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Chapter 169 Jade Calamity Revealed, Scheme Breaks Palace Banquet, True Identity Verified, Marriage Ends [Part Two]

The fact that King Kang referred to himself as his younger brother suggests that the emperor was older.

However, judging solely from facial features...

The Emperor of Dongling was a young man in his thirties, much younger than the Prince of Kang.

"Speaking of which, this emperor of Dongling Kingdom is quite accomplished in both literature and military strategy. During his reign, he expanded the territory considerably, and the country prospered considerably." Tang Hao looked at the figure on the throne.

He nodded inwardly: 'Moreover, it's said that his cultivation has already reached the Core Formation stage; judging from this, the rumors should be true.'

As Tang Hao's thoughts raced, a voice filled with authority rang out.

His tone was not loud, but his words clearly reached the ears of everyone in the hall.

"Your Highness, today is the grand spring banquet. If you have anything to report, please do so at tomorrow's court assembly. You may leave now!"

Since he chose to launch his attack at this time, King Kang would not be dismissed by this one sentence.

He bowed again and said, "Your Majesty, please forgive me. I did not wish to disrupt the grand banquet, but this matter concerns the auspiciousness of the harvest, so I have no choice but to report it."

"Oh?"

The emperor lowered his gaze, showing no spiritual pressure whatsoever, yet it caused the Prince of Kang to tremble: "Then tell me."

"Yes." King Kang lowered his head, a smile flashing across his lips. "One must be sincere in praying for good fortune, but someone attended the banquet with a false identity. This may damage the fortune and disrupt the agricultural work."

The imperial relatives and high-ranking officials in the Tianyuan Hall naturally knew that this was nothing but high-sounding nonsense.

If the peasant movement is affected by such a trivial matter, then what is the point of fighting a war?

Simply send out some spies and agents to sneak into the enemy country's large-scale celebrations and sacrificial activities.

A few people, however, subtly glanced at Tang Hao.

A seemingly respectable reason can often be very effective in such situations.

The emperor did not ask any questions, but simply watched calmly.

King Kang knew he could continue: "This person is Tang Hao, the heir apparent of Rong!"

"What? The Crown Prince of Rong?"

"What does Prince Kang mean by this? Could it be that someone has come here impersonating the Crown Prince?"

"Hey, you don't know yet? Just wait and see!"

"Tell me quickly, what exactly happened?"

Princess Helian Jinxi of Fu'an looked at Tang Hao with some concern.

He turned to Prince Duan, tugged at his sleeve, and whispered, "Father?"

"Don't be impatient, let's see how things go." Prince Duan frowned, signaling her to wait and see.

Upon hearing this and listening to the discussions of the crowd, Tang Hao immediately put on an absurd expression.

He quickly left his seat and went to the center of the hall. Instead of performing the proper courtesies, he bowed deeply.

Then he turned to Prince Kang and said, "Your Highness, I know you have a long-standing feud with my father, but why are you spouting nonsense in this hall? Have you gone mad?"

King Kang did not argue. His gaze swept across the man's face and then naturally moved down. Sure enough, he saw the jade pendant hanging at the man's waist, and a hint of joy flashed in his eyes.

The emperor raised an eyebrow, glanced at Tang Hao, and made no response to his courtesy.

He asked calmly, "What does Prince Kang mean?"

"Your Majesty, I received an anonymous tip that the Crown Prince has been possessed by someone else." Prince Kang pointed at Tang Hao beside him, his face showing resentment.

Then, he bowed to the throne again and said, "Your subject does not believe it, but this matter is of great importance. It not only involves the Qi Yun, but also the succession of the Rongguo Duke title. We must take it seriously!"

"Seize the body?"

"This Tang Hao is not only the heir of the Rongguo Mansion, but also an inner disciple of the Qinghua Sect. Who would dare to act so recklessly?"

"really!"

"I don't think so. His Highness Prince Kang spoke with such certainty that he must have already obtained evidence."

