Chapter 86: Establishing the Crown Prince

Chu Fu and Fuqu were caught red-handed by the soldier following them just as they were preparing to go to the underground palace of Jiaofang Hall to temporarily hide the two wooden puppets.

The guards escorted Chu Fu and Fuqu out and handed the wooden puppet representing the Son of Heaven to Wei Qing.

Wei Qing looked at the wooden puppet presented by his subordinate, his expression changing in shock: "This... what is this?"

The priest standing to the side also cooperated by showing a look of panic: "This is witchcraft!"

As soon as the words fell, everyone looked at the Empress standing to the side, each with a very colorful expression on their face. After all, no one could have imagined that the person intending to harm the Son of Heaven was actually the Empress!

Since Chu Fu and Fuqu were caught, Liu Che's expression had been gloomy. Now, facing the suspicious gazes of everyone, he narrowed his eyes: "This is just an ordinary wooden puppet."

The priest was an expert, and he immediately retorted: "An ordinary wooden puppet wouldn't have a fish talisman pasted on it, let alone a birth date and hour written on it!" He flipped the wooden puppet over, and sure enough, the Son of Heaven's birth date and hour were written on the back.

The priest interpreted the wooden puppet in his hand: "A yin talisman is pasted on the wooden puppet. May I ask if this wooden puppet was found in the due north position?"

The guard holding Chu Fu nodded: "It seems so."

"Earth is the mother, located in the due north position, which is the pure yin of Earth. The Empress placed the wooden puppet representing the Son of Heaven in the extreme yin position. No wonder the Son of Heaven suddenly fell into a coma!"

The priest's words made everyone look at the Empress with even more suspicion. Even Wei Qing had hesitation in his eyes: "Your Majesty, why would you do this..."

He hoped the Empress could give a reasonable explanation, at least so he wouldn't have to be in such a difficult position.

Liu Che was also depressed at this moment. Of course, he did these things to swap bodies back with A Jiao. As long as he explained the reason, everything would be clear. But unfortunately, this real reason was the one he couldn't say out loud.

Not to mention how shocking it was that the Son of Heaven and the Empress had swapped bodies. If everyone knew that the Son of Heaven they thought they had for the past year was actually A Jiao, the world would probably be in chaos.

Liu Che's expression was still calm. He slightly lifted his eyelids to meet Wei Qing's gaze and said: "If I say this was to pray for the Emperor's blessings, would you believe me?"

Wei Qing: "..."

"If it were for blessings, the altar should have been set up in the extreme yang position in the due south, with a yang fish talisman pasted on it," the priest mercilessly poked holes in Liu Che's excuse. "Yet the Empress did the exact opposite. I fear it is not as simple as praying for blessings."

As soon as the priest finished speaking, the head of the wooden puppet in his hand fell off without warning, and the hair stuffed inside the puppet's head fell all over the floor. This scene looked eerie no matter how one looked at it.

Everyone gasped, and the priest's expression also became panicked: "This, this..."

"Report!" At the same time, a sudden urgent report came from outside the main hall. A soldier dressed as a messenger rushed over and reported to Wei Qing: "Leader Wei, the Emperor is in danger. I fear the feudal princes will take advantage of the chaos, so I order you to return immediately."

A simple word "danger" changed everyone's complexion. Looking at the severed head on the floor, it looked like an omen of disaster.

Liu Che was also dumbfounded. What exactly happened to A Jiao? Could it really be related to this wooden puppet witchcraft?

Wei Qing gripped the hilt of his sword, weighed the pros and cons in his heart, and only said: "Put this wooden puppet away and follow me to Shanglin Park immediately."

"Yes."

Liu Che regained his senses and hurriedly said: "Wait, I will go to Shanglin Park with you." He had to see A Jiao with his own eyes!

"Chen Ajiao, you practiced witchcraft to harm my son, and now you want to flee to avoid punishment?" The Empress Dowager's voice, suppressing anger, came, and everyone made way.

Liu Che turned to look, only to see his mother walking directly into the main hall with a line of imperial guards, surrounding everyone in the hall.

"Someone, take Empress Chen and send her to Yeting Prison for strict custody." The Empress Dowager said hatefully: "If my son is fine, wait for him to return to the palace to punish you. If something happens to my son, you will be buried with him!"

"Mother!" Liu Che didn't expect his mother to stand out at this time. He said urgently: "I did not harm the Emperor, you must believe me. How could I do such a thing?"

When the Son of Heaven fell into a coma a few days ago, he had arranged for someone to return to Weiyang Palace to invite medical officers to Shanglin Park for treatment. At that time, Liu Li had someone quietly reveal this matter to the Empress Dowager.

