allonlinenovel Chapter 231: Disobeying the Holy Order
Chapter 231: Disobeying the Holy Order
Eunuch Cao quickly said, "Your Majesty, the Prince of Zhenbei is waiting outside the palace."
Emperor Jing'an pressed his throbbing temples: "Summon him in."
Eunuch Cao received the order and went to summon the Prince of Zhenbei to the palace.
The Prince of Zhenbei entered the hall with steady steps, exuding an aura of killing intent. He walked step by step toward Emperor Jing'an and stood at the foot of the steps to pay his respects.
“Minister Shen, you are a vital asset to the nation, guarding the borders for me.” Emperor Jing’an walked slowly to the Prince of Zhenbei. “The Northern Qi is wary of you and intends to marry Princess Guangning to your son, sowing discord between us.”
The Prince of Zhenbei's eyes were filled with murderous intent as he said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty understands the treacherous intentions of Northern Qi. What are your plans? Do you intend to reject Northern Qi and choose another person for the marriage alliance, or... allow my son to marry Princess Guangning?"
"For decades, there has been constant warfare in the North, and last year was also a year of disaster. The war and disaster relief have emptied the national treasury and damaged the foundation of the country."
Emperor Jing'an said with a worried expression, "The envoy from Northern Qi is right. Great Zhou needs to recuperate and cannot send troops to attack Northern Qi again in the short term."
The Prince of Zhenbei said sharply, "His Majesty has other concerns."
Emperor Jing'an was speechless for a moment.
The Prince of Zhenbei's eyes were sharp: "Does Your Majesty want me to agree to this marriage as a delaying tactic?"
Emperor Jing'an chuckled and said, "I considered this issue before summoning you. But things are unpredictable, and I cannot allow my loyal subjects to lose heart."
He slowly walked to a map, looked at the territory of the Great Zhou Dynasty, and sighed deeply.
"I can betray anyone, but I cannot betray the land of the Great Zhou, nor my subjects and people."
Back then, Yi Zhen risked everything to let him return to the Great Zhou and protect its empire.
Naturally, she wouldn't want to see him compromise for her sake.
Emperor Jing'an was in a heavy mood. Often, when he wanted to have both, he had to make a choice.
The Prince of Zhenbei's heart stirred: "Does His Majesty intend to send me to guard the northern border?"
Emperor Jing'an patted Prince Zhenbei on the shoulder and laughed loudly, "No one knows me better than Zhili."
Prince Zhenbei: "..."
-
King Qi returned to the Four Barbarians' Pavilion with a heavy heart and sent someone to guard the deputy envoy's residence: "As soon as the deputy envoy returns from the palace, invite him to my residence immediately."
The guard accepted the order and left.
King Qi opened the window and looked towards the palace with a gloomy gaze.
Princess Yizhen was a taboo subject in Northern Qi. Few people mentioned her, and even when she was mentioned unintentionally, it was a taboo subject.
Although he was a prince, he didn't know much about Princess Yizhen. He only knew that she held a very important place in Emperor Jing'an's heart, and that they could use Princess Yizhen to gain benefits from Emperor Jing'an.
Today in the Golden Palace, the deputy envoy mentioned Princess Yizhen, and the implication in his words seemed to be more than just a casual remark.
He had a gut feeling that there was a secret he didn't know.
Half an hour later, the deputy envoy arrived at the King of Qi's room, bowed, and said, "Your Highness, what brings you here?"
"I have a question that I would like to ask you to answer." Prince Qi raised his chin, gesturing for the deputy envoy to sit down: "Lord Gao, what words did the Emperor instruct you to convey to Emperor Jing'an in private?"
The deputy envoy's eyes flashed slightly: "His Majesty guessed that we would encounter difficulties on this trip. If we cannot achieve our goal, we can use Princess Yizhen's remains to exchange with Emperor Jing'an."
"That's it?" Prince Qi frowned. "Emperor Jing'an agreed?"
The deputy envoy was very confident: "This concerns Princess Yizhen's reputation. Whether Emperor Jing'an agrees or not, he has no choice but to agree."
Before the King of Qi could ask any further questions, the deputy envoy stood up and said, "If Your Highness has nothing else to say, I shall take my leave."
The King of Qi remained silent, his sharp gaze fixed on the deputy envoy, as if trying to discern something from his face.
The deputy envoy remained calm, allowing the King of Qi to scrutinize him.
King Qi waved his hand, signaling the deputy envoy to leave.
The deputy envoy took a few steps back before turning and leaving.
King Qi stared intently at the departing figure of the deputy envoy, then suddenly called out, "Chang An."
Chang An came out from the inner room, "Your Highness."
"Do you think Princess Yizhen is hiding some unknown secret?"
“Your Highness, I do have a question in my mind,” Chang’an said. “Back then, when Emperor Jing’an and Princess Yizhen were hostages in Northern Qi, their situation was very difficult. Not only high-ranking officials and nobles, but even those who had fallen on hard times and had a little bit of wealth could bully them at will.”
"The late emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty ignored them and left them to fend for themselves in the Northern Qi. At one point, they even had trouble getting enough to eat and had to fend for themselves. In order to survive, they dared not offend anyone."
"In such a perilous environment, how could Emperor Jing'an have managed to escape back to the Great Zhou? It's far too suspicious."
"I was thinking to myself that there might be someone from Northern Qi acting as an inside agent to help him."
"And those who possess this ability, besides high-ranking ministers, are only princes who hold real power. They wouldn't help Emperor Jing'an for no reason; there must have been a deal."
"The strange thing is that after Emperor Jing'an ascended the throne, the Great Zhou and the Northern Qi were still at war. The person who released Emperor Jing'an back to his country did not ask him for any reward."
King Qi understood the meaning behind Chang An's words: "Are you saying that the person who made this deal was not Emperor Jing'an?"
Chang An nodded: "Only if Princess Yizhen makes a sacrifice and secures a chance for Emperor Jing'an to survive can she gain a very important position in Emperor Jing'an's heart."
The Prince of Qi deeply agreed, for emperors throughout history have often been fickle. Based solely on blood ties, Emperor Jing'an would not compromise for Princess Yizhen.
A dark glint flashed in his eyes as he recalled a remark made by the deputy envoy in the Golden Palace.
The Emperor had a close relationship with Emperor Jing'an and Princess Yizhen...
Could it be that the person who let Emperor Jing'an go back then was my father?
Upon realizing this, the Prince of Qi suddenly understood why the deputy envoy was so certain that Emperor Jing'an would compromise and allow the eldest son of the Prince of Zhenbei to marry Princess Guangning.
Perhaps the Emperor's father holds leverage over Emperor Jing'an?
If that's the case, then Princess Guangning is destined to marry Shen Du.
He suddenly stood up, preparing to go find Princess Guangning.
"Knock Knock-"
There was a knock on the door, and a guard's voice came from outside: "Your Highness, something terrible has happened. The Prince of Zhenbei has mustered his troops and seems to be heading back to the northern border."
This news caught King Qi completely off guard.
Not only him, but everyone else in the capital who heard the news was greatly shocked.
Prince Yu, in particular, looked out the window toward the direction of the Prince of Zhenbei's mansion with an inscrutable expression... Was the Prince of Zhenbei going to openly defy the imperial decree?