kvmb Chapter 523
Chapter 523
Zhao Yi was deeply moved. He had assumed that Emperor Jing'an would protect him for as many years as he reigned, showering him with favor. He never imagined that Emperor Jing'an would consider things so far ahead, even paving the way for his future.
He handed the letter to the Prince of Zhenbei: "I originally only wanted to bring my mother back to the country to fulfill her long-cherished wish. However, His Majesty killed my mother, and he was afraid that my uncle would lead the iron cavalry of the Great Zhou to crush the Northern Qi and avenge my mother, so he left me in the Northern Qi."
"His Majesty has two purposes in doing this. First, he understands the importance of my mother and me in my uncle's eyes and uses my safety to counterbalance him. Second, he wants to break the balance between Prince Qi and Prince Xian in their struggle for the throne, so that I can restrain them and consolidate his imperial power."
"His actions have drawn me into the struggle for the throne, and I have also developed the ambition to seize the throne of Northern Qi and then incorporate the territory of Northern Qi into the territory of Great Zhou. In this way, I will not only fulfill my mother's long-cherished wish, but also preserve your position in Great Zhou."
The Prince of Zhenbei was somewhat surprised by Zhao Yi's plan, as few people could relinquish the throne that was within their grasp. However, Zhao Yi, considering his situation in the Great Zhou, was willing to annex the territory of Northern Qi into the Great Zhou's territory.
"As the saying goes, a son-in-law is like half a son. You've been so devoted to me, you're no different from my own son. So why can't I, as your father, make concessions for you?"
At this point, the Prince of Zhenbei's expression turned solemn: "My Shen family has been loyal and virtuous for generations. All of my ancestors died on the battlefield and never had any disloyalty. However, the late emperor was wary of the power held by the Prince of Zhenbei's mansion and suppressed and persecuted us at every turn."
“I am well aware of the principle that when the cunning rabbit dies, the hunting dog is cooked; when the birds are all gone, the good bow is put away. Originally, I did not intend to let my three sons achieve merit. I planned to find an opportunity to return the military power in my hands to the court to avoid bringing disaster to them because of the excessive power of the Prince’s Mansion.”
Unexpectedly, Emperor Jing'an reinstated him and, because his daughter married Emperor Jing'an's most beloved nephew, Emperor Jing'an trusted him even more.
Whether Zhao Yi became emperor of Northern Qi or colluded with Emperor Jing'an to help the Great Zhou annex Northern Qi and become a powerful minister, as time went on, it would ultimately be detrimental to the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion.
After all, great achievements breed envy. How could any emperor sleep soundly when a powerful civil official and a military general with a large army formed a marriage alliance?
The Prince of Zhenbei continued, "Although the current ruler is wise and trusting, and has appointed me to lead the three armies to attack Northern Qi, which has restored the prestige of the Prince's Mansion and allowed me to find my daughter, the emperor's heart is unpredictable. I have long been prepared to retire gracefully. I will take this opportunity to return military power to the emperor and gradually fade out of the court."
Zhao Yi felt extremely heavy-hearted. Throughout history, very few military generals have been able to die a peaceful death.
Because they held significant military power and their achievements overshadowed the emperor, threatening imperial authority, the best solution was to voluntarily relinquish their military power and act discreetly to demonstrate their loyalty to the court and avoid arousing the emperor's suspicion, thus ensuring their safe withdrawal.
After reading the letter, the Prince of Zhenbei handed it back to Zhao Yi: "You two, uncle and nephew, are both scheming for each other, and this friendship is quite rare. With your abilities, you can help the Emperor unify Northern Qi. Given how much he values you, he will surely entrust you with important responsibilities. The Emperor is worried that the favor he bestows upon you will make the new emperor wary of you. In order to protect you, he decided to help you become emperor in Northern Qi."
"Northern Qi is not only depleted of its treasury, but also lacks sufficient military strength. Now that taxes have been increased, conscription will likely follow. If conscription occurs, and the court still hasn't considered the feelings of the people, Northern Qi will descend into chaos."
"If you listen to the Emperor and raise an army to 'rescue' the emperor during the internal strife in Northern Qi under the pretext of purging corrupt officials, you will not only avoid the reputation of murdering your father and usurping the throne, but also be able to regain power and save the people from suffering."
