Chapter 10 Impossible!
Consort Mei felt uneasy under the gaze of the entire court of officials, and a layer of sweat broke out on her back.
What's going on?
Why are they all staring at her like they've seen a ghost? Their eyes are filled with a mixture of shock and admiration.
What are we offering a toast to?
She shrank back in confusion, instinctively moving closer to Yu Jingchuan, only to find that her son was also completely bewildered and had no idea what was going on.
The old tutor, kneeling on the ground, had almost pulled his beard bald.
Impossible! Absolutely impossible!
He was internally screaming, his old face turning red, and he almost had a heart attack.
Who is Consort Mei? She is the legitimate daughter of the former Grand General Who Safeguards the Nation!
The loyal and devoted General Zhenguo sacrificed his life for the country. How could he allow his daughter to do such a scandalous thing that would defile the palace and shake the foundation of the nation?
This is practically throwing excrement onto the coffin lid of the Great General Who Protects the Nation!
Not only him, but all the ministers in the hall who could hear his thoughts were in complete turmoil at this moment.
Logically, they were told that this was utterly absurd, but the young emperor's resolute voice left them no choice but to believe him.
After all, if even the private matter of General Weiyuan visiting the Red Courtyard last night could be exposed, what else could His Majesty not know?
On the dragon throne, four-year-old Empress Yu Zhaoning swung her short legs, her little feet still quite a distance off the ground.
She also felt that this matter was very tricky.
[Oh dear, talk is cheap; without evidence, even if we tell the truth, Grandmother can't just convict us directly.]
She propped her chin up with her chubby little hands and puffed out her cheeks in distress.
[System, system, my dear Eternal Gossip System! There's still so much more to the story. Tell me quickly, is there any substantial evidence? Otherwise, even if I tell Grandmother, it'll be a waste of time!]
The system's voice immediately rang in his mind, sounding somewhat proud.
[Ding! Host, rest assured, we're going to see the whole story, and after-sales service is a must!]
[The evidence is quite simple! It's right there in the original story! The future eldest prince, through Consort Mei, contacted his father, who was obsessed with planting seeds, and together they ceded several important towns!]
[At that time, his own father patted his head and praised him, saying, "What a good son you are! You're so filial!"]
The entire court of officials: "..."
Several ministers nearly coughed up blood on the spot.
Filial piety?
Is betraying one's country for personal gain considered filial piety? But thinking about it carefully, it actually is quite filial—filial to the Emperor of Yan!
Yu Zhaoning's sweet, childlike voice continued.
[What is that token? Tell me quickly!]
[Ding! The token is the wooden plum blossom hairpin that Consort Mei wore! It was a love token carved by the Emperor of Yan himself for her!]
[When it was given away, Consort Mei was moved to tears. For so many years, she has treasured it dearly, practically never taking it off except when sleeping!]
[Host, don't underestimate this skill; it's not something just anyone can do! Otherwise, how could Emperor Yan have successfully groomed princes for succession in several countries? It's all thanks to this affectionate woodworking!]
The moment my heartfelt words were spoken.
In the Golden Palace, all the ministers' eyes were focused on Consort Mei's hair.
Among her magnificent headdress of gold hairpins and jewels, there was indeed a plain wooden hairpin tucked diagonally.
The wooden hairpin was exquisitely carved, with a plum blossom that was so lifelike that it seemed to carry a subtle, pleasant fragrance.
Against the backdrop of the resplendent gold headdress, it appeared particularly out of place.
Consort Mei was startled by the scene and instinctively covered her head.
"Why are you all looking at me like that?"
Her voice trembled, and she looked completely bewildered.
Just then, Lin Qingyan, who had been silent all along, slowly walked out of the queue.
He remained as gentle and refined as ever, nodding slightly to Consort Mei, his gaze fixed on the wooden hairpin.
"Your Highness, the plum blossom hairpin in your hair is truly exquisite."
His voice was like a clear spring flowing over stones, pleasant to the ear.
