Who put the yellow robe on me?

Jiang Chen felt a surge of joy, suddenly sensing an opportunity. At least the current situation wasn't that bad. His heartbeat quickened slightly, and his fingertips gently stroked his cuffs, as if trying to calm his inner turmoil.

His eyes moved between Concubine De and Emperor Liang, and his mind was quickly calculating every next step.

Defei's face turned slightly pale, her fingers tightly clenched her sleeves, her eyes flickered, as if she was weighing something.

Jiang Chen keenly realized that Concubine De's hesitation was not entirely due to fear of the truth, but because she herself was deeply involved in it.

The whole thing was done by Concubine De herself. If she told everything, it would be a crime of deceiving the emperor.

If Concubine De didn't tell the whole story, or even said part of it but withheld some, then her story would inevitably be mixed with lies. Once the lies were exposed, Concubine De would be guilty of deceiving the emperor, and that would be a dead end!

Jiang Chen's mouth curled up slightly, and he sneered in his heart. Although the Sixteenth Prince seemed to be at a disadvantage now, if he thought about it carefully, Concubine De was not at an advantage either!

Every word she says could become her death warrant, and Jiang Chen only needs to seize her weakness to turn the situation around.

"Your Majesty!" The voice of Minister of Rites Mu Shenru suddenly rang out, breaking the silence in the hall. His voice was loud and powerful, carrying a hint of unquestionable majesty. "I believe that this fake Sixteenth Prince should be thrown into the Heavenly Prison and executed by slow slicing!"

Mu Shenru's words were like a heavy hammer, hitting the hearts of everyone in the hall. His eyes were as sharp as a knife, staring coldly at Jiang Chen.

Mu Shenru had always been at odds with the Sixteenth Prince, and now he was stomping on him even harder, obviously wanting to take this opportunity to completely destroy Jiang Chen.

Emperor Liang was surprisingly calm. Although he was suspicious by nature, he vaguely felt that something was wrong.

His fingers tapped the armrests of the dragon throne rhythmically, as if he were lost in thought. His eyes swept over everyone in the hall, a complex emotion flashing across them.

Emperor Liang glanced at his ministers. Some shook their heads slightly, some glared, and some couldn't suppress a smile. Each one had a different expression, as if they were waiting for Emperor Liang's decision.

Emperor Liang's gaze finally fell on General Zhong Xiaodan of Annan. He raised his head and seemed to have something to say.

"General Annan seems to have something to say?" Emperor Liang's voice was low and majestic, with a hint of temptation.

Zhong Xiaodan stepped out, bowed, and said in a steady and powerful voice, "Your Majesty! I think Lord Mu is wrong! The situation is still very unclear, and no matter who is being convicted, we shouldn't be so hasty!"

Emperor Liang nodded slightly, agreeing with Zhong Xiaodan's words. His eyes moved between Zhong Xiaodan and Mu Shenru, and he was secretly weighing the pros and cons in his heart.

Prime Minister He had been watching the Emperor Liang's expression and noticed the change. A trace of deep thought flashed in his eyes, as if he was weighing something. He turned to the Sixteenth Prince, Jiang Chen, and asked, "Sixteenth Prince, what do you say about the matter of Consort De?"

Everyone's eyes turned to the Sixteenth Prince Jiang Chen. The atmosphere in the palace suddenly became tense, as if even the air had frozen.

Jiang Chen felt countless eyes on him, yet his heart remained remarkably calm. He knew that every word that followed would determine his fate.

Jiang Chen suppressed his turbulent emotions and pretended to be calm. He said to Emperor Liang, "Father, ever since I returned from the Western Regions, I have had a dispute with Mother and Consort over my son's marriage, and there has been some unpleasantness!"

His voice was low and steady, as if he was describing something quite ordinary. However, every word he said carried a hint of depth, as if hinting at something.

Jiang Chen turned to Concubine De and said, "Mother, I know you are attracted to Lord Yang's third daughter and want to strengthen the power of our Bozhou Yang family by marrying her. But I already have someone else in my heart. I didn't mean it and my words were a bit harsh, which may have offended you. But you shouldn't talk nonsense about my background!"

There was a hint of grievance in his tone, as if he was accusing Concubine De of being unreasonable. Concubine De's face turned pale in an instant, and a trace of panic flashed in her eyes. Her lips trembled slightly, as if she wanted to say something, but in the end she just lowered her head.

Jiang Chen's lips curled up slightly, and a hint of coldness flashed in his eyes. He continued, "Mother, you gave birth to me. If I'm not a prince, then how did you give birth to me? Aren't you making the world laugh at my father?"

His words were like a sharp sword, piercing Defei's heart.

In just a few words, Jiang Chen turned the mystery of Jiang Chen's life experience into a slander caused by his disobedience to his mother and the quarrel she caused.

"To strengthen the power of the Yang family in Bozhou?"

"Who did Concubine De give birth to the Sixteenth Prince?"

These two questions were like two bombshells, causing a huge uproar in the court. Many ministers who were originally skeptical about the authenticity of the Sixteenth Prince became hesitant because of Jiang Chen's words.

After all, this statement is too absurd. If the Sixteenth Prince is really fake, then where is Concubine De's innocence? What is her identity?

Some ministers could not help but whisper and discuss:

"If Concubine De really knew about this a year ago, why didn't she report it to His Majesty earlier?"

"This is a matter of royal bloodline, how could it be kept secret for a whole year?"

"Could it be that Empress Defei has some hidden secret?"

"But if it's true, as the Sixteenth Prince said, that this is just a matter of mother and son not getting along, then who instigated this farce?"

Prime Minister He narrowed his eyes, carefully observing the Emperor Liang's expression. He knew the Emperor's suspicious nature well, and if there was even a flaw in Concubine De's testimony, it would likely arouse the Emperor Liang's suspicions.

Although the answer of the Sixteenth Prince Jiang Chen seemed casual, it was actually very clever. He directed the criticism from himself to Concubine De.

Jiang Chen's words were like a stone thrown into a calm lake, causing ripples.

The atmosphere in the hall suddenly became tense, as if even the air had frozen.

Strengthening the relationship to expand the power of the Bozhou Yang family? The Liang Emperor also understood that the Bozhou Yang family, relying on the relationship with Concubine De, was now the richest family in Daliang. The Dali Temple Minister Yang Zhengming and others in the court were all members of the Bozhou Yang family. If the power was to be expanded, then only...

As for Jiang Chen, he talked about how he gave birth to the Sixteenth Prince. Although he changed his words in time, everyone could tell that at first Jiang Chen was talking about who the Defei gave birth to the Sixteenth Prince...

Emperor Liang's expression grew even darker, his gaze as sharp as a knife as he stared coldly at Concubine De: "Concubine De?"

Defei's body trembled even more violently, like a trapped beast forced into a desperate situation.

She suddenly knelt down, her voice trembling: "Your Majesty, your concubine... your concubine..."