Even women who travel through time can become prime ministers and nobles.

Chapter 529 Debate in the Palace

Finally, Shen Yanlin led the Imperial Guards to search Jinghe Palace, gradually driving him into a corner.

But he couldn't understand whether his father knew about this or not. Did his father tacitly approve of it, or did Shen Yanlin do it behind his father's back?

Shen Yanlin had already led the Imperial Guards into the palace when Shen Yanzhou blocked the entrance, his eyes as cold as ice: "Shen Yanlin, do you have the Emperor's edict? Without it, you dare to search the Crown Prince's palace; that is insubordination!"

Shen Yanlin took out a bright yellow imperial edict from his bosom and waved it in front of him: "Crown Prince, look carefully, this is Father's edict, stamped with the imperial seal. Do you still want to disobey the imperial decree?"

Shen Yanzhou's gaze fell on the jade seal, and his heart sank lower and lower.

It really is my father's edict... Why would my father do this? Does he genuinely suspect him, or does he have other plans?

The Imperial Guards had already stormed into the palace and began ransacking it. The sounds of tables and chairs being overturned and porcelain shattering echoed throughout Jinghe Palace.

Shen Yanlin walked to his side and lowered her voice: "Crown Prince, stop struggling, you've lost. From today onwards, the position of Crown Prince is mine."

Shen Yanzhou looked at him and suddenly smiled, but the smile was full of sorrow.

He remembered when he was a child, Shen Yanlin would follow behind him, calling him "Crown Prince Brother", would snatch his snacks, and would fly kites with him in the Imperial Garden.

But now, that younger brother has become an enemy who wants to kill him.

Just then, a cry of surprise rang out from inside the hall: "Third Prince! We found it! Under the Crown Prince's desk, there's a hidden compartment containing... 200,000 taels of silver notes! And a letter from Gu Wancheng to the Crown Prince!"

Shen Yanlin's eyes lit up. He strode into the hall, picked up the stack of silver notes and the letter, walked up to Shen Yanzhou, and waved them: "Crown Prince, the evidence is conclusive. What else do you have to say?"

Looking at the stack of silver notes and the forged letter, Shen Yanzhou felt a wave of dizziness.

He knew he couldn't clear his name even if he jumped into the Yellow River.

But he was unwilling to do so.

Looking at Shen Yanlin's smug face, and remembering that his mother was still in Yong'an Palace, he suddenly clenched his fists—even if he lost, he had to know who had orchestrated all of this, and whether his father really intended to depose him.

Just as Shen Yanlin was about to have him arrested, the sound of horses' hooves suddenly came from afar, followed by a eunuch's loud voice: "His Majesty has decreed! Summon His Highness the Crown Prince and His Highness the Third Prince to the Hall of Mental Cultivation at once!"

Shen Yanlin's smile froze. Why would his father suddenly summon them to the Hall of Mental Cultivation? Had something unexpected happened?

Shen Yanzhou was also stunned.

When the Emperor summoned them at this time, was it to convict him, or... was there another turning point?

He looked at the eunuch running towards him from a distance, then at the silver notes and letter in Shen Yanlin's hand, and a question suddenly arose in his mind: Who is in charge of this whole situation?

Is it Shen Yanlin, the Imperial Concubine, or... his seemingly cold-hearted father, the Emperor?

The doors of the Hall of Mental Cultivation slowly opened before him, the lights inside flickering like a giant beast with its mouth open, waiting for him to walk in.

He didn't know what awaited him, but he knew that this time, he had to go in—not only for himself, but also for his mother who was still in Yong'an Palace.

However, he didn't notice that as he turned to walk towards the Hall of Mental Cultivation, a strange smile appeared on Shen Yanlin's lips.

Shen Yanzhou followed Shen Yanlin toward the Hall of Mental Cultivation. The bluestone path was wet from the late spring rain and gleamed coldly.

Shen Yanlin walked ahead, the copper buckles on his armor occasionally making a soft clattering sound, as if tapping on Shen Yanzhou's taut nerves.

"Brother Crown Prince,"

Shen Yanlin suddenly stopped, and when he turned around, he couldn't hide the smugness in his eyes. "What do you think Father Emperor will do to you after seeing those banknotes and letters? Depose you as Crown Prince? Or imprison you for life?"

