Chapter 38: That's not how the script was written!
For a moment, the atmosphere froze.
After being given a pill by the imperial physician, Yuan Hua's breathing finally stabilized.
She stared blankly at her daughter kneeling in the distance, her heart breaking.
The civil and military officials stood still, not daring to utter a sound, each one like a quail.
However, these officials were inwardly seething with turmoil!
"hiss..."
The Vice Minister of Works gasped, quietly nudged General Weiyuan's elbow, and whispered.
"Old Zhang, did you hear that? A time loop? Ninety-nine times? That's outrageous!"
General Weiyuan was a rough man, and upon hearing this, he rolled his eyes.
"What's so outrageous about it?"
He deliberately lowered his voice.
Recently, General Weiyuan has discovered a pattern; he has found the gossip that His Majesty is talking about in his heart.
Although they cannot speak out loud, they can discuss it in hushed tones. As long as His Majesty does not hear them, they are free to discuss it!
"We can all hear His Majesty's thoughts. The Golden Palace can produce an extra 3,000 catties of grain per mu out of thin air. What else is impossible?"
The Vice Minister of Works thought about it and realized, "Hey, that makes perfect sense."
He was speechless for a moment.
On the other end.
Grand Tutor Wang An stroked his white beard and sighed deeply.
"Alas, if what everyone thinks is true, then Princess Luanxue has truly suffered greatly all these years!"
The Vice Minister of Justice said with a solemn expression, "Yes, experiencing betrayal and death time and time again would drive even the most resolute person insane!"
The officials had different thoughts, while Yu Zhaoning was whispering to the system in her mind.
[System, tell me, why? Why must my imperial aunt suffer like this again and again? What did she do wrong?]
The system's voice also seemed puzzled, but it still tried its best to answer.
[Ding! Host, the system's backend version is undergoing an emergency update, and related information is temporarily unavailable. Update progress 98%...99%...]
Yu Zhaoning puffed out her cheeks in anger.
[Another update! It always fails at crucial moments!]
[Alright, alright, then hurry up and update! I'll continue watching this drama unfold; I absolutely must see this story from beginning to end today! I want to stand up for my imperial aunt!]
The little guy clenched his chubby little fists, looking both cute and fierce.
[Hmph! No matter what happened the previous ninety-nine times, this time, with me here, no one will dare bully my aunt!]
Those who could hear the heartfelt words felt a strange warmth in their hearts, yet also found it somewhat amusing.
A four-year-old prince has to protect his twenty-year-old princess aunt—what a scene…
They're quite cute.
Just then, a voice broke the silence.
Prince Consort Cui covered his face, which was swollen like a pig's head, and rolled his eyes.
Although he couldn't hear his own thoughts, he sensed that something was off!
Why are the Empress Dowager and the ministers reacting so strangely?
He and Mu Yu exchanged a glance and immediately came up with an idea.
"Your Majesty the Empress Dowager!"
Prince Consort Cui knelt down with a thud and shouted loudly.
"Since Your Majesty has doubts, why not summon another witness?"
Mu Yu immediately understood. She crawled forward two steps on her knees, raised her hands, looking pitiful, but her eyes were incredibly firm.
"Mother! The midwife who delivered my child is still alive! She can testify! She can testify that Luan Xue is that farmer's daughter!"
All eyes were once again focused on Empress Dowager Yuanhua.
Empress Dowager Yuanhua looked at her daughter, whose face was ashen, with a pained expression.
She knew that now was not the time to reveal that she already knew the inside story.
We must stay calm!
She nodded, her voice hoarse.
"pass."
Soon, a gaunt old woman was brought in by two guards.
The old woman's legs were trembling, but as soon as she saw Luan Xue, her eyes lit up immediately. As if she had rehearsed it countless times, she raised her finger and pointed at her tremblingly.
"It's her! It's definitely her! This old woman remembers! She's the Mu family's daughter!"
"I delivered her baby! She has a bright red crescent-shaped birthmark on the inside of her wrist! This birthmark is very special, and I will never forget it!"
As soon as she finished speaking, a hint of smugness flashed in Mu Yu's eyes.
She rushed over, grabbed Luan Xue's wrist, and yanked her sleeve up hard!
A clear, dark red crescent-shaped mark appeared before everyone's eyes!
"Mother! Did you see that?!"
Mu Yu's voice was choked with sobs, as if she had suffered a great injustice.
"She really does have this birthmark on her wrist! You saw it with your own eyes when your daughter was born; she was perfectly clean and didn't have this birthmark at all!"
"Mother! Even now, do you still not believe in your daughter?"
Empress Dowager Yuanhua looked at the glaring scar, and her blood seemed to freeze.
However, she hadn't had a chance to speak yet.
"nonsense!"
A crisp, puffy sound rang out.
Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw that the little empress had somehow broken free from the empress dowager's embrace and was standing on the high steps with her hands on her hips, like an angry little kitten.
"What does a birthmark matter? The real princess is me, Aunt Luan Xue!"
Yu Zhaoning stretched out her chubby little finger and pointed it straight at Mu Yu, looking fierce.
Meanwhile, in her little head, the system panel was flipping through pages rapidly.
[Quick, quick! Let me see what this birthmark is all about! I'm going to expose you bunch of big liars today!]
[Found it!]
[It turns out that the whole story of the Mu family saving the Empress's life was a lie!]
[This was clearly a meticulously planned kidnapping! They took advantage of the Empress Dowager's serious injuries and separation from her aunt, deliberately abducting her and leaving her to wander for quite some time, leaving her covered in bruises, before feigning to appear as her savior!]
Upon hearing this, all the civil and military officials gasped in shock!
The Mu family has such vicious intentions!
Yuan Hua was so angry that he trembled all over and clenched his fists.
Yu Zhaoning's inner thoughts continued, her small voice filled with anger.
[This family treats the Imperial Aunt terribly! They beat and verbally abuse her at the drop of a hat! And that crescent-shaped birthmark isn't a birthmark at all!]
[Those are scars left on my imperial aunt when she was young. She was burned alive with a red-hot iron sheet because she tried to rebel against their discipline! Waaaaah, it was so awful! Absolutely awful!]
The last heartfelt words sent a chill down everyone's spine.
It was burned?!
Such a young child!
These beasts!
The rosewood armrest beneath Empress Dowager Yuanhua cracked instantly.
She slowly raised her head, her phoenix eyes devoid of any warmth, filled only with overwhelming killing intent, as she fiercely glared at Mu Yu!
Mu Yu's heart skipped a beat when she saw that look, and she inexplicably shivered.
Something's really wrong!
Why does the Empress Dowager have this expression?
And what's with all those civil and military officials looking at her with eyes that seem to want to devour her?
That's not how it was supposed to be scripted!