amaotonovel Chapter 419 Exposed
Chapter 419 Exposed
The Emperor of Northern Qi roared, "Tell him to get out!"
The eunuch then said, "Your Majesty, Lord Feng said... he has something to report about the Prince of Qi."
The Northern Qi emperor's eyebrows twitched, his face growing increasingly grim, and he said coldly, "Summon them."
He wanted to see what other rebellious and treacherous things this unfilial son had done.
Standing to the side, Eunuch Liu never dreamed that the King of Qi would murder the emperor and usurp the throne. Looking at the chaotic scene, he said tremblingly, "Your Majesty, your injuries..."
The Emperor of Northern Qi interrupted him: "He won't die."
Seeing the murderous look in the Northern Qi Emperor's eyes, Eunuch Liu dared not offer any further advice. He retreated to a corner, then glanced at the Prince of Qi discreetly and sighed heavily.
King Qi was truly foolish.
As long as he behaves himself, the Northern Qi dynasty will eventually fall into his hands.
Now that things have come to this, he may have lost his chance at the throne.
Besides, Lord Feng and the Prince of Qi are adversaries, so how could he be praising the Prince of Qi?
I'm afraid they're here to add another crime to King Qi's list.
If the situation becomes serious, Prince Qi will not only bring disaster upon himself, but also implicate the Empress.
When Prince Qi heard that Lord Feng was going to report his deeds to his father, the Emperor, his heart skipped a beat, and he had a bad feeling.
Since Lord Feng was a member of the Prince Xian's faction, it was obvious that his audience with the Emperor at this critical juncture was intended to denounce him, which would undoubtedly be adding insult to injury for him.
After all, he had just assassinated his father, thus angering him. If his father were to be blinded by rage and lose his usual rationality and restraint, he would surely order his execution.
At this moment, Lord Feng entered the Hall of Mental Cultivation and clearly sensed that something was amiss. He cautiously glanced at the Emperor of Northern Qi, only to see his face filled with rage and his eyes gleaming with murderous intent.
Lord Feng clenched his fists and shifted his gaze to Prince Qi, only to see Prince Qi lying on the ground in a sorry state, with a guard holding a long sword to Prince Qi's throat.
Seeing this, Lord Feng understood the situation and thought to himself that he had arrived at just the right time.
He quickly bowed to the Emperor of Northern Qi, then knelt on the ground: "Your Majesty, I have learned of a secret concerning the royal family by chance. I dared not report it to you without solid evidence, so I specially sent people to investigate in secret."
"It wasn't until this evening that the people we sent out brought back witnesses and evidence, confirming that the secret was true and not a rumor. After much deliberation, I decided to risk my life to enter the palace and report the truth to Your Majesty, so that Your Majesty might not allow the Empress to disrupt the foundation of the country."
Lord Feng, speaking with great emotion, took out a letter from his sleeve and presented it to the Emperor of Northern Qi with both hands: "Your humble servant has ascertained that the Prince of Qi is not of royal blood."
These words were like a thunderclap from a clear sky, stunning everyone in the hall.
King Qi's mind was buzzing, and he felt a chill rise from the soles of his feet to the top of his head, as if the blood in his body had frozen.
Once their true identities were revealed, how could he and his mother possibly survive?
The Northern Qi emperor was greatly shocked and remained in shock for a long time. He asked absentmindedly, "What did you say?"
Lord Feng said, "Prince Qi is not the son of His Majesty and the Empress, but the child born from an affair between a palace maid and a guard by the Empress's side. The Empress adopted him and raised him to serve as a member of the royal bloodline."
"Nonsense! The Empress carried the child for ten months before giving birth to Prince Qi. If Prince Qi was not born to the Empress, then where is the child in her womb?" The Emperor of Northern Qi angrily pointed at Minister Feng: "You have made irresponsible remarks about the Empress, which is a capital offense."
“Your Majesty, I dare not speak ill of you. Every word I have said is true.” Lord Feng said, his face pale and covered in cold sweat, “I have found the female physician who delivered the Empress years ago. She has admitted that the Empress was not pregnant.”
"In order to consolidate her position, the Empress, upon learning that a palace maid was pregnant, hid the maid in a secret room in Chang Le Palace and announced to the public that she was pregnant with the imperial heir."
"This letter in your hand was also given to me by the physician. It was written to her by the Empress after she left the palace. The letter mentions the background of Prince Qi."
"Furthermore, we might be able to find some clues in the secret chambers of Chang Le Palace," Lord Feng suggested. "Your Majesty, if you do not believe me, you may summon the Empress and the physician for questioning."
The Northern Qi Emperor looked sharply at Lord Feng. Seeing that Lord Feng was not afraid at all and spoke every word with unwavering determination, he knew that Lord Feng had come prepared.
Without solid evidence, his accusation that the Empress had confused the royal bloodline would be enough to have his head chopped off.
Lord Feng isn't tired of living yet; he wouldn't be so foolish as to do something reckless.
Even so, the Northern Qi emperor still refused to believe that the Prince of Qi was not born to the empress.
Although the Empress was usually rather cold to him, she would never do anything so foolish as to confuse the royal bloodline. If it were exposed, it would be a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of his family.
The Empress has always been insightful and rational. Even if she remains infertile for life, no one can shake her position, so there is no need for her to take that risk.
The Emperor of Northern Qi could not accept Lord Feng's explanation. With the intention of exposing his lies, he tore open the letter in his hand and pulled out a piece of paper.
The letter was yellowed and the ink was old, as if it had been there for many years.
The Northern Qi emperor skimmed through the text, and before he knew what he was reading, his livid face flushed red with rage.
He slammed his hand on the dragon table with a "bang," gritting his teeth as he said, "Someone, bring the Empress and the female physician here."
Lord Feng breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this.
The Northern Qi emperor's reaction clearly showed that he believed him.
King Qi's stiff body went limp, and he almost foresaw his own end.
He regretted it; he regretted acting impulsively.
If he had listened to Zhao Yi and had not been provoked by his father to commit regicide, would there still have been a chance to save him?
-
Meanwhile, the Empress folded the sewn garment neatly and placed it in a cloth bag. She was just waiting for the Dragon Boat Festival the next day, when Prince Qi would come to the palace for the banquet, and then she would give him the garment.
The Empress smoothed out her clothes, took out a sachet and placed it in the middle of the clothes, then twisted the two ends of the bundle, preparing to tie a knot.
At this moment, a palace maid's voice came from outside the hall: "Your Majesty, His Majesty has sent someone to invite you to the Hall of Mental Cultivation."
The Empress paused, looking at the dark sky, her brows furrowing slightly. Before she could ask anything, Green Branch rushed in from outside the palace: "Your Majesty, His Highness went to the Hall of Mental Cultivation tonight. Afterwards, Lord Feng also entered the palace, saying he had something to report to His Majesty about His Highness."
At this point, Green Branch said with concern, "Lord Feng has only been in the hall for a short while, and His Majesty has already sent someone to invite you to the Hall of Mental Cultivation. Could it be that His Highness has committed a crime?"
The Empress frowned, quickly put down her bundle, and led her entourage toward the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
Suddenly, someone blocked her way.