[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-eternal-life-as-false-emperor":3,"chapter-eternal-life-as-false-emperor-eternal-life-as-false-emperor-chapter-44":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Eternal Life as False Emperor",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1682690,2149,"Chapter 44: The Crown Prince Swap","eternal-life-as-false-emperor-chapter-44",44,"\u003Cp>\"Congratulations, Your Majesty! Best wishes, Your Majesty!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Empress has given birth to a Dragon Child. It truly is a blessing for Great Yu!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your Majesty now has an heir! Your Majesty now has a legitimate son!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The future Crown Prince...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The surrounding eunuchs, palace maids, and Imperial Physicians all offered their congratulations, and the Empress Dowager was extremely pleased.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Reward them, I am happy today. See to it all are rewarded!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes...!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The female official beside the Empress Dowager respectfully bowed, and news of the Empress giving birth to a Dragon Child soon spread, with countless people offering their congratulations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, Zheng Yi himself felt as if he had fallen into an icy abyss, unable to believe his own ears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A prince?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could it be a prince?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What he had infused into Empress Lu Lin’er was Innate Pure Yin Qi, which could only give birth to princesses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like Consort Shuu and Consort Bi, they could not give birth to princes!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could this be?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Stop...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your Majesty?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I said... stop!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At his command, everyone stopped what they were doing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The nurse who was about to hand the prince to Zheng Yi froze, her hands suspended in mid-air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The eunuch who was running out to inform others also subconsciously halted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the Empress Dowager looked over with curiosity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Emperor, what’s the matter?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Give me the child.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Yi took the child from the nurse’s hands, frowning as he looked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The child was very small, his face wrinkled, resembling a tiny monkey.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon undoing the swaddling clothes, it was indeed a boy, a prince!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, he lacked the Pure Yin Qi that surrounded Zheng Yuyao and Zheng Yuxia at their birth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This prince... is fake!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or rather, not his own child.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A swapped prince – a trick!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Emperor?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Empress Dowager said curiously: \"Are you so overjoyed? Indeed, this is your first legitimate son, the future Crown Prince of Great Yu...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Mother?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Yi turned around, his gaze slightly cold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Empress Dowager was from the Lu Clan, and so was Empress Lu Lin’er.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If anyone dared to deceive him in this vast Imperial Palace, it would only be the Empress Dowager and Empress!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He did not like children, but he would not raise a child for someone else!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This involved the succession of Great Yu and the future power he would seek through the Immortals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the royal power were to fall into others’ hands, he would lose his greatest support!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Son?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Did Lin’er actually give birth to this child?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Empress Dowager felt her heart tighten and replied instinctively: \"Of-of course it’s true, how could it be false?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lin’er worked so hard to give you a Dragon Child, and you...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Yi interrupted her: \"Last year, while I lay in slumber, I dreamt of an Immortal who called himself ’Emperor Zhenwu.’ He told me that in this life, I would have countless children, but the vast majority would be daughters.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sons would be rare, which is why I ask.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He closed his eyes and began to meditate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Pure Yin Qi stemmed from himself, and he could clearly sense it lingering in the Kunning Palace, gradually dissipating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Indeed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if the Empress Dowager and Empress planned to swap the child, they would need to bring other pregnant women into the palace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The due dates had to be close, or nearly identical.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once the Empress gave birth, they would administer medicine to induce labor in those women.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To be foolproof, at least three to five pregnant women had to be brought into the palace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Otherwise, what if they all gave birth to girls?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Cheng’en.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"At your service, Your Majesty.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Order the sealing of Kunning Palace. No one is to leave, and no information about the Empress giving birth to a prince is to spread.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Cheng’en took the orders, quickly moving to arrange for the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Imperial Army to seal Kunning Palace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He himself, holding the child, addressed the Empress Dowager: \"Mother, come with me to see Lin’er.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Everyone else, stay here.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wh-what, Emperor, you...