Hearing this, Ying Xi's expression changed slightly.
"Does Your Majesty not trust me?"
Ying Xi hurriedly spoke to Ying Zheng, wearing the look of a loyal minister who had been wronged.
"Seeing how you look right now, indeed, I do not."
At this point, the empire was unified, and supreme authority was in Ying Zheng's grasp there was no longer any need for him to be polite.
Hearing this blunt and unrestrained response, Ying Xi's face darkened completely.
At that moment, numerous ministers responded to Ying Zheng's decree and went to collect the dew and spring water.
Soon, Han Fei, Kuai Zhuang, Wang Jian, and Feng Quji each returned, each holding a bowl filled with clear spring water.
"Your Majesty."
"The spring water has been collected."
Han Fei held up one of the bowls and spoke.
"All ministers, come forth and witness this!"
Ying Zheng waved his hand and commanded with an authoritative voice.
The ministers gathered around.
Meanwhile, Ying Xi stood to the side, looking extremely grim.
This was his last gamble.
Though it was a foolish move, he had no choice but to take it.
The bowl of water he had brought had indeed been tampered with. Originally, he had thought that, under the watchful eyes of the court, Ying Zheng would not make a fuss about it. But he had ultimately underestimated Ying Zheng.
He had underestimated the emperor's resolve to acknowledge Zhao Feng as his son.
And he had once again touched upon Ying Zheng's greatest taboo.
Of course, even if Ying Xi had not tampered with the water, his fate would still be sealed upon his return to Xianyang.
He was doomed to die.
For the moment he raised the issue of testing the imperial bloodline, he had already landed himself on Ying Zheng's execution list.
It was a forbidden matter.
"Bring me a dagger."
Ying Zheng gestured.
Ren Xiao respectfully stepped forward and handed him a dagger.
Ying Zheng took it and raised his left index finger. Without hesitation, he sliced it open, and fresh blood immediately flowed out.
He then held his hand over a bowl, letting the blood drip into the clear water.
One drop.
Two drops.
Three drops.
Four drops.
Five drops.
All five drops fell into the water.
"A blood test for kinship?"
"This method has absolutely no scientific basis."
Seeing this, Zhao Feng couldn't help but look speechless.
However...
It was true that blood of the same type would mix.
"Feng'er."
"Come."
Ying Zheng smiled and handed the dagger to Zhao Feng.
Zhao Feng did not refuse. He stepped forward and took the dagger.
He dispersed his inner energy and loosened the flesh of his finger.
With a gentle cut, his skin broke, and blood dripped into the bowl.
He had deliberately relaxed his body; otherwise, this dagger wouldn't have been able to break his skin.
At his current level, his physique had reached an unimaginable degree he could withstand crossbow bolts and even massive rolling stones without injury.
Such was the terrifying nature of his all-attribute enhancement.
As the blood fell into the bowl, all eyes were fixed upon it, filled with anticipation.
Under the gaze of the assembled ministers, the blood in the spring water gradually merged.
Seeing this, Ying Zheng let out a sigh of relief.
However
Only in the bowl that Ying Xi had presented did the blood fail to mix.
At this, Ying Zheng's eyes turned cold.
"Lord of the Ancestral Temple."
"Do you remember what I just said?"
Ying Zheng's voice was icy and stern.
At that moment, Ying Xi trembled all over.
A look of utter despair appeared on his face.
He did not try to defend himself.
And in that instant, everyone around them understood what had happened.
"Lord of the Ancestral Temple, Ying Xi, sought to corrupt the imperial bloodline, to make father and son unrecognizable to each other, and to tarnish the Empress's name."
"His crime is unpardonable."
"I hereby decree: strip Ying Xi of all his titles and ranks, hand him over to the Imperial Court of Justice for sentencing, and revoke his entire clan's royal status. They shall be dealt with accordingly by the Imperial Court."
With a wave of his hand, Ying Zheng coldly delivered the verdict.
Ying Xi did not argue. He knew that no amount of pleading would change his fate.
He understood the cruel nature of the emperor before him.
And he knew that he had crossed an untouchable line.
"Ministers."
"Do you see now?"
"Zhao Feng is my son."
"He is the rightful eldest prince of Great Qin."
Ying Zheng turned to the ministers and declared.
Hearing this, all the ministers immediately knelt and bowed to Zhao Feng.
"We pay our respects to the Crown Prince!"
This bow
Even those old nobles, those who had grudges against Zhao Feng
All of them bowed respectfully.
Because
It was now an undeniable fact that Zhao Feng was the Crown Prince.
