Yan Tinghao, upon seeing the newcomer, exclaimed first:
"Uncle Yan Liang?"
Amidst his excitement, a precedent having been set, his expression suddenly turned extremely solemn.
After a long pause, he finally spoke with difficulty:
"Uncle Yan Liang, you haven't also betrayed us, have you?"
"Hao'er, remove the word 'haven't.'
Since he stands with Qi Huanquan, it means they've long been in cahoots!"
Madam Yan said indignantly. One was her father's confidant, and the other her husband's.
With the two of them joining forces, it was no wonder the Zhennan Prince's estate fell so quickly.
"Uncle Yan Liang, although my father was a bit annoying on weekdays, he treated you quite well. How could you do something so ungrateful?"
Yan Liang remained silent. Instead, Qi Huanquan, with a smug tone, spoke up:
"Young Prince, you indeed treated him well, but what if this 'well-treated' was something he deserved from the start?"
"What do you mean by that?"
"Exactly what it sounds like. Yan Liang doesn't belong to the Yan family by birth; he should have the surname Duan, just like Princess Pingyang!"
As Qi Huanquan's words fell, everyone present was shocked.
As if satisfied with their reactions, Qi Huanquan continued with a smile:
"Decades ago, the old Zhennan Prince was unfortunately captured during a battle against foreign invaders.
However, the old Zhennan Prince was handsome, and immediately caught the eye of the enemy tribe's princess.
The old Zhennan Prince refused, but he was drugged by the princess and forcefully taken.
Fortunately, not long after, with the help of General Xiao, the old Zhennan Prince was rescued back to Great Xia.
Because this period of captivity was too inglorious, the old Zhennan Prince never mentioned it to anyone, nor did he seek out the princess.
But as far as this general knows, the princess's tribe, having been severely weakened by General Xiao, had its vital energy depleted and was subsequently absorbed by other tribes.
And that princess was already pregnant when General Xiao left.
Those smaller tribes highly valued bloodlines.
Because the child carried half the blood of Great Xia, coupled with the annexation of her own tribe, the proud princess could only tearfully entrust her newborn child to her most trusted maidservant to be taken away.
The harsh environment of the frontier was not suitable for living alone.
The maidservant, under duress, had no choice but to take the child to the border of Great Xia.
Due to their foreign identity and language barrier, the maidservant could only take on the most menial jobs to support them both.
Yet, despite this, the loyal maidservant fell ill and died within a few years.
Thus, the child born of the old Zhennan Prince and the princess was henceforth completely reduced to a beggar.
But this child not only survived stubbornly like a weed but also had a stroke of extreme luck, being spotted by Master Yan and taken in as a page.
Yet, this is precisely the key to Master Yan's failure."
"Wait!
Let me process this!"
Madam Yan covered her head with her hands, trying her best to digest this matter, which clearly exceeded her understanding.
After thinking for a long time, she said with disbelief:
"Yan Liang is actually my half-brother?"
However, compared to Madam Yan, Master Yan was much calmer.
He simply nodded slightly, confirming his wife's words.
The dumbfounded Yan Tinghao finally snapped back from his shock, murmuring to himself:
"Then, in that case, I shouldn't call him Uncle Yan Liang, but Uncle Yan Liang!"
Qi Huanquan's mouth twitched severely, and then he changed to a victor's posture, raising his chin and laughing loudly:
"Master Yan, how does it feel to be bitten by the dog you raised?"
"Yan Liang is not a dog.
Furthermore, I am more curious, since Yan Liang is the biological son of the old Zhennan Prince, your father-in-law.
After this is all done, will the title of Zhennan Prince go to you, or to him?"
"Yan Xiuping, there's no need for you to sow discord here!
That is our business, it has nothing to do with you!"
Qi Huanquan's eyes blazed with fire, showing a hint of indignant anger.
At this moment, King Wucheng puffed out his chest and made a guarantee:
"Yan Liang, as long as you capture this group of people here, let alone Zhennan Prince, it's no problem to enfeoff you as Duke of Zhenguo!"
In the corner.
Leng Ningyue, who had been a spectator for a long time, asked the person beside her, "Do I need to make a move?"
"Madam, didn't you say you brought me here to watch a play?
Since we are watching a play, we must adopt the attitude of watching a play."
Lin Qingge then grabbed a handful of melon seeds from Hua Jinrong and began cracking them with relish.
Master Yan's side was not to be outdone. With a gesture he made, over a dozen guards in tight-fitting black clothing wearing silver masks instantly appeared in the hall.
These guards lined up, confronting Qi Huanquan and the others.
"Yan Xiuping, you have death warriors, do you think I don't?"
King Wucheng said, only then realizing belatedly that his death warriors and guards had either died or were injured during the previous riot.
Unable to summon anyone, King Wucheng lowered his head in embarrassment, but quickly raised it again.
"Hmph, just a dozen or so thugs. This King not only has the artillery battalion but also ten thousand elite soldiers from the Zhennan Prince's estate.
No matter how you struggle, it's like a mantis trying to stop a chariot!"
Upon hearing this, Yan Tinghao was the first to object:
"Are you saying you've been a prince for too long that your brain has gone stupid?
You're still in our hands, what are you showing off for!
What does it matter if you have more men?
At worst, we'll fight to the death, kill you first, and then see if you're still so arrogant!"
"Hao'er, don't be rude."
Master Yan spoke to stop him, but his words carried no hint of reprimand.
Yan Tinghao, completely abandoning his constable identity, pouted and muttered:
"It's already very polite of me not to have directly beaten you up, okay?"
Just then, Yan Liang, who had remained silent since his appearance, finally made a move.
He ignored the row of silver-masked men and walked directly to King Wucheng, to untie him.
Because King Wucheng's arms were severely fractured, even though he regained his freedom, his hands still hung unnaturally, looking somewhat comical.
But Madam Yan, who had just recovered from the shocking fact of gaining a brother, simply asked blankly:
"Yan Liang, is what Qi Huanquan said all true?"
"Yes."
"Then you've come back to get revenge on the Zhennan Prince's estate?"
Before Yan Liang could answer, Madam Yan continued on her own:
"Although the Zhennan Prince's estate has been handed over to Hao'er, it is Father who owes you, and Hao'er is not interested in it anyway. Therefore, the title of Zhennan Prince can be returned to you.
If you still hold a grudge, you can take it out on me.
Hao'er was also raised by you with your own hands, and Master has a great debt of gratitude to you, so I hope you will let them go, for the sake of past affections."
"Mother, what are you saying? We are a family, so naturally, we share blessings and endure hardships together!"
"Madam, do you think your husband is that kind of person who fears death?
Also, Madam, you've said so much, why don't you give Yan Liang a chance to speak!"
"Huh?"
Madam Yan was utterly confused by her husband's last remark.
The next moment, she witnessed a scene that would make her jaw drop.