After Transmigration, I Snag a Stunning Bigwig as My Husband-Chapter 684: Identity
Duke Chong hardly slept that night.
Before dawn the next day, he entered the palace for the morning court assembly.
Today’s morning court was particularly lively.
Even before the court session began, outside the hall, the ministers were whispering and debating intensely.
Even the ever-victorious Princess Consort Zhenbei had her moments of misfortune.
She was entangled in the case of the fire at Chaohua Palace and accidentally blinded one eye of the Old Madam Duke Chong with poison.
Both crimes together were enough to cost her a little life.
But what the ministers hadn’t expected was Prince Zhenbei, who had taken leave for two days, showed up at court.
By rights, today should be the day of the Old Madam of Zhenbei Royal Mansion’s funeral, the last day he should possibly attend court, yet he entered the palace?
When the time came, the officials filed in one by one.
The Emperor sat on the Dragon Chair, and Duke Chong petitioned the Emperor to severely punish the Princess Consort Zhenbei.
Prince NanAn looked at him and said, "The Princess Consort Zhenbei possesses exceptional medical skills, and we’re counting on her to detoxify the Old Duke Chong, yet Duke Chong wants her life?"
Duke Chong said nothing.
A minister stepped forward, "Prince NanAn, your words are incorrect. Although the Princess Consort Zhenbei has excellent medical skills, the Old Duke Chong has stayed at Dongxiang Marquis Mansion for quite some time, and his condition hasn’t improved much."
"She blinded one eye of the Old Madam Duke Chong with poison, and it’s not just about the eye. Now the Old Madam Duke Chong is severely poisoned, and whether she can keep her life is uncertain. To consider this as nothing happened, does Prince NanAn find it appropriate?"
Prince NanAn was speechless.
He never suggested acting as if nothing happened.
But it was clear Duke Chong was demanding the life of the Princess Consort Zhenbei.
Prince NanAn found such a punishment too severe.
Yet, the reasoning of General Zhongwu left him unable to refute, "If an Imperial Physician accidentally blinded the eye of a concubine, wouldn’t they also face execution?"
Old Madam Duke Chong, the biological mother of the current Empress, and the cousin of the Empress Dowager.
This status is no less than a concubine’s.
If an Imperial Physician accidentally blinded one eye of the Old Madam Duke Chong, it wouldn’t even reach the court but would be dealt with by execution directly.
Prince NanAn didn’t know how to defend Su Jin; his eloquence was far inferior to that of Marquis Dongxiang.
Yet, Marquis Dongxiang feared that if he left, the guards waiting outside would storm in to take Su Jin away.
If it was just to take her away, that would be one thing, but Marquis Dongxiang feared someone would take the chance to harm Su Jin; the needle that almost took Su Jin’s life left him worried.
His daughter was safest under his watch, so not daring to leave, he naturally couldn’t enter the palace for court.
But with Marquis Dongxiang’s presence, no one dared to act recklessly.
The court was divided into two factions.
One demanded severe punishment for Su Jin, the other to protect her.
The faction demanding punishment clearly had the upper hand.
After all, Su Jin’s accusations were not limited to blinding the Old Madam Duke Chong with poison; she was also the prime suspect in the Chaohua Palace arson case.
Yesterday, the Emperor had already sent someone to the Prince Zhenbei Mansion to confirm that someone indeed summoned Su Jin to the palace under his guise.
Someone had falsely conveyed the Emperor’s order!
How could the Emperor not be angry?
The Emperor was about to speak when a shrill voice outside announced, "The Empress Dowager arrives!"
The Emperor’s brow furrowed tightly.
Why had the Empress Dowager come to the Political Discussion Hall?
Guessing the reason for her arrival, the Emperor descended from the Dragon Chair, for she was the Empress Dowager, the mother of the Emperor.
In front of everyone, the Emperor must show respect to the Empress Dowager, setting an example for the world.
It wasn’t only the Empress Dowager who came, but also the Empress.
The Empress Dowager’s face was sullen.
The Empress’s eyes were red-rimmed.
