The Prime Minister’s Darling-Chapter 1681 - 816 Fighting Against Counterfeits (First Update)

The Han Family didn’t believe that in the current situation, Xiao Liulang had any means to turn the tide, yet Xiao Liulang’s calmness was so unsettling that it made her suspect that there might be a flaw in her plan.

She instinctively looked back and saw Wang Xu had arrived at some point, accompanied by a large number of guards from Duwei Prefecture. Moreover, there were synchronized footsteps and the sound of cold armor rubbing against each other coming from the outer palace.

The next second, countless archers, dressed in armor and holding large bows, rushed in under the scorching sun. Each archer was in a ready position, whether in kneeling or standing stance, even the vantage points in the corners were occupied by archers.

The Wang Family had also divided up the Xuanyuan Family’s military power back then, and the Archery Camp was the most notable among them.

The Archery Camp had undergone fifteen years of change, with many shifts in its personnel, yet the Xuanyuan Family’s legacy remained. It still possessed Dayan’s most well-trained archers.

As soon as the archers’ murderous intent emerged, the atmosphere at the scene underwent an unbelievable reversal, and the arrogance of the Imperial Forest Army visibly diminished.

Of course, this did not mean that the Imperial Forest Army was inevitably inferior to the Archery Camp in combat; the Imperial Forest Army still had the advantage in numbers. However, the high morale of the Archery Camp made it daunting for anyone to confront them head-on.

Moreover, Wang Xu had not just brought the Archery Camp; he had also deployed the Forbidden army from four prefectures, making the Imperial Forest Army’s advantage less noticeable.

The Han Family never expected the arrival of Wang Xu.

Indeed, how could they forget his unwavering loyalty to the Emperor?

Forget about the Han Family, even the Emperor himself had forgotten.

With so much happening, the Emperor’s mind was muddled. If not for the Crown Prince mentioning it, he wouldn’t have recalled that he still had Wang Xu as an ace.

Xiao Hen did not show up today, but he was responsible for contacting Wang Xu.

Previously, Wang Xu had not met the Emperor.

"Minister Wang, it’s been a long time," the Han Family greeted him lightly.

Wang Xu politely clasped his hands together, not as a subordinate greeting a royal consort, but merely as a junior showing respect to an elder. After all, the Han Family had been demoted to commoners, and Wang Xu had no need to honor the royal etiquette for a commoner.

However, leaving the Cold Palace privately was a capital offence if the Emperor were to inquire. freёwebnoѵel.com

"Everyone inside, come out!" Wang Xu said to the side hall with an authoritative tone.

According to Gu Chengfeng’s known plan, he was supposed to kill the false Emperor in the side hall, allowing the real Emperor to replace him, then disfigure the corpse and smuggle it out of the palace disguised as a retired eunuch from the Crown Prince’s residence.

But now that things had escalated, this move was obviously unworkable.

Otherwise, if mishandled, they would be confirmed guilty of murdering the "real Emperor" and replacing him with an impostor.

Gu Chengfeng had no choice but to release the false Emperor, who he had been restraining, and open the hall door.

The false Emperor masked his internal fear with rage as he stormed out, standing under the porch, coldly looking at Wang Xu, and shouting, "Wang Xu, you’ve entered the palace with troops without permission. Are you planning a revolt?"

The Emperor also addressed Wang Xu, "Wang Xu, why are you still standing there? Capture them immediately!"

Wang Xu looked at the false Emperor, then at the real Emperor, feeling utterly bewildered!

These two looked incredibly alike!

Except one was dressed in a eunuch’s outfit, and the other in a Dragon Robe.

On the way here, he was very confident. Someone impersonating the Emperor? Why fear? He believed he could discern the truth with his keen eyes!

But now—

His confidence was completely shattered!

The Han Family saw Wang Xu’s bewildered face and sighed in relief. She had thought Wang Xu believed Shangguan Qing’s slander and came to arrest the false Emperor, but it turned out he couldn’t distinguish between them.

Indeed, Wang Xu was solely loyal to the Emperor and would not be easily swayed by Shangguan Qing.

He had his own judgment.

Now, it was about who could win over Wang Xu.

The Emperor took a deep breath, suppressing his emotions, and seriously said, "Wang Xu, I once ordered you to the Imperial Mausoleum to teach Your Highness Changsun martial arts. Three months later, you returned to the palace to report that Your Highness Changsun was too weak to practice martial arts, but very intelligent, and suggested appointing several tutors for him. I agreed, yet he drove away all eight tutors one by one!"

Wang Xu’s body trembled fiercely; it was true! This incident did happen! And the Emperor, unwilling to lose face, did not want others to know about his care for Shangguan Qing and kept this matter private.

Gu Jiao touched her chin, murmuring, "Drove away eight tutors? Shangguan Qing suddenly has such a black history."