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Empress Dowager wanted to say more, but Zheng Yi already walked into the Empress’s bedchamber with the child.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Empress Dowager, in a state of panic, gritted her teeth and followed him in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The current Emperor Zhengyong had reigned for over four years, quelling King Tang’s rebellion and Prime Minister Yang’s betrayal with ruthless methods.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His authority within the Imperial Court was unrivaled, as oppressive as a prison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was what the common folk would call the aura of an overlord.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one dared defy Zheng Yi’s orders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the Empress’s chamber, Lu Lin’er lay weakly on the bed, attended by a close palace maid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your Majesty~Mother~!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Zheng Yi and the Empress Dowager walk in with the child, she struggled to sit up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lin’er, lie down. Your body is still weak after childbirth; you must rest...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Empress Dowager hurried to her side, gently pressing her hands on hers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Aunt?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Lin’er spoke with some confusion, unsure of what had happened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lin’er, I ask you this.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Yi stepped forward, saying: \"Do you know if the child you birthed is a prince or a princess?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Lin’er blushed and said: \"I-I have not yet seen, but I just heard the nurse say it’s a boy.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I have fulfilled my duty by finally giving birth to a prince for Your Majesty!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Son, why are you so bewitched by an illusory dream?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Empress Dowager added, \"Lin’er bore you a child; see how hard she’s worked. You must treat her well in the future.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at the two women, Zheng Yi let out a slow sigh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The infant in his arms was certainly not his own.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could not be a fool, raising a child for someone else.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Empress Dowager must have been one of the orchestrators.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether to maintain her rank, to preserve Lin’er’s status as Empress, or for the power of the Lu Clan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But to dare such schemes against him, truly... audacious!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And as for Lu Lin’er, she might or might not know.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, during childbirth, she couldn’t get up to see if her child was male or female; she relied on the midwife and nurse beside her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But so what?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hoo...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He exhaled deeply and said, \"Cai Ling!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Empress Dowager and Empress were bewildered, wondering whom the Emperor was calling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who was Cai Ling?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They quickly found out the answer, as a maid quietly entered from outside, half-kneeling before Zheng Yi and saying, \"Shadow Guard Cai Ling, at your service, Your Majesty!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You are... Moyu! Why are you here? Your Majesty?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Empress was bewildered, knowing Moyu as a maid in her palace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though not a personal handmaid, she was someone close to her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was always waiting outside the hall, so why was she here today...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Empress Dowager, upon learning the maid’s identity, became instantly flustered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shadow Guard?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An elite force directly under the Emperor’s command, what were they doing here?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the former Emperor’s Empress, she was well aware of the Shadow Guard’s existence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Cai Ling, tell me about this child’s situation.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cai Ling replied: \"Your Majesty, starting a month ago, Aunt Fangcao, the head maiden of Kunning Palace, secretly brought three pregnant women into the palace, hiding them somewhere unknown.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Of these three, two were women from outside the palace, and the third was a pregnant woman from a branch of the Lu Clan.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I have been investigating for over a month, but have yet to discover where those three women were hidden. I beg Your Majesty’s forgiveness!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Lin’er was surprised: \"There were pregnant women in my palace? How is that possible? And Aunt Fangcao, how could she do such a thing?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Empress Dowager grew anxious: \"Emperor! Do not listen to this maid’s nonsense... Aunt Fangcao brought pregnant women into the palace to learn how to better care for Lin’er.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aunt Fangcao, the Kunning Palace maiden, was personally arranged by the Empress Dowager to look after the Empress.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And those three?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I-I have no idea...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Lin’er, face pale, looked back and forth between the infant in Zheng Yi’s arms and the Empress Dowager, finally realizing something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Aunt, you...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Empress Dowager silently pinched her little hand, gritting her teeth: \"Emperor, I am the Empress Dowager, and Lin’er is the Empress!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Yi handed the infant to a personal maid, coldly saying: \"I am the Emperor!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Summon, Fangcao!\"\u003C\u002Fp>",1415,"2026-06-06T13:34:08.834Z",1,"novelbin.me","a463ffe844040c2d4c6c4e6e68d143411ae5f546f71d38e393406438e3fe5116","eternal-life-as-false-emperor-chapter-45","eternal-life-as-false-emperor-chapter-43",358,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Feternal-life-as-false-emperor-cover.jpg"]