The Emperor approached and said, "Why has the Empress Dowager come to the Political Discussion Hall?"
The Empress Dowager looked at the Emperor, with an air of authority, "I know, the harem should not interfere in politics, and the Political Discussion Hall is not a place for me."
"But your bias towards the Princess Consort Zhenbei, I have witnessed."
"It’s one thing for her to disregard the Princess, the Empress, and me; I forgave her for growing up on Qingyun Mountain among the grasslands, grateful for her saving the Emperor, not holding grudges against her!"
"But yesterday, she poisoned and blinded one eye of the Old Madam Duke Chong, and it could even be the Old Madam Duke Chong’s life at stake. That is the Empress’s biological mother, your mother-in-law, Emperor!"
"With the Old Madam Duke Chong poisoned blinded in one eye, the Empress nearly cried herself blind."
"For such a grave mistake, should the Emperor let her off easily, I advise, do not let favoritism blind you, chilling the hearts of the officials!"
With the Empress Dowager’s words, half of the court officials shouted, "Please, Emperor, severely punish the Princess Consort Zhenbei!" 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚
Public outrage was hard to defy.
The Emperor felt overwhelmed.
At this moment, unexpectedly, no one stood up in defense.
The Emperor’s gaze swept around, finally resting on the Prince, "Why hasn’t Prince Zhenbei spoken?"
The Prince looked at the Emperor and said, "There is something, I am pondering whether to tell the Emperor now."
"What is it?" The Emperor frowned.
"The Princess Consort Zhenbei was not the biological daughter of Marquis Dongxiang; she is your child with Consort Yun, and she is the Eldest Princess of the Daqi Dynasty," the Prince replied.
"With such a status, she should not be equated with an Imperial Physician, should she?"
"...!!!"
The shock was greater than a thunderclap from a clear sky.
The officials were all stunned.
The Empress, flustered, reproached, "Prince Zhenbei!"
"Your intent to save Marquis Dongxiang’s daughter is understandable, but to utter such a colossal lie to deceive the Emperor?!"
"Who doesn’t know that after Consort Yun’s difficult labor, both the mother and child perished?!"
"This is the crime of deceiving the Emperor, can you bear the consequences?!"
The Empress’s voice was stern.
Yet the Emperor looked at the Prince, "She is my daughter with Consort Yun?"
The Emperor’s voice seemed to float from an unknown place.
Joy, excitement, and trepidation filled it.
The Prince said nothing.
Eunuch Fu looked at the Emperor, excitedly saying, "No wonder the Princess Consort Zhenbei is allergic to lychees just like Consort Yun."
"No wonder you, Emperor, dreamt of Consort Yun bearing you a daughter, just as it was the Princess Consort Zhenbei; Consort Yun was delivering messages to you in dreams," Eunuch Fu babbled in excited incoherence.
The Emperor nervously paced back and forth.
At this very moment, his mind was in turmoil.
"Court adjourned!"
With just those words, the Emperor strode off.
Eunuch Fu was a bit bewildered.
The officials, Empress Dowager, and Empress were all stupefied.
Eunuch Fu hastily uttered "Any petitions, present them; no petitions, court dismissed," then rushed off following the Emperor.
Following behind, Eunuch Fu said, "Emperor, the deliberations aren’t complete, how can you just leave?"
"She is my daughter; I challenge anyone to take her life!" the Emperor declared.
"....."
The matter was monumental; the Emperor couldn’t process it immediately.
He had always envied Marquis Dongxiang for having such an intelligent and quick-witted daughter, yearning to claim her. Little did he anticipate that she was his daughter all along.
And born of him and Consort Yun.
The Emperor couldn’t help but suspect if he was dreaming.
As the Emperor reached the Imperial Study, he paused at the door.
He recalled the day Marquis Dongxiang summoned him to Chaohua Palace and punched him.
Under the pretense of having something to say, he expressed regret over letting Consort Yun fall pregnant, resulting in Yun’s difficult labor and death, leading the Marquis Dongxiang to throw a punch in anger.
