Chapter 2173 A Child of Unknown Origin
There were hundreds of people at the huge altar, but it was so quiet that there was almost no sound except the sound of the wind.
Everyone held their breath and looked at the emperor on the altar.
In the light of the fire, his face was pale and seemed to be slightly blue. He kept looking at the memorial presented by Wu Yingqiu.
Everyone was trembling in their hearts, not knowing what was written in the memorial.
But, at least from the fact that Duke Chengguo openly interrupted the sacrifice ceremony and said those words to the emperor, we can guess that what was written there is probably not something good.
Everyone had a vague feeling that Duke Cheng was going to do something big tonight.
At this time, both the Queen and Ye Zheng were breathing heavily.
They still remembered that a few years ago, also at this great altar, and also at such a grand ceremony, Prince Ning Zhu Xuan suddenly launched an attack, questioning the emperor's background and the legitimacy of his accession to the throne. Although he failed in the end, the impact it caused was that the emperor fell into a demonic and bloodthirsty frenzy.
If he hadn't already had the power of "Taishangwangqing" in his body, if He Yi hadn't induced the drug's properties...
No one dares to think about what the situation in the world is like now.
Is it possible that such a catastrophe is going to happen again now?
Ye Zheng turned around, pointed angrily at Wu Yingqiu and shouted, "Duke Cheng, tonight is the late emperor's birthday celebration. You are disrupting the ceremony. What is your punishment?"
Wu Yingqiu looked at him coldly.
After all, he was already a veteran minister of three dynasties and a duke. He looked down upon people of low birth like Ye Zheng, even though he was a close confidant of the emperor. At this time, he only sneered and said, "Sir Ye, it is the old minister who is speaking to the emperor now. It is not your turn to interrupt."
"you--"
Ye Zheng was furious.
Just as he was about to say something, the Queen's voice rang out from the side.
"Duke, you said Lord Ye shouldn't interrupt. Then will you listen to what I say?"
Wu Yingqiu looked at her, his eyes still cold.
He gave a curt bow and said, "I shall obey the Empress's instructions. However, it is not for a woman in the harem to interfere in the affairs of the previous dynasty."
Xu Miaoyin's breathing became a little uneven.
She was already seriously ill and weak, and she had already exhausted all her energy for today's ceremony. At this time, she was too weak to argue with Duke Chengguo, so Concubine Shun behind her immediately stepped forward to support her.
Xu Miaoyin said solemnly: "What harem? What previous dynasty?"
“…”
"This is the late emperor's memorial service. Since I'm here, I naturally have the right to speak. Disrupting the ceremony is a capital offense, but considering you've served three dynasties, I won't bother with you. Someone, please take the Duke down and let him have a good 'rest'. Don't let him disturb the ceremony again."
Everyone was a little surprised.
Both Ye Zheng and the Queen spoke, but the Emperor remained standing on the altar in silence.
What made everyone even more frightened was that since the queen had already spoken, naturally someone should come forward to do something.
However, after waiting for a long time, no guard came forward.
Xu Miaoyin's face suddenly darkened.
She hurriedly looked around and said in a deep voice, "Where are the guards? Come here! Come here!"
However, her voice echoed across the empty and silent altar, but no one responded.
Xu Miaoyin's brows furrowed.
She was the first one to prepare for the ceremony to commemorate the late emperor's birthday. Because it was a ceremony to commemorate the late emperor's birthday, no sharp weapons were allowed in the ceremony, so no guards were arranged around the altar.
All the guards were on guard outside the wall surrounding the altar.
Although there was some distance, she spoke so loudly that people outside should be able to hear it no matter what.
But now, no one came in.
What's going on?
What happened outside?
But when they saw the queen gave the order, there was no sound at all. The civil and military officials standing around were all shocked. Everyone looked at each other in panic.
Some people were already discussing, "What's going on?"
"Where are the guards? Why are there no one here?"
"Could it be the Duke——"
"Shh, keep your voice down. See what the Duke says."
"And the Emperor, why has he remained silent? What exactly was written in the Duke's memorial?"
Everyone was frightened and stunned, but no one dared to act rashly.
Everyone looked at the person on the altar.
After shouting for a long time, no one came forward to answer. The queen's face showed a look of panic, while Wu Yingqiu started laughing.
“Hahahahahahahaha…”
This time, his laughter spread and echoed throughout the empty altar.
It seemed like countless people were laughing along with him.
That laughter was both arrogant and compelling.
After the laughter died down, Wu Yingqiu looked at Xu Miaoyin coldly and said slowly: "Empress, I still respect you as Empress. Although, you really don't have the virtue of being the Empress of the Central Palace."
“…”
"You are a queen, but you are overshadowed by a concubine. After all these years, do you still act like a queen?"
“…”
"You don't even have any offspring."
When she mentioned this, Xu Miaoyin's face suddenly turned pale.
At this time, Concubine Shun Xinqing, who was standing behind Xu Miaoyin, stepped forward and shouted angrily, "Duke Chengguo, how dare you speak to the Empress like this? Do you even know what the relationship between monarch and subject is?"
Wu Yingqiu looked at her with contempt and said, "I'm just a slave who served my master, and yet you were made a concubine. Do you really think you've become a phoenix?"
“…”
"In my eyes, you will always be just a slave!"
"you--"
Although Xinqing was not ashamed of her origin, she turned pale when she was ridiculed by Duke Cheng at such a grand ceremony.
Duke Chengguo sneered and said, "However, such things are not uncommon in our dynasty."
“…”
"A lowly slave girl can sit on the throne of a concubine."
“…”
"A childless woman has sat firmly in the imperial harem for so many years."
“…”
"A child of unknown origin sits on the throne of the Emperor of Yan Nation!"
When he said the last sentence, everyone held their breath and a deep groan came from the crowd.
This is not the first time you have heard this argument.
Everyone remembered that the last time, at this grand altar, it was Prince Ning Zhu Xuan who said these words.
Although the matter was later suppressed when the imperial concubine admitted that she had an affair with the royal family of the Neng Kingdom, she was not punished after that. Instead, she continued to enjoy favor for many years and was even pregnant with the dragon descendant.
So, it’s not that no one has doubts.
But no one dares to say it.
now--
Just as everyone was astonished, they all watched Wu Yingqiu walk up to the altar step by step and approach the emperor step by step.
Zhu Feng finally slowly raised his head.
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