kvmb Chapter 420 Confrontation
Chapter 420 Confrontation
The Empress recognized the person blocking the carriage as someone from the Prince of Qi's side. Seeing his flushed face, she frowned slightly and said, "Come forward and answer my question."
Meng Ping hurriedly came to the side of the imperial carriage and said in a tone that the Empress could hear clearly, "Your Majesty, His Highness's assassination attempt on His Majesty failed. Lord Feng has also entered the palace and revealed that His Highness is not of royal blood. You must be prepared when you go to the Hall of Mental Cultivation this time."
He accompanied Prince Qi to the Hall of Mental Cultivation and waited for him outside. He overheard the general events that unfolded inside the hall and then secretly slipped out to deliver a message to the Empress.
The eunuchs guarding the entrance to the Hall of Mental Cultivation, having received favors from the Empress, did not stop him.
Firstly, if what Lord Feng revealed is true, the Empress's fate is sealed and will not change because of his tip-off.
His Majesty will not notice the eunuch's dereliction of duty, much less punish him.
Secondly, if Lord Feng is framing the Empress, she will remember the eunuch's kindness once she proves her innocence.
The Empress's expression changed drastically; her worst fears had come true.
Having likely anticipated this, the Empress initially panicked upon hearing the news but quickly regained her composure. It was precisely in moments like these that she couldn't afford to lose her footing. Only by maintaining a clear mind could she avoid making a disastrous move.
Meng Ping said in a panic, "Your Majesty..."
The Empress raised her hand to stop Meng Ping from continuing, and calmly instructed Lvzhi: "I embroidered a sachet for His Majesty, and it's in a box at the foot of the bed. Go and fetch it."
Green Branch was stunned; the Empress hadn't embroidered a sachet for His Majesty at all.
The Empress emphasized, "Be careful not to take the wrong one, the dark blue sachet."
Green Branch was a long-time servant of the Empress, and she could understand the Empress's thoughts with just a glance. She realized that the Empress's true intention was not to have her fetch the sachet. She quickly accepted the order and hurried to Chang Le Palace.
The eunuch who had come on the emperor's orders to invite the empress to the Hall of Mental Cultivation watched Green Branch's departing figure, pondered for a moment, and ultimately did not stop her. He signaled the eunuchs carrying the imperial carriage to carry the empress to the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
The entourage arrived at the entrance of the Hall of Mental Cultivation in a grand procession, with palace maids helping the Empress down.
The Empress stared blankly at the tightly closed palace doors.
In the more than twenty years since she entered the palace as empress, she has only visited the Hall of Mental Cultivation three times.
The first time, the emperor of Northern Qi ascended the throne.
The second time, she mixed perfumes for the Emperor of Northern Qi.
The third time is now.
The Empress tightened her grip on her fingers and approached the Hall of Mental Cultivation step by step.
The eunuch greeted the Empress and respectfully opened the tightly closed door.
Everything inside the palace came into the Empress's view.
The Empress saw that the Prince of Qi was kneeling in the middle of the hall in a disheveled state, with a long sword held to his neck by a secret guard.
Lord Feng knelt to the left of King Qi, frequently glancing to one side.
Following Lord Feng's gaze, the Empress saw a woman dressed in coarse cloth kneeling ramrod straight in the shadows. In that instant, the Empress recognized the woman as the physician who had once served her.
The Empress understood that Lord Feng only dared to enter the palace to reveal Prince Qi's true parentage after finding the female physician.
Hearing the commotion, the King of Qi turned to look at the Queen, his eyes red-rimmed: "Mother..."
The Empress gave the Prince of Qi a reassuring look before turning her gaze to the Emperor of Northern Qi, and respectfully greeted him: "Your Majesty, I pay my respects."
From the moment the Empress stepped into the palace, the Emperor of Northern Qi kept his eyes fixed on her, trying to glean clues from her expression. But the Empress remained calm, her expression only changing when she saw the Prince of Qi being arrested.
Especially when the King of Qi called her name, her eyes revealed heartache and worry, but she did not lose her composure and question him. Instead, she comforted the King of Qi's uneasy emotions.
It seemed they didn't understand the situation at hand, so they dared not make any rash moves.
Then, the Empress looked at Lord Feng and the female physician. When her gaze fell on the female physician, she frowned slightly, seemingly puzzled as to why the female physician was there. She did not show any panic or guilt.
If King Qi is truly not his and the Queen's child, and the female physician is the only witness, then the Queen's appearance would inevitably cause her panic.
After all, Lord Feng revealed Prince Qi's true identity suddenly, without letting a word out. The Empress had no idea what was going on in the Hall of Mental Cultivation. When she saw the physician's reaction, even if it wasn't one of guilt or panic, it shouldn't have been one of confusion.
People's first reaction is that it can't be faked.
Could it be that the King of Qi is truly the Queen's child?
Did Lord Feng lie?
"Empress, Minister Feng has come before me to accuse you of confusing the royal bloodline." The Emperor of Northern Qi looked sharply at the Empress: "Tell me, is the Prince of Qi your and my child, or a bastard child born from an affair between a palace maid and a guard?"
The Empress countered, "Does Your Majesty believe Lord Feng's words?"
"It's not that I believe Lord Feng's words, but that Lord Feng found the female physician who delivered your baby. The physician herself admitted that you were not pregnant." Seeing the Empress's calm demeanor, the Emperor of Northern Qi's anger intensified. He grabbed a letter and threw it at her: "This is the letter you wrote to the physician, which reveals the Prince of Qi's true parentage. Tell me, should I believe it or not?"
He clenched his hands at his sides, his knuckles cracking, suppressing his anger: "If you feel wronged, then produce evidence to prove your innocence."