271: Conspiracy spreads

Tu Nan's mind was racing frantically.

"clone? The Empress Dowager is actually talking about a clone? Not twins?"

On the other side, her eyes involuntarily followed the Empress Dowager's hand toward the rectangular object covered in black cloth, which was being pushed in from outside by a full squad of soldiers.

"What is that?"

"They... how dare they!"

Tu Nan's anger flared up.

Following behind that rectangular object was someone no one expected—Gu Bohan, the Legion Commander of the First Legion.

An old man trusted by Your Majesty and respected by Kong Jiamu.

He had mentioned several times that he wanted to step down from the position of Legion Commander to retire to his hometown, but he had always been urged by The Emperor to stay.

He had no choice but to remain in the position of Legion Commander of the First Legion despite his advanced age, though he often took sick leave to recuperate.

Kong Jiamu often mocked himself, saying he was too unrestrained and flighty, which dragged the old man down so he could not rest even at his age.

Although Gu Bohan was advanced in age and his hair was completely white, his back remained straight.

Walking through the door, he looked sorrowfully at everyone standing in the hall, then at Tu Nan standing on the steps with her large belly.

Sighing, he first urged Tu Nan.

"Your Majesty the Empress, it would be better for you to sit down first."

Tu Nan ignored him, but Captain Peng frowned and simply stepped forward, which effectively separated Tu Nan and the Empress Dowager completely.

Seeing that she was unmoved, Gu Bohan shook his head slightly, his eyes full of pity, and slowly pulled away the black cloth covering the object, revealing the person floating in the liquid inside.

The person had already been dressed in simple black clothes, and the liquid in the Treatment Pod had been replaced with a water-like transparent variety.

"Your Majesty!"

Several ministers were shocked and were about to rush forward.

Gu Bohan waved his hand gently, and the soldiers immediately stepped forward to maintain, or rather, control the order.

"That's right, it is indeed Your Majesty," Gu Bohan said, pulling out a handkerchief to gently wipe tears from the corners of his eyes and stroking the wall of the Treatment Pod with a pained expression. "We found Your Majesty in the basement of Your Majesty's bedchamber; he was being controlled by the false Emperor."

"What do you mean by 'false Emperor'!" someone questioned loudly.

"Bring them in," Gu Bohan shouted.

Behind him, two tall Male Beasts walked in, each escorting a person, and only when they reached the center of the hall did they pull off the hoods covering their heads.

"This! This is..."

Everyone looked at one of them, then at Your Majesty lying in the Treatment Pod, confused.

This is The Emperor.

Tu Nan recognized him at a glance; just from the hint of arrogance and malice in the corners of his eyes, she could identify him.

He did not struggle or speak, only held his head up with disdain, appearing to be controlled by some unknown method.

The other person was James, with his mouth stuffed with cloth and his face bruised and swollen, clearly having suffered quite a bit of torment.

"Empress Dowager, what is the meaning of this?"

Tu Nan lowered her head and asked softly.

"I cannot allow the Imperial Bloodline to be confused. James attempted to deceive everyone's eyes with the clone he cultivated, but he forgot that I am Your Majesty's birth mother. I would never misidentify my own son!"

She hissed, her gaze toward James filled with nothing but disgust.

Tu Nan was stunned; the Empress Dowager was so sincere that it was as if she truly believed this was the case. What was going on?

She didn't know?

"You should take a look too!"

Soldiers were handing out documents to the surrounding ministers, and the Empress Dowager requested a copy to hand to Tu Nan.

Ignoring Captain Peng's attempt to stop her, Tu Nan snatched it and quickly flipped through it.

It was a detailed record of various clone experiments—a record of experiments that had lasted for over a decade, along with photographic records of countless destroyed test subjects.

It included Your Majesty at various ages, only some had faces half-covered in scales, some had dull expressions, and some were missing arms or legs...

It was very detailed, not like it was fabricated.

"Where did these documents come from?" she asked.

"Where?" The Empress Dowager gave her a meaningful look, then lifted her chin to indicate.

"That, of course, comes from our James, Your Majesty's Chief Medical Officer."

"Who could have imagined that, relying on the trust Your Majesty and I placed in him, he was secretly conducting such insane experiments."

"Let him speak," Tu Nan ordered the person holding James directly. "Pull off that cloth; let us hear what he has to say."

The Empress Dowager chuckled softly, looking at Tu Nan's belly with disdain.

"You should be thankful that you are carrying Your Majesty's Children; otherwise... for the crime of withholding information, I could have you killed right now." Her threatening intent was clear. "You wouldn't want your Children to die with you, would you?"

Tu Nan's eyes were cold as ice.

She kept feeling that there was some reason for all of the Empress Dowager's arrangements.

If she were in the Empress Dowager's position, knowing the true relationship between The Emperor and Your Majesty, if she could control The Emperor, she would have killed him immediately to prevent future trouble.

Unless for some reason she truly believed that The Emperor was a clone created by James, she would not be so righteous and confident.

But it still did not make sense; what did the Empress Dowager want?

But regardless...

"Are you threatening a mother? Or are you threatening the Empress of the Empire?" Tu Nan should not back down.

Taking a step back, she extended the hand wearing the power ring and rested it on Captain Peng's arm.

Captain Peng lowered his head, took one look, rested his hand on the hilt of his sword, and stood tall.

"This is the main hall of the Imperial Palace; since when am I unaware that outside soldiers can enter at will without being summoned? Imperial Guard!"

He shouted.

"Form up!"

He was only one of the captains of the Imperial Guard, and the Imperial Guard had more than one unit. But for the guards inside the Imperial Palace, the prestige of the Imperial Guard was much higher than any Legion Commander.

Many Imperial Guard members rushed over, eyeing the soldiers inexplicably brought into the palace by the Empress Dowager and the Legion Commander with hostility, suppressing them.

"Very well!" The Empress Dowager was furious. "I was considering that you are at least carrying Your Majesty's flesh and blood and wanted to leave you some dignity, but who knew you really are mud that cannot be plastered onto a wall."

She walked down the steps, walked to the side of the Treatment Pod, and suddenly turned to point at Tu Nan.

"Seize her for me as well, but be careful, don't hurt the Children." She sneered. "They are my grandchildren, after all."

"However, it seems I will have to take on the responsibility of their upbringing from now on." She stroked the Treatment Pod. "But that's fine; Your Majesty was also raised by me."

She wanted the Children; Tu Nan immediately understood her intention.

Was the Empress Dowager trying to justify a regency?

The Male Beast controlling The Emperor handed him over to the soldiers beside him and approached Tu Nan himself.

The Emperor's eyes were splitting with rage; James turned back and glared at him fiercely, and he gritted his teeth but appeared very hesitant.

Captain Peng protected the Empress Your Majesty, whom he was guarding, behind him and stepped forward himself. Behind him, his team members also gathered around.

But as that person approached step by step, everyone's expression changed.

The floor under that person's feet shattered piece by piece with his light footsteps, and a viscous Aura Spread out from him as the center, with Tu Nan and her side bearing the brunt of it.

Captain Peng held out for a moment, then suddenly transformed into a black panther as tall as a person.

"This person seems to be S-rank," the black panther told Tu Nan.

"S-rank?" Tu Nan remembered that Your Majesty had once said the Empress Dowager was hiding S-rank Male Beasts.

"Is it this person?"

"To think he was actually brought into the Imperial Palace?"