Chapter 66.1 Chip Chip Chip Chip Chip Chip Chip Chip.
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Li Jinyu stared at the person, surprised.
Chi Zhongming?!
Why was he on the Empress Dowager’s side? Wasn’t he supposed to be at the border?
Was he involved in this rebellion as well?
Li Jinyu reflexively glanced at Huo Caiyu beside him.
Huo Caiyu gave him a slight smile, signaling him not to worry.
The Empress Dowager sat upright in the main seat of the Cining Palace, her old face displaying indifference. She looked at Li Jinyu and spoke with a slightly cold tone, “In the end, you emerged victorious.”
Even though Li Jinyu was not the brightest, he knew that the Empress Dowager was behind this rebellion.
However, he was somewhat confused and asked with a frown, “Why did thr Empress Dowager do such a thing?”
Now, the Empress Dowager was the most respected woman in the entire Great Di. Despite her distant relationship with Emperor Jingchang, he still treated her as Mother Empress and never mistreated her. The Han Clan, as the Empress Dowager’s maternal relatives, became the leading family in society.
The Empress Dowager had spent many years quietly practicing Buddhism and observing dietary restrictions in the Cining Palace. Why did she suddenly develop a desire to harm him?
The Empress Dowager gently touched the Green Phoenix glass ring on her hand, which symbolized her position as the Empress Dowager. She let out a cold laugh and said, “Why would the Emperor be unaware of Aijia’s motives?”
Li Jinyu shook his head and said, “Zhen truly had no knowledge of it.”
“Why pretend to be ignorant, Your Majesty,” the Empress Dowager glanced at Huo Caiyu, who was protecting Li Jinyu, and then shifted her gaze to Chi Zhongming, who was casually playing with a cat nearby. She continued, “Aijia simply wishes for her true son to take the throne.”
Unlike the cold look directed at Li Jinyu, the Empress Dowager’s eyes softened with affection when she looked at Chi Zhongming, almost melting one’s heart.
For over a year, Li Jinyu had been coming to pay his respects to the Empress Dowager, almost every time during his leisure time. However, he had never seen such a gentle look before.
He hesitated and focused his gaze on Chi Zhongming. “Chi Zhongming is the Empress Dowager’s son?”
Could it be that he was the prince who was substituted back then?
But wasn’t it said that the substituted prince had died at the age of three?
“Back then, Mrs. Zhong died of illness in the palace, and she had her servants secretly take away Aijia’s own son!” The Empress Dowager’s expression turned cold as she mentioned the past. Her aged hand forcefully struck the back of the chair. “It forced Aijia to temporarily name you as the Crown Prince! Aijia had to witness her bloodline ascend to this highest throne!”
This was the first time Li Jinyu had seen the usually composed Empress Dowager so agitated. He opened his mouth to speak but was cut off by her excitement.
“Aijia searched tirelessly for so many years, finally finding her own flesh and blood! It took eighteen long years! Day and night, Aijia prayed to the Buddha for your well-being, hoping you would grow up healthy and find you soon…” The Empress Dowager’s voice choked towards the end. She grabbed Chi Zhongming’s hand, tears welling up. “It’s Aijia’s incompetence that prevented her from returning your rightful belongings to you.”
Li Jinyu looked at the Empress Dowager and then at Chi Zhongming, fully comprehending the situation.
The Empress Dowager had endured silently until now, only searching for her own flesh and blood. With Emperor Jingchang and Chi Zhongming as the only surviving bloodline of the Late Emperor, the Empress Dowager’s rebellion would be futile if Chi Zhongming had not been found. Aside from whether General Meng would support it, who would become the Emperor after a successful rebellion?
Perhaps it was when Chi Zhongming was sent away to the army by the black cat and came into contact with General Meng that the secret of his identity was discovered and reported to the Empress Dowager, leading to their reunion as mother and son.
Now that they had found the true Vrown Prince, the “imposter” currently on the throne lost all value.
The weapons concealed in the Buddhist statues and the mysterious green-clad army in the Cining Palace were clearly not prepared overnight.
After a long period of planning, the Empress Dowager arranged for him to leave the capital, only to seize control of the palace upon his return… If it weren’t for Huo Caiyu’s warning, even with his limited abilities, he would have had to escape quietly, and it would have been impossible for him to retain the throne.
As for why General Meng supported… General Meng was not only the Granf Marshal but also the representative of the noble clans.
