Chapter 35 The Emperor Eats Watermelon
Soon, Xiao Zhou, whose face was pale but whose eyes showed a determination to burn her boats, and Hu Qing and Lin Feng, who also looked solemn and exhausted, were taken to the side hall of Fengtian Palace.
The emperor moved here and left several trusted ministers to attend the trial together.
Cui Yan was also "invited" over and knelt beside him.
Faced with the might of heaven, Xiao Zhou remained calm.
She knew this was her last chance. She had to tell the whole story, perhaps there was still a glimmer of hope.
She glanced at Hu Qing, who was silent but determined, and her heart ached, but also a trace of courage surged up - for this son who had been lost and found again, and for the entire Marquis' Mansion!
She bowed gracefully, her voice tinged with tears, yet she recounted the events of fifteen years ago in a clear and coherent manner:
"...Your Majesty, please allow me to report. Fifteen years ago, the late Empress Dowager Zhou passed away. I, your concubine, was ordered to enter the palace to mourn.
"At that time, I was six months pregnant and close to giving birth. During the funeral, I was so exhausted from grief, and the palace was so crowded, that I accidentally fell beside the mourning hall, resulting in an unexpected premature birth..."
"...The situation was extremely critical at the time, and I had no trusted confidants or reliable people around me. I only had the maids and maids temporarily assigned by the palace.
The child was born prematurely, was extremely weak, and cried weakly.
The midwife said it might be difficult to raise the baby, so she hurriedly took the child to the baby room next door, which was specially prepared for temporary births in the palace, and left it to be cared for by several palace maids..."
"...I endured the severe pain, my heart still ache for my child. As soon as I was able to stand up, I ignored all attempts to stop me and insisted on going to see the child.
When I saw the dying baby in the cradle, my heart was broken.
I discovered... I discovered that the child seemed... seemed to be... thinner than when I first saw him in a daze?
"Her eyebrows and eyes...seem a little different too? But at the time, I was weak and confused after giving birth, and I was worried about the child's life, so I just thought it was because of the pain that I was confused and remembered it wrongly..."
"...Later, I was worried about leaving the child with others, so I forced myself to take care of him myself. Perhaps it was God's mercy that the child miraculously survived and gradually recovered. I then took the child back to the Marquis' Mansion..."
"... Shortly after returning home, I was sorting through my belongings when I discovered... that the white jade pendant that was the token of love between me and the Marquis, had disappeared!
That jade pendant was a token of our marriage to the Marquis, and it has been kept close to the heirs for generations. I have kept it close to my heart. At the time, I simply thought a palace maid had stolen it during the chaos. Although I was heartbroken, I could do nothing about it, and I dared not speak out..."
"...It wasn't until yesterday, when this righteous man Lin Feng came forward with the jade pendant and told me the truth, that I...suddenly realized it!
That slight strange feeling back then was not an illusion!
My own child was replaced right here in the imperial palace, right next to me!
The 'Cui Xiao' whom the Marquis and I have raised for fifteen years is not our flesh and blood!
But the real boy, Hu Qing...was wandering around the world, suffering a lot..."
When Xiao Zhou said this, she was already sobbing uncontrollably. She stretched out her hand in the direction of Hu Qing, but then let it drop weakly, heartbroken.
Hu Qing listened silently, looking at the heartbroken Xiao Zhou and the pale Cui Yan with complicated eyes, and pursed his lips.
Lin Feng was filled with indignation and stood guard beside Hu Qing.
Xiao Zhou's account is poignant and moving, with rich details, especially regarding the suspicion that the child "seemed a little different" and the timing of the theft of the jade pendant.
It fits perfectly with Hu Qing's life experience and the clues provided by Lin Feng, and has clear logic, which greatly increases its credibility.
Several important officials also looked solemn and sighed after hearing this.
The emperor also listened with great interest. This was even more bizarre and tortuous than the storybook!
However, when Xiao Zhou talked about the key points - "fifteen years ago", "during the funeral of Queen Mother Zhou", "accidentally gave birth prematurely next to the mourning hall in the palace", "the baby room was nearby"
When the emperor read the time and place information, he suddenly stopped twisting his Buddhist beads with his fingers!
Fu'an, the trusted eunuch standing beside him, had been listening with his head lowered. At this moment, he suddenly raised his head, with a gleam in his eyes, and his gaze suddenly met the emperor's in the air!
Both of them saw unprecedented solemnity and... a hint of horror in each other's eyes!
The same day fifteen years ago! Just two yards apart!
The emperor's heart skipped a beat at that moment, and then pounded his chest violently like a drum!
A memory that had been sealed for fifteen years, which he regarded as top secret and even deliberately forgot, suddenly appeared before his eyes like an abyss split open by thunder!
Fifteen years ago! Same day! Same location—the Imperial Palace! During Empress Dowager Zhou's funeral!
Xiao Zhou unexpectedly gave birth to a premature baby near the mourning hall. After giving birth, the baby was taken to a nearby nursery!
And on that day!
