Chapter 55: Your Majesty, do not worry about your past. The truth will come out. No...

Concubine Liu's coffin had been carried to the imperial mausoleum. After her funeral, Bianjing was silent for several days.

However, at some point, rumors of "the royal bloodline being mixed" suddenly began to spread among the people, spreading like wildfire. Although the rumors did not specify which "royal bloodline" it was, the vagueness of the words only aroused people's speculation.

When King Liang first heard about this, he was terrified. He tried his best to trace the source in secret but found nothing. He felt that he was being stared at by countless eyes, and he was afraid of everything.

In the Forbidden Garden, since the passing of the Imperial Concubine, the Emperor's condition had somehow worsened to the point where he could not get out of bed.

On this day, the emperor, lying on his sickbed, was talking with the imperial teacher Chi Hua, trying to find a way to prolong his life. Chi Hua asked casually, seemingly unintentionally:

"Your Majesty, are you aware of the recent rumors in Bianjing?"

"Master, you're joking. I'm so busy with state affairs that I don't have time to pay attention to these things."

"The people of Bianjing all said that the royal bloodline had been mixed up, and there was a fear of divine punishment."

The emperor frowned. "Bloodline confusion? Absurd! Does the Imperial Master also believe such nonsense?"

Chihua swept his whisk lightly, his expression unfathomable:

"Your Majesty, the rumors of the sky are not without reason. The celestial phenomena are a warning that within the royal bloodline, there is indeed a branch that is not a direct descendant of the true dragon and is closely related to the 'spirit of another world'.

This is a divine secret, and I cannot speak of it, or I will be punished. Your Majesty must make the final decision and personally investigate the matter to avert this calamity."

The emperor was suspicious by nature, and was particularly sensitive to matters of bloodline. The first person he thought of was the deposed Crown Prince Xie Xuanhui and his biological mother, Queen Lu!

At that time, Empress Lu came from an aristocratic family and had a bad relationship with him. After the Empress gave birth to Xie Xuanhui prematurely, rumors spread in the palace that the Empress had a close relationship with a young general after entering the palace. In his early years, he was forced to swallow his anger under pressure from the aristocratic families. Later, he ordered the woman to be executed, but it caused a counterattack from the aristocratic families, and the matter was left unresolved. This was a deep thorn in his heart and the source of his hatred for the prince!

"Investigate? This happened many years ago, how can we investigate it?" The emperor was both suspicious and angry.

Chi Hua replied in an enigmatic manner:

"Your Majesty, do not worry. The truth will emerge. Within three days, the answer will be clear. Your Majesty, you only need to wait."

His Majesty is suspicious by nature, but he will not question what he has heard with his own ears and seen with his own eyes.

At the same time, a eunuch arrived at the Prince of Liang's mansion. It was the eunuch who had helped Prince of Liang and the imperial concubine exchange the tokens. He asked Prince of Liang to dismiss the others and said,

"Before her death, the Empress left a secret item for Your Highness. It concerns the Sixth Prince's future. Your Highness, please be sure to come to the Imperial Concubine's old palace at 3:45 PM tomorrow. Someone will then hand the item to Your Highness."

The King of Liang had been annoyed by the opinions of the people in the capital since he had been near Japan, so he was inevitably suspicious when he first heard about this.

"What is it? Why didn't Han'er hand it to me in person?"

"Your Highness, before her death, the Queen only told me to pass on a message to you. I don't know the rest."

The eunuch bowed his head respectfully.

"Well, I understand. You may withdraw first."

King Liang felt a little uneasy when he asked people to leave, but since it was related to Han'er and Jingrong, he had to go.

The next day, Prince Liang stayed in the palace temporarily on the pretext of attending to the sick. At the hour of Xu, he quietly sneaked into the deserted old palace of Concubine Liu. After making sure that no one was there, he hid in the dark corner of the room to observe the situation.

At three quarters past midnight, the door of the house creaked open. King Liang never expected to see Jing Rong here, and he subconsciously walked out from the darkness.

The two met eyes in the dim palace and asked almost at the same time:

"Why are you here?"

Unexpectedly, before King Liang could speak again, the Sixth Prince suddenly changed his expression and took the lead in attacking, taking out the letter and speaking in a sharp tone:

"Uncle Wang! No, maybe I should call you something else? What's going on with this letter?! Why did Mother say you are my father? This is absolutely ridiculous!"

King Liang was horrified when he saw this. Several thoughts flashed through his mind, and his uneasiness became even worse. He subconsciously retorted:

"Rong'er! Stop talking nonsense! This is a conspiracy! It's a frame-up!"

"Conspiracy? Why you?! And why would Mother leave behind something like this?!"

The Sixth Prince was already emotionally unstable due to his mother's death and recent stress. Now he was shocked by this shocking secret. As the letter said, he saw Prince Liang in his mother's palace, and he was completely overwhelmed.

The King of Liang was furious at the Sixth Prince's words "Why you?" and suddenly admitted:

"Yes! So what if I'm your biological father?! Am I not good to you? I plan everything for you! What's so good about that old emperor?! He snatched Han'er away, but didn't take good care of her. He said you were his most beloved child, and even after the crown prince was deposed, he still refused to make you the crown prince! He's nothing but a hypocrite and selfish person!"

"Nonsense! You're talking nonsense!... If you are my biological father, then what about my sister? Are you also his biological father? You weren't in the capital when my mother was pregnant!"

