kvmb Chapter 395 Contest
Chapter 395 Contest
The late emperor considered himself invincible and fearless, and was not afraid of a dead man. He knew of the existence of this sculpture, but did not arrange for its destruction.
Instead, let this statue guarding the Zongzheng family's empire be buried underground and watched closely as he seized the Zongzheng family's empire and then expanded upon it, making the Chu family's empire even more prosperous.
The only person the late emperor feared was the former crown prince.
He feared that Changyuan would make a comeback and overthrow his dynasty.
Therefore, the remnants of the previous dynasty were exterminated.
Decades have passed, and neither the late emperor nor the Northern Qi emperor has been able to find any trace of Changyuan.
Now that Changyuan has sent a signal of restoring the country, it will probably make the Northern Qi emperor even more uneasy.
As expected, the two former ministers of the Northern Qi Dynasty were shocked when they heard the investigation results reported by the Imperial Tutor: "Heqing, I didn't hear what you said clearly. Say it again."
"Your Majesty, together with the Commander of the Imperial Guards, conducted a thorough investigation at the scene, questioned palace servants who had served in two dynasties, and even went to the library to check the historical records of the previous dynasty. We learned some inside information."
The Imperial Tutor looked at the Northern Qi Emperor, whose face was as pale as paper, and said gently, "The statue in Chengtian Hall was created by the former emperor Taizu, who gathered extraordinary people and talents to stand in Chengtian Hall and guard the former dynasty. When the former dynasty fell, the last emperor buried the statue underground."
At this point, the Imperial Tutor paused briefly before continuing, "Only the former Crown Prince knew about the mechanism; no one else could activate it and raise the statue above the ground."
The Northern Qi emperor was terrified, feeling a chill creep up his neck and his heart sink.
The Imperial Tutor's words undoubtedly told him that the former Crown Prince was right beside him.
The Northern Qi Emperor broke out in a cold sweat: "He Qing, find this man as soon as possible." He squeezed out a sentence through gritted teeth: "I will definitely tear him to pieces."
“Your Majesty, the former crown prince’s men have deep roots in the court. I’m afraid it won’t be easy for me to find them all by myself.” The Imperial Tutor said, “Please send a few more people to search together.”
The first person the Northern Qi emperor thought of was the Prince of Qi, but then he remembered that the Prince of Qi had been flogged and was recuperating in his residence.
The faces of the civil and military officials flashed through his mind one by one. Whenever a suitable candidate came up, he couldn't help but think of the power that the Imperial Tutor had established in the court, as mentioned by the former Crown Prince.
No matter how honest and kind a minister may appear, he would suddenly find them repulsive and suspect that they might be the former crown prince's men.
The Northern Qi emperor sadly discovered that, apart from his imperial tutor and the Prince of Qi, he had no one else he could rely on.
Suddenly, he thought of Zhao Yi.
Although this son was loyal to the Great Zhou Dynasty, he would not be bribed by the former crown prince and bring about the downfall of his own dynasty.
However, if any trace of the remnants of the previous dynasty is found during the search, troops will be dispatched to annihilate them.
In this way, he would give Zhao Yi a troop deployment token.
The Northern Qi emperor still had some reservations about the matter of military power, but thinking of the sword hanging over his head and already at his neck, he finally made up his mind and ordered someone to invite Zhao Yi into the palace.
Then he said to the Imperial Tutor, "You've been busy all day, go back to your residence and rest early."
The Imperial Tutor realized that the Emperor of Northern Qi was asking him to leave.
Since rumors began to circulate that the Northern Qi emperor was incompetent, the emperor no longer consulted him on many political matters, but instead imitated his style of handling affairs.
The Imperial Tutor took his leave and returned to his residence.
Zhao Yi, led by palace servants, arrived at the Hall of Mental Cultivation, bowed, and said, "Your subject greets Your Majesty."
The Northern Qi emperor frowned slightly, his gaze falling on Zhao Yi's face, his expression unchanged. There was neither the awe one would show when meeting the emperor, nor the respect one would show when meeting an elder.
