Chapter 528: Master of Deception

Chapter 528: The Drama Queen

"But unexpectedly, he sneaked out of the palace right under my nose, and once he left, he was gone for two years. When Emperor Chu fell too ill to hold court, I took over his position and helped manage the affairs of state."

"I had thought that whenever the Crown Prince returned, I would hand the throne over to him and let him take over this seat. But who could have expected that what came back was the Crown Prince's charred corpse—even the last of Emperor Chu's bloodline wasn't spared."

"I've let down the Late Emperor and the entire Chu imperial clan my whole life!"

As Empress Dowager Yuan spoke, she actually broke down crying right in front of all the ministers.

She sobbed uncontrollably, her body swaying like she was about to keel over, and the ministers present all began to console her.

"Empress Dowager, please don't grieve too much. You've already done more than enough for the Xishu Kingdom. Although the Crown Prince passed away in his prime, this isn't your fault. Please don't blame yourself too much."

"Yes, Empress Dowager. We've already lost the Crown Prince. Now you really need to take care of yourself. Xishu can't do without you, the court can't do without you, and we all still need you to lead us!"

"If the Crown Prince's spirit up in heaven saw you crying like this, Empress Dowager, he would surely be grieved as well. Please don't grieve too much and take care of yourself."

After the last minister finished speaking, all the ministers knelt on the ground and said in unison: "We beg the Empress Dowager to stop grieving and take care of herself."

Seeing this, a smile tugged at the corner of Empress Dowager Yuan's lips, gone in a flash. She said, her voice choked with tears: "All my dear ministers, please get up. I've seen how much you all care about me."

"Having such capable and virtuous officials in Xishu is an honor for our kingdom and for me personally."

"The Crown Prince has already left us. Even if not for myself, I'll take care of my health for the Chu imperial clan and for Xishu."

"I promise all of you here today that I will definitely carry Xishu to greater glory and will not disappoint the Late Emperor or the people of Xishu."

As soon as these words were spoken, all the ministers had sycophantic looks on their faces—except for Shen Xiangming, who stood to one side, frowning.

If he wasn't seeing things just now, Empress Dowager Yuan had curled the corner of her mouth upward in front of everyone.

But it had dissipated just as quickly.

In the past, Shen Xiangming might not have thought much of it. But now that he knew Chu Yi was not dead, his suspicions about Empress Dowager Yuan had grown.

If that wasn't an act, what was it?

He knew about Empress Dowager Yuan's ambition, and he also knew what she had done to Chu Yi over the years.

It was by her hand that the members of the Chu imperial clan had been killed off one by one—yet she still put on this act of being magnanimous and loving, bragging to the world about all her great achievements.

The ridiculous thing was, she even acted all high and mighty, putting down Chu Yi, and the ministers present all supported her.

Wasn't that just a little too ironic?

Shen Xiangming remained silent. He'd only come today to go through the motions, just like Hua Feixue had told him to.

He knew that Ji Yuntang and Hua Feixue had their own plans. Since they hadn't told him to make a move, he wasn't going to.

Empress Dowager Yuan kept up her fake crying for a while. When the time was up, she had the officials start the burial ceremony.

The Crown Prince's burial ceremony usually had three steps.

First, a designated person would wash the body, then dress him and put him in the hearse.

The False Crown Prince's body was too charred to be washed, so they skipped that step and just dressed him on the outside.

The second step was for the officials to prepare the memorial tablet and offerings, with the National Preceptor coming forward to perform rites to release the False Crown Prince's soul.

Today, the National Preceptor was dressed in a yellow Taoist robe, holding a horsetail whisk, and walking with this air of otherworldly detachment.

He gave a half-hearted bow to Empress Dowager Yuan, and the two exchanged a knowing glance before he set up the altar and started his rituals.

He went on for about half an hour before he finally stopped.

The third step was the False Crown Prince's funeral procession.

Once the sacrificial rites were done, his remains would be taken straight to the imperial mausoleum.

Seeing this, Empress Dowager Yuan burst into loud sobs once again: "Yi'er, I can't bear to let you go! To lose you at such a young age—it's my fault for not looking after you in your father and mother's place. I hope you're reborn into a good family in your next life..."

As she cried, she actually fainted on the spot, sending the ministers nearby into a panic.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Ji Yuntang had just finished developing the photos and was about to head out when she was stopped by Xin Yue.

Xin Yue had accepted the hairpin Ji Yuntang had given her, and her earlier arrogance had melted into a much gentler attitude.

"Miss Yun, today is the Crown Prince's funeral procession, and there are many people outside. The Empress Dowager specifically said you should stay in your room and not go out. If anything comes up, she'll send someone to get you."

Seeing Ji Yuntang furrow her brow, Xin Yue added: "Miss Yun, don't overthink it. The Empress Dowager is just worried you might not know the palace rules and offend some big shot, which would cause trouble."

"She's doing this for your own good, Miss Yun. If you need anything, just tell me, and I'll get it for you."

Ji Yuntang sneered to herself. She knew damn well that Empress Dowager Yuan was trying to put her under house arrest.

On the surface, she seemed all kind and willing to give her anything, but really, she was just restricting her freedom.

Ji Yuntang didn't really want to go watch the Old Witch put on her little show anyway. She figured that while the Old Witch was away from Cining Palace, she could sneak in and steal the key to the chains holding Emperor Chu.

Just as she was about to head back inside and use her space to sneak out, Nanny An came running over, all flustered.

"Doctor Yun, Doctor Yun, something awful has happened! The Empress Dowager fainted from grief! Please come with me quick to take a look!"

Ji Yuntang's eyes brightened. She'd been worried about not being able to leave—wasn't this the perfect chance?

She immediately followed Nanny An out.

When they got to a secluded spot, Nanny An suddenly stopped and grabbed her arm.

Ji Yuntang looked at her, confused. "Keep going—didn't you say the Empress Dowager fainted and needs me to treat her? Why are you stopping me now?"

Nanny An glanced at her and dropped her voice.

"The Empress Dowager did faint, but it wasn't because of her health."

"Doctor Yun, when you face all the civil and military officials later, you know what to say, right?"

Ji Yuntang: "..."

She caught the implication in Nanny An's words almost instantly.

So the Old Witch was faking it!

Deliberately putting on this whole act of being overcome with grief for the civil and military officials.

Ji Yuntang gave Nanny An a sweet smile and patted her chest to reassure her: "I get it, I get it. I totally get it. Don't worry, Nanny."

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