Chapter 223: Prince Jing Is Actually a Genius at Debate

The vast Chongwen Hall was filled with hundreds of people, yet now, it was utterly silent.

"Go down and ask the late Emperor." How does one "go down"? Naturally, one has to die first.

They didn’t know if other emperors would make such a threat, but this Little Emperor would definitely dare to kill.

Ji Xuanmo stood ramrod straight, as if making a proclamation. "I do not desire a title. I have come here only to fulfill my deceased mother’s final wish, so that she may rest in peace."

His attitude was firm and aloof, scornful of any royal title, as if Xiao Yang’s suspicions were an insult to his integrity.

Xiao Yang was stunned by this glowing "Son of Providence," surprised by his identity, and torn on how to deal with him.

Even after Xie Liuzheng had confirmed his identity, Xiao Yang had only seen him as a troublesome matter that would be difficult to handle.

But now, a spark of genuine anger ignited within Xiao Yang.

’Ji Xuanmo revealed his identity during the crucial final stage of the imperial examination. Setting aside the novelistic plot of a Son of Providence having his shining moment, he was, at his core, afraid I wouldn’t acknowledge him.’

’He said this under the watchful eyes of everyone to pressure me, forcing me to investigate, forcing me to acknowledge his identity. Then, he would be able to return to the clan in a blaze of glory.’

’From the very beginning, he was pressuring me. He was trying to use the courtiers and the examination candidates to force me to acknowledge his so-called ’truth’.’

’He was using his mother’s supposed final wish and his status as the late Emperor’s son to coerce me, the Emperor.’

’Perhaps in his eyes, pleading for his mother in front of everyone was a grand gesture of great filial piety and righteousness.’

She was the Empress, and he was the eldest son.

If his mother hadn’t taken him away, he would have been the sole heir to the throne.

And now he only wanted to be recognized by his ancestors, with no designs on her throne. Didn’t that just sound all the more noble?

’From the moment he saw me, his expression has held no reverence for the Emperor. Instead, it carries a strange sense of composure and tolerance, as if he’s adopted some extraordinary role for himself.’

’His mother had a last wish, so I must acknowledge it and help him? Is that it?’

’He wants to fulfill his mother’s last wish, so the imperial examination should pave his way and the Emperor should welcome him with open arms?’

’He has the talent of a top scholar and wrote such an excellent thesis on governing the nation. Could he really not know what being the eldest imperial son implies? Could he not have anticipated the waves his appearance would cause?’

’He knew. But he was willing to bear any risk, all to fulfill his mother’s final wish.’

’Absolutely insane.’

Xiao Yang looked at him. His firm, upright figure projected an unyielding stubbornness, a one-man struggle against injustice. How admirable.

"Heh..." Xiao Yang chuckled, not bothering to hide her derision.

"Her last wish... is it so very noble?"

Her tone shifted abruptly. "Prince Jing, what is the crime for a runaway servant of the Royal Family?"

Prince Jing knew it was his turn to speak. "Execution by caning."

Xiao Yang: "And if that servant fled while carrying royal blood, causing a member of the Imperial Family to be lost to the outside world, what then is the crime?"

Prince Jing: "Execution by waist-chopping or death by a thousand cuts, with exile for three generations of their family."

Xiao Yang: "And what if the criminal is already dead?"

Prince Jing: "According to the law, their bones are to be crushed and scattered as ashes. Anyone who knew and concealed the truth shall also be executed."

Xiao Yang looked at Ji Xuanmo. "Rest assured, as long as it is proven that you are of royal blood, We can acknowledge your identity, add you to the Jade Butterfly, and grant you a title. But this has nothing to do with your mother’s final wish. Everything will be handled according to the rules."

In other words, he could get the title he wanted, but everyone around him would have to die!

Ji Xuanmo’s expression finally changed, his face a mask of disbelief and anger. "Your Majesty, how can you be so cruel? My mother is already dead, and those around me are innocent people! Why must you implicate the lives of others?"

Xiao Yang tapped the armrest lightly. "There is one thing you still fail to understand. We are the Emperor, and this is the Imperial Palace. If you wish to be acknowledged by your ancestors, you must follow the rules."

Ji Xuanmo looked at her, his eyes filled with utter disappointment, as if he never expected her to be this kind of person. "My mother was not a runaway servant. She accidentally fell from a cliff and barely survived to give birth to me."

