Chapter 275: In Disguise, Meeting the Fifth Prince
Nan Xun had no idea whether the disciples of Mo Ran Hall had heard her ghost-like wailing the night before. At least, when she looked at them the next day, everyone seemed perfectly normal—no strange expressions, no odd looks.
From these past few days onward, aside from the Mo Ran Hall disciples, no one else knew that a certain… beyond-master-and-disciple intimacy already existed between the National Preceptor and his little apprentice. What people saw was simply this: wherever the National Preceptor went, his exceptionally favored apprentice followed close behind every day. The two were practically inseparable.
A few days later, Gong Mo Ran showed Nan Xun what truly god-tier disguise techniques looked like. After the two of them had altered their appearances, he took her straight to a place she never expected—
Zuiyue Pavillion.
“Brother Ran, why are we here?”
Now transformed into a demure, girl-next-door type, Nan Xun clung affectionately to Gong Mo Ran’s arm and whispered into his ear.
Even if the walls had ears, she wasn’t afraid. With disguises on and terms of address changed, who would ever imagine that the lofty National Preceptor would come to a pleasure house like this?
Gong Mo Ran raised a brow, glanced at the clingy little girl beside him, and a faint smile flickered in his eyes.
“Brother’s bringing you here to broaden your horizons.”
Nan Xun snorted with laughter and, still holding his arm, followed him through the VIP passage to a private room on the second floor.
The Fifth Prince had already been waiting inside. When he saw the disguised Gong Mo Ran and Nan Xun—especially their intimate manner—he froze in place for quite a while.
Only after Gong Mo Ran lifted the human-skin mask from his face did the Fifth Prince hurriedly bow.
“National Preceptor.”
Gong Mo Ran sat down at his leisure. Seeing that the girl beside him was still standing, he tilted his chin toward the adjacent seat.
“Duoduo, come sit.”
Nan Xun bowed to the Fifth Prince and then obediently sat beside the big boss.
The Fifth Prince opened his mouth, almost immediately guessing the woman’s identity. She had to be Miss Gong Nineteen—the one who had been schemed against alongside him last time.
Though he already knew something unspeakable had happened between this master and disciple, he was still shocked by the National Preceptor’s attitude toward her.
In everyone’s eyes, the National Preceptor was a lofty, untouchable immortal who had never been close to women. If it became known that he had broken his vows—and with his own disciple, no less—the consequences would be unimaginable.
At that point, no one would blame their godlike National Preceptor. All the fault would be pushed onto the woman who dragged him down from his pedestal. She would be seen as the temptress who seduced their deity.
Thinking of this, a sharp glint flashed through the Fifth Prince’s eyes.
Had he… just grasped a weakness of the National Preceptor?
Seated across from Gong Mo Ran and Nan Xun, the Fifth Prince exchanged a few pleasantries before getting down to business.
Gong Mo Ran glanced coolly toward the door.
“Does the Fifth Prince know that walls have ears? Are you certain no one else can hear us?”
The Fifth Prince smiled.
“Rest assured, National Preceptor. I’ve booked the two neighboring rooms as well, and my trusted subordinates are guarding the doors. What we discuss today will not be overheard.”
He then glanced at Nan Xun.
“Miss Nineteen… need not excuse herself?”
Before Nan Xun could respond, Gong Mo Ran spoke coldly,
“Duoduo is not an outsider.”
The Fifth Prince nodded and immediately stood, bowing deeply to Gong Mo Ran.
Gong Mo Ran watched him coolly.
“There’s no need for such a grand礼. Since I agreed to meet you, my stance is already clear.”
The Fifth Prince maintained full courtesy and said solemnly,
“Since the National Preceptor is being direct, I won’t beat around the bush. I implore you to lend me your aid. Second Imperial Brother is narrow-minded. If he ascends the throne one day, he will certainly not tolerate me. I have no choice but to contend. Father favors him the most—I can’t compete for affection, so I can only scheme on my own. But during Father’s recent grave illness, I acted too hastily. My open and covert struggles with Second Brother were likely seen clearly by Father. Now… Father despises me even more.”
Gong Mo Ran was indifferent.
“Fifth Prince, sit first. This is precisely what I wished to discuss. As for the throne, put your mind at ease—the one who will ultimately ascend will be you.”
At these words, wild joy flashed through the Fifth Prince’s eyes, followed quickly by doubt.
“Why is the National Preceptor so certain?”
Gong Mo Ran swept him a glance and spoke lightly,
“Because no matter how capable the Second Prince is, he is not the Emperor’s… biological son.”
The moment those words fell, not only the Fifth Prince—even Nan Xun, who had been keeping a low profile, widened her eyes in shock.
The Emperor’s most favored Second Prince… wasn’t his biological son?
That was impossible! The Second Prince and Princess Yao were born of the same mother—the Empress herself. How could the Empress dare cuckold the Emperor?
The Fifth Prince was so shocked he began to stammer.
“National Preceptor, i-is this… truly true? Second Brother is really not Father’s son? That’s impossible—how could this be? If it’s true, I must find a way to expose his identity!”
“Expose it?” Gong Mo Ran gave a soft chuckle.
“There’s no need. The Emperor knows better than anyone. Among the five princes, only the Fourth and Fifth are his biological sons. The others were taken from collateral branches of the royal clan. Technically speaking, they’re your cousins.”
Nan Xun’s mouth fell open into a perfect O.
Holy crap—was this real?
If it was, this was absolutely the biggest royal secret she’d heard all year.
Gong Mo Ran turned slightly, glanced at the stunned woman beside him, and reminded her,
“Duoduo, why are you spacing out? Pour me some tea.”
Nan Xun snapped back to her senses, answered with an “Oh,” and filled his cup. Just as she was about to top up the Fifth Prince’s as well, Gong Mo Ran shot her a look.
“The Fifth Prince has hands. You needn’t trouble yourself.”
Nan Xun couldn’t help laughing inwardly.
So she was his exclusive tea-pouring attendant now? And he was even stingy about sharing?
The Fifth Prince was still in deep shock and didn’t notice their subtle exchange at all.
After a long while, he finally recovered.
“National Preceptor, it’s not that I distrust you. You’ve always kept your word and would never deceive me. It’s just that this matter is far too unbelievable. I… find it hard to accept.”
Nan Xun also found herself stealing glances at the big boss’s profile—half admiring, half waiting for what came next.
Gong Mo Ran calmly took a sip of tea and began in an even, unhurried voice:
“Back then, when Consort Zhao gave birth to the First Prince, the child was stillborn—an ill omen. The Emperor had only recently ascended the throne, his foundation unstable, so he asked me to find a solution. What could I do? I couldn’t very well bring a dead infant back to life. I could only find a newborn from a collateral branch of the royal clan born on the same day and swap them. With a small application of magic, the collateral family would believe that it was they who had birthed the stillborn.”
Nan Xun frowned slightly and couldn’t help asking,
“My lord… if the first was stillborn, could it be that afterward as well—”
Gong Mo Ran’s thin lips curved faintly.
“Perhaps the ancestors of the Southern Yun royal family committed too many killings, and heaven sent punishment—not upon them, but upon their descendants. The Empress’s Second Prince and Consort Xue’s Third Prince both died in the womb one after another.”
As he said this, the dead calm in Gong Mo Ran’s eyes seemed to freeze over, radiating bone-deep chill.