The Empress Dowager knew her son had suddenly fallen into a coma and was naturally very anxious, so she arranged for her trusted aides to follow the medical officers to Shanglin Park.

As a result, the medical officers could not diagnose any illness when taking the Son of Heaven's pulse, and the Son of Heaven's condition became increasingly severe, reaching the point where medicine and stones were of no avail.

The trusted aides returned to Changle Palace to report this to the Empress Dowager, which broke the Empress Dowager out in a cold sweat. Her son was still so young, how could he be beyond medical help for no reason? There must be something fishy about this!

The Son of Heaven did not yet have an eldest legitimate son, and his only two sons were only a year old. If something happened to him at this time, the Han would be in chaos!

The Empress Dowager hurriedly summoned the old ministers of the Tian family to discuss what to do now.

If the Son of Heaven was truly in critical condition, the first thing to do was to seal the news of the Son of Heaven's critical condition, then choose a successor from the Son of Heaven's only two sons and enfeoff him as the Crown Prince. Afterward, the Empress Dowager would preside over the government and handle political affairs on his behalf.

An old minister of the Tian family said: "Empress Dowager, before this, you must find a way to control the Empress. Otherwise, the Dou family and Dou Ying might cause trouble."

Another old minister said: "Now that the Imperial Eldest Son and the Second Prince are still young, if the Empress Dowager can grasp the situation at this time, she can achieve the accomplishments of Empress Lu."

Empress Dowager Lu Zhi once presided over the Han. During her reign, she could manage government affairs and even depose the Son of Heaven. After Empress Lu died, although she was despised by everyone, what woman didn't want to become Empress Lu?

The Empress Dowager had the heart but not the strength; after all, her son was too strong and domineering, not giving her this opportunity at all.

But now that the Son of Heaven had suddenly fallen into a critical condition, and there were feudal princes stirring outside, the Empress Dowager decided to guard the Han's empire for her son.

The Empress Dowager had arranged eyes and ears in Shanglin Park, so she naturally knew the purpose of Wei Qing coming to Weiyang Palace to search the palace. She was waiting for Wei Qing to find the wooden puppet in Jiaofang Hall and then appear to capture "Chen Ajiao" first.

If "Chen Ajiao" was the culprit who cursed the Son of Heaven into illness, then even if Dou Ying and the Dou family had more ability, it would probably be of no avail.

"Empress Dowager." Seeing that the imperial guards brought by the Empress Dowager were about to take the Empress away, Wei Qing held the hilt of his sword and blocked them: "This matter has not been investigated clearly, you cannot convict the Empress so quickly."

The Empress Dowager pointed at the wooden puppet and said sternly: "The evidence is conclusive, does this still need investigation?"

Liu Che turned his eyes to Wei Qing. He didn't expect that at this time, it would be Wei Qing who stood up to speak for him.

——Elder Sister A Jiao, Leader Wei's sweetheart is you!

——Leader Wei personally admitted it to A Ling, and he also said he would never marry for the sake of protecting Elder Sister A Jiao. Such true feelings really moved A Ling.

Thinking of the words Liu Ling said in his mind, the corners of Liu Che's mouth twitched slightly. Wei Qing... could he really have some thoughts about himself?

Wei Qing frowned and said: "Perhaps... someone wants to frame the Empress..."

The Empress Dowager sneered: "Frame the Empress? Who else do you think in this Weiyang Palace can frame the Empress? Your sister Wei Zifu?"

Wei Qing's breath hitched, and he suddenly didn't know how to speak again.

"Take the Empress and everyone in Jiaofang Hall to Yeting Prison." The Empress Dowager ordered again: "Also notify Zhang Tang to come and investigate thoroughly why the Empress wants to curse the Son of Heaven."

Just as the imperial guards were about to step forward to arrest the Empress, Liu Che said coldly: "Who dares to touch me?!" His voice was cold and heavy, carrying a domineering aura that did not need to be angry to be majestic, capturing people's hearts and making them feel fear.

"I said this wooden puppet is not witchcraft to curse the Emperor. I am the Empress of the Han, why would I harm the Emperor? What good would it do me to do so?" Liu Che's voice was cold, and every word was sonorous and powerful.

Indeed, the current Empress had no motive to curse and harm the Son of Heaven.

"What your purpose is, you can confess yourself when Zhang Tang interrogates you!" The Empress Dowager snorted coldly: "Now the evidence is right here, yet you still want to quibble?"

Liu Che stared at the Empress Dowager before him, unable to understand why his mother insisted on pinning this crime on him?

Not to mention that he himself was the Son of Heaven, even if he and A Jiao hadn't swapped identities, he believed A Jiao would absolutely not do anything to curse him.

