kvmb Chapter 396 The Queen’s Decision
Chapter 396 The Queen’s Decision
Shen Qingtan's slightly relaxed mood turned heavy. The two mountains of the Northern Qi Emperor and the Imperial Tutor stood in their way. If they missed this opportunity, the only way to bring Princess Yizhen's remains back to the Great Zhou would be if the Northern Qi had a new emperor.
The new emperor of Northern Qi must have no hostility or suspicion towards them in order to return Princess Yizhen's remains to them and let them return to Great Zhou.
But given their current momentum, the new emperor cannot help but be wary.
Shen Qingtan realized that they had no way out and had to take a gamble.
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At the same time, news that the Northern Qi emperor had given the military command token to Zhao Yi spread like wildfire, shocking the civil and military officials, who all speculated about the emperor's intentions.
When the Empress's father, the Marquis of Shou'an, heard the news, he sent his wife to the palace to request an audience with the Empress.
Because the Empress was in poor health, the Emperor of Northern Qi granted her a special privilege: the Lady of Shou'an Marquis was allowed to enter the palace once a month.
Just then, the Empress's illness relapsed, and Lady Shou'an entered the palace discreetly, going to Chang Le Palace.
The Empress dismissed the servants around her and leaned weakly against the headboard: "Mother, you've come today about the military tally?"
"That's one thing." Lady Shou'an looked at the Empress's sickly appearance. Her lips were bloodless, and she leaned weakly against the headboard. Her loose undergarments made the Empress's body look even thinner. She said with heartache, "I heard that you are sick again. I should have come to the palace to visit you."
"Don't worry too much, this is just how my body is. I won't be completely cured, but I won't be too badly off either. I'll get better after a few days of rest."
Facing her own mother, the Empress's expression softened slightly: "As for the matter of the military tally, you should tell your father not to worry too much. His Majesty only made important use of the Prince of Guangling because he had no one else to rely on."
"Ah, your father knows what's going on." Lady Shou'an Marquis's face was full of worry: "He's just worried that you and Chong'er might do something foolish because His Majesty has given military power to the Prince of Guangling."
Upon hearing this, the Empress's eyelashes trembled slightly, and she looked away, no longer looking into the eyes of the Marquis of Shou'an.
When Lady Shou'an saw this, she thought that the Empress's wise words were just to comfort the two elders, and she was still resentful that the Prince of Guangling was being given an important position.
"Your Majesty, the Chu family's empire was acquired through illegitimate means. This was not only a worry for the late Emperor, but also a worry for His Majesty."
"The late emperor was wary of the last remaining bloodline of the previous dynasty's royal family and feared that Changyuan would grow too powerful and unite with the former dynasty's old subordinates to restore the country. Moreover, Changyuan's existence constantly reminded the late emperor that the Chu family's empire was stolen by him."
"The late emperor's anxieties have subtly influenced Your Majesty. The recent uproar over the remnants of the previous dynasty has undoubtedly increased Your Majesty's sense of crisis."
"The remnants of the previous dynasty released a statue of the former emperor in the palace. It came and went without a trace. This means that someone is working with the remnants of the previous dynasty, or that the power of the previous dynasty is deeply rooted around Your Majesty."
"He was so eager to eliminate the hidden dangers, yet he was also afraid that some ministers in the court were colluding with the remnants of the previous dynasty. Therefore, it was quite reasonable for him to heavily rely on the Prince of Guangling."
"No matter how bad the Prince of Guangling is, he still has the blood of the Chu family flowing in his veins, so he wouldn't help the remnants of the previous dynasty to deal with His Majesty."
At this point, Lady Shou'an held the Empress's cold hand: "On the day Princess Guangning gets married, your father will join all the officials in submitting a memorial to His Majesty, requesting that he establish a Crown Prince."
The Empress looked up at the Lady of Shou'an Marquis. Facing her loving gaze, a bitter feeling welled up in her heart, and a tidal wave of emotions surged within her.
She wanted to tell Lady Shou'an, the woman who had kept her thoughts buried deep in her heart, without any concealment.
