Xie Jingyan's words were like a boulder thrown into an already turbulent lake, instantly creating a huge upheaval.
Not to mention the Emperor and Empress Dowager, even Shen Wan was stunned.
How is that possible?!
But considering how much the eldest son-in-law cared about that longevity lock, Shen Wan felt it was too likely.
The Empress Dowager refused to believe it, exclaiming, "Who would dare to take away my own grandson?!"
Without further ado, Xie Jingyan lowered his palm and the longevity lock fell down.
Xie Jingyan said, "Even if the Empress Dowager doesn't know that the Grand Consort is looking for his son with Princess Huyang, she should know that the Grand Consort has been searching for this longevity lock for so many years, right?"
The Empress Dowager's expression changed.
She knew about the Prince Consort's search for a longevity lock more than ten years ago.
This longevity lock was commissioned by the late emperor for his unborn grandson. However, the late emperor fell seriously ill and could not wait for his grandson's birth. On the day of his death, he handed the longevity lock over to Princess Huyang.
Princess Huyang had a difficult childbirth and risked her life to give birth to the child. The midwife carried the child out of the delivery room, and the princess consort put the longevity lock around the child's neck.
Princess Huyang suffered a severe hemorrhage, and it took several imperial physicians working together to save her life. She was weak and had to stay in bed for several months. The eldest son-in-law was preoccupied with Princess Huyang. When the child was two months old, the eldest son-in-law suddenly discovered that the longevity lock bestowed by the late emperor was missing. From that day on, the eldest son-in-law had been searching for the longevity lock.
The longevity lock bestowed by the late emperor was lost, which the empress dowager also regretted. But since it was lost and could not be found, she made another longevity lock for her grandson. However, the eldest son-in-law insisted that the empress dowager's gift was a token of her affection, while the late emperor's gift was a token of his affection, and that they must find it.
The Empress Dowager didn't think much of it, assuming that the eldest son-in-law was living too leisurely a life. If he hadn't married Princess Huyang, he would still be the heir of the Duke of Du, and he would be busy training soldiers in the military camp. The Empress Dowager felt guilty towards the eldest son-in-law, so she let him be.
Now they're telling her that the Imperial Son-in-Law has never given up searching for this longevity lock, and what he's looking for isn't just the lock itself, but the person wearing it—her own grandson?!
This was a huge blow to the Empress Dowager, and she was finding it difficult to bear.
The Emperor looked at Xie Jingyan and asked, "How did you find out about this?"
Xie Jingyan slowly uttered two words, "Guess."
These two words almost made the emperor die of anger on the spot.
The Emperor was furious. "Such a serious matter, and you dare to tell the Empress Dowager based solely on guesswork?!"
Xie Jingyan said, "If the Prince Consort wants to know how this longevity lock ended up in my hands, I asked him to plead for the Yanping Prince's Mansion, and he agreed."
Xie Jingyan had only guessed at first, but he tested the waters with the Prince of Yanping's residence, and the reaction of the eldest son-in-law was enough to prove that he was right.
The emperor remained silent.
The prince consort is not looking for his son with Princess Huyang. If he pleads for the Prince of Yanping's family, he will anger the Empress Dowager and Princess Huyang to death.
The Emperor looked at the Empress Dowager and said, "Although it is only Yan'er's guess, it is reasonable and well-founded. I also hope that it is as he guessed."
The Empress Dowager also wished for it, but, "Xu'er's eyebrows and eyes are so much like the Grand Prince Consort's, how could he not be his biological son..."
In the end, the Empress Dowager's face fell.
Resembling the eldest son-in-law only proves that he is the eldest son-in-law's son, but it does not prove that he is the daughter of Princess Huyang.
It was precisely because he resembled the eldest son-in-law that the Empress Dowager never doubted that he was not her biological grandson.
The Empress Dowager was eager to know what had happened, so she said, "Someone, go and summon the eldest son-in-law."
Xie Jingyan said, "No need, the Imperial Son-in-Law is already on his way to the palace."
At this moment, the eldest son-in-law was not on his way to the palace, but had already entered the palace.
After about half a cup of tea's time, the Imperial Son-in-Law entered the Imperial Study. Before he could even bow, the Emperor asked, "Is everything Yan'er said true?"
The eldest son-in-law had no idea what Xie Jingyan had said to the Emperor and the Empress Dowager.
But now that he'd found the longevity lock, he had no intention of hiding it any longer.
He knelt down immediately and confessed without hesitation, "It was I who deceived the Emperor, the Empress Dowager, and Huyang for more than ten years."
The Empress Dowager's hands trembled with anger, "Is Xu'er really not Huyang's biological son?!"
The Imperial Son-in-Law replied, "Xu'er is my son, but he wasn't born to me by Huyang."
"you!"
The Empress Dowager was so angry that she tasted blood in her mouth.
The Empress Dowager was heartbroken and exasperated. "Huyang is so devoted to you, and this is how you treat her?!"
The eldest son-in-law said, "I have never done anything to wrong Huyang. This matter has been weighing on my heart for more than ten years. I want to tell her the truth every moment, but I dare not. If I scold Xu'er a few times, Huyang will make a fuss with me for days. Before I find my own flesh and blood, if I tell Huyang the truth, she cannot bear it."
The Empress Dowager knew perfectly well how much Princess Huyang loved her son.
The Empress Dowager didn't blame the eldest son-in-law for secretly seeking out his own flesh and blood without Princess Huyang's knowledge, but the eldest son-in-law said he hadn't done anything to betray Princess Huyang. The Empress Dowager angrily retorted, "If you haven't done anything to betray Princess Huyang, then how did that child come about?!"
The eldest son-in-law remained silent.
The Empress Dowager was even angrier, and the Emperor said with displeasure, "Now that things have come to this, do you still want to keep it from the Empress Dowager and Huyang?"
The prince consort lowered his eyes and began to recount the events of that year.
Back then, he was the heir apparent of the Duke of Du's mansion. Now, the Duke of Du is his second brother. He is neither good at literature nor martial arts, and his position as heir apparent is not in any way to be shaken. The Duchess of Du's wife back then, now the old lady of the Du's mansion, is the old Duke's second wife. She has caused him a lot of trouble in order to compete for the position of heir apparent. Fearing that he would mistreat her and her son after the old Duke passed away and he inherited the title, she wanted to marry her niece to him.
At that time, he and Princess Huyang had fallen in love at first sight, and he was determined to marry her. He rejected Madam Du's proposal by saying that he already had a woman he liked. Madam Du did not know that he liked Princess Huyang. She forced him to comply by making things difficult. On the same day that she drugged him, the imperial edict of marriage bestowed by the late emperor was delivered to the Duke of Du's mansion.
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