Clearly, his mother had also watched A Jiao grow up, so why was she unwilling to believe "Chen Ajiao"?

Liu Che felt aggrieved in his heart, but unfortunately, at this time, even if he had a thousand reasons and excuses, he couldn't say them.

Empress Dowager: "Take her away."

Wei Qing gripped the hilt of his sword, but could only watch helplessly as the Empress was taken away by the Empress Dowager's imperial guards.

The Empress Dowager turned to look at Wei Qing: "Leader Wei, since the real culprit who harmed the Emperor has been found, I now order you to go to Shanglin Park immediately and escort the Emperor back to Weiyang Palace safely."

Wei Qing's expression darkened, and finally, he said: "Yes."

After saying this, Wei Qing turned to order his subordinates to withdraw, turned around, and left Jiaofang Hall.

The Empress Dowager also turned and walked out of the main hall, standing on the pavilion of Jiaofang Hall, her expression becoming more profound. In fact, she knew in advance that "Chen Ajiao" would practice witchcraft, thanks to Liu Ling letting it slip before leaving.

Liu Ling had once asked the witch doctor Chu Fu to treat the Empress Dowager, and she had inadvertently mentioned that Chu Fu knew witchcraft and had a method to help women conceive. At that time, the Empress Dowager didn't pay much attention, until Liu Ling left Chu Fu by "Chen Ajiao's" side.

Liu Ling had always been on good terms with A Jiao, and now leaving a witch doctor who knew witchcraft by A Jiao's side, was it to use some unorthodox method to help A Jiao conceive and give birth to a legitimate Imperial Son?

Of course, even if she thought of these things, the Empress Dowager didn't feel there was anything wrong. It wasn't until the Son of Heaven suddenly fell into a critical illness and her advisor mentioned that the Empress should be controlled first.

Only then did the Empress Dowager think that she could make a big deal out of the witch and witchcraft. She didn't expect "Chen Ajiao" to have actually practiced witchcraft in order to conceive a legitimate Imperial Son.

Now that the Son of Heaven was seriously ill and the Empress was the culprit who harmed the Emperor, government affairs could only be submitted to the Empress Dowager for decision, right?

The Empress Dowager gripped the prayer beads in her hand. She thought that as long as "Che'er" remained ill, like the former Emperor Hui, she could also preside over the government and command the ministers like Empress Lu.

The news of the Son of Heaven's critical illness was naturally falsely spread by Liu Li, not only to Weiyang Palace but also deliberately to the various feudal kingdoms.

Now that the Son of Heaven had not yet established a Crown Prince and was already seriously ill, what would happen to the government in the future? In this way, I fear the situation of "Empress Lu presiding over the government" would appear again. The various Liu-surnamed feudal princes in their fiefs all had different intentions.

In Shanglin Park, Liu Li guarded A Jiao, fed A Jiao a cold medicine capsule, and told her about the current situation: "The news of the Son of Heaven's critical illness has already spread, and the various forces should have taken action."

A Jiao coughed violently several times and asked with a hoarse voice: "What about Liu Che?" Because she didn't receive effective treatment when she first caught the cold, A Jiao's cold became increasingly severe. Now, judging by the degree of her coughing, it was likely that she had developed a lung infection.

Pneumonia or something like that was an incurable disease in the Western Han period. No wonder even when the medical officers came, they said it was beyond medical help.

Liu Li was worried that if it dragged on, something would happen, so she forcibly fed A Jiao cold medicine and prepared another bottle of cough syrup to moisten the lungs.

"News came from Weiyang Palace that he has been imprisoned in Yeting Prison by the Empress Dowager, and Zhang Tang has been sent to interrogate him," Liu Li said. "With the Empress Dowager pressing down, Father really has nowhere to voice his grievances this time."

A Jiao worried: "The palace attendants in Jiaofang Hall will be fine, right?"

Liu Li said: "Rest assured, Mother, I have already discussed it with the Tingwei Zhang in advance." Although Zhang Tang was a cruel official, he was loyal to the national laws. The palace attendants in Jiaofang Hall were indeed not involved in this matter, so Zhang Tang shouldn't make things difficult for them.

The only thing to consider was Chu Fu and Fuqu. After all, one was the witch who directly participated, and the other was the Longyu female official by the Empress's side.

A Jiao nodded: "That's good." After a pause, she asked: "Will the feudal princes take action?"

Liu Li said: "Whether the feudal princes will take action depends on what the Empress Dowager does."

"I originally wanted to let Liu Che feel the taste of being framed, but I didn't expect things to be a bit out of our control now." A Jiao frowned: "We underestimated Mother's desire for power."

