The Return of the Seventh Young Lady-Chapter 77 - 76
Chapter 76
“I...I.”
The confidence of the official from the Bureau of Investigation, once brimming, now completely vanished. The intense pressure from the young man before him rendered him speechless. All his courage had dissipated, and he could only respond in a trembling voice.
Seeing the situation deteriorate, one of the Eldest Prince’s men quickly stepped forward to try and defuse it. “Wait! We don’t know for sure who you are. Just claiming to be the Crown Prince doesn’t make you the Crown Prince. You could be an imposter with ill intentions!”
“Yes, exactly!”
“I agree!”
Officials from both the Eldest Prince’s and Third Prince’s factions immediately voiced their concerns in unison. Whether this person was the true Crown Prince or an imposter, his presence was unfavorable for them. It was best to extinguish the threat before it could grow!
The elderly Right Side Chancellor named San Yan, the father of Gui Fei and grandfather of the Eldest Prince, stepped forward and clasped his hands together, speaking to the Emperor in a composed manner.
“Your Majesty, this person of unknown origin has come to create chaos in the throne room. This alone is a grave offense. It seems Commander Du must be involved in this. May I ask what kind of trouble Commander Du intends to cause?”
“You exaggerate, Master San. The Du family has never intended to cause trouble. We merely wish to bring peace to this matter,” Du Chisuan replied coldly. He then turned to the Emperor, clasping his hands and said in respect. “Your Majesty, I have served the court for decades and would never act without evidence. I believe Your Majesty’s wisdom can discern my intentions.”
“Hmph! Commander Du speaks with such principles, but what evidence do you have? This person’s identity is unclear, and he not only fails to show respect to Your Majesty but also intimidates a third-rank official in front of the entire court. Is this acceptable?”
San Yan retorted swiftly, unwilling to give the other side any chance to escape. He knew Du Chisuan was not careless, so it was highly likely that the young man before them was indeed the real Crown Prince who had survived an assassination attempt. The best course of action now was to discredit him and prevent him from proving his identity!
Additionally, they needed to resolve the matter swiftly...
Having sparred with the Right Side Chancellor for many years, Du Chisuan was well aware of San Yan’s intentions. Ignoring San Yan words, he knelt down and earnestly pleaded with the Emperor, his voice resonating throughout the throne room.
“Please, Your Majesty, grant me the opportunity to prove the Crown Prince’s identity!”
Thump!
“Please, Your Majesty, grant us this opportunity!”
A third of the officials aligned with Du Chisuan knelt down and pleaded in unison, their voices echoing through the entire throne room.
The other officials fell silent, creating a sudden oppressive atmosphere, spreading throughout the throne room. San Yan narrowed his eyes at Du Chisuan, suspecting the other had prepared for this moment, which was why he acted so decisively.
The two princes exchanged glances and then looked at the officials kneeling before the Emperor with tense expressions before focusing on the tall figure claiming to be the missing Crown Prince. Everyone in the throne room held their breath, awaiting the Emperor’s decision. Du Chisuan’s firm action forced the Emperor to make an immediate judgment, making it clear the matter rested solely on his shoulders!
The Emperor looked down at the officials before him with a calm expression, his face revealing sternness, no hint of his thoughts. His gaze rested on the young man who was the source of trouble, but he remained turned away, seemingly indifferent to the tense atmosphere.
“How dare you!”
The powerful voice boomed. The immense pressure from the Emperor caused all the officials to kneel instantly, their faces turning pale. They could not withstand the fury of their sovereign!
With everyone kneeling, including the two princes, Lu Jiu remained standing, becoming the focal point. His expression remained cold and impassive, unaffected by the events.
Many officials, noticing the Emperor’s darkening expression, were inwardly pleased, anticipating that the mysterious young man would definitely face the Emperor’s wrath. However, their faces froze when they heard the Emperor’s next words.
“How dare you all! I am sitting right here, yet you argue over my head! Have you no respect for me?”
The Emperor’s stern rebuke was directed at the officials. He completely ignored Lu Jiu’s lack of decorum. It wasn’t that he didn’t understand the officials’ intentions, but he didn’t need any proof to recognize that the person before him was indeed his long-lost son!
Those eyes...he remembered them clearly!
Zhou Dongyu, the Left Side Chancellor supporting the Third Prince, decided to stand up and step forward. He knelt before the Emperor, bowing his head low as he spoke. “Your Majesty, this matter is too significant to ignore.”
"This man’s identity remains unknown, yet he was audaciously brought into the throne room, which is a grave disrespect to Your Majesty. Furthermore, from the beginning until now, he has shown continuous disrespect by failing to show proper decorum. Even if there were evidence proving he is the lost Crown Prince, these transgressions cannot be overlooked!”
“Your Majesty, please consider this matter carefully!”
