Xiao Jin's words left everyone in the hall stunned, including Xiao Yi, who lost his prospects. He looked around, completely unable to comprehend what was happening.

 

Xiao Yi's gaze finally settled on Consort Shu. Seeing her expression, he realized that what Xiao Jin said was true, yet Consort Shu never mentioned this to him.

 

The Emperor was also taken aback. He looked at Xiao Jin, his brows furrowing involuntarily, and asked, "What did you say?" To be honest, the person Xiao Jin named was completely unexpected.

 

Xiao Jin closed his eyes briefly and then repeated, "Father Emperor, I said it was Consort Lan who pushed Xiao Shan." After saying this, he turned to Consort Shu and asked, "Consort Shu, since you dared to bring this up, did you truly witness it?"

 

Consort Shu moved her lips but did not answer Xiao Jin's question. She looked at Xiao Shan and then at Xiao Jin before bursting into laughter. She laughed so hard that tears came to her eyes, and then she said, "Do you know what this means? In such a critical moment, Consort Lan was so concerned about the Crown Prince that she didn't even care about her own son's safety? Such a thing is beyond what most people could do. Did Consort Lan act this way because the Empress taught her well? Or was she so frightened that she lost her senses? Or is there another hidden reason?"

 

"Your Majesty, aren't you curious? Why did Consort Lan do this? How much hatred and resentment must she have had for her own son to not only fail to protect him in a crisis but to actually wish him dead?"

 

"What surprises me is that both the Crown Prince and Prince Li knew about this. I wonder what they think about in the dead of night, and how they feel about it?"

 

As she finished speaking, Consort Shu burst into laughter once again.

 

Everyone present watched Consort Shu, who appeared to be on the verge of madness. The Emperor understood the implication of her words and turned his gaze to Consort Lan.

 

Tears streamed continuously from Consort Lan's eyes. The Empress' face was a mix of confusion and disbelief. She looked at Consort Lan and murmured, "You pushed Xiao Shan? But why?"

 

Perhaps deep down, she knew the reason, but she dared not think too deeply about it.

 

As Consort Shu questioned, who would risk their own child's life to save another? 

 

Ordinary people couldn't do such a thing unless that child held no place in their heart.

 

Everyone's gaze fell on Xiao Shan and Xiao Jin, who were kneeling on the ground with their heads bowed, lost in thought.

 

Consort Shu addressed the Emperor, saying, "When I entered the palace, it was a bit later, and seeing that scene filled me with unease. I later made a point to verify certain facts. Consort Lan was brought into the palace because the Empress had no children. After Consort Lan's arrival, both she and the Empress became pregnant. Interestingly, their pregnancies were at different times, but the births were only an hour apart. Even more intriguing is that Consort Lan gave birth in the Empress' palace. Whether there was something amiss, I cannot say for certain, as the old servants who attended to the Empress and Consort Lan are no longer alive. Consort Lan’s wet nurse passed away from illness long ago, making it impossible to find anyone from that time to ask about the circumstances."

 

Her words were laden with irony, causing the Empress' head to throb with pain.

 

Back then, she had been childless, and both she and the Dowager Empress were anxious. Eventually, the Dowager Empress hinted that she should select another woman from the Gu family to enter the palace. Naturally, she was reluctant because at that time, the only option from the Gu family was Gu Rulan, the legitimate daughter of the second house. Using a legitimate daughter to secure her favor seemed somewhat improper.

 

Both women held equivalent statuses, being the Dowager Empress' legitimate nieces. If Gu Rulan were to have a child, it was uncertain who would eventually ascend to the position of Empress.

 

However, the Dowager Empress found the concubines from the collateral branches of the Gu family to be unsuitable. Some were short-sighted, and others were plain in appearance, which would only cause trouble if they entered the palace. Understanding the Empress' concerns, the Dowager Empress casually mentioned that if the Empress remained childless, even if Gu Rulan were to enter the palace and bear a son, the child would be raised by the Empress.

 

The status would never surpass hers.

 

Shortly after Gu Rulan entered the palace, both the Empress and she became pregnant.

 

The Dowager Empress was naturally pleased. As long as they could conceive, even if the firstborn was a princess, a legitimate son would eventually follow.

 

The Empress still remembered that in the days leading up to her delivery, Consort Lan frequently visited her, saying she was nervous and wanted to talk. Consort Lan's needlework was exquisite and beautiful, and she made many small clothes for the Empress' unborn child, with intricate and lovely patterns.

 

On the day of her delivery, Consort Lan was also present. Shortly after the Empress entered the birthing room, Consort Lan went into labor as well.