"Yes," Liu Li replied. "But this is also good; it can help me complete my mission along the way."

Liu Li originally planned to use this witchcraft incident to implicate the Huainan King. After all, Chu Fu was sent by Liu Ling. When Zhang Tang interrogated Chu Fu, she would let her take the opportunity to confess that the Huainan King wanted to rebel.

In this way, she could first let Liu Che feel the feeling of being slandered and not trusted, and then solve the Huainan King's rebellion. It was truly killing two birds with one stone.

Unfortunately, the Empress Dowager intervened and directly imprisoned Liu Che in Yeting Prison. Liu Li was very curious, if the Son of Heaven remained ill, what would the Empress Dowager do? So now, A Jiao was still "seriously ill and bedridden."

The news of the Son of Heaven's critical illness came suddenly, and many feudal princes held a wait-and-see attitude, wanting to see what the situation was in the central government.

Only the Huainan King Liu An firmly believed that the Son of Heaven was truly in critical condition. After all, all of this was his arrangement.

Liu An turned to his precious daughter and said: "A Ling still has a way, letting a witch cast witchcraft on Liu Che the brat. Now the witchcraft must have had an effect; Liu Che is going to die!"

Being praised by her father, Liu Ling felt proud in her heart, her eyebrows raised: "Father, next we just need to wait for the Empress Dowager's power to rise, and then we can unite with Uncle's army to kill our way to Chang'an."

"Hahaha, good, my child has a good plan." Liu An was very happy upon hearing this, but he was also puzzled: "Will this Empress Dowager really learn from Empress Lu and cause chaos?"

"There will be people who will let her learn." Liu Ling's eyes were charming: "Daughter has been in Chang'an for a year and has already won over many Tian family relatives. Father might as well think about what was the first thing Empress Lu did after she held power?"

Liu An thought for a moment and said: "Enfeoffing the Lu clan as Marquises and Prime Ministers!" After Empress Lu presided over the government, she not only posthumously enfeoffed her deceased brothers as kings, but also her nephews and grand-nephews, more than a dozen people were all enfeoffed as Marquises.

"Those relatives of the Empress Dowager are all hoping to be enfeoffed as Kings, Marquises, and Prime Ministers, so Father need not worry." Liu Ling raised her eyebrows: "As long as the Empress Dowager dares to enfeoff her relatives as Marquises and Kings, then our uprising will be justified. Father, you are a meritorious official who maintains the orthodoxy of the Liu empire!"

"Good!" This argument made Liu An exceptionally happy.

Yes, he was not rebelling; he was just maintaining the orthodoxy of the Han empire! While happy, Liu An did not forget to say: "I will write a letter to the Hengshan King immediately, asking him to secretly come to Huainan to discuss the great matter together."

Hengshan King Liu Ci, the third son of the former Huainan King Li Wang Liu Chang, was now Liu An's own younger brother and also one of the participants in the "Rebellion of the Three Kings."

Liu Ling walked out of her father's deliberation hall in a great mood. She took a carriage back to her bedchamber. Just as she walked into the hall, someone suddenly jumped out from a corner and hugged Liu Ling tightly, eagerly wanting to kiss Liu Ling: "My Wengzhu, one day without seeing you, I missed you to death."

Liu Ling gave a coquettish sound and raised her hand to press against the man's lips, not letting him get close to her: "Aren't you going to guard the future Crown Princess? Why did you come to me?"

"Isn't it because I missed you, Wengzhu? Good treasure, let me kiss you." The man said, directly using brute force to press Liu Ling against the door frame, and then lowered his head to gnaw on Liu Ling's neck. "After the Crown Princess and the Crown Prince hold their wedding, I will have to return to Chang'an to report for duty. By then, it will be difficult to see you again, Wengzhu."

Liu Ling wrapped her arms around the man's neck and threw herself into the man's sturdy embrace, letting out a moan that seemed very comfortable.

The man reached out to lift Liu Ling's skirt, his rough, calloused hand stroking her delicate, smooth thighs. Under these circumstances, the two of them staged a scene of live spring palace.

At the entrance, Lei Bei, who had come to find Liu Ling, was expressionless and even looked a bit green. Listening to the lascivious sounds of men and women copulating coming from inside the hall, the sword hilt in his hand was almost crushed by him.

Wei Qing returned to Shanglin Park with his subordinates and immediately went to report to the Son of Heaven. A Jiao lay on the bed, coughing incessantly through the bed curtains, truly looking like she was terminally ill.

"Now the Empress Dowager has ordered this subordinate to escort the Emperor back to Weiyang Palace." Wei Qing finally conveyed the Empress Dowager's meaning.

A Jiao: "Cough, cough, cough, cough, cough."

