A bitter smile appeared on Lu Xingjian's lips.
"Others think I am a prince of noble birth, but only I know how dishonorable my birth was."
Su Wanwan's eyes were like a deer's—clear, innocent, and sparkling with kindness and naivety.
The slight embarrassment in Lu Xingjian's heart vanished completely.
It seems that no matter what he does or how dishonorable it is, it doesn't matter to Wanwan.
She was clearly a ruthless character who dared to forge an imperial edict to kill Liu Jin, so why did he still think she was innocent and kind?
Lu Xingjian suppressed the turmoil in his heart.
"Later, your mother avoided going to the palace until she became pregnant with you. She went to Qingning Palace to congratulate the Empress Dowager on her birthday and told her that she was pregnant."
Su Wanwan stared intently at him, her nails clenched so tightly that she didn't feel any pain in her palms.
Lu Xingjian let out a sigh of relief.
"As a result, the late emperor was extremely angry..."
"It just so happens that Marquis Shouning, Zhang Heling, was drunk in the palace that day. He thought that it was him who had bullied your mother, and he even thought that you were his daughter."
Anger gradually rose in Su Wanwan's originally clear eyes.
Her blood almost boiled.
He took a deep breath to suppress his anger: "How can you prove it?"
"The imperial physician who took your mother's pulse at Qingning Palace back then is still alive. If you wish to see him, I will summon him."
The old doctor was an old man in his eighties, and he walked with a shaky gait.
He is a little hard of hearing and speaks very loudly.
The logic is fairly clear.
Having passed the age of eighty and ninety, he has become wise and insightful, and his words are often bold and outspoken.
"The late emperor was a scoundrel; he didn't even spare pregnant women... that's why he died young."
He narrowed his dim eyes and his gaze fell on Su Wanwan.
“Zhou family girl, don’t be afraid, the baby is fine… just think of it as being bitten by a dog, don’t do anything rash.”
Su Wanwan: "..."
Does this mean she's being treated like her mother?
She couldn't imagine what her mother was feeling at that time.
That kind of frustration and pain of having no one to turn to for justice.
The old doctor looked at Lu Xingjian again and said, "Don't follow your father's example."
Lu Xingjian's forehead twitched.
Is this imperial physician perhaps a cat demon reincarnated, with nine heads that can be chopped off, hence his fierce speech?
It was probably his great-grandmother who spoiled him with his temper.
The old imperial physician was Empress Dowager Xiaosu's most trusted confidant, Zhou, and later retired to his hometown because he was too old to continue working.
After the imperial physician left, Lu Xingjian gently touched her face.
"Are you relieved now?"
Su Wanwan turned her head away, her movements stubborn.
Lu Xingjian's hand froze in mid-air.
His jawline tightened slightly.
I understand.
She was angry about the unfair treatment her mother received.
What angered me even more was that he was the son of that wicked man.
His gaze fell on the medicine bowl on the bedside table.
Fortunately, she took her medicine.
There's also Liu Qi; we can have Liu Qi make medicine again.
"You should get some rest first."
Lu Xingjian went out to comfort the anxious Yan Ge'er.
When he returned, the bedroom door was tightly shut, and he could no longer get in.
Lu Xingjian did not force him.
We can't let Wanwan get any more upset.
He ordered his men to silence Liu Jin so that he wouldn't cause any more trouble.
When Liu Jin heard that a young eunuch had arrived, he assumed it was an imperial edict to pardon him and was extremely excited.
The eunuch relayed the palace's message, and the executioner then stuffed two walnuts into Liu Jin's mouth.
Liu Jin cried out, but could not utter a word.
Fearing trouble, the executioner gave Liu Jin a quick death.
Not long after, Liu Jin died.
Even after his death, the executioners continued to make over three thousand cuts as required.
When the execution by slow slicing ended, a large number of the victims' relatives rushed forward to snatch back Liu Jin's flesh and take it home to comfort his spirit.
