Chapter 201 Overcoming Opinions

Just as Shen Yiqiu stood frozen in place, Zhang Heze, who was standing next to Zhao Ke'er, suddenly stepped forward.

He bowed slightly to Zhao Ke'er, his posture humble:

“Mother, the Marquis of Yongjia is still recovering from her serious injuries and is in shock. Moreover, she has rendered meritorious service to the country and has fought alongside me in battle.”

“To insist on formalities at this time would fail to reflect the court’s consideration for meritorious officials and would also make me uneasy. It would be better to discuss important matters first and wait until Marquis Yongjia is well before discussing other things.”

Zhao Ke'er narrowed her eyes, slightly displeased with Zhang Heze's presumptuous decision, but now was the perfect time to establish the image of the true Crown Prince's benevolence, so she accepted the situation gracefully.

“My son is kind and his words make sense. Very well, Marquis Yongjia, you may dispense with the formalities for now.”

Shen Yiqiu gave Zhang Heze a deep look, nodded slightly, and said nothing more.

Zhao Ke'er composed herself, her expression suddenly turning sorrowful, and she said loudly:

"As all of you gentlemen know, I was in the palace when Consort Jia gave birth. But who would have thought that she would harbor such malicious intentions and commit such a substitution?"

She clapped her hands.

"Bring your ID!"

An elderly woman with gray hair was helped into the hall by two palace servants, and she knelt down on the ground, trembling.

“Granny Sun, you were once the maid who swept and cleaned Consort Jia’s delivery room. Tell us the truth about what you saw that night in front of all these officials.”

Granny Sun dared not raise her head; her voice trembled, yet it flowed exceptionally smoothly, as if she had been reciting for a long time:

"Your Majesty, that night, Consort Jia gave birth to a healthy baby boy, whose cry was loud and clear."

"But, but not long after, I heard a faint cry from inside, like that of a newborn kitten. Then, I saw Consort Jia's trusted nanny rush out carrying a swaddled baby. The baby's cries were much weaker."

"Later, the palace announced that Consort Jia had given birth to a prince, who is now Crown Prince Yongjing... But I always felt something was wrong..."

Zhao Ke'er wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes and gestured for the eunuch to bring out a brocade box:

"In addition to witness testimony, there is also physical evidence."

"This is the longevity lock that the real prince wore back then. It was bestowed by His Majesty himself, and his birth date and childhood name, Sheng'er, are engraved inside!"

She opened the brocade box and said, "This item fell into the hands of the common people and was carefully preserved by a loyal old servant who risked his life to save it until the emperor recognized it and returned it to its rightful owner."

She passed the longevity lock to several elderly ministers nearby for them to see.

The lock was genuinely old, and the engravings were quite convincing; to the uninformed officials, it carried considerable weight.

Zhao Ke'er gazed lovingly at his face and addressed the assembled officials:

"My lords, look again! The prince's eyebrows, his nose, his features—aren't they almost identical to those in Consort Jia's portrait? And look at Xiao Yongjing on the other hand..."

"What similarities does she share with my deceased elder sister? However, she does occasionally resemble certain people of unknown origin in her features."

Zhang Heze slightly raised his head, his effeminate profile exposed in the candlelight.

Many veteran officials took a closer look and were all taken aback.

Indeed, this face is highly similar to the appearance of Consort Jia in my memory, but Xiao Yongjing's handsomeness is more heroic, which is quite different from Consort Jia's gentleness.

As Zhao Ke'er presented more evidence, the political winds in the court suddenly shifted, and those opportunistic officials began to echo her sentiments:

"Her Imperial Noble Consort painstakingly searched for the true dragon; this is the will of Heaven! I observe that His Highness the Crown Prince is indeed of dragon-like bearing and phoenix-like appearance, with a countenance as bright as the sun and the moon, just like Consort Jia, who is carved from the same mold. As for Xiao Yongjing... now that I think about it, there are indeed many suspicious points."

"If the witnesses and physical evidence are conclusive, and the appearances are so similar... this matter probably needs a thorough investigation. However, is it appropriate to rely solely on one side's testimony...?"

"No wonder... In recent years, His Highness the Crown Prince has become increasingly forceful, which is quite different from His Majesty's calm and benevolent demeanor in his early years. Could it be that they are truly of different bloodlines and have different temperaments?"

As doubts arose, Zhao Ke'er's smile deepened.

Shen Yiqiu stood alone in the hall, clenching her fists, carefully considering the flaws in her words.

"Your Highness, Imperial Noble Consort!"

She suddenly spoke loudly, and all eyes turned to her.

"What Your Highness just said about the witnesses and evidence, as well as the resemblance between His Highness and Consort Jia, is indeed shocking to hear."

Zhao Ke'er was surprised to hear her agreement. She didn't expect Shen Yiqiu to agree with her, and she was momentarily stunned.

"However, Your Majesty, Your Excellencies, the Crown Prince is the pillar of the nation, the one to whom the ancestral temples and the state depend. How can his identity be determined so easily based on an old woman's memories decades later, a gold lock that can be easily counterfeited, and a few similar features?"

"If what Granny Sun said is true, and a substitution occurred on the night Consort Jia gave birth, then where is the chief imperial physician who delivered Consort Jia's baby?"

"Where is the chief eunuch responsible for recording the princes' birth times and physical characteristics and immediately filing them in the Imperial Clan Records? Have the rosters of the palace guards on duty that night been checked one by one, and are their testimonies consistent?"

This series of questions did not stem from the authenticity of her identity, but rather from the strict procedures within the palace, leaving Zhao Ke'er speechless for a moment.

"The birth of a prince is a major event in the palace, and there are strict regulations governing it. There is more than one imperial physician to deliver the baby, more than one person to keep records, and the eyes and ears of the palace are not limited to Granny Sun alone."

"If such a horrifying case of switching babies really happened, were all those involved silenced back then, or did they all willingly keep quiet for Consort Jia for decades, until today when only Granny Sun happened to recall it?"

"Does this make sense logically and emotionally?"

"As for this golden lock... Her Highness said it was a gift from His Majesty, engraved with his childhood name and birth date. May I ask, which craftsman from the Imperial Workshop was commissioned to make this lock? Does the Imperial Workshop have any records? Who was present to witness the bestowal of this gift?"

"If one can determine the identity of a prince simply by looking at a few characters that could possibly be forged, then the Great Jin dynasty is far too frivolous!"

Upon hearing this, many officials who had been somewhat hesitant earlier began to ponder deeply.

Yes, changing princes is such a big deal, how could a cleaning maid possibly see the whole thing?

What about the imperial physicians, the recorders, and the other palace servants? What about the records in the Imperial Clan Court's genealogy? These are the truly reliable pieces of evidence.

Zhao Ke'er's expression changed slightly. She couldn't explain why, out of so many people who knew the truth back then, only Granny Sun had come forward.

Shen Yiqiu bowed respectfully to the assembled officials:

"Your Excellencies! The authenticity of the Crown Prince concerns the foundation of the nation and the stability of the realm. How can such a momentous matter be hastily decided based on only one side's account? Your Majesty, I implore you all to reconsider!"

"This matter must be thoroughly investigated. All relevant files from that time should be reviewed immediately, and former court personnel who may still be alive should be searched for. Only a joint trial by the three judicial departments can ensure fairness and convince the public!"