freenovelworld Chapter 349 Blood ties are important, but family ties are even more important.
Chapter 349 Blood ties are important, but family ties are even more important.
Lin Xingyao could only bury this love deep in her heart, content as long as she could silently accompany him.
"You've lost weight," Lin Xingyao said softly, her fingertips carefully touching the scars on her brother's cheek.
Lin Jingchuan held her hand and comforted her, "It's nothing, just a minor injury."
Princess Yong emerged from the inner chamber and, upon witnessing this scene, her eyes filled with tears.
She rushed forward, her hands trembling as she wiped her eyes: "Jingchuan, you're finally back."
"Mother, I'm sorry to have worried you."
Princess Yong stepped forward and hugged Lin Jingchuan, "It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back!"
As Lin Jingchuan felt this warmth, the ice in his heart gradually melted.
During his captivity, he doubted countless times whether he would ever be able to return home.
Now, everything is as it was before, as if I had finally woken up from a long nightmare.
"Where is the father?"
Lin Jingchuan looked around but did not see the Prince of Yong.
Princess Yong wiped away her tears, her expression complicated: "Your father is in the palace, handling state affairs. Since the Third Prince ascended the throne, there have been many affairs in the court, and he has been in the palace these past few days."
Lin Jingchuan nodded, already having some understanding of the new political situation.
He was not in a hurry to inquire about affairs of the court; at this moment, he only wanted to enjoy the long-awaited family reunion.
"Come on, I've ordered the kitchen to prepare your favorite dishes. You must be hungry."
Princess Yong held Lin Jingchuan's hand as if he were a child.
Lin Xingyao also held her brother's other hand, afraid that he would leave again.
The three walked towards the inner courtyard, their figures blending into the afterglow of the setting sun.
During dinner, the Prince Yong's mansion became unusually lively.
Lin Jingchuan sat in his familiar seat, looking at the sumptuous meal on the table.
Prince Yong has not yet returned to his residence, but this does not affect the atmosphere of family reunion in the slightest.
"Try this, it's your favorite osmanthus cake." Princess Yong placed a piece of cake in Lin Jingchuan's bowl.
Lin Jingchuan took a bite and nodded with satisfaction: "Mother's cooking is still the best."
Lin Xingyao sat next to her brother, her eyes fixed on him, as if afraid he would disappear again.
She carefully poured tea for her brother, her movements gentle and practiced.
"Brother, have they mistreated you?" Lin Xingyao couldn't help but ask.
Lin Jingchuan shook his head, unwilling to talk about that experience anymore: "It's all in the past, there's no need to mention it again."
Princess Yong noticed the heavy atmosphere and quickly changed the subject: "By the way, Jingchuan, a lot has happened recently, you don't know, do you?"
Lin Jingchuan put down his chopsticks and listened attentively.
Princess Yong recounted the events that had occurred during this period, from the death of the late emperor to the ascension of the third prince to the throne, and the various changes in the court.
"Gu Junze has been appointed as the Grand General of the State, commanding the three armies. He made great contributions in the Pingzhou campaign and exposed Prince Su's rebellion. Now he is the Emperor's most trusted minister," said Princess Yong.
Lin Jingchuan pondered, "It seems the political situation has changed quite a bit."
Lin Xingyao asked softly, "Brother, will you go to war again?" This was her biggest worry.
Lin Jingchuan smiled as he looked at his sister's worried eyes: "Not for now. I need some time to rest and also to understand the new political situation."
Upon hearing this, Lin Xingyao visibly breathed a sigh of relief, and the corners of her mouth turned up slightly.
As night deepened, everyone went back to their rooms to rest.
Lin Jingchuan pushed open the door to the room he hadn't returned to in a long time; everything was as it had always been.
He lit a candle and looked at the familiar bed and desk, a sense of weariness washing over him.
Outside the window, the night was as dark as ink, dotted with countless stars.
Lin Jingchuan opened the window and took a deep breath of the air from his hometown. Just then, a gentle knock sounded on the door.
"It's me." A deep, familiar voice came from outside the door.
Lin Jingchuan quickly opened the door and saw his father, Prince Yong, standing outside with a solemn expression.
"Father, you're back." Lin Jingchuan stepped aside and invited his father into the house.
Prince Yong stepped into the room, looked around, and his eyes were filled with complex emotions.
In the candlelight, his face appeared even more weathered, and the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes were more pronounced.
"Sit down, Jingchuan. I have something to discuss with you." Prince Yong sat down in the chair beside the desk, his voice low and solemn.
Lin Jingchuan's heart tightened, and he respectfully sat down opposite his father: "What are your orders, Father?"
Prince Yong remained silent for a moment, his gaze sweeping over the candlelight, and then he spoke softly, "While you were captured, I sent people to investigate some things."
Lin Jingchuan felt a chill run down his spine; his intuition told him this was not good news.
"Xingyao... is not my biological daughter."
Prince Yong finally revealed this heavy secret, his voice filled with undisguised pain.
Lin Jingchuan looked up abruptly, unable to believe his ears: "Father, what did you say?"
“My men have already investigated. Back then, your mother had a difficult childbirth, and the baby girl died from suffocation. The midwife secretly switched her with another newborn girl.”
Prince Yong's voice was low and hoarse, "The midwife thought that after she died, this secret would be buried forever, but there were always some people in the neighborhood who knew the inside story."
Lin Jingchuan was speechless for a moment, his heart churning with shock. Xingyao wasn't the Prince of Yong's biological daughter?
So his sister, whom he grew up with, was actually someone else's daughter?
"Father, does Xingyao know about this?" Lin Jingchuan frowned deeply.
Prince Yong sighed softly: "I suspect she already knows."
"Father, what do you intend to do?"
Prince Yong sighed, his eyes revealing deep weariness.
“I don’t know. For so many years, I’ve loved her like my own daughter. Now that I know she’s not my biological child, it’s naturally painful. But I’ve spoiled her for so many years…”
Lin Jingchuan fell silent.
"Whatever the truth is, it's all in the past. The dead can't be brought back to life, so let's just pretend we don't know!"
Prince Yong looked at his son in surprise, never expecting him to say such a thing.
"Father, blood ties are important, but family ties are even more important."
Prince Yong fell into deep thought.
He recalled every little detail about Xingyao from childhood to adulthood:
The sweet smile on her face when she first called him "Father," the trust she placed in his arms when she was sick, every proud moment of her growing up.
"You're right." Prince Yong finally nodded.
"Xingyao is still my daughter. So many years of affection cannot be erased by a single truth."
"Father is wise." Lin Jingchuan breathed a sigh of relief. "I just don't know what Xingyao is thinking. If she really knows about this, she must be in great pain."
Prince Yong stood up, walked to the window, and stared blankly at the pear tree in the courtyard.
That tree was planted by Xingyao herself when she was a child, and now it stands tall and shady.
"She is a smart child, and her mind is more sensitive than that of ordinary people."
Prince Yong said softly, "If she knows the truth but chooses to remain silent, perhaps it's because she doesn't want to hurt me and your mother."
Lin Jingchuan nodded in agreement: "Xingyao has always been considerate. Father, why don't we just let this matter rest?"
"Whether she is your biological daughter or not, she will always be our Xingyao."
Prince Yong turned around, his gaze particularly gentle in the candlelight: "Jingchuan, you've grown up. This experience of being captured has made you even more mature."
Lin Jingchuan smiled bitterly: "Having gone through life and death, my perspective on many things has changed. I only hope my family is safe."