Yun was like slapping his own daughter in the face.
She became displeased, her face falling. Chu Yu immediately wilted, knowing she was unhappy with his attitude towards Shen Yun. He couldn't put on an act anymore, though he still seemed unwilling to interact with Shen Yun.
Su Xiaoqi didn't mind. After introducing him, she linked her arm with Shen Yun's, leaning against him slightly.
She was in the early stages of pregnancy and needed to take good care of herself.
As for Chu Yu's attitude, she completely disregarded it.
After all, he couldn't control her affairs.
Shen Yun had been a little uneasy at first.
But seeing his wife treat him as usual, his anxious heart immediately relaxed.
He understood now that although Xiaoqi was the daughter of the King of Bei Chu, she was not like other princesses who would be foolishly filial and obedient.
She had shown him through her actions that no matter how her status changed, she would remain his wife.
The mother of his future child!
However, Shen Yun felt a slight sense of defiance at being looked at by Chu Yu in that way.
Perhaps he could do something to prove himself.
After the reunion, Shen Yun immediately joined Yu Jing in dealing with Chu Yunwei.
Because he had made arrangements long ago, Zhang Feng and Zhang Dian quickly brought forth the evidence.
Chu Yu had initially thought that Chu Yunwei might just want to be the King of Bei Chu.
But upon seeing the evidence they presented, he realized he had underestimated his own nephew.
Behind his back, Chu Yunwei had done many things detrimental to Bei Chu over the years.
Although he didn't say it, he still couldn't let go of the matter of being sent to Da Liang as a hostage.