Things won't just end just because Xu Nian pointed out the crux of the problem.
On the fourth day after she lifted the curse, Liu Ru'an felt that there was nothing left to investigate and decided to organize the case file and hand it over to Guangzhage.
An old man with gray hair and a scraggly beard limped into Xuanming Mansion.
Who is kneeling below the hall?
Liu Ru'an slammed his gavel, and the yamen runners, who had been dozing off, all jolted awake and hurriedly opened their eyes. They stared at the old man with displeasure.
The other party was completely unaware, and did not kneel down, but simply cupped his hands in a gesture of respect, saying, "This old man is..."
"You old bastard! How dare you show up here!" Yun An's voice suddenly broke out. If it weren't for the constables stopping him, he probably would have already punched the old man in the face.
He was forced to kneel on the ground, but his eyes were still fixed on the person standing there.
If it weren't for the silence Liu Ru'an had just mentioned with a frown, he wouldn't have been willing to remain so calm. "My lord! It was him! I bumped into him on the street that day! I even sent him some money, but he repaid kindness with enmity!"
Liu Ru'an: "Old man, is this true?"
"Yes, sir," the old man said, his face still pale. "My name is Xie Bushan, and I am a Taoist priest."
What? Everyone who's been here these past two days is so honest?
Liu Ruan was speechless. "Xie Bushan, do you know that your actions have damaged the Crown Prince's reputation and caused Yun An to become emotionally unstable? You are a cultivator, why don't you accumulate virtue and do good deeds? Why do you have to do something so abhorrent?"
Despite being bombarded with a series of questions, Xie Bushan remained completely unmoved.
Liu Ruan's appearance was naturally upright and dignified, and there was a sense of oppression about him when he wasn't smiling.
Even so, Xie Bu'an merely glanced at it indifferently, without any fear or apprehension, or even a hint of regret.
His tone was calm. "This matter was due to my momentary lapse of judgment, but the prince, like a snake trying to transform into a dragon, deceived his superiors and usurped other people's lives. He is utterly despicable and deserves to be beaten to death."
"presumptuous!"
"You old codger! Who do you think you are?! How dare you curse my master?!"
Liu Ruan: "Xie Bushan, you have insulted the Crown Prince and disrespected the royal family. According to the law, your entire family should be executed. However, considering your advanced age and impaired judgment, I will spare your life. Now come with me to the prison and repent for several months. Then this matter will be over."
Lord Liu was having a headache; Xu Nian was one thing, but that was another.
Now even an ordinary Xuan Master dares to speak so boldly, they really don't know their own limitations!
If it weren't for the laws of the Xuan Dynasty, which stipulate that crimes committed by elders of the Heavenly Mandate or above should be punished leniently or without penalty, Xie Bu'an would probably be dead by now.
Meanwhile, Su Wanting, who had been locking herself in her room since returning from the princess's residence, was frowning with worry.
Xu Nian's words that day left her feeling uneasy.
She understood that unless something was truly discovered, her friend wouldn't have said that the crown prince wasn't the emperor's biological son.
The image of the Empress, graceful, dignified, and elegant, involuntarily came to mind. And how she would always hold her hand warmly when summoning her to the palace.
Throughout the entire palace, apart from Consort Shu, there was probably no one who harbored resentment towards the Empress.
Everyone speaks highly of her; how could someone like her dare to defy public opinion and pursue someone else's child? Or perhaps use a child of questionable blood to become the crown prince?!
If the truth is revealed, not only the Empress, but even her maternal clan will be in grave danger.
Is the Crown Princess still inside?
The Crown Prince's voice suddenly came from outside, interrupting her thoughts. She quickly put away the seriousness on her face and put on a worried expression.
The man strode to the bedside, took his wife's hand, and asked, "What did Xu Nian say to you? Why are you so down? What happened?"
Su Wanting: "It's nothing. She just warned us to be careful, saying that the person behind it all could cast a curse on Yun'an, and would definitely seize the opportunity to deal with us as well. I'm just thinking about how to resolve this."
"Why do you need to think about these things?" Knowing that his wife was worried about him, Jiang Yuanling pulled her into his arms. "With me here, I will never let anyone hurt you or our child."
Miss Su was worried, but she had something on her mind that she couldn't tell him.
She simply smiled and pulled a black pouch from her sleeve. "I embroidered this myself. Inside is Niannian's peace charm to ward off evil and disaster. Take it with you and don't lose it."
Whether he is a prince or a commoner.
Ultimately, as long as the family is together, being reunited is more important than anything else.
If the matter is truly exposed, she must find a way to save the Crown Prince's life and for the whole family to stay away from the capital.
Xie Bushan did indeed obediently follow Liu Ruan, and everyone thought he was just talking nonsense.
Unexpectedly, he quickly pulled Liu Ru'an, who was followed by many yamen runners, to a quiet place, leaving only the two of them in the entire space.
"Lord Liu, do not panic. I have something important to tell you. You may not know this, but the current crown prince is a fake cat, not the emperor's biological son."
"Xie Bushan! I am taking your advanced age into consideration, but do not remain unrepentant!"
"I have made no mistakes and have no need to repent. If you do not believe me, you can investigate for yourself. There are always old people in the palace who know what happened during Her Majesty the Empress's childbirth."
His confident demeanor inevitably aroused Liu Ru'an's suspicions.
Upon reflection, the current crown prince does not resemble the emperor in appearance, but because she resembles the empress more, no one has any doubts.
If the raccoon dog is replaced, will the Empress know about it?
"You'll be thrown into prison first." Liu Ru'an's heart pounded like a drum, because he suddenly remembered that the Empress's maternal family had a younger brother who was a twin. "If you utter even the slightest lie, I will not let you off lightly!"
In the Xuan Dynasty, twins, unless they are male and female twins, are considered a very unlucky thing.
Back then, the Empress's mother, the Duchess of Cheng, gained immense favor with her mother-in-law because of these twins. She seized power in the household, and the two siblings were raised with the utmost care and affection by the whole family.
After they came of age, one married the emperor, who was then the crown prince, while the other, for reasons unknown, never married.
The emperor was considerate and, fearing that the crown princess would worry about her family when she was newly pregnant, he often sent her younger brother to the palace to keep her company. Later, no one knows what happened.
After the prince was born, this younger brother disappeared without a trace and never appeared in front of anyone again.
When asked about the Duke of Cheng, he remained tight-lipped. He only said that the Duke was a wicked child who spent his days traveling and having fun, and no one knew where he had gone off to enjoy himself!
Later, as the emperor ascended the throne, the empress's family's power increased, and no one dared to offend him anymore.
The matter was eventually dropped.
At that time, the emperor already had two concubines, Consort Shu and Consort Xian, and there were countless young and beautiful maids in the inner courtyard.
if……
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