After my inner voice was eavesdropped, I became the favorite of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 104

At this point, Xiaoyanzi hurriedly grabbed Ziwei's hand, her eyes full of pleading: "Hurry up and tell the emperor that this is all a misunderstanding. Ziwei, we are sworn sisters, and we promised to share happiness and difficulties together. Please help me plead, I really don't want to die!"

However, facing Xiaoyanzi's pleading, Ziwei felt an indescribable pleasure in her heart. These days, Rong Mama's brainwashing had been gnawing at her heart like a poisonous snake, making her resent Xiaoyanzi more and more. At this moment, the truth was revealed, and Ziwei not only did not want to lend a helping hand, but instead wanted to step on the person who had taken everything from her and crush her to death.

The corners of her mouth curled up into a sneer, her eyes full of mockery: "Xiaoyanzi, you have always been fearless, always saying that you would kill someone if you had a head, why are you afraid now? Humph, this is really funny."

"You said that good sisters share happiness and difficulties. Obviously, I am the emperor's biological daughter, but in the end, you have enjoyed the happiness and taken away the glory and wealth, while I have been reduced to a lowly servant. Is there anyone in the world who treats a good sister like you?"

Ziwei's words were like a sharp blade, stabbing Xiaoyanzi's heart. She grinned and sneered, as if she wanted to pour out all her resentment: "Misfortunes sent by heaven can be forgiven, but those brought upon oneself cannot be forgiven. You have ended up like this, which is the retribution for your greed and insatiable desires. You want me to plead for you, but there is no way."

Xiaoyanzi was furious when she heard this, but she knew that she was powerless to change the situation. She could only pretend to be hurt and look at Ziwei with heartache: "How can you say that to me? Are you still the dignified, elegant, gentle and kind Ziwei I know?" Her eyes were full of disappointment and confusion, as if she was looking at a stranger.

Xiaoyanzi's step-by-step approach was like the last fallen leaf in autumn, slowly and heavily falling into Ziwei's heart with endless sorrow and unwillingness. Her eyes were red, as if two deep lakes were about to overflow with sad tears. Her voice was trembling, and every word seemed to be squeezed out from the bottom of her heart with difficulty: "You are so beautiful, how can you say such cruel words? This is not you, Ziwei!" The eyes that once sparkled with a smart light were now full of confusion and pain, as if looking at a completely stranger.

Yongqi stood aside, his heart seemed to be cut repeatedly by an invisible sharp blade, the pain was so severe that he could hardly breathe. He looked at the scene in front of him, with mixed feelings in his heart. The confrontation between Ziwei and Xiaoyanzi made him feel unprecedented powerlessness and sadness. He stretched out his finger and gently pointed at Ziwei, with a tone of blame and helplessness, and said to Xiaoyanzi: "Xiaoyanzi, she is your sister, can you really bear to watch her die? She risked her life to enter the enclosure and was almost shot by my arrow. Everything she did was for you. It was not what she wanted to see things develop to this point. Why can't you think more about her?" Yongqi's words were accompanied by a deep sigh, as if it was the last elegy for this complicated relationship.

After hearing this, Ziwei raised her lips to a bitter smile, which was filled with too much bitterness and sadness. The sadness on her face became more and more intense, like frost condensed in winter, chilling to the heart. "One is my best friend, and the other is my brother. You both blame me as the victim. It's like drinking cold water in the cold winter, and every drop chills my heart. Justice is clear, aren't you afraid of retribution? If I were really a cold-blooded person, I would have exposed your disguise long ago. Why wait until today for the emperor to hold you accountable?" Ziwei's voice was full of sarcasm and despair, and her fingers tightly grasped the corner of her clothes, as if that was her only support.

She turned abruptly and pointed at Yongqi, her tone full of sarcasm and heartache: "You said that everything Xiaoyanzi did was for me? When she first started to take my name, she knew that I was in mourning, but she wore bright red and green clothes and paraded around the palace, making people laugh at Xia Yuhe for giving birth to an unfilial daughter. Why did she cause trouble everywhere, and after being punished by the emperor, she used my mother as a shield, pretending to be pitiful to gain sympathy, and claiming to be a motherless child?" Ziwei's words were like sharp arrows, shooting straight at Yongqi, leaving him speechless for a moment.

