amaotonovel Chapter 422 Betting on Life
Chapter 422 Betting on Life
"Outrageous!" the Empress rebuked. "I am the mother of the Northern Qi Kingdom. How dare you suggest that a nanny examine me? Where do you place me? This is not only an insult to me, but also a disgrace to the royal family."
The Northern Qi emperor's expression was also very unpleasant.
The Empress continued, "Lord Feng, today you slandered Chong'er as not being my child and suggested that the nanny examine me. If another official comes forward in the future to accuse other princes and princesses of not being imperial heirs, will you summon all the concubines in the harem for examination?"
She sneered, "If His Majesty does as you say, where will the imperial dignity be? Where will the imperial face be?"
Lord Feng realized that he had spoken out of turn and offended the imperial dignity, but this was the only way to prove that the Empress had not given birth to any children.
Now that things have come to this, if he backs down, the Empress will likely turn on him and accuse him of framing the concubines. At that point, death will be his only fate.
“Your Majesty, the Prince of Qi is the eldest son of the legitimate wife, and according to ancestral teachings, he will be the crown prince of Northern Qi. Now, the Prince of Qi’s parentage is disputed. If his parentage is not clarified, the Chu family’s throne will change hands.”
Lord Feng was certain that Prince Qi was not the Empress's biological son. He gritted his teeth and went all out: "If it is true that the Empress has confused the royal bloodline, then I have protected the Chu family's empire and have lived up to the official robes I wear. If I have falsely accused the Empress, I am willing to await Your Majesty's judgment."
The phrase "The Chu family's empire will change hands" put the Northern Qi emperor in his grip. This matter concerned the very foundation of the nation; compared to this, the royal family's dignity was insignificant.
The Empress had been married to the Emperor of Northern Qi for over twenty years. She could tell what he was thinking with just a glance or a frown.
"Your Majesty, I am the Empress. Are you asking me to set aside my dignity and undergo a physical examination by the nanny?" Disappointment welled up in the Empress's eyes: "Never in history has such an absurd thing happened."
"Is the Empress's refusal to undergo a physical examination truly to protect her dignity, or is there some other hidden reason?"
The Northern Qi emperor had only one legitimate son, the Prince of Qi, and could not accept that the Prince of Qi was not of royal blood. He urgently needed the empress to provide proof that the Prince of Qi was her child.
He said in a gentler tone, "Feng Xiaozhong accused you of confusing the royal bloodline. If you do not prove your innocence today, my empress and eldest son will be criticized by the court officials and the people. You have endured this humiliation and proven your innocence. I will kill Feng Xiaozhong as a warning to others."
The Empress's heart sank to the bottom; she knew that the test had to be conducted today.
The Northern Qi emperor was inherently suspicious and placed great importance on imperial succession. In particular, the Prince of Qi, being the eldest son of the legitimate wife, would not easily let the matter pass.
Even though she bravely proved her innocence by dying, the Emperor of Northern Qi still ordered an autopsy to be performed on her body.
The Queen tried her best to remain calm, telling herself that she had not yet reached a dead end and there was still a way out.
She relented: "Your Majesty, I will obey your arrangements."
Upon hearing this, the Northern Qi Emperor relaxed. He had originally planned to force the Empress to undergo a physical examination when she refused.
Now that the Empress has agreed to undergo a physical examination, does that mean she was framed?
The Northern Qi emperor ordered Eunuch Liu to invite a nanny to examine the empress.
Eunuch Liu quickly invited a nanny to come.
The nanny and the Empress went to the inner palace.
Upon seeing this, Lord Feng let out a long sigh of relief, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, and waited for the old woman to come out and announce the good news.
King Qi knew the truth. He watched helplessly as the Queen and the nanny entered the inner palace, unable to do anything, his eyes filled with regret. If only he had known, he would have preferred to die in that assassination attempt.
The Empress Dowager would not have been so humiliated, nor would she have faced the prospect of her crimes being exposed.
The Northern Qi Emperor secretly observed the Qi King's reaction. Seeing the Qi King staring blankly into the inner palace, tears streaming down his face without him even realizing it, the Emperor frowned and looked thoughtfully into the inner palace.