"Leader Wei, now that Father is still ill, I fear it is not suitable for him to be jolted or exposed to the wind. Let Father recuperate well at Shanglin Park." Liu Li spoke with true feelings.

A Jiao's current physical condition was indeed not suitable for moving back to Weiyang Palace.

"But the Empress..." Wei Qing still hoped that the Son of Heaven could return to Weiyang Palace, at least to rescue the Empress from Yeting Prison first.

Liu Li showed worry: "Regarding Mother's matter, I am also anxious in my heart, and I also believe Mother is not the culprit who harmed Father. But now that Father is ill, he is truly unable to attend to other matters. We can only let Mother suffer for now, and wait until Father is well to clear her of the injustice."

A Jiao: "Cough, cough."

Wei Qing lowered his head slightly: "Yes."

The Empress Dowager's imperial guards who came with Wei Qing reported the situation at Shanglin Park to the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager was worried about her son's illness while also having to face the pressure from the Tian clan.

Those who had been implicated because Tian Fen was imprisoned also participated in the Empress Dowager's think tank, and everyone was advising the Empress Dowager to take action as soon as possible.

"Now that the Son of Heaven is seriously ill, only you, Empress Dowager, can stand out and preside over the overall situation." Imperial Relative A said: "This subject suggests establishing one of the Imperial Eldest Son or the Second Prince as the Crown Prince to cope with the current situation."

"Yes, Empress Dowager."

"The two Princes are still young, it is only right for you, Empress Dowager, to make decisions on government affairs on their behalf, so as to ensure the peace of our Han."

The Empress Dowager couldn't help but sit up straight and ask: "In your opinion, which of the two Princes can be established as the Crown Prince?"

The Imperial Eldest Son was now one and a half years old, and the Second Prince was less than a year old. Both were puppets that could be controlled, so it didn't matter who was chosen. However, the Imperial Eldest Son Liu Ju's uncle was the Leader of the Feathered Forest Guard. If Liu Ju were made Crown Prince, then Wei Qing should also support the Empress Dowager afterward.

Thus, everyone suggested: "Since ancient times, the eldest and legitimate have been established. Now that the Emperor has no legitimate son, it is naturally the Imperial Eldest Son Liu Ju who should be the Crown Prince."

"This subject seconds the motion."

Of course, this was the result of the Tian clan discussing behind closed doors, and everything could not yet be counted.

The news that the Empress practiced witchcraft to harm the Son of Heaven also spread from Weiyang Palace. Liu Piao couldn't sit still. She hurriedly entered the palace, wanting to go to Yeting to visit her daughter, but who knew she would be blocked directly by the Empress Dowager's imperial guards.

"The Empress Dowager has an order, no one is allowed to visit the Empress."

The maid beside Liu Piao scolded angrily: "The Dou Taizhu wants to see the Empress, how dare you block her?"

However, these people were all the Empress Dowager's imperial guards. They didn't care who the Dou Taizhu was, and naturally didn't take her seriously. Liu Piao couldn't be sure of the current situation and could only leave in anger.

The maid asked: "Master, are we just leaving like this, not caring about the Empress?"

"Now that the Emperor is seriously ill, Weiyang Palace has been grasped by Wang Zhi. We must find another way to save Jiao'er." Liu Piao thought for a moment and hurriedly said to the driver outside: "Go to the Prime Minister's Mansion."

The next day, the ministers gathered at Changle Palace's Changxin Hall, one after another requesting the Empress Dowager to come forward and preside over government affairs to stabilize the court.

Minister A said: "The Empress used witchcraft to curse the Emperor, making the Emperor seriously ill and in danger. Her actions are punishable, and I hope the Empress Dowager will make a decision."

Minister B: "This subject believes that Empress Chen's position should be deposed immediately."

"This is wrong." Prime Minister Dou Ying stood out and said: "The matter of the Emperor's serious illness has not been investigated clearly, how do you know it was caused by the Empress's curse?"

Minister A: "Wooden puppets were found in Jiaofang Hall, the evidence is conclusive, does it still need proof?"

Dou Ying: "Finding wooden puppets in Jiaofang Hall only proves that someone in Jiaofang Hall practiced witchcraft. How does it prove it was done by the Empress?"

Minister A: "Prime Minister Dou, this is a fallacy and sophistry!"

Dou Ying signaled to the Empress Dowager: "Empress Dowager, this matter still needs to be verified. We must not wrong the Empress and let the villain's scheme succeed."

The ministers discussed heatedly. Dou Ying struck while the iron was hot: "Empress Dowager, you are also an elder who watched the Empress grow up. Do you believe the Empress would do something like cursing the Son of Heaven? Please think twice, Empress Dowager."

