Chapter 133: The Truth

Lan Wu’s mind was in chaos. She tried to follow her thoughts and sort them out.

But before her was such a royal scandal—a truly enormous scandal—that she couldn’t make sense of it.

Compared to this, Consort Shu or Noble Consort Li’s intention to present Pan Xi was truly a trivial matter.

“Bring them into the hall,” Chen Kangan commanded. Following his words, two older women dressed in coarse cloth garments were brought into the hall.

“Tell everything you know. If you conceal anything, you will not be spared,” Chen Kangan said sternly, his gaze cold as he looked down at them.

The two women bowed their heads and knelt, saying, “Yes.”

“This humble woman was the midwife who entered the palace back then to assist Wen, Wen Shi with her childbirth.”

“This humble woman was a palace maid in Consort Hui’s palace at the time.”

The midwife spoke first: “Shortly after I entered the palace, I heard that two consorts in the palace had due dates close to each other. I didn’t pay it much mind. Later… later, it just so happened that on the day Consort Hui went into labor, Wen Shi’s water also broke…”

“The two palaces were close by, and the women’s cries were agonizing. It wasn’t until nearly dawn that Wen Shi’s child was born. I only caught a brief glimpse of the child, and when I tried to get a closer look, I was scolded by a palace attendant.”

The midwife continued: “For ordinary women giving birth, the midwife confirms the gender before handing the child over to others. I assumed that the consorts in the palace would naturally hope to give birth to a prince, but Wen Shi was different.”

“The royal child didn’t cry after being born. I was taken aside, and the palace maid by Wen Shi’s side ordered me to pretend to continue assisting Wen Shi with her labor.”

“Though I didn’t understand, I could only comply.”

“After a long time, when the act stopped, I was taken to a side room. Only then did someone come out of the hall and announce that the consort had given birth to a prince.”

As she spoke, the midwife’s arms trembled, and her voice began to shake: “Though I only saw it briefly, I still remember that the prince born to Wen Shi had a black birthmark the size of a fingernail on his arm, while the prince who was brought out had a clean arm.”

“I knew that Wen Shi must have done something, but I didn’t dare speak up. I could only pretend to know nothing and act as if the swaddled prince was the one Wen Shi had given birth to.”

“I could still find some peace in the palace, but I knew that once I left, Wen Shi would surely hunt me down.”

“So… so on the day I was to leave the palace, I pretended to accidentally fall into a river in front of many people, faking my death to escape.”

“After that, I changed my name and stayed far away from the imperial city.”

After she finished speaking, a clamor of voices gradually rose in the hall. Though the exact words were unclear, it was likely that everyone was saying how cunning and clever Wen Shi was—ruthlessly harming another’s child, taking lives, yet cleverly leaving a lifeline for her own child.

According to this, Wen Shi’s child was swapped with Consort Hui’s prince. The royal child who later died in Wen Shi’s palace was actually Consort Hui’s prince.

And now, this Prince Wei was the one Wen Shi had given birth to… the prince.

The sound of applause echoed in the hall. Everyone looked over—it was Prince Wei clapping.

Prince Wei laughed and said, “What an absolutely splendid story. But do you think that with just your one-sided account, you can arbitrarily assign my origins to a wicked criminal?”

“Your Majesty, this humble woman can also testify.”

Previously, it had been the midwife speaking, but now it was a palace maid from Consort Hui’s palace who began to speak.

The maid’s words were not entirely clear, but fortunately, she spoke in an organized manner.

“This humble woman was working in the kitchen of Consort Hui’s palace, responsible for boiling water. When the consort was in labor, I heard from inside that the birth was difficult, so they instructed the kitchen to prepare more hot water.”

“Although there were many people around, most were inside the main hall, while the others were attending to their duties. The head maid said the palace servants must not cause chaos.”

“When this servant went to the rear hall to dispose of water, I saw an unfamiliar palace maid carrying a food box enter the hall through the side door.”

“This servant grew suspicious and hid behind a tree to watch for a while.”

“But after waiting, I saw the same maid leave the hall with the food box. Just then, word came from inside that the consort had given birth to a prince.”

“Later, all the palace servants received rewards, and the young prince born to the consort was healthy. This servant did not think much of it, assuming the maid had come from the kitchen to deliver nourishing food.”

Chen Kangan glanced at the emperor’s expression before addressing the person below. “Come and identify whether this servant is the one you saw back then.”

With that, the woman in the hall cautiously raised her head, seemingly locating the correct figure, and then looked at Zhu Qing’s face.

After examining her carefully, she lowered her head and replied, “Your Majesty, forgive this servant. Over twenty years have passed, and I can no longer recall that person’s appearance clearly. I only remember that as soon as the maid left, I returned to the front hall. While passing through the corridor, I caught a whiff of fragrance.”

Fragrance?

When Prince Wei was born, it happened to be a time when flowers had withered. Moreover, pregnant women are most sensitive to strong scents, so the fragrance could not have come from Consort Hui’s own hall.

And Zhu Qing happened to be skilled in making incense.

Chu Mingheng gently waved his hand, and the imperial guards escorted the two women away, leaving only the key individuals in the hall.

“In the Late Emperor’s harem, imperial heirs were successively harmed. Since Wen Shi and Consort Hui gave birth on the same day, you, skilled in making incense, used fragrance to render the newborn princes unconscious and swiftly swapped their children.”

“My mother was clever and sensed something amiss, but soon after, she lost the child in her womb and lost the heart to manage the affairs of the harem.”

“And you, a loyal servant to your mistress, fearing that Wen Shi’s son would be exposed, used narcotics again. Together with the traitor in my mother’s palace, you set fire to Kunning Palace.”

“When Prince Wei turned ten and left Consort Hui’s palace, you revealed his true identity to him.”

“However, during your conversation, you were inadvertently overheard by a maid from Consort Hui’s palace, so you simply disposed of her.”

Chu Mingheng spoke slowly, word by word, without showing much anger, merely stating the facts. “You intended to incite him to avenge his birth mother and help him ascend the throne.”

“Relying solely on an empty imperial edict once bestowed upon Wen Shi by the Late Emperor.”

With that, Chu Mingheng raised his hand, and Chen Kangan immediately handed him an item—the familiar brocade scroll, none other than the imperial edict.

By this point, Prince Wei’s face in the hall had turned pale and grim. He seemed unable to comprehend how Zhu Qing could have confessed so thoroughly, how she could have truly betrayed him, and how the edict he had hidden away had been uncovered.

How could it be… How could it be…

Zhu Qing lowered her head, her expression sorrowful, her entire body devoid of strength as she collapsed weakly to the ground.