The Marquis Mansion's Elite Class-Chapter 207

Rumors spread like wildfire, quickly making their way through the Capital City. The back chambers of noble households were abuzz with gossip.

When Wei Xinglu heard the news, he immediately rushed to the Marquis Manor to confront his sworn brother. "Jin Cheng, you’ve been hiding this so well! If I had known you were the Crown Prince’s son, I wouldn’t have dared to call you my brother."

The little troublemaker’s face darkened. "What nonsense are you spouting? My surname is Zong, not Chu. My father is Zong Zhao. Who’s the Crown Prince’s son? Who’s the illegitimate child? Don’t you dare tarnish my reputation or the Crown Prince’s!"

Ever since he returned that day, he hadn’t seen the Crown Prince. He heard the Crown Prince had been unconscious for several days before waking up and was still bedridden, recovering. Yet, outside, these ugly rumors were spreading everywhere.

People were calling him the Crown Prince’s illegitimate son, something that would surely bring shame to both the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess.

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. He ran to Xu Wan’s courtyard to find her. "Mother, I want to go to the Eastern Palace to see the Crown Prince."

Xu Wan had been troubled these past few days as well. She had always felt that the relationship between the Crown Prince and Jin Cheng was shrouded in mystery, and now the rumors were piling up so thickly that even Madam He had come to ask her about it.

Her father-in-law and mother-in-law, however, seemed unbothered. They trusted Zong Zhao completely. As long as Zong Zhao said Jin Cheng was his biological son, they believed it.

At this point, Xu Wan couldn’t help but admire their mental fortitude—no internal conflicts, no doubts.

Seeing Jin Cheng’s anxious expression, Xu Wan guessed he was also feeling the sting of the rumors. She spoke gently, "The Crown Prince is still recovering. It’s not a good time for us to disturb him."

"But... they’re all saying I’m the Crown Prince’s son. The Crown Prince and Crown Princess must be upset about it," Jin Cheng pouted.

Xu Wan smiled. "Look how calm your grandparents are. They don’t doubt it at all."

Jin Cheng tilted his head. "That’s true. I’m the firstborn grandson, personally brought back by Father. Grandfather and Grandmother trust him completely."

To lighten the mood, Xu Wan teased, "It seems your father’s character is quite reliable, at least in your grandparents’ eyes. If it were your credibility, well, that might be a different story."

Jin Cheng immediately protested, "That’s not fair! My credibility is good too. I haven’t lied to them in a long time!"

Xu Wan chuckled. "Your standards for credibility are quite low. Not lying is the bare minimum, isn’t it?"

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Jin Cheng huffed. "You don’t understand. The Crown Prince taught me not to be too straightforward, to be tactful. Being tactful means sometimes you have to stretch the truth. If you don’t practice, how can you do it smoothly?"

Xu Wan was speechless.

He wasn’t wrong, though.

Adults demand honesty from children because it makes them easier to manage and teach. But as children grow up, they must learn to adapt to survive—to be tactful, to lie, to appease.

The Crown Prince was simply teaching him these lessons earlier than most.

"Let’s wait until the Lantern Festival. There will be a banquet at the palace, and we can go to the Eastern Palace early to see if we can meet the Crown Prince and Crown Princess," Xu Wan suggested.

"Alright."

The Lantern Festival was as lively as ever, but the Crown Prince was still ill, and the Crown Princess was nearing her due date, so neither of them attended.

Xu Wan took Jin Cheng to the Eastern Palace to request an audience, and the Crown Prince agreed.

It had been half a month since Jin Cheng last saw the Crown Prince. He still didn’t look well—his lips were pale, and the little boy’s eyes welled up with tears.

This was all because of him. The Crown Prince had gotten hurt saving him.

"Your Highness, did they catch the bad guy?"

The Crown Prince smiled faintly. "No, they didn’t."

"But the city was sealed off, wasn’t it?" Jin Cheng pouted. "Couldn’t they search house by house?"

The Crown Prince shook his head gently. "Not every household can be searched so easily. They won’t find him."

Zong Jincheng’s eyes widened as he quickly pieced it together. "Your Highness, do you know who they are?"

The Crown Prince was surprised by his sharpness but didn’t reveal the truth. "I don’t know either."

"Oh..." Jin Cheng sighed in disappointment. "I wish I could grow up ten years overnight."

The Crown Prince chuckled. "What’s the use of growing up? What matters is whether your mind can keep up."

Jin Cheng grumbled, "Then I wish my brain could absorb ten years’ worth of knowledge overnight too."

The Crown Prince laughed, but the laughter turned into a cough, and his face paled. Jin Cheng quickly stepped forward to pat his chest and tuck the blankets around him.

The Crown Prince smiled faintly and asked, "There have been many rumors outside the palace lately, saying you’re my son. Are you afraid?"

Jin Cheng’s heart sank.

So the rumors had reached the palace too. Even while recovering, the Crown Prince had heard them. It must have been a burden for him.

The little troublemaker spoke with genuine remorse. "I’m sorry, Your Highness. I don’t know why they’re spreading such nonsense, but I don’t believe it. My father is Zong Zhao, not you."

The Crown Prince was taken aback by his certainty. He asked softly, "You don’t want to be part of the royal family? Many people dream of that."

Jin Cheng shook his head firmly. "No, I think my life is good as it is. I have loving grandparents, a brother, a mother, many classmates, and friends. That’s enough for me. Well... I do like you, Your Highness, and I’d be willing to spend my life helping and protecting you. But... I love my mother more. I only want to be her son, not yours."

If Xu Wan were here, he would never say something so sappy. But with the Crown Prince, he felt comfortable sharing things he couldn’t say to anyone else.

The Crown Prince nodded in agreement. "Your mother is indeed remarkable. To have taught you so much in just a year is truly rare."

Jin Cheng’s face lit up at the praise. The Crown Prince thought so too—he really did have the best mother in the world, one that no one else could claim!

While the atmosphere inside the chamber was light, Xu Wan and the Crown Princess sat outside, tension thick in the air.

Long ago, the Crown Princess had asked about Jin Cheng’s birthdate, which suggested she had her suspicions even then. Now, with the rumors running rampant and the Crown Princess heavily pregnant—a time when emotions were particularly sensitive—Xu Wan was sure she must be feeling uneasy.

Just as Xu Wan was about to offer some reassurance that Jin Cheng likely wasn’t the Crown Prince’s son, the Crown Princess, sipping her tea calmly, suddenly smiled and said, "Why are you so nervous? You look as if I’m interrogating a criminal."

Xu Wan thought to herself, *I’m just worried you might take out your frustration on me because of the rumors.* But it seemed that wasn’t the case. The Crown Princess wasn’t putting on a brave face—she genuinely seemed to be in a good mood, both inside and out.

What was going on? Had the emotional resilience of being a Crown Princess reached such an advanced level?