What? !
Gu Jiangli stiffened, then felt a bit more pressure on his palm.
The emperor couldn't help but hold her hand tightly.
Prince An noticed her surprise and laughed freely, "Are you surprised, Consort Yun? Prince Rong is my biological father. If he ascends the throne, shouldn't I be the rightful next monarch?"
"Does it even belong to me, Qi Heng, to feign loyalty and pass the throne to me?!"
Gu Jiangli's heart was pounding.
Could it really be, as she initially suspected, that the trouble stemmed from a conflict between the emperor and his elder brother?
"But... Prince An, the late Emperor's edict was shown to all the ministers without any error, and the name of His Majesty is written on it as the successor to the throne. Do you suspect that someone forged the imperial edict?"
Prince An smiled coldly, his voice filled with endless sarcasm. "The imperial edict is not false, because the position of successor to the throne was originally vacant. My grandfather hesitated until his death about who should inherit this vast Tianyuan Kingdom."
"In other words, the rest of the will was written, except for the name."
"In the end, my grandfather wanted Prince Rong to inherit the throne, but he passed away before he could write my father's name on it."
"When Qi Heng found out, he quickly wrote his own name in the blank space. He was always good at imitating other people's handwriting, and he imitated the will so well that it was indistinguishable from the real thing. In this way, his throne was secured."
"If it weren't for him, how could my father have died? How could my mother have died? Why would I be criticized in this palace? Why would I have been living under someone else's roof for so many years?"
"What do you mean he kindly passed the throne to me? It should have been mine in the first place, understand?"
Gu Jiangli was stunned by what she heard.
But she quickly seized on the loophole in Prince An's words, "When Prince Rong passed away, you were still an infant who couldn't even speak. Regardless of whether the blank edict you mentioned is true or not, even if it is, how can you be sure that the late emperor's final choice was not His Majesty?"
"Of course. After I became sensible, I returned to the Rong Prince's Mansion many times and found many handwritten letters from my father. These letters recorded many conversations between my grandfather and him. My grandfather had always thought highly of my father and told him a lot about what a ruler should do. The letters also contained many of my father's regrets about Qi Heng's inability to become emperor."
“My father was ready to succeed to the throne, but in the end, someone changed the will because of his own selfish desires.”
"To prevent his scheme from being exposed, he murdered my mother and then my father, thus securing his throne and ensuring that no one would challenge him!"
"Qi Heng, you've got a clever plan. He deliberately kept me by his side so that everyone in the world could see that he has a deep affection for my father and can treat my father's son as his own, thus protecting his own reputation. That's all!"
He became more and more agitated as he spoke, pointing a finger at the emperor's face and expressing the resentment he had always harbored.
Gu Jiangli frowned and retorted, "You grew up by His Majesty's side since you were a child. When have you ever seen a genuine letter from Prince Rong? If someone deliberately forged it to incite you to resent His Majesty, wouldn't you be being used?"
“I thought so at first, but besides handwritten notes, other people can also testify to what I said.”
"who?"
"Ning Song, Lord Ning. His name is renowned, and Consort Yun must be familiar with him. Lord Ning was the most trusted and valued official by the Emperor, which allowed him to rise to the position of Minister of Works at a young age. Lord Ning is upright, loyal, and especially values the throne. He himself said that the Emperor originally intended for Prince Rong to succeed him."
"However, my grandfather fell seriously ill and passed away suddenly, so there was no time for anyone to take advantage of the situation!"
Gu Jiangli fell silent.
Is Ning Song now working for Prince An because he also believes that Prince An is the rightful emperor?
"Why don't you continue to refute Consort Yun? Is it because you can't find a reason to refute her anymore? Lord Ning is devoted to the country, and who among the people doesn't praise his fairness? The letter and Lord Ning's words are enough to convince me that Qi Heng is inextricably linked to the deaths of my parents."
He dragged out the last syllable, then slowly squatted down, getting closer to Gu Jiangli, "Qi Heng caused me to lose my loved ones, what's wrong with wanting to kill him? What's wrong with poisoning him and driving him mad so he'd be called a tyrant? What's wrong with ruining his reputation and having him cursed by posterity for a thousand years?"
"Your Highness, Consort Yun, you are indeed intelligent, but the grand plan has already been accomplished, and you realize it too late."
"However, I guess I've treated you well, haven't I? I've explained everything that puzzled you, so you weren't left confused."
"Don't worry, I will make sure you die a worthwhile death. After you die, I will tell the outside world that the Emperor, in a fit of rage, tortured and killed you while you were pregnant. I fought with the Emperor while rescuing you and accidentally injured him. As long as I leave wounded, others will believe my words."
"At that time, the people of Tianyuan Kingdom will curse him for being cruel and heartless because of your death, and the people of Yunjiang will be filled with resentment because of your death."
He found a shard of porcelain from somewhere, and as he held it high, his eyes shone with excitement.
"I'm sorry, Consort Yun, please go in peace!"
An Wangzang aimed for Jiang Li's neck, preparing to end her life with a single blow.
Gu Jiangli didn't even blink, remaining completely calm, unlike someone about to die.
Because she knew that nothing would happen to her.
The emperor would not allow Prince An to take her life.
Sure enough, the pain did not occur.
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