SFS Chapter 406 Find another way out
Chapter 406 Find another way out
Upon hearing Zhao Yi's words, the Northern Qi Emperor's smile became somewhat forced. After all, he hadn't treated Yi Zhen as well as he claimed, and it was precisely because of this guilty conscience that he wasn't sure whether Zhao Yi's words were taken literally or had a deeper meaning.
Suddenly, he realized that Zhao Yi's attitude had changed.
Previously, she spoke to him in a cold and distant tone, but now she is more respectful and affectionate.
The Northern Qi emperor suddenly realized that it was probably for the sake of the throne.
"It's good that you understand." The Emperor of Northern Qi looked pleased and patted Zhao Yi on the shoulder: "You must be tired today, go back to your residence and rest. As for other official business, put it aside for now and deal with it tomorrow."
Zhao Yi glanced at his shoulder and thanked the emperor for his grace.
As he emerged from the palace, he saw that the eunuchs guarding the door had been replaced with new faces.
During this period, the Northern Qi emperor's temperament became increasingly volatile, and he would readily behead people.
If things continue like this, tyranny is not far off.
Zhao Yi wiped his shoulders, walked down the steps one by one, and left the palace in a sedan chair.
Back at the Prince of Guangling's residence, Zhao Yi stopped at the crossroads.
He looked up in the direction of Lanxue Garden, remained silent for a moment, then turned and went to the study in the front courtyard.
Zhao Yi pushed open the tightly closed door and immediately saw Shen Qingtan lying on the long couch. The spring weather was slightly chilly, and she had pulled a thin blanket around her waist, outlining her graceful figure.
A look of surprise flashed in his eyes, as if he hadn't expected to see her in the study.
Today's conversation with the Emperor of Northern Qi in the Imperial Study ultimately affected his mood. He did not want to pass on his negative emotions to her, which is why he did not go to Lanxue Garden earlier.
To his surprise, Shen Qingtan was waiting for him in the study.
Zhao Yi walked slowly towards her and stood beside the long couch: "Why aren't you resting? Why are you just waiting in the study?"
Shen Qingtan beckoned to him, and he obediently leaned down. Her hands climbed up his neck, and her soft red lips kissed his chin: "I did some calculations, and I knew you would want to see me, so I had no choice but to come here and wait for you."
Zhao Yi was stunned, looking down into her smiling eyes, which resembled two crescent moons. For some reason, the gloom in his heart dissipated under her bright smile.
He asked in a low voice, "So what else did you calculate?"
Shen Qingtan counted on her fingers with an air of importance: "You seem to be in a good mood right now." She tilted her head to look at him, "Did I get it right?"
Zhao Yi chuckled lightly: "You've calculated it very accurately."
He grasped her slender wrist, pulled her to sit up, and sat beside her, cupping her smooth, jade-like hands in his own: "The reason I told you today that I wanted to fight for that position was to break free from control and no longer be subject to others. But after going to the palace today, I discovered that there is more than one reason."
Shen Qingtan asked softly, "And then?"
"The Emperor of Northern Qi forced my mother to her death and left me in Northern Qi to hinder the Great Zhou. He is using me to clear obstacles for the Prince of Qi. I'm afraid that once he has squeezed all my value out of me, he will settle accounts with me one by one, weaken my power, and make room for the Prince of Qi?"
"He was wary of the blood of the Great Zhou flowing in my veins and never thought of handing over the Northern Qi kingdom to me. In order to win me over and make me his own, he did not hesitate to use the throne as bait to lure me."
Zhao Yi's expression turned cold: "He values the Chu family's empire extremely. If one day the Chu family's empire changes its name and is incorporated into the territory of the Great Zhou, he will not be able to die in peace."
This is the best way to retaliate against the Northern Qi emperor.
Shen Qingtan didn't know what Zhao Yi had experienced in the palace, but she could sense that his determination to seize the throne was growing stronger.