The officials supporting the Third Prince echoed Zhou Dongyu’s plea in unison, intensifying the already tense atmosphere. At that moment, a cold voice interrupted.
“What’s wrong...? Have you nothing more to say?”
Lu Jiu ignored the words of his enemies, focusing solely on the official from Bureau of Investigation before him. He stepped closer, his tone icy as he said, “Even if you remain silent, you won’t keep your tongue for long!”
“N...nonsense!” The official from Bureau of Investigation mustered his courage to face the young man again. “We don’t even know who you are. What right do you have to speak such nonsense?”
Lu Jiu laughed upon hearing that sentence, the sound filled with mockery. He glanced at the varied expressions of the officials before turning to face the Emperor on the throne, his gaze colder than ever.
“Ultimately, your issue is with my identity, isn’t it? If you’re so doubtful, why don’t we settle this matter with proof...?”
Zhou Dongyu frowned, then shouted angrily, “Insolence! Before His Majesty, you dare to act so arrogantly, unafraid of the heavens’ wrath!”
“What’s more important now, the heavens’ wrath or my identity?”
Lu Jiu’s eyes gleamed with contempt as he glanced at the old official. Their intent was clear—to find any fault to punish him.
“Perhaps you’ve already prepared false evidence. Who’s to say...?” An official from the Eldest Prince’s faction interjected; his tone laced with suspicion. His allies quickly chimed in, creating a cacophony of agreement throughout the throne room.
“You’re overthinking it,” Lu Jiu smirked, looking at them as if they were fools. “Genuine gold doesn’t fear the fire...No matter how you test it, the truth remains unchanged.”
The old officials clenched their teeth in frustration at that rebuke, realizing Lu Jiu’s sharp tongue left no room for rebuttal. Meanwhile, the Emperor remained silent, not uttering a word.
The Emperor’s gaze grew stern as he watched the escalating tension unfolding before him. With one glance, it was evident that most officials shared the same goal—to eliminate the young man, unsure if he was truly the Crown Prince. However, the possibility that he might be the Crown Prince meant they had no right to treat him so disrespectfully!
“We will prove it with a blood test!”
The Emperor’s commanding voice captured everyone’s attention in the room. Many officials looked alarmed when they realized that His Majesty agreed to Du Chisuan’s request to verify the identity of the mysterious young man, especially using a blood test!
Upon hearing this, San Yan immediately began to devise his next plan. If the Emperor accepted this verification, it implied that His Majesty acknowledged the Crown Prince’s return. Therefore, his task was to find a way to undermine the Crown Prince before he could establish himself!
Throughout, Lu Jiu did not pay any respect to the person before him. When the eunuch arrived with a tray containing a small knife and a porcelain cup, Lu Jiu reached for the sword and swiftly slashed his palm, allowing his bright red blood to drip into the porcelain cup.
After collecting blood from both parties, the eunuch mixed the blood in another cup of water before the witnesses. Shortly, the two drops of blood merged into one, indicating they were indeed of the same bloodline!
"Your Majesty...it is undoubtedly the Crown Prince,"
The eunuch reported, his voice like thunder striking the heads of the officials. Their bodies froze in shock, faces turning ashen as if they had seen a ghost. Especially the official from Bureau of Investigation, who was now sweating profusely behind the young man confirmed to be the Crown Prince...
The Emperor took a deep breath to calm himself. Although he had been fairly certain that this was indeed his son, the official confirmation filled him with an overwhelming sense of relief and joy surging from the depth of his heart.
"Your Majesty, now that the truth is revealed, please restore justice to the Crown Prince!"
Du Chisuan, who had long awaited this moment, immediately pleaded, prompting his followers to echo his words in unison, their voices resounding throughout the throne room.
"Please, Your Majesty, restore justice to the Crown Prince!"
The Eldest Prince clenched his fists under his sleeves, eyes gleaming with malice. The throne was within reach, yet this problem had arisen!
"So, it turns out to be Fourth Brother. Who would have thought that after being missing for over six years, you would finally return." Ke Nanlong stood up and addressed Lu Jiu with a gentle voice, his face showing delight like a loving elder brother who had long missed his sibling. However, he then feigned a troubled expression.
"But, Fourth Brother...you should not have been disrespectful before Father like this. Since stepping into the throne room, I have not seen you show any respect to Father, and you have also spoken harshly to the officials. Such behavior is unbecoming of a Crown Prince."
"I agree, Your Majesty. Even if it has been confirmed that this is indeed the missing Crown Prince, he cannot be exempt from the offense of disrespecting Your Majesty’s dignity. Moreover, his previous unruly and disrespectful actions cannot be forgiven either. Otherwise, what purpose do our laws serve...?"
San Yan immediately supported the Eldest Prince’s statement. Now, they needed to find a way to punish this Crown Prince and buy time to devise a new plan to remove him from their path again.
