"Xiao Yan is He Yan, the son of the He family. His return to the court was never about serving in the inner court. He pretended to abandon the Xiao family and gained Father Emperor’s trust as a palace eunuch, all to conceal his true identity."
"He is a son of the He family, and his actions against the Lu family were entirely because of the He family’s treason case years ago!"
Duke Zeng’s words were like a basin of hot water poured into boiling oil, instantly setting the entire Zichen Hall ablaze with uproar.
Not only were Liang Guangyi and his allies unsteady on their feet, but even Qian Baokun froze for a moment before sharply turning to Xiao Yan, his face full of shock.
He was actually a member of the He family.
The son of the He family?!
Old Madam Fu tightly gripped Fu Jinrou’s hand beside her, her expression stunned: "Xiao Yan… how could he be a son of the He family…?"
Fu Jinrou murmured, "Aunt…"
But Old Madam Fu didn’t respond, only staring straight at the young man standing in the hall, muttering, "How is this possible?"
Fu Jinrou had never seen Old Madam Fu so shaken. She couldn’t help but follow her gaze, her eyes landing on Xiao Yan’s strikingly refined face.
Since arriving in the capital, she had heard of this Supervisor Xiao and knew of his past "deeds." She had also heard that Princess Xiangning relied on this eunuch’s protection to break free from the Song family and establish herself in the capital. She vaguely knew what kind of family the He family was.
If Xiao Yan was truly of He family blood, did that mean he wasn’t a eunuch after all?
If he wasn’t a eunuch…
Fu Jinrou gazed at Xiao Yan’s face, momentarily lost in thought, a flicker of something passing through her usually gentle eyes.
…
Duke Zeng’s words were like a thunderclap that overturned the entire Zichen Hall. Everyone was in an uproar.
The He family still had a survivor, and Xiao Yan was the He family’s orphan?!
Emperor An’s face was filled with disbelief as he looked at Xiao Yan, his gaze fixed on his face: "Impossible! How could he be He Yan?"
Cui Lin’s eyes widened as well: "He can’t be He Yan. Back then, He Yan frequently visited the palace, and I saw him several times. His appearance resembled his father’s. He was already a young man then. Even after more than a decade, it’s impossible for there to be no trace of him left."
Xiao Yan’s appearance was widely acknowledged as exceptional in the capital. Among all the noble young masters in the city, none could compare to him in looks.
While He Yan’s appearance back then was also notable, it was far from Xiao Yan’s. Moreover, in just over a decade, how could all traces of He Yan’s features have vanished?
Cui Lin still remembered the legitimate son of the He family’s third branch. Because of his close relationship with the imperial grandson Xie Chen’an, he frequently visited the Eastern Palace. Many veteran court officials had seen He Yan, who resembled his father, He Wenzhuo, with the refined and gentlemanly air typical of the He family.
If Xiao Yan was that child, how could not a single person have recognized him, especially among the other noble families who feared the He family’s resurgence and had exterminated them?
Liang Guangyi was also in a panic. Struggling to steady himself, he said in a deep voice, "Duke Zeng, the He family was sentenced to extermination of nine generations by the late emperor. It’s absolutely impossible for anyone to still be alive."
"Then why did Grand Preceptor Liang send people to investigate the Xiao family? Was it not to probe into Xiao Yan’s background?"
"I…"
"Or are you saying Grand Preceptor Liang never suspected Xiao Yan’s identity?"
Liang Guangyi was, for once, rendered speechless.
Duke Zeng sneered: "If Grand Preceptor Liang hadn’t been suspicious, how could I have learned of Xiao Yan’s identity through your men? And if you hadn’t suspected that Xiao Yan’s targeting of the Lu family had ulterior motives, noticing that he was using Father Emperor’s hand to suppress the noble families, fearing he would come after your families next after destroying the Lu family, why would you and Minister Cui have collaborated to set up tonight’s scheme?"
