Chapter 148 He acted on his own initiative and insisted on pulling her along…
Ming Er was not afraid of any of the threats, whether overt or covert.
On the seventh day, Ming Er took all the evidence he had found to the palace and handed it over to His Majesty the Emperor.
His Majesty the Emperor looked at the evidence, his face turning ashen.
"You should go back first. I want to be alone for a while," His Majesty the Emperor said, rubbing his forehead.
Ming Er bowed respectfully and withdrew from the palace. After returning to the Jing'an Marquis's residence, he did not leave again.
That very night, the eldest princess led a rebellion.
They led their troops to storm the palace and forced His Majesty the Emperor to write an edict of abdication.
“Mother, you ascended the throne at the age of eight and have sat on this throne for so many years. It’s time for you to rest and let your son take your place.”
His Majesty the Emperor looked at the eldest princess, his eyes filled with disappointment.
"I once thought you were a well-behaved child."
“Mother, you can’t blame me for this. Who made me born into the royal family? I am your eldest daughter, and no one is more suitable to sit in this position than me. Mother, please write the edict of succession and pass the throne to me.”
The eldest princess had already approached His Majesty the Emperor with her sword in hand.
His Majesty the Emperor did not move, but calmly looked at the eldest princess. "I want to know, were you involved in the rebellion of Prince Wang back then?"
“Mother, you really like him. All these years, even though he committed treason back then, you still remember him fondly.”
"I just want to know that there are some things I won't write this edict of succession until I figure them out."
His Majesty the Emperor did not want to listen to any of that nonsense and put down the pen in his hand.
Seeing that everyone here was one of her own, the eldest princess was less wary.
Looking at His Majesty the Emperor, and thinking that he was only one step away from the throne, he smiled smugly, "Actually, the one who should be blamed most for Wang Shijun's rebellion is Mother herself."
Seeing His Majesty the Emperor looking at her, the eldest princess immediately suppressed her smile, her expression turning gloomy. "I have never seen Mother favor any man so much. You have doted on him for three whole years. He deserves to die. If it weren't for him, how could you not see me and my father?"
"Absurd!" His Majesty the Emperor exclaimed.
"Isn't that so? Because of him, Zhongli Shuang has also become very popular with you. You not only want to make Wang Shijun the Emperor's consort, but also want to make Zhongli Shuang the Crown Prince. Where do you place me? I am your first child, your eldest daughter."
Where did you hear these rumors from?
"Rumors? Isn't it Mother Empress who once had such thoughts?"
"Zhongli Ye." His Majesty the Emperor looked at the eldest princess and said with a disappointed expression.
At this moment, the eldest princess was not afraid to face her mother. In the past, she was afraid to face her mother, feeling that her mother's gaze was so deep that it made her feel uneasy and wondered if she had done something wrong to displease her mother.
She carefully tried to please her mother and guess what her mother was thinking.
But now she is no longer afraid.
Now the palace is full of her people, and her mother, the emperor, is nothing but a toothless tiger.
She could vent her frustrations on her mother without restraint.
But seeing the disappointment in the eldest princess's eyes, His Majesty the Emperor still provoked her, "Mother, quickly write the edict of succession and pass your throne to me."
"You are not suited to be emperor."
"Shut up! Shut up! No one is more suitable than me. I am your eldest daughter, and I am the most qualified person to inherit your throne."
His Majesty the Emperor looked at her and said, "You want to be an emperor, yet you dare to embezzle the people's disaster relief funds. Do you want to be a tyrant and destroy the foundation of our ancestors? I merely pointed out your shortcomings, and you are so angry. If you were to become emperor, how could the world be at peace?"
The eldest princess was indignant. "It's just a few people dying. It's a natural disaster. What does it have to do with me? Giving them money is a waste."
His Majesty the Emperor never expected that the Crown Princess would be so cold-hearted, considering the common people less than ants in her eyes.
She raised her hand and slapped the eldest princess across the face.
"Is this how I taught you? The way of a ruler, the responsibilities of the state—what haven't I taught you? But look at yourself, are you really suited to be an emperor?"
This is her eldest daughter, her first child.
She personally held her small hand and taught her to write her name stroke by stroke.
Teach her what imperial love is.
Hasn't she taught enough?
But this child disappointed her so much.