Shen Yanzhou didn't respond, but stared at the "evidence" he was holding in his hand—the edges of the stack of silver notes were freshly white, not like they had been hidden for a long time, and Gu Wancheng's letter was even more illegible, even his usual left-handed handwriting was wrong.

But if he said these words now, Shen Yanlin would only think he was making excuses.

"Third Prince, Your Highness the Crown Prince, His Majesty is waiting inside."

At the entrance of the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Yu Heng bowed, his voice neither loud nor soft, but his eyes swept over the two people's faces.

His eyes showed no emotion when he looked at Shen Yanlin, but when they fell on Shen Yanzhou, he winked quietly, as if giving some kind of signal.

Shen Yanzhou's heart stirred, and he followed Shen Yanlin into the hall.

The smell of ink in the hall was even stronger than before. Shen Yuxi sat on the dragon throne, holding a memorial in his hand, but he didn't read it. He just stared at the two kneeling figures in the hall.

"Father." The two bowed simultaneously.

Shen Yuxi didn't tell them to get up; her gaze first fell on the "evidence" in Shen Yanlin's hand: "You said it was found in Jinghe Palace? Where was it found? Who found it?"

Shen Yanlin was taken aback, not expecting his father to ask about these details first. He quickly replied, "Your Majesty, it was found in a hidden compartment under the Crown Prince's desk by Zhao Hu, the deputy commander of the Imperial Guards!"

"Zhao Hu?"

Shen Yuxi raised his chin. "Yu Heng, summon Zhao Hu in."

Yu Heng responded and went out, and soon returned with a burly military officer.

Zhao Hu knelt on the ground, his head bowed low: "Your subject Zhao Hu greets Your Majesty."

"You said you found silver notes and letters in a hidden compartment under the Crown Prince's desk?"

Shen Yuxi's voice was flat, revealing no emotion.

"It was...it was I who searched it." Zhao Hu's voice trembled slightly.

Shen Yanzhou suddenly spoke up: "Commander Zhao, the hidden compartment under my desk was set up by the Ministry of Works three years ago to prevent assassins. The mechanism is in the third grain of wood on the left side of the corner of the desk. How did you open it?"

Zhao Hu suddenly looked up, his eyes filled with panic: "Your Majesty... Your Majesty just happened to touch it!"

"happen?"

Shen Yanzhou sneered, "The mechanism in that hidden compartment requires pressing the wood grain three times and then turning it half a circle. Did you happen to be able to do that? Or did someone tell you in advance where the mechanism was so you could 'search' out those things?"

Zhao Hu's face turned pale instantly, and his lips trembled as he couldn't utter a word.

Seeing this, Shen Yanlin quickly stepped forward: "Father! Crown Prince is making excuses! Even if there are doubts about the mechanism, the banknotes and letter are genuine! I recognize Gu Wancheng's handwriting!"

"Do you recognize it?"

Shen Yuxi finally put down the memorial and turned his gaze to Shen Yanlin.

"Last year, when Gu Wancheng came to the capital to report on his duties, he handed you a letter in the Imperial Garden, hoping you would speak well of him to me. Do you still remember the handwriting on that letter?"

Shen Yanlin's expression also changed.

He remembered that the invitation Gu Wancheng sent last year was written with his left hand, and the strokes were crooked. But the words on this letter were written with his right hand, and the force was different.

"Father, son and minister..."

Shen Yanlin was about to argue when footsteps suddenly came from outside the hall. Lu Zheng, the captain of the Imperial Guards, entered carrying a wooden box and knelt on one knee: "Your Majesty, I was ordered to investigate Gu Wancheng, a salt merchant from Jiangnan, and found this in his villa in Suzhou."

Shen Yuxi gestured for Yu Heng to bring over the wooden box. Upon opening it, they found several letters and an account book inside.

The letter was handed to Shen Yanzhou and Shen Yanlin. Shen Yanzhou immediately recognized that the handwriting was Gu Wancheng's left hand, and the contents were all records of his correspondence with Shen Yanlin's people.

There were instructions from Shen Yanlin to stockpile grain, and accounts showing that he was to be allocated 100,000 taels of silver.

"This...this is fake! It's a forgery!"

Shen Yanlin panicked and reached out to snatch the letter, but Lu Zheng held him back.