Chapter 283: Accusation

Although it was like a dream, the sounds from the main hall continued to come.

“…This official has long been suspicious and has been secretly collecting evidence.”

“…Absurd!!”

“The Censorate has gone mad!!”

“…Guo Shun! How dare you! Do you know what you are saying!”

“…This official knows, and this official dares to stake his life on it, what this official says is true!”

“…Your Majesty, Zhang Ze has confessed!”

“…Your Majesty, this is Zhang Ze’s confession.”

“…The physician, the midwife who participated at that time, and the biological parents of that infant are all waiting outside the hall!”

The Emperor’s shocked voice, Guo Shun’s responses, and the uproar from the court officials were like waves, surging endlessly. Bai Ying swayed, her ears clear at one moment and then blurred the next.

She thought of many things, yet her mind seemed blank. It seemed like a long time had passed, and just as she felt like she was being swallowed by the tide and the world had fallen silent, a furious shout came from afar.

“Bai Ying!”

With this shout, the tide receded, and there were sounds of doors and windows falling, chaotic footsteps, and cries of alarm one after another.

“Your Majesty!”

“Your Majesty, be careful!”

Bai Ying turned her head and saw the Emperor kick open a partition wall panel leading to the side hall.

The Emperor was so furious that he didn’t bother summoning anyone or going through the door, he just rushed over and kicked the wall.

The officials in the hall were startled.

His Majesty is so valiant, he can kick down a partition wall…

Bai Ying was also a little surprised.

That wooden panel was something she had someone replace. It looked the same as the partition wall, but it was actually much thinner and more transparent, allowing the court discussions from the main hall to be heard more clearly.

This was done without the Emperor’s knowledge.

But the Emperor actually found this spot, which means…

“Your Majesty,” Bai Ying looked at the Emperor, her voice murmuring, “You actually knew about this panel…”

“Yes, that’s right, I know you changed the panel.” The Emperor looked at Bai Ying, who was still sitting, his expression both sad and angry. “But I knew you were afraid, you wanted to be able to hear my voice at any time, you wanted to be closer to me.”

So he turned a blind eye and pretended not to know.

Bai Ying looked at the Emperor, tears glistening in her eyes: “Your Majesty is so good to me.”

The Emperor’s face froze, as if he had momentarily forgotten what he was doing. However, because the Emperor had stepped through the doorway, the Golden Armored Guards on duty in the hall, including Guo Shun, all rushed over.

“Your Majesty!”

“What this official said is true, please confront the Noble Consort!”

The noise surged into the side hall from the main hall like a tide.

The Emperor was also jolted back to his senses.

“Silence!” he shouted.

This was probably the first time the Emperor had shouted like this, and the entire hall fell silent.

The Emperor walked step by step towards Bai Ying.

“You should have heard already.” He asked through gritted teeth, “I’m asking you now, is what Guo Shun accused true? My precious boy…”

When he said the words “precious boy,” the Emperor’s voice was hoarse and he couldn’t speak.

Bai Ying got up and looked at Wang Degui: “Go and bring the precious boy here.”

Wang Degui fearfully responded with a “Yes” and stumbled out. Not long after, he came back holding the little prince. Whether it was because he was suddenly taken from the wet nurse’s arms, or because he suddenly saw so many people in the room, the little prince’s face was wrinkled. But when he saw the Emperor, he immediately reached out his hands towards him.

The Emperor subconsciously took a step forward and reached out his hand.

Bai Ying was one step ahead and hugged the child.

The little prince immediately started crying loudly, struggling to reach out to the Emperor.

“Your Majesty, look, the precious boy only wants you.” Bai Ying said, “How can you bear to ask if he is your own…”

The little prince cried even louder, looking at the Emperor and stretching out his chubby hands.

The Emperor couldn’t help but take the child, holding him tightly and choking back sobs, “Precious boy, Daddy…”

“Your Majesty!” Guo Shun shouted, “Don’t be deceived by the Noble Consort! Look, these are the real parents of the fake prince.”

As he spoke, a man and a woman were pushed forward. Their expressions were fearful, tears streaming down their faces, but the woman’s gaze couldn’t help but look at the child in the Emperor’s arms.

Everyone in the hall looked at the child, then at the couple, their expressions becoming strange and complicated.

A five-month-old child, seen alone, is just a child. But if they are with their parents, you can indeed see the resemblance if you look closely.

This child especially resembled the man.

Everyone’s gaze fell on the Emperor’s face.

✿✿✿

With this comparison, the little prince really didn’t look like the Emperor.

“Your Majesty, the midwife has already confessed…”

“Enough! Stop talking! Do you want to anger His Majesty to death?”

