Chapter 300 This game of chess has just begun.
The handwriting on the letter is a little blurry, but the content can still be clearly recognized.
"emperor:
I am guilty, and my death is not a pity. But now that things have come to this, there are some truths that I must tell.
The queen had a difficult labor and was unable to give birth to a prince.
It was I who acted on my own initiative and sent someone to bring a baby boy from the people to replace the one born by the Queen.
The Queen is not aware of this matter, and it was all done by me alone.
My original intention was to preserve the Empress's position, but I never imagined I would make such a blunder. I deserve death, and I willingly accept it.
I hope the emperor will see clearly and not vent his anger on innocent people.
Your humble servant, Wei Xizhong, kowtows."
The emperor crumpled the letter into a ball and threw it to the ground. "Nonsense!"
He knew that this letter was Duke Wei's last resort.
In order to protect the queen, he took all the blame on himself.
Unfortunately, it's too late.
Jing'an Residence
"The Wei family has been defeated, and the Crown Prince's background has been exposed." Doctor Qian said softly, "Now it depends on how the Emperor handles it."
Chu Ruohan nodded slightly, "It's unexpected that the Duke of Wei and his wife would choose to self-immolate."
Doctor Qian sighed, "They planned this for half their lives, but they never expected it to end up like this."
"Traitors and traitors deserve to be put to death."
There was no trace of pity in Chu Ruohan's tone. "How many people have they harmed to deserve this outcome today?"
"My revenge has been achieved, but I don't feel very happy." Doctor Qian stared at the setting sun outside the window, his voice low and bitter.
Chu Ruohan poured a cup of hot tea for Doctor Qian, with a look of doubt in her eyes.
"Doctor Qian, the truth of an old incident from over ten years ago has finally been revealed. The Wei family has fallen, the queen has been banished to the cold palace, the prince's true identity has been exposed, and the Tian family's revenge has been achieved."
"Isn't this exactly what you've been thinking about day and night?"
Doctor Qian took the teacup, but just held it in his hand, letting the heat slowly rise and dissipate into the air.
"More than ten years," Doctor Qian's eyes became distant.
"That year, I luckily escaped the disaster because I went out of town to collect herbs. When I came back, it was already... already..."
Doctor Qian closed his eyes and tears silently fell.
"Since then, I have lived in hiding and changed my name, just so that one day I can find out the truth and seek justice for the Tian family."
Chu Ruohan listened quietly without interrupting.
"But now, my revenge has been taken, but none of my family members can come back."
Doctor Qian put down the teacup in his hand. His palms were already red from being burned, but he seemed unaware of it.
"Who knew that people in this world could be so sinister, that they could destroy an entire family just for their own selfish interests?"
Doctor Qian closed his eyes and said, "It's all over."
Chu Ruohan nodded slightly, but sighed in her heart.
This game of chess has just begun.
At this time, in the cold palace, the queen sat quietly in front of the window, looking at the moonlight outside.
Her eyes were empty, as if she had lost all hope.
Suddenly, the door was pushed open with a creaky sound, and a figure walked in quietly.
The queen looked up, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes.
"Why are you here?"
The visitor was the Queen's trusted maid. Zhiqiu cautiously approached the Queen and whispered, "Queen, the Master and the Madam...they..."
The Queen clutched Zhiqiu's shoulders tightly, "What happened to them?"
Zhiqiu was choked with sobs and could not speak, but just handed a note to the queen.
When the queen unfolded it, her face turned pale instantly.
"They...set themselves on fire?"
Zhiqiu nodded, tears streaming down her face. "The master left a suicide note, saying that the prince's background was entirely his own doing and had nothing to do with the Empress."
The queen's hands trembled slightly and tears fell silently.
She remembered her father's usual sternness, her mother's tenderness, and her spoiled brother...
They gave everything for her, and in the end, they chose this path to protect her.
"Father... Mother..." The Queen's voice was almost inaudible. "My daughter failed to fulfill her filial duty. I will repay your kindness in my next life."
"Your Highness, the Crown Prince has learned of this matter and is seeking an audience with the Emperor to plead for you."
The queen looked up suddenly, a glimmer of hope flashed in her eyes, and then dimmed.
"For all these years, I have loved him as my own son."
She wiped her tears, stood up and straightened her clothes.
"Zhiqiu, go back and tell the prince to stop pleading for me. My fate has already been determined."
Zhiqiu left the cold palace crying.
The queen was left alone, quietly waiting for the judgment of fate under the moonlight.
At this time, in the emperor's bedroom, the prince knelt on the ground and begged bitterly.
"Father, regardless of whether I am your biological son or not, the grace that Queen Mother has shown in raising me is real."
The prince burst into tears, "I beg you, father, to spare my mother's life in consideration of her many years of assistance to you."
The emperor had no expression on his face, just looking coldly at the prince kneeling on the ground.
This child whom he once regarded as his own now seemed to be someone else's son.
This feeling is like being pierced by thousands of arrows.
"You can go out." After a long time, the emperor finally spoke, his voice full of fatigue.
"Father!" The prince wanted to say something else, but was stopped by the emperor's eyes.
"I said, get out."
The prince had no choice but to retreat.
Before leaving, he took a last look at his father, whom he once respected so much.
The once majestic figure now looks so lonely and isolated.
The next day, the edict to depose the crown prince was issued. The queen was ordered to confuse the royal bloodline and was given poisoned wine. After her death, she was not allowed to be buried in the imperial mausoleum.
The deposed prince took a deep breath and pushed open the door to the cold palace.
The queen, who was once high and mighty, was now wearing coarse linen clothes, with messy hair, and purple marks on her neck from the emperor's pinching.
Seeing him, the queen forced a smile.
"Yunheng, you're here."
The deposed prince could no longer hold back and fell to his knees, tears streaming down his face. "Mother!"
The Queen's eyes were calm. "All of this is fate."
She reached out her hand and gently stroked her son's face: "Yunheng, do you remember when you were little? When you were sick with a fever, I stayed by your side all night, wiping your sweat and feeding you medicine."
The prince held the queen's hand and nodded: "Son, I remember."
"At that time, I thought, even if you are not my biological child, but I raised you as my own flesh and blood, aren't we still mother and son?"
Tears streamed down the queen's eyes. "Over the years, I have indeed done many wrong things, but my love for you has never been fake."
The prince choked up and said, "I know, I know that my mother loves me the most."
The Queen raised her head and looked out the window: "The Wei family is gone, and you can no longer keep the position of Crown Prince."
"Yunheng, you are still alive, that's enough. The emperor finally softened his heart."
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