The emperor witnessed firsthand how his son was completely manipulated by a woman and how obedient he was to her every word.
It's not that he's heartless and won't help, it's that he can't.
If someone who is to inherit the throne needs to clear obstacles in such matters, then he is not qualified to inherit the throne.
"Father, while you, Mother, and the Empress Dowager were away, I, along with my ministers, found various pieces of evidence against Prime Minister Lin's faction. I do not think I was stupid!" the Third Prince defended himself.
"Ha!" the emperor sneered. "Is that so? Did you find it by joining forces with your ministers?"
"Yes!" the Third Prince gritted his teeth and accepted.
"Oh, so is Consort Li in your household your consort or your advisor?" the emperor asked with a sneer.
The third prince looked up in shock.
"Consort Li has helped you find all sorts of evidence against Prime Minister Lin's faction. Do you know what the Rongguo Duke's Mansion has been doing lately?" the Emperor asked again.
"Father, do you suspect the Duke of Rong and his wife? They are the Empress Dowager's own brother and sister-in-law, and they have always been well-behaved. Father, is it possible that someone has said something to you?" the Third Prince asked in return.
"Hahahaha..." The emperor laughed in anger, "I really did raise a good son, a very stupid son! Tell me, shouldn't I thank you, thank you for still having some filial piety towards me, and for not having the heart to poison me?"
The third prince was so frightened that he knelt on the ground.
The emperor, with his hands behind his back, walked step by step from the dragon throne: "Kill me. You are the empress's legitimate son. Now that there is no Lin Xiangru faction blocking your way, you should rightfully ascend the throne, shouldn't you?"
The third prince was terrified and drenched in sweat: "No, no. Father, I didn't. I absolutely had no such intention!"
The emperor looked down at him and said, "If you had that ability, I would have made you emperor long ago. But you don't have that ability, so even if I wanted to, I couldn't make you emperor. The Duke of Rong and his wife don't have that ambition, and your grandmother doesn't have the ambition to make her family powerful, but there are people in the Duke of Rong's mansion who do."
The Third Prince looked up in shock. Besides the old couple, the only other family members in the Rongguo Duke's Mansion were their daughter and grandson. Madam Li was a magnanimous and understanding person; that was Li Muyan…
"You couldn't have only thought of Li Muyan, could you!" The emperor looked at his foolish son and shook his head in disappointment. "The most ambitious person is right beside you. Haven't you ever suspected anything?"
The third prince was stunned.
"Bring the entire Jin family here!" the emperor ordered.
A short while later, Eunuch Fu appeared with several people dressed as ordinary folks. These people were clearly unaccustomed to grand occasions; upon arrival, they knelt down and kowtowed, not daring to raise their heads.
The third prince didn't understand, and the emperor glanced at Eunuch Fu.
Grandpa Fu then asked those people to introduce themselves.
The group of people haltingly introduced their ancestral home, which was a village not far from the capital. After receiving a glance from the emperor, Eunuch Fu asked them questions one by one.
Finally, the third prince collapsed to the ground in disbelief.
"Jin Yingying." The emperor chuckled as he said the name, "This poor girl saved the emperor's son, but because of it, her family was destroyed, and she was sold into slavery to Xingnan Kingdom. How ridiculous!"
The Third Prince shook his head: "No, Father, you're lying to me, aren't you? I was harmed by Consort Lin, and it was Shan'er who saved me. Shan'er still has the token. Father, you can't lie to me!"
The emperor waved his hand, and Eunuch Fu came out carrying a box, opened it, and placed it in front of the third prince.
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