The Emperor of Chu composed himself, a cold glint flashing in his eyes as he stared intently at Consort Yue: "Speak, what happened back then? Tell me everything in detail. If I were to investigate, the Zhou family would be utterly destroyed."
Consort Yue's face paled slightly, but she forced herself to remain calm: "Your Majesty, it was my fault for being confused." After saying that, she began to cry sadly: "Back then, I thought it was useless to give birth to a daughter. Coincidentally, a palace maid in the Cold Palace gave birth to a dragon's child, so I thought of switching the baby with the dragon. In this way, His Highness Prince Cheng became my son, and the baby girl disappeared after being sent out of the palace."
"Your Majesty, please punish me for my crimes. I will have no complaints." After saying this, Consort Yue breathed a sigh of relief, and the annoyance in her heart disappeared.
fine!
Ping'er was sensible enough not to expose Qingyun Peak's affair, and His Majesty did not doubt Gu Nanjiao's identity.
Even if His Majesty were to punish them, at most he would demote them.
"Impossible!" Fu Yang cried out in disbelief, "What a coincidence! A palace maid in the Cold Palace just happened to give birth to a boy, and Consort Yue switched her with him. Maybe the water used for the blood test was contaminated..."
"How dare you!" The Empress Dowager abruptly stood up and pointed angrily at Fuyang: "I ordered the water to be prepared, and you doubt me?"
"Your son...your subject did not..."
"I have some pity for you because you once married for the sake of the country. You shouldn't take advantage of my and His Majesty's pity to act recklessly. As a princess of the Great Chu, marriage was your mission. But you always think you've made a great sacrifice. Fuyang, after all these years, you've forgotten your place."
Princess Fuyang slumped to the ground, as if all her strength had been drained. The air in her chest could only escape and not enter. A wave of dizziness washed over her, and she rolled her eyes and fainted.
The Emperor of Chu glanced at her with disdain and said impatiently, "Drag her out. After she wakes up, we'll prepare the marriage alliance."
Since she doesn't want to marry into the Minister's family, then let's have a political marriage.
After dealing with Princess Fuyang, the Chu Emperor's face darkened. He stared at Consort Yue and roared in fury, "How dare you! You dared to switch the princess with a dragon right under my nose!"
Consort Yue knelt on the ground with a thud, not begging for mercy, tears streaming down her face like broken beads, her appearance indescribably miserable: "This concubine deserves to die, I beg Your Majesty to punish me."
Instead of crying and making excuses, it would be better to confess quickly. Consort Yue knew the Chu Emperor's temperament well; if she obediently confessed, the punishment might be reduced.
The Emperor of Chu closed his eyes briefly, his expression softening slightly, intending to show leniency. Before he could speak, Prince Cheng also knelt on the ground, kowtowing and begging for mercy: "Father, please forgive Mother. Although Mother killed her own mother to save her son, she has also diligently raised me for eighteen years. My sister Nan Jiao has suffered greatly while wandering outside, being hunted down many times. Now that mother and daughter have reunited, it is a time for them to nurture their bond. If Father punishes Mother, I fear it would be unfair to Nan Jiao..."
Emperor Chu initially intended to treat her leniently, given that the Consort had been by his side for many years and was deeply loved by him. His affection for her made him reluctant to punish her severely. However, Prince Cheng's words, seemingly pleading for mercy, enraged the Empress Dowager standing nearby.
"Consort Yue is a viper, daring to kill even in the palace. It's pitiful that Prince Cheng lost his mother at birth, and the princess of Great Chu suffered endless hardships among the common people. I wonder how Minister Zhou raised such a viperous daughter?"
Prince Cheng knelt upright to one side, glancing at Consort Yue out of the corner of his eye.
Consort Yue could no longer maintain her composure and knelt on the ground, kowtowing several times: "This matter has nothing to do with Father! It was all done by me alone!"
As expected, you can't raise someone else's son properly!
King Cheng appeared to be pleading for her, but in reality, he was pushing her and the Zhou family into a fire pit. The Chu Emperor was initially somewhat soft-hearted, but the Empress Dowager refused to let it go.