His Majesty the Emperor closed his eyes in disappointment. "Did you use all the silver you embezzled to support your own army, the army you secretly raised in the mountains outside the city?"
The eldest princess was surprised that her mother knew about her raising an army, but it was too late to say anything at this point.
"So what? Throughout history, which emperor didn't cultivate his own power?"
Seeing that she remained unrepentant, His Majesty the Emperor sighed in disappointment.
The eldest princess, however, could not wait any longer. She drew her sword, intending to kill the emperor and seize the throne.
Just as the sword was about to pierce His Majesty the Emperor, the female official who had been keeping her head down and not speaking suddenly moved, reaching out her fingers and forcefully snapping the sword in his hand.
The eldest princess then realized that it was not a female official at all, but clearly Ming Er.
"What are you doing here? Didn't you go back to the Marquis of Jing'an's residence?"
Ming Er's title of top scholar in both civil and military affairs was well-deserved. The eldest princess was afraid of any unforeseen events, so she made sure Ming Er returned home before the emperor forced her to abdicate.
They even sent people to monitor Ming Er's movements around the Jing'an Marquis's residence.
This Ming Er made her wary; no matter what methods she used these past few days, Ming Er was always able to resolve them.
She had already planned it all out: once she inherited the throne, she would find any excuse to have Ming Er executed.
If she resists, it will be considered disobeying the imperial decree, which will lead to the killing of the entire Ming family.
Unexpectedly, the Ming Er who left the palace was actually a fake Ming Er.
As fireworks exploded outside, Marquis Jing'an, clad in full armor, entered the palace with his entourage, kneeling on one knee. "Your Majesty, I am late in coming to your aid."
His Majesty the Emperor shook his head.
Upon seeing this, the eldest princess realized that something was wrong.
"Mother, you knew all along that I would force you to abdicate today, didn't you?"
"Yes, Ming Er has uncovered some clues. I guessed you would take action. Today's scene was just a play to lure you in."
Upon hearing the emperor's words, the eldest princess was filled with disbelief.
She stared at His Majesty the Emperor, almost insane, at his appearance as a monarch. "I knew it! I knew it all along! You only favor the third prince. You keep saying you love me, but you gave the second prince, the royal son, the largest mansion, and all your love to the third prince. I have nothing. Even when I tried to fight for myself, it was all part of your schemes."
The second prince and the third princess both came out, looking at the eldest princess with somewhat solemn expressions.
"Eldest Princess," the Second Prince called out.
Upon seeing them, the eldest princess burst into laughter, her eyes bloodshot. "So you're here to laugh at me too? Zhongli Shuang, are you happy now? I've lost. Mother Empress only has you as her daughter. Don't be so smug."
As the eldest princess lunged forward with the broken arrow in hand, a hidden dart flew out of the emperor's hand and struck her leg.
That arrow could have hit the eldest princess in the chest, but His Majesty the Emperor ultimately couldn't bring himself to kill his treacherous daughter.
When the eldest princess fell, the black jade hair ornament on her head fell off. With her hair disheveled, she looked at His Majesty the Emperor, then at everyone else, and finally burst into laughter.
She forcefully pulled the arrow from her leg and pressed it against her chest. "You lied to me. There is no true affection in the imperial family, only endless scheming. Mother, I hate you. In the next life, I don't want to be your daughter again."
She raised the arrow, intending to pierce her chest, but a pebble flicked by Ming Er struck her wrist, causing her to release her grip in pain.
He probably didn't have the courage to die a second time because he failed the first time.
The eldest princess collapsed to the ground, letting out a mocking laugh.
The rebels were also defeated, but His Majesty the Emperor did not seem pleased.
The person who rebelled was her own daughter; how could she be happy about that?
"You may all leave. I wish to be alone."
The palace had been cleaned up; His Majesty the Emperor simply wanted some peace and quiet.
Ming'er and the others left without saying a word and went straight home.
Lying in bed, Ming Er talked to Xiang Bei, and then fell asleep.
She sleeps rather erratically, and she kicks off the blankets, so Xiang Bei helps her cover herself with them.
A few days later, His Majesty the Emperor issued an edict to exonerate Wang Shijun and his family, restoring their status as servants of the emperor, and also bestowing honors upon the surviving descendants of the Wang family.
He also issued an edict to establish the third princess as the crown prince.
