Chongwen Emperor's heart skipped a beat. Why did he inexplicably feel she was hinting at something? The unobtainable is always the best. No, he didn't. In his heart, A'Le was the best. Everyone else was due to helplessness and impulse.
He carefully observed Consort An's expression. She seemed perfectly normal. Yes, A'Le didn't know about Li An's affairs. Her words just now were purely directed at Gu Changwei.
"Yes, elder brother-in-law is blessed but doesn't know it," Chongwen Emperor said. "In any case, A'Le, rest assured, I will secure A'Nian's position as heir. In the future, the master of the Protectorate Duke's mansion can only be A'Nian. As for Gu Siya, if he behaves himself, I won't do anything to him. But if he doesn't, I won't show him any leniency just because he is your elder brother's darling."
"What did he do?" Consort An asked.
Chongwen Emperor coughed awkwardly. "He is always coveting things that do not belong to him."
"It has always been this way. As long as Your Majesty doesn't agree, their coveting is of no use," Consort An said. After a pause, she continued, "Besides, with A'Nian's capabilities, even without the heir's position, he could earn a marquisate himself. The Duke's mansion and the like are very important in their eyes. But A'Nian doesn't care about it at all."
Taking a few deep breaths, Chongwen Emperor thought that since he had decided to confess, he shouldn't dawdle. He said, "He colluded with Li An."
Consort An looked a little surprised. "If I recall correctly, Li An is the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review. He is an incorruptible official and has always been highly appreciated by Your Majesty. To be a third-rank official at such a young age is unprecedented in the founding history of our Great Feng. However, Li An is Your Majesty's man. How could he be involved with A'Ya? And what is there to collude about between them?"
"A'Le, do you remember when the eldest was one year old, and I went on an incognito tour?" Chongwen Emperor asked.
Consort An nodded. "I remember. Why did Your Majesty suddenly bring this up?"
"On that occasion, I favored a commoner woman," Chongwen Emperor said, carefully observing Consort An's expression as he spoke.
"Then why didn't Your Majesty bring her into the palace?" Consort An asked, her expression unchanged.
"Because I had important matters to attend to and it was inconvenient to keep her by my side. When I sent people to look for her later, they couldn't find her," Chongwen Emperor said. "Later, someone went and left a child. Before leaving, she told the child my identity. The child didn't immediately come to acknowledge me. Instead, he studied on his own, achieved academic success, and accomplished some political achievements before privately acknowledging me."
"The child Your Majesty is referring to is Minister of the Court of Judicial Review Li An?" Consort An asked.
Chongwen Emperor nodded. "It's not favoritism that I promoted him to a third-rank official. It's because he truly has immense talent in investigating cases!"
"Then Your Majesty could have simply announced his identity," Consort An said, confused.
"I said the same thing, but when he acknowledged me, he said he didn't want people to know his identity as a prince. He didn't want to be involved in the struggle for the throne; he wasn't interested in the throne. He said that no matter which prince ascended to your position in the end, he would assist them wholeheartedly." Chongwen Emperor's mind vaguely recalled Li An's sincere demeanor when he spoke before him that day, but unfortunately, he was just acting.
"Did Your Majesty believe him?" Consort An had known Chongwen Emperor since they were young and naturally knew what kind of person he was. He wasn't a man of exclusive devotion, but he was definitely a man who valued emotions. Li An's birth mother died young. Even if the woman originally held no place in Chongwen Emperor's heart, as she had just said, the unobtainable is the best, the most memorable. That commoner woman who died young must have held a place in Chongwen Emperor's heart.