"Your Majesty, please consider this carefully!"
The officials on the side of the Eldest Prince collectively petitioned His Majesty again, creating immense pressure on the Emperor. However, before the Emperor could speak, Du Chisuan responded with determination.
"Earlier, despite knowing that the Crown Prince might be the real one, some officials still did not show respect to him. Not only did they speak ill of the Crown Prince, but they also behaved inappropriately. This cannot be ignored either. Your Majesty, please punish those officials who are guilty!"
"Your Majesty, please punish them!"
The officials on both sides argued relentlessly. No matter how much the Eldest Prince’s faction tried to persuade His Majesty to punish the Crown Prince, Du Chisuan’s faction equally insisted on punishing those who disrespected the Crown Prince.
As the tension in the throne room reached its peak, the Emperor furrowed his brows tightly. Such intense disputes had never occurred before, and even His Majesty felt the pressure. Although he could overlook the Crown Prince’s lack of etiquette, as pointed out by the Right Side Chancellor, he could not ignore it entirely. Otherwise, what authority would the laws of the region hold?
Likewise, Du Chisuan’s side was not without reason. If the Emperor did not punish the officials who disrespected the Crown Prince, what honor would the royal family have left?
Underneath his golden robe, the Emperor clenched his fists tightly. The veins on his temples pulsed, causing him considerable distress. But before he could make a decision, Lu Jiu provided him with a way out.
"Your Majesty, it was my lack of manners. Being away from home for many years, I forgot the proper etiquette of the royal court!" Lu Jiu said calmly, clasping his hands and bowing slightly, showing respect to the Emperor, unlike before. Then he straightened up and continued.
"I will accept my punishment for this offense. However, before that, I ask Your Majesty to allow me to settle a matter first."
The Emperor sighed in relief as his son provided an exit, freeing him from the pressure of choosing a side. But when he heard the request, he raised his eyebrows in surprise.
"What matter?"
"Someone has spoken ill of the Empress...This is a serious matter that cannot be overlooked, Your Majesty!"
At the chilling sound of Lu Jiu’s voice, the official from Bureau of Investigation flinched with shock, his face turning pale with utmost fear. Feeling the icy gaze from the person in front of him, the official broke out in a cold sweat, his heart sinking immediately!
"I...I was merely reporting the truth, Your Majesty! His Majesty ordered me to investigate and report the facts. I...I was only following orders!"
"So what? Even though the truth hasn’t been revealed and the evidence hasn’t been verified by His Majesty, this official dares to speak ill of the Empress," Lu Jiu’s eyes gleaming with danger before he continued. "Does this mean that from now on, any unverified evidence can be used to slander the Empress?"
Thud!
"I deserve to die! I was wrong, Your Majesty!"
The official from Bureau of Investigation was no fool. Just hearing these words, he immediately realized that the other party had made the situation become so serious that it could lead to severe punishment. He quickly knelt and kowtowed, begging for mercy.
Lu Jiu let out a soft, mocking laugh. He turned to face the Emperor and spoke. "Your Majesty, duties are duties. They are not excuses for officials to slander the royal family. Slandering the royal family is no different from disrespecting Your Majesty."
"As the Right Side Chancellor said earlier...disrespecting Your Majesty’s dignity cannot be overlooked!"
San Yan clenched his jaw, suppressing the boiling rage within him. This Crown Prince used his own words against him to eliminate the official from Bureau of Investigation, who was his ally. If the official from Bureau of Investigation were punished for this, the fabricated evidence meant to incriminate the late Empress would become useless...
"So, what do you suggest we do?"
The Emperor, with his brows no longer furrowed, asked calmly, not showing any agitation or disagreement with what the Crown Prince had said. This caused the Eldest Prince and his faction to feel a sudden jolt of fear.
Lu Jiu smiled slightly and replied, "Punish him according to the law, as the Right Side Chancellor said. Slandering the Empress is punishable by having one’s tongue cut out and being exiled to the border as a slave for life, along with his entire family."
San Yan’s face darkened further. His enemy continued to use his own words against him to eliminate his faction. It was as if his previous statements had come back to harm him greatly.
"Draft a royal decree! For the crime of slandering the Empress, punish the official from Bureau of Investigation according to the law without exception!"
The powerful voice echoed like a divine decree that could not be contested. The official from Bureau of Investigation was so shocked that he became senseless. The verdict continued to ring in his head as soldiers dragged him out of the throne room, still unconscious.
The Eldest Prince and his allies clenched their jaws as their plan crumbled. The anger that welled up inside them felt like it was about to explode. The appearance of just one person had destroyed their carefully laid plans!
Lu Jiu looked at the twisted expressions of his enemies with satisfaction. His sharp eyes gleamed with undisguised amusement. Did they think it was over?
No!
It’s not over yet!
He still had a big surprise prepared for his enemies!
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