Yongqi opened his mouth, but could only stammer: "I--" His eyes were full of guilt and helplessness, as if Ziwei's words hit the softest part of his heart.

Ziwei's anger was like a volcanic eruption, and she could no longer suppress it. She shouted loudly: "You have nothing to say? My best friend, my brother, and Erkang, Ertai, Ling Fei and others, you all plotted against me. What did I do wrong to deserve this?" Tears fell from her cheeks like beads that had broken off the string, and every drop carried endless grievances and anger.

Erkang was secretly anxious when he saw this. He knew that things had gotten out of hand, and once Qianlong held them accountable, all of them would be blamed. In order to get out of this predicament, he could only pin his hopes on Ziwei, the real princess. After all, royal blood was like a golden ticket to immunity from death, which could give them a glimmer of hope.

Erkang then began to recall in public the days he spent with Ziwei, the days they watched the snow and the moon together, describing every detail vividly. He believed that after hearing this, Qianlong would definitely suspect that they had had physical contact. In this unliberated era, closeness between men and women meant losing chastity, and Ziwei had no choice but to marry Erkang in order to preserve her reputation.

After hearing this, Qianlong's face instantly turned ashen, like the bottom of a pot, and his eyes flashed with anger. He could not accept the behavior of being entangled with a man outside the marriage, and he could not understand how Xia Yuhe educated her daughter. Before, Xiaoyanzi would use her deceased mother to escape punishment every time she got into trouble, but now, Xia Yuhe's "credit card" has been completely maxed out.

Qianlong's anger erupted like a volcano. He vented all his anger on Ziwei and Erkang, but did not reflect on his own mistakes. Although Ziwei did not know Erkang's sinister intentions, her intuition told her that Erkang's words were not credible. She said sarcastically: "How can you say sincerity? You and Xiaoyanzi and others colluded with each other to plot against me. Do you really think I am a fool? Don't think I don't know that your purpose is just to use my royal blood to change the family status of the Fu family."

Li Qingge's conversation with Rong Mama before leaving was like a bright light, illuminating the fog in Ziwei's heart. When Rong Mama was brainwashing Ziwei, she also mentioned the scheme of Concubine Ling and the Fu family, which made Ziwei even more angry. She finally understood that Erkang's kindness was also false. Now listening to him say these words, she felt nothing but hatred and disgust, and she ruthlessly exposed his lies.

Erkang was choked by Ziwei's words and was speechless. He was stunned, as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over his head. He had never thought that Ziwei, whom he had always regarded as a weak woman, could see through his mind so sharply. He opened his mouth and wanted to defend himself, but found that he had no words to say.

A cunning light flashed in Ziwei's eyes, and she sneered: "Did I say something wrong? I was stupid before, so I believed your lies. Now I understand. Don't use sweet words to deceive me anymore. The crime of deceiving the king is a capital crime. None of you can escape today." Her voice was full of firmness and determination, as if she had already made plans for the worst.

Erkang, Ertai and others were stunned by Ziwei's words. They had never thought that this concubine could see through the power-hungry calculations of the previous dynasty and the harem. Qianlong was furious after hearing this. He slammed the table and shouted angrily: "You ignorant slaves, how dare you calculate my bloodline? Do you really think that I dare not kill you because of the favor of Concubine Ling?"

Erkang was so frightened that he trembled all over and kowtowed and begged for mercy, "Your Majesty, I really have no intention of plotting against Ziwei. I am sincere to Ziwei." His voice was full of fear and sincerity, but Qianlong was not moved.

Ertai also echoed, "Your Majesty, it's not that we knew the truth but kept it a secret. It's because Your Majesty had already acknowledged Princess Huanzhu at that time. If the truth was revealed, wouldn't Xiaoyanzi's innocent life be in danger? Besides, Xiaoyanzi's appearance brought Your Majesty a lot of joy. Your Majesty once said that she was your pistachio. We really couldn't bear to disappoint you, so we kept it secret." His words were full of helplessness and hardship, trying to find a reasonable explanation for their behavior.

