Chapter 200 Shocking Betrayal
Just then, a guard rushed in:
"My lord, there is an eunuch outside the palace gate with a decree from the Imperial Noble Consort, saying that there is an important announcement in the palace and that you, Marquis Yongjia, must enter the palace immediately without delay."
The guard paused for a moment, glanced at Shen Yiqiu's expression, and added:
"According to our observation, not only the Crown Prince's residence, but also the residences of many important officials have been visited by palace officials."
There was a moment of surprise in the hall, and Qingzhu stepped forward in astonishment:
"Are you sure you're not mistaken? Are you sure it's the Imperial Noble Consort?"
The guard nodded.
Shen Yiqiu repeated the sentence, understanding Zhao Ke'er's intention, and she sneered:
"A major announcement? At this juncture, it seems Zhao Ke'er can't wait any longer. She's going to forcefully push the real crown prince to the forefront and force everyone to take sides. She's going to... forge an imperial edict and carry out the act of deposing and installing a new crown prince!"
Upon hearing this, Honglan immediately said:
"My lord, this is clearly a trap! You are still recovering from your serious injuries and have lost all your internal strength. Entering the palace now is like a lamb entering a tiger's den. His Highness is also imprisoned. It would be better for him to feign illness..."
Shen Yiqiu raised her hand to interrupt her:
"Pretend to be sick? Zhao Ke'er would love for me to pretend to be sick and stay home. She could then pin a guilty charge on me for being cowardly and disobeying the imperial decree, giving her even more reason to make trouble."
“Since she has extended invitations to many, I will go. It will be a good opportunity to see how she will carry out this scheme of replacing the crown prince with a cat in front of all the court officials.”
She stood up; though slender, she exuded an imposing aura.
"Qingzhu, tidy up my appearance. If you can't cover up the scars, don't force it. Let everyone see how Zhao Ke'er and her men treat meritorious officials with respect! Baimei, come with me to the palace."
She looked at Mo Yu and Hong Lan, considering that they were Xiao Yongjing's people:
"Mo Yu, proceed with the investigation as planned immediately. This is crucial for our turn of events, and we cannot afford to delay. Hong Lan, the safety of the Shen family is temporarily in your hands. Keep the gates tightly shut, and no one is allowed to enter or leave without my written order."
Mo Yu Honglan clasped her hands and bowed:
"Yes! I understand!"
Shen Yiqiu took a deep breath, put on a dark outer robe, and barely covered her tattered clothes.
The scar on his forehead and the redness and swelling on his cheeks were faintly visible in the bronze mirror.
"Let's go, Bai Mei."
Her voice was calm and even, "Go and see what important matter this Imperial Noble Consort is about to announce."
The gates of the Shen residence slowly opened, revealing an eunuch holding an imperial edict.
Shen Yiqiu straightened her back and boarded the carriage heading to the palace.
...
The atmosphere inside the hall was solemn. Civil and military officials stood on both sides, each with a different expression, some fearful, some doubtful, and some silently observing.
Imperial Noble Consort Zhao Ke'er sat upright on the phoenix throne beside the dragon throne, dressed in elaborate court robes, exuding an imposing aura.
Shen Yiqiu stood near the palace gate, with Bai Mei following closely behind.
Zhao Ke'er surveyed the room, and seeing that almost all the important figures had arrived, a smile played on her lips as she slowly spoke:
"My lords, the reason I have summoned you all today is to announce a matter of paramount importance concerning the foundation of the nation and the very stability of our Great Jin Dynasty!"
She feigned grief, clutching her chest, and angrily cursed:
"His Majesty was poisoned and fell into a coma by the treacherous Xiao Yongjing, and has not yet woken up. It is truly heartbreaking!"
She glanced at the assembled officials, whose expressions had drastically changed, and continued:
"However, may Heaven bless the Great Jin! Heaven could not bear to see our dynasty's foundation usurped by villains. After countless hardships, I have finally found the true imperial heir who was switched by that wicked Consort Jia and left to wander among the common people. This is His Majesty's own bloodline!"
These words immediately caused an uproar among the crowd.
Everyone had heard the rumors circulating in the capital, but they kept quiet about them, and the officials all pretended not to hear them.
Zhao Ke'er raised her voice:
"Summon...the real Crown Prince to the palace!"
The palace doors opened again, and a tall, upright figure dressed in the crown prince's everyday clothes slowly walked into the hall, guided by two eunuchs.
He kept his head down, his steps calm and composed.
Shen Yiqiu's gaze was fixed on that person, and as he approached step by step, her heart sank lower and lower.
This figure... why does it seem somewhat familiar?
Finally, the person stopped in front of the steps and slowly raised his head.
The moment Shen Yiqiu saw that face clearly, her pupils dilated violently, and her blood froze instantly.
The color drained from her face, and she almost blurted out:
"Zhang...Zhang Heze?!"
How could it be him?
Zhang Heze didn't even glance at her, but instead turned to Zhao Ke'er, speaking in that familiar voice:
"Your son... pays his respects to Your Majesty! Your son has been wandering among the common people for many years. Fortunately, Your Majesty did not abandon him and searched for him painstakingly, which allowed him to return to the royal family and be recognized as a member of the clan!"
At this opportune moment, Zhao Ke'er shed tears of emotion, rose, took Zhang Heze's arm, and addressed the assembled officials:
"My lords, please look! This is the true Crown Prince. Doesn't his face bear a resemblance to His Majesty's when he was young? He and Consort Jia are like two peas in a pod; this is the true royal bloodline."
She turned to look at Chen Yiqiu, who was standing there in a daze:
"Marquis Yongjia, you and Zhang... no, you and His Highness the Crown Prince served together on the frontier for three years, so you must be most familiar with his appearance. Tell these gentlemen, is the person before you the Zhang adjutant you know?"
"Or is it that you already knew his true identity, but you helped that imposter Xiao Yongjing to deceive the emperor and suppress the real heir?"
That was a really vicious move.
This directly cornered Shen Yiqiu. If she admitted that this was Zhang the adjutant, it would confirm the claim that Zhao Ke'er was the true prince who had been exiled to the frontier.
If she denies it, Zhao Ke'er can immediately accuse her of conspiring with the fake crown prince to deceive the emperor.
All eyes on the field were focused on Shen Yiqiu, waiting for her reaction.
Looking at that incredibly familiar face, everything that had happened before became clear.
No wonder Zhang Heze has never revealed his parents, yet he still possesses immense wealth and a large family business.
No wonder, on that precarious battlefield, he could accurately find himself in the crowd and ask for help, thus becoming his adjutant.
No wonder she was summoned back to the capital after only three years. All her plans to rebel against the Song family were under his watchful eye.
It turns out, the clown... was always her.
Zhang Heze was Zhao Ke'er's spy planted next to her from beginning to end.
A profound sense of betrayal overwhelmed Shen Yiqiu.
She clenched her fists so tightly that her nails dug into her palms, and the pain overwhelmed her, barely managing to maintain a semblance of composure.
"The resemblance... is indeed similar. But how can one determine royal blood based solely on appearance? Your Highness, you claim he is the true Crown Prince, but besides this face, is there any other evidence? For example, His Majesty's own admission when he was lucid? Or a record of the blood test for kinship?"
Zhao Ke'er looked at Shen Yiqiu's forced composure with a cruel smile.
"Evidence? Of course, there is plenty! However, before that, Marquis Yongjia, shouldn't you first pay homage to the true Crown Prince as a subject?"
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