"I also have a younger sister who is very fond of such elegant objects. I wonder if Your Majesty could tell me which skilled craftsman made this hairpin? I would like to ask him to carve one for my sister."
These words eased the tense atmosphere in the hall slightly.
The ministers all breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that Prime Minister Lin's move was brilliant!
It allows you to test the truth without being too offensive.
Upon hearing this, Consort Mei initially showed a visible hint of guilt, but quickly straightened her back and adopted a proud demeanor.
"Prime Minister Lin is joking."
She raised her chin, her tone self-righteous.
"This hairpin was carved by the late Emperor himself as a token of our love, and it is the only one of its kind in the world. I'm afraid your sister is not fortunate enough to have it!"
These words reassured the officials, both civil and military.
It turns out it was a gift from the late emperor!
That makes sense!
No wonder Consort Mei cherished it so much!
Many ministers showed expressions of understanding, and their gazes toward Consort Mei regained their sympathy.
It seems that His Majesty has really made a mistake this time!
However, Yuan Hua, who had been holding a teacup on the phoenix throne, slowly put it down.
"oh?"
Her voice rose slightly at the end, her phoenix eyes narrowed, and she looked at Consort Mei with a half-smile.
"How could I not know that my own son possesses such superb carpentry skills?"
"Could it be..." Her voice suddenly turned cold, "that you are lying to me, to the entire court?"
The hearts of the group of people who had just breathed a sigh of relief were instantly raised to their throats again!
The ministers dared not breathe, each staring nervously at Consort Mei.
Consort Mei's face turned pale instantly, and she hurriedly kowtowed to explain herself.
"Your Majesty, this is absolutely true! The late Emperor doted on me and, to please me, he personally studied carving under the palace carpenters for a long time!"
"Perhaps the late emperor was a man of extraordinary talent. I never expected that the plum blossom hairpin he carved on his first attempt would be so perfect! This is proof of the late emperor's deep affection for me!"
She became more and more emotional as she spoke, tears streaming down her face, before suddenly changing her tone and trying to appeal to people's emotions.
"Empress Dowager, for the sake of the late Emperor, please forgive Jingchuan this time! Even if he has made a thousand mistakes, he is still the late Emperor's own bloodline, and a member of the royal family of our Great Yu!"
She had hoped that her words would elicit sympathy.
Little did she know that after she uttered those words, the ministers around her began to look at her with incredibly strange eyes.
Yu Zhaoning, sitting on the dragon throne, also let out a cold snort in his heart.
[Hmph! This wicked fellow only knows how to take advantage of the Empress Dowager and these ministers, who are unaware that the Crown Prince's bloodline is problematic!]
[They actually dare to bring up the late emperor's bloodline! Their skin is thicker than a city wall!]
She sullenly continued to review the subsequent plot provided by the system in her mind, then let out a soft "ya" as if she had discovered a new continent.
Wow! So there really are stamp-collecting fanatics, or more accurately, stamp-carving fanatics!
[This emperor of Yan, though a womanizer, had one particular hobby: stamping his own possessions!]
He was absolutely addicted to carving seals!
[Every time he gave his lover a gift, no matter what it was, he would secretly have it engraved with the totem seal representing the Yan Kingdom's royal family in a hidden corner!]
Upon hearing this, the entire court of officials widened their eyes in astonishment!
Is this even possible?
Yu Zhaoning's sweet, childlike voice was still filled with amazement.
[This kept the emperor incredibly busy! To fulfill this obsession, he not only had to learn wood carving and jade carving, but he even had to learn micro-carving techniques!]
[My goodness! To carve a seal smaller than a grain of rice onto a tiny wooden hairpin—that takes incredible perseverance!]
[What a talent! Even I'm impressed! This isn't just a time management master, this is a tech master!]
The imperial court was completely silent.
The expressions of the civil and military officials had changed from shock to blankness.
The old tutor didn't know what to do with his hands and feet, and trembled there for a long time.
He tried to comfort himself, but fearing the bad news, he could only close his eyes tightly.
Damn it, if we can really reach the mark!
Wouldn't that mean the eldest prince's identity is already sealed?