Erkang further explained: "Your Majesty, be frank. If we really had ill intentions and were scheming, why didn't we kill Ziwei when Your Majesty had already acknowledged Princess Huanzhu? Once Ziwei died, the truth would be buried forever. We are not doing this to deceive you. We truly respect and love Your Majesty and cannot bear to hurt you." He spoke sincerely, trying to move Qianlong's heart.

Yongqi also took over the conversation. He looked at Qianlong with admiration in his eyes, his voice full of affection and determination: "Yes, Father Your Majesty, if we really intended to conceal it, we would have killed Ziwei, the precious princess, long ago. Father Your Majesty does not believe in Xiaoyanzi, Erkang, and Ertai, so don't you believe in me? I grew up by your side, and was educated and raised by you personally. How could I be the kind of person who conspires to deceive the emperor and rebel against his superiors?" His words were full of admiration and trust for Qianlong, and he tried to impress Qianlong with his identity and emotions.

This was a combination of soft and hard words, which made sense and aroused the father-son relationship. Qianlong's heart softened after hearing this. He looked at Yongqi's familiar face, and an indescribable complex emotion surged in his heart. Yes, Yongqi was a child he had personally raised. He was both civil and military, loyal and kind. How could he be a sinister person?
However, Qianlong's anger was not completely quelled. He knew the seriousness of the incident, which not only concerned the face of the royal family, but also the stability of the imperial power. He had to find a suitable solution that could both maintain the dignity of the royal family and calm the storm. So, after pondering for a moment, he slowly said: "This matter is of great importance, and I need time to think carefully. You should leave first, and I will make a decision after I find out the truth."

One of Qianlong's biggest flaws was his extraordinary love of face, which was as smooth as a mirror and could not tolerate any flaws. As his son, Yongqi knew this character very well, so he skillfully grasped this weakness, like a precise musician, gently plucking the heartstrings.

Yongqi saw that Qianlong's expression had eased a little, and he continued in a soft voice, like a spring breeze, "Father, although Xiaoyanzi has lied to you, her feelings for you are genuine. When you think back to these days, the laughter she brought you is not ordinary."

Xiaoyanzi, who seemed a bit of a rogue but was very smart, also looked around and quickly replied, "Yes, Father Huang, I really didn't mean to deceive you. It was all a mistake that made me become this princess. Many times, I wanted to tell you the truth, but when I saw your loving eyes, my heart softened. How I longed to have a father like you!"

Seeing this, Erkang also quickly joined in the emotional torrent: "Your Majesty, this matter of the real and fake princess is actually a beautiful misunderstanding. We know that this is a crime of deceiving the emperor, but we can't extricate ourselves. It's just because we respect and love you too much, and we always want to find a way to have the best of both worlds, to fulfill Ziwei and let Xiaoyanzi have a good home, so we have delayed it until now!"

Ertai was not to be outdone and added eagerly, "Your Majesty, although Xiaoyanzi is not a real princess, her feelings for you are truly sincere. Please forgive her deception this time for her sincerity."

Everyone knelt on the ground, their words filled with Qiong Yao-style affection and earnestness, as if a carefully choreographed drama was slowly unfolding in the hall.

Qianlong's mind was already as unstable as duckweed, and at this moment he was even more shocked by this devilish brainwashing and almost lost himself in it.

Fu Longan, Aunt Tian, ​​Li Yu and others were all stunned, as if they had witnessed the most incredible spectacle in the world. They were speechless, but secretly admired these people's eloquence and brainwashing ability, which was rare.

Just as Qianlong's heart began to soften and he wanted to make the matter a small one, a majestic and cold female voice suddenly rang out outside the hall, like thunder breaking through the sky, shaking everyone's heart.

"What a group of eloquent people! With such great eloquence, it would be a waste of talent if they didn't go into singing!"

As the voice fell, Li Qingge, wearing a red and purple dragon robe, slowly walked into the hall holding Rong Mama's hand. She had a half-smile on her face, as if she was very interested in this good show.

