Even emperors have it tough, so don't be too picky about the entries.

"Are you two aware of the blood test for kinship?"

Blood kinship testing, also known as blood matching.

It is the most mainstream method of paternity testing in this era.

It has also been incorporated into forensic medicine and adopted as official judicial practice.

"And then?" The Empress Dowager raised an eyebrow.

"It's easy to do. Just find someone to come and acknowledge Chen Shao."

"But blood has to mix, right?"

Han Cao stroked his beard lightly. "I also have some knowledge of pharmacology; I guarantee they'll be compatible!"

"Tomorrow we can conduct the kinship verification ceremony at the court assembly, in front of all the civil and military officials. Once the match is confirmed, the evidence will be irrefutable, and who in the world can say anything against us?"

"really?"

"really!"

The three exchanged a glance and chuckled.

The Empress Dowager frowned. "Then... after deposing him, who should be made emperor?"

The moment this question was raised, the atmosphere of shared hatred and indignation vanished instantly.

Han Cao pondered for a moment: "This old minister still thinks that the Second Prince Chen Shu is the most suitable."

"fart!"

How could Yuwen Huagu possibly agree? He immediately roared in anger:

"Prime Minister Han, even at this point you still harbor selfish motives. If that's the case, then I, the general, will recommend the third, fourth, or fifth princes."

Han Cao argued forcefully: "You should not be prejudiced against me. The reason I recommended the Second Prince is by no means because I have a close personal relationship with him."

"As Headmaster Shen said, the Second Prince is arrogant and conceited, ambitious but incompetent, and easy to manipulate."

"That third prince is such a sissy, trying to gain fame and fortune; he's even easier to manipulate."

"you!"

"What do you mean, 'you'?!"

"Enough!" The Empress Dowager rubbed her temples.

"If you're going to compete in stupidity, who can be more stupid than the First Prince Chen Jing? He's notoriously stupid throughout the entire royal family. Wouldn't it be better if he were to sit on the throne?"

All three of them fell silent.

Although the words are crude but the reasoning is sound, they just sound really strange.

But that's exactly what everyone's thoughts are.

Han Cao thought for a moment, then said:

"Such disputes will not yield any results. It would be better to depose Chen Shao first, and not to establish a new emperor for the time being."

"The Empress Dowager ruled from behind the curtain, the senior ministers acted as regents and discussed state affairs, and the Grand General commanded the three armies."

"Wouldn't it be safer to choose a wise prince from the imperial clan after we've defeated the Northern Barbarians?"

This proposal was a compromise and was immediately passed with three votes.

......

The following day, at the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

As usual, the court assembly was presided over by Han Cao.

With the Northern Mang army pressing in, the only remaining question was how to fight, rather than whether to fight at all.

It was nothing more than specific tasks such as allocating grain and fodder, conscripting laborers, and repairing city walls.

Chen Shao had no say and was already yawning repeatedly.

He spent the whole night figuring out how to combine these terms to create something useful.

He would never use the phrase "enduring hardship to achieve his goal" again, and even thinking about it now makes his tongue go numb.

The "Rotation Technique" is useful, but it lacks a practical example, doesn't it?

If these two terms are combined...

It seems pretty good.

Adding to the abstract term "hero of the common people," Chen Shao felt deeply that this system was not meant to make him an emperor for all time.

It's to let him retire and become the top courtesan in the brothel.

His mind was filled with all sorts of nonsense, so he couldn't make any decisions in court and didn't listen to a single word.

Occasionally, a glance would reveal Han Cao pontificating, full of confidence and arguing about the state of the land.

Finally, the eunuch shouted at the top of his lungs: "If you gentlemen have nothing more to report, this will be the end of today."

Chen Shaocai's body trembled.

If you're not proactive about leaving get off work, there's something wrong with your head.

"Your Majesty, I have something to report." Zhou Wenli, a senior official in the Ministry of Justice, stepped forward.

Han Cao's expression remained unchanged, except that his eyebrows were slightly raised.

"What brings you here, Lord Zhou?"

Zhou Wenli pulled a memorial from his sleeve, presented it with both hands, and bowed, saying:

"Your Majesty, Empress Dowager, and Chancellor, I recently discovered something while reviewing an old case."

