Chapter 202 Imposter
These words were like a thunderclap, instantly causing an uproar among the people in the hall.
Consort Xiao immediately stepped forward, crying out, "Your Majesty! I knew there must have been something fishy about my child's unexplained miscarriage back then. It turns out it was indeed the work of that wicked woman, Cui! I beg Your Majesty to do justice for my child!"
Minister Xiao was trembling with rage. He stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty! The Cui family not only colluded with the imperial relatives to rebel, but also plotted to harm the imperial heir. Their crimes are unforgivable! I beg Your Majesty to execute them immediately as a warning to others!"
The others also knelt down, demanding that the Cui family be severely punished.
Cui Yunyi looked at Li Yuanshu in disbelief, her eyes instantly turning red.
Unexpectedly, the one who would ultimately betray him was his own daughter, whom he cherished dearly.
But seeing the will to live in her daughter's eyes, a desperate tenderness welled up in her heart.
Enough. She was destined to die anyway, why drag her daughter down with her?
It would be better to take all the blame myself and leave her a way out.
“Yes! That’s right! I killed Consort Xiao’s child!” Cui Yunyi smiled sadly and said, “Not only hers, but I killed all the children of the concubines in the harem.”
"Even..." Her gaze fixed on Li Ye, "I killed the child in the Empress's womb!"
The hall fell silent instantly. Everyone looked at each other, their faces filled with confusion and shock.
Empress Shen died of postpartum hemorrhage after giving birth to the eldest princess, so how could she have had any children?
Could it be that Consort Cui was truly driven mad by the fear of her treason being exposed?
Li Ye frowned even more and shouted angrily, "You madwoman! You're spouting nonsense, you're really delirious! Guards, take her to the dungeon and await your judgment!"
"I'm not crazy!" Cui Yunyi pointed at Li Yuanzhao and questioned loudly, "Li Ye, take a good look at yourself. Does Li Yuanzhao next to you look like your and Shen Lang's child? In what way does she resemble either of you?!"
Li Ye subconsciously turned his head to look at Li Yuanzhao beside him.
She has thin lips, long, narrow eyes, and a slightly raised chin, exuding an air of domineering arrogance. At this moment, she stands calmly to the side.
Hearing Cui Yunyi's crazy words, her face remained completely unmoved, as if she had only heard an insignificant joke.
But for some reason, after Cui Yunyi's reminder, Li Ye suddenly felt that his daughter's features were becoming increasingly unfamiliar...
Unlike Shen Lang, and even less like him.
Those below also began to scrutinize the princess's appearance and whisper among themselves.
"Yes, the princess's face does not resemble His Majesty's at all."
"Could it be like Empress Shen? After all, daughters often resemble their mothers."
"But have you ever seen what Empress Shen looks like?"
The man shook his head.
Empress Shen had been dead for many years, and most of those present had never seen her before.
Even her portraits were all stored in a secret cabinet because His Majesty missed his wife so much back then. No one else had them except His Majesty and the Eldest Princess.
Some people countered, "That's true, but there are plenty of people in the world who don't look like their parents. You can't just say that the princess isn't His Majesty's child based on that, can you?"
The discussions rose and fell, and Shen Churong felt a tightness in his chest as he listened.
He instinctively turned to look at his father and asked anxiously, "Father, Your Highness...Does Your Highness really not look like Aunt?"
Shen Guojiu glanced at him with a complicated expression, and said coldly in a voice that only the father and son could hear, "Stop talking nonsense! No matter who the princess looks like, she is your aunt's daughter! Cui's rebellion has been exposed, and she deliberately fabricated lies to sow discord within the royal family. As the commander of the Imperial Guards, you should prioritize stabilizing the court and not be swayed by rumors."
Shen Churong was taken aback by his father's stern tone, then turned away and remained silent.
However, he always felt that there was something strange about his father's words.
What does "regardless of who you look like" mean?
"Father?" Li Yuanzhao noticed Li Ye's gaze and spoke softly, interrupting his thoughts.
"The Imperial Concubine has gone mad because her plot to rebel was exposed. She is talking nonsense. Father, you don't need to take it seriously."
Li Ye snapped out of his daze, looked at Cui Yunyi who was being held down by the Imperial Guards, and said in a tight voice, "What exactly did you mean by what you just said? You're about to die, yet you still dare to slander my daughter? If you don't explain yourself clearly today, I will make you wish you were dead!"
"What do you mean?!" Cui Yunyi suddenly broke free from the imperial guards' restraints and stood up. "She! Li Yuanzhao! She is not your and Shen Lang's biological daughter at all! When Shen Lang gave birth, I bribed the midwife and switched the newborn baby in the chaos! Shen Lang gave birth not to a daughter, but to the son you've been longing for! The prince who will inherit the Great Qi dynasty!"
These words stunned everyone present, their gazes shifting back and forth between Li Yuanzhao and Cui Yunyi.
Li Ye was so shocked that he stood up abruptly, "What did you say?!"
"It's a pity... that child died young. I threw him into the water as soon as he was born, and he drowned!"
As Cui Yunyi was talking, she burst out laughing.
"And you, Li Ye, you fool! All these years you've been holding a peasant woman's bastard child in your hands, giving her the honor of a princess, letting her interfere in politics, and giving this imposter everything that should have belonged to your own son!"
"Hahahahaha..." She laughed so hard she almost fell over, her eyes filled with vengeful pleasure. "Tell me, aren't you ridiculous?! Aren't you pathetic?!"
The laughter was shrill and manic, echoing throughout the hall.
Li Yuanshu, kneeling on the ground, was completely dumbfounded, staring at her mother in disbelief.
What's wrong with Mother?
Was she telling the truth or lying?
Is Li Yuanzhao really an imposter?
Li Ye felt a chill run down his spine, and the more he thought about it, the more frightened he became. His body suddenly gave way, and he slumped back onto the dragon throne.
For some reason, he suddenly remembered the interesting story that Li Yuanzhao had told him when he returned to the capital earlier this year.
A wealthy man adopted a child in his early years and treated him as his own. Later, when his biological son came to visit, the wealthy man, out of consideration for the child's upbringing, gave all his property to his adopted son.
At the time, he thought it was just an ordinary story and didn't think about it in detail. But now, after Cui Yunyi reminded him, a terrible thought instantly surged into his mind: Did Li Yuanzhao already know about his background and was testing his attitude at the time?
He turned to look at Li Yuanzhao, his eyes filled with undisguised suspicion.
Li Yuanzhao showed no panic, but instead said slowly, "Father! I have been personally taught by you since childhood. You often praised me for having the virtues of our ancestors, acting with composure and possessing the talent to govern the country. How could I not be your child?"
"Moreover, when the Empress Dowager gave birth, there were dozens of midwives, palace maids, imperial physicians, and wet nurses. Under the watchful eyes of everyone, how could anyone have secretly switched the princes?"
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