It was likely no one else in the entire Great Yue Dynasty could name their child "Qi."
Hai Sha, weeping profusely, explained, "When I brought my child back, I only wished for him to be by his father's side during his illness, to fulfill his filial duty!"
She wiped her tears and knelt before Song Chaoyu, saying, "Please also rest assured, Your Highness Princess. In our Southern Kingdom, a child born to a slave is also a slave. Therefore, Your Highness Princess can be assured that my child will be a servant to the children in Your Highness's manor. I would never dare to harbor any other aspirations. I beg Your Highness to grant my child and me a way to live!"
Wasn't this putting Song Chaoyu in a position of being "unrighteous" in front of everyone, as if she couldn't tolerate the mother and son?
Furthermore, if her intentions were truly as she claimed, that she dared not aspire to anything, why would she name her child "Qi"?
That was a character used only for children inheriting the ancestral temple.
By this point, people were already pointing and whispering amongst themselves.
Even Song Yanjiao, standing nearby, coughed lightly, as if to "comfort" Song Chaoyu, saying, "Princess Chang, look at this mother and son; they are truly pitiful. And regardless, Hai Sha was once a servant to Prince Chang. It would be normal for Prince Chang to have a concubine or a maid, wouldn't it? It's one thing if you cannot tolerate others, but you shouldn't be unable to tolerate them, this mother and son!"
Her words implied that Song Chaoyu was an intolerant person.
Naturally, this reminded people of the incident where Prince Chang had argued with the Emperor to avoid taking a secondary consort, and it seemed designed to criticize Song Chaoyu.
However, Song Chaoyu was not flustered at all. She simply smiled and covered her mouth, saying to Song Yanjiao, "I just didn't react immediately. Our Prince Chang's manor is not as lively as Prince Ning's manor; my Prince usually dislikes female attendants being close to him."
Who couldn't hear the mockery of Prince Ning's philandering?
As expected, Song Yanjiao's expression darkened.
Song Chaoyu did not give her another chance to speak. Smiling, she looked up at the Emperor and Empress, saying, "Father Emperor, Mother Empress, if what Hai Sha says is true, then it would indeed be the best outcome. However, my Prince has never mentioned such a matter to me before, and the royal bloodline must not be confused. I personally believe this matter should be clarified."
She stepped forward and smiled gently at Hai Sha, saying, "Please also rest assured. If the child by your side is indeed our Prince's, I will wholeheartedly welcome you both into the manor. In the future, as long as you serve the Prince well, and the child can call me 'Esteemed Mother,' we will be a harmonious family in our manor. Don't you agree?"
Song Chaoyu already possessed a face that, while not stunningly beautiful, was gentle and kind.
Her words to Hai Sha, spoken with a smile, left Hai Sha with no room to retort.
Otherwise, it would be as if she were "striking a smiling face."
Among the noblewomen present who were on good terms with Song Chaoyu, some also spoke in her defense, saying, "Yes, yes, you don't need to be afraid. Princess Chang is known for her good temper in the capital. If the child truly belongs to the Prince, you and your son will never be mistreated by Princess Chang. What good days await you in the future!"
Speaking of the child, someone naturally raised a question, "You've been talking for so long, but where is the child? We haven't even seen a glimpse of the child. You must bring the child out so that their bloodline can be properly verified. Only then can it be settled."
At this point, Hai Sha had not expected Song Chaoyu to adopt such an attitude.
The people from Prince Ning's manor had told them that this Princess Chang, while appearing magnanimous, was actually petty!
How could this be...
She couldn't help but look up at Prince Ning, Mu Hansu.
But her sudden glance at Mu Hansu in front of so many people made him smile somewhat guiltily, saying, "Why are you looking at me like that?"
Hai Sha quickly lowered her head. The Emperor above also frowned, saying, "Indeed. Since you claim to have borne a child for Prince Chang, you should have brought the child with you. The royal bloodline cannot be compromised, and it must be verified before anything can be settled."
Hai Sha looked towards Minister Qiu again. Minister Qiu then cupped his fist and stepped forward, saying to the Emperor, "Your Majesty, the child was not feeling well after arriving in the Great Yue Dynasty. And the child's identity is truly..."
"Alas!"
He sighed and cast a meaningful glance at Song Chaoyu, saying, "We were afraid of any danger to the child, so we did not bring them. But now that Your Majesty is aware of the child's existence, we can be at ease. How about this: the day after tomorrow, we will bring the child to the palace. Your Majesty can then verify the child's identity."
He waved his hand at Hai Sha, saying, "As for Hai Sha... you will return with Princess Chang today. You were meant to serve Prince Chang. After going to the manor, you must obey the Princess and always remember that you are a servant to the Prince and Princess, do you understand?"
"Yes."
Hai Sha nodded. With their synchronized exchange, the matter was settled, leaving Song Chaoyu with no room for objection.
Hai Sha rose, intending to stand behind Song Chaoyu, but was stopped by Tiaohong.
However, Song Chaoyu shook her head at Tiaohong.
If she was afraid of a mere servant, then she truly didn't need to be Princess Chang!
The onlookers saw Song Chaoyu calmly take Hai Sha into her service. Some admired Song Chaoyu's composure, while others watched with a "wait-and-see" attitude.
Song Chaoyu was not flustered at all. In fact, during the subsequent palace banquet, she showed no signs of being out of sorts.
Hai Sha busied herself with tasks, and Song Chaoyu did not stop her.
After all, she also wanted to understand Hai Sha's true nature.
Until the end of the banquet, Song Chaoyu's expression remained unchanged, naturally earning admiration.
However, she also realized that Hai Sha was likely not a person who would remain content and obedient.
Whenever she had the opportunity, she liked to linger around Mu Changxi.
If it weren't for Xiao Ruizhi's deliberate vigilance, her reach would have extended even further.
She didn't seem like someone serving Mu Changxi, but rather like someone testing him.
This made Song Chaoyu even more suspicious that this delegation from the Southern Kingdom was likely invited by Mu Hansu himself!
They knew Mu Changxi's identity and that there was something amiss with the Prince Chang sent back in those years.
None of them were easy to deal with, and Song Chaoyu warned herself mentally to be extremely careful, to be vigilant and guarded.
Especially this Hai Sha; she wondered what trouble she would stir up in the manor over the next couple of days.