kvmb Chapter 315 Sudden
Chapter 315 Sudden
The eunuch from Northern Qi broke out in a cold sweat; even if he had the greatest courage in the world, he wouldn't dare to answer that question.
"Your Highness, this servant dares not presume to guess His Majesty's intentions." The eunuch from Northern Qi knelt on the ground, sweating profusely, and said, "This servant will return to the Four Barbarians Pavilion immediately, consult the Imperial Tutor, and then give you a reply."
Zhao Yi calmly replied, "My mother is the Protector Princess of the Great Zhou. If the Emperor of Qi wants to grant my mother a title, then it is tantamount to a marriage alliance with the Great Zhou. You should consult the Imperial Tutor and then negotiate terms with the Great Zhou separately."
The eunuch from Northern Qi was dumbfounded. Did he still want to negotiate terms?
The Northern Qi emperor was worried that Zhao Yi would not return to Northern Qi, so he ordered him to come to the Great Zhou with the imperial tutor, promising Zhao Yi a prestigious status that was within his grasp, and then trying to bring the father and son closer together.
Who knew...who knew...Zhao Yi was helping the Great Zhou to demand benefits.
"This servant...this servant will go and deliver a message to the Imperial Tutor."
The eunuch from Northern Qi dared not stay any longer, fearing that if he lingered even a moment longer, Zhao Yi would again help Great Zhou demand support payments from Northern Qi.
He hurriedly left the Duke's mansion and returned to the Siyiguan, arriving at the door of the Imperial Tutor's room.
"Imperial Tutor, I have something important to report to you."
With a creak, the door opened.
Yan Yi frowned as he looked at the eunuch, whose face was pale and who looked frightened. "Come in."
The eunuch hurriedly entered the room and caught a glimpse of the Imperial Tutor holding a memorial in his hand, sitting upright on a Luohan couch covered with a snow-white fur coat, kneeling at the Imperial Tutor's feet.
"Imperial Tutor, His Majesty said that when the Crown Prince returns to Northern Qi, the people will surely welcome him. So he instructed his servants to send the Crown Prince prince's robes to announce to the people of Northern Qi that the Crown Prince is a prince of Northern Qi."
The eunuch said tremblingly, "His Majesty was worried that the Crown Prince harbored resentment towards Northern Qi and was unwilling to return. So he promised the Crown Prince that he would grant him the title of Princess Protector and also bestow upon him the title of King. But who knew... who knew that the Crown Prince asked His Majesty what title he would grant the Princess Protector, and his tone suggested that if the title did not satisfy him, he would not return to Northern Qi."
The Imperial Tutor closed the memorial, raised his eyes to look at the eunuch, and asked, "What rank has His Majesty granted?"
"Your Majesty... Your Majesty did not elaborate, intending to discuss it with the Crown Prince when he returns to Northern Qi."
Under the Emperor's gaze, the eunuch nervously swallowed and stammered, "This servant dares not answer Your Highness, so I have come to ask you for instructions."
“The Princess Protector of the Nation is of noble status and has borne a son for the royal family. An ordinary position would be beneath her and would hinder the alliance between the two countries.” The Imperial Tutor placed the memorial on the small table: “Apart from the position of Empress, she is qualified for any other position.”
The eunuch immediately understood the Imperial Tutor's meaning: apart from the Empress's position, Zhao Yi could choose any of the others.
Seeing that the eunuch seemed hesitant to speak, the Imperial Tutor asked in a gentle tone, "Is there anything else you wish to say?"
The eunuch said in a trembling voice, "His Highness said that His Majesty has granted the title of Princess Protector of the Nation, which is considered a marriage alliance between the two countries, and we need to discuss other conditions."
The Imperial Tutor, with a calm expression, said, "That is how it should be."
The eunuch looked at the imperial tutor in astonishment. He had actually agreed to Zhao Yi's unreasonable request?
He still spoke in a tone that made it all seem perfectly natural.
-
The eunuch from Northern Qi received a reply from the imperial tutor and immediately relayed the message to Zhao Yi.
Zhao Yi felt increasingly strange. The attitude of the Northern Qi was completely different from before, as if they would agree to any request they made unconditionally.
The more this is the case, the more one feels they are brewing a huge conspiracy.
Even when the time came for the two countries to sign the treaty, Northern Qi still did not take any action, as if they were judging others by their own petty standards.
The atmosphere was more somber during the second meeting between the two countries compared to the last one.
Emperor Jing'an instructed his ministers to present the drafted treaty to the Imperial Tutor.
The Imperial Tutor read through the agreement one by one, and only after confirming that everything was correct did he place the covenant on the table and take the seal that was lying on the table.
Once the seal is affixed, the covenant will take effect immediately.
The officials of the Great Zhou stared at the seal in the Imperial Tutor's hand, wishing they could grab his hand and stamp it down with a bang.
The Northern Qi envoy was also on tenterhooks. Once the seal was affixed, the alliance could not be broken, otherwise the two countries would go to war.
The Imperial Tutor remained calm and unaffected by the ministers of both countries; the seal was sealed the moment it was placed.
"Report——"
A rough and urgent voice from outside the hall broke the tranquility inside.