kvmb Chapter 417 Assassination
Chapter 417 Assassination
Master Feng frowned, pen in hand, pondering Madam Feng's words. First, the Empress was frail and had difficulty conceiving; she had been married to His Majesty for several years without bearing a child. Second, a palace maid had an affair with a guard, and a month later news of the maid's death spread, shortly after which the Empress became pregnant.
It would be utterly absurd to suspect that the Prince of Qi was not the Empress's son based on these two points.
But it was rather strange that Madam Feng mentioned the female physician by the Empress's side.
This female physician was no ordinary person; she was recommended by Imperial Physician Zhong, and His Majesty personally sent someone to invite her to help the Empress recover her health. However, after the Empress gave birth, when her body was weak, the female physician disappeared without warning.
They never knew how the empress explained things to the Northern Qi emperor back then.
Back then, they would have assumed the female physician had done something wrong and angered the Empress.
Looking back now, everything seems suspicious.
Madam Feng said, "My lord, besides the Lin family and us, only Consort Shu knew about the affair between the palace maid and the guard. The palace maid's death occurred almost a year after the physician left the palace. Who would think of that?"
After all, confusing the royal bloodline would result in the extermination of nine generations of one's family. Who could have imagined that the empress would have such audacity?
Then, Madam Feng recalled the historical records of empresses replacing the crown prince with a cat, and no longer found it so absurd.
"My lord, if you think about it carefully, it's not impossible. If the Empress cannot give birth and only Prince Xian has pure royal blood, then the position of Crown Prince will undoubtedly belong to Prince Xian. In order to consolidate her position, the Empress took a risky move and adopted a child as her own."
Madam Feng continued to persuade, "Besides, we are only sending people to investigate the whereabouts of the female doctor and to confirm this matter with her. Whether it is true or not, it will not cause us any loss."
“You know our family’s situation better than anyone else. We’re counting on Prince Xian to turn things around. But given the current circumstances, unless Prince Guangling and Prince Qi commit heinous crimes, Prince Xian has no chance of turning things around.”
At this point, she snorted coldly: "When the King of Qi or the King of Guangling ascends the throne in the future, just wait and see if our family will be suppressed."
Mr. Feng wavered. Just as Mrs. Feng had said, it was just about finding someone; there was no harm in it.
"The female physician's medical skills are superb, which is why she caught the eye of Physician Zhong. And since she is good at treating women's illnesses, she is bound to become famous with her abilities." Master Feng put down the scepter in his hand: "This way, the target is clear, and it will be easier to find her."
If it were an ordinary female doctor, things would be much more difficult.
When Madam Feng saw that Mr. Feng had taken her words to heart and had arranged for his trusted confidants to search for the person, she breathed a sigh of relief and hoped that the person would be found as soon as possible.
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Meanwhile, King Qi secretly instructed his confidants to contact Zhao Yi's people again, temporarily postponing the plan and giving him more time to prepare.
After nearly a month of recuperation, the Prince of Qi's injuries had improved considerably. On the night before his plans with Zhao Yi were to begin, he instructed the eunuchs to help him change his clothes and made a special trip to the Hall of Mental Cultivation to see the Emperor of Northern Qi.
The eunuch waiting at the door saw the Prince of Qi arrive, and a look of surprise flashed in his eyes. He quickly bowed and said, "This servant greets Your Highness."
The Prince of Qi asked calmly, "Has Father Emperor gone to sleep?"
The eunuch replied, "His Majesty has not yet retired for the night."
After saying this, he went into the hall to announce the news.
Before long, a palace attendant came out of the hall and said respectfully, "Your Highness, His Majesty invites you into the hall."
King Qi nodded slightly, stepped into the bedchamber, and saw the Northern Qi Emperor sitting on the couch wearing an outer robe. On the small table on the couch was a pot of tea, steaming.
Through the thin mist, he looked at the Northern Qi Emperor's listless face and clenched his hands hanging at his sides. These past few days, lying in bed recovering from his injuries, he had thought about many things over and over.
He considered killing the Northern Qi emperor. If he succeeded, his mother would control the palace and suppress all the news, perhaps allowing him to ascend the throne and eliminate any future troubles.
Even if he failed and faced execution, with the wise king in his fiefdom, Zhao Yi had a 90% chance of ascending the throne. And Zhao Yi had promised him that he would protect his mother and others.
However, his mother did not want him to do anything foolish and wanted him to live a good life, so he could not kill the Northern Qi emperor and put himself in danger.
After a long silence, the Emperor of Northern Qi closed a memorial, looked up at the dazed King Qi, and asked, "What, don't you recognize me?"
King Qi regained his senses and bowed to the Emperor of Northern Qi: "Your son is recuperating in the palace and has not yet come to pay his respects to Your Majesty. Tomorrow is the Dragon Boat Festival, so your son will come to pay his respects to you."
He paused, then said with self-reproach, "When I saw Father today, I realized that Father's health is not as robust as before, and his temples are already turning gray. I feel guilty. Now that I have come of age, I have not only failed to share Father's burdens, but have also caused you to worry about me."
"It's rare to find someone with such filial piety." The Emperor of Northern Qi smiled: "What parents in this world don't worry about their children?" He put down the memorial and pointed to the side: "Sit."
Upon hearing the Northern Qi Emperor's words, the King of Qi's lips twitched slightly, a cold smile creeping onto his face. If the Northern Qi Emperor truly cared for his children, why would he manipulate his sons into a life-or-death struggle just to consolidate his power?
He slowly walked over and sat down next to the Northern Qi emperor, who then asked, "How is your injury?"
King Qi glanced at his left arm, moved it slightly, his movements restricted: "The wound has healed, and the imperial physician said it needs to be recuperated slowly."
"Your injuries have improved considerably, so go back to your residence and rest in peace." The Emperor of Northern Qi poured a cup of tea and placed it in front of the Prince of Qi: "Your duties will be temporarily handed over to your elder brother. Once you have fully recovered, you can then share my burdens."
King Qi clenched his fists; he had heard these words countless times. The Northern Qi emperor was simply plotting to hand over his power to Zhao Yi, hoping to instill hatred in him and cause him to oppose Zhao Yi at every turn.
When he actually makes a mistake, the Northern Qi emperor will step in to favor him, giving him hope while making him grateful to the Northern Qi emperor.
Resentment arose in his heart.
If the Northern Qi emperor had not been a self-serving person and had established a crown prince according to ancestral precepts, the struggle for the succession would not have been triggered.
He would never know his true identity in his lifetime, waiting for the death of the Northern Qi emperor before naturally ascending the throne.
Even if we take a step back and assume that the Northern Qi emperor hadn't favored Consort Shu, thus fueling her ambition, Consort Shu wouldn't have dared to plot against her mother, no matter how bold she was.
In this way, he would not exist.
He wouldn't have to face his current awkward situation, living in constant fear to save his life.
The root of all this is the Northern Qi emperor.
“Your elder brother is quite capable, but of all my sons, you are the one I favor the most.” The Emperor of Northern Qi did not notice anything amiss with the Prince of Qi, assuming he was simply displeased by these words: “Because you are the one who most resembles me.”
These words stung the King of Qi, and his heart was filled with resentment and unwillingness. Suddenly, he pulled out a dagger from his sleeve and stabbed at the Emperor of Northern Qi.