One word caused a huge uproar, and the Tianyuan Palace instantly turned into a noisy marketplace.

Tang Hao naturally had to cooperate with the other party's performance and couldn't let them put on a one-man show.

He turned to face King Kang, pointing at himself with an incredulous look on his face: "You're saying I've been possessed? How come I don't know anything about it?"

"Is there any evidence?"

As soon as the emperor spoke, the noise in the Tianyuan Hall naturally subsided.

Upon hearing the emperor's question, Prince Kang made a gesture as if he was about to speak.

"Your Majesty! I have evidence."

At this moment, another middle-aged man stood up, shouted a message, and quickly walked from the banquet area to the center of the hall.

"This is the Minister of Works," Helian Chengyu's voice transmitted to Tang Hao, introducing the other party's identity.

Tang Hao nodded slightly: "As expected, I knew it. Prince Kang wouldn't fight alone; that would be too lacking in imposing presence."

The Minister of Works stood still, bowed respectfully, and received a signal from the Emperor.

Then he said, "I noticed that the jade pendant on the Crown Prince's waist is unusual. May I check it first?"

"That's right!"

'This guy doesn't just point fingers directly, he has to go through the motions of inspection to make it more convincing?' Tang Hao snorted coldly when he saw the Minister of Works looking over.

Seemingly resentful, he forcefully ripped off the jade pendant, tossed it aside, and said coldly, "I'd like to see what you have to say."

"Please don't be offended, Your Highness. I was just doing my duty." The Minister of Works nodded and smiled, completely unconcerned about Tang Hao's attitude.

He held the jade pendant in his hand, examining it carefully. He even cast a spell on it with a spiritual light. After a long while, he bowed to the throne.

The official reported in a deep voice: "Your Majesty, the Ministry of Works once forged a similar artifact for the Commander of the Black Dragon Guard. After being refined, this artifact can conceal the imperial edict in one's soul."

Tang Hao knew about the Black Dragon Guard, which was the official intelligence organization of the Eastern Ling Kingdom, similar to the Ming Dynasty's Embroidered Uniform Guard.

"This item has always been used by the Black Dragon Guards to infiltrate the Demonic Sect or enemy countries to conceal their identities. The number of items refined by the Ministry of Works is fixed. This one is not from the Ministry of Works." After the Minister of Works finished reporting, he straightened up.

With a deep, focused gaze, he stared intently at Tang Hao: "May I ask, Your Highness, you are a disciple of a sect, why would you refine and wear this item? Could it be that your true identity is a spy from an enemy country?"

"Aren't you tired of going through all this trouble?" If it weren't for his own plans and schemes, Tang Hao really wouldn't bother wasting his breath on these power-hungry ministers.

He scoffed and said, "This jade pendant was a gift from my father to congratulate me on my promotion to the inner sect. I think it looks good, so naturally I wear it. What, do you have a problem with that?"

"I've given you the starting point, hurry up and bring up the old Duke Tang Ling!" Tang Hao said with some anticipation.

Upon hearing this, both Prince Kang and the Minister of Works were momentarily stunned.

Why is someone trying to get the conversation started? Just follow the script! At this moment, they even began to doubt whether Tang Hao had actually switched the contents.

But things have come to this point, and there's nothing we can do but continue, especially since the next character has already appeared.

A man dressed as a military officer left his seat and said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, I may know the origin of this jade pendant."

"This is the commander of the Black Dragon Guard." Helian Chengyu's introduction came as expected.

"Speak!" The Emperor of Dongling remained calm throughout, as if the open and covert struggles among the crowd could not affect his emotions in the slightest.

Upon seeing this person emerge, he narrowed his eyes slightly.

The Black Dragon Guard Commander also wanted to take a look at the jade pendant.

He nodded with a determined expression and said, "Previously, when I was investigating a case, I arrested a weapon refiner who used to work in the Ministry of Works. I found a jade pendant of the same style in his storage container."

After obtaining the emperor's consent, he issued the order: "Bring the person here."