Faced with this sudden reverence, Zhao Feng's expression remained complex.
At this moment
He had become the Crown Prince of Great Qin, and there was a high probability that he would be the future heir to the throne.
The weight of this realization left Zhao Feng feeling somewhat dazed.
"A mere blood test isn't enough," Zhao Feng thought to himself.
With a shift of his spiritual sense, he discreetly collected a drop of Ying Zheng's blood that had fallen onto the ground and stored it in his spatial ring.
He planned to experiment later
To verify their bloodline connection using martial arts methods.
"Ministers!"
"For years, many of you have urged me to establish an empress and appoint a crown prince."
"Now"
"The empress has been chosen."
"And the crown prince must be named."
"Here, atop Mount Tai"
"I officially proclaim my eldest son, Zhao Feng, as the Crown Prince of Great Qin!"
"He shall oversee both military and political affairs, ruling the nation alongside me!" Ying Zheng declared loudly.
As his words fell
No one among the assembled ministers showed any sign of surprise.
From the moment Zhao Feng's identity was made public, they had recalled all the favors Ying Zheng had bestowed upon him in the past. Considering his status as the eldest legitimate son and his extraordinary capabilities
If even Zhao Feng were not fit to be the crown prince, then no one could be.
"The First Emperor truly dotes on Lord Wu'an," someone murmured.
"A crown prince may manage state affairs, but they are never given shared rule of the nation."
"To be entrusted with both military and political power, to co-rule the empire"
"This is an unprecedented level of favor."
"Indeed."
"This is a clear message to all of Great Qin that Lord Feng is the indisputable heir."
"There will be no further changes to the succession."
"The future Emperor will be Lord Feng."
…
As Ying Zheng's decree echoed across Mount Tai, everyone present immediately grasped the significance.
"What are you waiting for?"
"Pay respects to the Crown Prince!"
Hearing this command, the officials finally reacted.
"We pay our respects to Your Highness, the Crown Prince!"
On Mount Tai, everyone knelt before Zhao Feng, their voices resounding in unison.
Seeing the gathered ministers bowing, Zhao Feng raised a hand.
"Rise."
"Thank you, Your Highness!"
They answered in unison.
At that moment
It was clear to all.
A new era for Great Qin had begun.
Ying Zheng's gaze shifted to Zhao Ying.
At his call
Zhao Ying stepped forward with nervous anticipation.
Ying Zheng gently stroked her head.
"I'm sorry."
"I failed to take care of your mother all these years, and I didn't properly look after you and your brother."
"I owe you both."
His voice was softer than ever.
Hearing these words
Tears welled up in Zhao Ying's eyes.
Unlike Zhao Feng, she was more emotional as a woman.
"Why are you crying?"
"Don't worry."
"I will make it up to you, to your mother, to both of you."
"From now on, no one will bully your mother or harm you again."
Ying Zheng smiled warmly.
Zhao Ying, eyes glistening with tears, found herself unable to respond.
Gently, Ying Zheng wiped her tears away.
"Old man, you knew all along, didn't you?" Meng Wu asked Wang Jian in surprise.
"If your Meng family hadn't been involved in those factions, you would have known too," Wang Jian said with a faint smile.
Hearing this
Meng Wu felt a deep sense of dread.
"Did you know as well?" he turned to Huan Yi.
"Before the Crown Prince campaigned against Qi, His Majesty gathered those of us who stayed out of court faction struggles and revealed the Crown Prince's identity to us."
"For the ministers, the biggest mystery was who the eldest prince was, but for us, we had known for a long time."
"Moreover, His Majesty said that he would reveal the truth after unifying the land and performing the Fengshan ceremony at Mount Tai."
Hearing this
Meng Wu felt his heart sink.
He understood.
In Ying Zheng's eyes, the Meng family might have already lost favor.
"Although you previously chose a side, you later withdrew," Wang Jian reassured him.
"If you sincerely repent to His Majesty and the Crown Prince in the future, you should be fine."
"I hope so." Meng Wu smiled bitterly.
Elsewhere
"My goodness!"
"Our lord is the First Emperor's eldest son, the Crown Prince of Great Qin!"
"This is truly astonishing!" Zhang Han exclaimed to Tu Sui.
"This was beyond our wildest imagination."
"Our lord had always schemed for power, planning for the future."
"But now it turns out he didn't need to the world was already his."
Tu Sui's voice trembled with excitement.
"We hit the jackpot."
"To have followed our lord so early on!" Zhang Han added, just as thrilled.
After comforting Zhao Ying
Ying Zheng turned to his two eldest grandchildren.
