When Emperor Xuande asked this question, Shen Zhixiu looked at Mr. Zhou, but Mr. Zhou gestured for Shen Zhixiu to speak.
Upon seeing this, Shen Zhixiu said loudly, "Your Majesty, Mr. Zhou is actually the eldest son of the late emperor. Your Majesty should call him Imperial Brother."
When these words were spoken, everyone in the hall was shocked again.
Today, there were many surprises, one after another. But no one expected that Mr. Zhou was actually the eldest son of the late emperor.
Emperor Xuande also stood up in surprise. He was not surprised when he heard that Mr. Zhou was of royal blood.
I thought it was the bloodline left behind by some emperor's uncle who had an affair outside.
But if this matter involves the late emperor, it would be a big deal.
"Shen Zhixiu, the royal bloodline cannot be confused. Do you have any evidence for what you said?"
The three members of the Li family were still kneeling on the ground. Princess Yongjia looked up at Mr. Zhou in surprise. How could it be? How could he be the late emperor's son?
The prince was also confused. Wasn’t this the news that the second prince sent back?
How could the descendants of criminals become royal bloodlines?
"Your Majesty, I believe this matter warrants a thorough investigation. Mr. Zhou has been in the capital for over a year, and previously, he kept quiet. Could it be that he's afraid of escaping responsibility, so he's orchestrating this?"
He glanced at Shen Zhixiu suspiciously and said meaningfully, "With Lord Shen's ability, it wouldn't be difficult for him to fabricate some evidence."
Upon hearing this, Shen Zhixiu said sternly, "Your Majesty, please allow me to explain the whole story first."
"If, after I have finished speaking, Your Majesty still considers Mr. Zhou a criminal and wishes to determine his guilt, I am willing to accept the punishment as well."
Emperor Xuande did not believe the Crown Prince's speculation. Even if Shen Zhixiu wanted to exonerate Mr. Zhou, he had plenty of ways to do so without having to reveal his background.
Royal blood is not so easy to fool.
"Shen Qing, tell me in detail what's going on."
After receiving the order from Emperor Xuande, Shen Zhixiu explained the cause of the matter, "When Emperor Jing was on the throne and the late emperor was still a prince, he fell in love with the daughter of the An family, the governor of Qianzhou."
"It was a critical time for the succession to the throne. The affair between the late emperor and Miss An was not made public, and of course there was no marriage or marriage proposal."
In fact, it was because the late emperor wanted to use the An family to unexpectedly deal a fatal blow to the other princes. Of course, he couldn't say this in the palace.
Shen Zhixiu continued, "Later, Miss An gave birth to a child quietly and without making any announcement. She was just waiting for the late emperor to ascend the throne so that the identities of mother and child could be revealed to the world."
"But I didn't expect the fight for the throne to intensify, and the An family was suddenly accused of rebellion and treason."
"The late emperor was in dire straits at the time, so he had no choice but to send the child away to preserve the bloodline."
"After the late emperor ascended the throne, it was too late to find the child. In fact, by then, Mr. Zhou had already become a disciple studying medicine, and his master's school was located in the deep mountains and forests of Miaojiang, so he disappeared without a trace."
"But the late emperor always remembered him. The Imperial Clan Bureau has records about this eldest son, and they also record his characteristics in detail."
"In addition, he was given a jade pendant with a dragon pattern. It was given by Emperor Jing to the late emperor. I should still be able to find records about this jade pendant."
After Shen Zhixiu finished explaining the whole story, he said, "Your Majesty, why don't you ask Prince Zhao, who is in charge of the Imperial Clan Court, to help investigate. This cannot be fake."
Prince Zhao happened to be in the main hall. Upon hearing this, he stood up and said, "Your Majesty, what Lord Shen said is true. The Ministry of Clan Affairs does have records of this matter. I will send someone to bring it to you immediately, and we will review it on the spot."
In fact, Emperor Xuande knew that this was indeed the case without Prince Zhao telling him.
But decades have passed, and he has long forgotten about this matter and thought that his royal brother was no longer around.
King Zhao knew that the matter was of great importance, so he quickly ordered the people around him to find the record documents.
The royal family members sat together and first studied the contents of the file, and then looked at the mole on the sole of Mr. Zhou's foot based on that content.
Afterwards, Mr. Zhou took out the jade pendant with dragon pattern. It was indeed a gift from Emperor Jing to the late emperor. This jade pendant could not be fake.
The imperial physician also estimated Mr. Zhou's age based on his bones and specifically examined the mole on his foot, which he found to be congenital.
After more than half an hour, it was finally confirmed that Mr. Zhou was the eldest son of the late emperor.
All the princes bowed to Mr. Zhou and called him "Royal Brother".
Although Emperor Xuande did not perform the ceremony, he called his brother "Royal Brother" and ordered the Ministry of Rites to draft a title and choose a residence for his brother.
Mr. Zhou bowed and said, "Your Majesty, there's no need to go to such great lengths. Actually, I had no intention of returning to my ancestral home, and I didn't want to cause trouble for my brothers. I came to the palace today because I didn't want Zhixiu to be implicated in this matter."
"There's no need for a title, let alone a mansion. I'm quite comfortable living in the Shen family."
Shen Zhixiu looked at Mr. Zhou gratefully. Mr. Zhou was not one to care about fame or fortune. All his actions today were for him.
"Your Majesty, I am acquainted with the leader of the Jiuli tribe. It was Mr. Zhou who introduced me to him. Although he has never acknowledged his ancestral roots, his heart is with the Great Zhou."
Emperor Xuande nodded and said, "My Royal Brother is righteous. Although I do not care about false reputation, I cannot listen to you."
"Let's not talk about anything else. My father was thinking about my brother until his death. This matter must be reported to our ancestors."
Mr. Zhou knew that once this matter was made public, he would no longer have control over many things.
He nodded calmly, "I will obey the Emperor."
Mr. Zhou was not enthusiastic about this matter. When Emperor Xuande mentioned respectfully informing the ancestors, Mr. Zhou lowered his eyes and a layer of coldness appeared.
What Shen Zhixiu said was only the surface of the matter. In reality, the late emperor had used the An family as bait to ascend to the throne. He had already thoroughly investigated all of this.
My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!
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