I Am a Salted Fish in Ancient Times

Chapter 78

The hall fell into complete silence, with the Emperor sitting high above, observing everyone's actions and expressions.

Consort Shu was staring at Xiao Shan and Xiao Jin with an incredulous look, as if they suddenly grew horns. In her mind, with such a situation, a little provocation from her would surely lead to mutual suspicion and fratricide.

If she and Xiao Yi were to suffer, then everyone else should suffer along with them.

But the reality was the reality, and the process and outcome were entirely different from what she anticipated. Xiao Shan and Xiao Jin both knew about this matter. Not only did they not hide it, but they also eagerly revealed it to the Emperor.

Xiao Jin even went so far as to unhesitatingly use this reason to request the abolition of his position as Crown Prince. In their eyes, the status of the Imperial Heir and the position of Crown Prince seemed to be of no consequence.

Xiao Yi and Consort Shu shared the same mentality. Even if Consort Shu had not kept this matter from him, their choice would certainly be the same. They would pretend to be unaware of the situation and then watch the drama unfold from the shadows.

After the Empress truly eliminated Xiao Shan, they would then leak this news.

Faced with the vengeance of a murdered son, he did not believe the Empress would remain indifferent, nor did he believe she could continue to fully support the Crown Prince. By then, both the Empress and Consort Lan would be weakened, Xiao Jin's position as Crown Prince would be unstable, and he would become the most suitable candidate.

Unfortunately, human plans couldn’t match divine will. Before he could watch Xiao Shan and Xiao Jin's downfall, Xiao Shan already exposed both his and Consort Shu's trump cards.

Consort Shu then played her biggest card, but it was to no avail.

It couldn't be said that it was entirely useless, as the long-hidden secret, though lacking evidence, now casted a shadow of doubt over everyone's minds. However, the outcome was vastly different from what they had imagined.

The calmest individuals in the hall were Xiao Jin and Xiao Shan, who seemed unaffected.

The Empress was the most distressed. She was pained by the realization that Consort Lan, whom she had always protected and whom everyone regarded as a delicate flower, had turned out to be a carnivorous plant. She was also pained by the fact that the son she had painstakingly nurtured, planned and schemed for over the years was not her biological child.

She was even more distressed by the thought that, had it been a little later, she might have killed Xiao Shan herself.

The thought sent a shiver down her spine.

If Xiao Shan died and someone then revealed the truth to her, she couldn't even bear to imagine such a scenario.

At this moment, the Empress didn't dare to look at Xiao Shan, nor could she bear to think about what kind of gaze he might direct at her.

Underneath her wide sleeves, the Empress clenched her hands tightly, trying to steady her trembling body. She looked at Consort Lan, who was kneeling beside her, and asked, "Is it true?"

Doubt was still just doubt; she needed Consort Lan to tell her the answer directly.

Consort Lan finally raised her head. There were still tear stains on her face, but the pitiful look she once had was nowhere to be found. She smiled and said, "Sister, do you want to hear me say yes or no? If I say no, will you and the Emperor believe me? If I say yes, will you and the Emperor completely trust me? Would you think that by admitting to switching the children so readily, I am doing it on purpose to dethrone the Crown Prince and make way for my own son?"

"After all, now that Prince Xian is guilty, and Consort Xian and the Fifth Prince have ambitions for the throne, if the Crown Prince is not your biological son, then among the princes, the only one with a clear and unblemished record is Xiao Shan. The position of Crown Prince would undoubtedly go to Xiao Shan, and you would no longer have any doubts?"

The Empress swayed slightly. It was the first time she realized how eloquent Consort Lan was, still able to manipulate hearts even at this moment.

Everyone present understood that her words were meant to protect Xiao Jin's position as Crown Prince.

But everyone who heard her words couldn't help but ask themselves, what if? What if it was indeed the latter scenario? With a woman driven to madness, one could never predict what she might do.

At this moment, the Emperor, seated high above, began to laugh. He lowered his gaze and said, "Things have come to this point, and Consort Lan still thinks she can toy with me?"

Consort Lan looked up at the man. When she first entered the palace, she feared him more than she had any affection.

From the beginning, she knew how heartless he could be. The lives of everyone in the world were but a matter of his word.

At that time, she was filled with hatred. Her parents were already looking for a suitable match for her. But because the Empress was childless, she, a dignified legitimate daughter, had to become a tool for the Empress to secure her favor.

Yet she had no choice but to endure. When she was found to be pregnant, the Empress was delighted but also somewhat disappointed.

Although the Dowager Empress didn't say anything at the time, she knew that if the Empress remained childless, her child would become the Empress' child. Despite being born into the same Gu family and being a legitimate daughter, what she could have would only be what the Empress left behind.

She was always terrified, even fearing that she wouldn't be able to protect her own child.

Fortunately, the Empress soon became pregnant as well.

It was a joyous occasion, and the disappointment in the Empress' eyes vanished. She became wholeheartedly devoted to her.

But this remained a knot in her heart.

One quiet night, she suddenly thought, since the Empress had once so desperately wanted her child, why not give it to her?

She was skilled in needlework and could make all sorts of clothes for children. She ingratiated herself with the Empress, personally making clothes for her unborn child. She also made various pastries for the Empress, and she would eat them in front of her. Out of ten pastries, nine might be fine, but one would have something added to it.

Maybe the Empress would eat it, maybe she wouldn't. Who could say?

In short, the child she conceived later was born prematurely by a few days, and she chose to give birth on the same day. The Empress, with her noble status, faced a life-and-death struggle during childbirth and fainted from exhaustion afterward.

