"Your Majesty."
After leaving the Hall of Supreme Harmony, Jiang Yu felt the anger that had been building up in her heart for many years dissipate. She strode towards the Zhaoning Palace, waiting for the morning court the next day. Whether Gu Heng was willing or not, she would have to bite the bullet and announce Gu Qingling's identity.
In Zhaoning Palace, Consort Rong was brought there early and tied to a chair with all her hands and feet bound. Consort Rong roared madly, but the palace servants of Zhaoning Palace acted as if they saw nothing.
When Jiang Yu returned, everyone greeted her and then withdrew.
"Consort Rong".
Jiang Yu's voice rang out, and Consort Rong trembled involuntarily.
"It's just you and me here now, so you don't need to keep pretending to be crazy."
Consort Rong's expression gradually froze, then turned into a cold smile, "Jiang Yu, you must be feeling very pleased right now."
"Watching me being abandoned by the emperor and my own child, living like a puppet, pretending to be crazy all day long?"
Jiang Yu nodded upon hearing this, "I do feel very happy."
“You stole my life-saving grace during the autumn hunt, and then you turned around and plotted against me. Even if I kill you with my own hands now, you will deserve it.”
"But I think it would be too easy for you to just kill me."
Jiang Yu slowly squatted down, looking Rong Pin in the eye.
"It must be very painful for her to have her dream of becoming Empress Dowager shattered after so many years." Jiang Yu's voice was like a murmur, but it sounded particularly eerie to Consort Rong.
"The year I gave birth, you were hiding like a rat in a gutter, giving birth at the same time. Oh, right, I forgot to ask you, how did you manage to force your way into being with me?"
"You've taken a lot of medicine, haven't you?"
"But no matter how arrogant you are now, it doesn't change the fact that you've never been treated well since you married into the palace!" Consort Rong was so agitated that spittle flew everywhere. "You've been made a fool of like a fool!"
"Do you know that on your wedding night, we...we originally wanted the lowest death row inmate to consummate the marriage with you, but that night the Emperor told me in my Lingxi Palace that he didn't like you at all, that he hated you."
"He hates your aloofness, your indifference to his advances, and even your father, who only smiles at the Prince of Xiang. The Emperor hates you to the core!"
"And how could I not hate him to the extreme? And hate you all to the extreme?"
Jiang Yu's eyes were red, but not a single tear fell.
"If he hates me, why did he immediately make me empress after ascending the throne?"
Seeing the incredulous look in Consort Rong's eyes, Jiang Yu burst into laughter.
"At the morning court tomorrow, Gu Heng will personally announce Gu Qingling's true identity." Jiang Yu looked at Consort Rong's miserable state and reached out to tidy her hair. "At that time, we will need you to come forward as a witness."
Why should I testify for you?
“Just because your entire Liu family is in my hands.” Jiang Yu’s fingernail pricked Rong Pin’s skin. “Furthermore, if you insist on not doing so, I will send the lowest death row inmate to Lingxi Palace to take good care of you.”
"Jiang Yu, you are shameless!"
"I am shameless?" Jiang Yu smirked. "I am merely giving him a taste of his own medicine."
"Guards! Take Consort Rong away and take good care of her."
Jiang Yu walked back to the inner room and let Granny Ling change her clothes.
The moment I lay down on the bed, tears streamed down my face.
Father, Mother, your daughter has finally waited for this day.
......
The next day, Jiang Yu looked at the two sets of robes in the hands of the palace servants. One set was the Empress's ceremonial robe, and the other set was... plain white.
"Take off the Empress's ceremonial robes."
Jiang Yu looked at herself in the bronze mirror. Her eyes were slightly swollen, making her look even more pitiful.
"What kind of makeup would Your Majesty like today?"
"The more pitiful the better."
Jiang Yu chuckled softly. In a few more hours, the truth about the substitution of the crown prince by a raccoon dog would be revealed to the world.
"By the way, is Gu Qingling still staying in the Dragon and Phoenix Palace?"
Jiang Yu frowned. Gu Qingling had been unusually quiet these past few days.
"Wanji went to see him several times. Qingyu said that the Crown Prince was unwell, so he had been lying in his room." Granny Ling combed Jiang Yu's hair one stroke at a time. "The Crown Prince must be afraid that the Emperor will kill him."
