Chapter 33 The Real and Fake Princess
[Ding! Congratulations, host, you have successfully finished reading today's juicy gossip and have earned 1000 points!]
[Current total points: 100 points!]
To Yu Zhaoning, the system's voice was like heavenly music.
A bright smile instantly bloomed on her little face, and her two big, dark eyes curved into beautiful crescent moons.
[Wow! 1000 points! I'm rich! I'm rich!]
[System, system, you're such a sweet little helper! At this rate, 200,000 points is not a dream!]
The little empress sat on the dragon throne, swinging her short legs, her little hands supporting her chin, lost in her fantasies.
[What good stuff should we get this time? High-yield crops are definitely a must, so the people of Dayu can all have enough to eat!]
[But the methods for making sugar and glass are so tempting! The pure white sugar, the crystal-clear glass—that's all pure silver!]
[And cement! Road construction and house building are great things that benefit the country and its people!]
The little guy was so conflicted that his brows furrowed.
However, her heartfelt words stirred the minds of the civil and military officials below who could hear them.
High-yield crops! Sugar! Glass! Cement!
These words, emanating from His Majesty's heart, deeply moved everyone present.
Several officials from the Ministry of Revenue were green with envy, frantically calculating in their minds.
Sugar and glass! Those are luxuries comparable to gold!
The Empress Dowager had always wanted to make glass, but without a formula, she had not succeeded.
But those unfinished products were already very beautiful!
If the Great Yu could master the production method, wouldn't the national treasury be overflowing?
The military officers in the Ministry of War were more interested in cement.
This type of cement is said to allow for the rapid construction of houses.
If we had such a divine object, wouldn't the city walls and passes be impregnable?
The civil service group, led by Lin Xiang, placed more emphasis on high-yield crops.
"Food is the most important thing for the people. Only high-yield crops can form the foundation of a nation!" An old minister couldn't help but stroke his beard and sigh softly.
Someone nearby immediately retorted, "Lord Zhang, you are mistaken! Only when the national treasury is full can the army be strong and the people prosperous. In my opinion, white sugar and glass are the best choices!"
"Nonsense! Technology bestowed by the gods is naturally the best technology that benefits the country and its people!"
A group of ministers who are usually composed and dignified are now arguing quietly like middle-aged women in a market over something the young empress hasn't yet redeemed.
Several other officials looked puzzled.
Two hundred thousand points?
What are those things? They sound like the key to exchanging for these divine artifacts. What earth-shattering treasure does His Majesty intend to exchange so many for?
The atmosphere inside the main hall gradually became more lively.
[WARNING! WARNING! Emergency mission triggered!]
The system's urgent notification startled Yu Zhaoning, instantly waking her from her reverie.
[Host, stop hesitating! It's extremely urgent! Head straight to the Dengwen Drum to uncover the shocking conspiracy between the real and fake princesses!]
[Task complete! Reward: 1000 points! Reward: 2000 jin each of sweet potato and corn seeds!]
The system's voice had just finished speaking.
Yu Zhaoning, who was on the dragon throne, and Yuan Hua, who was beside her, stood up at the same time, as if they had been sprung up.
Both of them wore expressions of disbelief.
The real and fake princess?
Yuan Hua's heart sank to the bottom in an instant.
The current royal family of Dayu has only two princesses. One is her eldest daughter, the Great Yu Princess, who was sent away by the late emperor for a political marriage to ensure peace on the border.
The other one is her second daughter, Princess Luanxue, who was lost for many years and was only found six years ago!
Could it be that Xue'er was the one who had the accident?
Impossible! Absolutely impossible!
Yuan Hua's face instantly turned gloomy and terrifying, his phoenix eyes flashed with cold light, and his body exuded a suffocating pressure.
[Oh my god, is this my long-lost second princess whom I've finally found?]
[How could that be? The Second Princess is a very kind person. Is there something wrong with her?]
This time, even Yu Zhaoning was somewhat skeptical.
The civil and military officials were so frightened by the aura emanating from the Empress Dowager that they dared not even breathe, and they all lowered their heads, wishing they could bury their heads in the ground.
They all felt a chill run down their spines when they saw the Empress Dowager's face, which was so gloomy it seemed to drip water.
Goodness!
If the Second Princess is a fake, then the entire world of Great Yu will change!
Just then.
A golden-armored guard rushed in from outside the hall in a panic and knelt down with a thud.
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty the Empress Dowager! Someone has sounded the petition drum, appealing for justice!"
These words perfectly corresponded to what the system had said!
Yuan Hua was in a state of utter confusion, and his body swayed uncontrollably.
How is that possible?
How could Xue'er be fake?
The loss of her daughter years ago was a lifelong pain for her. A few years ago, she finally found her, and the snowflake-shaped birthmark on her neck and the dragon and phoenix jade pendant she had worn since childhood all matched!
She felt an instant connection with Xue'er; the sense of kinship they shared was genuine!
Who is it? Who's behind this?!
Seeing that the time was right, Yu Zhaoning immediately jumped down from the dragon throne, ran to the Empress Dowager's side with her short legs, and took her hand.
