He paused here, looking deeply at him: "That is why he calls himself a subject. Do you find this explanation clear enough?"

The ministers in the hall exchanged glances, then lifted their robes and knelt down, shouting loudly: "The Emperor is wise!"

Ever since discovering that King Yan was not a Prince, Fu Zhen had anticipated that this day would come, and after Yang Yi wavered in his resolve, this outcome was inevitable.

However, looking at how the Emperor and Empress treated him, it seemed they did not intend to publicly pursue the matter of him deceiving Yang Yi in the past.

"Your Majesty."

At this time, after the courtiers hailed, they all stood up, and Yi Yun said again: "Since King Yan is indeed not a Prince, there is no one in the palace who can inherit the throne.

"The succession of the throne is an enormous matter, Your Majesty! Now there are two individuals here of the royal bloodline; I urge Your Majesty to reconsider!"

"Mr. Yi, you are truly bold!"

The Emperor did not speak, but over there, King Yan, who was Lin Hao, interjected, casting a cold sidelong glance at Yi Yun: "Who told you there are no Princes in the palace? Who said there is no one to inherit the throne? What are your intentions in relentlessly trying to push these two into the palace?"

Yi Yun straightened his back: "Mr. Lin, there are only two Princes in the palace. The deposed Crown Prince was executed for a crime, leaving you originally, but just now the Emperor decreed, confirming you are not of the Yang Family bloodline, allowing you to recognize your ancestry and reclaim the surname Lin. Do you still think you are qualified to be Crown Prince?"

Lin Hao sneered: "I am not qualified to be Crown Prince. Of course, I am not. My elder brother, the Empress’s legitimate firstborn, His Highness the Eldest Prince of our Great Zhou, have you conveniently forgotten him all the way to Java?"

"...Eldest Prince?!"

The people in the hall gasped.

The usually reticent and gentle Lin Hao, speaking so fiercely today, was already surprising, and the three words "Eldest Prince" in his statement were like a hook, instantly capturing everyone’s attention!

"Nonsense! The Eldest Prince disappeared over twenty years ago, never to be seen again, surely he is no longer in this world! In such conditions, suddenly, how can an Eldest Prince appear?!"

Yi Yun blurted out in rebuttal.

This is undoubtedly nonsense!

How can someone who disappeared twenty-four years ago possibly succeed to the throne? Are they planning to let his ghost succeed?

"Beloved Minister Yi, I remember when the Eldest Prince disappeared, you were over ten years old, following your father in the Zhou Army camp, you should still remember what the Eldest Prince looked like, right?"

At this moment, the Empress took up the conversation.

Yi Yun said: "In response to Your Majesty, I remember! I was seventeen then, and had several interactions with His Highness, deeply impressed by his features!"

So they should not think of fooling him; whether it is Yang Yi, he could recognize at a glance!

To prevent them from such unrealistic ideas, Yi Yun glanced at the many distinguished ministers and senior officials present and said loudly: "It’s not just me who remembers His Highness’s appearance; I believe at least half of the people present can recognize the true Eldest Prince!"

The Empress smiled slightly: "So, if His Highness the Eldest Prince appeared now, many of the beloved ministers present could reminisce with him."

The Empress’s confident attitude caused everyone present to become puzzled, and even Yi Yun started to feel unease; he absolutely did not believe Yang Yi was still alive, even if they could bring an "Eldest Prince," it must be someone they found who looks similar!

But if it really were a counterfeit pretending, could the Empress remain so calm? At least seventy percent of the officials and their families present had seen Yang Yi; a ten-year-old child is quite grown, even if his appearance had changed somewhat over the years, his facial features were clear and would certainly be recognizable, could they really not fear exposure?

Were they truly confident in deceiving everyone present?

"Come forward, summon the Eldest Prince to the hall!"

In the midst of their bewilderment, at the Emperor’s command, an eunuch by the door affirmed, and then a man dressed in a Python Robe strode in, tall, with handsome features and thick brows habitually furrowed, under which his eyes bore a striking resemblance to the Emperor on the throne!

Besides the eyes, his looks were exactly like those of the Empress!

"Yi... it’s His Highness!"

In the utter silence of the hall, it was Cheng Chili’s father who first gasped in amazement; he suddenly stepped forward from the ranks, staring wide-eyed, scrutinizing Yang Yi up and down: "It’s really you! Is it really you?!"