Chapter 156: Proving Kinship by Blood

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Last updated: August 17, 2013

Every gaze in the great hall was fixed upon An Ming, waiting for him to finish before voicing their opinions and suggestions once more.

An Ming still wore the bronze mask with its protruding fangs, which seemed somewhat out of place amid the resplendent splendor of the hall.

“Withdraw the assassination order.”

He raised the matter himself before anyone else could do so. Just as everyone thought he had finished speaking, An Ming’s hoarse voice sounded again.

“If the Crown Prince ascends the throne, then once the bloodline of His Majesty’s son has been confirmed, he may be placed on the Red List.”

Those words caused an uproar. They were an utterly blatant questioning of the Emperor’s bloodline. Yue Lingjun and Meng Chuchen both felt their hearts jolt, and they turned toward An Ming with profound meaning in their eyes. Could he know something?

“What exactly do you mean by that, Hall Master An?”

The restrained pressure Qiao Yi had been exerting slipped out of control somewhat the moment An Ming finished speaking. Since ancient times, the imperial family had cared most about the continuation of its bloodline. After fathering sixteen daughters in succession, he had finally gained a son—only for people to question whether he had been cuckolded, and to raise the matter during the council of the eight great powers. The Rakshasa Hall had gone too far.

Only Yuwen Lingxi—Xiao—knew what was happening. Earlier that morning, Meng’er had returned with a letter from the Medicine Elder. The prescription was indeed peculiar. If a pregnant woman took the medicine while carrying a boy, the so-called pregnancy-stabilizing remedy would act as a slow poison. If she carried a girl, however, it would greatly enhance its ability to protect the pregnancy.

Yuwen Lingxi—Xiao—had immediately sent the findings to Yuwen Lingxi. Had His Majesty not begun considering placing the Rakshasa Hall on the Red List, Elder Brother would probably never have revealed this matter here.

Naturally, Yuwen Lingxi—Xiao—would not allow his elder brother to be doubted. He rose and took two steps forward, then bent down and whispered a few words into Yue Lingjun’s ear. Yue Lingjun’s expression changed instantly.

“My Yue family agrees with the Rakshasa Hall’s proposal. Since the child is to be placed on the Red List, his identity should first be confirmed here, before we discuss the matter further.”

Meng Chuchen glanced at Yuwen Lingxi—Xiao, who had already risen, then looked at the certainty in his elder brother’s eyes. He understood that the results concerning the pregnancy medicine had arrived, and immediately added, “Then I respectfully ask His Majesty to have the imperial prince and the Crown Prince brought into the hall. Once their blood relationship has been confirmed before all the great powers, my Hidden Sect will have no further objection to placing the imperial heir on the Red List.”

The only woman present, Chai Mengqing, smiled faintly and said coquettishly, “Indeed, it should be tested.”

Qiao Yi’s face had already turned somewhat green. He stared menacingly at Yue Lingjun, his eyes dark and unfathomable. What exactly did the Yue family mean by this? He had already yielded and allowed Qiao Ke to remain Crown Prince. His own biological son would merely become a prince. Did they truly intend to drive the imperial family to ruin?

His son’s blood had been tested immediately after birth. Qiao Yi did not believe they could be unaware of that fact. Yet they had still raised this demand today, clearly expressing their doubts about the result obtained within the palace.

Qiao Yi’s gaze swept over Zhou Man and Yu Tanfeng, who had remained silent. It seemed that unless the blood was tested here and now, they would not allow the imperial family to have its way. After all, the Red List occupied a particularly special position among the eight great powers.

Qiao Yi rose and personally walked to the entrance of the hall. After giving several instructions to the trusted eunuch standing guard outside, he turned back, sat in his own seat, and said nothing more.

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Yue Lingjun had acted this way only because he had no other choice. Had they not been before the eight great powers, there would have been no guarantee that someone had not tampered with the result. There was a reason the imperial family had been chosen by the eight great powers to serve as the ruling authority. Under ordinary circumstances, the seven other powers would not interfere in the imperial family’s struggle over who would inherit the throne.

Qiao Ke’s appointment as Crown Prince had also been decided through deliberation among the eight great powers. As a result, the six powers besides the Yue family had all received considerable benefits from the imperial family.

If Qiao Ke were no longer Crown Prince, those benefits would have to be reclaimed. Naturally, the other great powers still hoped that Qiao Ke would retain his position.

After careful consideration, Yue Lingjun decided that he should first tell the Emperor about the pregnancy medicine. His eldest sister had married into the imperial family under exceptional circumstances, and Yue Lingjun did not wish to put the Emperor in an even more difficult position.

“Your Majesty, might I speak with you privately?”

