Can I get to the other side?.

Chapter 198: Restore the Han Dynasty! Our sect’s justice is unyielding!

After the emperor left the court, he immediately found Empress Fu and cried to her about the incident that had happened in the court that day.

"…The father-in-law cursed Cao Cao as a traitor who pretended to be the emperor, and asked Cao Cao to kill him. One day, the fake emperor in Yecheng would lead his troops to help him avenge himself."

"Isn't he just beating around the bush and calling me a fake?"

"Queen, now even the father-in-law has betrayed me!"

The emperor lay on the table and cried.

After hearing the emperor's words, Empress Fu was so shocked that she was speechless, and her beautiful eyes were filled with doubt and confusion.

Didn't she ask her father to contact loyal officials to kill the thief Cao?
How did it turn out like this?

But despite being shocked, Empress Fu quickly calmed herself down - after all, the emperor's emotions were too fragile, and if she didn't remain calm, how could she have the backbone?
"Don't worry, Your Majesty. I am here."

Empress Fu patted the emperor on the back and comforted him softly.

The emperor was moved when he saw Empress Fu's beautiful and dignified face. He knew that even if his father-in-law betrayed him, Empress Fu would not betray him.

Even if the fake emperor in Yecheng could take away everything from him, he could never take away his queen. The queen and he had a deep love for each other, how could the fake emperor know that!
"Queen."

The emperor wiped his tears, took a deep breath and said, "I plan to ask Zong Zheng to prove my identity in front of all the officials."

In the past, it was the fake emperor in Yecheng who pretended to be the emperor, and no one in the court believed him; but now even the officials have begun to question his identity, and he has no choice but to prove himself.

And the only person who can prove his identity right now is Zong Zheng!

Zong Zheng was one of the Nine Ministers.

Unlike the other nine ministers, this position, like the emperor, can only be held by people of Liu's bloodline, and they must be respected people in the Liu clan.

Zongzheng managed the Zongzheng Temple and was responsible for handling all matters related to the royal family. He only cared about the continuation of the Liu clan and did not interfere in any state affairs.

Simply put, he is the patriarch of the Liu family.

Even someone as high-ranking as the emperor might have been beaten by the Zongzheng Temple before he ascended the throne.

At the same time, you must treat the Zongzheng with respect when you meet him.

The reason why the emperor asked the Zong Zheng to testify for him was because the Zong Zheng represented the interests of the Liu royal family and would not tolerate an outsider pretending to be the emperor and becoming the emperor of the Han Dynasty.

The most important thing is that the status of Zong Zheng is high enough and his words carry enough weight to convince all the officials in the court.

"Zongzheng?"

Hearing this name, Empress Fu's eyes shone and her eyebrows furrowed, "But Your Majesty, the current Zongzheng in the court was once Dong Zhuo's chief secretary. I'm afraid his prestige is not enough, right?"

If Zong Zheng was a relative of the Han royal family of a very high status like Liu Yu, he could have made the final decision with just one sentence and convinced the people of the world.

But the current head of the clan is Liu Ai. Although he is a relative of the Liu clan, he used to follow the traitor Dong Zhuo. With this history, how can he convince everyone?
Even Kong Rong's words were more convincing than his.

The emperor sighed and said, "Of course I understand what the queen said, but who else is qualified to verify my identity besides Zongzheng?"

Empress Fu was speechless for a moment and had no words to say.

Yes, now apart from Zongzheng, who else can justify the emperor's name? This is a helpless choice, at least the identity of Zongzheng has great weight.

Just as the emperor and the empress were discussing, an eunuch came running to report: "Your Majesty, Zong Zheng is outside the palace asking for an audience."

"what?"

The emperor was shocked when he heard this and looked at Empress Fu.

Just say authentic and it will come?

Empress Fu said, "Since the Zongzheng is here, Your Majesty can have a chat with him and let him prove your identity. I will take my leave first."

The conversation between the emperor and the chief minister must contain some secrets about the royal family. Even as the queen, she cannot eavesdrop. This is the rule.

After Empress Fu left, the Minister of the Imperial Clan Liu Ai walked into the Xuanshi Hall.

"See Your Majesty."

Liu Ai was about sixty years old, with a stern face and a serious expression. He was meticulous in his clothing and etiquette, and exuded a serious air.

Upon seeing the Liu clan leader, the emperor inevitably became nervous. He sat up straight, not daring to do anything that was not in line with the emperor's etiquette.

These are all muscle memories formed by the beatings I received in the past. When I was teaching etiquette in the Zongzheng Temple, they really beat me.

In addition, he must be cautious in verifying the emperor's identity.

