Lord Qin scanned the list of names, noting that only the Zong family had close ties with his own. But how could the Zong family possibly storm the Ministry of Rites over Qin Ye’s exam results?
This… this didn’t make sense.
The Emperor asked word by word, “Have you found out?”
Qin Yi'an dared not mention the Zong family, afraid of dragging innocent parties into trouble. “Your Majesty… my son does have a few friends listed here, but none would ever storm the Ministry of Rites for him. Our family knew nothing of this incident. I beg Your Majesty to see the truth—someone must be framing us…”
“Zong Jincheng. It’s him, isn’t it?” The Emperor cut him off, uttering the name.
The eldest son of Zong Zhao, and Luo Jingfeng’s adopted son.
In the entire capital, aside from Luo’s own children, this boy was the only one connected to Luo Jingfeng.
And coincidentally, his name was right below Qin Ye’s on the list.
Before Lord Qin could speak further, the Emperor closed his eyes and waved dismissively, signaling him to leave.
Qin Yi'an understood that the matter was no longer his concern. Terrified, he hastily bowed and retreated, resolved to question Qin Ye thoroughly once home—did the boy know something?
The doors of the imperial study closed.
The Emperor reclined on the dragon throne, eyes shut, the air around him growing heavier.
Eunuch Huang held the imperial examination roster, cautiously offering comfort. “Your Majesty, perhaps Young Master Zong acted out of friendship with Lord Qin’s son, seeking justice for Qin Ye at the Ministry of Rites. The boy meant well, striving for fairness. There’s no need for such anger. Zong Jincheng is, after all, General Zong Zhao’s son—his loyalty surely lies with Your Majesty…”
The Emperor interrupted, “No. He is not loyal to me.”
Eunuch Huang assumed he meant Zong Jincheng and hurriedly added, “How could that be? Any child who excels in the imperial exams is devoted to the court. Besides, the boy is still young. With proper guidance, he will undoubtedly serve Your Majesty faithfully.”
The Emperor opened his eyes, bloodshot veins spreading across them.
Through gritted teeth, he hissed, “I mean Zong Zhao.”
Eunuch Huang: “!!”
The eunuch dropped to his knees in fright. “Your Majesty, please calm your anger! General Zong is our only pillar of support now. We must not doubt him over this!”
The Emperor’s suspicion was not baseless.
He had finally pieced together the truth.
“At first, when Luo Jingfeng adopted Zong Jincheng, I thought it was merely a ploy to win Zong Zhao’s allegiance. But his actions were too blatant.” The Emperor clenched his fists, his voice venomous. “Luo Jingfeng is cold-hearted and indifferent—he barely cared for his own sons. Why would he meddle in another family’s affairs?”
Unless the child was born to someone he deeply cherished.
Who was Luo Jingfeng’s most cherished person?
And who had given birth to this child eleven years ago?
Eunuch Huang already had a name in mind but dared not dwell on it. Trembling, he kept his head low.
The Emperor’s voice was dark with fury. “During the brothel case, the entire capital suspected Zong Jincheng was the Crown Prince’s bastard. I even sent you with a gift of purple-haired brushes to observe the boy. You said he bore no resemblance to the Crown Prince but looked vaguely familiar.”
“That familiarity—was it because the boy resembles Concubine Shu?”
The long-forgotten name struck like thunder. Eunuch Huang collapsed to the floor. “Your Majesty… this servant… this servant cannot recall… Besides, Concubine Shu’s child died that very night, slain by the Crown Prince’s own hand!”
Eleven years ago, Concubine Shu had feigned illness to conceal her pregnancy, deceiving the palace for over half a year.
But the Emperor’s paranoia ran deep.
His secret investigation revealed the truth: the beautiful concubine had dared to carry a dragon’s seed in secret.
The Luo family was powerful, and Luo Shu had sought to bear a child in secret. The Emperor knew exactly what she and her brother were plotting. So, on the night of her labor, he leaked the news to Huaishui, ensuring the Crown Prince would handle the matter personally.
Chu Heng, at fifteen, was peerless in both civil and martial arts. His reputation in court and among the people was unmatched—everyone believed the Eldest Prince was the future heir.
But the Emperor was only in his thirties, still in his prime.
Pride in his exceptional son warred with fear that Chu Heng might overthrow him. Uncertain and restless, he used Concubine Shu’s illicit pregnancy to test his eldest son.
To see just how ruthless he could be.
The answer came swiftly. Chu Heng was merciless—he disposed of the bastard and killed Concubine Shu as well.
Mother and child, eradicated without a trace.
At fifteen, he was already this cruel…
That was the moment the Emperor made his decision.
He could not allow Chu Heng to grow any stronger. A son this ruthless would inevitably turn patricidal.
So he secretly ordered Huaishui to poison Chu Heng while publicly naming him Crown Prince.
Feared yet needed.
For nearly a decade, the Emperor maintained this balance—until the brothel case erupted. He realized the Crown Prince, despite his frail health, had only grown more beloved by the people. The threat of overthrow loomed.
So he acted.
He instructed Huaishui to increase the poison’s dosage, ensuring the Crown Prince would never wake from his eternal spring.
But now—
He had been wrong.
Horribly, catastrophically wrong.
Only the useless Concubine Shu had died. The true bastard had thrived under his nose, raised by the Crown Prince and Zong Zhao.
The Crown Prince’s “ruthlessness” had driven the Emperor to eliminate his finest heir—only to discover too late that the Crown Prince had not been ruthless.
He had been a fool.
And the Emperor, in his misjudgment, had been the greatest fool of all.
He had lost the Crown Prince’s support, alienated Zong Zhao, and forfeited every advantage against the Luo family.
The Emperor laughed maniacally, cursing between bursts of laughter. “Good, good, good! My fine son, my noble Crown Prince! ‘Spare the child, kill the mother’—you committed the stupidest act in all the realm!”
He overturned the desk, sending memorials scattering, then kicked it over entirely. Finally, he seized the dragon throne and hurled it to the ground, descending into madness.
Eunuch Huang knew the full story—which was why he understood the depth of the Emperor’s despair.
Concubine Shu’s death had spurred the Emperor to move against the Crown Prince, yet the true stormbringer—the child—lived on, now entangled with Luo Jingfeng.
The murderous glint in Luo Jingfeng’s eyes after Luo Shu’s death still haunted the eunuch.
Panting, the Emperor collapsed onto the steps, clutching his head, trembling with rage and terror.
He had to think clearly. Prepare for the worst.
If Zong Zhao and Luo Jingfeng joined forces, what were his chances?
After careful calculation, he found none.
And the linchpin of it all was that bastard.
The Emperor lifted his head, eyes blazing crimson. In a voice like ice, he commanded, “Summon the Chief of Imperial Guards.”