Her brow furrowed: "King Qi is afraid we'll get involved in the struggle for the throne. He learned we wanted to reclaim the Great Zhou, so he's been secretly helping us. If he knew we were eyeing the throne, he'd probably turn against us."
Their enemies were not only the Emperor of Northern Qi, but also the Empress and the Marquis of Shou'an's household.
Zhao Yi fell silent as he thought of the Prince of Qi. Because the Prince of Qi was the Empress's son, according to ancestral rules, the throne should be inherited by the Prince of Qi.
On the other hand, the Prince of Qi thought the same way. He was the legitimate son of the Empress, and the future of the Northern Qi should belong to him. Unfortunately, his father was confused and actually supported the Prince Xian to oppose him.
When the wise prince was demoted back to his fiefdom, he could finally breathe a sigh of relief. However, his father wanted to support Zhao Yi to counterbalance him. Fortunately, Zhao Yi was determined to return to the Great Zhou and posed no threat to him.
However, upon hearing that the Northern Qi emperor had granted Zhao Yi military power, he couldn't help but feel anxious and worried that the more power Zhao Yi held, the more reluctant he would be to give up everything here and return to the Great Zhou.
He wanted to cause trouble for Zhao Yi, but remembering Chang An's instructions, he suppressed the thought and arranged for someone to help Zhao Yi steal Princess Yizhen's remains.
However, the remains were stolen through a secret passage.
Everyone guessed that it was stolen by remnants of the previous dynasty, but he always felt that this matter was inseparable from Zhao Yi.
If Zhao Yi took it, then the day Guangning gets married three days later will be the day Zhao Yi returns to the Great Zhou.
Thinking of this, King Qi breathed a sigh of relief and felt that his wounds no longer hurt.
"Your Highness, Your Highness, something terrible has happened!" A servant rushed in, saying anxiously, "News has come from the Marquis of Shou'an's residence that... that the matter of requesting His Majesty to establish a crown prince three days later will be postponed for the time being."
The King of Qi's expression suddenly changed, and he abruptly sat up, only to touch the wound on his buttocks, causing him to lie back down in pain: "Didn't Grandfather promise to join forces with the ministers to request the establishment of a crown prince in three days? Why did he suddenly go back on his word?"
The attendant shook his head, indicating that he did not understand why Marquis Shou'an would suddenly change his mind.
King Qi's face darkened, worried that his maternal grandfather had heard something or that something had happened that caused him to change his mind at the last minute.
A sense of unease arose in his heart, and he became increasingly restless: "Go and prepare pen, ink, paper and inkstone. I want to write a letter to my grandfather."
The attendant quickly retrieved the writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, and helped Prince Qi write a letter, which was immediately sent to the Marquis of Shou'an's residence. Afterwards, the Marquis of Shou'an's reply was brought back to Prince Qi's residence.
The King of Qi couldn't wait to tear open the letter and pull out a piece of paper. Inside, the letter instructed him to take good care of his injuries, but it didn't mention a word about why he didn't force the Emperor of Northern Qi to establish a crown prince.
He crumpled the letter into a ball and threw it angrily on the ground.
The attendant was startled and said tremblingly, "The men you sent out have found clues about the remnants of the previous dynasty. Do you... want to continue the investigation?"
King Qi sneered: "Investigate!"
The Northern Qi emperor was wary of the remnants of the previous dynasty. If he could capture the remnants of the previous dynasty first and eliminate the threat to his father, he would surely gain his father's favor.
At that time, it wouldn't matter whether his maternal grandfather helped him or not; his father would definitely make him the crown prince.
The attendant immediately gave orders to continue investigating the remnants of the previous dynasty.
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Meanwhile, the person who was keeping an eye on Prince Qi's residence quietly returned to the Siyi Pavilion and reported to Prince Yu: "Your Highness, we gave the information to Prince Qi's men, and Prince Qi sent people to investigate along the clues we arranged."