 

The palace attendants initially wanted to send her back, but Consort Lan cried and shouted, saying she was scared and didn't want to leave.

 

In the end, Consort Lan stayed.

 

The two were separated by just a wall.

 

Later, the Empress heard from the palace attendants that after Consort Lan gave birth, she had the wet nurse bring the child to pay respects to the unconscious Empress on her behalf.

 

The Empress thought Consort Lan was being considerate.

 

Later, Consort Lan claimed that the wet nurse was not attentive enough in caring for the prince and sent her out of the palace...

 

Since both gave birth to princes, the Dowager Empress and the Empress, recalling their initial scheme, felt guilty towards Consort Lan. Given that she was family, as long as Consort Lan's actions were not too excessive, the Dowager Empress and the Empress would help resolve any issues.

 

As for the people around her, they were aware that the Dowager Empress and the Empress had once schemed against Consort Lan. Although the situation changed, these people were always around, and with Consort Lan frequently visiting her, the Empress was constantly reminded of the past when they were all together.

 

So she quickly replaced all the attendants around her.

 

Reflecting on the past, the Empress felt as if she were in the midst of an icy wilderness, her entire body chilled to the bone.

 

Was everything a scheme?

 

The Empress always thought of Consort Lan as weak, with a bit of cleverness, but easily deceived.

 

Her Jinglan Hall was like a sieve, with anyone able to gather information from her. After Xiao Shan grew up, she constantly held him back.

 

Xiao Shan's marriage was arranged by the Emperor, and she was dissatisfied, making it widely known.

 

When Liu Jingxuan was investigated, she was furious and scolded Xiao Shan harshly.

 

When Xiao Shan was injured at the Rining Hunting Grounds, she repeatedly accused the Empress of pushing him.

 

She acted impulsively, and her little cleverness was never used for any significant purpose. The Empress had always thought that this was just her nature, aware of her own position, and currying favor with Xiao Jin, the Crown Prince. So, as sisters, the Empress had always been relatively tolerant of Consort Lan.

 

But now, thinking back, she remembered how Gu Yan's incident angered Old Master Gu, yet Consort Lan managed to hide it from everyone without revealing a trace. Was she truly without guile, or was her scheming so deep that no one ever suspected her?

 

And then there was Consort Lan's attitude towards the second branch of the Gu family. Everyone in the second branch was her direct blood relatives, yet she always suppressed them, ensuring they had no contact with Xiao Shan. Over the years, she made them unconditionally support the Crown Prince, completely neglecting Xiao Shan.

 

Whether he offended the Gu family or had a poor relationship with them, Consort Lan never showed any concern.

 

The Empress had always thought this was a sign of Consort Lan's loyalty, that she, like Xiao Shan, had no desire to compete. The family's honor was sufficiently upheld by her and Xiao Jin.

 

But people were inherently selfish. Even if she didn't value her own son and wanted to cling to the Crown Prince Xiao Jin, how could she possibly stake the entire future of the second branch on Xiao Jin alone?

 

After all, Xiao Jin had his own maternal family, and the second branch of the Gu family was, in the end, one step removed.

 

Before suspicions arise, all actions seem reasonable.

 

Once doubt sets in, everything appears to be a trap.

 

The Emperor gripped the armrest tightly, his tone icy: "Consort Lan, do you have nothing to say?" Whether it's a denial or an admission, there should be some explanation.

 

Consort Lan wiped the tears from her face, glanced at Xiao Shan who had barely moved, and sniffled, "Your servant, your servant..."

 

She actually had many things she could say, such as claiming that she intended to push a palace maid or eunuch, not Xiao Shan.

 

If the Emperor asked why she spread the rumor that the Empress pushed Xiao Shan, she could say it was because she feared Xiao Shan would blame her.

 

As for whether such actions would cause discord between Xiao Jin and Xiao Shan, or whether it would make the Empress wary of her and Xiao Shan, or even lead to the Empress taking action against Xiao Shan, she could claim she was completely unaware.

 

In the eyes of others, she wouldn't consider such complexities.

 

She was inherently seen as a mediocre and timid person, having done many irrational things. She could deny everything freely, as there was no substantial evidence.

 

There were many things she could say, but few that would be convincing.

 

Moreover, Xiao Jin and Xiao Shan were still kneeling here, each with their own judgments.

 

Xiao Jin did not look at Consort Lan, the Empress, or Xiao Shan. Instead, he addressed the Emperor, "Father Emperor, your son’s identity is unclear. I request to be stripped of the Crown Prince title."

 

If Consort Lan had indeed switched the children, then he was not the legitimate son and should not hold this position.

