Madam, please listen to my explanation.

Chapter 102: Trying to cover up the obvious
Inside the Qiyun Altar, several imperial guards and Zhao Jingqian worked together to finally tear off the huge piece of cloth.

In an instant, a golden light pierced the square, causing the officials to raise their arms to shield their eyes.

The foreign envoys looked at each other in bewilderment.

Such a massive golden statue is simply unheard of!

Is this Emperor of Yan trying to establish his authority over me?
The seven-zhang-tall golden statue of the goddess has lowered her eyebrows and eyes, one hand in a gesture of plucking a flower, and her face full of compassion.

This is the first time since its completion that it has shown its true form to the world.

The craftsmen who cast the gilded statue were highly skilled.

The statue's compassionate face bears a striking resemblance to the beautiful woman adorned in a phoenix coronet and embroidered robe.

Outside the palace, the people wept bitterly and knelt down in unison.

"The Celestial Master has appeared!"

"Greetings, Celestial Master!!!"

A glint of shrewdness flashed in Wu Yao's eyes, and she was just about to make a move when she heard Zhao Ruoxi say sarcastically from the side:
"It is said that the Great Sage Celestial Master was born with extraordinary phenomena, which once caused panic among the villagers. After he came of age, his words became law, and he could summon wind and rain at will."

Sister-in-law, is Ruoxi right?

Wu Yao raised an eyebrow: "Ruoxi, you flatter me. It's just some trivial trick."

She knew that this imperial sister had come with ill intentions.

If I could make the brother and sister fight before I could cast my spell, that would be exactly what I wanted.
Perhaps, he could even add fuel to the fire for the two of them.
Zhao Ruoxi: "That's true."

This is far more than a petty tactic; in my opinion, it's clearly deception, spreading falsehoods and misleading the public!

When these words were spoken, everyone was shocked!

Wu Yao's eyes were pitiful: "Your Majesty."

"Be bold!"

Zhao Jingqian's face was ashen, but before he could speak, Huang Chengfei, the commander of the Imperial Guards who had accompanied him, angrily said:

"Your Highness, as the emperor's sister, how can you speak so recklessly?"

Having been personally promoted by Zhao Jingqian to the position of commander of the Imperial Guards, he could not tolerate His Majesty being insulted in this way.

He didn't know why many officials from the same faction were not usually present.

But since he was deeply favored by the emperor, what could the other party do even if she was a princess?
Such blatant disrespect! If Your Majesty gives the order, I will not hesitate to kill the offender and relieve Your Majesty of this worry!
Zhao Ruoxi didn't even glance at the other person, but simply sneered:
"If my sister-in-law is truly so powerful, why not have her calculate my brother's fate in front of all the officials?"

Huang Chengfei, his hair and beard bristling, took a step forward:
"Your Majesty is the Son of Heaven, the supreme ruler! Your destiny is so noble, why should you need others to judge it?"

Zhao Ruoxi narrowed her eyes and finally turned to look at the person who spoke, an overwhelming pressure instantly emanating from her body!

hum-

At that moment, everyone unconsciously wanted to crawl down.

In the dim light, the figure of the girl in silver armor seemed to overlap with that of the late emperor.

Zhao Ruoxi placed one hand on the Yuxiao Sword, and with a deliberate effort, her imposing aura was imbued with a trace of dragon energy.

Huang Chengfei felt as if an entire mountain was pressing down on his shoulders.

Even with his peak sixth-grade strength, he could no longer maintain his stance!
thump--

The seven-foot-tall, powerful commander of the Imperial Guards knelt down before the princess in front of all the officials!

"Where did this scoundrel come from, daring to talk back to royalty to their face?"

"Guards, slap him!"

All officials were in an uproar.

"Ruoxi, don't go too far!"

Before Zhao Jingqian could finish speaking, a man dressed in border army armor ignored him and stepped forward from the crowd.

He walked up to Huang Chengfei, and without saying a word, raised his hand and slammed it hard into the other man's face!

Snapped--!
The loud sound of slaps echoed across the vast square.

Lin Sanlang felt a surge of satisfaction!
From the moment His Highness risked his life to save him from the mountain of corpses and sea of ​​blood, his life was no longer his own!
Huang Chengfei's head was tilted to one side, and five bright red finger marks appeared on his face.

The officials and guests were completely silent.

This slap wasn't directed at the commander of the Imperial Guards; it was a hard blow to Zhao Jingqian's face!

"Zhao Ruoxi, do you even still consider me your elder brother?!"

With a wave of his sleeve, he was about to summon the experts hiding nearby.

Zhao Ruoxi, however, remained expressionless and looked at Wu Yao again:
"Actually, there's no need to go to such trouble. If this Great Celestial Master truly possesses such abilities, how could he not even realize that the person he married is not of Yan-Zhao blood!"

Zhao Jingqian was furious and immediately shouted:
"Guards! Seize this despicable woman who has no loyalty to her ruler or father!"

In an instant, archers wielding giant bows appeared atop the pagoda.

One after another, figures clad in blood-red armor leaped down from the tower, subtly forming an encirclement.

Everyone could see that these people were clearly the ones His Majesty had laid an ambush here all along!