Qianlong was shocked and said in a lost voice: "Jin... Queen Dayan, why are you here?"

Yongqi, Erkang and others were all shocked to see the Lord of Great Yan coming in person, and they hurriedly saluted. Although Fu Longan hated Li Qingge to the core, he could only bow his head and submit to the imperial power and military force.

Li Qingge glanced at everyone and a charming smile appeared on the corner of her mouth: "If I don't come to enjoy this drama of real and fake princesses, wouldn't it be a waste of your hard work?"

Qianlong frowned, obviously surprised by Li Qingge's sudden appearance. Seeing Li Qingge's preemptive move, Rong Mama secretly admired her foresight. It turned out that Li Qingge had been communicating with the queen for a long time and had predicted that the secret of the real and fake princess would be exposed. With the evidence in the hands of the queen, it was not difficult to prove this matter, but considering Qianlong's soft ears, they were worried that the protagonists' brainwashing ability would make Qianlong soft-hearted, so they decided to let Li Qingge do it herself.

Xiaoyanzi and the others secretly complained when they saw that Li Qingge suppressed Qianlong's momentum as soon as he appeared and even targeted them. Li Qingge turned his gaze and looked at Erkang first, his voice cold and majestic: "The crime of deceiving the emperor by using a substitute and confusing the royal bloodline was actually described by you as loyalty and love for the emperor. If everyone deceives and conceals things in the name of 'love', then wouldn't the country be in chaos?"

Li Qingge knew Qianlong's character weaknesses, so her words hit the nail on the head and raised the matter to the level of national interests. As expected, Qianlong's face immediately became as gloomy as water, and as dark as if it was about to crack. Xiaoyanzi and others were frightened and pale. They didn't expect that the words of the Queen of Dayan would shatter their defense.

Qianlong's face was grim, and he said indifferently: "The Queen of Dayan is right. If everyone is like you, the country will no longer be a country. You have confused the royal bloodline, and you deserve to be punished. How can you be let off so easily with just a few words? If I lift you up high today and let you go lightly, you will definitely become more lawless in the future. I will never tolerate you confusing right and wrong."

Li Qingge thought that it was because of this that the protagonists felt that Qianlong was easy to talk to, and no matter how big a disaster they caused, the kind and wise emperor would forgive them. However, this indulgence would only make them more unscrupulous. Li Qingge's sympathy for Qianlong lasted only three seconds. When he thought of his troubles, his heart hardened again.

She said seriously: "The country has its own laws, and the family has its own rules. If a prince breaks the law, he will be punished the same as a commoner, and no one can violate it. Emperor of the Qing Dynasty, am I right?" There was a heavy pressure in her light words that made Qianlong unable to avoid it.

Qianlong's expression changed slightly, and he nodded, saying, "The Queen is right. The country has its own laws, and the family has its own rules. If you are wrong, you are wrong, and you must bear legal responsibility if you break the law." He knew Li Qingge's intentions and the seriousness of the matter. If it is not handled properly, it will not only affect the country of the Qing Dynasty, but also change the previously agreed peace abdication agreement.

Thinking of this, Qianlong felt a terrible headache. These damn guys really made him suffer. Severe punishment! Must be severe punishment to the end!

Yongqi was so angry that he trembled all over after hearing Li Qingge's words. He glared at Li Qingge and wanted to refute, but was slapped hard in the face by Qianlong. "Shut up, you rebellious son!" Qianlong roared, and flashed in front of Yongqi. This slap not only interrupted Yongqi's words, but also interrupted the resentment and anger in his heart.

"what!!!"

