The Old Eunuch suddenly shivered, not daring to delve deeper into the thought.
Silence returned to the carriage.
Just as Jiang Yuechu thought the strange questioning was finally over.
The Emperor suddenly raised his head again.
This time.
His expression became much more serious, and his eyes held a subtle hint of nervousness.
"Minister Jiang."
"I heard that when Jiang Xun was imprisoned, Dali Temple searched his study and found a jade pendant."
Jiang Yuechu's eyes narrowed.
It finally came.
This must be the main point, right?
Were all the previous hints just preparation for this single probing question?
She straightened her posture, slightly retracting the Qi around her.
"Yes."
Jiang Yuechu admitted frankly.
"Then do you know..."
The Emperor stared into her eyes, seemingly unwilling to miss any change in her expression.
His voice was even slightly trembling.
"This jade pendant... what is its origin?"
Jiang Yuechu looked at him, a trace of mockery flashing in her eyes.
"Since Your Majesty knows of this item, why ask the obvious? That was Consort Ming's personal possession back then, the only one of its kind in the world."
"It was precisely because of this item that my father was framed for colluding with demons and causing chaos in the Imperial Harem."
The Emperor shook his head and said, "Since you know that jade pendant belonged to Consort Ming, you should also know that secretly hiding a treasure of the palace is a great crime."
"Although Jiang Xun is a pedantic man, he is not an idiot, much less a lunatic."
"If he were only coveting wealth, he could have sold this hot potato. Why risk hiding it in a secret compartment in his study for sixteen years?!"
Jiang Yuechu fell silent.
This point truly didn't make sense.
She had been puzzled about this before at the Wei Residence.
This jade pendant was unique; once discovered, it would surely lead to trouble. No normal person would keep such a thing.
Unless... this item was extremely important to him.
But what use was a consort's personal item?
The Emperor took a deep breath, as if he had finally made up his mind.
"I won't beat around the bush with you anymore."
"Sixteen years ago, on the Night of the Lantern Festival, demons caused chaos in the Imperial Harem."
"Consort Ming died tragically, and my Imperial Sister, still an infant in swaddling clothes, disappeared without a trace."
"And on that night, Jiang Xun appeared outside Consort Ming's sleeping quarters."
"Immediately afterward, the Jiang Residence gained a baby girl named Jiang Yuechu."
The Emperor reached out and pointed at Jiang Yuechu.
"Seventeen years old."
"The timing matches."
"The jade pendant."
"The physical evidence matches."
"More importantly... your talent."
"Wei Wenda investigated you. When you were at the Jiang Residence, you never practiced martial arts."
"Yet now, you are in the Ink Dot Realm at seventeen, you killed a Lotus Cultivation Demon King at Taihu Lake, and your martial arts progress is like divine assistance."
"Even the Reincarnation of the Founding Ancestor would be no more impressive."
"If not for the Imperial Bloodline, if not for the blessing of the Great Tang's destiny..."
"What is your basis?"
The Old Eunuch in the corner was already terrified out of his wits, plastered against the carriage wall, wishing he could just faint on the spot.
Jiang Yuechu's expression froze.
What is my basis?
Because I have cheats!
She opened her mouth, wanting to refute, but found no way to start.
She couldn't possibly tell the Emperor that she had the hundred demons compendium in her head and could grow stronger simply by killing demons, right?
In the eyes of others, her rise was indeed too strange, too unreasonable.
From a Young Miss who couldn't even truss a chicken to the Silver Robe Inspector who now shakes one region—only half a year passed in between.
Such speed, without a reasonable explanation... was indeed hard to believe.
"Your Majesty means..."
Jiang Yuechu took a deep breath, suppressed the feeling of absurdity in her heart, and tried to keep her voice calm.
"I am the lost Princess?"
"Yes!"
The Emperor nodded heavily, his eyes full of hope.
"I am almost certain that you are my Imperial Sister!"
Jiang Yuechu remained silent for a long time.
Then, she shook her head.
"Your Majesty, this is too much of a coincidence."
"I grew up in the Jiang Residence since childhood. Although my father was strict with me, there was never any sense of distance."
"And if I truly am the Princess... why didn't Jiang Xun say anything?"
"Even after being thrown into the Imperial Prison and suffering so much, he never uttered a single word."
"If he had spoken, he would not only have avoided imprisonment but also gained immense wealth and status. Why would he hide it?"
This was the part she found most baffling.
If she were truly the Princess, Jiang Xun would have performed a great deed by saving the Emperor's heir and would be greatly rewarded.
Why would things have deteriorated to this point?