Grand Preceptor Liang’s brows furrowed tightly: "What are you implying?!"
Duke Zeng’s voice was cold: "I’m saying that you and Minister Cui noticed something off about Xiao Yan’s identity and were alarmed by his ruthless methods against the noble families. You suspected he wasn’t just clearing the court for Father Emperor. That’s why you set up this trap with that so-called Zheng Kun, who supposedly infiltrated the palace to avenge the deposed empress, and with Madam Xuan, who conveniently overheard ambiguous words."
Pointing at the pale-faced Madam Xuan, Duke Zeng’s expression was icy:
"From the moment Madam Xuan barged into Zichen Hall, I had my suspicions. And when the deposed empress was brought up in connection to Xiao Yan, it felt even more wrong."
"Tonight’s events were far too coincidental, as if everything had been meticulously arranged. You set this trap to entangle Xiao Yan with the deposed empress and the fourth prince’s death, eager to condemn him to death. To achieve this, you even pressured Father Emperor and bribed Kang Muhai before the throne and the palace guards."
"You saw the situation turning against you and wanted to act preemptively, taking Xiao Yan’s life to eliminate any future threats!"
Grand Preceptor Liang cried out, "You’re falsely accusing me! I don’t even know any Zheng Kun!"
"Then did Grand Preceptor Liang send people to Jiangnan or not?"
"I…"
"Grand Preceptor Liang has always been cautious, never pleading for the Lu family when they fell, never arguing with Father Emperor. Yet tonight, you sided with Minister Cui to pressure Father Emperor. Dare you say you had no ulterior motives?"
After questioning Liang Guangyi, Duke Zeng turned to Cui Lin:
"And you, Minister Cui. You’ve been gravely ill for days, beyond even the imperial physicians’ help. Everyone in the capital knows your eldest son sought out Qin Niangzi in Jiyun Lane through Supervisor Xiao to treat your illness. While Qin Niangzi is skilled, it’s only been a few days—hardly enough for you to recover fully."
"Your face is still sickly, your severed hand hasn’t healed, and you’ve been absent from morning court and the Six Ministries for some time. Yet you showed up for this palace banquet. Don’t tell me this banquet is more important than your usual duties."
"From the moment Madam Xuan entered, you’ve been dropping hints, every word aimed at Xiao Yan, even goading me to join you in kicking him while he’s down. Don’t claim, Minister Cui, that your actions tonight were purely out of righteousness, that you didn’t know about this in advance, or that you weren’t plotting with Grand Preceptor Liang against Xiao Yan!"
Cui Lin was stunned by Duke Zeng’s analysis. Indeed, he had bribed Zheng Kun and arranged for Madam Xuan’s involvement, even orchestrating Tanxia and Kang Muhai’s actions. But he had never suspected anything about Xiao Yan’s identity.
If he had known Xiao Yan wasn’t a Xiao, he would have sent people to investigate long ago. Catching him for deceiving the emperor would have been enough to sentence him to death. Why go through the trouble of orchestrating tonight’s events?
And Liang Guangyi…
When had he ever collaborated with Liang Guangyi?
Caught off guard by Duke Zeng’s accusations and dazed by the revelation that Xiao Yan was a He, Cui Lin was momentarily too stunned to retort.
Seeing this, Qian Baokun sneered: "I knew something was off about tonight’s events. First, Madam Xuan missed the banquet’s start, and then a disloyal palace maid appeared in the Empress Dowager’s palace."
"If Zheng Kun had the ability to infiltrate the palace, why didn’t he act earlier? If he hated His Majesty and Xiao Yan so much, he could have assassinated them quietly. Why go through such an elaborate scheme and throw his life away? I thought he was just foolish, but it turns out this was all your setup."
"If Xiao Yan deceived the emperor, then you and Grand Preceptor Liang are no better!"
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T/N: The level of manipulation and gaslighting going on here is sending me
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You can read ahead to chapterr 470 (100+ extra chapters) here
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