Chapter 199 Proving Him is worse than Proving Himself

In the Shen Mansion, the candlelight flickered.

Shen Yiqiu leaned against the couch, and Qingzhu stepped forward with concern to treat the wound on her forehead.

The atmosphere was oppressive, and a faint sob could be heard.

Mo Yu, who had been holding on, suddenly slammed her fist into a pillar, her eyes bloodshot. She turned to Shen Yiqiu, pointed at her, and lost control of her emotions.

"It's all because of you! Marquis Yongjia... If it weren't for saving you, how could His Highness have left the Eastern Palace without permission, giving Zhao Ke'er an opportunity!"

"Do you know that before His Highness left the palace, His Majesty secretly summoned him? His Majesty told His Highness personally that no one could replace him in his position."

"His Highness told me this himself. His Majesty trusts him, he trusts him! It must have been Zhao Ke'er who poisoned His Majesty while His Highness was away!"

Shen Yiqiu, who had been looking down, raised her eyes thoughtfully. She ignored Mo Yu's accusation and grasped the key information in his words:

"What? His Majesty summoned the Crown Prince and personally acknowledged his position as the Eastern Palace Prince? Mo Yu, are you sure you didn't mishear? What was His Majesty's expression and tone like at the time?!"

Mo Yu was taken aback by her question, then became even angrier, assuming that she also doubted the Crown Prince's identity:

"Lord Yongjia, His Highness has shown you great affection and loyalty. I originally thought you were different from those sycophants."

"Yet you are now doubting His Highness's identity? He risked his life to break into the Earl's mansion for you, and ended up in this desperate situation!"

In his emotional state, he subconsciously took a step forward, his whole body radiating a chilling murderous aura.

Seeing this, Honglan immediately stepped in front of Shen Yiqiu, grabbed Moyu's arm, and whispered:

"Mo Yu! Calm down! What time is it now? We can't afford to panic. His Highness went to great lengths to save Marquis Yongjia. If you harm her even slightly, how will His Highness view you when he returns? Will he forgive you?"

She patted his shoulder reassuringly twice:

"Besides, things are not settled yet. Zhao Ke'er hasn't succeeded yet, has she? We are all trying to find a solution, and the Marquis of Yongjia is certainly trying to find a solution as well."

Shen Yiqiu looked at the two people in front of her and took a deep breath:

“Mo Yu, Hong Lan is right. This internal strife is exactly what Zhao Ke’er wants. I don’t doubt His Highness; on the contrary, His Majesty’s words are of utmost importance at this moment.”

"This proves that in His Majesty's heart, His Highness's position has never been shaken. Zhao Ke'er must have used extremely insidious means to control His Majesty."

As if she had thought of something, her expression became hesitant:

“When Fu Langxing mentioned the true prince, his tone was unusually confident, not like it was just a rumor. Zhao Ke'er has been planning for many years, so this person's identity must be perfectly concealed, and his appearance and age have probably been fully prepared.”

"If we insist on confronting him head-on about the authenticity of his bloodline, we may be falling into Zhao Ke'er's trap, and it will be difficult to achieve results in a short time."

As she spoke, she gestured for Qingzhu to take out her grandmother's letters, turn to the pages with maps of Longnan, and spread them on the table.

Tap your finger on the map marker:

“Look closely at these maps of your grandmother. They not only mark the obvious military deployments, but also several ancient trade routes that bypass the official roads, and…”

"These places are the strongholds where some scattered members of the royal family were most likely to hide when the previous dynasty collapsed."

She raised her head and glanced at Mo Yu Honglan, who was equally bewildered:

"Zhao Ke'er is the eldest daughter of the Left Prime Minister, and she knows all the secrets of the previous dynasty. If she wants to create a crown prince who can be mistaken for the real one, the most likely way is to find a male infant of similar age from among these scattered bloodlines of the previous dynasty, raise him from childhood, and substitute him for the real one!"

Honglan then understood what she meant:

"Does the Marquis mean that we shouldn't get bogged down in the blood test, which is easy to tamper with, but instead, we should strike at the root of the problem and directly investigate his background?"

Shen Yiqiu nodded emphatically:

“That’s right! As long as we can find out this person’s true background and prove that he has a deep connection with the remnants of the previous dynasty and is a pawn carefully cultivated by Zhao Ke’er to overthrow the previous dynasty.”

"So even if he looks somewhat like Consort Jia or His Majesty, it cannot conceal his true nature as a remnant of the previous dynasty."

"This charge is more convincing and easier for both the court and the public to accept than simply proving whether the crown prince is real or fake."

The anger in Mo Yu's eyes gradually disappeared, and an embarrassed expression appeared on his face instead.

Shen Yiqiu looked at Mo Yu:

“Mo Yu, you are familiar with the operation of the secret guards and have the best understanding of the hidden channels in the capital and even in other places. The task of investigating this person’s background is best suited for you.”

"Take this map and start your investigation from these marked points! Just let me know how many people you need and what kind of support you require!"

Mo Yu took the map, clasped his hands in a fist and bowed:

"Your subordinate... obeys! I will certainly not fail in my duty, Lord Marquis!"

Bai Mei rolled her eyes at Mo Yu and stood respectfully to the side.

If Qingzhu hadn't stopped her just now, she would have definitely struck back hard for slandering her young lady like that.

"Miss, our people report that the palace gates have been completely sealed off by the Zhao family's direct descendants and the Black Armor Army of unknown origin. Entry is permitted, but exit is not. The residences of several ministers who are on good terms with His Highness are also being secretly monitored. We... are almost completely cut off from the outside world."

Shen Yiqiu closed her eyes and sighed.

“Zhao Ke’er won’t kill us for now. She’s in a desperate situation and wants a legitimate coup. She can’t control us. His Majesty’s poisoning is the key issue. We must know His Majesty’s true condition.”

She looked at Bai Mei:

"Bai Mei, go yourself and try to contact Granny Su in the Cold Palace. She is of lowly status but highly skilled in martial arts. She may be able to evade detection and find out if His Majesty is really unconscious, where he is, and whether he is being closely monitored. Be careful, and if there is any risk, retreat immediately."

Bai Mei: "Yes! This servant understands!"

Chen Yiqiu looked at the green bamboo again:

"Qingzhu, how much longer can my body hold on?"

Qingzhu's expression was grave: "The effects of the Red Bean Ash medicine are extremely potent. Miss, you are now no different from an ordinary person, and your internal organs are damaged. If you do not receive the antidote within half a month, I fear... your martial arts will be completely destroyed, and your foundation will be severely damaged."

"Half a month..." Shen Yiqiu murmured.

"That's enough. You continue your research on the antidote. At the same time, find a way to send the news of Zhao Ke'er imprisoning the Crown Prince and framing the Heir Apparent to several high-ranking generals in Longnan through our carrier pigeon channels!"

"Most of them have received great favors from my grandmother, and their subordinates are all former members of the Shen family. They will certainly not stand idly by when they learn of the great changes in the capital and my predicament!"

"Furthermore, in my name as Marquis Yongjia, I will draft several secret letters. One of them will be addressed to Grand Censor Wang Gongzheng, who is upright and might dare to speak out in court."

"Another letter was sent to General Qian, who was guarding the capital. He used to be a lieutenant under my grandmother. I explained the advantages and disadvantages to him and hoped that he could remain neutral, or at least... not become Zhao Ke'er's puppet!"