Mo Yunzhao ordered the Imperial Guards to take Qin Run to a separate residence for safekeeping.

He then summoned the chief eunuch and whispered something in his ear.

"Take Qin Minglang to the Imperial Study. I want to interrogate him personally!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

The news of the prince recognizing his relatives outside the Ninth Prince's residence quickly spread like wildfire.

Furthermore, Qin Run's identity led to the creation of an unprecedented drama.

Suspicion abounded, and opinions varied widely.

Qin Minglang, dressed in prison clothes, followed the chief eunuch into the imperial study.

He remained calm even after the death sentence was handed down.

Cheng Nan had been corresponding with him for a long time, and the matter of recognizing relatives had always been investigated and verified by the clues he provided to Cheng Nan.

Once Qin Run's identity is confirmed.

He couldn't possibly die.

Not only will they not die, but they will also receive unparalleled glory.

After all, it was he who protected the child left behind by the emperor's beloved back then.

This is his last trump card, as solid as a rock.

After entering the hall, he knelt on both knees, his back ramrod straight.

"This sinful subject kowtows to Your Majesty, may Your Majesty live ten thousand years!"

He then bowed deeply.

Mo Yunzhao raised his hand to dismiss those around him before slowly speaking.

"When did you find out that Qin Run is my son?"

It was indeed because of Qin Run's background.

Qin Minglang felt smug and stood up, feigning surprise.

"Run'er is Your Majesty's child? I had no idea... Back then, I brought him back to the Qin family and claimed him to be my biological son for the sake of his reputation. For years, I treated him as my own son. I never imagined that his biological father was Your Majesty. This sinful subject deserves to die!"

Mo Yunzhao frowned slightly.

Where did you meet the embroiderer?

Qin Minglang hurriedly blurted out the words that had been swirling in his mind for many years.

"On the ninth day of the first month of the twelfth year of Tianwu, outside a villa in the western suburbs, it snowed heavily that day. I was a centurion at the time and went on patrol to carry out my duties. I happened to see a embroiderer having a difficult childbirth and fainting at the gate of the villa, covered in blood. I couldn’t bear it, so I found a midwife to help her give birth. But I never expected that she would die less than three days after giving birth."

"Before she died, she entrusted her child to me, but she did not tell me who the child's father was. She only asked me to take care of him. I never expected to have the honor of raising a prince. I am terrified."

He has changed his self-designation from "a guilty official" to "a humble subject".

Mo Yunzhao's eyes turned slightly cold.

"Since you have done a favor for the royal family, I have spared your death sentence. What other favors do you desire?"

Qin Minglang was overjoyed.

Everything is under control.

He knelt down on the ground again.

"Your humble servant dares not claim credit. This calamity is entirely due to my wife's unfaithfulness; she was bewitched by greed, believing that by associating with the Su family, she could secure a future for herself. Now, however..."

He deliberately sighed and gently shook his head.

"Your Majesty, I have no other thoughts but to serve you wholeheartedly and make contributions. If one day I am appreciated by Your Majesty and can truly achieve the position that the Su family holds today, then I will have no regrets even if I die!"

Despite many things, the Third Prince, Mo Shaojun, did his utmost to protect the Su family.

It seems that everything has been smoothed out.

But he was certain that the Emperor could not help but feel estranged from Su Weichuan.

Now that Qin Run is a prince, and he has the grace of raising a prince, if he can take this opportunity to promote him to replace the Su family, it will definitely be of great benefit to the emperor.

All he needed to do was show loyalty.

Mo Yunzhao stared at him for a long time.

"Are you truly only devoted to serving me and loyal to the Great Zhou?"

Qin Minglang was overjoyed and shouted, "Your Majesty, I will serve you with all my heart and soul, and I will be loyal to you for life!"

He looked forward to the grand investiture that would follow today's pardon of those sentenced to death.

This is what it means to be put in a do-or-die situation and then survive!

"good!"

Mo Yunzhao slammed his hand on the table, his expression seemingly excited.

"Guards, deliver the imperial decree!"

The chief eunuch bowed and entered.

Qin Minglang straightened his robes, his face beaming as he prepared to receive his appointment.

Mo Yunzhao said, "The guilty subject Qin Minglang has rendered meritorious service in adopting the prince, so his death sentence can be waived. He is hereby appointed as a member of the Six Ding Guard and must assume his post immediately without fail!"

The main hall was deathly silent.

Qin Minglang's mouth was agape, his joy still lingering, before it was replaced by disbelief and shock, his expression both strange and comical.

"Six...Six Ding Guards?"

The Six Ding Guards were the lowest-ranking soldiers among the city gate guards, and they had to do the hardest jobs and the dirtiest menial tasks.

"Your Majesty, you...you must have said something wrong."

The chief eunuch shouted sternly.

"Qin Dingwei, how dare you! Are you questioning the Emperor's decree? It seems you haven't had enough of being in prison yet!"

Qin Minglang quickly shook his head.

"No, Your Majesty, I simply feel that the Six Ding Guards are really... really..."

"Dislike your low-ranking official position?"

Mo Yunzhao replied calmly, "But your merits have already saved your life. This official position is an extra reward from me. Moreover, as far as I know, Run'er has been personally raised by the Ninth Prince's Consort in the Qin family all these years. If we are to talk about gratitude, I should reward her well."

Qin Minglang was speechless.

His face turned pale and then flushed.

The chief eunuch urged, "Qin Dingwei, why haven't you kowtowed to express your gratitude?"

Qin Minglang was filled with resentment, but he also knew that only by getting out of the death row would he have a chance to turn things around.

He could only kneel down to express his gratitude, his former smugness completely gone.

...

The news that Qin Run was a prince quickly reached the ears of the eldest branch of the Su family.

Su Rong'an hurriedly took Su Qinghe to the Su family's Buddhist Hall to see the old Prince Su.

However, they happened to run into Madam Cheng and Su Yulan, who had also come to see them.

Cheng's laughter was sarcastic and unsettling.

"Why are you in such a hurry, elder sister? I just asked, and Father is in meditation and won't see anyone."

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