"Your Majesty, rest assured, I will deliver your words to Gu Sinian verbatim," Xie Chen said.
"You may withdraw," Emperor Chongwen sighed deeply.
Xie Chen responded promptly and withdrew without hesitation.
Emperor Chongwen felt uneasy and somewhat agitated.
After all, he was his flesh and blood.
The Imperial Clan Court, having received Emperor Chongwen's instructions, began the interrogation without delay.
With the various evidence provided by Xie Chen and Gu Sinian, coupled with testimonies from officials previously controlled by Li An, the Imperial Clan Court quickly compiled irrefutable proof of Li An's crimes.
Those responsible for the interrogation clicked their tongues in disbelief. This unacknowledged prince truly dared to act so brazenly!
The problem was, aside from his achievements in the Dali Temple, he possessed no genuine skills or methods.
To put it bluntly, if such a person succeeded, their Great Feng Dynasty would be doomed.
Li An's crimes were more than enough to warrant death multiple times over.
However, due to his status, the Imperial Clan Court ultimately decided on exile.
Not just ordinary exile to a remote location.
It was to the most desolate environment in the Great Feng Dynasty to date.
With good luck, one might reach the destination.
With bad luck, one would die en route.
Emperor Chongwen approved the decision.
This meant he had completely abandoned Li An.
Li An was now utterly terrified.
Initially, he had tried to win over people in the Imperial Clan Court. If he had their support, he would not only have a chance to fight but also a high probability of success.
Truly foolish and incompetent.
How could His Majesty have such a son?
Perhaps his birth mother was not very bright?
Therefore, His Majesty's leniency was not advisable; it lowered the quality of princes.
After all the turmoil, Li An gave up. He asked the people from the Imperial Clan Court to relay a message to Emperor Chongwen: he would exchange the whereabouts of his biological son for his own life.
This statement stunned everyone in the Imperial Clan Court. Li An was not Emperor Chongwen's son?
This, this—
Emperor Chongwen was also greatly shocked.
Everything Li An had said previously had matched perfectly.
Li An was brought before Emperor Chongwen.
"Speak," Emperor Chongwen glared fiercely at Li An.
"Is Your Majesty enraged because you were deceived by this minister? But Your Majesty also deceived me. Your Majesty promised to ensure my lifelong prosperity and wealth. Yet now, Your Majesty intends to exile me to that desolate and treacherous land," Li An sneered. "It's possible I won't even make it there and will perish on the road. Your Majesty, do you feel no guilt?"
"Why would Your Majesty feel guilt? If you truly felt guilt, you wouldn't have abandoned that woman who depended on you wholeheartedly."
"It's a pity, that woman, she was still thinking of Your Majesty until her death."
"Everyone thought she had gone mad. After all, how could a dignified Emperor favor a village girl?"
"No one believed it, only my mother did."
Emperor Chongwen narrowed his eyes. Was Li An admitting he wasn't his son?
"Do you know that impersonating royalty is punishable by the extermination of nine generations of one's clan?"
"Nine generations? What nine generations do I have? The relatives who bullied and humiliated me or coldly watched me suffer in the past, I dealt with them myself long ago. Why would I trouble Your Majesty?" Li An scoffed. "I repaid them tenfold, a hundredfold. Therefore, I am utterly alone."
Emperor Chongwen's expression grew increasingly grim.
"But some people are destined for glory. I suffered humiliation in my youth, yet I still succeeded through my studies. None of those who humiliated me could surpass me. Your Majesty, isn't that ironic?"
"During this time, my mother died. I always remembered what she told me before she passed. I feel that this was an opportunity given to me by heaven. Otherwise, why would only my mother believe it and remember it, then tell it to me, when no one else did?"