Unreliable

People of ancient times, limited by the understanding of their era, believed that the blood of close kin would merge, while that of strangers would repel.

As a method for verifying familial blood relations, the blood oath test was highly esteemed.

No wonder Xiao Qianyì perked up, feeling he had already secured an unassailable position.

A bunch of country bumpkins!

Today, Xiao Qianyu was going to show them just how unreliable the 'blood oath test' really was.

Xiao Qianyì couldn't wait to jump out: "The facts are right before your eyes. Don't be stubborn and resist. Confess your crimes and name your accomplices early. Perhaps His Majesty, seeing your honest admission, might spare you a whole corpse for burial."

He spoke with high-sounding righteousness, but he was still shaken by the fifty slaps he'd just received and dared not openly switch back to calling him 'Father Emperor.'

At that moment, his hatred for Xiao Qianyu deepened; he had unknowingly developed a fear of the other.

Xiao Qianyu smiled faintly and said softly, "I am one blessed by heaven, pure and clear, witnessed by heaven and earth. What are you, a jumping clown, to presume to judge my guilt?"

His demeanor was one of lofty disdain, his tone so contemptuous and scornful that it made Xiao Qianyì's blood boil, his vision darken, and his eyes nearly split, feeling his dignity trampled.

After saying this, Xiao Qianyu ignored him and turned to Emperor Yongchang: "Father Emperor, give me your word. If I prove the blood oath test is false, can I then deal with this criminal who has usurped another's nest, plotted for the Divine Artifact, and committed unpardonable evils?"

Emperor Yongchang's mind was still reeling from the possibility that the blood oath test might be unreliable, and he was eager to know the truth. Without hesitation, he nodded: "If the blood oath test is false, then for the sake of national security, Imperial We will not allow such an Evil Spirit to exist in this world."

After all, he was an emperor; no matter the time or place, he would always find a fig leaf for himself.

In truth, the moment he uttered the word 'Evil Spirit,' he had already harbored the intention to kill Xiao Qianyì. For the emperor's own longevity, even the life of his own son was not worth considering.

Xiao Qianyì's face was as purple as an eggplant, but beneath the skin, a ghastly pallor still seeped through, his whole body swaying unsteadily.

He hadn't expected Emperor Yongchang to be so cold-blooded. Had the months of loving, kind father-son affection all been a lie?

The Empress Dowager frowned and tapped the armrest: "Emperor."

Emperor Yongchang said stubbornly, "Mother Empress, since you trust him, why not wait until the Crown Prince verifies whether the blood oath test is real or fake before speaking again."

The Empress Dowager swallowed her words, her eyes, dimmed and grayed by the years, turning gloomy.

Emperor Yongchang opened his lips: "Alright, Crown Prince, how will you verify it? Begin?"

Was he going to summon a divine manifestation to expose Xiao Qianyì's lies?

It wasn't that complicated.

Xiao Qianyu turned his head and instructed Defu: "Bring me a few bowls of clear water."

Faced with Xiao Qianyu, whose temperament and nature had changed drastically, the eunuch Defu unconsciously bent his waist lower: "Yes. May I ask how many bowls His Highness specifically requires, so this old servant can prepare properly."

Xiao Qianyu swept his gaze over the people in the hall and said, "The more the better. Hmm, let's have twenty bowls."

"Yes, this old servant will see to it immediately." Defu hurried off.

Before long, he personally carried a wooden tray with ten bowls of clear water on it, followed by a young eunuch holding another tray.

Placing the twenty bowls of clear water on the ground in order, Defu bowed: "Reporting to Your Majesty and His Highness the Crown Prince, the clear water is ready."

Emperor Yongchang propped himself up and asked, "Crown Prince, what next? How will you verify it?"

Xiao Qianyu said calmly, "It's simple. Pair up the people in the hall, two by two, and each drip their own blood into a bowl. Then the results will speak for themselves. Enough, let me demonstrate first."

With that, he rose, walked to a bowl of water, bit his finger, and dripped a drop of blood into it. Then he beckoned to Defu, "Next, you."

Defu felt a sudden surge of flattered surprise. This was the first time the Crown Prince had called on him since his return.

But despite his emotional turmoil, he loyally looked to Emperor Yongchang.

After receiving Emperor Yongchang's nod, he cautiously stepped forward, imitated the Crown Prince by biting his finger, and dripped a drop of blood into the same bowl.

Then, he stared intently at the changes in the bowl.

Suddenly, his mouth gaped open in shock, his knees went weak, and he thudded to the ground, kowtowing to Emperor Yongchang: "Your Majesty, th-this, this servant doesn't know what happened. Your Majesty, forgive me!"

He began frantically knocking his head.

Emperor Yongchang grew anxious, slapping the edge of the bed: "What exactly happened? Zhao Jun, you tell me." He was leaning against the headboard and couldn't see.

Zhao Jun hurried forward, bent down to look, and a strange expression flickered across his face. Swallowing his saliva, he said, "Your Majesty, the blood... His Highness the Crown Prince's blood and Eunuch Defu's blood have merged."

Defu lifted his bruised forehead, snot and tears streaming down his face: "Your Majesty, you know this servant entered the palace at six years old, alone in the world, with no parents or relatives left. Moreover, my body is incomplete; I cannot, cannot father children. This servant has no idea how my blood merged with His Highness the Crown Prince's. Your Majesty, please see clearly."

Heavens, this was terrifying.

The Crown Prince was of the Imperial Family's bloodline. If the blood oath test between himself and the Crown Prince turned out true, was he supposed to have given birth to the Crown Prince himself?