Chapter 1676: The Truth About the Usurpation

Zu An's heart sank. He had never expected this to be connected to the previous dynasty.

Beside him, Zhang Zitong's eyes widened. She had never known the full story behind her parents' murder and the extermination of the Zhang clan; this was the first time she was hearing it.

"Since you're a Gold Medallion Embroidered Envoy, you must have heard of the Attendant Censor Dongfang Bai, right?" Zhang Xie asked.

Zu An nodded. There were four Attendant Censors in the current dynasty, with Dongfang Bai as the chief. His son, Dongfang Han, was a Palace Attendant, with whom Zu An had previously interacted in the palace. However, Dongfang Bai himself had little presence. In contrast, the more renowned and powerful Attendant Censor was Duke Lin Hai, Pei Zheng, who was Big Manman's grandfather. Still, Big Manman was not a legitimate daughter, and her father was only Pei Zheng's fifth son, so her status within the family was not particularly high.

Zhang Xie seemed to read his thoughts. "Haven't you ever wondered why Dongfang Bai is nominally the chief of the four Attendant Censors, yet has such a low profile?"

"Why?" Zu An had not paid much attention to such matters before, as he had no interactions with them. However, now that it seemed to involve the death of Zhang Zitong's parents and the previous dynasty, he couldn't help but be intrigued.

"Dongfang Bai's wife is Princess Qi, from the previous dynasty. Princess Qi was the daughter of Emperor Zhao from the former dynasty," Zhang Xie replied.

Zu An knew about Emperor Zhao of the Meng Dynasty. He was arguably the last emperor of the Meng Dynasty to hold real power. The subsequent emperors who succeeded him were all young, and the court was controlled by powerful officials, eventually leading to the Meng Dynasty being replaced by the Zhou Dynasty.

"However, Dongfang Bai was not Princess Qi's first husband," Zhang Xie said, his expression tinged with sympathy.

"Oh, who was her first husband?" Zu An was unaware of these details concerning the previous dynasty, but he wasn't particularly surprised by her remarriage. After all, as a princess, a noble descendant, she couldn't be expected to remain a widow indefinitely.

"He was the son of Qian Xuan, who was then the Grand Imperial Secretary of the Meng Dynasty. Back then, Qian Xuan opposed the current dynasty's Emperor Taizong and attempted to conspire with imperial relatives to stage a coup. However, the plot was leaked, and he was executed. The Qian family was also wiped out to three generations. Of course, Princess Qi, being of noble birth, was naturally exempt from such a purge. She was later arranged to marry Dongfang Bai." Zhang Xie spoke of this past with considerable regret.

Zu An understood that the Emperor Taizong Zhang Xie referred to would have still been a minister of the Meng Dynasty at that time. In fact, both Emperor Taizu and Emperor Taizong, though effectively the nation's rulers, did not officially establish the Zhou Dynasty; that was done by the current Emperor Zhao Hao. The titles of Taizu and Taizong were posthumously conferred by Zhao Hao.

"So, just because he married Princess Qi from the previous dynasty, Dongfang Bai isn't highly regarded by the current dynasty?" Zu An was curious, not understanding the connection between Zhang Xie's words and the current situation.

"Of course, it's not just because of that. Do you know Zhen Xueyi, the Director of the Imperial Clan Court in the current dynasty?" Zhang Xie continued. Zu An nodded. The Director of the Imperial Clan Court managed all affairs concerning the imperial family and clan. Zu An recalled having dealt with him previously.

At that time, due to rumors about himself and the Crown Princess, the Director of the Imperial Clan Court and the Grand Sacrificial Master had appeared to question him to verify his innocence. However, Zu An's impression of Zhen Xueyi wasn't deep; he only remembered him as an old fox skilled at shifting blame.

"He doesn't actually bear the surname Zhen. He's a relative of Empress Huang, Emperor Zhao of Meng's empress. He was adopted into the Zhen family because they had no heirs, but his Huang family lineage is undeniable. His connection to the previous dynasty is no less distant than Dongfang Bai's, yet he is highly valued. What do you think is the reason?" Zhang Xie asked, smirking at him.

Zu An shook his head. Many matters concerning the previous dynasty were sealed, making them impossible to investigate. Fortunately, some elders from the former dynasty were still alive, allowing certain information to be passed down orally.

"Why do you think the Meng Dynasty's vast foundation ended up in the hands of the Zhao family, the current dynasty?" Zhang Xie didn't answer directly, instead posing another question.

