How can you rule the world if I'm just a substitute for you?

A moment later, Zhang Wu, the commander of the Imperial Guards, strode out of the dungeon and bowed in return.

"Your Majesty, the dungeon is empty; no one has been found."

Lin Fu's expression changed drastically, and he panicked instantly. He rushed straight into the dungeon.

The dungeon was completely empty, with no room to hide anyone.

Only a few bags of moisture-proof lime powder were piled up in the corner.

Lin Fu stood in the dungeon, his mind racing.

impossible.

Last night, his informants in the Eastern Palace clearly reported that the Crown Prince, upon learning that His Majesty was coming to question him, hid in his bedchamber the entire time and did not step out.

Last night, the Eastern Palace was under complete lockdown, and no one was allowed to leave their sleeping quarters without permission.

The dungeon was so small that there was nowhere to hide.

An incredibly terrifying thought suddenly surged into Lin Fu's mind.

It's hard to hide a living person, but it's easiest to hide a dead person.

Those standing outside were all stand-ins from beginning to end.

The true prince is dead.

Thinking of this, Lin Fu felt a chill run down his spine. He immediately rushed out of the dungeon, walked straight to Emperor Qian, and knelt down heavily with a thud.

He pointed at Lin Xuan, his voice sharp and piercing:

"Father! This person is definitely not the Crown Prince; he is the Crown Prince's double!"

"The true crown prince has likely been murdered, and his body is hidden inside his bedchamber!"

Upon hearing this, the entire audience of officials erupted in uproar and fell into a deathly silence.

Everyone looked dazed and terrified.

The crown prince was murdered by a body double, who then impersonated him and entered the Eastern Palace.

If this is true, it will shake the entire Daqian Dynasty and cause the royal family to lose face completely!

A cold glint flashed in Emperor Qian's eyes, and his aura suddenly intensified. He spoke in a deep voice:

"Third brother, do you know what you're saying? The assassination of the crown prince is no small matter!"

Lin Fu looked up, his tone incredibly firm:

"Father, everything I've said is true! Just dig up the ground and search to find out the truth!"

Shen Qingyi froze completely, her legs went weak, and she was in a state of extreme panic.

She clearly remembered that Lin Xuan had been disposing of the corpse in the dungeon last night.

The body must have been buried underground in the dungeon.

Once the body is excavated, it will be immediately exposed, and both she and Lin Xuan will surely die!

In her panic, a warm, large hand quietly grasped hers and gently squeezed it.

Lin Xuan turned his head and gave her a reassuring look, signaling her to calm down.

Lin Xuan then looked up at Lin Fu, who was kneeling on the ground, and burst into laughter, his eyes full of mockery.

"Hahaha, this is utterly ridiculous."

"Third brother, in order to frame me and seize the throne, you dare to spout such nonsense."

"Do you think your father, and all the officials in the court, are fools?"

Lin Fu coldly looked back at him, gritting his teeth and saying in a hard voice:

"Whether it's madness or not, dig up the ground and you'll see!"

Emperor Qian looked at Lin Xuan with a deep gaze.

He had to admit that the Crown Prince's temperament and style of doing things were completely different from before. But to conclude that the person in front of him was fake based on just a few words from Lin Fu would be too arbitrary.

But the third brother was always calm and composed, and never dared to make outrageous remarks without reason.

Emperor Qian turned to look at the civil and military officials behind him and asked:

"My esteemed ministers, what are your thoughts on this matter?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Gao Song, the Vice Minister of War, immediately stepped forward and bowed.

This man was none other than the Third Prince Lin Fu's top henchman.

"Your Majesty, I believe it is better to believe it exists than to believe it doesn't."

"This matter concerns the authenticity of the crown prince and the very foundation of the Great Qian Dynasty."

"If the true crown prince is murdered, and a villain takes his place in the Eastern Palace, eventually ascending the throne, our Great Qian will lose all face, and the world will descend into chaos!"

"We beg Your Majesty's permission to excavate the imperial bedchamber to prove our innocence!"

Emperor Qian surveyed the room: "What are the opinions of the others?"

As soon as he finished speaking, most of the officials in the court stepped forward to echo his sentiments.

"We, your humble servants, second this request: Your Majesty, please excavate the imperial bedchamber to ascertain the truth!"

These officials had already secretly pledged allegiance to the Third Prince, so naturally they all spoke up for Lin Fu.