The former Chen Ajiao might not, but the current "Chen Ajiao"... The Empress Dowager felt it was very possible, but she couldn't say such things and could only look at Zhang Tang with a locked brow: "Tingwei Zhang, how is your investigation of the witchcraft case going?"

Zhang Tang said: "Reporting to the Empress Dowager, the palace attendants in Jiaofang Hall are unaware of the witchcraft matter. The Longyu female official by the Empress's side says that the witchcraft puppet was used by the Empress to pray for a child, not an object to curse the Emperor."

"And how did that witch Chu Fu answer?"

Zhang Tang: "The witch Chu Fu's testimony is vague, and no results have been interrogated yet, but this subject believes there must be hidden secrets in this."

Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager could only say: "Tingwei Zhang, I order you to interrogate and get results as soon as possible. If it is truly the Empress who deliberately cursed, I will certainly not spare her."

Zhang Tang: "Yes."

This could be considered as temporarily saving the Empress's life, but the position of Empress... everything still depended on the subsequent investigation results and the Son of Heaven's intentions.

Subsequently, another minister said: "Now that the Emperor is seriously ill, I hope the Empress Dowager will select a Crown Prince from the two Princes as soon as possible to stabilize the court."

The Empress Dowager glanced at the minister who made the suggestion and then turned to look at the others: "What do you ministers think?"

The news of the Son of Heaven's serious illness could no longer be hidden. Dou Ying and the Dou Taizhu had also arranged for people to inquire at Shanglin Park and had indeed received news that the Emperor was terminally ill. Now proposing to establish a Crown Prince was not unreasonable.

The Tian clan relatives naturally hoped that the Empress Dowager could support a puppet Crown Prince to ascend the throne and become the next Son of Heaven. Dou Ying's side certainly didn't want this, but the Empress was currently trapped in a witchcraft case, and it would be good enough to save her life.

Therefore, Dou Ying was not in a convenient position to oppose the establishment of the Crown Prince.

The Empress Dowager said: "Now there are only two Princes in the palace, who do you ministers think should be established as the Crown Prince?"

Minister C stood out and said: "Now that the Emperor has no legitimate eldest son, it is only right for the Imperial Eldest Son to succeed to the throne."

Many ministers on the side expressed agreement.

The Empress Dowager then said: "Since you all feel that the Imperial Eldest Son Ju can be the Crown Prince, I will convey your opinions to the Emperor. If the Emperor has no objections, then the Imperial Eldest Son will be established as the Crown Prince."

Soon, the Empress Dowager really arranged for imperial guards to arrive at Shanglin Park, firstly to check on the Emperor's condition, and secondly for the establishment of the Crown Prince.

A Jiao used coughing to drive away the imperial guards who came to deliver the message. When only Liu Li was by her side, she frowned and said: "How did things develop into establishing a Crown Prince?"

Liu Li relayed the discussion in the court to A Jiao. A Jiao was stunned for a moment and murmured: "If Dou Ying were still alive in the past life, he would probably have protected me like this too."

Liu Li nodded: "He would, and Grandmother too. In fact, she has always been trying to find a way to save you."

Recalling that life of living in fear and darkness, A Jiao coughed low and said: "I always thought that at that time, I was the only one left, everyone had abandoned me, even Mother..." Thinking about it now, even if Mother wanted to save herself at that time, she wouldn't have been able to find anyone.

After all, the Dou family had already collapsed at that time, and even Dou Ying had been beheaded. There was no one in the court to rely on, and coupled with Liu Che's intention to depose the Empress, she was deposed in such a logical way.

As for what the truth behind the witchcraft case was, did it matter? The Emperor only needed the result he wanted.

Just like at this very moment, A Jiao and Liu Li were also waiting for the result they wanted.

Thinking of this, A Jiao said in a low voice: "A Li, I think my illness should be better now."

Liu Li smiled: "No problem, we should also return to Weiyang Palace."

It had been more than ten days since the Son of Heaven fell seriously ill. The interrogated Chu Fu finally admitted that the witchcraft puppet in Jiaofang Hall was indeed an object to curse the Son of Heaven, but the Empress was unaware of this matter.

Zhang Tang reported the investigation results to the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager was very dissatisfied with this: "So the Empress is innocent?"

"As of now, that is indeed the case." Zhang Tang nodded.

"Even if the Empress was unaware of this, the fact that she practiced witchcraft is true. If she hadn't been foolish and deceived, how could she have given that witch the opportunity to curse the Son of Heaven?" The Empress Dowager said angrily: "Behind the wooden puppet, the Son of Heaven's birth date and hour must have been told to the witch by her, right?"