Before long, two soldiers dressed as Black Dragon Guards escorted an old man into the main hall. The old man was dressed in rags and covered in wounds, clearly having been tortured and interrogated in prison.

As soon as he was released, he knelt down on the ground with a "plop".

"This humble subject pays his respects to Your Majesty the Emperor!" The old man's voice trembled slightly.

With a soft "snap," the jade pendant was tossed in front of the old man.

The Black Dragon Guard commander shouted, "Take a close look at this item. Did you make it?"

The old man shakily picked up the jade pendant, examined its design, and then found his own mark in an inconspicuous place.

He immediately knelt down again: "It was indeed made by this humble commoner."

"Who commissioned you to refine the jade pendant? Take a look, is it him?" The Minister of Works stepped aside slightly, revealing Tang Hao standing to the side.

The old man looked up and shook his head repeatedly, saying, "This humble one cannot be sure. That was more than twenty years ago. The other party was wearing a mask and a cloak, and his aura was concealed, so I cannot identify him."

"However, judging from his accent, he's a local from Shengjing, so he must be quite old, and his cultivation level is probably around the early Foundation Establishment stage." He added some more information.

The old man was also a Foundation Establishment cultivator, and even though a long time had passed, he could still recall these details after a while.

Although he didn't know the other party's identity, Tang Hao had just said that the jade pendant was a promotion gift from the Duke of Rong.

Combined with the details added by the old man, this is undoubtedly equivalent to Tang Hao revealing himself.

For a moment, many people looked at him with strange expressions, clearly realizing the purpose behind the King of Kang's actions.

"Possession, concealment of the emperor's edict, a gift from the Duke of Rong, holy crap!"

"A father taking his son's body—this is an earth-shattering scandal!"

"Although the Duke of Rong's actions are against human ethics, they do not warrant death. He has always been favored by the Emperor, so why would Prince Kang expose this matter at this time?"

"Whatever their plans are, let's just sit back and watch the show."

"Have you all forgotten the other identity of the Crown Prince of Rong?"

Prince Duan sat in his seat, his face grim: "Well, Tang Ling, you're really something. I was going to marry my daughter to your prodigy son, but I never expected you, you old bastard..."

"Father, are they telling the truth? Is the young master really the Duke of Rong? Then will I still marry him?" Helian Jinxi asked in disbelief.

Seeing his daughter's expression, Prince Duan was at a loss for words.

To annul the engagement, both families must agree, but will Tang Ling agree?

It's not particularly shocking that one of the betrothed parties is possessed, but the fact that the possessor is their father, and that the affair is exposed in front of everyone, makes it quite difficult to bear.

'No wonder Tang Ling changed her engagement to Tang Hao.' Prince Duan thought through gritted teeth, 'I was so happy at the time, that my daughter's betrothed had changed from the useless sixth son to the prodigy heir.'

'No, no matter the cost, this engagement must be dissolved, otherwise I'll feel uncomfortable no matter how I think about it,' he secretly made up his mind.

The emperor's usually calm face finally showed a slight change in expression.

His gaze was fixed on Tang Hao, but the report from the palace servants a few days ago flashed through his mind.

'Xiao Jiu isn't ignorant of etiquette. The fact that she was able to bring Tang Hao to see her imperial aunt shows she has her approval. Could he perhaps have a higher status?'

The True Lineage of the Qinghua Sect!
These words surfaced in the emperor's mind, and his heart tightened: 'If that's true, and he's been possessed by Tang Ling, the consequences will be dire.'

The emperor was well aware of Tang Ling's plan, and in fact, he had helped and tacitly approved of it.

But that was earlier, during Tang Hong's time as the heir apparent.

He never expected that Tang Ling would suddenly turn against Tang Hao, given the relationship between Tang Hao and Xiao Jiu.

"Wait, Ninth Prince!" Thinking of Helian Chengyu, the emperor quickly looked at his ninth prince.