Not a single official in the court stood on Lin Xuan's side.

Upon seeing this, Lin Xuan immediately pointed at Gao Song, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, and sternly rebuked him:

"A bunch of blind fools!"

"I'm standing right here, alive and well, and you all ignore me, instead believing the third brother's nonsense!"

Gao Song cupped his hands and replied, "Your Highness, the truth will be revealed with a little digging. I hope Your Highness will not be angry and will understand."

"Forgive your mother my ass..."

Lin Xuan immediately launched into a tirade of curses, his aura sharp and imposing.

"You, you, you have disgraced us!" Gao Song pointed at Lin Xuan, trembling. He hadn't expected Lin Xuan to unleash his full power in public.

Just as the scene was in chaos, Emperor Qian's majestic voice suddenly fell, silencing the commotion.

He looked at Lin Xuan and asked in a deep voice, "Your Highness, what is your opinion on this matter?"

Lin Xuan knew immediately that Emperor Qian had become thoroughly suspicious.

He calmly cupped his hands, looked directly at Emperor Qian, neither dodging nor avoiding the gaze:

"Father, since my third brother insists on slandering me as a substitute and insists on digging it out..."

"Then let him dig."

"But I have one condition."

"I am the rightful heir apparent of the Great Qian Dynasty, yet today I have been unjustly accused of regicide and impersonation, and have lost all face."

"If the body is not found after the excavation, my third brother and all those who colluded with him must give me an explanation!"

Lin Fu did not hesitate at all and immediately responded loudly:

"If no body is found, I am willing to submit to Your Majesty's disposal without a single complaint!"

"it is good."

Emperor Qian did not hesitate any longer and immediately issued the order.

"Men, excavate the ground inside and outside the Crown Prince's palace and search thoroughly!"

The imperial guards immediately obeyed the order, grabbed shovels and spades, and rushed into the crown prince's palace to begin digging.

Soil flew everywhere, and the sound of digging echoed throughout the entire Eastern Palace.

Shen Qingyi's palms were covered in cold sweat, her heart was pounding, and she stared intently in the direction of the palace, her whole body tense, awaiting the final judgment.

A full hour passed.

The imperial guards dug several meters deep into the floor of the palace, turning up soil everywhere, leaving the entire palace in a state of utter chaos.

But no matter how much they dug, they found nothing.

Zhang Wu, the commander of the Imperial Guards, was covered in sweat and panting as he knelt down to report back.

"Your Majesty, we have thoroughly excavated the entire palace, both inside and out, and even dug more than three meters into the dungeon. We have not found any bodies."

Lin Fu's pupils contracted sharply, his eyes filled with disbelief. He stepped forward and shouted sternly:

"Impossible! You must have dug too shallow. Keep digging!"

Zhang Wu looked helpless and replied with his hands clasped in greeting:

"Your Highness, the dungeon was dug three meters deep, and the floor of the bedchamber was also dug two meters deep. In one night, it is absolutely impossible for just two people to dig such a deep pit to hide a corpse."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Qian instantly understood everything.

Last night, the Eastern Palace was completely surrounded by the Imperial Guards, and only the Crown Prince and Crown Princess were inside the sleeping quarters.

With limited manpower, it was impossible to dig a deep pit to bury the body overnight.

Moreover, all the imperial guards outside the palace heard everything clearly last night. The two of them were up all night in the sleeping quarters, so they didn't have time to dig up the body and hide it.

All doubts were dispelled.

Shen Qingyi's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled down, and she breathed a long sigh of relief.

She turned her head to look at Lin Xuan beside her, her eyes full of doubt.

They dug three feet into the ground throughout the entire Eastern Palace, but found no corpses.

Where exactly did Lin Xuan hide the true prince's body?

Lin Xuan stepped forward, looked at Lin Fu with indifferent eyes, and asked in a cold voice.

"Third brother, now that things have come to this, do you have anything to say?"

"Should we continue digging?"

Lin Fu trembled all over, muttering to himself incessantly:

"Impossible... Absolutely impossible... The body must be here..."

He refused to accept the outcome.

Suddenly, Lin Fu seemed to remember something.

It doesn't matter if we can't find the body.

There's no need to be fixated on the corpse.

If it can be proven that the person in front of us is the prince's double, all problems will be solved.

"Father, I have a way to prove that the person before me is not the real Crown Prince!"