"Tell me in detail what happened that day!" Jun Zhe stared at the Empress Dowager with emotionless eyes, not missing a single expression on her face.
"This servant obeys. At that time, the Empress Dowager was being demoted by His Majesty. However, because she had not yet given birth, she was not sent to the Cold Palace, but instead stayed at home to reflect on her mistakes. This servant was responsible for delivering the baby for the Empress Dowager. Everything went smoothly on the day of the birth. The Empress Dowager's health has always been excellent, and she gave birth to a prince weighing six pounds and six ounces."
"Is there anything special about that child?" Jun Zhe's expression remained unchanged.
The Empress Dowager gritted her teeth. She recognized the old woman; she was indeed the midwife from that day. After the delivery, the old woman had been banished from the palace due to a serious illness and had never appeared there again. Therefore, the Empress Dowager had not taken her seriously. Who could have imagined that she would still be alive and that Jun Zhe would find her?
This shows that Jun Zhe had known all along that he was not her biological son, and had been secretly searching for evidence until today when he finally revealed it. But when exactly did he find out?
The old woman thought for a moment and continued, "The little prince is not particularly special. If there is anything slightly different, it is that there is a little red on the little prince's tailbone. It is a bright red and extremely beautiful."
The Cinnabar Mark!
A pang of sorrow rose in Jun Zhe's heart; this was the cinnabar mark that the Empress Dowager had longed for.
"Is that red birthmark easy to spot? Is it possible for it to disappear as you get older?"
“That birthmark is not easy to spot; you have to spread the buttocks to see it. I only discovered it when I was cleaning the little prince. I heard that there was a prince who was demoted because of a strange mole on his body. At that time, the Empress Dowager was not in good condition. I was not sure whether the birthmark was good or bad, so I dared not make a fuss. I only told the Empress Dowager about it quietly and did not tell anyone else. The mole is a solid one, and I think it is unlikely to disappear when he grows up.”
"How can you remember something from so long ago so clearly? Is there any fabrication involved?"
The old woman panicked and hurriedly knelt down, saying, "Your Majesty, I dare not deceive you. Later, I fell seriously ill and was removed from the palace. I was never able to return. The Empress Dowager was the last noble lady I delivered, and it was the most glorious moment of my life. How could I forget? Please, Your Majesty, understand!"
Zhou Anyuan's face was solemn, but he couldn't help but chuckle to himself. He not only dared not forget, but when he found this old woman, she was boasting to others that she had delivered the Empress Dowager's baby. She had told this story at least hundreds or thousands of times.
The emperor sighed deeply and continued, "I ask you again, on that day, did anything else significant happen in the palace?"
The old woman thought for a moment and said, "On that day, the late Empress also gave birth, but it was not smooth. The child was born in a difficult labor. Fortunately, His Majesty protected her with his imperial power and she was able to give birth. However, it damaged her health. The late Empress lay in bed in a daze for many days before she regained consciousness. Apart from that, I can't think of anything else."
Jun Zhe closed his eyes wearily and waved his hand, saying, "You may leave now! Zhou Anyuan, give her some gifts and see her out properly."
"Yes!" Zhou Anyuan bowed and agreed.
The old woman was overjoyed, never expecting to leave the palace unscathed and even receive a reward from the Emperor. At first, she thought she had been arrested because she had been talking about delivering the Empress Dowager's child and had been too outspoken.
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