In the Hall of Mental Cultivation, a cry of surprise broke the original tranquility. Yongqi covered his face tightly with his hands, and his astonished expression seemed to be frozen. His eyes were wide open, staring at Qianlong in disbelief. This was the first time in his life that he was slapped in the face, and the person who did it was his father. Yongqi's heart was filled with endless doubts and humiliation. He never thought that his words would almost push the Aixinjueluo royal family into the abyss of destruction. Li Qingge, a woman who once resented being neglected and abandoned, had a thin feeling for the Aixinjueluo family. If it weren't for the relationship between the queen and the blood, the iron cavalry of Dayan would have flattened the capital and made them prisoners. Qianlong's heart was as clear as a mirror, so he considered abdicating the throne and turning enemies into friends to continue the family bloodline. However, Yongqi, the unpromising son, actually talked nonsense in front of Li Qingge, claiming that this was a royal family affair and outsiders had no right to interfere. If Li Qingge was regarded as an outsider, she would have no reason to show mercy to the Qing imperial family. When Qianlong thought that his previous efforts might go to waste, he wanted to strangle this rebellious son to death immediately.

After being beaten, Yongqi felt aggrieved. He did not notice that Qianlong's face was as black as the bottom of a pot, and his rage made the entire Yangxin Palace tremble.

"You are a disloyal and unfilial son who has deceived the emperor and plotted evil. Now you even dare to speak sweet words and make nonsense in front of me. If I had known that you would become what you are today, I should have given Concubine Yu the sterilization drug so that you would never come into this world." Qianlong's words pierced Yongqi's heart like a knife.

When Empress Xiaoxian passed away, the eldest prince Yonghuang and the third prince Yongzhang were scolded by Emperor Qianlong for not crying enough, and they were so disloyal and unfilial that they could not even lift their heads. Emperors have always ruled the world with filial piety, so how could an unfilial prince inherit the throne? This sentence completely shattered Yongqi's dream of becoming an emperor.

Yongqi was struck by lightning. He hurriedly knelt and crawled in front of Qianlong, grabbing the corner of Qianlong's clothes and crying bitterly: "Father, I am wronged. You are my father, how dare I be disloyal and unfilial?"

Li Qingge sneered at the side: "If you are really filial, you won't deceive a father who is over fifty years old. If such behavior can be called filial piety, then it is really a great deception."

"Queen of Dayan, you..." Yongqi was so angry that he couldn't speak, and he only felt a fire of rage burning in his heart.

"What's wrong with me? Did I say something wrong? For the sake of a wild girl of unknown origin, you even disregarded the life and death of your own sister, and colluded with outsiders to make her a slave. Your love is truly great." Li Qingge's words were full of sarcasm and disdain.

Xiaoyanzi shrank into a ball in fear when she heard this. She used to be a fearless woman, but ever since she went to Dayan and suffered as a heavy criminal, she was filled with fear. Thinking of the cruelty of the jailer and the wolf howling in the middle of the night, she almost collapsed. The jailer was so scary, let alone the Queen of Dayan? Her methods must be even more terrifying.

"Your Majesty, we, we didn't provoke you, why do you have to force us like this? This is all a misunderstanding. It was by accident that I became Princess Huanzhu. These people in the palace are powerful and powerful, what can I do?" Xiaoyanzi said weakly, her voice full of helplessness and fear.

Ziwei sneered at the side: "Innocent? If you really don't want to be a princess, then why do you keep getting into trouble every day? Let everyone in the palace mistakenly think that my mother doesn't know how to educate her children? If you really didn't intend to replace my identity, then when you broke into Kunning Palace and insulted the queen as an old witch, the queen had to enforce the family rules. Why did you say that you were the Huanzhu Princess appointed by the emperor himself, and you were not bound by the rules and no one could teach you a lesson?"

Xiaoyanzi was speechless, and felt panic in her heart. She had indeed flaunted her power and enjoyed the honor of the royal family under the name of Princess Huanzhu, but she had never thought that she would be in such a predicament today.

Li Qingge took over the conversation and continued, "That's right. Although I didn't stay in the Qing Palace for a long time, I often heard that you flaunted your power in the name of Princess Huanzhu, and you wanted the whole world to know that you were rising to prominence and glory. You enjoyed the honor of the royal family and were happy about it, without any remorse. You are still pretending to be innocent until now, which is really disgusting."

Xiaoyanzi was so embarrassed that her face turned red. She was born in the market and only knew how to be arrogant and impulsive. How could she be a match for Li Qingge and Ziwei? Seeing that she was about to fall into a desperate situation, she began to betray her friends, and the first one to be betrayed was Concubine Ling.

