The crowd turned to see Princess Ansheng dressed in a deep green court robe with red accents, her hair adorned with a pure gold hairpin, the opulent peony still painted between her brows. Yet, unlike her usual dignified elegance, she now carried an imposing aura of authority!
"Your humble sister greets Your Majesty. May the Emperor live ten thousand years!"
"Rise."
"Thank you, Imperial Brother." Princess Ansheng stood, while the others bowed deeply to her—except for Yan Zheng, who remained seated in his wheelchair, towering above the sea of lowered figures.
He did not look at her. Or perhaps, in his eyes, the princess was no different from anyone else.
Yet this only pleased Princess Ansheng even more.
Unmoved by favor, unshaken by calamity—such composure was worthy of being her son!
But then Prince Yu sneered coldly, "Yan Zheng, you dare not bow to Princess Ansheng? Are you openly defying the Imperial Family?"
He hurled accusation after accusation, as if determined to crush Yan Zheng today.
Before Yan Zheng could respond, Princess Ansheng frowned. "Prince Yu, are your eyes failing you? The Marquis of Anning is injured and cannot kneel. Moreover, did His Majesty not already grant him exemption from prostration?"
Prince Yu gaped, turning to her in disbelief. "You’re defending him? An Sheng, have you lost your mind? Isn’t this the same brat who caused your miscarriage at Cuiping Mountain all those years ago?"
Princess Ansheng ignored him. Instead, she swept her sleeves and knelt before the Emperor. "Imperial Brother, I am guilty!"
Her declaration startled even the Emperor to his feet.
The court officials all turned to stare.
"Rise at once! What crime could you possibly have committed?"
This imperial sister was beloved by the people—providing grain during famines, distributing medicine, establishing schools. She was the Imperial Family’s face among the common folk!
The Emperor personally stepped forward to help her up, but Princess Ansheng remained kneeling. "Imperial Brother, I bear two crimes. The first concerns the Marquis of Anning!"
The hall fell silent. The Emperor blinked. "What did you say?"
Princess Ansheng lowered her gaze and spoke slowly, "The Marquis of Anning… is my son."
"!!!"
The entire court was stunned.
Yan Zheng’s eyes turned icy.
Prince Yu’s jaw dropped. "What nonsense! Didn’t your son die long ago?"
"I was unaware that the midwife had switched my child with the third young master of the Yan Family. Thus, for all these years, I failed in my duty as a mother—and unwittingly committed the crime of deceiving the throne. I beg Your Majesty’s mercy!"
With that, she kowtowed deeply.
The Emperor’s heart surged with shock—but beneath it, an undeniable delight stirred.
He had always been wary of Yan Zheng, fearing resentment over the fate of his father and brothers, and thus hesitated to promote him.
Even after Yan Zheng distinguished himself in the corruption and grain scandals, he remained only an acting vice-minister. Only after Cao Yang’s crimes came to light was he formally appointed—yet still just a fourth-rank official…
But if he were not a child of the Yan Family, but of Imperial blood, then all those concerns vanished.
The Emperor’s thoughts raced. "An Sheng, if what you say is true, then the Marquis of Anning is your child with Imperial Son-in-law Cao?"
"No. That is my second crime." Princess Ansheng took a deep breath. "The Marquis of Anning… is my child with the Grand General."
The hall was so silent one could hear a pin drop.
Only the sound of sharp inhales filled the air.
Yan Shu finally seemed to grasp something and shrieked, "That’s impossible! My father and mother were devoted to each other! He would never—!"
No one even scolded her for the lack of honorifics.
Princess Ansheng’s eyes glinted. "The Grand General would never betray A-Yuan. But that night, he drank too much and entered the wrong chamber. I, too, was half-asleep, mistaking him for my husband. A tragic mistake… and thus, this bitter fruit was born."
She kowtowed again. "Imperial Brother, all faults are mine alone. My son is innocent! I beg Your Majesty’s mercy—punish only me!"
The hall remained deathly still.
The courtiers were dumbfounded by the twists—first the revelation of Yan Zheng’s false lineage, then Princess Ansheng claiming him as her son, and now the bombshell that he was the child of the princess and the Grand General?!
Only the Emperor was inwardly ecstatic.
If this were true, it was perfect! With the Grand General’s blood and Imperial lineage, Yan Zheng could command Great Xia’s armies without reservation. And given his status as the Yan Family’s heir, assuming military authority would be seamless!
Suppressing his joy, he declared, "An Sheng, rise! You’ve committed no crime—you’ve performed a great service!"
Princess Ansheng lowered her eyes, the faintest smile tugging at her lips.
She knew exactly what her Imperial Brother was thinking—which was why she had chosen to reveal the truth today, before the entire court.
"Thank you, Imperial Brother. This humble sister—"
But before she could finish, Old Censor Yu stepped forward, trembling. "Your Majesty! Even if the Marquis of Anning is Princess Ansheng’s son, he still ordered his men to assault his grandmother—a crime of the Ten Abominations! This cannot be pardoned!"
The Emperor frowned. Princess Ansheng feigned surprise. "Old Censor Yu, where did you hear such a thing?"
All eyes turned to Yan Shu, who hastily cried, "It was the princess who told me to—!"
Princess Ansheng cut her off. "Fourth Miss Yan—no, I should address you as Madam Liu now. Since Earl Changlu has been convicted, how does a woman of lowly status like you dare step into this hall?"
Yan Shu stared at the smiling princess, her heart freezing over.
"Princess, wasn’t it you who instructed me? You told me to claim he wasn’t a Yan, to accuse him of striking his grandmother, to charge him with the Ten Abominations! Now you deny everything? How can you turn your back on me?"
She screamed, tears streaming, but no one believed her.
Even Prince Yu, who had brought her here, scoffed. "Madwoman. Why would An Sheng harm her own son?"
Only Yan Zheng lowered his gaze, concealing the coldness in his eyes.
Oh, she would.
Pushing him to the brink, then rescuing him—what better way to foster gratitude?
Then someone exclaimed, "I remember now! The only reason this woman wasn’t punished alongside Earl Changlu was because the Marquis of Anning pleaded for her! Such ingratitude tarnishes the Grand General’s name!"
"Indeed! Thankfully, she’s merely an adopted daughter, and already married. Your Majesty, this official petitions to strip her of status and banish her to the lowly ranks, never to set foot in the General’s Manor again!"
"I second this!"
"I concur!"
The officials bowed as one. The Emperor waved a hand. "Let it be as you’ve proposed."
Yan Shu’s eyes bulged in terror as she tried to beg for mercy, but the eunuchs gagged her and dragged her away.
The Emperor continued, "Since the words of this lowly woman hold no weight, the charge of filial impiety against the Marquis of Anning is baseless. Ministry of Rites, deliberate on appropriate honors for the Marquis. Princess Ansheng has been separated from her son for years—they must have much to discuss. The court is dismissed."
"Your servants withdraw!"
The officials filed out. Prince Yu shot Yan Zheng a final glare before storming off.
The Emperor hesitated, then held his tongue. "Very well. Mother and son may speak in the Imperial Garden. I shall first inform the Empress Dowager."
Princess Ansheng understood—he was going to deliver the "good news" to the Dowager. But it mattered not. If the Emperor wished to elevate Yan Zheng, he would handle the Dowager’s approval himself.
After a graceful bow, she and Yan Zheng left for the Imperial Garden—one leading, the other following.
The palace attendants withdrew one by one. An Sheng gazed at him for a long moment before speaking with deep emotion, "My child, you have suffered."
