CHAPTER 29: CHAPTER 8: DANCING PRINCESS (8)

"Is it that Prince Yu wants to sit on the throne?"

Prince Yu laughed and said, "Your Majesty, this position should rightfully be mine. If Your Majesty were to step down, I would ensure that you could live as a leisurely prince and would never let you suffer any grievances."

"Absurd, His Majesty was clearly designated as the heir by the late Emperor. How can you so blatantly distort the truth?" The Grand Tutor spoke angrily.

Gradually, other ministers also stepped forward, accusing those who supported Prince Yu of having ill intentions.

Prince Yu had already anticipated this situation. After all, in recent years the Great Ning Dynasty had been at peace, with a prosperous nation and contented people. The current Emperor and the Empress Dowager were still greatly loved by the people.

"Jing Yi, you are my brother. Originally, I did not wish to contend for the throne with you, only to be mocked by others. But look at what you have done — enraged our mother, skipping court sessions constantly. If this continues, the Great Ning Dynasty will be ruined by your hands."

The Emperor’s attendant, Xiao Lin, shrieked, "How dare you directly address the Emperor by name!"

Prince Yu cast a cold glance at Xiao Lin, his sinister look made Xiao Lin involuntarily take a step back.

The Emperor patted Xiao Lin’s shoulder, signaling him to step back.

"Jing Qi, what is yours is yours, what is not yours, do not covet it."

Prince Yu smirked, wanting to say more, but was interrupted.

"The Empress Dowager has arrived."

Prince Yu was stunned; wasn’t it said that the Empress Dowager had lost her mind and didn’t recognize anyone? It was this assumption that encouraged his action.

"Greetings to the Empress Dowager, wishing you a long life and good health."

At this moment, the Empress Dowager’s face was flushed with health, utterly unlike the unfavorable rumors.

Prince Yu snapped back to reality and immediately cried out, "Mother, are you alright? I heard you were angered by the Emperor, and I’ve been worried sick."

"Enough, Jing Qi. Over the years, you have hidden well, I thought I treated you favorably, yet this is how you repay me."

Prince Yu knew that nothing he said would make a difference now, the arrow was already on the string, there was no turning back.

"Empress Dowager, you know the truth yourself; everything claimed to be good to me is a joke. You killed my mother, turned me into a redundant prince, Prince Yu, redundant prince, while you have become the Empress Dowager, and your son the Emperor."

The Minister of War stepped forward: "Empress Dowager, regardless, Prince Yu is the legitimate eldest son and should inherit the throne."

"Wang Zhijun, the late Emperor treated you well; you were present when he passed away. The late Emperor explicitly stated the throne should pass to Jing Yi."

"Empress Dowager, everything is for the Great Ning Dynasty, please consider the bigger picture."

"Indeed, Empress Dowager, the harem should not engage in politics."

"We request the Empress Dowager to step aside."

The Empress Dowager took a deep breath. Some matters she had kept tightly sealed, never expecting that she would have to tear it open herself today. If it weren’t for the late Emperor, she would not have endured these. She was not a good mother.

"Jing Qi, the truth you claim to know, I do not. I only know that when Prince Xian rebelled, everyone in the Prince Xian Mansion was punished, but the late Emperor, considering brotherly ties, left one concubine who happened to be pregnant."

"The late Emperor often said, had it not been for Prince Xian, he would have perished long ago. Hence, regardless of the situation, the concubine’s child must be kept."

Prince Yu’s face turned pale, realizing some things were beyond his expectation.

"At that time, the Grand Empress Dowager was very displeased with Prince Xian’s rebellion, as well as aware of the concubine’s existence. She knew the late Emperor had spared the concubine and stated that if the child were a son, he would be executed; if a daughter, she would be abandoned at the city gate, left to her fate."

"At the time when the concubine was about to give birth, my own child was ready to be born as well. I gave birth to a daughter, but the concubine who gave birth earlier had a son. The late Emperor couldn’t bear to let the child be killed, so he discussed swapping the children with me. How could I agree? She was the daughter I carried for ten months, watching her grow inside me, then born, yet the late Emperor had made his decision, and I was powerless to stop it."

"The late Emperor personally granted you the title of Prince Yu, wanting you to know you are the sole male survivor of Prince Xian Mansion, the last bloodline of his imperial brother, hoping you would lead a happy, carefree life."

"You claim that I had your mother concubine killed, but did you know that the concubine was content knowing her child was switched to the Imperial Palace, and she committed suicide. For your sake, I lost my own child. The late Emperor had planned for someone to wait at the city gate; the child, once placed there, would be taken by a loyal confidant, but unexpectedly, the Grand Empress Dowager who was aware of the child’s birth intercepted them, and the child was kidnapped."

"You became Prince Yu, enjoying wealth all these years. What about my child? She became a Dancing Girl, suffering all these years. When I first saw Xiao Ning, I nearly broke down with regret and heartache, wanting to treat her well. And you? All these years, did I ever treat you poorly? I don’t know how you found out that Xiao Ning is my child, yet you plotted to have Xiao Ning and the Emperor together, intending to ruin these two children."

"Now, you still covet the throne of the Great Ning Dynasty, Prince Yu, do you have any conscience left in you?"

The Empress Dowager took out a Bright Yellow Scroll and threw it on the ground.

Prince Yu took a few steps back, staring at the scroll, not daring to open it.

Even the courtiers were in disbelief — if what the Empress Dowager said was true, Prince Yu turned out to be so vicious; they might have been wrong to aid in his wrongdoing.

The Grand Tutor stepped forward, opened the scroll, and read it aloud.

"Zi Tong, I know I owe you, and especially that child. I know I don’t have much time left. If there ever comes a day when the courtiers question Jing Yi, you can reveal this decree..."

The decree’s content was much the same as what the Empress Dowager had disclosed earlier.

The courtiers fell silent. The older ones naturally experienced Prince Xian’s rebellion firsthand, aware of how many died that year.

The younger ones only knew or heard about the past events. The late Emperor, willing to swap the children for Prince Xian, was truly a wise ruler. Over the years, the Empress Dowager treated Prince Yu without neglect, which moved them deeply.

Those who pressured the Emperor to abdicate felt a bit embarrassed.

Even the Emperor was taken aback; this matter was truly beyond expectation.

Was Xiao Ning actually his Imperial Sister?

Li Shuning, dressed as a palace maid, remained standing with her head bowed behind the Empress Dowager. All her previous doubts were now resolved. So it was like this.

She had some admiration for the Empress Dowager. This woman had hidden so much pain in her heart, and the relationship between the Empress Dowager and the late Emperor must have been complex. Yet she never inflicted this pain on Prince Yu; she was truly great. But in the original story, Prince Yu treated her so cruelly, a real ingrate.