But compared to that, what the princess just said truly shocked everyone.
Is Your Majesty not of Yan-Zhao blood?
Zhao Ruoxi showed no fear as she faced the crowned man and declared loudly:
"Zhao Jingqian, if you truly have a clear conscience, why not prove it to everyone in front of all the officials?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Jingqian's brow twitched, but he found it difficult to continue his actions.

If I insist on going my own way now, wouldn't that be a sign of humility? Didn't you see those Blood-Clad Guards and Imperial Guards, who were originally agile, now walking slower than tortoises?

"Zhao Ruoxi, I think you've really gone mad!"

I originally intended to reward you handsomely for your meritorious service in defending our territory and enhancing our national prestige. But now it seems you are courting death!

"I, by the mandate of Heaven and the will of my father, have been appointed to rule the Great Yan. Why should I need to prove myself to anyone?"

"I will not wrong an innocent person. Since you dare to make such a boast, I naturally have a way to prove it!"

Zhao Ruoxi waved her hand, and someone immediately brought over a wooden bucket about the size of a child's arm.

"Master Zhang, are you familiar with this item?"

Facing the intense gazes from all around, Zhang Longxing immediately looked embarrassed.
Just
Those who achieve great things do not stick to trivial matters!

Once I'm adorned in purple robes and jade belt, let's see who dares to bring up these trivial details again.
"Your Highness, this item looks like the rare spring water that can test bloodlines, brought by a Japanese merchant caravan."

It is said that it was obtained from a sacred spring on a holy mountain in Japan.

Xu Xinnian stepped forward at the opportune moment and snorted coldly:
"Master Zhang, stop stammering! Explain what exactly happened!"

The officials looked at each other, their words unspoken.

These past two days, everyone has already heard about the Zhang family's messy affairs, so there's no need to waste words.

That old fox Xu Xinnian seems to have been in cahoots with Princess Ruoxi for a long time.
Judging from their confident demeanor, the matter of bloodline is probably not unfounded.

Zhao Jingqian already sensed that something was wrong.

Even he had heard about the scandals of the Zhang family.

But how could it be such a coincidence?
His heart skipped a beat.

It's like a huge net, quietly spreading out in a corner you didn't even notice.

By the time they realize it, they are already deeply involved and can no longer extricate themselves.

Zhang Longxing: "Ahem. That's how it is."

It's not exactly a secret. Everyone knows that my third concubine had a son with the cook.

Xu Xinnian immediately narrowed his eyes: "Your son born to your third concubine is already six or seven years old, isn't he? Just because you caught them in their scandalous affair, you've concluded that the child isn't yours. Isn't that a bit too hasty?"

Zhang Longxing looked troubled and pointed to the wooden bucket in Zhao Ruoxi's hand: "Of course, it's not just because I personally witnessed their good deed."

The key is still this!

"I had long heard of this holy water in Japan. I never imagined that a merchant caravan in Kyoto would be carrying it."
Early that morning, I ordered my servants to disguise themselves and buy several buckets of spring water, which I then personally inspected one by one by my seven children.
As a result, the blood of the first six individuals blended seamlessly with his, becoming perfectly integrated.
Only the seventh prince! Two drops of blood fell into the bowl, yet they remained distinctly separate, and no matter how trembling the servant holding the bowl was, he couldn't get them to mix!

Zhao Ruoxi smiled upon hearing this.

"In other words, the effect of this item is undeniable and truly effective?"

Zhang Longxing looked embarrassed:
"As it should be."

"Indeed, I have heard a little about that sacred spring in Japan."

"This humble official, though unworthy, secretly obtained a bucket of spring water yesterday and tested it upon returning to my residence."

Among the officials, many began to whisper among themselves.

Zhao Ruoxi took a porcelain bowl, placed it in front of her, and poured the 'spring water' from the wooden bucket into it.

With a clang, he pulled out Yu Xiao, instantly cutting his own finger.

A drop of blood fell into the bowl; she raised it, pointing it at Zhao Jingqian from afar.

“Brother, since you ascended the throne, I have heard a lot of rumors and gossip.”

To silence the gossip of the people, today, in front of ten thousand commoners outside the palace and all the civil and military officials, I will...

"We, brother and sister, shall right here and perform a blood test to confirm our kinship, shall we?"

Zhao Jingqian, his face full of anger, stepped forward:
"Why not!"

Absurd! Utterly absurd!
They actually tried to use such tricks to shake their throne.

Zhao Ruoxi, you've gone completely mad!

Unexpectedly, before he could get close, the woman sitting in the other phoenix carriage, who had remained silent, suddenly exclaimed in surprise:
"No, my son!"

Swah——

Everyone looked over there.

Li Yuwei stepped out of the phoenix carriage.

For no apparent reason, she bowed to Zhao Ruoxi first.

This scene caused everyone to gasp in shock.

Since ancient times, how could an empress dowager bow to a princess?
"Gan'er, you are the supreme ruler, why do you need to use such dubious means to prove yourself?"

Li Yuwei's heart was pounding wildly, but she could only pretend to be calm.

His words seemed to make some sense, but in the eyes of the officials, they were clearly an attempt to cover up the truth!

Regarding whether His Majesty is truly a descendant of the late Emperor, who in the world knows better than this person?

At this moment, something that had been gradually overlooked by everyone as His Majesty's health improved was recalled by all.

If I remember correctly, this emperor was born more than a month premature.
(End of this chapter)