Chapter 331: Chapter 331: Palace upheaval
331 Palace Coup
Attempting to harm the Twelfth Crown Prince was a grievous crime. The King of Chu knew very well that this accusation absolutely could not be pinned on him.
If this accusation could not be substantiated, then the prior evidence of him framing loyal officials would also lose its credibility.
Therefore, he was desperate to make Zhao Zhitong panic and admit that she was incapable of producing such a portrait.
Unfortunately for him, he was bound to be disappointed.
Zhao Zhitong was not frightened in the slightest. After a glance at the King of Chu, she calmly replied to the emperor, "Everyone’s skull is different. By analyzing the thirty-six bone points on a skull, it is not exceedingly difficult to deduce the deceased’s appearance in life."
Stubborn!
Regardless, the King of Chu considered the notion of painting a person from a skull to be fantastical and utterly impossible.
More importantly, he had personally witnessed the Twelfth Crown Prince’s corpse being dragged away by wolves; by now, he was certain not even bones remained.
Therefore, that skull could not possibly belong to the Twelfth Crown Prince.
With this conviction, he decided to take a gamble.
Thus, seeing a hint of doubt in the emperor’s eyes, he proposed a plan, "Your Majesty, it is simple to ascertain if she is lying. Find another skull and have her draw a portrait of it here in the palace. If she cannot produce it, then it proves that all of this is a deliberate plot by someone to frame your humble servant!"
The emperor’s gaze flickered past the King of Chu, rested on Zhao Zhitong for a moment, and then she asked, "Jian, what are your thoughts?"
As Prime Minister, Lord Zhang stood at the forefront. Hearing the question, he stepped forward and respectfully said, "Your Majesty, your servant believes this is a sound method."
"Hmm," the emperor nodded. "Very well, let it be so."
Afterward, Zhao Zhitong and the others were detained within the palace. The emperor even had a skull sent to Zhao Zhitong, instructing her to sketch the appearance of the individual from it within two days.
Zhao Zhitong remained unperturbed, but Wei Shulan and the others were extremely anxious.
Watching Zhao Zhitong being led away alone, Wei Zijian grumbled under his breath, "No matter how I look at it, the emperor seems reluctant to deal with the King of Chu and his faction. The evidence of them framing loyal officials is so conclusive, yet Her Majesty still listened to that King of Chu and insisted on testing my master."
"Hush, don’t speak so recklessly." Wei Shulan reached out and tugged Wei Zijian. "This is the Imperial Palace, teeming with eyes and ears. From now on, speak as little as possible, understand?"
Wei Zijian nervously clamped his mouth shut and nodded.
However, what Wei Zijian said was not entirely incorrect. Regarding the King of Chu, the emperor was unwilling to believe all the evidence was true. Yet, in her heart, she was already aware that the King of Chu had stirred up considerable trouble in the imperial court over the years.
But this was her own nephew, whom she had doted on as he grew up, someone she had once even considered naming as heir to the throne. Naturally, she was unwilling to believe that this cherished nephew was the murderer of her own son.
Or perhaps, deep down, she simply did not want any of it to be true.
Thus, even when all the evidence of him framing loyal officials was laid before her, she had merely placed the King of Chu under house arrest in his residence, intending to give him one more chance.
Now, all that remained was to wait for Zhao Zhitong to submit the portrait.
To prevent anyone from leaking information to Zhao Zhitong, the courtyard she was in was heavily guarded, inside and out. She could not leave, and no one could enter.
While everyone outside harbored their own speculations, time flew by.
「Two days passed in the blink of an eye.」
The deadline for Zhao Zhitong to submit the portrait was fast approaching.
On that day, when the emperor’s attendant came to fetch Zhao Zhitong, she was just stirring from sleep. With dark circles under her eyes, she blinked blearily at the person who had arrived.
"Alright, enough sleep. Is the drawing finished?"
