Having obtained Emperor Qi Zhen’s consent, Ji Yunshu turned toward Jingxian, who was being held by the guards.

She said to him, “Don’t you want to know why the Emperor back then convicted Minister Chen of treason? And why he ordered your mother consort poisoned to death? I’ll tell you everything.”

Jingxian stared at her with wide eyes.

Waiting for what came next.

She said, “Previously, I inadvertently came across the case file of Minister Chen from fifteen years ago, so I asked Minister Lin and Minister Shang to help me investigate the Chen family and the cause of your mother consort’s death. It turns out there was much more to it. Minister Chen truly was a person of both loyalty and filial piety, but fifteen years ago, the small neighboring state of Weihe suddenly rebelled. Because one of his subordinates refused to heed warnings and insisted on pursuing an aggressive assault, it led to thirty thousand soldiers falling into an enemy trap—the entire army was annihilated. Finally returning to the city in defeat, the Emperor was furious and executed that subordinate of Minister Chen. At the same time, he also stripped him of half his military authority. He was unwilling to accept this but could only endure it. And your mother consort, because the Emperor had established the First Imperial Prince Jinghua as Crown Prince, was equally unwilling to accept this. Therefore, she incited Minister Chen to agree to rebel together with Duke Yuguo. But ultimately the matter was exposed, so the Emperor killed your uncle and also ordered your mother consort’s death.”

What?

Jingxian was slightly shocked and didn’t believe it. “Impossible. My mother consort and uncle would never rebel.”

“You only listened to Duke Yuguo’s one-sided account and concluded that your father emperor killed innocent people indiscriminately. But the truth is, it truly was Minister Chen and Consort Ming joining forces with Duke Yuguo to rebel together.”

Absolutely certain!

Jingxian’s Adam’s apple bobbed up and down, yet he couldn’t speak a single word. He turned his gaze toward Duke Yuguo.

He had asked him whether anything was being concealed.

The answer was no!

Hearing Ji Yunshu’s words, Duke Yuguo’s face darkened. “As expected of Minister Ji—everything you say is clear and logical. But… why would I rebel?”

“For the imperial throne and a woman.”

Duke Yuguo’s expression instantly fell, as if someone had struck his weak point, like a wolf stripped of its hide.

Ji Yunshu continued, “Surely you still remember Consort Zhao’s wet nurse—that Nanny Zhang in the palace!”

Duke Yuguo’s eyes tightened.

“Before coming here, I went to see her, and she told me the complete truth of what happened back then. It turns out you and Consort Zhao were childhood sweethearts who grew up together. You thought this perfect pair would surely become a match, but the Late Emperor bestowed Consort Zhao upon the man who was then the Eighth Prince—the current Emperor. What was even more unexpected was that the Late Emperor originally intended to establish you as Crown Prince, but at the last moment changed his decision and instead established the Eighth Prince as Crown Prince. Who would have thought that after the Eighth Prince ascended the throne, you and Consort Zhao still carried on secretly. Nanny Zhang advised Consort Zhao many times, but she wouldn’t listen. In the end, paper can never contain fire—the Emperor eventually learned of your affair. This was a scandal that brought shame not only to the Emperor but to the entire Great Lin imperial family. At that time, Empress Xuanshu happened to have a miscarriage, so to cover up that scandal, the Emperor convicted Consort Zhao of plotting against an imperial prince and had her thrown into the Cold Palace. Not long after, Consort Zhao hanged herself, and Prince Rong, not yet five years old, was sent out of the palace to be raised elsewhere.”

Everyone was shocked.

A scandal!

An imperial scandal!

This truth immediately tore Jingrong apart. No wonder Duke Yuguo had just said that Emperor Qi Zhen was his mother’s killer.

Put this way, he truly was!

He was struck as if by a club, his entire being numb.

Ji Yunshu looked at him with worry, her eyes filled with heartache. She tried to comfort him, but the words that came to her lips were swallowed back down.

Emperor Qi Zhen’s complexion was wretched. The secret he had hidden for decades had now been laid bare, as if old matters were being raised again, tearing open his originally healed “scars” by several more inches.

As for Duke Yuguo, his expression was cold and indifferent, unfazed, planning to continue listening.

Ji Yunshu pointed directly at him: “Because you lost the imperial throne and also lost the woman you loved, you wanted to rebel, wanted to obtain the throne, to avenge Consort Zhao. This plan—you began preparing it twenty-one years ago when Consort Zhao died. But you also worried that things might change, that accidents might occur, so you secretly sent away the newborn Young Master. For several years, you kept waiting for an opportunity. Just when Minister Chen had his authority stripped by the Emperor, you knew the opportunity had come, so you joined forces with Minister Chen and Consort Ming, planning to coordinate from inside and outside. But you didn’t expect the matter to be exposed so quickly. For the sake of the imperial family’s reputation, the Emperor had no choice but to order the burning of Duke Yuguo’s manor. You were fortunate enough to escape. After leaving the capital, you hid in Guang’an Temple. Upon learning of Minister Chen and Consort Ming’s deaths, you secretly contacted Prince Xian and had him feign illness to escape disaster. Prince Xian’s mother consort was skilled with poisons, and though he was young, he had already surpassed his master, so he concocted a medicine that made the body cold and weak—even the divine physician Muruo couldn’t detect it. And the reason you helped him was actually to use him, because if you wanted revenge, you had to clear away all obstacles. You knew that Minister Chen’s father and Master Yu were sworn brothers. Back then, when Master Yu left the capital for Bingjing, he encountered a group of rebels on the road, and Minister Chen’s father risked his life to save Master Yu. Therefore, Master Yu had his students in the court help Prince Xian. Whether it was the initial memorial from the Ministry of Personnel or the joint recommendation of Prince Yi as Crown Prince, your purpose was to watch them kill each other—brothers against brothers, father against son—while you reaped the benefits as the fisherman. Of course, there’s also the great fire at Chengqing Hall. Only now do I understand—it was you who instructed Old General Li to do this. It wasn’t out of worry that we’d discover the Young Master’s coffin was empty, but rather worry that if we continued investigating, we’d discover you were still alive. And there’s that Miss Mujin—if I’m not mistaken, you also instructed her to poison the tea. All of these actions had one purpose—to prevent us from investigating the ‘Capital City Cases’!”

The truth spread like a virus, leaving everyone in the tomb speechless.

Pairs of shocked eyes could only watch, pairs of ears could only listen.

The Young Master?

Duke Yuguo’s Young Master was still alive?

Everyone was filled with confusion.

But Duke Yuguo seemed to be listening to someone recount his own achievements. Pleased with himself, he smiled and said, “Indeed, indeed nothing can be hidden from you, Minister Ji!”

“When a person does wrong, it can never be hidden forever.”

“You’re right—when a person does wrong, it truly cannot be hidden.” Duke Yuguo suddenly pointed angrily at Emperor Qi Zhen. “What about him then? The throne was originally mine, and Zhao’er was also originally mine. If not for him, Zhao’er wouldn’t have died in the Cold Palace. Clearly the one at fault is him, yet the one sitting on the throne is also him.”

Unfair!

Emperor Qi Zhen’s body was weak, supported by Zhang Quan. He coughed twice, meeting his younger brother’s eyes full of hatred, and said, “Yes, you indeed had courage and strategy, and the bearing of a Crown Prince. But the Late Emperor knew your temperament was extreme—only advancing, never retreating—so he changed his decision and established me as Emperor instead. You keep saying you yielded the throne to me, and I never exposed this, but Jingli…”