But the words caught in his throat.
The Empress remained silent for a long time, and upon seeing the white hair at the temples of the Lady of Shou'an Marquis, she ultimately swallowed back the words she was about to say.
“Go back and tell your father that there is no need to ask His Majesty to appoint Chong’er as the crown prince.” After careful consideration, the Empress revealed her plan: “I plan to send Chong’er back to his fiefdom and let him live a leisurely life as a prince.”
Lady Shou'an looked at the Empress in surprise, wondering if she had become delirious from illness.
They had been plotting for over a decade to help the King of Qi ascend to the throne.
Just like that, they gave up at the last minute?
“Chong’er has neither the talent to govern a country nor the magnanimity to tolerate others, nor does he understand the art of managing people or strategy. He is not a qualified emperor. If I had not fought for the throne, it would have fallen into the hands of the wise prince. Where would my son and I have a chance to survive?”
The Empress said calmly, “The Prince of Guangling is different. He has both the magnanimity to tolerate others and the talent to govern the world. It would be a blessing for the people of Northern Qi to have him as the crown prince. As long as we do our duty, he will not make things difficult for us.”
"You're confused. The Prince of Guangling has the blood of the Great Zhou flowing in his veins. Not only will His Majesty not make him the crown prince, but the court officials will not agree to it either."
Lady Shou'an, the wife of the Marquis of Shou'an, looked disapproving: "Besides, people's hearts are unpredictable. The Prince of Guangling is a good person now, but will he still have the same good intentions once he sits on that throne?"
"Only if he sits on that throne can I save my life." The Empress said in a very soft voice, "Like mother, like son. He will surely be like his mother, upholding the beliefs in his heart."
She had already sensed that a force was paving the way for Zhao Yi, with the aim of pushing him into that position.
If she were to fight for it, it would not only bring disaster upon herself, but also severely damage her maternal clan.
Moreover, from the very beginning, she never intended for the King of Qi to compete with Zhao Yi.
Lady Shou'an was taken aback. She wanted to say something, but then she saw the Empress close her eyes, tilt her head to the side, and lean against the soft pillow. Her face was pale and she looked extremely weak.
The Empress was her eldest daughter. She was frail from childhood, withdrawn, and somewhat melancholic. Even after marrying into the Eastern Palace, she maintained an air of indifference to life and death and that wealth and honor were ordained by fate, and did not try to curry favor with the then Crown Prince.
But from some point onward, she began to mention Yizhen in front of them. Only when Yizhen was mentioned would a slight smile appear on her face.
She began to take her medicine diligently and cooperate with the imperial physicians in treating her illness.
She was devastated by Yizhen's death and fell ill for a long time. After she recovered, news spread that she was pregnant.
The Lady of Shou'an's expression gradually turned solemn. The Empress was still deeply troubled by her inability to save Yizhen's life.
She couldn't help but suspect that the Empress had given the throne to Zhao Yi in order to make amends to Yi Zhen.
Lady Shou'an recalled the Empress's words earlier, "Only if he sits on that throne can I save my life." She probably did this to resolve her inner conflict.
"This is a very important matter, I must go back and discuss it with your father." Lady Shou'an sighed, "After all, this concerns the survival of the entire family."
The Empress pursed her lips. The Marquis of Shou'an's family had mobilized the entire clan to plan for Prince Qi's success, and they had sacrificed so much. It was far too frivolous for her to suddenly say that she was giving up.
Even if her father were willing to indulge her misbehavior, the forces behind her would absolutely not allow it.
After a long silence, the Empress made a decision.
She took out a brocade pouch from a hidden compartment and handed it to the Lady of Shou'an: "Give this to your father. After he reads it, he will make a decision."
Lady Shou'an accepted the brocade pouch, sat for a short while, and then took her leave to return to her residence.
The Empress sat quietly on the bed, staring blankly at the embroidery on the ceiling. After what seemed like an eternity, she finally came to her senses, took a box from the hidden cabinet by the bedside, and slowly opened it.