"Th-This really is Prince Yanqing?"
"If it's true, then wouldn't His Majesty be..."
Whispers spread through the crowd.
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Faced with Duan Yanqing's venom-filled accusations, the scene fell into a suffocating deadlock.
Yet Duan Zhengming was, after all, a wise ruler who had governed Dali for many years. He had long cultivated the composure to remain unfazed even if Mount Tai collapsed before him.
He took a deep breath and met Duan Yanqing's snake-like eyes with a clear, steady gaze.
"Since you claim to be the Prince Yanqing of those days, then I shall address you as such."
Duan Zhengming's voice was calm and powerful, instantly drowning out the whispers across the square.
"When the late emperor was assassinated, the Kingdom of Dali stood on the brink of collapse. The ministers, the eminent monks of Tianlong Temple, and I worried day and night, dispatching countless scouts to search for your whereabouts. Alive, we wished to see you; dead, we wished to see your body. For three whole years, there was not a single word! To spare the people of Dali from the suffering of war and preserve social stability, I only reluctantly took this position under the support of all the people."
At this point, Duan Zhengming stepped forward, his regal bearing awe-inspiring. "After ascending the throne, I never ceased searching for you. I swore to Heaven many times that if you returned safely, I would willingly abdicate and retire into the mountains and forests. But what about you? Since you had been alive all these years, why did you never reveal yourself? Why wait until today to appear at Tianlong Temple armed, in the guise of a traitorous rebel?"
Duan Zhengming's gaze sharpened, striking directly at