"It's unfair, Father! Empress Consort Ling taught me all this. She said that I was a real princess, and the people from the Fu family threatened me to keep the secret, otherwise I would die. I'm just a wild girl from the market, how could I know the interests involved? I was coaxed and frightened by them and took Ziwei's place. I am really innocent, Father! I beg you to look into this, and Her Majesty the Queen to make the decision!" Xiaoyanzi shouted loudly and kowtowed continuously, as if this would clear her of the charges.

When Erkang saw Xiaoyanzi putting the blame on Concubine Ling and his family, he became anxious and shouted angrily: "Xiaoyanzi, how dare you..."

"Shut up!" Qianlong interrupted him and shouted angrily, "The Queen and I haven't talked yet. How can a bondservant like you interrupt? Li Yu, go and call Concubine Ling."

Li Yu turned around and was about to go to the Yanxi Palace when she suddenly heard a sharp voice: "What is a real princess and a fake princess? Oh my God, how could this happen?"

Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw La Mei supporting Concubine Ling as she walked in. Concubine Ling looked very flustered, and it was obvious that she had learned about the situation in the Yangxin Palace.

At this moment, Concubine Ling was in a state of confusion. The eunuch she had paid a lot of money to was in the Yangxin Palace. When he learned that Xiaoyanzi and others were summoned for questioning, he hurried to the Yanxi Palace to report the news. When Concubine Ling heard this, she almost fainted. Xiaoyanzi was actually a fake princess? This sudden change caught her off guard.

However, Concubine Ling had been in the harem for twenty years, experienced many ups and downs, and had fought wits and courage with the queen for many years without losing the upper hand. She was relatively calm. She knew that this matter could not be avoided, so she simply went directly to the Yangxin Palace. After all, she was pregnant, and for the sake of the royal heir, the emperor could not punish her.

"Ling Fei, you came just in time. Xiaoyanzi said that you threatened her not to tell the truth, or you would kill her. Is that true?" Qianlong asked sternly, his face very serious. He stared into Ling Fei's eyes, trying to see a trace of panic or uneasiness in them.

Concubine Ling's heart tightened, but she pretended to be calm and replied, "Your Majesty, it's unfair. How dare I deceive you? I don't know who is the real princess or the fake one. I beg Your Majesty to see clearly." As she spoke, she knelt on the ground, clasped her hands tightly together, trying to hide her inner panic.

When Li Qingge heard this, her eyebrows slightly frowned, a trace of impatience flashed in her eyes, and then she rolled her eyes, as if she was extremely speechless about this farce. She stood aside, her figure slender, her elegant long dress swaying gently in the wind, forming a sharp contrast with the chaos in the palace.

Rong Mama, the old mama who was usually silent and cold-eyed, suddenly spoke at this moment, her voice was thin but every word was clear: "Your Majesty, please forgive me for being so bold. I still remember that time when I went with the Empress to Shufangzhai to visit Princess Huanzhu who was shot by an arrow and unconscious. The scene is still vivid in my mind, as if it happened yesterday. At that time, Concubine Ling praised Xiaoyanzi's appearance in front of the Emperor and many palace maids and eunuchs, saying that she looked like the Emperor in every way, especially her eyes and eyebrows, which seemed to be copied directly from you, the Emperor. The intimacy born of the same mother is hard to ignore. It was because of these words, plus those so-called tokens, that your Majesty was convinced that Xiaoyanzi was the pearl you had left behind. Your Majesty, do you still remember those days?"

Qianlong's expression changed slightly when he heard this. He nodded, and a trace of memory flashed in his eyes: "Yes, yes. At the beginning, it was indeed Concubine Ling who said that Xiaoyanzi looked like me, and coupled with the token I left for Yuhe, this misunderstanding occurred." His tone revealed a trace of helplessness. For a king, it is undoubtedly a shame to recognize the wrong princess. Qianlong himself felt embarrassed and was not willing to easily admit that he had made a mistake.