“He wasn’t afraid while he was doing these things, but he was afraid after he finished.”
Jiang Yu closed her eyes, and half an hour later, with the help of Granny Ling, she walked out of Zhaoning Palace and headed towards the morning court.
In the imperial court, Gu Heng sat with difficulty on the dragon throne, his lips pale and his forehead covered in cold sweat.
The ministers knelt on the ground, feeling somewhat at a loss. The emperor had been unwell for a long time and had not attended the morning court sessions, with the eldest prince acting as regent.
But yesterday, they all received news that the Emperor would personally attend court today.
I'm afraid there's something important to announce.
"My beloved subjects, rise."
Gu Heng's weak voice rang out as he glanced around, his heart pounding with pain.
"I have something important to tell you all."
"The eldest prince, Gu Qingling, is not born to the Empress; he is the child of me and Consort Rong."
Upon hearing this, all the officials involuntarily widened their eyes: The eldest prince wasn't the Empress's child? He was actually Consort Rong's child!
Gu Heng ultimately did not reveal Gu Qingfeng and Gu Qingyao's identities directly.
After only a few words, Gu Heng was already breathless. "Reclaim Gu Qingling's power as regent, temporarily to be..."
After scanning the room, Gu Heng realized that there wasn't a single person he could trust.
"Bring the Second Prince back to the capital immediately."
These words undoubtedly sent a very clear signal to the court officials: the eldest prince, as the eldest son of a concubine, had no connection with the throne.
Gu Heng glanced at Deng Yu, whose expression was strange, and a hint of hatred flashed in his eyes.
After the court session ended, the officials walked out of the hall and saw Jiang Yu standing quietly.
Seeing the astonished looks on everyone's faces, Jiang Yu slowly curled the corners of her lips. Sure enough, Gu Heng still had his own selfish motives.
Consort Rong was also brought in and made to stand behind Jiang Yu.
Jiang Yu's voice was unusually loud, "Your Majesty, I beg you to thoroughly investigate the matter of my childbirth back then. Consort Rong secretly switched the three children under my name, but took my child away!"
"Now that we have both witnesses and physical evidence, Your Majesty, please reveal the truth to me."
Everyone stopped in their tracks. Neither the two princes nor the princess were the Empress's children!
Just then, a thunderous roar resounded, and the once clear sky was instantly covered with dark clouds, seemingly foreshadowing the impending chaos in Daqing.
Inside the hall, Gu Heng coughed violently, and Cen Hai helped Gu Heng walk out shakily.
"Empress, must you force me like this?"
Jiang Yu was dressed in plain clothes, so thin that one would subconsciously think of her as a weak person.
"Your Majesty, the child I've raised for over ten years isn't actually my own. Is demanding the truth just a way of pressuring Your Majesty?"
Consort Rong behind him remained silent, but stared intently at Gu Heng.
After so long, Gu Heng had become so thin that she almost didn't recognize him.
Jiang Yu slowly leaned closer to Gu Heng and spoke in a voice that only the two of them could hear, "Your Majesty, I have already ordered the secret guards of the Marquis of Dingyuan's residence to surround Gu Qingling's house."
"Your Majesty only needs to agree with me."
Gu Heng clearly felt his strength draining away. After hearing Jiang Yu's voice, he forced a smile and said, "Cen Hai, help me up."
Gu Heng walked step by step to Deng Yu and slowly drew the sword from Deng Yu's waist.
Then, he stabbed Deng Yu in the heart.
"The eldest prince, Gu Qingling, colluded with Deng Yu to plot a rebellion and poisoned me." A glint seemed to flash in Gu Heng's eyes. "Guards, go to the Dragon and Phoenix Palace and bring Gu Qingling here. I want to deal with this rebellious son myself."
Jiang Yu smiled upon hearing this; Gu Heng was indeed still Gu Heng.
Taking advantage of the strength gained from the medicine given to him by Mei Chu, he killed Deng Yu immediately after revealing Gu Qingling's identity, leaving the Imperial Guards with no choice but to obey him again.
Jiang Yu glanced at Consort Rong.
"Your Majesty, I know I was wrong. I shouldn't have been so blinded by greed back then that I conspired with you to switch my three children under the Empress's name."
Consort Rong's testimony completely revealed the truth of what happened back then.
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