But at this moment, seeing He Tiantian being so merciless, and the crowd reacting this way, all of Emperor Yongcheng’s remaining conscience vanished completely.

"I cannot! Today is my mother’s sacred birthday; it should have been a day of universal celebration and joy!"

"However, the Dengwen Drum was set by the late Emperor to provide the common people with a way to seek justice!"

"With the Dengwen Drum sounding, as the Emperor, I shouldn’t spoil my mother’s sacred birthday, but I also cannot pretend to be unaware!"

Emperor Yongcheng continued with officialese, even bringing up the late Emperor as a banner.

Ruining his mother’s birthday banquet indeed suggests some filial impiety.

But he does this to adhere to his father’s legacy, where the father is regarded more highly than the mother.

Therefore, he is not truly unfilial.

"Emperor, you’ve spoken as such, if I don’t agree, I would become a senseless, unreasonable woman who disrespects the late Emperor!"

Seeing the young Emperor’s stance, it’s clearly moving towards tearing the face.

Even so, He Tiantian remained utterly ruthless.

The ministers began to discuss, with a humming sound echoing in the grand hall.

Especially some of the older individuals looked at Emperor Yongcheng with much disapproval.

No matter how honorably Emperor Yongcheng spoke, he couldn’t hide the fact of disrespecting his mother!

Alas, poor Empress Dowager He, who was strong for half her life, yet underneath her knees only had one such son...

But soon, the crowd became a bit dazed.

"What is the situation? Did I, did I just hear wrong?"

"Didn’t hear wrong! I heard it too. It turns out His Majesty wasn’t born of Empress Dowager but from a palace attendant named Ah Yuan beside the lady!"

"Impossible, how could Empress Dowager possibly do borrowing a womb for a child, keeping the child but not the mother?"

"How impossible, didn’t see that palace attendant’s good sister directly come to beat the Dengwen Drum?"

The court members were first stunned, then began to whisper.

The grand hall was filled with buzzing chatter.

Veterans like Wang Yuan, experienced and knowledgeable, still gaped at the scene in front of them.

Feng Shou, on the other hand, closed his eyes hopelessly.

Knowing the little Emperor was foolish, he still couldn’t anticipate that this little ancestor would be foolish to this extent.

What exactly is he doing with all this?

Back then, older ministers represented by Feng Shou, nobles supported Zhao Gui, suggesting he be named Crown Prince because he was born of the Empress.

He was a legitimized son and symbolized legitimacy.

Otherwise, Prince Liang was both the Eldest son and deeply loved by the Emperor; without the maternal distinction, he would have long been Crown Prince.

The little Emperor is good; Prince Liang’s side hasn’t slandered his identity yet, and he’s made up a "Palace Concubine’s Mother" himself.

What is he trying to do?

Slandering himself, degrading himself, and deliberately leaving openings for political enemies?

Yes, the little Emperor indeed sat on the Dragon Throne; even if he turned from a legitimate son to a concubine son, he couldn’t be dethroned.

But the problem is, Emperor Yongcheng’s position is not stable.

The turmoil caused by the salt reform has not been entirely quelled, and the official exams have left the court grumbling.

Moreover, Meng Qin, heavily employed by Emperor Yongcheng, is making waves in Nanzhou.

In the past, there was Empress Dowager He, his biological mother, backing him up; even if the little Emperor acted foolishly and made a mess, there would be someone to clean up for him.

It wouldn’t lead to him being besieged, even dethroned!

But the result is, the little Emperor unfulfilled in his wings has severed his own arm.

Whether the little Emperor is biologically Empress Dowager He’s, the parties involved know clearly.

But he makes such a scene today to forcibly drive Empress Dowager He away from him.

Empress Dowager He genuinely isn’t a virtuous person; should she be pushed too far, who knows what she might do.

Dethroning the Emperor might not be, perhaps.

But from now on, Empress Dowager He certainly wouldn’t help Emperor Yongcheng like before.

With Empress Dowager He gone, the little Emperor becomes "of concubine birth"...oh, Feng Shou hardly dares to continue thinking.

If not for a shred of rationality reminding him, Feng Shou would truly want to rush forward, to grab Emperor Yongcheng’s shoulders tightly, and try to shake all the water out of his head!

"You old woman, is everything you say true?"

No longer speaking of the ministers’ astonishment nor mentioning the silence of Feng Shou and several other sly foxes, only Prince Liang almost jumped up in excitement.

Pointing at an old woman kneeling in the middle, reportedly the good sister of palace attendant Ah Yuan and a retired palace maid Ah Bi, he asked loudly.

"What the old woman says is all true! Noble, if you do not believe, you can ask the Empress Dowager, whether there was a palace maid named Ah Yuan fifteen years ago, who died of illness unexplainably!"

"Besides, there should be records in the palace; both Ah Yuan and I were palace attendants beside the Empress Dowager..."