The warmth his father showed him did not seem false.

The more Yue Mingxuan thought about it, the more suspicious everything felt.

Could it be that the emperor of Dongyue was an impostor?

The thought made his heart turn cold. Yet the man’s deep devotion toward his mother did not seem fake at all.

He shook his head and quickly dismissed the idea. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

His father was undoubtedly his real father and that devotion was real as well.

It was just that his father’s condition clearly required urgent care.

If it continued to worsen, it would become a serious problem.

In his mind, Yue Mingxuan began to consider several prescriptions, thinking about what method he should use to treat his father’s illness.

In his view, such unnatural aging had already crossed into the realm of disease.

"Since Father’s body is already in this state, I cannot use any overly harsh medicines..." Yue Mingxuan muttered as he wrote down the remedies he had in mind.

The medicines he listed were all high-quality tonics, but he was uncertain whether Dongyue’s national strength could afford them.

After all, Dongyue was not a large country and many of its medicinal resources could not compare to those of Beirong.

Because of this, Yue Mingxuan had even considered what to do if some of the rarer medicinal ingredients could not be found. Yet to his surprise, the imperial physicians managed to gather all the required herbs in a very short time.

He had expected it to take much longer, but everything was prepared quickly. He carefully checked each ingredient on the prescription, then personally decocted the medicine and waited for his father to take it.

"Father Emperor, this is the medicine I have prepared for you," Yue Mingxuan said while gently pushing the bowl of tonic toward him.

On that somewhat aged face, there suddenly appeared an expression filled with warmth and familial affection, something Yue Mingxuan found deeply familiar.

When he was young, he had once longed to see such an expression on his mother’s face.

That was why he had studied so diligently, striving to gain admission to a good school with excellent results.

He had wanted his mother to feel proud of him, to see him as a source of joy rather than a burden

.

Now, seeing that same expression on his father’s face, he felt an overwhelming sense of happiness.

The feeling of having family was truly something precious.

"Where did you learn such medical skills?" The emperor naturally harbored no suspicion toward his child.

"Silver Needle Sect," Yue Mingxuan replied.

Since he had already crossed into this world, the medical knowledge from his previous life could only be attributed to some unknown teacher.

He had indeed learned quite a bit at Silver Needle Sect.

Saying that all his medical skill came from there might have been an exaggeration, but it was not entirely untrue.

"I never expected that you would join Silver Needle Sect," the emperor said with a sigh. "You are becoming more and more like your mother."

"Was Mother also from Silver Needle Sect?" Yue Mingxuan asked in surprise.

He knew nothing about his mother’s origins or her past. In this world, he had never even seen her.

"Your mother was an exceptional person," the emperor said, his face carrying a smile filled with deep remembrance.

As Yue Mingxuan looked at him, he suddenly felt that the expression was very familiar.

It was much like the look the Emperor of Beirong wore when reminiscing about Empress Suyin.

The difference was that the Emperor of Beirong had later come to love someone else, while his own father had remained here and steadfastly guarding the memory of his late wife.

"Was Mother truly that remarkable?" Yue Mingxuan asked, waiting for his father to tell him all the stories about her.

This quiet moment between father and child was something he was experiencing for the very first time.

He had never imagined that he and his father would one day share such a peaceful and harmonious time together.

When Yue Mingxuan came back to his senses, he realized that he had already fallen asleep in his own chamber.

Beside him stood a palace maid.

The girl looked delicate and petite with an almost charming cuteness to her features.

"What is your name?" he asked.

"Replying to Your Highness, this servant is called Su Yin."

"Since you are my maid, there is no need to be too distant with me. I may be your master, but I can also be your companion," Yue Mingxuan said with a faint smile, the expression on his face gentle and approachable.

However, Su Yin showed no particular reaction. She simply nodded. "This servant understands."

Seeing how indifferent Su Yin’s response was, Yue Mingxuan found it somewhat strange, but he did not press further.

He merely instructed her to withdraw.

Only then did he notice that Xie Yunlan was already inside the room. He was standing there as if he had been waiting for quite some time.

"What are you doing here? Are matters at the Ten Thousand Wisdom Hall no longer busy?"

"I have arranged for others to oversee things there. I heard that there may be news here that is unfavorable to you, so I came at once."

"Unfavorable to me?" Yue Mingxuan was puzzled. However, seeing the seriousness on Xie Yunlan’s face, it did not seem like a joke. His expression gradually turned solemn as well. "Go on."

"The Emperor of Dongyue may very well not be the real emperor." Xie Yunlan spoke cautiously while glancing up at Yue Mingxuan as he did so.

Yue Mingxuan was even more stunned, questioning him repeatedly. "Is that true?"

"It is. However, I do not yet know what the impostor’s intentions are," Xie Yunlan said, shaking his head. "In any case, you must be careful."

Hearing this felt like a thunderclap to Yue Mingxuan.

In his previous life, he had never experienced a father’s love.

In this life, he had finally met his father, yet now he might have been deceived by that man’s flawless performance.