nucmednet Chapter 598: Lifting a rock and dropping it on one's own feet
Chapter 598: Lifting a rock and dropping it on one's own feet
Everyone's eyes turned to Concubine Xu.
Prince Huaiyang stood up, walked in front of the emperor, bowed and said, "Your Majesty, how can you believe the words of a traitor like Prince Ping? When your Majesty ascended the throne, he used the jade pendant to stir up trouble in order to achieve his own goals. Your Majesty did not believe him then, and I believe your Majesty will not believe him now."
"Prince Ping, I have kept you alive and not killed you. I never thought that you would repay my kindness with hatred! You actually tried to assassinate me in public!"
"Hahaha." King Ping laughed again.
"Traitor? Is that how you describe your biological father? For you, I have lived in shame until now. You disappoint me so much! You hold the jade pendant of succession, but you dare not ask for the throne that belongs to you!" King Ping suddenly pointed at King Huaiyang and said.
This sentence is even more earth-shattering!
"No, it's not!" Concubine Xu immediately denied it.
Things had developed to this point, and no matter how stupid she was, she couldn't let King Ping frame her son like this.
"Prince Ping! What nonsense are you talking about? How can you slander the bloodline of the late emperor like this!" The Queen Mother stood up, glared at Prince Ping, and shouted sternly.
"Your Majesty, in my opinion, what Prince Ping said is not nonsense! We should investigate Prince Huaiyang's background carefully. The bloodline of the late emperor must not be confused! If Prince Huaiyang is really Prince Ping's son, Prince Ping's assassination of Your Majesty is a serious crime of treason and he should be executed immediately! Prince Huaiyang cannot escape the responsibility!" Prime Minister Qin stood up and said indignantly.
"Your Majesty, what Prime Minister Qin said makes sense! Please stop being careless and investigate this matter immediately!" Someone else stood up and agreed.
"No! No! Don't listen to Prince Ping's random accusations! She and I are innocent and there is absolutely no private relationship between us!" Concubine Xu shouted in fear.
Suddenly, King Ping took advantage of everyone's inattention and bumped into a pillar beside him!
Blood splattered all over the place, and King Ping fell to the ground.
Prime Minister Qin immediately stepped forward and felt the breath of Prince Ping. "Your Majesty, Prince Ping is no longer breathing! He knows that he has no way to survive and wants to die!"
"Suicide in front of the palace, even if there was no previous assassination, is still a great crime that offends the emperor, and the whole family is guilty! Prince Ping was a criminal, and the emperor was kind enough to spare his life, but he actually dared to repay kindness with hatred!"
"The sin is unforgivable!"
The emperor's gaze fell on Prince Huaiyang, his eyes full of anger and doubt.
"I was still wondering why after Xiao Jincheng assassinated Xiao Yan'an and was imprisoned, Prince Ping actually took the initiative to ask me to meet Xiao Jincheng. I sent Xiao Jincheng to his house out of friendship, but I didn't expect that I killed his descendants on the surface to eliminate future troubles! I didn't expect that he still had offspring, right under my nose!"
After hearing what the emperor said, he believed what Prince Ping said.
Ji Chuhe finally understood that the emperor had this intention in sending Xiao Jincheng to Prince Ping's Mansion.
"Investigate! This matter must be investigated thoroughly! Your Majesty, immediately order people to search Prince Ping's mansion! We will definitely be able to find some clues!" the Queen Mother shouted in a deep voice.
The emperor took a deep breath, his face full of regret for being betrayed, "Prince Huaiyang, I will give you one chance to confess this matter."
Prince Huaiyang immediately knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, I am the late emperor's son. Prince Ping is simply framing me and ruining my reputation."
"You said you were the late emperor's son, isn't that right? Prince Huaiyang, you should not wait until you see the coffin before crying! The emperor asked you to admit it voluntarily because of his brotherly relationship with you! And you, Concubine Xu! Are you going to continue to quibble?" The empress dowager questioned Concubine Xu.
Concubine Xu was so frightened that her legs went limp. She moved her lips but was too excited to utter a word.
"What? Are you feeling guilty?" The Queen Mother pressed on.
"Then let's investigate." Princess Huaiyang suddenly spoke up, and then she knelt down, "Your Majesty, please order an immediate and thorough investigation of this matter!"
The hall fell into silence again.
After a long while, the emperor finally gave the order: "Investigate!"
Although Ji Chuhe did not pay much attention to this matter in his previous life, through some clues pieced together in this life, he knew that in his previous life, the emperor must have found those letters with Concubine Xu, so the evidence was conclusive.
Now, we can only start with King Ping.
It is hard to say whether those so-called evidences can play any role.
"Your Majesty, we can't just investigate Prince Ping's mansion. We also have to investigate Concubine Xu's things thoroughly. These two might have been secretly doing things all along!" the Queen Mother suggested again.
Concubine Xu looked at the princess nervously.
She thought of the hairpin!
I was so scared that I started shaking all over.
The more she acted like this, the more suspicious she seemed, and it was obvious that she was guilty of something.
Soon, all the people who went to Prince Ping's Mansion and the Palace to investigate came back.
The first evidence presented was found in Prince Ping's mansion.
A box of portraits, some letters, and a woman's handkerchief.
When the portrait was opened, everyone was stunned!
The person in the portrait turned out to be Concubine Xu!
Does this need to be said?
Isn't this enough to prove that there is an affair between the two?
The emperor had finished reading the letter and threw it directly in front of Prince Huaiyang.
Prince Huaiyang picked up the letters and read the contents carefully.
"Your Majesty, letters can be forged. If Prince Ping is determined to slander me, he will definitely leave some evidence."
"What about these scrolls?" the emperor asked angrily.
"Can these scrolls prove that I am the son of King Ping?" King Huaiyang asked in return.
"Then can this hairpin prove that Concubine Xu and Prince Ping are still having an affair?" The Queen Mother played with the hairpin in her hand and smiled coldly.
"Bring the man up here."
A palace maid was brought out and immediately kowtowed to the emperor and the empress dowager.
"Your Majesty, please spare me! Your Majesty, please spare me!"
"You are obviously a maid in Prince Ping's mansion. How did you sneak into the palace? If you tell me even a single lie, I will have you torn into pieces by five horses!"
"I'll tell you! I'll tell you!" The maid turned pale with fear. "Your Highness, I'm a maid in Prince Ping's mansion. Prince Ping has been missing the Concubine Dowager for many years, so he made a wooden hairpin by himself. He has been carrying it with him. When he heard that Concubine Xu was coming to the capital, Prince Ping was very excited. He tried every means to get me into the palace and give the hairpin to the Concubine Dowager. When the Concubine Dowager heard that the hairpin was from Prince Ping, she was overjoyed and accepted it."
"Concubine Xu, do you have anything else to say?" The Queen Mother looked at Concubine Xu.
"Your Majesty, this wooden hairpin has always been with Your Majesty the Dowager. How come it was given by Prince Ping?" The princess suddenly interrupted.
Concubine Xu was so frightened that she couldn't speak and could only nod frantically.
She felt that since the princess said so, she must have her reasons.
"I personally brought this hairpin from Prince Ping's mansion and handed it to the Queen Mother Dowager. Moreover, Prince Ping's name is engraved on this hairpin!"