Zhang Tang was silent. Putting it that way, it seemed to make some sense.

"Zhang Tang, convey my order: The Empress has lost her order, been deluded by witchcraft, and cannot bear the mandate of Heaven. Reclaim her seal and ribbon, and imprison her in Yeting, never to come out!" The Empress Dowager said coldly: "Let's do it this way."

Zhang Tang said cautiously: "Regarding the deposition of the Empress, should we inform the Emperor for a final decision?"

In Yeting Prison, Liu Che, who had been imprisoned for several days, sat on the straw mat with a depressed face. He had actually been imprisoned in Yeting by his own mother; it was truly a different life experience.

The only way he could be acquitted now was to wait for A Jiao to wake up and prove that he had not harmed the Son of Heaven. I wonder how A Jiao is now, why did she suddenly fall seriously ill?

All these things came too suspiciously and suddenly, as if there was a pair of hands behind the scenes pushing, step by step, pushing him to such an embarrassing situation.

"The Emperor has been harmed by her to the point of being seriously ill in bed, should we still spare her lightly?" The Empress Dowager snorted coldly: "I believe the Emperor will support my decision when he knows."

There was no other way, Zhang Tang could only accept the order: "Yes."

In Yeting, Liu Che, who had been imprisoned for several days, lay on the only bed in the room with a decadent face, turning his head to stare at the window that only allowed a little light to pass through.

This place was dark and damp, simply not a place for humans to stay.

I wonder how A Jiao is now, and if her illness is better. Now in his situation, he can only wait for A Jiao to wake up and prove his innocence in person.

During this time, except for two meals a day, Liu Che had never seen anyone else. He felt as if he had been forgotten by this world.

Moreover, the fact that A Jiao suddenly fell seriously ill was too suspicious and sudden. He always felt that there was an invisible hand behind this, pushing him to this point.

Who could it be? Liu Che couldn't figure it out for a while.

While Liu Che was bored and began to review the whole thing, could it be that from the moment Liu Ling left Chu Fu by his side, this matter was a trap?

If the person behind this was Liu Ling, perhaps everything could be explained. But why did Liu Ling go to such lengths to frame him? It didn't do her any good at all.

Or was Liu Ling's fundamental purpose not to frame him, but to harm A Jiao... No, to harm the Son of Heaven?

Thinking of this, Liu Che sat up from the bed abruptly, then rushed to the door holding his skirt, reaching out to pat the door: "Someone, come quickly, I know what's going on, come quickly."

The patrolling guards outside heard the Empress's knocking and walked over quite impatiently: "What are you shouting about? Shut up."

"I want to see Zhang Tang, see the Empress Dowager." Liu Che said sternly: "Go and report quickly, if you delay the big matter, can you bear the responsibility?"

He had already figured out the whole story. Everything was Liu Ling's conspiracy, no... it was the entire Huainan King's conspiracy. He must go out now and explain everything clearly; he must not let the Huainan King's scheme succeed.

The guards outside the door heard the Empress say this, turned to look at their companions, and muttered: "Should we go and notify the Empress Dowager?"

Just as several guards were struggling, Zhang Tang had already arrived with the deposition edict written by the Imperial Clerk. Seeing the Empress Dowager's token, the guards hurriedly opened the door.

Liu Che stood at the door and was unaccustomed to the light, reaching out to cover his eyes. Then he heard Zhang Tang reading the edict: "Convey the Empress Dowager's order: The Empress has lost her order, been deluded by witchcraft, and cannot bear the mandate of Heaven. Reclaim her seal and ribbon, and imprison her in Yeting, never to come out!"

Liu Che: "???"

His eyes finally adapted to the light outside, and he had an expression of disbelief on his face: "Mother wants to depose me? This is all a conspiracy! I didn't know that wooden puppet was to curse the Son of Heaven, everything is the Huainan King's conspiracy!"

"Empress, what you said, this subordinate has already investigated clearly. Chu Fu has already confessed that she did indeed follow the orders of the Huainan King's Wengzhu to cast a witchcraft curse on the Son of Heaven."

Liu Che was stunned upon hearing this: "Since you have already investigated clearly, why do you still want to depose me?"

Zhang Tang repeated the Empress Dowager's meaning: "Empress, although you did not directly participate in the witchcraft to curse and harm the Emperor, you were indeed deluded by treacherous people, which caused the Emperor to be seriously ill and difficult to treat now. You are also guilty of all this."

Liu Che: "..." He had a breath stuck in his chest, wanting to be angry but not knowing how to speak, because Zhang Tang's words seemed to make sense.

So was he willing to be deposed like this? Obviously not.