Just two courtyards away from the baby's room, in an extremely secret palace, a shocking event also occurred!
He endured the pain of childbirth and secretly gave birth to the son of Xiao Linyuan, then the Crown Prince of Nanyue State. Their child... on the same day, his... child! A child he hadn't even had the chance to hold in his arms!
To conceal their presence, they were briefly placed in... the same nursery! Because it was the most "reasonable" place to temporarily house a newborn within the palace, and wouldn't arouse suspicion!
The core confidant who was in charge of this matter at that time was the eunuch Fu'an who was standing next to him at this moment!
When! Where! The baby's room!
Xiao Zhou's children were swapped!
His own child...lived for only a few hours. He was weak after giving birth and struggled to wake up only to see a cold little body...This became a scar in the emperor's heart that will never heal, and it was also the greatest guilt and pain in Fu'an's heart!
Could it be... could it be that the chaos in the baby's room back then was not just about the replacement of the Prince of Weiyuan?
Could it be that...his child...was also involved? !
Could it be that... the "Cui Xiao" who was replaced and is now studying with the emperor in the palace... his life story...?!
An extremely bold, absurd, yet strangely possible thought, like a venomous snake, burrowed into the emperor's mind, causing his blood to freeze instantly.
The emperor forced himself to suppress the turmoil in his heart and maintained the majesty and composure of an emperor on his face.
He took a deep look at Cui Yan, who was kneeling down below, with a pale face and a shaky face.
He glanced again at the grief-stricken Xiao Zhou, and the calm, resolute Hu Qing, who had wandered the world.
"I... understand."
The emperor's voice was emotionless, but it carried an invisible pressure.
"This matter is fraught with doubts. It concerns the reputation of the royal family and the noble bloodline. It is of no small importance!"
His eyes were like lightning, sweeping over the mad, yet still complacent Madam Zhou and Cui Jun and his wife, a trace of cold disgust flashed in his eyes.
"Zhou! Cui Jun! Wang! You, in order to seize the title, have gone so far as to beat the drum and disrupt the court. You are worthy of death!
However, considering your meritorious reporting, the death penalty can be spared! Return to Weiyuan Marquis Mansion immediately and reflect on your mistakes behind closed doors! Without my permission, you are not allowed to step out of the mansion! If you disobey, you will be killed without mercy! "
The smug look on Mrs. Zhou's face froze instantly, like a duck with its neck pinched.
"Your Majesty?! I... I have made great contributions in exposing this matter! The title of nobility..."
The emperor roared angrily, like thunder!
The guards in front of the palace immediately stepped forward and dragged out the crying and struggling Old Lady Zhou and the pale-faced Cui Jun and his wife without any courtesy.
"Weiyuan Marquis Cui Yan, his wife Zhou, Hu Qing, and Lin Feng stayed."
The emperor's voice returned to calm, but with unquestionable majesty.
"The rest of you, withdraw from the court!"
Although the ministers were full of curiosity and shock, the emperor had already spoken, so they had no choice but to bow and slowly leave the side hall with full of doubts and gossip.
Inside the hall, only the emperor, Fu'an, a few trusted ministers, and Cui Yan and his wife, Hu Qing, and Lin Feng, who were kneeling on the ground, remained. The atmosphere was so solemn that it was almost suffocating.
The emperor's gaze slowly swept over Cui Yan and Xiao Zhou, and finally fell on Hu Qing, his eyes deep and unfathomable.
He spoke slowly, his voice not loud, but it was like a heavy hammer hitting Cui Yan and Xiao Zhou's hearts:
"Marquis Weiyuan, Madam Marquis... Regarding the birth in the palace fifteen years ago, is there anything you have omitted from what you just said?
Especially... that nursery. That day... besides your child, did you see... any other babies?"
Cui Yan and Xiao Zhou shook their heads in confusion. It was a chaotic situation at the time and they were busy taking care of themselves, so how could they care about other children?
The emperor was silent for a moment, tapping the imperial desk lightly with his fingers, making a light thumping sound like the beat of a death drum.
He finally looked at Fu'an, his eyes sharp as a knife, and issued an order that was enough to set off a bloody storm:
"The old slave is here."
"I order you to immediately mobilize all the resources of the 'Inside Factory' to conduct a thorough and secret investigation!
Fifteen years ago, during the funeral of Queen Mother Zhou, all the people who were on duty in the baby room near the mourning hall in the palace, whether they were palace maids, nannies, or eunuchs, no matter where they are now,
No matter who you are, you will be secretly arrested and rigorously interrogated! I want to know... what happened in the baby's room that day! Not a single detail can be left out!"
"Yes! I obey your command!" Fuan bowed and accepted the order, with a cold light in his eyes.
The emperor's gaze once again drifted into the void, his fingers unconsciously stroking the cold dragon pattern on the armrests of the dragon throne.
A terrifying question swirled wildly in his mind, like a beast about to break free from its cage:
That child... that boy who now bears the name "Cui Xiao"... could he be his own child? Even if there was a one in ten thousand chance, he would give it a try...
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