Chapter 348 Extra Chapter 2: What if the transmigrator hadn't appeared (3)
Li Yuanzhao's death caused no stir.
After all, in everyone's eyes, she was a bastard who had usurped someone else's place.
If it weren't for the new emperor's "mercy" in sparing her life, she, the "fake princess" who once held power and wielded immense influence in the court, would have been beheaded.
Now that she has perished in the fire, it can be considered a "correction of the wrongs".
Only one person reacted strongly to this, even to the point of losing control.
Liu Jinzhang.
This minister, who had made great contributions to Chen Yanqing's ascension to the throne and now held the position of prime minister, openly denounced Chen Yanqing in front of all the civil and military officials at the court assembly because of the death of Li Yuanzhao, leaving the entire court speechless.
At the time, Chen Yanqing felt that he wouldn't be able to make a good living in Lingnan.
Upon hearing that someone had been appreciated by a nobleman in the capital and recommended for an official position, he felt a surge of excitement and decided to come to the capital to try his luck.
Unexpectedly, as soon as he entered the capital, he was shoved by the crowd while watching the procession of Princess Li Yuanzhao returning to the capital to resume her duties, and he fell straight in front of Li Yuanzhao's horse.
The horse's hooves flew high, nearly trampling him underfoot.
Before he could recover from the shock, he was mistaken for a suspect by the Imperial Guards and nearly lost his life on the spot.
Unexpectedly, Li Yuanzhao on horseback merely glanced at him coldly before abducting him back to the palace without further ado.
At first, he thought that this princess was really as licentious and immoral as the rumors said, and that she had kidnapped him to make him her male concubine.
Little did anyone know that Li Yuanzhao only arrested him because of his suspicious behavior, thinking he was an assassin or an undercover agent planted by someone else, and then interrogated him for a demonstration.
Seeing that he had a clean background and his words and deeds were without any flaws, and that he was just an ordinary scholar from Lingnan who had read some books and wanted to make a living in the capital, they decided to let him go.
He seized this fleeting opportunity, knelt down, and earnestly expressed his desire to stay by her side and serve her faithfully.
To everyone's surprise, Li Yuanzhao agreed.
Thus, he remained in the princess's residence, becoming a figure who served as both a staff member and a servant to Li Yuanzhao.
He originally thought that, being close to the princess, it would be easy to get a minor official position if he could gain her favor.
However, Li Yuanzhao never gave him a proper position; he was merely a dispensable figure in the princess's residence.
Until he unexpectedly saved Su Qingci, the eldest daughter of Prime Minister Su.
From then on, this young lady from a prominent family seemed to pay more attention to him, and even made an exception to introduce him to the spring banquet hosted by the Imperial Concubine.
At the banquet, he truly shone with his quick wit and talent, earning high praise even from the Grand Tutor.
After that, he often summoned him to discuss academic matters and gave him much guidance.
Su Qingci's favor and the Grand Tutor's appreciation finally caught Li Yuanzhao's attention.
Perhaps seeing some value in him, or perhaps wanting to use him to win over the Su family, Li Yuanzhao went with the flow and arranged for him to join the Imperial Guard, giving him the official position of a ninth-rank captain.
Although he was just a minor official, it was already the beginning of his career in government.
He was full of vigor and felt that he finally had a purpose in life.
He even felt a surge of patriotic fervor, wanting to sacrifice his life for Li Yuanzhao to repay this "kindness of recognition."
Later, during a royal hunt, he rescued Shen Churong from danger.
The two men were kindred spirits and hit it off immediately, becoming sworn brothers.
On one occasion, while drinking, someone remarked that the two men looked quite alike.
What was said without malice may have been taken to heart by the listener.
At that time, he had doubts in his mind.
He even suspected at one point that he might be the illegitimate son of Shen Guojiu.
In order to find out his origins, he began to secretly investigate within the princess's residence.
Until one day, by chance, he saw a portrait of the late empress in the library.
Those eyebrows and eyes were exactly the same as mine!
At that moment, he felt a chill run down his spine, and an even more terrifying thought emerged: he was not some illegitimate son of the Shen family, but the late Empress's biological son, the true prince of the Great Qi!
Li Yuanzhao was merely a fake who had taken his place.
Just then, Li Yuanzhao used the assassination attempt that occurred during the hunt to frame Xiao Duo, the commander of the Imperial Guards, and imprison him.
