"What makes you say that?"
Prince Ning seemed to want to explain further, but the Emperor, showing impatience, gave a light cough. "Cough, cough, enough. Don't say any more. I haven't slept all night and I'm already tired. You two quickly sort out this matter so I can rest early."
Wasn't this also a way to humiliate Prince Ning and Consort Rui?
Upon hearing this, Consort Rui obsequiously offered a cup of tea to the Emperor, but he did not take it, leaving Consort Li feeling rather awkward.
Prince Ning walked towards Song Zhaoyu, rubbing his nose. "I happened to hear a rumor, and it originated from your household! Does the Princess of Chang remember an aunt named 'Zhou' in your family? One day, when I accompanied my secondary consort to an abbey for blessings, I saw this Aunt Zhou. During our casual chat, she mentioned seeing someone in the capital who looked exactly like your younger brother, Prince Chang. That's when I started paying attention."
It was that Aunt Zhou!
Song Zhaoyu regretted at that moment that if it had been possible, she should have ensured Aunt Zhou could never speak of this matter!
But it was too late now. She could only sneer at Mu Hansu. "This is truly strange! My family does have an Aunt Zhou who was sent to an abbey as punishment. But could she really chat with Prince Ning's secondary consort and discuss matters of our Prince Chang's estate? That's quite a sensational claim, isn't it? What could a mere aunt know?"
The Emperor frowned slightly, clearly realizing something was amiss upon hearing this.
Mu Hansu remained unfazed and smiled gently at Song Zhaoyu. "It doesn't matter what Princess Chang says now. After all, it was because of this incident that I could bring it up, wasn't it?"
His gaze grew colder. "This matter sounds like a joke. I was also curious whether it was true or not, so I sent people to investigate. Only then did I discover the gravity of the situation!"
He cupped his fists. "We actually found someone who looked almost identical to my younger brother, Prince Chang, and we also found other evidence to prove that this person was brought in by Noble Consort."
Mu Hansu turned to the Emperor and Empress, speaking with righteous indignation. "Later, I discovered a shocking secret! That is, back then, Noble Consort probably couldn't bear to send Prince Chang to the Southern Kingdom, so she found someone who looked almost exactly like Prince Chang and sent that person to the Southern Kingdom as a hostage in Prince Chang's stead!"
Since the Emperor had likely heard this before, he did not appear particularly surprised.
Mu Hansu continued, "In other words, for all these years, the person who was in the Southern Kingdom was not Prince Chang, but the one who replaced him! I thought the matter must have occurred after Prince Chang's legs were broken. Noble Consort, feeling sorry for Prince Chang, found someone to swap him out."
"Heh—"
Upon hearing this, Song Zhaoyu couldn't help but let out a cold laugh. "This is truly the most absurd thing I have ever heard!"
Mu Hansu waved his hand at Song Zhaoyu, his sneer deepening. "Princess Chang, don't be in a hurry to explain. If there were no evidence, I wouldn't dare speak of this matter before Father Emperor today. I have witnesses. Minister Qiu and those two princes who came to the Great Yue Dynasty this time can all testify to this matter! And those who helped with the swap in the Southern Kingdom back then can also testify!"
Those who helped with the swap in the Southern Kingdom?
It seemed... they had also found people to "falsely testify."
Prince Ning and the others did not know that Prince Chang had been swapped from the very beginning, not sent to the Southern Kingdom after his legs were broken.
Therefore, this matter might become an opportunity.
Song Zhaoyu's expression relaxed instead. "Then Prince Ning must have worked very hard! It must have taken considerable effort to find so many people in such a short time, even bringing people from the Southern Kingdom to testify. Since you've gone to such lengths to deal with our Prince Chang's estate, don't pretend it was unintentional. I wonder how our Prince Chang's estate has offended Prince Ning to warrant such a devastating accusation!"
She clutched her chest as if heartbroken, sighing. "Your Highness, you and our Prince Chang are brothers, after all! Must you place our Prince Chang's estate in such a predicament with such slanderous accusations?!"
Song Zhaoyu was not foolish. Her heartbroken and distressed demeanor, her constant sighs, were naturally observed by the Emperor and Empress.
Noble Consort, at the opportune moment, also reddened her eyes and began to sob.
Her wronged appearance was so pitiable that it made the Emperor increasingly uneasy, naturally leading him to suspect Mu Hansu's intentions.
Mu Hansu became somewhat anxious, his speech quickening. "If your Prince Chang's estate had not done such a thing, how could anyone have grasped any evidence?!"
He cupped his fists towards the Emperor. "Father Emperor is wise and has seen through your trickery, which is why you were summoned here for a confrontation. How can you not be grateful for Father Emperor's mercy but instead accuse me of wronging you?"
He looked towards the screen and shouted, "The people from the Southern Kingdom have brought the evidence. Let's see how you deny it!"
He clapped his hands, and naturally, Minister Qiu stepped forward with a pair of people who looked like fishermen.
Minister Qiu, leading the two, knelt before the Emperor. "Your Majesty is wise. These two were servants who attended Prince Chang back then. It was they who helped Prince Chang swap people, and the rewards Prince Chang promised them were freedom from their slave status in the Southern Kingdom."
He extended his foot and kicked the person on the left. "Speak, is this true?"
The man wiped the sweat from his brow and nodded repeatedly. "Yes, it is true! Our slave status, the time we served Prince Chang, and the time Prince Chang helped us escape our slave status are all recorded. Please, Your Majesty, investigate!"
"Ha!"
Song Zhaoyu let out another cold laugh. "It must not have been easy to find these two people. But I heard that our Prince suffered greatly from bullying in the Southern Kingdom back then, otherwise, his legs wouldn't have been broken. How could he have had the ability to free people from slavery in the Southern Kingdom?"
Her words were blunt, causing Minister Qiu's brows to furrow tightly, wishing he could sew Song Zhaoyu's mouth shut at that very moment!
Minister Qiu, however, was not flustered. He glanced at Song Zhaoyu and sneered. "Prince Chang was sent to the Southern Kingdom as a hostage. How could the Southern Kingdom bully him? For all these years, we in the Southern Kingdom treated him as an honored guest. As for Prince Chang's legs, that was truly an accident. Now, even if Princess Chang wants to settle accounts later, shouldn't we first resolve the current matter?"
He was a smooth talker, and Song Zhaoyu took note of him.