 

His petition to the Emperor to abolish his title as Crown Prince was for this very reason.

 

That day at the hunting grounds, he had always thought he was seeing things, as he did not clearly see Consort Lan make a move, only vaguely sensing that she had. What he couldn't understand at the time was, if he wasn't mistaken, why would Consort Lan do such a thing?

 

When Xiao Shan woke up, he confirmed that someone had indeed pushed him.

 

At that moment, Xiao Jin felt both shocked and calm—shocked that someone had actually pushed Xiao Shan, and calm because he seemed to know who it was.

 

Upon returning to the palace from the hunting grounds, he saw Liu Jingyi and Lady Xu, and he saw his own child. He suddenly wondered, could a mother really do that to her own son?

 

Did Consort Lan have an unavoidable reason?

 

With doubts in his heart, he began investigating Consort Lan and the Empress while looking into the matters of Liu Jingyi and Lady Xu.

 

He had been conflicted but still decided to have them investigated.

 

The fact that the two were born only an hour apart was already suspicious. Once doubt set in, everything became questionable. He wondered if Consort Lan might have switched the children to secure a better future for her own son.

 

But before he could find any clues, rumors about Consort Lan began to spread in the palace. Every action attributed to Consort Lan seemed to target Xiao Shan. First, there were rumors about the Empress pushing someone, and then there were accusations of Xiao Shan colluding with the second branch of the Gu family with ulterior motives.

 

He knew that these actions touched the Empress' most sensitive nerve.

 

He watched as the Empress seemed determined to see Xiao Shan dead. The Empress had already made up her mind, and he couldn't persuade her otherwise. Moreover, with things having reached this point, he genuinely feared that the Empress might mistakenly kill her own biological son.

 

He hesitated. Since childhood, he had been the legitimate son, always valued and groomed by the Emperor. If his suspicions were true and the truth came out, he would lose everything.

 

The current position of Crown Prince, the future throne, and the disdainful looks from others.

 

He only needed to turn a blind eye, and his position as Crown Prince would remain secure. If he were a bit more ruthless, he could seize the opportunity to eliminate Xiao Shan, thereby removing any future threats. Even if suspicions arose later, with Xiao Shan dead, the Gu family would be left with only him as their grandson.

 

But when he thought of Xiao Shan, he couldn't bring himself to do it. Many princes climbed to power over the blood of others, but he didn't want to be one of them.

 

He wanted to show the world that there could be brotherly affection within the imperial family.

 

Xiao Jin had no concrete evidence, so he decided to be straightforward. By making a big enough fuss, the Emperor would have to take notice.

 

He chose the second day of the second month to submit his petition to the Emperor to abolish his title, as it was both his and Xiao Shan's birthday.

 

He cited his unclear identity as the reason, knowing the Emperor would investigate.

 

In time, the truth would come to light.

 

Everything began on this day, all the suspicions arose on this day, and everything would end on this day.

 

He just hadn't expected that Xiao Shan also knew about these matters.

 

The torment Xiao Shan must have endured these past days was unimaginable.

 

Xiao Jin looked up at Xiao Shan and asked, "How did you know? Why didn't you say anything? What if something had really happened to you..."

 

Xiao Shan remained as he always was and replied, "Second Brother, I'm not a deity. How could I have known from the start?" It was just that when he lay on the ground that day, his first reaction was to look at the person standing behind him.

 

The Empress, Consort Lan, Consort Shu, and Consort Xian, along with the palace attendants and eunuchs.

 

The Empress and Consort Lan stood together, while Consort Xian and Consort Shu stood in the far corner. The palace attendants were frantically protecting their respective mistresses. The person who could act without being noticed was quite shocking.

 

Moreover, he and Consort Lan were mother and son. Even if he didn't realize it at first, he would eventually remember the feel of those hands.

 

Especially after returning to the palace, Consort Lan's actions seemed to be attempts to cover up the truth.

 

Consort Lan was not truly foolish. As Xie Zhui had once inadvertently mentioned, Consort Lan's palace was full of gossip, but those disrespectful remarks she supposedly only said to herself were somehow overheard and spread.

 

Things escalated to the point where he and Xiao Jin were at each other's throats, and he had no chance of winning.

 

He had his suspicions and investigated.

 

And to be honest, if Xiao Jin harbored murderous intent towards him because of this, today's events would have turned into a revelation of Consort Shu's true nature, killing two birds with one stone, followed by a dramatic showdown over the legitimacy of the heirs.

 

He was not alone; he now had Xie Zhui and an unborn child.

 

Xiao Jin hesitated, and he also struggled in secret.

 

In the end, Xiao Jin chose this path, and he chose this path as well.