"This matter...is of great importance. I have thought it over and over again and dare not conceal it. Therefore, I dare to present it to you today."

Han Cao took the memorial presented by the eunuch and glanced at it.

The next moment, his expression changed drastically.

Snapped!

He slammed the memorial to the ground.

"Zhou Wenli!"

Han Cao roared, "How dare you!"

The entire court was startled by this shout and shuddered in unison.

Han Cao was known for never showing his emotions in court.

There are so many things that could make him fly into a rage that you can't even count them on your fingers.

"What utter nonsense is written in this memorial! How dare you slander the current emperor as not being the biological son of the retired emperor!"

These words shocked the entire hall.

What an incredibly shocking piece of gossip!

"His Majesty's bloodline is written in black and white on the Imperial Clan Register!"

"You, a mere fifth-rank physician, dare to question the emperor's bloodline with nothing but empty words?"

Han Cao grew angrier and angrier as he spoke, "Zhou Wenli, how many heads do you have on your neck?"

Zhou Wenli knelt down with a thud.

But they showed no sign of backing down.

"Lord Xiangguo, calm down!"

"Precisely because this matter is of great importance, I dare not conceal it!"

"Such an important matter, if I didn't have a high degree of certainty, I wouldn't dare to speak recklessly in the Hall of Supreme Harmony even if I had a hundred lives!"

"Your Majesty, I humbly request permission to summon those involved to the palace for a face-to-face confrontation. The truth will then be revealed in a single question!"

Han Cao was furious, his chest heaving as he stared intently at Zhou Wenli.

"Zhou Wenli, I'm giving you one last chance."

"Now I'm taking back the petition. Considering your hard work in handling the case but your momentary lapse in judgment, I can grant you a lighter sentence."

"Every word I have said is true, and I dare not retract it!"

"you!"

Han Cao swayed and almost fell to the ground.

Just as he was about to say, "Fine, fine, I'll make you die willingly," he heard Chen Shao's voice.

"Why is Prime Minister Han so angry? Just bring the person up. My innocence does indeed need to be proven, otherwise I won't feel at ease sitting on this throne."

Chen Shao was initially confused by the two's back-and-forth banter, but then he suddenly realized what was going on.

So that's the trick they were using.

This guy surnamed Han, with acting skills like that, is too good for stand-up comedy; he should at least be a double award-winning actor.

Han Cao was taken aback, then looked troubled: "Your Majesty, this...this is simply..."

Chen Shao smiled and said, "The innocent will remain innocent, and the guilty will remain guilty."

Han Cao nodded and kicked Zhou Wenli in the butt.

"Why haven't you brought him up yet? If it's discovered that you've slandered His Majesty..."

"I am willing to die!"

"Okay." Han Cao nodded and said nothing more.

A moment later.

The palace doors were pushed open, and a couple was brought in.

Both men were around forty years old, but their faces were already lined with wrinkles, and their coarse cloth clothes were faded from washing.

They look like honest and law-abiding ordinary people.

Upon entering the main hall, he knelt down with a thud and kowtowed repeatedly.

The two knelt in the center of the hall, and the atmosphere in the entire Hall of Supreme Harmony instantly froze.

Han Cao cleared his throat: "Who goes there? State your name!"

The man said tremblingly:

"Liu Er, a commoner, and his wife, are originally from Hejian Prefecture. They moved to the capital eighteen years ago and work there."

"We had a son back then, but the child was taken away by someone. That person gave us three taels of silver, saying... that they would send the child to the palace and give him the title of the sixth prince..."

This statement is full of flaws.

Putting aside the coincidence, who wouldn't kill someone to cover up such a thing? Especially in a place as cold and indifferent as the royal family?

Immediately, a minister stepped forward.

"Nonsense!"

"That's utter nonsense!"

"Who is this troublemaker who dares to spout nonsense in the Hall of Supreme Harmony!"

"His Majesty is a descendant of the retired Emperor, a fact known throughout the land! Who instructed you to act on his behalf?!"

Liu Er trembled with fear, stammering, "This humble subject...this humble subject would never lie, every word is true..."

Zhou Wenli seized the opportunity to step forward.

"Whether this is true or false can be determined by a blood test; one drop of blood will tell!"