Qiao Yi, his expression clouded with displeasure, looked at Yue Lingjun. In the end, he did not reject the other man’s request and led him toward the side hall.

Yue Lingjun turned to Yuwen Lingxi—Xiao and invited him, “Brother Yuwen, please come with me as well.”

Yuwen Lingxi—Xiao—nodded coldly. Without another word, he answered through his actions.

The representatives of the great powers did not object to their withdrawal. They continued sipping their tea and exchanging a few inconsequential remarks.

Once they arrived in the side hall, Qiao Yi turned to the two men following behind him and lowered his voice.

“I wonder what the Yue and Yuwen families intend by this.”

Yue Lingjun bowed deeply to Qiao Yi, bending at a full ninety degrees. His voice was filled with apology.

“What happened today was truly unavoidable. Brother Yuwen has a letter that he hopes Your Majesty will read first.”

Confusion showed in Qiao Yi’s eyes as he accepted the letter handed over by Yuwen Lingxi—Xiao. He unfolded it and began reading from the beginning. His brows drew tightly together, and he looked at Yue Lingjun in bewilderment.

“Why are you showing me a prescription?”

“Your Majesty, please finish reading the letter.”

Qiao Yi continued downward. When he reached the second page, his grip on the letter tightened, and anger began to appear on his face. By the time he saw the seal at the end, his heart was already surging like a storm-tossed sea.

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When Yue Lingjun saw that he had finished reading, he said, “The Yue family never intended to pry into the affairs of the imperial household. However, this matter concerns my eldest sister. That is why, with Brother Yuwen’s assistance, we discovered the suspicious point. Only after the Medicine Elder confirmed it did we bring it forward. We ask Your Majesty’s forgiveness.”

Qiao Yi had no time to pursue the Yue family’s involvement. His fury alone was enough to set the entire Forbidden City ablaze.

Sixteen daughters, one after another. Qiao Yi had assumed it was simply Heaven’s will. He had paid no attention to the rumors and criticism circulating among the people. When Consort Yun gave birth to a son, he had been overjoyed, but doubts had also arisen in his heart. Yet everything had shown that the child truly was his son.

Originally, Qiao Yi had intended to wait until his son grew older, then discuss matters with his younger imperial brother and have Qiao Ke resign the position of Crown Prince, allowing his own legitimate son to succeed him openly and properly. But afterward, the Princess Consort of Prince Nanping had miscarried. In order to pacify the Yue family, he had been forced to make that concession.

And now the evidence lay before him: his lack of sons had been caused entirely by a single pregnancy prescription.

The moment he imagined that the children he had lost through miscarriage had all been princes, he felt as though he might go mad.

Then why had Consort Yun been able to give birth to a prince? What connection did the prescription have with the power behind Consort Yun? And if this prince was not his son, then the plans of the force behind Consort Yun were truly shocking beyond measure.

When Qiao Yi thought of how he had tolerated the suppression of Qiao Ke by the power behind Consort Yun, a chill ran down his spine. If Qiao Ke had died as well, the entire imperial family would truly have been left without descendants, and its bloodline would have been severed forever.

As an emperor, he had already reached a decision after reading the letter. Yet a sliver of hope still remained in his heart.

What if that child truly was his own?

Yue Lingjun and Yuwen Lingxi—Xiao—took in every change in his expression and spoke at the right moment.

“If the imperial prince truly is Your Majesty’s son, the Yue family guarantees that Qiao Ke will relinquish the position of Crown Prince. The Yue family will also safeguard the imperial bloodline.”

Qiao Yi’s expression shifted several times. The resolute declarations he had made in the great hall could no longer be repeated. Everyone had private interests of their own.

He would see the result first.

The three men returned to the great hall and waited in silence. Half an hour later, Qiao Yi’s personal eunuch entered carrying a child who had only just learned to toddle. Prince Nanping, Qiao Bin, followed behind with Qiao Ke.

Qiao Ke obediently offered his greetings. Qiao Yi, his thoughts in turmoil, lifted the one-year-old child into his arms—a clear testament to the affection he held for this son. He waved for the ordinary eunuch to leave, and once the doors had closed, he looked toward Yuwen Lingxi—Xiao, whose medical skill was extraordinary.

“We may begin.”

Yuwen Lingxi—Xiao took two clean teacups from the table. After sweeping his gaze around the hall, he walked to a jade vessel filled with water and filled both cups with clear water.

Qiao Yi removed the treasured Imperial Sword displayed in the hall. Without hesitation, he cut an opening in his own hand and let his blood drip into one of the cups. Then he took the small hand that was clutching at his robe and gently made a cut upon it as well.

The child, who had been perfectly docile only moments earlier, let out a loud cry.

Qiao Yi stared fixedly at the two drops of blood in the teacup, his heart filled with unprecedented tension.

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