The Sixth Prince interrupted the other party angrily. Suddenly he thought of some evidence that could refute King Liang. A rare smile appeared on his face as he rebuked sarcastically.

"My son! You are Han'er and I's only child! After I returned to the capital that year, Han'er never left me and asked someone to send me a letter. I knew what he was thinking. Later, His Majesty went to the Summer Palace, and your mother and I also accompanied him..."

"Shut up!"

The Sixth Prince's roar echoed in the empty palace, carrying with it the shame and collapse of having to accept the truth.

However, before he could finish his words, a burst of suppressed exclamations and chaotic footsteps suddenly came from the corridor outside the hall!

Then, a woman's panicked voice pierced the silence sharply:

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty, what's wrong with you?! Quick! Call the imperial physician!!"

It’s the new Concubine Wan who entered the palace!

The two people who were arguing in the hall froze instantly as if a bucket of cold water was poured over their heads!

This Concubine Wan once lived in the same palace with Imperial Concubine Liu. His Royal Highness the Sixth Prince had met her several times, so he was quite familiar with the voice and immediately recognized who the owner of the voice was. The word "Your Majesty" made him terrified!

"Father?!"

He cried out incoherently, his face turned pale, and he subconsciously wanted to rush out to check.

"stop!"

Although Prince Liang was also terrified, he was still experienced. He grabbed the Sixth Prince's arm tightly and said in a low and hurried voice:

"You can't go out! Going out now would be a trap! Listen to the noise, His Majesty must have been taken away!"

Sure enough, the footsteps and noise outside quickly faded away, as if everything just now was just an illusion, leaving only deathly silence and suffocating fear.

The Sixth Prince was cold all over, his hands and feet were shaking uncontrollably:

"Father...Father must have heard it...He...He fainted! If he..." He didn't dare to think any further.

Prince Liang tried to remain calm, but the cold sweat on his forehead also revealed the turmoil in his heart:

"Hearing any of this is a capital offense! We can't stay here any longer, leave!"

The two of them no longer cared about arguing, and fled from Concubine Liu's old palace in a panic like frightened birds. They avoided people along the way and returned to the Sixth Prince's Mansion in fear.

After returning to the relatively safe mansion, the two frightened men immediately summoned the trusted eunuchs who were placed beside the emperor.

The news brought by the confidant confirmed their worst fears:

Your Majesty truly did not know why he fainted outside the Imperial Concubine's old palace, and was urgently sent back to the bedroom by the Imperial Master and Concubine Wan, also known as Nian Yue. Although he temporarily recovered after treatment, his condition was extremely bad, and he seemed extremely angry before he fell into a coma.

"It's over... it's all over..."

The Sixth Prince collapsed in his chair, his face pale. All his arrogance and pride disappeared at this moment, leaving only overwhelming despair.

Prince Liang, standing by, was also feeling the pit of his stomach. He paced anxiously in the hall, his eyes shifting. Suddenly, he stopped, a desperate, frantic glint in his eyes:

"Jingrong! Now is not the time to be afraid! If the emperor wakes up, you, me, and everyone involved will die! We have no way out!"

"Then...what should we do then?"

The Sixth Prince's voice trembled.

"What should I do? I have no choice but to fight to the death!"

He approached the Sixth Prince, lowered his voice, and spoke in a fierce and resolute tone.

"The Emperor is now seriously ill and unconscious. The palace defenses must be flawed. This is our last chance! Mobilize all available forces immediately—the men you've planted in the Imperial Guards, the assassins I've secretly nurtured, and... General Guan's former subordinates. Ever since General Guan was executed, they've long been dissatisfied with the Emperor. If we promise them great benefits, they'll surely be able to be used by us!"

He almost gritted his teeth and said:

"We must charge into the palace immediately and seize the Emperor and his chambers! Then... we'll tell them that Crown Prince Xie Xuanhui and Imperial Preceptor Chi Hua are conspiring to poison His Majesty, and that we're leading our troops into the palace to protect the Emperor and quell the rebellion! As long as we can control the situation, kill Xie Xuanhui and Chi Hua, and then get the Emperor to 'just right' issue a decree of succession... this world will be ours!"

This was a heinous and even crazy plan, but the instinct for survival and twisted ambition quickly overwhelmed his fear, and the Sixth Prince convinced himself almost instantly.

However, when he thought of his shameful background and his sister Duan Yang, who had pure royal blood and was always regarded as a vassal by him, an extreme jealousy and evil thoughts surged in his heart.

"Alright! Let's do it!" After a few breaths, a malicious light flashed in the Sixth Prince's eyes. "But to make this happen, we need another person—my sister, Princess Duanyang."

Upon hearing this, King Liang couldn't help but frown:

"Duan Yang? She's a princess in the inner palace, without any troops or power. What use can she be? Besides, she has a gentle personality and may not be willing to participate in such a major event."

"She doesn't need to agree, she just needs to be there!" The Sixth Prince sneered. "I'll tell her that my father is being held hostage by the Crown Prince and the demonic cult, and is in imminent danger. I'll ask her to bring me into the palace as a princess. This is our only chance to save my father. She's known for her filial piety and lacks any insight, so she'll definitely agree. With the princess paving the way, it'll be easier for our people to sneak in."

There was a hint of cruel pleasure in his tone:

"Besides... wouldn't it be better if she could see with her own eyes how her respected father, the Emperor, ended up?" - Why could she be her princess with a clear conscience?

He didn't say the second half of the sentence, but it revealed the malice hidden deep in his heart.