Compared to the recent execution of Prince Anhua and others for treason, the impact of Liu Jin's execution on the court and the public was far greater.
...
Many civil and military officials were either dismissed and left idle, or transferred to the Six Ministries in Nanjing to sit on the sidelines.
Duke Zhang Mao of England was appointed as the commander of the Twelve Battalions, while Duke Xu Guangzuo of Dingguo was appointed as the chief commander of the Shenji Battalion.
Yang Yiqing, who had rendered meritorious service in suppressing the Ningxia rebellion, was appointed Minister of Revenue.
Zhang Yong, the eunuch of the Imperial Household Department, had an elder brother named Zhang Fu who was the Earl of Qin'an and a younger brother named Zhang Rong who was the Earl of Anding.
The official hats, belts, and clothing that had been confiscated from Su Wanwan's grandfather, Su Jian, and others were all returned by the imperial court.
Even Chen Xiong, the Earl of Pingjiang, had his title restored.
The cabinet ministers and the six ministers were all promoted one rank and received rewards.
Grand Secretary Li Dongqian was given the additional title of "Left Pillar of State," which, combined with his original titles of Junior Tutor and Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince, Minister of Personnel, and Grand Secretary of the Hall of Literary Glory, meant that he received five different salaries.
In addition, he was awarded one hundred taels of silver, four bolts of hemp silk, and his son was appointed as the Vice Director of the Imperial Seal Office.
However.
Despite such a generous reward, rumors about the emperor and empress being siblings intensified and became widely known.
"When a person is about to die, their words are good. What Liu Jin said on his deathbed must have been the truth!"
"Of course. Besides, if it weren't true, why would the palace have someone gag Liu Jin?"
"They even killed Liu Jin with one stroke, just to prevent him from revealing other secrets?"
"You know what, Liu Jin used to be a eunuch in charge of the palace, which means he manages all the palaces. He must know everything about who the emperor is having affairs with and how."
When Yang's aunt heard these foul words, she was almost driven mad.
He quickly handed over his token, requesting to enter the palace to see Su Wanwan.
However, these days he has been listless every night and has been resting in bed all day, so Lu Xingjian has been refused by others.
At the end of September, on the Emperor's birthday, Lu Xingjian went to the Fengtian Hall to receive congratulatory gifts from civil and military officials and envoys from all over the world. However, instead of a banquet, he was given money.
Su Wanwan also dressed up and prepared a family banquet with Yan Ge'er and Yan Ge'er, waiting for Lu Xingjian to return and start the banquet.
Although there weren't many people, they were all family members, creating a warm and relaxing atmosphere.
Yan Ge hesitated for a long time before nervously asking, "Are Mother and the Emperor siblings?"
Su Wanwan paused. "Why do you ask that?"
Yan Ge'er said timidly, "That's what everyone says now."
Su Wanwan's blood almost froze.
Even though Yan Ge'er was raised deep in the palace and was too young to understand anything, he still heard these kinds of rumors. It goes without saying how they spread outside the palace.
Even after so much time has passed, this rumor is still circulating widely, which clearly indicates that someone is fueling it behind the scenes.
She suppressed her resentment, "The Emperor's surname is Lu, and my mother's surname is Su. They are not related at all and cannot be siblings."
Yan Ge'er nodded blankly, "Next time they say that, I'll scold them."
This was the first time Yan Ge'er had heard these words, and he listened intently with wide eyes.
When Lu Xingjian returned and saw the three adults and two children looking serious, he raised an eyebrow and asked, "What's wrong?"
Su Wanwan repeated what Yan Ge'er had said.
Lu Xingjian first washed his hands and then dried them with a handkerchief.
Su Wanwan first helped him take off his big clothes.
Lu Xingjian: "It's probably someone with ulterior motives who's making a fuss about this."
In this execution of Liu Jin, many of Lu Xingjian's people were also implicated, some were demoted, and others were exiled.
The power of the emperor was significantly weakened.
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