"Your Majesty, the Empress is requesting an audience outside the palace."
Cen Hai's voice rang out, and Gu Heng paused as if sensing something, "Help me up."
Only after Cen Hai had completely cleaned him up did Gu Heng speak, "Please invite the Empress in."
As Jiang Yu stepped into the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the moment her eyes met Gu Heng's, Gu Heng tugged at the corner of his mouth and said, "Empress, you've arrived."
"What is Your Majesty's opinion on Gu Qingling's alleged conspiracy to rebel?"
Jiang Yu didn't want to waste any more words with Gu Heng. "Does His Majesty still want Gu Qingling to inherit the throne?"
"Even if I were to hand over the throne to someone else, I would never allow a son who poisoned me to inherit the throne." Gu Heng was furious at the thought of the poisoning. "I will kill them."
"Deng Yu is the leader of the Imperial Guards. Does the Emperor want to kill them to gamble on the loyalty of the Imperial Guards?"
Gu Heng's eyes sharpened. "What does the Empress mean by that?"
“One of them is the eldest son of the Empress, and the other is the leader of the Imperial Guard. Your Majesty is bedridden and poisoned. If news of your poisoning were to spread... which side do you think the court officials of Daqing would support more?”
"presumptuous!"
Gu Heng's evasive manner made Jiang Yu laugh out loud. Gu Heng's piercing gaze shot towards Jiang Yu, "Are you laughing at me?"
"right."
Jiang Yu let Gu Heng scrutinize her, "The current situation... is extremely unfavorable for Your Majesty..."
Gu Heng felt the taste of blood spreading in his mouth again. Looking at Jiang Yu's appearance, Gu Heng suddenly spoke, "I've been poisoned very badly, haven't I?"
Otherwise, the Empress would not have stood before him in such a manner.
Deng Yu... wouldn't betray him so easily.
In just a few seconds, Gu Heng figured out many things.
"Let me hear what way you've left me to live."
Gu Heng suddenly reached out and grabbed Jiang Yu, "Are you thinking that if Gu Qingling ascends the throne, you will be made Empress Dowager, so you are happy to see Gu Qingling ascend the throne?"
"Jiang Yu, you're ridiculously stupid."
When Gu Heng thought of what happened back then, a hint of madness appeared in his eyes. He had fallen to such a state, but the Empress was not much better off!
"In that case, I really have left Your Majesty a way out."
Jiang Yu glanced around and then sat down on the edge of Gu Heng's bed.
"Your Majesty, if the whole world knew that Gu Qingling was not my biological son, but just an ordinary eldest son born out of wedlock, would the court officials still support him?"
Gu Heng's pupils contracted sharply as he looked at Jiang Yu in disbelief.
Why is His Majesty silent?
Jiang Yu smiled slightly as she carefully tidied the bedding for Gu Heng. "Is it because you are not satisfied with the method I proposed?"
"Jiang Yu, what exactly do you know?"
Gu Heng felt all his blood rush to his head, and his vision went black. At this moment, Jiang Yu's voice rang out again, "Your Majesty, please do not be angry. You still have a few months to live. If you become furious, no one can guarantee your safety."
Hahahahahahahaha!
Gu Heng suddenly burst into laughter, even laughing until tears streamed down his face.
He only had a few months to live. It turned out that the Empress had known all along that Gu Qingling had poisoned him!
"What do you know?!"
Gu Heng repeated it once again.
The hall was quiet for a few moments, then Jiang Yu chuckled softly.
"What does the Emperor ask me to know?" Jiang Yu looked down at her abdomen. "I know a lot!"
“I know you were not the late emperor’s chosen successor, so from the beginning, your trip to the Marquis of Dingyuan’s residence was to win over my father and then smoothly ascend the throne.”
“But my father didn’t want to get involved in the royal conflicts, so you hate the Marquis of Dingyuan’s family and marry me as your empress to humiliate me.”
“I also know that my parents and Gu Lin did not die on the battlefield, but were all plotted against and killed.”
"I also know that the person who entered Zhaoning Palace on the night of the wedding was not you, Gu Heng, nor the three siblings, Gu Qingling, nor my child. They were your and Consort Rong's child. You heartlessly switched my child."
Seeing Gu Heng's complexion worsen, Jiang Yu felt a surge of pleasure. She slowly leaned close to Gu Heng's ear and spoke in the softest yet most cruel tone:
“I also know... Ayan is my child with Gu Lin. Heaven has eyes and allowed me to adopt Ayan without knowing the truth. Gu Heng, Heaven will never tolerate your evil deeds.”
"You're talking nonsense! How dare you!"
Gu Heng spat out a mouthful of blood and collapsed onto the bed, utterly exhausted. "You're talking nonsense. I never did such a thing."
"By the way, Consort Rong can speak again, and I've also found the witness from back then." Jiang Yu felt a surge of joy. "We're just waiting for His Majesty's order, and Gu Qingling's identity will be revealed to the world."
"So, you want Gu Qingyan to become emperor."
Gu Heng spoke slowly and deliberately, and Jiang Yu nodded with a smile, "If Ayan becomes emperor, at least Daqing will still be surnamed Gu."
"What do you mean?"
Gu Heng was extremely flustered. Did Jiang Yu know something else?
"In short," Jiang Yu suddenly stood up, her pretty face icy, "either be sidelined by Gu Qingling, or follow my method, Your Majesty, choose one."
"I need to think about it carefully."
Gu Heng's reaction was within Jiang Yu's expectations. Upon hearing this, Jiang Yu raised her eyebrows and spoke towards the direction outside the hall, "Doctor Mei, please come in."
Mei Chu entered leisurely and told Gu Heng in detail when and how Gu Qingling started drugging him. Gu Heng coughed up another mouthful of blood.
"You are also one of the Empress's people."
Mei Chu smiled but remained silent.
Hatred... Endless hatred grew wildly, and Gu Heng's breathing became heavy. The son he had raised with his own hands, the son he had entrusted with important responsibilities, had actually tried to kill him.
His empress also colluded with outsiders, eyeing his throne.
They're all ingrates!
"I can grant your request to expose Gu Qingling's identity, but only Gu Qingling's identity can be exposed." Gu Heng swallowed the mouthful of blood. "Feng'er and Yao'er are still your children."
"But they are Consort Rong's children!"
Gu Heng had never seen Jiang Yu speak so sternly. Jiang Yu's aura was overwhelming, and even Mei Chu took a few steps back. "Gu Heng, do you think I'm here to negotiate with you?"
"You're the one who had no choice, not me."
Jiang Yu's eyes were full of mockery. "How many of the Imperial Guards guarding outside the Hall of Supreme Harmony now recognize you as their master, and how many recognize Deng Yu as their master?"
Gu Heng opened his mouth, but found that he couldn't refute it at all.
“Your Gu family has been scheming against my Jiang family for generations. If you don’t let Ayan ascend the throne, I can’t guarantee whether Daqing will be surnamed Gu… or Jiang.”
After saying that, Jiang Yu turned around decisively.
"Mei Chu, administer the medicine to the Emperor to ensure he is fit enough to attend the morning court session tomorrow."
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