Empress Yan said earnestly, "The Emperor took a liking to Consort Yang, the seventh prince's birth mother, during his inspection tour. She brought her back to the palace and gave birth to the seventh prince in just over eight months..."
“Among us brothers, only the seventh prince looks exactly like our mother, Consort Yang. Perhaps it’s a misunderstanding.” The second prince smiled at Empress Yan. “If Father Emperor could step forward and say a few words, perhaps we could clear our names.”
Empress Yan raised an eyebrow: "Seventh Prince may not agree to let the Emperor come out."
"Seventh Brother has already gone out of the city to find Zhao Jiahua."
The two exchanged a glance and both revealed meaningful smiles.
During their casual conversation, he seemed completely unafraid of the presence of the Third Prince's wife, which frightened her so much that she wished she could cover her ears and disappear into the ground.
Empress Yan glanced at Qingzhi.
Qingzhi immediately said, "Your Majesty has not been sleeping well lately. With the addition of a young prince in the palace, Your Majesty has to do everything personally, which is truly tiring."
The Third Prince's wife looked up in surprise.
"The child is still young, and although he makes a fuss, I find it adds to the fun." Empress Yan looked at the Third Prince's wife with a half-smile: "So being a mother is so hard. Third Prince's wife, you've worked hard all these years."
The Third Prince's wife's face turned pale and then red, but she forced a smile and said, "Your Majesty has really had a hard time."
After chatting for a while, Empress Yan said, "The third prince is dead, and the emperor is heartbroken. Why don't you come with me to see him now?"
"Your Majesty..." The Third Prince's Consort was extremely unwilling to see the Southern Emperor, who was old and lecherous, and whose eyes were always lecherously staring at her.
Because of her elders and their power, the Third Prince's wife couldn't say much. She could only avoid them, and if she couldn't see them, she would pretend to be sick.
Just as he was about to refuse, he met Empress Yan's sharp gaze and quickly swallowed his words of refusal, bending down to help Empress Yan up.
His submissive demeanor pleased Empress Yan.
This made Empress Yan's smile even brighter.
Soon, news of Consort Yang's arrival at the palace spread throughout the palace.
Some say that the prince born to Consort Yang after eight months of pregnancy looked exactly like a full-term child, and even after he grew up, the seventh prince was more robust than any other prince.
Opinions varied, and the rumors spread more and more fiercely.
The first to get restless were the royal relatives, especially the older generation of princes, who jumped out to demand an explanation from the Emperor of Southern Xinjiang.
“If the Seventh Prince were not of royal blood, the military power in the Southern Frontier would not be suitable to be held by a bastard… an outsider.”
The term "bastard" was promptly changed.
Several older people insisted on finding the Emperor of Southern Xinjiang.
With the help of Prime Minister Yan, the Southern Xinjiang Emperor was gradually released, and at this moment, he sat on the dragon throne again.
The gloom between his brows was even more intense than usual.
When he insisted that he knew Consort Yang, Consort Yang was acting strangely, always trying to hide it. He became pregnant after being favored twice.
He never doubted whether Consort Yang was pregnant at the time.
"Your Majesty, has Consort Yang ever mentioned the Seventh Prince's background?" Empress Yan regained her usual dignified and graceful demeanor in front of everyone.
The Emperor of Southern Xinjiang shook his head: "Never."
"So, even though Consort Yang discovered she was pregnant, she concealed it, allowing an outsider to obscure the royal bloodline and enjoy years of wealth and luxury?"
"Consort Yang did it on purpose!"
"At the time, Consort Yang was just the daughter of a county magistrate. She was fortunate enough to be met by the Emperor at the Lantern Festival. If she hadn't been pregnant, she would never have been able to become a consort. Over the years, the Yang family has risen in rank because of the Seventh Prince and Consort Yang. Many of the younger generation of the Yang family have joined the army, and some have even entered officialdom."
The Emperor of Southern Xinjiang looked troubled: "Consort Yang... Consort Yang shouldn't be capable of doing such a thing."
"Your Majesty, you can know a person's face but not their heart."
The Southern Border Emperor's ambiguous words further confirmed that the Seventh Prince's identity was suspicious.
Furthermore, some suggested summoning the entire Yang family to the city, especially the maternal grandparents' family of the Seventh Prince, who must know some clues.
The emperor of the Southern Frontier stammered for a long time.
"Your Majesty, the Southern Frontier cannot fall into the hands of outsiders." Prime Minister Yan was the first to kneel on the ground, cupping his hands and saying, "Whether it is true or not, we should investigate it thoroughly. This will be considered to be doing justice for His Highness. Otherwise, His Highness will always be suspected. You are also thinking of His Highness."
Having said all that, the Southern Emperor finally relented: "Fine, to silence the gossip, this is the only way."
The Emperor of Southern Xinjiang immediately ordered that the entire Yang family be summoned to the palace.
Prime Minister Yan suggested that the third son of the Huo family should handle this matter.
The Emperor of Southern Xinjiang nodded in agreement without hesitation.
Two days later, the Seventh Prince learned of this matter. He had just met up with General Zuo when he heard that Jia Hua was determined to leave. Before he could speak, a guard reported: "Your Highness, the Emperor summoned all civil and military officials two days ago and ordered Lord Huo to bring the entire Yang family into Jincheng to investigate the matter of Consort Yang's pregnancy back then."
The Seventh Prince's expression changed drastically.
The Left General was furious: "What does Your Majesty mean by this?"
"Some people say that Consort Yang gave birth when she was eight months pregnant, deliberately confusing the royal bloodline."
"What utter nonsense!" General Zuo cursed angrily, turning to the Seventh Prince with fury: "Your Highness, the Princess Consort is right. After your triumphant return, a bunch of people are eyeing your military power, all scheming against you. Why didn't anyone suspect this when several countries joined forces a few years ago?"
General Zuo grew angrier and angrier, wishing he could rush back to Jincheng and confront everyone.
“Your Highness, isn’t this blatant bullying?” General Zuo’s heart pounded. “The person has been dead for so many years, and you’re only bringing it up now.”
The seventh prince's face was gloomy.
Only after the Left General had finished his tirade, spittle flying everywhere, did he change the subject and ask, "What brings Your Highness here?"
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