Even Ming Er got promoted.
Everything was resolved, and the vacant positions in Indiana were filled.
After the imperial edict was issued, the acting prefect, Fu, was officially promoted to prefect.
The eldest princess was imprisoned in her residence by imperial decree and forbidden from leaving for the rest of her life.
I heard that the eldest princess's leg injury could have been healed, but she refused treatment and dragged herself into becoming a cripple.
Sometimes clear-headed, sometimes confused.
When I'm awake, I just sit in the yard and space out.
When he's confused, he curses the emperor for being biased.
All of this was reported to His Majesty the Emperor.
"Let her be," His Majesty the Emperor said.
She never imagined that the child would turn out like this. This was her first child, the one she carried for ten months before giving birth to.
During those ten months, the blood ties between mother and daughter remained strong.
How could she not be heartbroken and saddened by how things have turned out this way?
She was not a good mother, neither to her eldest daughter nor her youngest.
She couldn't bring herself to actually send her eldest daughter to her death, so she continued to support her in this way.
She also instructed the Crown Prince to treat her well in the future.
"Yes, Mother."
His Majesty the Emperor looked at his daughter and was filled with emotion.
Her eldest daughter was wrong. She did like Wang Shijun, otherwise she wouldn't have favored him for three years in a row, but she never had the idea of making him the emperor's consort.
Even in the most emotional moments, she never had such thoughts.
Since the founding of the dynasty, few emperors have ever appointed a consort. Even her mother warned her that men are just playthings; one can give them some imperial favor, but not one's true heart.
She did indeed have feelings for Wang Shijun. She met him once when she was young and was immediately smitten. However, at that time, Wang Shijun was already engaged to the eldest daughter of the Lu family.
As an emperor, she naturally wouldn't resort to force. Unexpectedly, after many twists and turns, Wang Shijun still entered the palace and became her imperial attendant.
If Wang Shijun had truly plotted a rebellion, she would have killed him without hesitation.
Even the most loving couples cannot be challenged by a man in the face of imperial power.
Such is the way an emperor should love his subjects.
Love is true love.
When killing, one must never be soft-hearted.
"You must remember this: no matter how many men you have in your harem in the future, you must be extremely cautious about choosing an imperial consort. You can give men your favor, but you must never let them be above women."
"Your subject understands," Zhongli Shuang said, bowing her head.
The emperor sighed and said, "Ming Er is a capable person. I value her because I hope she can assist you in the future. I hope that when this country comes into your hands, you can also create a prosperous era."
"Your son will keep in mind your mother's teachings."
*
After returning, Ming Er moved back to the Zhuangyuan Mansion. It can no longer be called the Zhuangyuan Mansion, as Ming Er now works in the Ministry of Justice, and the plaque of the mansion has been changed.
Mingyan packed her things and took her home.
She didn't know what to say to Ming Er. Ming Er didn't resent her as his biological mother, but he certainly didn't respect or love her much either.
Ming Er didn't want to say much. If she hadn't received guidance from the Ninth Ninth Master, she would still be a country girl who only knew how to play in the mud and had no future.
If he had discovered his true identity was wrong from that perspective, he probably wouldn't have treated her the way he does now.
Everything in the dream has already explained everything.
She didn't have much affection for Mingyan, her biological mother.
Ming'er didn't resent anyone. The baby swap was an accident, not something anyone did on purpose. She only hoped that everything would be alright at home.
"You should really teach Mingyu and Mingtong properly. Hire a female tutor. The manners of your Marquis's family are really not good." Ming Er said to Ming Yan as he had his things moved into front of the mansion.
He did try to persuade her a couple of times, but if she didn't listen, Ming Er wouldn't say anything more, as it was none of her business anyway.
If it weren't for the entanglements of their family backgrounds, Marquis Jing'an would just be one of her many colleagues, and Ming Er wouldn't have interfered with other people's family backgrounds.
However, some unusual details have been uncovered regarding the assassination attempts His Highness the Crown Prince encountered during his investigation.
Those waves of assassins weren't all sent by the First Princess. One wave was from the Assassin's Guild. Ming Er arrested and interrogated them, only to find out that someone had paid to have someone kill them.
The other party was still targeting Ming Er.
This matter was easy to investigate. Ming Er went directly into the Assassin's Guild and eventually found out that it was Ji Yun who did it.
