kvmb Chapter 320 Public Opinion
Chapter 320 Public Opinion
The next day, at the crack of dawn, the guards carried boxes out of Lanxue Garden and piled them on the carriage.
Shen Qingtan and Zhao Yi, wrapped in cloaks, came out of the mansion and saw dozens of well-trained guards standing at the gate.
The leader stepped forward and said, "Second Master, Princess, I am Sun Wu, the deputy general of the Flying Cloud Cavalry. By order of the Emperor, I will be your bodyguard from now on."
Zhao Yi's brow twitched slightly. The Flying Cloud Cavalry was an elite force under the command of the Prince of Zhenbei, capable of fighting against a hundred men.
Yesterday, Shen Du said he would ask the Emperor to arrange for several well-trained guards to protect their safety. Little did he expect that this elite force would be assigned to them.
Zhao Yi said gently, "Thank you for your hard work, soldiers."
Sun Wu clasped his hands in a fist salute and retreated.
Before Zhao Yi and Shen Qingtan boarded the carriage, they looked back at the Duke's mansion, which was shrouded in wind and snow. Apart from two servants guarding the side gate, no one else came out to see them off.
The two people got into the carriage, and the carriage slowly drove away.
Shen Qingtan and Zhao Yi lifted the curtain of the carriage window and saw that the once empty side gate was now filled with people seeing them off.
Large snowflakes drifted down onto them, covering their hair with a thin layer of white snow. As the carriage drove further and further away, their figures were stretched into blurry white dots.
Just as Shen Qingtan was about to lower the curtain, after she could no longer see them, she saw several figures riding over on fine horses.
She recognized him as her brother; he must have come especially to see them off.
Shen Qingtan waited for her brothers to approach, but they never came to the carriage. Instead, they lagged behind the carriage, following the main group at a leisurely pace.
Once the carriage left the city, the imperial tutor and the envoy from Northern Qi were already waiting at the city gate.
When Yan Yi saw Zhao Yi and Shen Qingtan arrive, he lifted the curtain and reported to the Imperial Tutor, "Your Majesty, His Highness has arrived."
The Imperial Tutor held a white jade chess piece in his hand. Upon hearing Yan Yi's words, he placed the piece on the chessboard. The seemingly hopeless situation on the chessboard was instantly reversed, brought back to life.
"Departure."
The Imperial Tutor pushed the chessboard aside.
Yan Er collected the chess pieces one by one.
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Northern Qi Imperial Palace, Imperial Study.
Consort Shu held a bowl of soup in her hand and scooped a spoonful to feed the Northern Qi Emperor.
The Northern Qi emperor opened his mouth and ate it.
Consort Shu smiled, pursed her lips, and scooped up another spoonful, handing it over.
Just as the Emperor of Northern Qi was about to speak, he saw Eunuch Liu enter from outside the palace and pushed Consort Shu away.
"Your Majesty, the Imperial Tutor is about to arrive in the capital. His Highness has led troops to Yingcheng to assist the Great Zhou in controlling the plague."
Eunuch Liu said, "Your Majesty, there are rumors circulating among the people that a plague has broken out in Yingcheng. The Imperial Tutor was unwilling to treat the people of Yingcheng, which is why he ceded Yingcheng to the Great Zhou. As the Imperial Tutor entered the capital, the rumors intensified, causing widespread panic. Especially in the cities that are close to Yingcheng, the people are afraid that the plague will not be contained and are fleeing in droves."
He glanced cautiously at the Northern Qi emperor and asked, "Your Majesty, do you intend to suppress public opinion?"
"No need." The Northern Qi Emperor's expression was cold and stern: "Once the plague is quelled, the rumors will fall apart on their own."
Eunuch Liu wanted to say something more, but when he glanced at Consort Shu beside him, he shut his mouth.
Upon seeing this, the Emperor of Northern Qi grasped Consort Shu's soft hand and said, "My beloved consort, I have state affairs to attend to. You should return to your palace first."
Consort Shu's almond-shaped eyes were so gentle they seemed to overflow with water as she said coquettishly, "Your Majesty, I am waiting for you in the palace."
After saying this, she picked up the food box and leisurely left the main hall.
The door closed behind her, and the tenderness on her face vanished completely, replaced by the chilling cold of the snow.
Because of her words, the people below threw Yizhen into the arena. His Majesty sat in the audience and watched Yizhen being devoured without saying a word to stop it.
Unexpectedly, more than twenty years later, Yi Zhen's son, who had died young, came back to life and became a pawn in the hands of the imperial tutor, returning to Northern Qi.