Zhang Tang continued: "Later, the eunuchs will send your things over. From now on, you can live in this Yeting with peace of mind."

Liu Che suddenly calmed down and asked calmly: "Regarding the deposition of the Empress, does the Emperor know? Did she agree?"

This edict was indeed conveyed without the Son of Heaven's consent. Zhang Tang showed an embarrassed expression, and Liu Che knew that A Jiao didn't know about this matter yet.

"Since this is not the Emperor's intention, I will not acknowledge it." Liu Che said coldly: "Go back and tell the Empress Dowager that I will not hand over the Empress seal, unless the Emperor personally issues an edict to depose the Empress."

"Empress, if you anger the Empress Dowager like this, what if she issues another edict to kill you?" Zhang Tang reminded in a low voice: "Now government affairs in the court are all managed by the Empress Dowager. She only deposed your position as Empress, which is already showing mercy. If Prime Minister Dou hadn't pleaded for you before, you would probably have been dealt with long ago."

Liu Che recalled the past, and his heart suddenly skipped a beat. Now that A Jiao's life or death was uncertain, if his mother really wanted to kill him, judging by the current situation, there was really no one who could protect him.

Thinking of this, Liu Che's brain spun rapidly, and then he suddenly said: "The Empress Dowager cannot kill me, nor can she depose me."

Zhang Tang: "?"

Liu Che took a deep breath and raised his hand to stroke his lower abdomen: "Because I am already pregnant with the Emperor's child, the legitimate eldest son who will rightfully inherit the Han throne in the future."

Zhang Tang: "!"

【Witnessed the "Witchcraft Deposition of the Empress" event, rewarded with 5000 points.】

Liu Li: "???" What happened? A Jiao was still resting on the hospital bed, how was the "Witchcraft Deposition of the Empress" event completed?

Although Liu Li was very happy to suddenly have 5000 more points, what was going on with the deposition of the Empress?

Was the Empress deposed?

Then why didn't any news come out of Weiyang Palace? Liu Li hurriedly summoned the secret guards and asked them to go to Weiyang Palace to find out what had happened.

These secret guards were all trained by Guan Fu at Liu Li's request and only took orders from Liu Li.

Afterward, she hurriedly returned to the temporary palace to find A Jiao and told her about the deposition of the Empress. At this time, A Jiao's cold was basically better, and even her complexion was rosy. They had planned to return to Weiyang Palace quietly tomorrow to solve the whole thing completely.

She didn't expect that after the Empress Dowager knew the real mastermind was the Huainan King, she didn't arrange for people to go to Huainan to investigate and collect evidence to capture the Huainan King, but instead deposed the Empress.

"Investigating the Huainan King, there is no time to lose." Liu Li hurriedly said: "Once Liu An knows that Chu Fu betrayed the Huainan King, Chu Fu's clan will be in trouble." Liu Li didn't want to break her promise, not to mention that Chu Fu cooperated with them so much for the sake of her clan's safety.

A Jiao sighed: "If this were Liu Che, the people investigating the Huainan King would probably have already arrived in the Huainan Kingdom." So not everyone could become the Son of Heaven.

"Mother, since you are almost better now, let's go back immediately, but you might need to continue pretending to be sick." Liu Li said: "We can't let the Empress Dowager continue to mess around like this."

A Jiao nodded: "Alright."

The convoy returning to Weiyang Palace was personally escorted by Wei Qing leading the Feathered Forest Guard. Liu Li looked at the scenery outside the carriage window and said in a low voice to A Jiao: "I heard Father has been imprisoned in Yeting for several days. He probably suffered a lot this time."

A Jiao turned her eyes to meet her daughter's bright eyes, then reached out and hugged her into her arms, whispering: "A Li, thank you, I have already let go."

Having done so much, paved the way so much, and watching Liu Che trapped in prison, in fact, she didn't feel the pleasure of revenge in her heart, but rather a trace of sadness. Whether it was herself in the past life or Liu Che in this life, many things seemed to exist with different positions and choices.

Her inability to let go, the nightmare she couldn't get past, was ultimately just because of her unwillingness.

What she was unwilling about was that the self of the past had given Liu Che one hundred percent of her sincerity, while the feelings Liu Che gave her were almost zero. Maybe there was a little bit, but in the face of the empire and imperial power, it seemed insignificant.

So she couldn't let go and couldn't forget, and gradually it became a nightmare she couldn't let go of.

But now seeing A Li planning like this, just to help her resolve this knot, A Jiao thought, what else could she not let go of?

She raised her eyes to look at the beautiful spring scenery outside the window, and a long sigh of relief came from her heart. After today, let all the things of the past vanish like smoke. ===== CHAPTER 87 =====