The Meng clan and the Han clan were closely connected, and the Empress Dowager promised both benefits and the justification for placing the true Crown Prince on the throne. It was likely that in the end, General Meng would be compelled to submit.
Li Jinyu’s gaze became somewhat complicated as he looked up at Huo Caiyu by his side.
Huo Caiyu still maintained that gentle and composed smile.
For some reason, Li Jinyu suddenly recalled the words spoken by Huo Caiyu in his ear when he had returned all the way from the border to the capital on New Year’s Eve.
“Regardless of Your Majesty’s identity, this official will protect Your Majesty.”
It turned out that he hadn’t seen through his identity as a hamster spirit but had said those words for this very reason.
Li Jinyu quietly breathed a sigh of relief in his heart, yet he couldn’t quite grasp the slight sense of disappointment he felt.
Lost in unrelated thoughts, he inadvertently overlooked the Empress Dowager’s reaction.
The Empress Dowager, observing Li Jinyu absorbed in exchanging glances with the Regent Prince, felt a tinge of displeasure. She let go of Chi Zhongming’s hand and raised her head with renewed composure, saying, “Emperor, let us make a deal.”
Li Jinyu paused for a moment and looked at the Empress Dowager. “What kind of deal?”
“Might determines right. Aijia misjudged the intentions of the Regent Prince. Aijia never expected him to dare abandon the hundreds of thousands of troops on the front line, concealing them within the capital.” The Empress Dowager cast a cold glance at Huo Caiyu and added with a touch of sarcasm, “Aijia wonders how delighted Jiao Kingdom would be to learn about this.”
The army that went to the Jiao Kingdom was currently the largest army that Di Dynasty can produce, and the material support was also doing its best, just to be able to complete the battle.
The army deployed to Jiao Kingdom was the largest force currently available to the Di Dynasty, with all efforts focused on providing full logistical support, hoping for a decisive victory.
The Empress Dowager never expected such a heavy burden, that Huo Caiyu dared to abandon them as well.
Huo Caiyu discerned the Empress Dowager’s attempt to provoke them and smiled calmly. “No need to worry, Empress Dowager. Our Great Di army is still advancing towards Jiao Kingdom, and given time, we will surely achieve complete victory.”
The Empress Dowager remained unconvinced, sneering, “With you here, who can lead the troops? The Regent Prince better not be playing games with the century-old legacy of Great Di.”
Huo Caiyu smiled subtly, choosing not to respond.
Li Jinyu surveyed the grand hall, realizing that among those renowned for their military prowess in the original tale, General Meng was bound outside the door, Huo Caiyu and Chi Zhongming confronted each other here, leaving only the strategically adept “Ghost-Faced General” Huo Caijin.
But wasn’t Huo Caijin by his side just a few days ago? Surely she hadn’t sprouted wings and flown straight to the border?
Li Jinyu’s gaze rested upon Huo Caiyu, and he began to grasp the underlying meaning.
The Empress Dowager no longer wanted to engage in futile arguments and expressed her request plainly, “Aijia will remain in the palace, subject to your decisions. The throne will also be yours… with one condition: officially recognize and grant titles to the Crown Prince, ensuring a life of peace for him.”
Upon hearing these words, Chi Zhongming, who had been silent all along, revealed a subtle look of curiosity on his face but managed to suppress it, continuing to feign muteness.
Huo Caiyu glanced at Li Jinyu and suddenly spoke up on his behalf, “Empress Dowager, it is evident to all who is being used and who is being sacrificed. If the Empress Dowager wishes to preserve Chi Zhongming’s name, what can Your Highness offer in return?”
The Empress Dowager cast a cold glance at him and said, “Aijia possesses the Imperial Seal of the State.”
Li Jinyu pursed his lips in response.
Indeed, it was taken by the Empress Dowager.
Huo Caiyu seemed to have anticipated this, maintaining a composed expression. “Even if the Empress Dowager and Chi Zhongming manage to keep the secret, with numerous palace maids and eunuchs in the Cining Palace, can they all remain tight-lipped?”
“If the Emperor is willing to spare the Crown Prince, Aijia still holds one bargaining chip.” After a moment of silence, the Empress Dowager slowly lowered her hand. “Aijia can partially reverse the Emperor’s sterility.”
Li Jinyu couldn’t believe it and raised his head, blurting out, “The Empress Dowager was responsible for my sterility?”
The Empress Dowager’s face briefly showed a cold expression. “Aijia worked tirelessly to reach the throne, so how could she willingly hand it over to the child of that surnamed Zhong?”