Hearing this, a trace of gloom flashed in the Emperor's eyes.
"That is also what I cannot understand."
"But regardless of why he didn't speak."
The Emperor suddenly raised his head, his gaze burning bright.
"I must get to the bottom of this."
"I brought you into the palace tonight specifically for this matter."
"Inside the Imperial Ancestral Temple, there is the Spirit Stele left by the Founding Ancestor. Whether it is true or not will be known with one test."
Jiang Yuechu slightly frowned.
As if sensing her concerns, the Emperor waved his hand, his tone gentle.
"Just relax."
"Only you, I, and this old fellow know about tonight's events."
He glanced at the Old Eunuch in the corner.
The Old Eunuch trembled all over.
"If the test confirms it, then naturally everyone will be happy. I will announce it to the world, allowing you to return to your clan, and I will personally overturn Jiang Xun's case and restore his innocence."
Speaking to this point, the Emperor paused.
"If the test shows otherwise..."
"Then consider that I drank too much tonight and suffered a hysterical episode."
"I will announce externally that I merely cherish talent and summoned you to the palace to examine your martial arts."
"You are a Silver Robe Inspector, a meritorious official of the Great Tang."
"I will absolutely not allow you to suffer any injustice."
Since the words had been spoken to this extent.
Jiang Yuechu had no reason left to refuse.
"In that case."
"Your subject obeys the decree."
...The carriage traveled along the long palace road.
Finally, it stopped before an ancient and solemn side hall.
This place was neither the Golden Throne Hall nor the Imperial Harem, but the depths of the Imperial Ancestral Temple where the Great Tang Imperial Family worshipped their ancestors.
"We've arrived."
The Emperor got out of the carriage first. He did not let the Old Eunuch follow, leading Jiang Yuechu alone as he pushed open the heavy door.
Hundreds of eternal lamps floated in mid-air like stars, emitting a faint glow that cast the vast space in alternating light and shadow.
In the center of the great hall, no memorial tablets were enshrined.
Instead, a massive azure jade stone stele stood there.
Beneath the stone stele, someone was already standing with their hands clasped behind their back.
It was an old man dressed in a grey cloth robe, his back hunched.
Jiang Yuechu paused slightly.
That back looked somewhat familiar.
As if sensing the movement behind him, the old man slowly turned around.
"Your grandson greets Imperial Ancestor."
The Emperor quickly stepped forward and bowed respectfully to the old man.
Jiang Yuechu did not dare to be neglectful and also copied the bow.
"Greetings, Senior."
The old man waved his hand, his gaze passing over the Emperor and landing on Jiang Yuechu.
"Girl, we meet again."
"It hasn't been long, yet you've reached Perfection in the Ink-Dipping Realm, donned the Silver Robe, and even slain a Lotus Cultivation Demon King."
"I said you were extraordinary back then at the Martial Temple, but now it seems I spoke too lightly."
"Senior, you flatter me."
Jiang Yuechu's expression was calm. "It's just slightly better luck."
The old man smiled, not exposing her.
How could there be so much luck in this world?
To reach this stage at seventeen, besides her shocking talent, she must possess some methods unknown to outsiders.
However, he didn't care.
As long as her heart was with the Great Tang, what did a few secrets matter?
"Alright, there's no need for pleasantries."
The old man withdrew his gaze and looked at the Emperor beside him.
"Since you brought her here, I assume you have made your decision?"
The Emperor took a deep breath and nodded.
"Yes."
"I... seek the truth."
The old man nodded slightly and stepped aside.
Revealing the massive azure jade stone stele behind him.
The surface of the stone stele was smooth as a mirror.
Golden threads could faintly be seen moving within it.
"This is the Spirit Stele."
The Emperor turned around, looked at Jiang Yuechu, and his expression became unprecedentedly serious.
"This item was left by the Founding Ancestor when he established the nation, and it connects to the Great Tang Dragon Vein of my Li family."
"Every time it is activated, it consumes the Lifespan of the Imperial Ancestor."
"If I were not ninety percent certain, and if the matter were not so crucial, I would never dare to disturb the Imperial Ancestor, much less use this stele."
Hearing this, Jiang Yuechu glanced at the elderly man, whose life was flickering like a candle in the wind.
So that was it.
No wonder this old man looked like he was about to die.
So he was being used as a charging treasure here.
"Girl."
The old man suddenly spoke, his voice calm.
"Don't feel burdened."
"This old body of mine has lived for so long; another year or two won't make a difference."
"Given your talent, if you truly possess my Li Family Bloodline, even sacrificing ten years of Lifespan would be worth it."