The visitor was one of the emperor’s personal bodyguards.
Zhao Zhitong then came to her senses and nodded, still somewhat dazed. "It’s finished," she said.
"Good. If it’s finished, bring the drawing and come with me."
"Oh, alright."
Having not slept for two consecutive days, Zhao Zhitong had only just drifted off when she was awakened. Her mind was still in a haze. In the eyes of the imperial bodyguard, she appeared rather dim-witted.
Fortunately, by the time she arrived before the emperor, her mind had gradually cleared.
Grandpa Bai was right, she couldn’t help but think. Staying up late really does make people dull!
"This commoner greets Your Majesty. Long live Your Majesty, for ten thousand years, for ten thousand times ten thousand years!"
Zhao Zhitong entered the great hall and knelt, kowtowing.
"Mm, is the drawing finished?"
The emperor’s reaction was rather cool.
Kneeling on the ground, Zhao Zhitong raised the completed drawing with both hands and said, "Reporting to Your Majesty, this commoner has finished the drawing."
"Mm."
The emperor nodded. A lady-in-waiting beside her descended, took the drawing from Zhao Zhitong’s hands, and presented it to the emperor.
Looking at the lady-in-waiting, Zhao Zhitong felt a flicker of familiarity. It was only when the emperor called the lady-in-waiting’s name that Zhao Zhitong remembered who she was.
Gongsun Wan!
When the emperor had bestowed the imperial plaque upon the Zhao Family, it was this very high-ranking lady-in-waiting, Gongsun Wan, who had read out the imperial edict.
"Wan Er, take a look. Is it this person?"
Gongsun Wan took the drawing and then retrieved another from her sleeve. After comparing the two, she nodded. "Your Majesty, it is indeed him. Furthermore, Miss Zhao’s drawing is even more lifelike and a truer resemblance than the reference portrait."
The emperor had ordered Gongsun Wan to secretly find this skull, and a portrait had been brought along with it for comparison.
Upon Gongsun Wan’s confirmation, the emperor heaved a long sigh, seeming to age considerably in an instant.
Seeing the emperor’s current pallor, Gongsun Wan couldn’t help but express her concern, "Your Majesty, please take care of your imperial health. The Great Zhou Dynasty still needs you."
The emperor rubbed her brow and murmured, almost unconsciously, "Wen Chang..."
Wanting to ask for Song Renying’s opinion, she was struck by the realization that Song Renying was not by her side. The emperor stiffened, a poignant sense of a monarch’s solitude welling up within her.
She then closed her eyes and waved her hand dismissively. "Enough. Guards! Arrest the King of Chu and his accomplices! Bring them to justice!"
「Meanwhile...」
At the same time, someone had quietly passed the news to the King of Chu’s residence.
Being ambitious, the King of Chu was naturally not foolish. His request for Zhao Zhitong to draw the portrait was a dual tactic: to potentially absolve himself and, crucially, to buy time. He needed that time to gather his forces and prepare them to enter the Capital City.
If that criminal evidence was confirmed, and he had no other choice, he would have to play his final card.
For instance, now, having received the news from the palace, he immediately issued the command to attack to the troops he had hidden within the city!
If I’m going to die anyway, I might as well fight for it!
Thus, before the contingent sent by the emperor had even left the palace gates, the rebel army led by the King of Chu arrived!
The moment the palace gates opened, the King of Chu, brandishing a long spear, roared, "Clear the emperor’s side!"
Leading his soldiers, he charged in, cutting down anyone in his path. Instantly, chaos erupted within the palace.
The Imperial Guard had also mobilized, clashing fiercely with the rebel forces.
The screams of palace maids echoed all around, filling the air with terror.
But while the emperor awaited the arrests, the news she received was far more shocking: the King of Chu had rebelled!
"Rebelled! He truly has rebelled!"
Slamming her palm on the Dragon Throne, the emperor was no longer merely disappointed—she was utterly enraged!