Chapter 113: Is there any need to distinguish between true and false? Do you take me for the late Emperor!

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No, who is this? The prince doesn’t look like this at all! Zhang Min’s calves trembled with shock as she stared at the child who resembled a miniature emperor, falling into deep self-doubt.

“My son, no matter who hid you away, from now on, your father—the emperor—will never allow anyone to harm you!” Zhu Jianshen gently cupped little Jianshen’s face and solemnly promised.

The deposed Empress Wu hid the prince? What a joke! Even the late emperor wouldn’t buy that! My imperial palace is not some cramped, impenetrable fortress. You can’t just hide someone for six years, let alone if it was done by a deposed empress—that’s simply impossible.

The palace is full of people who are indifferent and opportunistic. A mere deposed empress wouldn’t have that kind of power; if she did, I wouldn’t even be able to sleep!

The only ones capable of hiding someone right under my nose would be two people acting together: the late emperor’s consort—my biological mother, Empress Dowager Zhou—and my own empress, Lady Wang!

No one else in the harem has such ability!

‘No matter what your reasons are, as long as the prince is safe, I will not hold you accountable,’ Emperor Chenghua Zhu Jianshen murmured in his heart.

“Father!” Little Zhu Jianshen blinked his eyes and called softly with a hint of strangeness in his gaze.

“Ah! Good, good, my son!” Emperor Chenghua’s thoughts snapped back to reality, and he couldn’t help but joyfully spin the little Zhu Jianshen around in his arms.

Zhang Min was stunned behind him.

Why did he call him ‘Father’? Is that really his dad? If so, then fine, call him that!

Zhang Min was utterly bewildered. “Your Majesty… this is not the crown prince!”

“Do you want to die?” Emperor Chenghua suddenly stopped moving, sharply turned back, and his usually gentle and calm eyes now burned with lethal intent.

“I wouldn’t dare! But… but he, could it be…” Zhang Min was at a loss, tears threatening to spill, utterly confused.

Could the Empress Dowager and Empress still be hiding something?

Then why let me embarrass myself in front of the emperor today?

“Your Majesty, please come with me; we’ll see for ourselves,” Zhang Min mustered courage and kept walking silently.

Emperor Chenghua glanced at him, equally confused, then lifted little Zhu Jianshen into his arms and softly said, “Come, son, let’s see what kind of trick they’re playing.”

“Mm!” Little Zhu Jianshen nodded seriously, glanced up at the row of heads peering over the palace wall to watch the scene, and immediately ducked back down.

No choice, the adults want to play—so I have to humor them!

Little Zhu Jianshen looked utterly innocent.

…

In the harem.

Along a palace pathway.

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Little Zhu Youtang, who had been waiting early, looked at the child in Emperor Chenghua Zhu Jianshen’s arms with a confused expression.

“Your Majesty, this is the true prince…” Zhang Min glanced at little Zhu Youtang, then at little Zhu Jianshen, his words lacking conviction.

His tone was feeble.

Anyone with eyes could tell which one was biological and which was fostered!

“Are you trying to mock the late emperor?” Emperor Chenghua’s tone grew stern.

Bang!

A faint sound went unnoticed by most.

Behind the palace wall.

“Waaah…”

Zhu Qizhen’s eyes widened with fury as several emperors clamped their hands over his mouth, holding him down on the ground. Furious, he struggled wildly, wanting to rush forward and kick the little brat.

You’re done for, kid! How can you disrespect your father like this?

“Your Majesty, I dare not deceive you!” Zhang Min knelt in panic, spilling out the entire story of Lady Ji’s involvement like pouring beans.

“So you mean, my son, the prince, you don’t know who he is; this unknown boy is the crown prince born in the sixth year of Chenghua when I favored a palace consort?” Emperor Chenghua repeated Zhang Min’s words calmly.

This was the longest sentence the emperor had spoken since he began stuttering.

“Yes, yes, exactly!” Zhang Min cried tears of joy.

Emperor Chenghua remained expressionless: “Open your eyes and look carefully. Do you believe it?”

Zhang Min was stunned. He looked again and again, nearly breaking down mentally.

His lips trembled but he couldn’t utter the word ‘believe.’ He even began doubting himself—could it really be that he was making a fuss over nothing?

“Father?” Little Zhu Youtang hesitated for a long moment, then cautiously called out following the palace etiquette.

Emperor Chenghua’s face suddenly darkened.

Several guards, reading the situation, immediately stepped forward shouting, “How dare you!”

“Wah!”

Little Zhu Youtang pouted and burst into tears.

“Oh my little ancestor!” Zhang Min panicked.

Emperor Chenghua said nothing, instead looking down at little Zhu Jianshen, who gave a shy smile.

“My son, be good!”

A glow of fatherly love instantly filled Emperor Chenghua’s face.

Everything was a mess now—completely chaotic!

Zhang Min was torn: the emperor only recognized the child in his arms, but the real crown prince was not acknowledged.

He scratched his head anxiously!

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After holding back for a while, Zhang Min finally said, “Your Majesty, you can confront Consort Ji and Consort Wu!”

Lady Ji was still a palace maid or consort; Empress Wu had been deposed. Neither held any official status and could only be addressed so before the emperor.

Emperor Chenghua’s eyes deepened, and after a long silence, he said, “Send this child to Consort Wan’s Zhaode Palace.”

He glanced around. This child, who bore some resemblance to him, could very well be his son, though he was not certain.

Further investigation was needed.

In any case, it was best to keep the child under control for now.

These two children had been hidden for six years. The one in his arms—the genuine son—might have been concealed even longer. Suddenly revealing them was highly unusual.

Within the harem, he sided with Wan Zhen’er. Most others supported the Empress Dowager and Empress Wang.

Especially Empress Wang, who remained childless. As a member of the cabinet, Zhu Jianshen avoided her.

She surely wanted a child to secure the position of Empress Dowager and the throne in the future.

Wait!

Zhu Jianshen’s gaze grew even more profound.

He seemed to have a clue as to why the prince was hidden. If he ever entered the empress’s chambers even once, she could fake a pregnancy and claim the prince as her own!

This also explained why there were two princes of different ages—because during the two periods, Empress Wang could conceal her pregnancy more thoroughly.

Ordinary people couldn’t do this; but Empress Wang definitely could!

The first Empress Wu was deposed just one month after her investiture.

Two months later, Lady Wang, daughter of Wang Zhen, commander of the Jinwu Left Guard, was made empress.

With the Empress Dowager’s protection and cabinet involvement, even the Imperial Medical Institute was under their control. If the child had an infectious disease, the emperor wouldn’t be allowed to see him.

Meeting after two or three years, it would be impossible to tell the difference.

Probably because the child was too old—the younger one was already five or six, and the one in his arms looked to be eight or nine years old—this method no longer worked, so they prepared a new approach.

Zhu Jianshen shook his head.

These people, after all the chaos of morning court, were taking things too lightly.

He needed to devise a new way to deal with them.

During the Chenghua era, making paper models of the Three Elders and clay sculptures of the Six Ministers was no joke.

In the Ming dynasty, Emperor Xianzong was one of the few who could torment these cabinet officials into giving up.

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

Zhang Min bowed his head and had no choice but to obey.

Just then, a young eunuch hurried over with tiny steps, respectfully saying, “Your Majesty, Consort Wu requests an audience.”

…