The child's voice carried an undeniable authority.
"Grandmother, since someone has sounded the drum to appeal, there must be a great injustice at play!"
She turned around and looked around at the trembling officials below.
"My esteemed ministers, would you be willing to accompany me to see for yourselves what is truly going on?"
"Your Majesty, we obey!"
None of the civil and military officials dared to utter a word of dissent; they all knelt down and shouted in unison.
Just kidding, with such a big commotion and such a huge scoop, who wouldn't want to go see it live!
Yuan Hua took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the turmoil in his heart, and his eyes regained their firmness and sharpness.
"Very well! Prepare the carriage and the drum to appeal!"
"I want to see just what kind of monster dares to provoke me!"
She took Yu Zhaoning's small hand, and under the protection of a group of palace servants and golden-armored guards, they walked in a grand procession toward the Dengwen Drum outside the palace gate.
…
Meanwhile, in the distant state of Yan...
Inside the magnificent palace, incense wafted gently.
Cui Yue wore a gorgeous palace dress, and her carefully made-up face made her even more charming and beautiful.
She stood side by side with Yu Jingchuan, who had also changed into brocade robes, and gracefully bowed to the figure on the high platform.
On the dragon throne, leaning against the back, was an extremely handsome man.
He looked to be in his early twenties, with his black hair loosely tied up with a jade hairpin, a few strands hanging down beside his face, adding to his lazy and unruly air.
Her peach blossom eyes, with their captivating charm, seemed to be able to bewitch and bewitch.
Yan Beiming scrutinized Yu Jingchuan's face for a long time before suddenly realizing something and slapping the armrest.
"Hey, you know what? Looking at it this closely, you really do have some of my former glory! You truly are my son!"
He changed the subject, asking with a hint of curiosity.
"However, why are there only two of you? Where is your mother?"
"I haven't seen Mei'er in so long, I really miss her."
Yu Jingchuan's heart skipped a beat.
When we were fleeing for our lives, the situation was urgent, and I didn't have time to think about my mother!
However, he remembered rushing into the room, but his mother was no longer there.
They must have already been rescued.
Before he could answer, Cui Yue spoke softly beside him.
"Your Majesty, my mother is in poor health and has caught a cold, so she was unable to come with us."
"However, my mother said that as long as we can come to Yan and see His Majesty, His Majesty will definitely take care of us and make sure we are settled in a good manner."
Cui Yue's voice was soft and melodious, so sweet it made one's bones melt.
"Oh, I see."
The Yan Emperor nodded, a hint of regret showing on his handsome face.
"I thought you could hold out in the Great Yu for a while longer, but I didn't expect you to be discovered so quickly."
He looked at Yu Jingchuan with great interest.
"Aren't you the eldest prince of the Great Yu? Logically speaking, the throne should be yours to sit on. Why have you come back in such a sorry state?"
Upon hearing this, Yu Jingchuan's eyes instantly reddened, and he immediately knelt on the ground, sobbing uncontrollably.
"Father! You must do justice for your son!"
"That Empress Dowager of the Great Yu Dynasty is utterly depraved; she actually supported a four-year-old girl to become empress! She's a wicked empress!"
"Not long ago, they somehow found out my identity and used it as leverage to throw me into the imperial prison! If it weren't for the people you left behind who risked their lives to rescue me, I probably wouldn't be alive to see you now!"
As he spoke, he squeezed out a few tears, looking extremely aggrieved.
Unexpectedly, after listening to this, the Yan Emperor on the stage stroked his chin and muttered to himself.
"Yeah?"
"But I didn't send anyone to rescue you."
Yu Jingchuan: "..."
The sorrow on his face froze instantly, and he was completely dumbfounded.
If it wasn't someone sent by the Emperor? Then who was it?
The Yan Emperor on the stage quickly put on a wistful expression and began to speak to himself.
"Yuanhua, she truly lives up to her reputation as the legendary Empress Dowager of the Great Yu Dynasty! Oh no, she's the Grand Empress Dowager now!"
"I grew up listening to her stories. At twenty, she took the Phoenix Seal; at thirty, she ruled from behind the curtain. As a woman, she stabilized the precarious Great Yu kingdom and forced several neighboring countries to refrain from invading."
"Tsk tsk, what a pity..."
He rested his chin on his hand, his peach blossom eyes narrowed, and his tone was full of sultry charm.
"You were born before I was born, and I was born after you had grown old!"
Upon hearing this, the entire hall fell into a deathly silence.
The civil and military officials of Yan standing below the stage all wore expressions that were hard to describe, their mouths twitching wildly.
His Majesty!
Wake up!
Empress Dowager Da Yu is over fifty! You're not even thirty yet!
Even Cui Yue, standing to the side, cracked her carefully made-up pretty face.
She had imagined countless possibilities.
Perhaps the Emperor of Yan, with his great talent and ambition, will seize this opportunity to launch an attack on Dayu.
Perhaps the Emperor of Yan was inherently suspicious and would interrogate them.
But she never expected...
This handsome, otherworldly emperor of Yan was still obsessed with the Empress Dowager.
How could this be so outrageous?
How can a person become so insane?