I was sold when I opened my eyes! My sick and disabled husband comforts me every night after he wake

Huo Batian said impatiently:

"You really can imitate my handwriting? I'd like to see for myself."

As he spoke, he turned to look at the Emperor.

“Your Majesty, I, Huo Batian, dare to admit to what I have done, but I will never admit to what I have not done, even if you beat me to death. Since he says he can imitate my handwriting, why not let him try so that we can know whether it is true or not?”

The Emperor let out a heavy sigh and nodded.

"Someone, bring me a brush, ink, paper, and inkstone."

In a short while, someone brought up the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone. Li Si spread the paper out on the table, picked up the brush, and began to write on the scrap paper.

Huo Batian stared intently at the pen that fell from his hand. When he saw that the characters written by the other man were exactly the same as his own, he pointed at the calligraphy in astonishment.

"A remarkable person, truly remarkable, writing exactly the same thing as me."

Seeing this, Wei Jian'an's legs began to tremble. The Emperor clenched his fists and waved his hand, looking at another person kneeling beside Li Si.

"and who are you?"

The man kowtowed hastily and replied loudly:

"Your Majesty, five years ago I was Old Wu, the steward of the Liang family. On the night the entire Liang family was massacred, I happened to be visiting my mother in my hometown. When I returned, I saw the Liang family on fire. Just as I was about to rush forward to call for help, I saw someone deliberately setting the fire. I was terrified and dared not go forward. I could only secretly remember the man's appearance. Later, I learned that the man was Ade, a guard by the Crown Prince's side. All seventeen members of the Liang family died in that fire. I beg Your Majesty to avenge the seventeen lives of the Liang family!"

Old Wu cried as he spoke, and seeing this, Consort Liang quickly stepped forward to comfort him.

"Uncle Wu, our Liang family cannot die in vain. Even if it costs me my life, I will avenge them."

At this moment, the emperor's face was grim, veins bulging on his forehead. He glared coldly at Wei Jian'an.

Did you know all this?

Wei Jian'an immediately knelt down, shaking his head with an innocent expression.

"Father, I am innocent! It was all Ade's doing, and I have nothing to do with it. I will make him pay for his sins with his life."

Just as he finished speaking, Ade and Ling'er arrived at the Qianqing Palace under the escort of Huang Bao and several guards.

Ad knelt on the ground in despair, his body collapsing to the floor.

At this moment, he gave the impression of being exhausted and lifeless.

When Wei Jian'an saw him, he immediately turned around and questioned him.

“Ade, you’ve done so many evil things behind my back, why don’t you tell me the truth?”

Clearly, at this critical moment, Wei Jian'an wanted to shift all the blame onto Ade in order to save his own life.

Ade seemed not to have reacted, staring blankly at everything in front of him.

He tossed and turned all night last night; the room he couldn't escape had brought him to the brink of a mental breakdown.

Before he could even catch his breath, he was inexplicably brought here for interrogation, and everyone was looking at him with strange eyes.

“Ade…”

Wei Jian'an called out to him, and only then did Ade turn his wandering gaze to him, then swallowed hard.

"Your Highness...I..."

Ling'er, who was beside him, suddenly pointed at him and angrily rebuked him:

"Your Majesty, spare my life! It was he who used my family to threaten me into poisoning your medicine. I beg Your Majesty to investigate and forgive my ignorance."

Upon hearing this, the Empress's face turned ashen in an instant.

"Ling'er, what did you say? You poisoned the Emperor's medicine? Who gave you the audacity?"

Ling'er immediately began kowtowing forcefully while crying and explaining.

"Your Majesty, spare me! I was forced into this. If I didn't do as he said, he would kill my parents and my young brother. I had no choice!"

The Emperor's brows furrowed, and he glared fiercely at Ade.

Why did you poison me?

Ade glanced at Wei Jian'an, then replied, trembling:

"Your subordinate... Your subordinate was unaware, Your subordinate..."

Seeing Ade stammering, Lan Zhi immediately scolded him angrily.

“Ade, you’d better think carefully before you answer. If you want to poison the Emperor, that’s a crime that will lead to the extermination of your entire family. Not only you, but your whole family will be beheaded. But if you are acting under someone else’s orders, then that’s a different story.”

Wei Jian'an turned around and glared at her.

"Lan Zhi, what do you mean by this? Are you trying to target me, the Crown Prince?"

Lan Zhi snorted disdainfully.

"I wouldn't dare point the finger at the Crown Prince; it's the Crown Prince who's feeling guilty!"

"Why should I be guilty? I am the Crown Prince, and the throne will always be mine. Why would I harm my father? Don't try to confuse the issue and deliberately shift the blame onto me."

"Since the Crown Prince believes he has nothing to do with this matter, why the rush?"

"Hmph! I, the Crown Prince, have done nothing wrong, so I have nothing to fear from ghosts knocking at my door."

As soon as he finished speaking, he squinted at Ade and gave him a righteous reminder.

“Ade, you must speak the truth before the Emperor and not talk nonsense.”

Ade felt completely helpless at this moment.

If he told the truth, it would be a waste of the Crown Prince's years of cultivation of him.

If he lies, his family will be beheaded along with him.

He was at a loss for what to do.

At this moment, Consort Liang shouted angrily,

“Ade, I visited your home before I went to the palace. Your blind mother asked me to pass on a message to you. She kneels in front of the ancestral hall every day to pray to Buddha and chant scriptures in order to atone for your sins. You have too many sins on your body and it’s time to stop. Otherwise, she will not have the face to meet your ancestors in the afterlife.”

His mother had said these words to him before, but hearing them from Consort Liang's mouth filled Ade with immense fear.

He turned his head to look at her, and questioned her fiercely.

What did you do to my mother? What were you doing at my house?

Consort Liang gave a disdainful snort.

“I only went to your house for a while to deliver your mother’s message. Why are you in such a hurry? By the way, you may seem important in public, but your home is quite poor. You probably don’t know this, do you? Your eldest brother was killed by a falling rock half a year ago while carrying stones up the mountain. Your sister-in-law remarried that same month. Your parents are raising your nephew on meager porridge and wild vegetables. Your young nephew doesn’t even have a decent piece of clothing to cover himself. Your mother said that your father has stopped taking his medication for half a year and is about to pass away. You probably won’t even have the chance to go back and fulfill your filial duties.”

"impossible."

Ad immediately shook his head vigorously.

“His Highness sends money to my family every month, so my parents will never lack money.”

"That's true. I heard from your mother that you send two taels of silver home every year. You are truly a filial son."

Two ounces?

Ade turned to look at Wei Jian'an with an incredulous expression.

"Your Highness, didn't you say you'd give my family twenty taels every month? How come it's two taels a year?"

Wei Jianning pursed his lips and explained:

"Don't listen to her nonsense. There are specialists handling this matter. I will have someone investigate later. If anyone dares to embezzle the money sent to your family, I will make them pay with their lives."