At this time, Rong Mama coughed lightly, and Qianlong seemed to have found a way out, and hurriedly pushed the blame onto Concubine Ling. He muttered to himself: It was this woman who misled me. How could I be a foolish emperor? I was just blinded for a while.

Li Qingge looked at Qianlong's eagerness to shirk responsibility, and her mouth twitched, and she was speechless. She thought to herself, this emperor is really good at making excuses. It was obviously his own misjudgment, but he pushed all the responsibility onto others.

Concubine Ling was stunned, with mixed feelings in her heart. She never thought that her casual words would become a handle for the emperor to blame her. She cursed in her heart: Isn't this too shameless? It was obviously the emperor who read the token and made random guesses. I just mentioned it casually, why is it all blamed on me?

When Qianlong saw that Concubine Ling did not refute, he became more certain of his judgment. He kept talking: "In addition to saying that Xiaoyanzi looks like me, Ziwei and Jinsuo entered the palace as bondservant maids, which was also a conspiracy between you and the Fu family. You still say it's unfair, do you think I'm a fool? Concubine Ling, you are so bold!"

When Concubine Ling heard Qianlong's angry rebuke, she was so scared that cold sweats broke out. She hurriedly adjusted her breathing and tried to calm herself down. She quickly turned her brain, looking for an excuse to get out of it. Finally, she opened her mouth to defend herself, "Your Majesty, I am really wronged. When I first saw Xia Yuhe's token, I thought Xiaoyanzi might be your flesh and blood. As for Ziwei and Jinsuo entering the palace, it was really difficult to refuse Xiaoyanzi's repeated requests. Xiaoyanzi said that the two of them were lonely and helpless, and I thought saving a life was better than building a seven-story pagoda, and I was afraid that they would starve to death outside, so I made such an arrangement. I really didn't know that Ziwei was your flesh and blood, and I was kind-hearted!"

Concubine Ling spoke earnestly, with a bit of grievance and helplessness in her tone. She knew in her heart that it was difficult to remain unscathed at this point. In this case, she would just go with the flow and say that she and Qianlong were both deceived by the little girl Xiaoyanzi.

Li Qingge watched coldly from the sidelines, and could not help but sigh at Concubine Ling's cunning and adaptability. She thought to herself, this Concubine Ling is really a powerful character. The Queen couldn't beat her, not because of bad luck, but because she was not as skilled as others.

At this moment, Xiaoyanzi suddenly flew into a rage, pointed at Concubine Ling's nose and shouted, "How could you not know? Erkang's mother is your cousin, and she had already informed you. You have no children, and seeing that Yongqi is in love with me, you wanted to win over the invisible prince who is most likely to inherit the throne, so you agreed to help me. Now that the secret has been exposed, you still want to get away with it, forget it!"

There was a bit of anger and determination in Xiaoyanzi's words. I don't know if it was because of the heroine's halo, but she, who was usually careless and confused, suddenly became smart at the critical moment. She remembered the scene where Concubine Ling tried her best to please Yongqi, and immediately understood the interests involved. She thought to herself, since she couldn't escape, then the people involved in this matter couldn't escape either. The law does not punish everyone, and the more people are implicated, the more reluctant the emperor will be to punish them severely, and the more hope she has of saving her life.

As Xiaoyanzi's accusation came, the atmosphere in the palace suddenly became tense. Qianlong's face was terribly gloomy, and he stared at Concubine Ling with wide eyes, as if he could see through her. Concubine Ling's face turned pale, and the corners of her mouth trembled slightly, obviously frightened by Xiaoyanzi's accusation.

How will this farce end? Will Concubine Ling be able to resolve the crisis with her eloquent words, or will Emperor Qianlong punish her severely in anger? Everything is full of unknowns and variables. Li Qingge stood aside, watching the changes in the palace with cold eyes, secretly thinking about her own position and choice.

When Qianlong heard this, his face turned as blue as the sky before a storm, and his anger was like a huge wave blown up by a strong wind. He shouted angrily, "The palace rules are strict, like a solid wall of iron and steel, and it is strictly forbidden for young concubines to have any relationship with adult princes. How dare you get involved with Yongqi? Are you hoping that Concubine Yu will die soon so that you can use Xiaoyanzi to make Yongqi recognize you as his mother, in the hope that he will confer you the title of Holy Mother Empress Dowager in the future?" His voice echoed in the magnificent yet cold palace, shaking people's hearts.

