Chapter 259 Father and Son Reunited
Inside the Ganlu Hall, all the officials of the fifth rank or above, except for Su Jingzhi, Su Qingci, and Ru Mo, were escorted here to watch today's "family reunion drama".
Chen Yanqing had already been rescued from prison.
Before confronting Li Yuanzhao that night, he had a vague premonition that things were going badly.
So at that moment, he hurriedly caught up with the palace maid who had tried to help him and entrusted her with a secret letter.
If I do not return, I hope this palace maid can deliver this letter to Prime Minister Zheng.
He knew that he was now completely isolated and helpless.
Liu Jinzhang deceived him; he couldn't trust him at all.
Among all the officials in the court, perhaps only Zheng Wenkai, after learning his identity, was able to find a way to save his life.
But he never expected that Zheng Wenkai would go to such lengths for him—leading troops to surround Longwu Gate and imprisoning Li Yuanzhao.
In this instant, the balance of power shifted, and the tide turned.
He became the prince who was about to be put on the throne, while Li Yuanzhao became a prisoner.
A sense of revenge mixed with pain welled up in my heart!
Since Li Yuanzhao didn't cherish his feelings or his compromises at all!
Then he would take what she cherished as her life from her hands with his own hands.
When Zheng Wenkai first saw Chen Yanqing, he was shocked by the scars all over his face.
This image is hardly suitable for formal occasions and is unsightly.
What's more troublesome is that with this disfigured face, it would be incredibly difficult for the emperor to "recognize" that this is his son.
Lian Liangcheng frowned as he sized him up.
Since the New Year's Eve banquet, he has repeatedly pondered the events of that day and increasingly felt that it was a meticulously planned scheme, with every step perfectly executed, all to convince people of Li Yuanzhao's legitimate bloodline.
In military strategy, this is considered a perfect example of "the art of displaying one's form".
But everything being too perfect makes people suspicious.
Later, he secretly took the blood of his son, the blood of his servants, and the blood of his dog, and tried them all.
Discover that all things can be integrated.
The so-called blood test for kinship is completely unfounded; they have all been deceived.
From that moment on, he was already 70-80% convinced that Li Yuanzhao was not the general's biological daughter at all.
So when he received Zheng Wenkai's message that he had found the general's biological son, he immediately went to verify with the palace maid who delivered the letter, and confirmed that Chen Yanqing's appearance was indeed exactly the same as the general's.
Only then did he realize that Chen Yanqing was indeed the general's biological son.
But now, with his face disfigured by Li Yuanzhao, how can one still see any trace of a general?
How can we convince the emperor and officials that this is the general's biological son?
None of the officials present expected that the "Prince Replaced by a Civet Cat" incident was not over yet, and today a "real prince" suddenly appeared out of nowhere and wanted to publicly acknowledge his relatives.
However, after witnessing Zheng Xinglang and his men slaughter all the eunuchs and palace maids serving in Ganlu Palace, everyone's doubts were suppressed by fear, and they could only keep quiet and watch the show.
At this point, Li Ye was completely exhausted and on his deathbed.
He lay slumped on the dragon bed, his eyes drooling and mouth crooked, saliva dripping uncontrollably from the corners of his mouth, his gaze unfocused and lifeless.
Anyone could see that this former emperor was entering the final moments of his life.
With tears in his eyes, Zheng Wenkai sat by the bed, tightly holding the emperor's withered hand, his voice choked with sobs, "Your Majesty... Your Majesty... Open your eyes and look carefully, this is your son, the legitimate son that Empress Shen gave birth to for you! Li Yuanzhao is nothing but a bastard who was replaced, this one is your own flesh and blood!"
After saying that, he pulled Chen Yanqing behind him to the bedside and forced Li Ye's trembling hand into his.
Chen Yanqing looked down at the old man who was nearing the end of his life.
Honestly, this was the first time he had seen him up close.
It was also the first time he was seeing his biological father as a son.
He thought he would be overwhelmed with emotion and unable to control himself, but he wasn't.
All I felt was a cold, scrutinizing gaze.
The person before me no longer exuded any of the lofty imperial majesty; instead, he appeared only as a pitiful figure on the verge of death.
Zheng Wenkai urged Chen Yanqing urgently from the side, "Hurry up, call him Father Emperor!"
Li Ye's cloudy eyes seemed to be stimulated by the sound, and they turned slightly, showing a subtle reaction.
He squinted with difficulty, his unfocused gaze falling on Chen Yanqing's face.
Suddenly, he became excited and a "heh heh" sound came out of his throat.
It was as if he wanted to say something, but he was too weak to say it anymore.
Seeing Li Ye's excitement, Zheng Wenkai quickly asked, "Your Majesty! Did you recognize him? Look at his eyebrows and eyes, they look so much like Empress Shen from back then! That nose, that contour, they're practically identical!"
Upon hearing this, an official standing in the back row muttered to himself, "My God, her face is all rotten! How can she possibly resemble Empress Shen? Is Prime Minister Zheng blind?"
But Li Ye did recognize him.
Perhaps it was the unbreakable natural bond between father and son, or perhaps it was the sudden clarity of his soul on the verge of death, but even though Chen Yanqing was unrecognizable, the moment he saw him, he was certain: this was his biological son!
When Shen Lang became pregnant, he felt that she was carrying a son.
He had even already chosen a name for him—Li Chengji.
Inheriting the nation and its people.
But when the midwife came with the swaddled baby to report that Shen Lang had given birth to a princess, he felt a little regretful, but didn't think about it anymore.
Only now, looking into those unfamiliar yet familiar eyes, did he suddenly realize: all these years, his feelings had never been wrong.
This is truly his son, the son he has longed for.
He strained with all his might to open his mouth, trying to utter those two words: "Ji...er..."
Zheng Wenkai was still urging Chen Yanqing, "Child, quickly call him Father! His Majesty is waiting..."
Once the two recognize each other as father and son, it will confirm the fact that Li Yuanzhao is a bastard!
A glimmer of light ignited in Li Ye's cloudy eyes as he looked at Chen Yanqing with hopeful eyes, his withered fingers gripping Chen Yanqing's palm tightly.
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