The official’s eyes revealed hesitation, as if he wished to speak but held back, yet had no choice but to continue. “It should not be discussed at this time, but this subject indeed has an urgent matter in mind concerning the continuation of the imperial line. I fear for the stability of the realm, and thus hesitate here—unsure whether I should speak.”
His words were like a heavy stone dropped into a lake, disturbing the dense shadows of trees.
The music in the hall abruptly stopped, and the previous noise vanished completely.
All eyes suddenly focused on the official in the center, many carrying uncertainty and suspicion, as though none had expected a disruption today.
The smile on the Emperor’s face slowly disappeared. He first fell silent, his gaze sweeping one by one across those below—from the Crown Prince and Second Prince born of him, to ministers such as Prime Minister Pei and General Cui—before finally settling on the bowed Assistant Minister of Justice.
Most people, whether they had doubts or only pretended to, remained calm and composed, like thousand-year-old foxes, revealing nothing.
After more than a decade as ruler and subject, he understood these people, and these people also understood him.
Since they understood him, they should know that today, he did not wish for any accidents.
“Minister Deng.” The Emperor rested his hand on the arm of the chair and looked steadily at the Assistant Minister of Justice, speaking calmly, “This is a palace banquet, not a morning court. If there is an urgent matter, there is no need to report it now.”
“Forgive this subject’s rudeness, but this matter concerns the stability of our dynasty for a hundred years; this subject dares not fail to report it.” Minister Deng let out a long sigh, lifted his robe, and knelt heavily to the ground, kowtowing deeply in a grand salute.
“Your Majesty, Minister Deng has always been loyal and dutiful, abiding by his responsibilities. Now that he has spoken so rashly at the banquet, perhaps there truly is an urgent matter.” An official at the side stepped forward and bowed as he made the request.
“For Minister Deng to be so abrupt before the Son of Heaven, he must already be prepared to accept punishment. Since Your Majesty and all officials are present, let him explain his offense openly and fairly, understand his reasoning, and then it will not be too late to punish him.”
“Your Majesty, this subject concurs.”
“This subject…”
While the civil officials spoke thus, someone among the military officials let out a blunt scoff, dismissive.
General Cui, his temples streaked with gray, stroked his beard and looked thoughtfully at the Empress, then glanced at the composed and unruffled Crown Prince, smiling as he said, “At the Crown Prince’s banquet, you openly stir trouble—what you are thinking, you yourselves know. Could it be that His Majesty does not know as well?”
With these words, he directly pushed the matter toward the direction of factional collusion.
“This humble subject harbors not the slightest selfish intent, and can face his conscience without shame. Slander will naturally collapse on its own.” Minister Deng’s brow twitched slightly as he remained prostrated, speaking, “This subject is loyal with a crimson heart. Even at the cost of my life, I must exchange it for the lasting clarity of the state and its people. I beg Your Majesty to discern clearly!”
“If there was something to report, why not earlier or later, but specifically at the Crown Prince’s banquet? Your intentions are plainly revealed.” The Crown Prince’s Chief Attendant said with a smile.
“If your heart is without guilt, why obstruct in every possible way?” another retorted in questioning.
The noblewomen found the scene before them rather novel. At ordinary palace banquets, they would follow the Empress or the Empress Dowager in separate halls, clearly divided. Only at special grand banquets such as today would they sit together.
Thus, the officials went back and forth, endlessly.
Seeing the Emperor’s expression grow displeased, Cui Yiyu rose to his feet and performed an elegant salute. “Minister Deng is loyal and dutiful, and exceptionally intelligent. Since he knows that stepping forward rashly is improper, he must have reason and evidence.”
He seemed unconcerned, as if he did not know what Minister Deng would say, only seeking to ease the situation. “Father Emperor might as well let him speak clearly before the civil and military officials, so as to prevent doubts arising in court and wrongful grievances lingering, which would instead leave hidden trouble.”
Cui Yiyu inclined his head slightly, his back straight as a ruler. Having drunk wine, the corners of his eyes were tinged faintly red, yet his gaze remained clear and bright. His thin lips parted, without the slightest hesitation.
Whether he had long expected someone to cause trouble today and thus prepared in advance, or whether he was upright and self-assured, entirely unafraid of others’ slander—none could tell.
The Emperor pondered, then turned to look at Minister Deng, his sigh carrying a hint of appeasement. “If you withdraw now, I will not pursue your crime.”
The Crown Prince seemed more difficult to read than before; it was unclear whether he had grown after marriage.
Prime Minister Pei looked at the at-ease Cui Yiyu and suddenly frowned, suspicion rising in his eyes.
This matter had been verified by multiple parties, nearly certain… could the Crown Prince still have a way to resolve it?
His gaze shifted between the Emperor and Empress, then finally landed on Lin Yuanjin. He saw her uneasy and restless, her eyes almost glued to the Crown Prince.
Prime Minister Pei felt more reassured.
Young people who had not weathered storms could not hide matters on their faces.
“This subject… has doubts.” Minister Deng said.
The Emperor closed his eyes and gave a faint “Mm.” “Rise,” he said. When he opened his eyes again, his presence was imposing without anger. “Speak. What is it that you do not understand?”
“Yes!” Minister Deng straightened up, his voice mild, yet every word clear. “This subject has doubts. I dare to ask Your Majesty: if the Crown Prince has an illness that hinders heirs, and thus members of the imperial clan develop ulterior thoughts, officials in court waver, busy forming factions and opposing one another, implicating the countless common people—then from this point, the state would waver and never know peace again.”
“In such a case, can the Crown Prince still be ‘Crown Prince’?”
As soon as these words fell, an uproar broke out.
Hah!