However, although the other party looked shocked, there was no anger or killing intent in his eyes. Instead, his eyes kept scanning Kang Wang and the others.

The emperor paused for a moment, then withdrew his gaze, somewhat speechless.

Then Prince Kang stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, it seems the facts are clear. Duke Rong, Tang Ling, forcibly took away my child's body. The evidence is conclusive. I beg Your Majesty to punish him!"

Several more ministers stepped forward and bowed in unison: "Your Majesty, please punish us!"

"Your Highness, what do you have to say?" the emperor asked, tapping his fingers lightly on the table.

Tang Hao bowed and said, "Your Majesty, the Prince Kang and others have made unfounded speculations about my identity, which has caused great damage to my reputation and seriously affected my physical and mental health. They should be severely punished!"

“I demand a public apology from them, as well as compensation, including but not limited to damages for reputation and emotional distress. You can’t let them off the hook either!” he said seriously.

In the main hall, those who were requesting orders, discussing, or watching the play all paused for a moment upon hearing this.

What the hell?

At this point, shouldn't you prove yourself to clear your name and restore your innocence?

Or should we simply confess our guilt and beg Your Majesty for leniency?
Why are they suddenly demanding compensation in such a righteous and assertive manner?

The emperor also had a strange expression.

Tang Ling couldn't pull off that, especially considering the Ninth Prince's behavior.

He believed that Tang Hao had not been possessed by Tang Ling and was about to speak.

The Prince of Kang spoke with an indignant expression: "The Duke of Rong is unrepentant and is still pretending to be crazy, fooling His Majesty and making fun of us. Your Majesty, I beg Your Majesty to verify his identity with the Imperial Seal!"

"Your Majesty, please verify my identity!"

To everyone's surprise, the emperor did not immediately bring out the imperial seal.

Instead, he asked, "What does Your Highness think?"

However, everyone soon understood.

Before it is confirmed that Tang Hao is indeed the body of the Duke of Rong, the identity of the inner disciple of the Qinghua Sect needs to be taken into consideration by the Dongling Kingdom.

Tang Hao raised an eyebrow, glancing at the emperor with surprise: 'To become emperor, one is certainly not someone easily fooled; it seems he has seen through everything.'

He then snorted coldly and said, "Testing is fine, but besides what I just mentioned, could Your Majesty grant me one request?"

"Please speak freely, Your Highness." The emperor's lips twitched, unsure of what he was planning.

"My father arranged this marriage for me, and I should fulfill my filial duty and honor the agreement. However, as an inner disciple of the Qinghua Sect, I am devoted to the Dao and have no interest in romantic relationships. I beg Your Majesty to make the decision!"

This was one of the things Tang Hao wanted; the marriage agreement with the Prince Duan's family was a constraint for him.

If it is not rectified, regardless of whether it is fulfilled or not afterward, it will have a great karmic consequence.

Once it is verified that the person in question has not been possessed by Tang Ling, the Prince Duan's mansion will naturally not give up on the marriage agreement, and then they will have no choice but to ask the Emperor of Dongling to issue an imperial decree.

Both Prince Duan and his daughter were taken aback upon hearing this, and couldn't help but exchange a glance.

A sudden realization dawned on him: 'It seems Tang Hao wasn't possessed by Tang Ling!'

Princess Fu'an's expression immediately darkened, and Prince Duan quickly comforted her, saying, "He doesn't want to fulfill the marriage agreement; that's because he doesn't know what's good for him. Daughter, you..."

"I'm fine. Anyway, the engagement wasn't with him in the first place." Princess Fu'an forced a smile.

The emperor gave Tang Hao a meaningful look, then glanced at Prince Duan and his daughter.

After a moment's hesitation, he agreed, "I grant your permission!"

Then, he cupped his hands in front of him.

A seal, its gold and black colors intertwined, suddenly appeared.

Immediately afterwards, the seal trembled slightly.

A beam of spiritual light, imbued with aura of fortune, landed between Tang Hao's eyebrows.

(End of this chapter)