The Crown Prince continued, "My elder brother has not yet explained how Consort Han got this pinch mark on her neck."
"I don't know. When I entered Qixiang Palace, my mother had this mark on her body. Maybe someone wanted to harm my mother and left in a hurry when they knew someone had come in."
The Crown Prince walked to Consort Han's side and took a good look at the strangulation marks on her neck.
"But to me, this pinch mark matches my eldest brother's hand perfectly, and it was made with his right hand."
“The inside of the eldest prince’s right thumb was injured in his early years and has a raised scar. So the area where he pinched the neck is more indented and redder. Moreover, the length of his hand matches that of the eldest prince.”
The Crown Prince's analysis caused the First Prince's face to turn slightly pale.
He thought that by denying it outright, the case could be dropped as a mystery. Although he was still burdened with doubts, it was better than being proven guilty.
All eyes were on the eldest prince's hands, and indeed, it was just as the crown prince had said.
The fact that the eldest prince desperately tried to hide his hands in his sleeves also proved his guilty conscience.
Hearing the commotion, many of the imperial concubines arrived. They were all shocked to see that the eldest prince had harbored the intention to kill his mother and had even put it into action. Then they were all relieved that such a calamity had not been born.
The Crown Prince chuckled: "If I hadn't arrived in time, wouldn't Consort Han have been lying dead in Qixiang Palace? You even tried to kill your own mother. Eldest brother, your thinking is dangerous. What would you do if things went a step further and became even more serious?"
A dark shadow appeared in the emperor's eyes.
The crown prince didn't mention that crucial sentence, but he understood it.
If he could even kill his own mother, what about his father, the emperor? If he ever displeases the eldest prince, will the eldest prince think of taking his life?
Or perhaps, after being punished last time, the eldest prince has developed a rift with him and is thinking about revenge sometime.
That night, he realized just how dark the Crown Prince's heart truly was.
For so many years, he had been kept in the dark.
If the previous actions against the Qiao family were partisan attacks, what happened tonight was pure evil.
How can such a bastard be kept? Keeping it by your side is like raising a tiger to cause trouble.
Looking at the mad and terrified Consort Han, and then at the heartless and venomous Crown Prince, and remembering that both of them had once been his most beloved people, and that he had found happiness in having this mother and son over the years, the Emperor felt a moment of bewilderment and confusion, as if he had just woken from a dream.
"Your Highness, what do you think is the proper way I should punish the First Prince?"
Chu Yaoce hadn't expected the emperor to ask him this question, but he quickly realized what it meant.
The emperor also suspected him and wanted to take this opportunity to eliminate a rival, with the ultimate goal of seizing the throne.
No matter what, what the emperor cares about most is still the throne. Unless he dies, all the princes must behave themselves.
He said, “Over the years, everyone in the palace has seen how filial you have been to Father and Consort Han. I believe Father can also feel it firsthand. What happened tonight was probably just a moment of impulse and confusion. It does not represent your character. Besides, Consort Han is also safe and sound. I beg Father to punish you lightly and give you a slight reprimand. If you can learn from this lesson, this matter will never be mentioned again, and everything will be as usual.”
These words seemed to be spoken in support of the eldest prince, and they were spoken very sincerely.
However, the emperor extracted several keywords: filial piety, personal experience, and character.
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