"Please don't be polite, Zongzheng. Please take a seat."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Liu Ai straightened up, sat down opposite the emperor and said, "Your Majesty, there have been rumors in the court and the country recently. It is said that Your Majesty was replaced by Yang Biao, Fu Wan and others. The real emperor went to Yecheng long before the capital was moved to Xu County."

"This matter concerns the foundation of the country and the orthodoxy of the Han Dynasty. It is of great importance. Therefore, I have come to the palace on purpose, hoping that Your Majesty can cooperate with me to verify my identity."

He had heard the rumors about the real and fake emperor.

I thought it was just a random person that the traitor Yuan Shao found to pretend to be the emperor so that he could command the princes in the name of the emperor. I never thought that the matter would become more and more serious, and even important officials like Yang Biao and Fu Wan believed it.

Therefore, he had to come forward to verify the identity of the emperor and see whether what Yang Biao and Fu Wan said was true or false.

"That's exactly what I meant!"

The emperor was very excited when he heard this, and said: "The only person who can stabilize the court and convince all officials is the Zongzheng. Zongzheng must prove my identity and never let the false emperor steal the Han Dynasty and pollute the bloodline of the Liu family!"

Liu Ai nodded slightly and said, "I have a few questions for your majesty. Please answer them truthfully."

"Zongzheng, please ask."

The emperor knew that this was indispensable as it concerned the orthodoxy of the Han royal family. As a clan leader, he had to treat it seriously and could not express his views casually.

But he is the true emperor, what is he afraid of?
Liu Ai asked directly: "What was the reason for your Majesty's first punishment in the Zongzheng Temple? What kind of punishment did you receive? And who punished your Majesty?"

These things happened before the emperor ascended the throne, so they would not be recorded in the daily records.

The previous emperor has passed away, and there are some things that even he does not know. Only the real emperor knows.

The emperor didn't even think about it, and blurted out: "The first time I entered the Zongzheng Temple was when I was six years old. I was punished for violating etiquette when offering sacrifices to the Imperial Ancestral Temple."

"I was punished with three strokes of the stick and a day of solitary confinement. The person who punished me was the previous Zongzheng. There was also a clan member who was in charge of watching over me. I don't know his name, but he was in the Zongzheng Temple. The Zongzheng can confirm it with that clan member when he returns."

The emperor entered the Zongzheng Temple only a few times, so he remembered each time vividly, especially the first time.

Liu Ai nodded, a gleam in his eyes, and he kept this matter in mind. Then he asked several questions in succession, and the emperor answered them one by one.

After a round of questions and answers, Liu Ai figured out many hidden secrets concerning the emperor.

Some he didn't know, and some he knew.

Having achieved the purpose of this trip, Liu Ai glanced at the Tiger Guards standing outside the palace, a smile appeared on his serious face, and he said: "I can confirm that Your Majesty is the legitimate emperor of the Han Dynasty."

The emperor almost burst into tears again when he heard this. He finally proved that he was himself!
After sniffing, the emperor said to Liu Ai, "Tomorrow morning, I hope that Zong Zheng can clarify the misunderstanding to the civil and military officials and tell them the result of the identity verification."

The word "misunderstanding" emphasized the tone.

The emperor understood that only by attributing all this to misunderstanding and blaming the false emperor could he demonstrate his magnanimity and dispel the concerns of the officials.

The most important thing is to let Cao Cao, Yang Biao and Fu Wan know that they were just deceived by the false emperor and he will not pursue the matter.

"Don't worry, Your Majesty. This is my duty."

Liu Ai bowed and turned to leave.

The emperor watched Liu Ai's figure disappear into the distance, heaved a long sigh of relief, and couldn't help but reveal a smile and a hint of pride on his face.

False Emperor, that’s it!

No matter how you deceive the world, no matter how similar it is, fake is still fake!

……

After leaving the hall, Liu Ai fell into deep thought.

There is no doubt that the emperor in the palace is real.

This can be seen from the fact that the emperor can easily answer those secret things from his childhood. Only the real emperor would know them, and the birthmark on his body is genuine.

This also shows that the emperor in Yecheng was a fake.

"What should I do now? Should I announce the result of the identity verification to all the officials, or should I seek an opportunity for myself and the Han Dynasty?"

Liu Ai began to struggle between his conscience and his desires.

Although the emperor in front of him was the orthodox emperor of the Han Dynasty, he had no ability to restore the Han Dynasty. How could the royal family count on such an incompetent emperor?
On the contrary, the one in Yecheng was a fake emperor established by Yuan Shao, but he was able to capture Yecheng and even gain the loyalty of Lu Bu, and had an army of tens of thousands.