Chaotic gazes shifted between Minister Deng and Cui Yiyu. Such grave words were no different from pointing at the Crown Prince’s face and cursing him, declaring him unfit to be Crown Prince—half a step into the gates of death.
If today the Crown Prince were innocent, then Minister Deng, who had spread such accusations in public, would face a capital crime!
But what matter could possibly make someone risk so much to openly oppose the Crown Prince?
“Minister Deng, as an official of the Ministry of Justice, you should know that words cannot be spoken carelessly, and guilt is not something declared at will.” The Vice Minister of War shook his head and spoke with a smile, as though he did not take his words seriously at all.
“Ten days ago, in the dead of night, Imperial Physician Sun from the Imperial Medical Bureau knocked on this subject’s door and handed over the pulse record he took when he visited the Crown Prince’s residence three months ago to examine His Highness.” Minister Deng’s eyes carried sorrow, his rims reddening, as though he had turned this over in his heart for a long time and now spoke only out of utter necessity. “The pulse record states that His Highness the Crown Prince has already lost the ability to produce heirs, and even the imperial physician… is powerless to reverse it.”
The palace hall, which had been noisy just moments ago, suddenly fell into absolute silence. Even the sound of breathing seemed to vanish, as though all feared disturbing this dreadful stillness.
Minister Deng had actually accused the Crown Prince of the current dynasty—of being cut off from descendants!
A strange tale not seen in a hundred years. Even if not proven today, it would certainly be recorded in the annals of history.
Not to mention others—even the elderly General Cui was stunned.
Having served in court for decades and weathered countless storms, he had thought he had seen everything. Yet upon hearing this, he even suspected his ears were ringing.
He had assumed that the Pei faction would impeach the Crown Prince for moral misconduct, and had already begun rummaging through his limited knowledge to prepare arguments, yet never expected the topic to take such a sharp turn—plunging straight into matters below the waist.
Who present had ever seen such a scene!
Cui Yiyu showed neither joy nor anger, but Lin Yuanjin at his side was different.
The young girl’s picturesque brows and eyes were lively and delicate, her clear eyes like a pool of water. Within her constrained expression was astonishment, as though she truly had not expected the situation before her to become so dramatic.
Others might not know whether the Crown Prince was cut off from descendants, but could it be that the Crown Princess, who shared his bed, would not know?!
Burning gazes fell upon Lin Yuanjin, as though they wished to pierce countless holes through her.
Lin Yuanjin only smiled and shook her head silently. There was not even anger on her face—only a sense of absurdity, and no understanding of it.
Cui Yiyu’s hand moved slightly, his wide sleeve subtly covering her figure, as if offering silent protection.
Lin Yuanjin faintly caught the scent of wine lingering on his fingertips. Subconsciously, she tilted her head; her cheek happened to brush against the back of his hand beneath the sleeve. She felt his wrist tighten, and he shifted slightly to the side.
Cui Yiyu’s brow twitched. With his fingertip, he lightly tapped Lin Yuanjin’s shoulder, silently signaling her to remain composed under the watchful eyes of all and not let her mind fall into disorder.
Unlike most officials, the titled noblewomen cast blazing gazes. They did not look at the strangeness of the matter itself, but instead judged the relationship between the newlywed couple through their reactions.
Care and trust were difficult to feign. At least in their eyes, the Crown Princess’s reliance on the Crown Prince could not be more genuine.
Though this could not determine whether the Crown Prince was truly well, it clearly showed the Crown Princess’s stance.
“Spoken with quite some semblance of truth.” The Empress said with a smile, as though she had heard a joke, speaking indifferently. “If you truly received this information ten days ago, why did you choose today of all days to report it?”
Her words directly pointed to Minister Deng’s ill intent, accusing him of disregarding the dignity of the imperial family.
“Imperial Physician Sun believed his evidence to be conclusive, but this subject had no choice but to verify it again and again, lest the Crown Prince’s innocence be sullied.” Minister Deng replied smoothly.
“The Crown Princess now manages the affairs of the Crown Prince’s residence. Hearing Minister Deng’s words, what do you think?” The Emperor ignored their confrontation, his gaze passing over Cui Yiyu and settling lightly on Lin Yuanjin.
Minister Deng’s expression changed. He had not expected the Emperor to bypass the Crown Prince and directly question the Crown Princess.
But husband and wife were birds of the same forest—sharing fortune and misfortune. Her answer could not be impartial, and the problem was that the Emperor was not an impartial judge; he was clearly biased.
Lin Yuanjin saw Minister Deng staring at her thoughtfully. She raised a docile smile and looked sincerely at the Emperor. “Whether the Crown Prince is well or not, your child knows best.”
The Emperor widened his eyes, clearly not expecting her to speak this way. Thinking of what the Crown Prince had said to him a few days ago about the intimacy of their marriage, he suddenly found a trace of amusement in the otherwise deadlocked situation, though he kept a straight face.
“This child only does not understand why, when I have been married to the Crown Prince for but a few days, Minister Deng would already accuse him of having no chance of heirs.” Lin Yuanjin frowned in confusion. “Even to diagnose a pregnancy would require more than a month, would it not?”
What could five days possibly reveal?
Those present were mostly older than Lin Yuanjin. As soon as she said this, everyone immediately realized that the Crown Princess was young and did not yet understand how many meanings could lie within Minister Deng’s phrase “hindering heirs.”
One kind stopped at the very beginning; the other was futile labor.
What Minister Deng spoke of was clearly the former.
But everyone understood tacitly that such matters could not be explained to the Crown Princess.
Minister Deng could not do so either.
He merely spoke in a low voice and continued presenting evidence: “His Highness the Crown Prince has long been ill without recovery, and has thus turned to placing hope in the common folk, sending people to search for physicians. That physician from the common folk has now been in the Crown Prince’s residence for more than two days.”