With Bai Ying’s sudden shout, Guo Shun’s voice stopped.

The Emperor’s body trembled, his chubby face somewhat distorted. Whether it was because they were frightened by his expression or because the strength of his embrace suddenly increased, the child in his arms, who had stopped crying, burst into tears again.

Bai Ying stepped forward and took the child from his arms.

“Your Majesty,” she said, rocking the crying child, “There is indeed something I’ve been hiding from you.”

The Emperor looked at her without saying a word.

“My younger sister Bai Li is not dead.” Bai Ying said, “She has been on the run.”

The officials in the hall remembered, there was such a thing, but in fact, they didn’t really care. Most of the cases determined by the Censorate were wrongful convictions, not truly heinous crimes.

If she ran away, she ran away, it was a good thing.

The Emperor’s voice trembled: “Is this why you hate me? I’ve said so many times that I would exonerate the Bai family, exempt your sister from death and punishment, but you didn’t agree, you…”

“No, I don’t hate Your Majesty because of this.” Bai Ying said, “But I have wronged Your Majesty. Not only did I hide from you that my sister is not dead, but I also helped her become the Princess of Chu.”

Princess of Chu?!

The officials in the hall looked over in astonishment and only then saw that the Prince of Chu and a woman were also in the hall, the woman holding a baby girl in her arms.

Unlike the child in Consort Bai’s arms who was crying and gasping for breath, this child didn’t make a sound, her eyes wide open and darting around.

The family of three stood in the hall silent as if they didn’t exist.

They all knew that the Prince of Chu had elevated his maidservant to the position of his wife, which was truly disgraceful. They didn’t even bother attending the Prince of Chu’s wedding. This was the first time they had seen this Princess of Chu, and it turned out she was Bai Ying’s younger sister.

The Emperor also looked over, his originally agitated expression slightly stunned.

“She…”

He seemed to remember, the Princess of Chu’s surname was Bai, he didn’t pay attention to her name. The marriage certificate was written by Li Yu, he just copied it and didn’t care.

“Your Majesty, I am Bai Li.” Bai Li spoke at this moment, holding the child and curtseying, “I deceived Your Majesty about my true identity.”

The Emperor was about to say something when Bai Ying’s voice rang out again.

“It’s all my fault, I thought you were pitiful and helped you hide, but I didn’t expect you to hate His Majesty for killing your whole family and want revenge!”

“You couldn’t seduce me, so you colluded with the Censorate, framed and slandered the little prince!”

“Ah Li! You’re really crazy!”

“Did the Prince of Chu ask you to do this?”

“Don’t you know that the Prince of Chu has long had ulterior motives!”

This series of shouts stunned everyone in the hall.

How did it become the Princess of Chu and the Prince of Chu having ulterior motives?

Was Guo Shun’s accusation from the Censorate false?

Bai Li took a step forward.

“Bai Ying!” she called out, looking into her eyes, “Dare you say that again!”

Bai Ying looked at her, subconsciously retreating to the Emperor’s side, choked with sobs and anger: “What do I not dare! Ah Li, you’re really insane, Father’s matter has nothing to do with His Majesty, you can’t resent His Majesty and do such crazy things!”

“Your Majesty! What this official has done has nothing to do with the Prince of Chu and his wife!” Guo Shun shouted, “This official has evidence, confessions, witnesses, and material evidence…”

The Emperor’s gaze shifted between Bai Li and Bai Ying, his chest heaving violently. He was about to say something, but when he opened his mouth, he suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood.

“Your Majesty!!”

Exclamations rang out in the hall.

Bai Ying had already rushed forward to support the Emperor.

“Someone come!!!” her voice was sharp, drowning out everyone else, “Protect the Emperor!! The Prince of Chu and his wife poisoned His Majesty, intending to usurp the throne!!!”

With her shout, the Golden Armored Guards in the hall drew their weapons with a clatter. Some surrounded the Emperor and Bai Ying, while others surrounded the Prince of Chu and his wife.

The weapons of those surrounding the Emperor and Bai Ying were pointed outwards, while those surrounding the Prince of Chu and his wife were pointed directly at them.

Along with exclamations and screams, the Golden Armored Guards beat Guo Shun and the guards, witnesses he had brought with weapons. At the same time, heavy footsteps sounded from outside the hall, and the Imperial Guards on duty outside instantly surrounded the hall door.

The exclamations and screams disappeared in an instant.

The hall, both inside and out, fell silent.

The officials stood in the hall, watching this scene, their faces pale. What was going on again?

It’s written, so it’s updated!

（But tomorrow’s update becomes uncertain…）

Written on my phone, tell me if there are any typos and I’ll fix them.