The only problem is bloodline.

If the man in Yecheng is of Liu's bloodline, then it's fine. Even if he is from a branch of a branch, it doesn't matter. It's just a small branch becoming a big branch.

But if he was not of Liu's bloodline, but someone from another family, it would be tantamount to letting the Han dynasty be stolen by someone from another family, which would completely go against his duties as the clan leader.

But... there is still hope for the Han Dynasty to continue.

Liu Ai was hesitant in his heart, but finally when he walked out of the palace, he made up his mind and understood what he should do.

"So what if it's fake? So what if it's not Liu's bloodline?"

"When the time comes, let him marry a few women from the Liu family, and make the children born as the crown prince and inherit the throne. This way, the Han Dynasty will still belong to the descendants of my Liu family."

"And now that Yang Biao and Fu Wan have died one after another to show their loyalty to the false emperor, most people have already believed in the identity of the emperor of Yecheng. All that's left is the final word."

"My prestige is not enough to convince the world that the emperor of Yecheng is a fake. If I accuse him of being a fake emperor, when Xu County falls, I will die. By then, let alone let the emperor marry Liu's daughter."

"The chance to build Yan Han for the third time and become a loyal minister is right in front of me. This may be the only chance I have in this life."

"For the sake of the Han Dynasty and the Liu clan, why not... let me be the one to make the final decision?"

Liu Ai turned around and looked at the simple imperial palace behind him with a deep gaze.

It was a long time before he turned and left.

……

Sikong Mansion.

After Cao Cao returned home, he washed his face more than ten times in a row. His face was almost bald, but he still felt it was not clean.

"If you hadn't stopped me, Ziyuan, I would have killed that old bastard!"

Cao Cao took the handkerchief from Xu You, wiped his face and spoke hatefully.

Not to mention Fu Wan's dirty words, just the phlegm alone was enough to make him sick.

He had never suffered such a great humiliation in his life, and his moral character was not so high as to swallow it.

Xu You shook his head and said, "If you really kill the father-in-law in court, all the officials in the court will be in danger and may even flee away from Xu County."

Fu Wan's words "Fuck your mother" that echoed throughout the hall are still lingering in Xu You's mind.

Cao Cao's face was gloomy. He looked at Xu Chu beside him and asked, "Have you captured all the people?"

The first thing he did after leaving court was to order Xu Chu to lead troops to the father-in-law's house to arrest all the children of that old man Fu Wan.

I don't dare to touch Fu Wan for the time being, but can't I touch his children?

Xu Chu scratched his head and said in a muffled voice, "No, my lord. Now only Fu Wan's wife and servants are in the Fu family. But my lord has ordered that she is the daughter of Emperor Huan and we cannot mess with her."

"Ah!" Cao Cao was furious and covered the basin with a handkerchief. "I was wondering how an old man like Fu Wan could have the guts to insult me ​​in public in the court! It turns out he had already prepared for this!"

"Damn it!"

He felt like he was going crazy.

I'm so angry but have no place to vent.

At this time, the housekeeper came over to report: "Sikong, Zongzheng is here to visit, you..."

"No! No!"

Cao Cao was in a very bad mood and didn't want to see anyone. But he thought that he was the chief of Zongzheng Temple after all, and it would be inappropriate not to see him, so he said, "Please come over!"

After a moment, Liu Ai walked into the lobby.

Cao Cao had no intention of being polite with him and asked directly, "Zong Zheng is visiting me. I wonder what brings you here?"

Liu Ai was not annoyed, and said calmly: "It is because of the recent widespread rumor about the true and false emperor. I have entered the palace today to verify the emperor's identity, so I came to inform Sikong."

"Oh?"

Upon hearing this, Cao Cao said jokingly, "Zongzheng finally discovered that the emperor in the palace has been replaced? What were you doing before?"

Before, he had sent people to ask Liu Ai to verify the identity of the emperor, but Liu Ai believed that he was insulting the emperor and undermining his dignity, so he ignored him.

This led to a series of subsequent events.

Therefore, Cao Cao still felt quite resentful towards Liu Ai.

Liu Ai said: "The Zongzheng Temple had been investigating before, and only today did they discover that the person who switched the items was Yang Biao."

Upon hearing this, Cao Cao and Xu You looked at each other and understood something on their faces.

It was just as they expected.

It was all done by Yang Biao!
　I have to break my promise. I really can't write the last chapter. I kept dozing off while writing this chapter. I'll make it up tomorrow! My dear ministers, please forgive me once!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)