Before Wang Qingyao set out, she had not discussed with Xiao Yun whether to confess the secret of his lineage to the Emperor.
She acted entirely on impulse, seizing the moment.
At this very moment, she suddenly had a thought: perhaps this was the best time to reveal the secret of Xiao Yun's lineage.
Shunfeng and the Emperor were both stunned.
Who was Xiao Yun?
Who else could he be?
He was the Prince of Ding'an!
Tears and snot streaming down her face, Wang Qingyao roared at Shunfeng, disregarding everything, "He is the Emperor's legitimate eldest son, he is the son of Empress Xiaoxian!"
Time seemed to stand still at this moment, and all sounds in the world suddenly vanished.
Shunfeng's mouth gaped in astonishment.
As for the Emperor, his expression was even more bewildered than when he had heard the news of Xiao Yun's death, and it was mixed with a deep sense of confusion.
He seemed not to have heard what Wang Qingyao said, yet he also seemed to have heard it clearly.
"What did you say? Whose son is A'yun?" the Emperor asked again, his voice trembling slightly. He stared intently at Wang Qingyao, afraid of missing a single word she spoke.
Wang Qingyao, still crying, repeated, "Xiao Yun is your biological son, Your Majesty, and Empress Xiaoxian's son."
She looked at Shunfeng, "You did not kill a descendant of the Xiao family at all, but the late Emperor's legitimate eldest grandson!"
Her voice was sonorous, like heavy hammer blows striking Shunfeng's heart one by one.
Shunfeng could not believe it. He had pledged his life to the late Emperor, yet he had mistakenly killed the late Emperor's legitimate eldest grandson. How could he have made such a mistake?
"No, it's impossible. How could the Prince of Ding'an be the late Emperor's legitimate eldest grandson?" he muttered to himself, unwilling to imagine it.
So Wang Qingyao slowly recounted how Grand Tutor Wei had plotted against Empress Xiaoxian and her child back then. Her account was logical and well-supported, mentioning Consort Chen, then Imperial Physician Lu, then Duke Zhongyong and the Old Imperial Concubine. All of them were witnesses.
"If Your Majesty does not believe me, you can summon them for questioning."
The Emperor could not suppress his excitement. He knew Wang Qingyao was telling the truth. Although he had not yet met the witnesses, he had a feeling, he knew Wang Qingyao was telling the truth.
Xiao Yun was actually his son!
No wonder he felt such a special connection with Xiao Yun, no wonder he felt so fond of Xiao Yun, no wonder Xiao Yun bore some resemblance to him.
Thinking of Xiao Yun, his heart was filled with joy.
But this joy did not last long. He suddenly remembered that Xiao Yun had died of poison.
"The antidote!" he suddenly stood up and roared at Shunfeng, "The antidote, quickly hand over the antidote!"
Shunfeng shook his head sadly, "Your Majesty, you have forgotten, there is no antidote for the Green Demon. Even if there were, it is too late now."
The Emperor slumped back onto his dragon throne. Overwhelmed by extreme joy and sorrow, ač „ē (bloody sweetness) surged in his throat, and with a "wow," he spat out a mouthful of fresh blood onto the imperial desk.
Wang Qingyao's heart leaped to her throat in fright: This is bad, I've gone too far. Will the Emperor die of anger?
Shunfeng knelt down with a thud, his voice mournful and aged, "Your Majesty, please take care of your health! This servant knows he has committed an unforgivable great sin. Your Majesty need not act. This servant will end his own life now and confess his wrongs to the late Emperor in the underworld!"
Saying this, he struck the crown of his head with his palm. Instantly, blood flowed from his head. His body swayed, and he fell to the ground, silent.
Wang Qingyao's heart pounded like a frightened deer. After a while, she cautiously approached Shunfeng. First, she kicked him with her foot. Seeing no reaction, she squatted down and extended her index finger to check his breath.
No breath.
He was dead.
He was truly dead.
The executor of the Xiao family curse was utterly dead.
Wang Qingyao let out a long sigh of relief.
The Emperor struggled to stand up. "Consort of Ding'an, help me to see A'yun. A'yun, my A'yun..."
The Emperor's tears flowed freely.
Wang Qingyao coughed awkwardly and said guiltily, "Well, Your Majesty, actually Xiao Yun is not dead. I lied to Shunfeng."
"Ah?" The Emperor's expression turned bewildered again, and his body swayed precariously.
Wang Qingyao quickly ran over to support him and explained, "Xiao Yun is not dead. Shunfeng did give him the Green Demon, but Shunfeng didn't know that his Green Demon had long been replaced with water by the Imperial Tutor. So, even though he poisoned Xiao Yun, Xiao Yun was completely fine. If you don't believe me, you can summon Xiao Yun to the palace immediately."