Now that Zhao Yi has acknowledged his ancestry, he has yet to change his address to call him "Father Emperor."
Knowing full well that he was unwell, she didn't even offer a word of concern.
The Northern Qi emperor asked, "Do you know what happened in the palace today?"
Zhao Yi said, "I've heard a little about it."
The Northern Qi emperor had little affection for this son who did not grow up in his presence; he only schemed against and used him.
But now, seeing Zhao Yi's indifferent expression, showing neither filial piety nor flattery, a surge of anger inexplicably welled up within him.
But now that only his son was usable, he had no choice but to suppress his anger: "Tell me about it."
Zhao Yi looked at the haggard Northern Qi Emperor: "What does Your Majesty believe is the purpose of the remnants of the previous dynasty bringing out the statue?"
The Emperor of Northern Qi sneered: "It's nothing more than an attempt to intimidate me."
“That’s one point,” Zhao Yi added. “Secondly, the reappearance of the statue of the former dynasty’s founding emperor sends a signal that the former crown prince has returned, with the aim of rallying the former dynasty’s former subordinates.”
The Northern Qi emperor's face was gloomy.
Zhao Yi remained silent. The Northern Qi emperor was naturally suspicious, and if he spoke too much, it might backfire.
He laid out the advantages and disadvantages, and given the Northern Qi emperor's fear of the former crown prince, the more he pondered it, the more afraid he would become, and thus take action.
As expected, the Northern Qi emperor spoke up: "I will give you the military command token. You can use the troops in the garrisons at will. Within a month, find the lair of the remnants of the previous dynasty and wipe them out."
Zhao Yi did not agree, but instead made a condition: "My mother's birthday is coming soon, and as her son, I should go to her grave to pay my respects."
The Northern Qi emperor refused: "Your mother has been conferred the title of Noble Consort, and I have built a separate mausoleum for her. She has not yet been buried. You may set up a simple memorial tablet for her in your residence for the time being."
Zhao Yi remained silent.
How could the Emperor of Northern Qi not know that Zhao Yi was exchanging conditions?
He was furious, but he couldn't do anything to Zhao Yi.
After all, the former crown prince was plotting to restore the dynasty. If he dealt with Zhao Yi, he would be breaking ties with the Great Zhou. If the Great Zhou assisted the former crown prince, he would be caught in a pincer movement.
"I will move your mother's spirit tablet to the ancestral hall in the imperial mausoleum. On her birthday, you shall go to the mausoleum to pay your respects." The Northern Qi Emperor relented, handing Zhao Yi a military mobilization token: "You may leave."
Zhao Yi was dissatisfied with the result, but he did not contradict the Northern Qi Emperor. He pursed his lips, took the troop deployment token and left without saying a word.
The Northern Qi emperor took in Zhao Yi's gloomy expression, sneered, and realized that one cannot fight city hall.
After leaving the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Zhao Yi's expression vanished, and he returned to his usual calm demeanor. His previous act was merely a ploy to lower the Northern Qi Emperor's guard.
If he readily agrees, the Emperor of Northern Qi will surely be on guard on his mother's birthday and send people to keep a close eye on them. This will make it inconvenient for them to act.
Zhao Yi returned to the Guangling Prince's Mansion by carriage and went directly to Lanxue Garden.
Shen Qingtan was worried about Zhao Yi, fearing that the Northern Qi Emperor would make things difficult for him. Seeing him return with light steps, she breathed a sigh of relief: "Second Master, has His Majesty agreed to let us go to pay respects to our mother-in-law?"
Zhao Yi said, "Whether he agrees or not is not important. We are not only wary of him, but also of the Imperial Tutor."
The Imperial Tutor controlled the overall situation, proceeding step by step, which propelled him to his current position.
Compared to the Northern Qi emperor, the imperial tutor was the biggest obstacle.
Zhao Yi held the troop deployment token in his palm, a smirk playing on his lips: "We can use their strength against them."
Whether we can retrieve his mother's remains depends on this.