The Emperor Chu recalled a report from his secret guards that Consort Yue was suspected of assassinating Gu Nanjiao. He suspected that Gu Nanjiao's feigned disfigurement was also to avoid Consort Yue.
Poor child! How could he have such a cruel mother?
"Guards! Consort Yue has murdered a concubine and committed adultery. She is demoted to the rank of Lady-in-Waiting. Minister Zhou is dismissed and investigated. Await further punishment."
Consort Yue's face gradually turned pale until it was completely bloodless. She kowtowed repeatedly, crying out, "Your Majesty, I confess my guilt, but this matter has nothing to do with my father! Your Majesty!"
Consort Yue wasn't afraid of being demoted; what she feared was the collapse of her powerful family. If the Minister's mansion were gone, she would have no hope of regaining her position, and the other concubines in the harem would tear her apart.
"Your Majesty, please, for the sake of my many years of service to you, do not dismiss my father from his post, Your Majesty..."
The Emperor of Chu turned his head to the side, not daring to look at Consort Yue.
Even though he was reluctant, this was the best opportunity to get rid of Minister Zhou.
Throughout history, ministers have faced three major perilous situations: first, when their achievements overshadow their ruler; second, when a minister wields great power and influences the court; and third, when a minister is strong and the ruler weak, mutual suspicion between them is inevitable.
Those in power fear that their subjects will form factions and usurp the throne, so they will fabricate charges and exterminate all their subjects and their factions.
Having dealt with the Empress and Chief Minister Zheng, I never expected that Minister Zhou would appear.
In recent years, Minister Zhou's prestige in the court has grown increasingly strong, and his protégés are found throughout the court. The emperor and his ministers have long harbored mutual suspicion, but Minister Zhou, like an eel, remains elusive, impossible to find fault with.
Although the Chu emperor was inherently suspicious, he was also soft-hearted. He mostly dismissed and investigated civil officials, but never executed them all.
The Empress Dowager was annoyed by Consort Yue's nagging and waved her hand at the eunuch: "Why haven't you dragged Consort Yue away yet?"
The eunuch summoned several strong and sturdy old women to pull Consort Yue away, but Consort Yue suddenly broke free and ran to Gu Nanjiao in a few strides. She grabbed Gu Nanjiao's arm and tightened her grip: "Jiaojiao, you are my daughter, and Minister Zhou is your maternal grandfather. He knows nothing about your background. Please beg for mercy, please beg for mercy..." When she mentioned the words "background," Consort Yue's eyes flashed with a cold light, and her eyes were full of threat.
Gu Nanjiao raised an eyebrow. Although she was surprised that the Chu Emperor had recognized her as his daughter, it was not hard to guess that Lu Yanzhao was involved.
I never expected her husband to be so unassuming.
Looking down at her fingernails painted with balsam flowers, Gu Nanjiao said coldly:
“I grew up in the countryside and have no maternal grandfather who was a minister. His Majesty dismissed and investigated Minister Zhou because he was completely unaware of the matter. If Minister Zhou was involved in this matter and intended to confuse the royal bloodline, his entire family would be implicated. Your Highness, are you sure you want to defy His Majesty’s will?”
Consort Yue's brow twitched slightly, a hint of struggle flashing in her eyes. Then, she closed her eyes resignedly and let the nanny pull her out.
If the fact that Gu Nanjiao is not a descendant of the Chu Emperor is exposed, she will surely die, and the Zhou family will be exterminated along with their entire clan. Zhou Qi dares not gamble.
I only hope that Gu Nanjiao will consider her meager mother-daughter relationship and wish her a speedy reinstatement.
The palace fell silent. Cheng Chao bowed to the Chu Emperor and said, "Congratulations, Father, on the birth of your princess!"
"Hahahaha!" The Emperor of Chu laughed heartily, looking at Gu Nanjiao with loving eyes for a moment, his tone quite proud: "I never imagined that you were actually my daughter. Not only have you rendered meritorious service to the court, but you are also of my bloodline. I hereby proclaim to the world that you shall be granted the title of Princess Protector of the Nation."
Gu Nanjiao was stunned, too shocked by the news to react.
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