"Qi'er, Ling'er."
"I am your grandfather your real grandfather."
Kneeling, he spoke with a warm smile.
Zhao Qi and Zhao Ling, both nearly eleven years old now, beamed with joy.
"Grandfather!"
They called out cheerfully.
They had called him that since childhood
There was no sense of unfamiliarity.
"Hahaha!"
"Good, good!"
Ying Zheng spoke with excitement.
Today.
Their family could finally be together openly and honorably.
"Feng'er."
"Ying'er."
"He truly is your father."
"In the past, I was forced to leave Xianyang and, by chance, ended up in Sha Village."
Xia Dong'er stepped forward, gently explaining.
"Mother."
"Give me some time. Today's events have been overwhelming."
Zhao Feng said with a bitter smile.
"Alright."
Xia Dong'er nodded.
She understood her son's personality well.
At twenty-eight years old, Zhao Feng had spent his entire life believing that his father had died on the battlefield.
He and his sister had grown up accustomed to a life without a father.
From childhood until now, they had never once called anyone "Father."
This sudden revelation
How could they possibly accept it so quickly?
Even if their father was the supreme ruler of the world, the all-powerful Qin Shi Huang!
"Feng'er, Ying'er."
"I will treat you both well from now on."
Ying Zheng spoke warmly, his eyes filled with the gentleness of fatherly love.
To him,
Xia Dong'er, Zhao Feng, and his sister, and the children he had with Wang Yan were his true family.
His real family.
For those fortunate enough to witness the event atop Mount Tai, the impact was immeasurable.
A new era had begun.
With each change of emperor came a change in ministers.
In the days ahead,
Qin would undergo an earth-shattering transformation.
Those who had close ties with Zhao Feng, such as Han Fei,
Would undoubtedly receive greater recognition and power.
Meanwhile, people like Kui Zhuang and other aristocratic clans,
Would now live in fear and uncertainty.
For them, there were only two choices
Either resign immediately or take a desperate gamble.
It was up to them.
Of course,
Some had supported Fu Su and Hu Hai.
They, too, were now in a state of panic.
"Why him?"
"Why must it be him?"
"That position should have been mine!"
Hu Hai stared at Zhao Feng's figure, his heart filled with resentment.
Now,
He finally understood why Zhao Gao had suddenly withdrawn his support.
It was all because of Zhao Feng.
The crown prince's seat, once within his grasp, had now completely slipped away.
He had once foolishly believed he was close to securing it.
Now,
Everything was lost.
Zhao Feng sat with Wang Yan.
Their children, Zhao Qi, Zhao Ling, and Zhao Wu, were in another carriage with their grandfather.
"Feng'er."
"Are you struggling to accept this?"
Wang Yan looked at her husband's tense expression with concern.
"It's not that I can't accept it" Zhao Feng spoke slowly. "I just need to confirm it."
With that,
He extended his hand.
A drop of Ying Zheng's blood floated in his palm, manipulated by his spiritual energy.
Then,
Zhao Feng bit his fingertip, drawing out a drop of his blood.
"The Martial Path Bloodline Tracing Technique."
Zhao Feng murmured.
A surge of powerful energy spread, forming an invisible seal.
In the air,
The two drops of blood trembled.
Then, Zhao Feng's blood slowly merged into Ying Zheng's blood.
Seeing this,
Zhao Feng let out a bitter laugh.
"So it's true…"
"Qin Shi Huang he is my father."
"Heavens above."
"You've truly played the biggest joke on me."
"If things keep developing like this, wouldn't I become Qin Er Shi (The Second Emperor of Qin)?"
"That title… doesn't sound good."
"But…"
"For me, this might not be a bad thing."
"For my mother, it certainly isn't a bad thing."
"She raised us alone, endured years of loneliness."
"Now, she has finally returned to her rightful place beside her husband. This is probably what she's dreamed of all along."
"Zhao Feng… was never meant to have the surname 'Zhao' but the clan name 'Zhao.'"
"When Mother named us, she didn't use the common surname 'Zhao' but the noble house name 'Zhao.'"
"We are of the Zhao clan, bearing the Ying name."
"I am Zhao Ying Feng. Ying'er is Zhao Ying Ying."
"Sigh…"
"My father is Qin Shi Huang."
"Facing him from now on… is going to feel strange."
"No wonder he's always been so tolerant of me. No wonder he went as far as issuing a royal edict to elevate my reputation trusting me unconditionally."
"This was the reason all along."
"Planning for the world."
"But after all the plotting, the world still ended up being mine."
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