Chapter 553: Secretly Having a Child

The pain of childbirth, over a decade of scheming and sacrifice—all for nothing, gone up in smoke.

Empress Dowager Yuan clenched her fists, her eyes reddening, her face dark with fury.

She gritted her teeth and instructed the imperial guard commander beside her, "Investigate! Go and investigate for me, find out who's stirring up trouble in the palace!"

After speaking, she looked at Qi Huaichuan and said, "Minister Qi, I'd also like to know what this voice is all about. I have never been alone in a room with the National Preceptor, let alone said something so ridiculous!"

"As for Yuanchao, he's the grandson of my father's cousin. His mother died from massive hemorrhaging during childbirth, and his father, overcome with grief, fell ill and passed away shortly after, leaving him all alone."

"My father took pity on him and brought him back to raise, bought him a quiet little courtyard where he could rest and recover, and had people look after him around the clock."

"Over the years, due to his poor health, he rarely left the house, which is why you've never seen him!"

"To say that Yuanchao is my child is utterly ridiculous. Use your brains and think about it—I was sent to the palace at sixteen to serve at the side of the Late Emperor. How would I have the nerve to have an affair?"

"If I truly had secretly borne a child with the National Preceptor, how could I have escaped the eyes of the Late Emperor and the Late Empress? Do you think everyone in the palace is blind?"

For a moment, the ministers' brains short-circuited. That was exactly what they couldn't figure out.

Although Yuanchao was frail, he looked at least sixteen or seventeen by now.

At that time, the Late Emperor had not yet passed away, and Empress Dowager Yuan had only held the rank of a consort.

Any consort who got pregnant had to report it to the Empress.

If she'd really been pregnant back then, how come nobody in the harem knew?

Moreover, if Empress Dowager Yuan wanted a child, why not go to the Late Emperor and have his child, instead of turning to the false National Preceptor and bearing his illegitimate child?

That wouldn't have done her any good back then.

None of them could figure out why she'd ever do something like that.

Within a short half-hour, Grand Marshal Yuan's old face went from pale to red, like a damn color palette.

For someone who cared so much about family honor, this was like pouring salt on a wound, a ton of weight crushing him, making it impossible to hold his head high.

A slap to her face stung his own just as much.

Grand Marshal Yuan never imagined that after living most of his life, he'd lose all his face because of the daughter he'd been so proud of.

But at this moment, if he didn't speak up now, he'd look cold-hearted.

With that thought, Grand Marshal Yuan bit his tongue hard, wincing in pain, he slapped his thigh and roared, "Bullshit! Absolute bullshit!"

"What has my daughter done to offend these people, that they would not only use portraits to spread dirty rumors, but also play recordings to frame her and the National Preceptor, and falsely claim she had a secret child?"

"Everyone knows the Late Emperor doted on her, but unfortunately her body just couldn't get pregnant. What consort in the palace wouldn't want her own child? If she could have had a kid, she'd have done it ages ago. Why wait till she was in her thirties to sneak around and get pregnant? Do you think that makes any sense?"

Nanny An stood off to the side, hardly daring to breathe. Upon hearing this, she knew this was her chance to step up. A lightbulb went off, and she stepped forward.

"Your Highness, esteemed ministers, I've heard there's a medicine sold out there that can alter one's voice, mimicking someone else's voice so perfectly you can't tell the difference."

"Perhaps the voices of Her Highness and the National Preceptor were deliberately imitated by someone who took such a voice-changing drug, then projected it using inner energy!"

"This servant has attended to Her Highness personally for so many years and is fully aware of her whereabouts. I'd bet my life on it—these words were absolutely not spoken by Her Highness or the National Preceptor. There's nothing going on between them."

Empress Dowager Yuan glanced at Nanny An, giving her a look of approval.

She'd been pretty pissed at Nanny An, thinking her carelessness had let the secret slip.

Unexpectedly, at the critical moment, the woman turned out to be pretty sharp.

Empress Dowager Yuan spoke up, "Nanny An is right. Someone must have taken a drug to deliberately frame me, sticking me with this huge load of crap."

"I'll find this person and prove to you that the National Preceptor and I are innocent."

When Yuanchao heard Empress Dowager Yuan say this, a flicker of disappointment showed in his clear eyes.

She'd pushed him forward to be emperor, but wouldn't admit in front of everyone that she was his mother.

In the end, perhaps even Empress Dowager Yuan herself looked down on him, didn't want him as her son.

It'd be a lie to say Yuanchao wasn't hurt.

His chest felt tighter, like he couldn't catch his breath.

But he didn't want to leave—he still wanted to see what his mom and dad would do next.

Empress Dowager Yuan dispatched imperial guards to do a thorough, room-by-room search of the palace, trying to locate the source of the voice, but found nothing.

Even the shadow guards she'd brought didn't find any suspects, not even the faintest trace of inner energy fluctuations.

Empress Dowager Yuan was livid, feeling like someone was deliberately messing with her.

The goal was to sabotage today's coronation and stop Yuanchao from becoming emperor.

Although both she and the National Preceptor had offered explanations, which minister here wasn't a sly old fox? How could they possibly buy that story?

Once that rumor got out, it was bound to plant doubt in their minds. From now on, both she and the National Preceptor would be branded as shameful, and meeting again would become difficult.

Her gut told her the person behind this was probably one of the ministers down there.

And Yuan Jiuan was by far the most suspicious of them all.

This made her want Yuan Jiuan dead even more.

Yuan Jiuan naturally saw the murderous look in Empress Dowager Yuan's eyes. He just smiled faintly, not giving a damn.

Here, Empress Dowager Yuan wouldn't dare touch him.

And by his estimate, his hundred-thousand-man army should reach the capital within two hours.

If it really came to a fight, who knew who'd win!

These ministers were scared of Empress Dowager Yuan, but Yuan Jiuan wasn't. What they didn't dare say, he said straight out.

"Actually, proving that Her Highness and the National Preceptor are innocent isn't that hard."

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