The false Emperor calmly said, "Wang Xu, I once commissioned you to investigate the flood case in Yudong. You submitted a list to me, and because it implicated many, I suppressed the matter, leaving you quite displeased. You even contradicted me. I said to you, ’I shall pretend I didn’t hear your words just now, but remember, Wang Xu, I can tolerate it once, twice, but never a third time! If you die, fine, but don’t drag the whole Wang Family down with you!’"

Wang Xu’s body trembled again!

He had never mentioned this matter to anyone else!

Gu Jiao thought to herself, the Han Family has Dark Soul; it’s not impossible for them to eavesdrop on the Imperial Study Room, but Wang Xu didn’t know about Dark Soul’s existence; thus, he believed these private conversations were unknown to a third party.

The Emperor gritted his teeth and played a card of desperation: "Ten years ago, you accompanied me on a private trip, and I lost our expenses... so we stole a chicken from a village!"

Everyone was stunned, a dignified Emperor stealing a chicken!

The false Emperor did not back down: "Every year during the hunt, I could not catch any prey; it was all you who hunted them and hung them on my horse’s back!"

Everyone was slack-jawed, the Emperor not only stole chickens but also cheated!

No wonder you’re always first...

The king was exposed to his core, trembling with rage.

Unable to expose himself further, he decisively started exposing Wang Xu: "You stutter!"

Imposter King: "You scratch your feet!"

The King: "You have bad drinking manners!"

Imposter King: "You have bad gambling habits!"

Wang Xu: "...!!"

Why are they exposing my flaws now!

Also, I haven’t stuttered in years!

I only stuttered during the first few times I faced the emperor!

"Wait!" In a flash, Wang Xu had an epiphany and gestured for both men to stop. "I remembered an instance when I was teaching His Highness Changsun martial arts at the Imperial Mausoleum. To get out of doing horse stance, His Highness told me a secret about the Emperor."

Both the real and fake kings simultaneously looked at Wang Xu.

Wang Xu coughed awkwardly and summoned his courage to say, "The Emperor has a mole on his right buttock!"

Pu—

Someone in the crowd couldn’t hold back a laugh.

Everyone turned to look at him.

It was an archer from the Wang Family.

The archer immediately put on a serious expression, drawing his bow as if he had not just laughed.

The King’s fists clenched, his teeth gritted, and his mouth twitched.

Shangguan Qing, I want to kill you!

A look of panic flashed in the fake King’s eyes. No one said the impersonation had to go this far, what is this, plant a mole on the buttock?

Han Family frowned.

Although she had been married to the Emperor for many years, it was always dark when they were intimate, and she hadn’t paid attention to such details.

Thinking back, what kind of a brat is Shangguan Qing to casually say something like this?

Miscalculation!

Han Family obviously understood that with Wang Xu’s straightforward and honest nature, he would never fabricate such a thing out of thin air.

So it’s true, the Emperor really has... such a thing on his buttock.

Han Family closed her eyes.

Don’t panic, don’t panic, there must be a way to resolve this.

Han Family opened her eyes, looked at Wang Xu’s embarrassed face, and sneered, "Lord Wang, during the time you were teaching martial arts to His Highness Changsun at the Imperial Mausoleum, His Highness was just a child. How could you take a child’s ramblings seriously?"

Han Family intended to say that she had been married to the Emperor for many years; would she not know if he had a mole or not?

But if she said that, Wang Xu would likely summon other palace consorts. Her not noticing didn’t mean the others didn’t. If by chance someone did verify Wang Xu’s words, the imposter king would be completely exposed.

So she could only insist that Shangguan Qing, being young, was just talking nonsense!

Han Family said with a half-smirk, "Lord Wang, could it be that you are in league with them, using this to support the claim that the Emperor is an imposter?"

Wang Xu solemnly replied, "I am not in league with anyone! I only serve the Emperor!"

Han Family sneered, "But the Emperor clearly does not have what you mentioned! And I might as well tell you! This Prince is fake! They first posed as the Prince, then found a lookalike to pose as the Emperor afterward! Don’t fall for their trick!"

Gu Chengfeng, angry, said, "Hey! I pretended to be the Prince to infiltrate the palace and overthrow you! You old witch, blaming others before admitting your own guilt!"

Han Family said, "Lord Wang, he admitted it! His Highness Changsun’s childish words are not to be trusted. Quickly arrest this group of rebels!"

Wang Xu’s expression grew complicated.

Gu Chengfeng heard the sound of death approaching. It was over; Wang Xu was also falling for the old witch’s trick.

"His Highness Changsun’s words may not be trustworthy, but what about my words?"

Accompanied by a clear and noble voice, a handsome man dressed in a silver robe walked over confidently.

Han Family’s face changed.

How could it be him?

The newcomer was none other than the King’s own brother, the Little Princesses’ father—Lord Yun Shan!

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