Hearing this, Concubine Ling was shocked as if struck by lightning. She couldn't recover for a long time. Her heart was like a surging sea, and she was full of murmurs. Her face, which usually had a gentle smile, was now as pale as snowflakes in winter, and her eyes were shining with disbelief. She secretly thought that what she had dreamed of was the supreme position of empress dowager, where she could enjoy endless wealth and glory by relying on her son. But this position must be given by her own son, so that she could sit firmly and feel at ease.

She tried to win over Xiaoyanzi, on the one hand to take advantage of her favor, and on the other hand to get rid of Yongqi, Qianlong's favorite son and the one who might inherit the throne in the future, so as to pave a smooth path for her son to ascend the throne. She thought her plan was flawless, but she didn't expect it to be exposed so bluntly by Qianlong.

Shocked, Concubine Ling began to sob, tears like pearls falling from a string, rolling down her delicate but helpless face. "It's unfair! I'm wronged! How dare I dream of being the Holy Mother Empress Dowager? Since ancient times, the eldest son has always been the heir. Your Majesty has a legitimate son, Yongji, so how could it be the turn of the illegitimate son, Yongqi, to be the emperor? How dare I have such an unreasonable thought? This little Yanzi is about to die, but she bites people randomly. Your Majesty, please don't listen to her lies, don't be blinded by slander, and wrongly blame your beloved concubine who has been with you for more than ten years!" Her voice was crying, but she still maintained the tenderness in her sorrow, trying to move Qianlong's heart.

When Qianlong heard this, his anger subsided a little, replaced by a little hesitation. He did think about passing the throne to the child born by the queen, whether it was the twelfth prince or the fifth prince. What Concubine Ling said was not unreasonable. He frowned and swept his eyes over everyone, as if looking for the truth.

At this moment, Ziwei suddenly spoke coldly, her voice was like the cold wind in winter, piercing and chilling. "Your Majesty, it is a blessing for the country to have an older monarch. Although the twelfth prince is a legitimate son, he is young. How can he compare with the older and more accomplished fifth prince Yongqi? Since Concubine Ling already knew that Xiaoyanzi was fake and saw that the fifth prince liked her, she tried her best to curry favor with him. I think she must have ulterior motives by doing this." Her eyes were as sharp as a knife, piercing straight at Concubine Ling, as if she wanted to see through her.

Ziwei hated Xiaoyanzi and Concubine Ling so much that she wanted to take this opportunity to drag a few more people into the water to relieve her anger. Xiaoyanzi also wanted to drag a few more people to share the responsibility, so she and Ziwei reached a consensus and together they would hold Concubine Ling and other people involved in the case accountable. Their voices rose and fell, like the chirping of cicadas in summer, making people upset.

For a moment, the Yangxin Palace was as noisy as a market, with noisy voices, just like a farce. Li Qingge and Rong Mama sat aside, watching the scene, and found it quite interesting. Li Qingge's mouth curled up a playful smile, and her clear eyes flashed with a cunning light. She whispered to Rong Mama: "The drama in this palace is really more exciting than the troupe outside our palace." Rong Mama also smiled and nodded, and the two smiled at each other, as if they were watching a free drama.

Qianlong had a terrible headache and was helpless. He shouted, "Enough! Shut up! You are all deceiving the emperor and are all sinners!" His voice was as deafening as thunder, and the whole palace seemed to tremble.

As soon as these words were spoken, the hall instantly fell silent, leaving only the rapid breathing and heartbeats of the crowd. Qianlong's eyes swept through the crowd like a sharp sword, as if he wanted to see through their thoughts.

Just as Qianlong was about to pronounce the verdict, Concubine Ling suddenly cried out in pain and fear. Then Lamei screamed, "Oh no! Your Majesty is frightened. I'm afraid she's going to have a miscarriage." Her voice was sharp and piercing, like lightning that cuts through the night sky.