So, Emperor Jingchang was subjected to sterility by the Empress Dowager?
Li Jinyu widened his eyes, staring blankly at the Empress Dowager.
In previous conversations with the Empress Dowager, she mentioned that Emperor Jingchang’s initial wish was to leave a lasting legacy. As Li Jinyu had assumed the role of the Emperor for a long time and speculated from the traces left by Emperor Jingchang, it seemed that his original aspiration was to be a good Emperor.
Leaving a mark in history was perhaps the lifelong dream of every Emperor.
They worked diligently and conscientiously, handling state affairs, balancing the court, and safeguarding the nation’s territory.
Emperor Jingchang, during his youth, had also been raised under the guidance of the Late Emperor. Undoubtedly, his heart must have been filled with ambition and motivation.
However, after ascending the throne, he suddenly turned into a cruel and incompetent tyrant.
He could never have imagined that it was his own mother, whom he had always revered, who had administered the sterility poison to him.
Li Jinyu’s initial shock gradually faded, leaving him unsure of what to say.
He didn’t value the antidote for sterility— Madam Huo only needed one medicinal ingredient from Jiao Kingdom to research the antidote. Besides, he himself didn’t care about leaving behind offspring.
However, Li Jinyu didn’t know how to handle the situation with Chi Zhongming at that moment.
He believed that by resolving the black cat’s contradictions, the conflict between Huo Caiyu and Chi Zhongming would no longer exist. But now, they found themselves at odds once again.
Li Jinyu looked to Huo Caiyu for assistance.
Huo Caiyu stood nearby, noticing the shock and sadness on Li Jinyu’s face. He reached out and gently held his left hand, offering solace.
After a brief pause, Huo Caiyu took a step forward suddenly and asked, “If the Empress Dowager was so cunning, when the princes were switched back then, there must have been no loose ends. How was it discovered?”
Perplexed by Huo Caiyu’s sudden question, the Empress Dowager furrowed her brow lightly. “Aijia took care of those people myself. However, it’s not surprising that the Zhong family, who were still in power at the time, noticed my actions.”
“The Empress Dowager had already taken care of everyone involved at that time,” Huo Caiyu repeated slowly, glancing at Li Jinyu.
Li Jinyu still looked at him in a daze.
Huo Caiyu clapped his hands. “Please come up.”
Following Huo Caiyu’s gesture, an elderly man in his fifties slowly walked into the Cining Palace. His hair was gray and neatly tied up, and he wore a valuable white silk robe.
Chi Zhongming, who had been standing silently beside the Empress Dowager, suddenly found his voice and took a step forward, respectfully addressing him as “Father.”
The old man nodded in response to Chi Zhongming’s greeting, then turned to the Empress Dowager on the phoenix throne and bowed gently. “Greetings, Your Highness.”
When Chi Zhongming called out “Father,” the Empress Dowager’s face showed some dissatisfaction. She suppressed her emotions until the old man finished bowing before she couldn’t hold back any longer. Her voice was icy as she spoke, “You took Aijia’s son away and still dare to appear before Aijia.”
The old man remained silent without speaking.
Huo Caiyu calmly said, “The Empress Dowager should be grateful to Elder Chi. Back then, Consort Dowager Zhong had asked Elder Chi to kill the child and erase all traces completely. But Elder Chi couldn’t bear it, so he took the child and left, raising Chi Zhongming so well.”
“That person is the one responsible for the tragic separation between mother and son for eighteen years!” The Empress Dowager’s face slightly reddened, and with anger, she slammed the phoenix throne and shouted, “Aijia wishes she could bring that wretched woman out and punish her severely!”
“Empress Dowager, please calm down,” Huo Caiyu said calmly, smiling lightly. He clapped his hands again. “Bring him in.”
Li Jinyu was still wondering who else was going to come up. He looked towards the entrance of the hall and was surprised to see a familiar face.
The person who entered again was dressed in a dusty eunuch’s official uniform, with a face full of wrinkles and rough hands.
It was actually Zhong An, whom he had encountered in the Imperial Mausoleum.
The Empress Dowager clearly didn’t recognize this old eunuch. After a quick glance, she shifted her gaze to Huo Caiyu and asked, “Regent Prince, what is the meaning of this?”
Huo Caiyu didn’t answer but instead looked at Zhong An and slowly said, “Zhong An, explain your identity and what you did back then in detail.”
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