In Emperor Jing'an's eyes, the Northern Qi emperor was the culprit who killed Princess Yizhen, and there was a deep-seated blood feud between the two countries.
If the Northern Qi emperor had felt guilty about Princess Yizhen's death and had made amends to Zhao Yi in his daily life, Emperor Jing'an would not have hated him so much.
However, the Northern Qi emperor showed no remorse and, in order to pave the way for Prince Xian to ascend the throne, repeatedly sent secret guards to assassinate Zhao Yi. This clearly shows that he did not treat Zhao Yi as his own son.
Given this, Emperor Jing'an believed that Zhao Yi no longer needed to consider the father-son relationship and show mercy to the Northern Qi emperor.
Zhao Yi remained silent.
The Prince of Zhenbei did not try to persuade him, but called his sons in so the family could have a good talk.
But beautiful times are fleeting, and in the blink of an eye, it was time to say goodbye.
From the moment they finished their reunion dinner, Princess Zhenbei held Shen Qingtan's hand tightly without letting go. Now, hearing the Northern Qi people urging her from outside the tent, Princess Zhenbei gripped her hand even tighter, reluctantly escorting Shen Qingtan to the carriage.
Shen Qingtan didn't want to be separated from her family and wanted to spend more time with them.
Because after this separation, it's unknown when the family will be able to reunite again.
"Mother, Father, Eldest Brother, Second Brother, Third Brother..."
Shen Qingtan felt a lump in her throat and called out their names one by one, only to see that their eyes were red with tears.
The men of the Prince of Zhenbei's mansion were all brave and skilled in battle, their heroic spirit awe-inspiring in the region. No matter how severe their injuries, they never blinked, let alone their eyes reddened.
But now that she is separated from her sister, her eyes have turned red.
Seeing his sister staring at him, Shen Lue awkwardly turned his face away and said, "Sister, it's chilly at night, you should go and stay in the carriage."
Shen Qingtan took out a handkerchief and handed it to Shen Lue.
Shen Lue paused for a moment, then waved his hand: "No need, no need, Third Brother has thick skin, this handkerchief will only scratch your face."
“If the handkerchief is worn out, then replace it with a new one.” Shen Qingtan was amused by his words: “When I get back, I will prepare a whole chest of handkerchiefs for you.”
"I'm so sorry." Shen Lue rubbed his hands together and grinned. "Third Brother is going back to Liangzhou tomorrow. Please send the handkerchief to Liangzhou."
Shen Qingtan agreed, "Okay."
Shen Lue wanted to say something more.
The Prince of Zhenbei spoke first, "Manman, the city gates are about to close, you should go back first."
Shen Lue's interruption diluted the sadness of parting.
"Alright." Shen Qingtan boarded the carriage, lifted the curtain, and said to them, "Father, Mother, and Brother, please take care."
These words immediately brought tears to the eyes of the Princess of Zhenbei.
A hand as big as a palm fan held a small handkerchief and wiped away the tears on her cheeks.
Princess Zhenbei looked at Prince Zhenbei with tears in her eyes. He was a veteran of many battles, his face was tanned dark, and he had a long beard, which made his tiger-like eyes look very majestic.
But she knew that this rough and unrefined man had given all his tenderness to her and their daughter.
His heart ached no less than hers when their daughter was separated from them.
For decades, he has always been like a towering mountain, supporting her and sheltering her from the wind and rain.
Without him, she might not have been able to survive until she was reunited with her daughter.
No matter how hard the Prince of Zhenbei tried to wipe away her tears, he couldn't stop them. He said in a low voice, "Don't cry. Manman will be uneasy if she sees you like this."
Princess Zhenbei nodded, suppressing the bitterness in her heart. She placed her slender hand on his strong arm and watched intently as the carriage carrying her daughter departed, heading towards the solemn and majestic city gate of Yuncheng.
With a "bang," the heavy city gates of Yuncheng slowly closed in front of her.
They were clearly on the same land, yet a city gate separated the mother and daughter.
Just like back then, she saw Manman off in the same way.
The first time, after a fourteen-year gap.
The second time was almost a year later.
The third time... how long will it be before that?
Princess Zhenbei hoped in her heart that when the family reunited next time, they would never be separated again.