Zu An thought for a moment before replying, "It's likely because several Meng Dynasty emperors didn't live long, coupled with the power struggles of that era, which made the Meng court extremely wary of suppressing imperial family members. This gave Emperor Taizu and Emperor Taizong of our current dynasty an opportunity to seize power."

Hearing his answer, Zhang Xie was somewhat surprised. "You speak so frankly, unlike other Embroidered Envoys who gloss over things for the current dynasty. I wonder how you passed your political vetting."

Zu An was taken aback. As a transmigrator, he naturally viewed everything from an detached perspective, but he hadn't expected to appear somewhat unconventional in others' eyes.

"Alright, alright, you've got a rebellious streak, kid. It seems I didn't waste my breath telling you all this," Zhang Xie suddenly said, looking pleased.

Zu An frowned. "You're beating around the bush so much without revealing anything truly valuable. Are you deliberately stalling for time? My patience is limited."

Zhang Xie chuckled. "Don't be so impatient. The reasons you just mentioned are indeed important, but there's a more crucial one: Emperor Zhao of Meng's sons all died young. Consequently, he had no adult sons to inherit the throne, forcing him to choose young distant relatives from the imperial clan to succeed him."

"Imperial princes dying young isn't uncommon, and Emperor Zhao himself didn't live particularly long, which suggests some genetic issues," Zu An replied.

"Genes?" Zhang Xie paused, clearly unfamiliar with the term. "Early deaths aren't rare, it's true, but what if they weren't accidental, but deliberate?"

"Deliberate?" Zu An was startled. "Who would dare to do such a thing?"

"As you just said, whoever benefits the most is the prime suspect," Zhang Xie sneered. "Are you talking about Emperor Taizu and Emperor Taizong of this dynasty?" Zhang Zitong, who had been listening intently, couldn't help but interject, as this matter concerned the extermination of the Zhang clan years ago.

"Exactly," Zhang Xie said straightforwardly. "Strictly speaking, it was Emperor Taizu. At that time, only he possessed such capability."

"That doesn't sound right. Although the information is limited, Emperor Zhao of Meng had a good reputation and was considered an enlightened ruler. How would Emperor Taizu have dared to do such a thing back then?" Zu An was puzzled. According to records, while Emperor Zhao was alive, Emperor Taizu maintained the appearance of a loyal minister. It was only after several young emperors ascended the throne that his power spiraled out of control.

"Emperor Taizu alone certainly couldn't have done it then. But what if Empress Huang, Emperor Zhao's empress, collaborated with him?" Zhang Xie sneered.

"Empress Huang?" Zu An was baffled. As the Empress, why would she conspire with an outsider against her own husband? However, upon recalling his own relationship with the current Empress, his expression immediately turned strange.

"Empress Huang had no children of her own and was extremely jealous, unable to tolerate other concubines giving birth. She also had a very good relationship with Emperor Taizu at the time, so they found common ground immediately," Zhang Xie slowly explained. "Within a few years, several of Emperor Zhao's imperial sons died prematurely. He believed it was due to his own lack of good fortune and never suspected anything else."

"However, when dealing with the fourth imperial prince, the imperial physician and eunuch involved feared exposure and suffered from a troubled conscience. They secretly spirited the fourth prince out of the palace, while publicly announcing his premature death. The imperial physician contacted a friend outside the palace, Zhang Ziquan, Zitong's father, who was known for his integrity. He generously offered his help, arranging for the fourth prince to be taken outside the palace. From then on, though the fourth prince lived among the common people, he at least survived."

"At the time, everyone hoped that one day the truth would be revealed, and the fourth prince could be returned to the palace to become emperor. Those who helped would not only avoid punishment but gain great merit. However, Emperor Taizu and Emperor Taizong later became powerful, successfully usurping the Meng Dynasty's throne, and the matter naturally came to naught."

"As for that fourth imperial prince, it's unclear if he died young for the same reason, but he did leave a descendant among the common people—the imperial grandson I just mentioned."

Zhang Xie sighed deeply as he recounted this past. "However, paper couldn't wrap fire forever. Eventually, the Zhao family learned of this matter. Because of its grave importance, it wasn't convenient to hold a public trial. So, Gold Medallion Envoy Number Seven was ordered to lead men to exterminate all those involved and concurrently extract information about the imperial grandson's whereabouts."

Zhang Zitong gasped, tears streaming down her face. After so many years, she finally knew the truth behind her parents' deaths.

Zu An also felt a pang of emotion. He had previously doubted that a Gold Medallion Embroidered Envoy would execute a serving imperial censor in such a manner, but if it involved a struggle for the imperial throne, then it made perfect sense.

After a moment's thought, he asked, "What about the imperial grandson's whereabouts?"