Shipin Dalizheng

Jin Shizhao glared at the man fiercely, his hands clenched and shaking.

Emperor Xuanning finally opened his eyes and asked, "Yes, Lord Jin, you asked me to fulfill my promise. How many of the things you promised me have I fulfilled?"

Jin Shizhao's forehead was covered with sweat, and he suddenly fell to his knees, unable to speak.

He Daban shouted, "Master Jin, you are so bold! You haven't done what you promised His Majesty, yet you have the nerve to ask His Majesty to decree the title for you. Now that Madam Rong's legitimate son has returned, if His Majesty grants the title of Earl of Jian'an to the Jin family, wouldn't that chill the old Earl of Jian'an's feelings? You are trying to put His Majesty in an unjust position!"

To a certain extent, He Daban was Emperor Xuanning's mouthpiece. Now, almost all the officials who were still waiting and watching knew clearly that the Jin family had no hope of inheriting the title.

Jin Shizhao knelt down and repeatedly pleaded his disapproval, crying out for injustice. "I would rather die than accuse Your Majesty of anything. Actually, something unexpected happened that day. My son Yaoyang had been keeping vigil for over half a month. On the day of the funeral, he was exhausted and spoke and acted inappropriately, losing his composure. The matter of changing the surname and adopting the child had already been discussed with the Rong clan leader, and it could have been done that day. Unexpectedly, Rong Tang suddenly showed up and disrupted the process. Speaking of Rong Tang, Your Majesty, don't be fooled by his sweet words. I saw at first sight that he wasn't my legitimate son, he was a fake, impersonating me for the title and family fortune. Your Majesty, be discerning!"

Emperor Xuanning hissed, "Fake? If it's fake, why did you repeatedly call him unfilial and disobedient in the Qinzheng Palace the day before yesterday, and still want me to punish him? This is based on the fact that Rong Tang is your biological son, and you can only accuse him of this? Do you think I'm so blind that I can't tell right from wrong?"

Jin Shizhao broke out in a cold sweat and tried to argue, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, I was confused. I doubted he was my son, so I refused to acknowledge him. But Rong Tang himself admitted that he was my son, so naturally, his words and actions must be judged according to the rules of father and son. He was disrespectful to me, which is disobedient and unfilial."

"Oh……"

Emperor Xuanning's face remained impassive, his emotions unrecognizable. "Lord Jin, your words make perfect sense. If you don't recognize him, you can beat him or kill him. If he recognizes you, you can beat him or kill him at will. Is that right, my lords?"

No matter how shameless Jin Shizhao was, he was so ashamed at this moment that he put his head on the ground and dared not raise it.

The official just now continued, "Lord Jin loves his illegitimate son. This is his family affair, and outsiders should not interfere. However, the title of Earl of Jian'an is not just a family affair of the Jin family, it is also a matter of state. Even if it is a family matter, it is the Rong family's family affair, and according to etiquette, it has nothing to do with Lord Jin. Young Master Rong Tang's name is in the family tree, and he has his own identity card, which can be confirmed as the legitimate grandson of the Earl of Jian'an and the legitimate son of Madam Rong. Since the legitimate son has returned to the family, the adoption will naturally be settled. I hope that after today's court meeting, Your Majesty will clear Young Master Rong Tang's name and make him the sole heir of the Rong family."

Jin Shizhao was deeply resentful. After more than a decade of planning, was this going to be wasted? The title was fine, but he knew that if he lost this time, he would lose face in the capital and become a laughing stock.

He endured the humiliation and said, "Your Majesty, we haven't confirmed Rong Tang's authenticity yet. Acknowledging his identity now would be disrespectful to my father-in-law and my wife. I refuse to accept this."

Emperor Xuanning seemed to finally feel a hint of impatience and asked again, "What are your opinions?"

It's like a vote.

In the end, there were still those who couldn't see the situation clearly and came out to speak for Jin Shizhao, "Yes, Your Majesty, if Rong Tang is not a member of the Rong family and is a fake, wouldn't that make the deceased uneasy in the afterlife? In my opinion, if we want to prove Rong Tang's identity, just an ID card is not enough. The midwife who delivered him and the servant who sent him out to seek medical treatment, which doctor did they find for treatment? Where did he grow up all these years and who his adoptive parents were, they should all be found as witnesses."

His suggestion brought the situation to a standstill, leaving no solution. This was because every person mentioned in the proposal had died or fled for various reasons, and could not be found.

"If no one can be found to prove it, then it means Rong Tang is most likely a fake. Letting a fake inherit the Jian'an Earl's Mansion is worse than Lord Jin's son. At least he has called Madam Rong mother for more than ten years and has that status."

Jin Shizhao breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, there were still people standing on his side.

Before he finished speaking, a clear voice laughed, "What kind of logic is this? Rong Tang is just a possibility, but Jin Yaoyang is 100% fake. I seem to have heard people talking about that day. Rong Tang once quoted the Great Vietnamese law and said that a son-in-law is a member of the same family as his wife! Xu Runian, I would like to ask you, if your wife brings home a son she had with a stranger, who is older than your son, and adopts him as your eldest son, would you be willing to give him all the family property?"

Xu Runian was only a fourth-rank official, neither big nor small in the court. If others dared to confront him, when he met this person, his face turned red, and he dared not say a word, and retreated in shame.

The ministers took a deep breath. Zheng Yuanming, the head of the civil service, had come out to join the team. What else was there to argue about? But they didn't dare go up and be humiliated, and then drag their wives down and make them afraid to go out and see people.

Zheng Yuanming saw the court suddenly fall silent, everyone looking at him. He straightened his expression and said, "Everything is based on reason. Since Lord Jin is marrying into the family, he should have the awareness of being a son-in-law. If the Rong family had no heir before, it would not be a bad idea to let the son of the Jin family inherit the title. Now that the Rong family has an heir, if you have any backbone and dignity, you should return the title. Is Lord Jin really as the rumors say, planning for years just for this moment to wipe out the family?"

Jin Shizhao almost gnashed his teeth and said, "I don't have any."

Zheng Yuanming nodded. "I also believe that Lord Jin has studied for decades and should have a good understanding of etiquette and morality. He would never do such a despicable thing. Prime Minister Wang, why are you looking at me? Is what I said wrong?"

Right Prime Minister Wang Keli smiled slightly. "That's quite true. I also think that, regardless of whether Your Majesty recognizes Rong Tang's identity, Lord Jin should just go ahead with the decision to adopt his illegitimate son! Duke Du, what do you think?"

Duke Du, standing at the front of the line of military officers, stroked his beard and pondered for a moment before saying, "That's the truth. Everyone, let me ask you, if you were in the position of the Earl of Jian'an, would you be willing to make your son-in-law's illegitimate son your heir, inheriting your title and estate?"

Which idiot would be willing to do that?

"Furthermore, if this precedent is set, those with titles will be unable to sleep soundly. What if a relative or a branch of the family covets their title and wealth? All they have to do is kill all their descendants, and the title will fall into their hands. Wouldn't that be a terrifying thing? Even to prevent this possibility, Your Majesty cannot set this precedent."

Duke Du's words were extremely harsh, and they immediately made the court even quieter. Putting themselves in his shoes, they would also be afraid of meeting a son-in-law like Jin Shizhao.

This is true for everything. If it does not involve your own interests, you can be generous to others, but if it involves yourself, it is absolutely not acceptable.

Jin Shizhao's legs were so weak that he almost collapsed to the ground. He knew it was over.