She, on the other hand, had been moving around frequently and was in much better physical condition. On the day of delivery, she gritted her teeth and stayed conscious. Once her child was born, while the Dowager Empress and the Emperor were in the Empress' palace looking at the child, she took one glance at her own child and then had the wet nurse carry the child over.

Switching children, especially in the palace and under so many watchful eyes, was a very risky endeavor.

But the wet nurse was someone she could control. As long as she found the wet nurse's weakness, many things could be accomplished.

The Emperor frowned and asked, "What do you mean by that?"

Xiao Shan spoke with conviction, "To compensate your son."

The Emperor's brow remained furrowed. He knew Xiao Shan well, and upon hearing his words, he understood what was on his mind, yet he still found it somewhat unbelievable. Now that everything was in his favor, was Xiao Shan truly indifferent to the throne?

When others were fighting tooth and nail, devoid of familial affection and human decency, was he really willing to give it up?

Under the watchful eyes of everyone present, Xiao Shan, with an unchanged expression, said, "Father Emperor, your son would like a piece of land for a fiefdom. Preferably a large and prosperous one, but it should also be a place where Xie Zhui can have room to flourish. I think Yunnan would be a good choice. The climate is pleasant, the environment is favorable, and Xie Zhui and the child would surely like it. If anyone with ill intentions should think to invade our southern borders, Xie Zhui could also lead troops to repel them."

Since the founding of the Zhou Dynasty, there had been no practice of granting fiefdoms to princes. All princes who did not ascend the throne stayed in the capital to live out their days, eliminating the possibility of rebellion.

Now, Xiao Shan's request for a fiefdom effectively cut off his chances of becoming Crown Prince or Emperor.

If he said nothing, the Emperor would have felt uneasy.

But now that he made his request, openly declaring his disinterest in becoming Crown Prince or Emperor, the Emperor still felt uneasy.

Moreover, the Emperor finally understood why Xiao Shan exposed Consort Shu and Xiao Yi from the beginning. Xiao Xian was too young, and Consort Xian had ambitions. Naturally, the Emperor would not make Xiao Xian the Crown Prince.

Xiao Yi had committed a grave crime, and not being stripped of his title was already a great mercy.

Among the remaining princes were Xiao Shan, Xiao Rong, and Xiao Jin.

Xiao Rong was out of the question; he lacked the talent to be Emperor.

So, as long as Xiao Shan was unwilling to be Crown Prince, the position would inevitably fall to Xiao Jin.

Xiao Jin also realized this. He grabbed Xiao Shan's arm and said, "Don't be ridiculous. I am also willing to be a leisurely prince."

When he made his desperate move, he never imagined that Xiao Shan would understand all this, much less that Xiao Shan would consider various ways out for him.

With things having reached this point, there had to be an explanation for the Empress and Consort Lan.

Xiao Shan brushed Xiao Jin's hand away and said, "Father Emperor, if the matter of the switched children is made public, it will involve too many people. Your son does not want to be gawked at like a monkey on the street."

Just like the Gu family, their support had always been for Xiao Jin.

Gu Yin even dragged him into the water for Xiao Jin's sake. Now, if he were to become Crown Prince, there would be too many troublesome matters to deal with, and he had no patience for them.

Having his own fiefdom and being a leisurely prince sounded much better.

Moreover, he did not want to be Crown Prince. If everything were to be laid bare and Xiao Jin still wanted to be Crown Prince, then Consort Lan would need to be vindicated.

So Xiao Shan continued, "Your son has one more request. Even if Second Brother inherits the throne in the future, Consort Lan must never be given the title of Empress Dowager, whether in life or death. I hope Father Emperor and Second Brother can grant this."

As for the rest, the scandal of the switched children should be buried in history.

How future generations choose to write about it swa their concern.

For now, he and Xiao Jin did not need to be the subjects of public gossip.

As for those who knew about this matter, Xiao Shan glanced at Xiao Yi, who was slumped by the door. As long as he did not acknowledge it, who would believe such a thing?

As for reuniting with the Empress, he had no such intention.

He could understand the Empress' actions from Xiao Jin's perspective, but when it came to his own life, he had no words of forgiveness to offer.

As for Consort Lan, from now on, they would be strangers.

All he sought in this world was to live happily with Xie Zhui and to maintain his brotherly bond with Xiao Jin.

Now, his relationship with Xie Zhui was steadfast, and his brotherly bond with Xiao Jin remained unbroken.

Given this, he had no further desires.

No, there was still one more thing he desired.

Thinking of this, Xiao Shan looked at the Emperor again and said, "Father Emperor, has Xie Zhui arrived at the palace yet? Your son wishes for Father Emperor to adjudicate a case for the Xie family today."

"Adjudicate a case?" The Emperor glared at him. "What do you take Zhen for?"

Xiao Shan replied, "Father Emperor, Xie Zhui and the child are involved. Please have someone check if they have arrived at the palace."

The Emperor looked at him and said, "Have you forgotten the palace rules? Do you think Chang Le is dead? If they had arrived, wouldn't Chang Le have reported it?"

Xiao Shan gave a dry laugh, "Your son was anxious and indeed forgot."

Xiao Jin pressed his lips together. He knew Xiao Shan was doing this on purpose because the atmosphere in the hall was too oppressive, and he wanted to lift the dark clouds hanging over everyone.

At that moment, an exceptionally respectful voice came from outside the hall. It was Chang Le, announcing, "Your Majesty, Prince Li's consort has arrived..."