Hesitantly, he chose to betray Li Yuanzhao, secretly collecting evidence behind his back and handing it over to Xiao Duo, indirectly saving Xiao Duo's life.
After Xiao Duo was exonerated, he was extremely grateful to him and vowed to repay his kindness.
This matter could not be completely kept from Li Yuanzhao.
She had him beaten a hundred times, intending to kill him outright.
He insisted that it was an unintentional mistake, that he had accidentally saved Xiao Duo, and swore that he had no ulterior motives, which is how he managed to save his life.
Li Yuanzhao was skeptical, but spared his life. However, he ordered the witch doctor from the southern border to inoculate him with the poison "Intestinal-Penetrating Powder".
There is no antidote for this poison. One must take pills regularly to temporarily suppress its effects; otherwise, one will die from intestinal perforation and abdominal rot.
He then realized that regaining his status as a prince would not be so easy.
Li Yuanzhao held his life in his hands, and the Cui family and the Second Prince were also eyeing him covetously in the court.
As a lowly ninth-rank squad leader with no connections and whose life hung by a thread, he not only had no chance to meet the emperor, but also no right to fight against these forces.
If you rashly claim kinship, you will only suffer a gruesome death.
So he chose to remain in hiding, watching the tigers fight from the sidelines.
As expected, Li Yuanzhao became increasingly ruthless.
In order to eliminate the obstacle of the Second Prince, she actually orchestrated a mutiny and used the mob to get rid of the Second Prince.
Enraged, the emperor ordered a violent crackdown on the thousands of rioters who had participated in the mutiny, resulting in heavy casualties.
At this time, Liu Jinzhang found him and admitted that he had seen the portrait of the late empress and had long recognized him as the late empress's son.
Previously hesitant because he was optimistic about Li Yuanzhao's talent for governing the country, now seeing her tyrannical behavior, he fears the collapse of the country and therefore decides to secretly assist the true heir to the throne.
He already had the secret help of the Su family and the financial resources of Xue Nanzhi, and now with the assistance of Liu Jinzhang, he was even more powerful.
Then, through his clever words, he tricked the Southern Border witch beside Li Yuanzhao into giving him the antidote for the intestinal-piercing poison, thus completely breaking free from Li Yuanzhao's control.
After removing the biggest obstacle, he began, under Liu Jinzhang's planning, to secretly fuel the flames and cleverly sow discord between the Cui family and Li Yuanzhao, which was already tense.
Finally, at the New Year's Eve banquet, the Cui family could no longer restrain themselves and took a risk, choosing to expose Li Yuanzhao's identity in public and eliminate him.
Although Li Yuanzhao was unaware of his own identity, he had already guessed that the Cui family was up to something, so he led his men to surround the banquet hall and killed the Cui family members on the spot.
But she never expected that, like the mantis stalking the cicada, she would be unaware of the oriole behind her.
Just when she thought the situation was settled, Xiao Duo arrived with his troops to "rescue" her and her people.
Accompanied by Liu Jinzhang, he walked step by step up to the main hall.
Upon seeing his face, the old emperor burst into tears.
The blood test confirmed the kinship, and the past events recounted by Consort Cui further confirmed everything.
The truth has finally come to light: Li Yuanzhao was actually the "bastard" who was switched at birth, while he was the true royal bloodline!
The old emperor immediately issued an edict to demote Li Yuanzhao to commoner status and imprison him in the dungeon.
On the third day after the family reunion, he was made crown prince.
Three months later, the old emperor passed away, and he naturally ascended the throne as emperor.
Now, he has only been on the throne for half a month, and before he has even warmed his seat, his imperial majesty has been repeatedly challenged by this man.
When he previously bestowed the title of Jieyu upon Li Yuanzhao, he was repeatedly reprimanded by this person.
Now, in front of all the court officials, he was openly rebuked.
Chen Yanqing felt bewildered and deeply humiliated.
If it weren't for the fact that Liu Jinzhang was a meritorious official who helped him ascend the throne and stabilize the court after his ascension, and that killing a meritorious official at this moment would damage his reputation, he would have almost lost his temper and ordered the execution of this arrogant fellow on the spot.
In the end, he suppressed his anger and severely reprimanded Liu Jinzhang for "disrespecting the emperor in front of the palace and making unwarranted comments about the palace," fining him a year's salary and ordering him to reflect on his mistakes behind closed doors.
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