How did such immense wealth fall into my family?

Chapter 246 Isn't he just adding fuel to the fire?
Yang Guifei, having failed to seize the fruits of Gou Sheng's labor, kept a close eye on him, trying to find fault with him. (Chapters 231 and 232)
Yang Guifei learned of the rumor not long after it started.

Consort Yang thought for a moment. "Tell the Empress about this, and add that the Crown Prince should be the dean of that academy."

"Yes. You mean Qian Gousheng is really the Emperor's daughter?"

"It should be. Otherwise, the Emperor wouldn't have indulged her so much."

"Indeed. This servant has gone to find someone to deliver a message to the Empress."

"Go."

After finishing her business, the Empress wanted to take a stroll in the Imperial Garden. However, after walking for a while, she overheard two palace maids gossiping about Gousheng.

A: "Have you heard? Qian Gousheng is the Emperor's daughter."

B: "I've heard about it, it's all over the place."

A: "The Emperor is too good to Qian Gousheng. Do you think the Emperor wants to make it up to her?"

B: "It should be."

A: "Does that mean the Emperor doesn't intend to let her acknowledge her ancestors?"

B: "It's hard to say."

A: "People outside are saying that the Emperor dotes on her too much."

B: "That's right! Everyone says that His Majesty should hand over that academy to His Highness the Crown Prince."

A: "I also think it should be His Highness the Crown Prince who manages it. His Highness has the knowledge, the character, and the status. What does she have?"

B: "You're right? She's just a country girl."

The Empress had lost interest in admiring the flowers. "Go and find out what happened," she ordered.

"Yes."

Soon, the people around the Empress found out what had happened.

After hearing this, the Empress also thought that Gousheng was probably the son of the Emperor and Dong Laoqi. "Go and invite the Crown Prince over."

"Yes."

The Crown Prince arrived more than two hours later. "Mother, you wanted to see me?"

"Okay. You may all leave."

"Yes."

After the palace servants left, the Empress looked at the Crown Prince and asked, "Do you know that Qian Gousheng is the son of your father and that vixen surnamed Dong?"

Crown Prince: "..." No way? "Mother, where did you hear this from?"

"It's all over the place."

"This……"

"Think about how much your father indulged her. Princess Fukang smashed a few jars of her wine, and your father made Princess Fukang pay her 30,000 taels of silver. Your father also gave her the former residence of the rebel king, gave her so many elite soldiers, established an academy with her, and even led all the officials to support her."

"This……"

The Empress looked at the Crown Prince and said, "If she weren't your father's illegitimate daughter, I would give the Empress's position to Consort Yang."

The Crown Prince: "..." Father is indeed too good to Miss Qian. "She's just a girl and she's no problem for us, so let's just pretend we don't know anything."

"How can it not be a problem? If it weren't for her, your father would definitely have entrusted that academy to you. The students in that academy are not ordinary students. If you take good care of those students, all the soldiers will remember your kindness."

The Crown Prince has no mind for such thoughts right now. He just wants to die peacefully in his old age and cure his son's illness.

The crown prince wanted to tell his mother.

However, if word of this matter were to leak out, his uncles might not even wait until his father passed away before trying to pull him off the throne. If his father were to be removed from the throne, none of them would have a good ending.

The Crown Prince composed himself. “Mother, we shouldn’t be enemies with Qian Gousheng; we should try to win her over.”

The Empress disagreed. "Although she is your father's daughter, she has always lived in the countryside. We can find a fault with her and remove her from her position as head of the academy." "Although she grew up in the countryside, she is very intelligent. This time, she not only didn't make any mistakes, but she also brought back many capable people. Besides, even if she did make a mistake, my father might not make her hand over the position. Even if she did, someone else might take it from her. The safest and best way now is to be on good terms with her."

The Empress didn't want to befriend Gou Sheng. However, her son's words also made sense. "Alright. If she doesn't know what's good for her, we'll find a way to kick her out of the capital."

"Okay. By the way, if you want to do anything in the future, you should tell your son first. Otherwise, you might go east while your son goes west."

"Row."

The Crown Prince chatted with his mother for a while before leaving. After leaving the Empress's quarters, the Crown Prince thought for a moment and then went to find the Emperor.

The emperor was reading memorials when a young eunuch entered. "Your Majesty, His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived."

"Let him in."

"Yes."

A moment later, the Crown Prince entered. "Father."

"Okay. You may all leave."

"Yes."

After the palace servants left, the emperor placed the memorial he was holding on the table. "Sit down."

"Thank you, Father. I feel the medicine that Physician Chang prescribed for me is quite effective. I would like to take a gift to the Qian family to express my gratitude to Physician Chang. What do you think?"

His mother knew that rumors were circulating that Qian Gousheng was his father's illegitimate daughter, and his father must have known about it too.

The Emperor's lips curled into a smile. "Go. Take some gifts for Gousheng as well. Gousheng is Doctor Chang's darling."

It's confirmed, the rumors outside are true. "Alright. Your Majesty, I won't disturb you any longer."

"Ah."

On the other side, the Duchess of Jin also heard the rumors.

As soon as the Duke of Jin returned, the Duchess of Jin dismissed the servants. "My lord, did you already know that Gousheng was the son of the Emperor and Miss Dong, which is why you made Nineteen's mother your principal wife?"

Duke of Jin: "..." What rumor is this? "What nonsense are you talking about?"

"I'm not lying, the rumors are going around like crazy. Don't try to cover for the Emperor."

"I didn't do it on behalf of the Emperor... Wait, you just said it's all over the place?"

"Yes. You knew all along, didn't you?"

What do you know? Your Majesty's move is brilliant. "Ahem, well, I only made Lady Qian my principal wife because I was nineteen."

The Duchess of Jin didn't believe it. "Don't give me that. You must have known all along. When did you find out?"

……

On the other side, Gou Sheng was sunbathing with her grandfather in the courtyard when the guard rushed in. "Greetings, sir. Fourth Miss, the steward of the Crown Prince's residence says that the Crown Prince is coming to visit Doctor Chang."

Gou Sheng: "..." Did the Crown Prince come of his own accord, or was he driven here by the treacherous emperor? "When does Your Highness plan to arrive?"

"His Highness the Crown Prince wishes to come now."

Fine.

Soon, news spread that the Crown Prince had gone to the Qian family to deliver gifts to Gou Sheng.

Now everyone believed that Gousheng was the emperor's illegitimate daughter; otherwise, why would the crown prince give a gift to a little girl?

Granny Tian looked at her granddaughter, then at the gifts the Crown Prince had brought, then back again… “Doesn’t the Crown Prince know about those rumors?”

"know."

"Then why did he give you a gift? Isn't that just adding fuel to the fire?"

Of course, it's to confirm that she's the emperor's illegitimate daughter. "He sees how good his father is to me, so he'll be good to me too."

Granny Tian felt a little dizzy. She rubbed her forehead to clear her head. "Why is his father so good to you?"