Prince Jing: "Then why didn’t she bring you back all these years?"

He tried to explain on his mother’s behalf. "My mother was merely afraid I wouldn’t survive the struggles within the Imperial Family. She had no other choice."

Prince Jing was the first to disagree. "Nonsense! Aren’t this prince’s several children alive and well? Weren’t my Brother’s two children always alive and well? You think you’re so special, is that it?"

"It has only been eight years since the late Emperor passed away. You would have been thirteen years old then. Why couldn’t you return to the clan at thirteen? Why not return to the clan at any point after that? Why come now, of all times? Do you think Her Majesty is an easy target?"

Ji Xuanmo grew angry as well. "My mother never told anyone. She only told me last year when she passed away from a severe illness, right before she died."

Prince Jing: "Doesn’t that just prove the point? She deliberately hid you. It fits perfectly with the crimes mentioned before, doesn’t it?"

The crowd: ’...’ ’This is the first time we’ve realized Prince Jing is actually a genius at debate.’

Xiao Yang: "Your mother was afraid of the Empress Dowager, wasn’t she? She was the illegitimate daughter of an official, unacknowledged by the Chen Family. That’s why she was sent to be a maidservant to a Prince. She was afraid the legitimate daughter of the Chen Family would recognize her and not allow her to keep the child, so she fled while pregnant. And in doing so, she condemned that child to an existence just like her own."

’Before she died, she probably learned of my identity as a woman. If I were a man, would she have dared to say something as suicidal as telling her son to return and claim his ancestry?’

’To put it bluntly, they’re bullying the Emperor for being a woman.’

’If I were to assume the worst, she was probably hoping to snag a throne for free.’

Xiao Yang: "Your mother told you to seek recognition from your ancestors. Did it not occur to you to help her get recognized by *her* ancestors at the same time?"

Upon hearing this, Ji Xuanmo’s face turned cold. He said reproachfully, "Your Majesty, please respect my deceased mother. One should respect the dead."

Xiao Yang: ’...’ ’What part of what I just said was wrong? He’s making a big fuss about being recognized by his ancestors, so why has he abandoned his own mother’s?’

A curse rose to her lips. If not for the need to maintain some semblance of imperial dignity, she would have sworn at him on the spot.

’She’s *your* mother, not some benevolent saint who saves all of humanity. Not everyone has to give her face.’

’And "respect the dead"? She’s dead and still causing trouble. She deserves to have her grave dug up.’

And yet, the more firmly Ji Xuanmo spouted this thoughtless nonsense, the brighter the glow around him became.

Xiao Yang was utterly speechless. ’What kind of ’light of providence’ is this? It’s more like a light of stupidity, isn’t it?’

’He actually thinks that an Emperor born of the official Empress should respect his runaway-servant mother. Are you sure he’s not a transmigrator? How could anyone who hasn’t had their head squashed by the fabric of spacetime say something so ridiculous?’

Xiao Lv and Rong Yin stepped forward at almost the same time. Both their faces were so dark they could have been dripping water, and their killing intent was completely undisguised.

Xiao Yang was so angry she let out a cold laugh. "Fine. We will respect the dead. But who, then, have *you* respected?"

Xiao Yang’s gaze shifted to the seventy-three scholars.

"For twenty-one whole years, you didn’t come. Not earlier, not later, but precisely today. This is not the first day you have seen Us. You have had many opportunities to reveal your identity, yet you chose this exact moment to announce it with such fanfare."

"You have ruined Our first imperial examination. This is an obstruction of state affairs, which is already a grave crime."

"Every person here today is an ambitious scholar who has studied diligently, full of aspirations and waiting for a chance to prove themselves. This should have been their moment to shine, the launch of their careers. But with a single statement, you have turned everyone’s attention to yourself. From this day forward, no one will remember what talents emerged from this first examination. They will only remember that a man named Ji Xuanmo claimed to be of royal blood."

"For this examination, countless officials from the Ministry of Rites, the Ministry of Personnel, and others prepared for over half a year. To perform well, numerous students burned the midnight oil, wearing out who knows how many ink brushes. Yet you, with your identity as the illegitimate son secretly born to a runaway concubine, have laid all their hard work to waste. You have turned these scholars into your backdrop. So I ask you, who have *you* respected?"