He wasn't stupid; he knew the difference between assassinating the Crown Prince and assassinating Ming Er, so he insisted that the person he wanted to kill was Ming Er.
The reason was quite absurd: he felt that Ming Er's return affected Ming Xi's position in the Jing'an Marquis's mansion.
"Drag him away," His Highness the Crown Prince ordered calmly.
Ming Er was ordered to investigate the case with her. What's the difference between assassinating Ming Er and assassinating her?
After this whole incident, Ji Yun's protagonist aura dropped to 25%.
"Look at the host, the male lead's halo has come down."
"Yes, I saw it." Xiang Bei nodded.
The male lead wasn't very prominent; if it weren't for the assassin incident, Xiang Bei would have almost forgotten he existed.
After Mingxi found out, she went to see Ji Yun in prison.
"Ah Xi, please save me. I'm really doing this for you. I'm thinking that if we can kill Ming Er, Ah Xi, you will be the eldest daughter of the Marquis of Jing'an's mansion, and no one will be able to threaten your status and position."
Hearing him keep saying it was for her sake, Mingxi found it increasingly ridiculous.
She had said time and again that this was a matter between her and Mingyang, and that she would handle it herself, but he didn't seem to listen.
He took it upon himself to make decisions and even insisted on using her as a shield.
Mingxi slapped him.
"Have you said enough? Ji Yun, I've told you before, what happens between Mingyang and me is none of your business. Who do you think you are? What gives you the right to make decisions for me?"
Ji Yun looked at her, covered her cheeks, and remained silent for a long time.
He looked puzzled. "Don't you hate Mingyang? If your true identity hadn't been revealed, you would always have been the eldest daughter of the Marquis of Jing'an."
"I'll say it one last time: I will handle my own affairs with Mingyang. It's not your place to make decisions for me. Ji Yun, you should worry about your own safety first. Assassinating His Highness the Crown Prince is no small crime."
Even if His Highness the Crown Prince was only the Third Prince at that time, if the matter were investigated earlier, Ji Yun would have been severely punished.
Mingxi had no reason to worry about him. Ji Yun was too foolish, foolish enough to treat everyone else like idiots. Whether he was truly doing it for her own good or had some ulterior motive, he knew perfectly well.
"Ah Xi, you don't believe me?"
"I don't need your self-righteous kindness, Ji Yun. You'd better watch yourself." Mingxi said this and left.
Fearing they would be implicated, the Ji family, after much deliberation, went to Ming Er and begged her to plead with His Highness the Crown Prince, claiming that Ji Yun had only acted out of momentary folly.
Ming Er naturally did not do that. Since His Highness the Crown Prince had already made his decision, there was no need for her to interfere.
Ji Yun brought this upon herself.
When the court session ended, Mingxi and she came out one after the other. Whichever direction Ming'er walked, Mingxi followed her in that direction.
"You've come to plead for your fiancé?" Ming Er looked at her.
"In your eyes, am I such an unreasonable person?"
After a pause, Mingxi explained, "Ji Yun's actions were not instigated by me."
Ming Er looked away. "I know. And then what?"
“When I first saw you, I was shocked. You look a lot like my mother. People have always said that I don’t look like my mother since I was a child.”
For some reason, when she first saw Mingyang, her heart pounded with panic, and she had a terrifying thought: she wished he would disappear forever.
Mingxi looked at Ming Er, not understanding why she had such thoughts when facing Ming Yang.
She had always regarded Mingyang as her rival, but only recently did she realize that in Mingyang's eyes, she was no different from anyone else.
Despite being roughly the same age, Mingyang has a much clearer understanding of many things.
"And then?" Ming Er asked sincerely.
Mingxi pursed her lips and looked at Mingyang, her brows furrowing unconsciously.
"I have something to do, I'll be going now."
Watching Mingxi's departing figure, Ming Er was completely bewildered.
"That's weird."
In the past, when Mingxi saw her, his eyes were always wary and scrutinizing, and there was also a kind of inexplicable arrogance.
The look in her eyes now is more complicated than before; Ming Er can hardly understand it anymore.
Even though he knew that Ji Yun had hired the assassins, Ming Er did not suspect Ming Xi. The reason was very simple: Ming Xi would never do something so obviously stupid.
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