kvmb Chapter 301 Revealing His True Identity
Chapter 301 Revealing His True Identity
The memorial tablet in Emperor Jing'an's hand was completely blank.
Even so, the ministers had already guessed it.
This memorial tablet is probably for Princess Yizhen.
As expected, Emperor Jing'an's next words confirmed their suspicions.
“I was a hostage in Northern Qi, representing the Great Zhou. The powerful and noble people of Northern Qi made fun of me and humiliated me in order to disgrace the Great Zhou.”
Emperor Jing'an looked at the memorial tablet in his hand: "The first thing the powerful nobles of Northern Qi did was to prevent me and Yizhen from eating. It was Yizhen who knelt on the ground and served as a footstool for the powerful nobles of Northern Qi in exchange for food so that I could be fed."
The officials frowned, knowing that hostages in enemy countries would not receive any preferential treatment.
Not only were they of low social status, but they also suffered humiliation and persecution, living a life of constant anxiety.
When they heard Emperor Jing'an talk about Princess Yizhen's sacrifices for him, they didn't feel much, and were even somewhat indifferent.
After all, even Emperor Jing'an, a man, could not protect himself.
How could a frail woman protect Emperor Jing'an?
Only after Emperor Jing'an explained their situation in Northern Qi did they truly realize the predicament that Emperor Jing'an and Princess Yizhen faced in Northern Qi.
"I am the eldest son of the Empress, sent to Northern Qi as a hostage. In the eyes of the people of Northern Qi, I am nothing but a discarded pawn, whom they can kill at will." Emperor Jing'an said, "Yizhen, in order to save me, was forced by the powerful and influential people of Northern Qi to fight with dogs for food."
The officials were stunned; Princess Yizhen's ordeal was far beyond their imagination.
The Northern Qi clearly did not treat Princess Yizhen as a human being.
Scholars can be killed but not humiliated.
Princess Ke Yizhen, in order to save Emperor Jing'an's life, abandoned her dignity and pride as a royal woman and endured the humiliation inflicted by the powerful nobles of Northern Qi.
Honestly, they are incapable of doing this.
The ministers were filled with mixed feelings and looked at each other in bewilderment.
Princess Yizhen deserves their respect.
The Northern Qi dynasty was utterly despicable.
"In order to allow me to return to the Great Zhou, Yi Zhen abandoned her dignity and submitted herself to the Emperor of Northern Qi, giving birth to a child." Emperor Jing'an paused for a long time before slowly saying, "In the same year, I ascended the throne, and the Great Zhou was beset by internal and external troubles. Yi Zhen disregarded her infant child and went into the arena, where she was torn apart by wild beasts and died, all just to prevent Northern Qi from sending troops to the Great Zhou."
The officials were stunned, some even unable to believe their ears.
They only knew that Princess Yizhen died in Northern Qi, but they never imagined that her death was so tragic.
No matter what, Yi Zhen was a princess of the Great Zhou Dynasty. How dare the Northern Qi... how dare they feed her to wild beasts?
This not only humiliated Princess Yizhen, but also trampled on the dignity of the entire Great Zhou Dynasty.
It's just too much bullying.
The ministers clenched their fists, their expressions filled with indignation, a growing hatred for the Northern Qi growing in their hearts, while at the same time they were moved by Yi Zhen's righteous act.
The late emperor was incompetent and tyrannical, and by nature suspicious. He executed many loyal ministers and generals, and the court officials lived in constant fear. However, the late emperor valued the prince born to Consort De, who was of the same lineage as him.
If Emperor Jing'an had perished in Northern Qi, there would be no Great Zhou as we know it today.
It's likely that the Great Zhou Dynasty was already crushed by the iron cavalry of the Northern Qi Dynasty. As court officials, their fate wouldn't be much better than that of Princess Yizhen.
"Yi Zhen endured humiliation and hardship, which brought about the powerful Zhou Dynasty we have today. Yet, she never returned to the homeland she longed for until her death." Emperor Jing'an looked up at his ministers: "The Northern Qi, with its wolfish ambitions, sought to form a marriage alliance with the Prince of Zhenbei's heir and threatened me with Yi Zhen's remains. I have always kept Yi Zhen's words in mind, to be a monarch who puts the people first and the nation first. Therefore, I have not compromised."
“The Northern Qi knew Zhao Yi’s true parentage perfectly well, but deliberately spread rumors that he was my son.”
At this point, Emperor Jing'an's expression returned to calm. He took out a handkerchief and wiped the memorial tablet: "If Yizhen knew in the afterlife, she would probably find it hard to rest in peace knowing that her son was so humiliated."
The voice sounded calm and even, but the words that came out were like a muffled thunderclap hitting everyone's heads.
The news was so sudden that it caught the ministers off guard, and they looked at Emperor Jing'an in shock.
They had previously heard Emperor Jing'an say that Princess Yizhen had given birth to a child, and mistakenly believed that the child was in Northern Qi.
To everyone's surprise, it turned out to be Zhao Yi.
The ministers were in an uproar, all looking at the Duke as if seeking confirmation from him.
The Duke said, "Princess Yizhen sacrificed herself for the Great Zhou. Her only bloodline was abused by the palace servants in the Northern Qi palace. If I hadn't arrived in time, I'm afraid Princess Yizhen's bloodline would have been lost."
The news was confirmed, and the ministers were still in shock.
Although they admired Princess Yizhen, her child had half of the blood of the Northern Qi dynasty flowing in his veins.
This is something they find hard to accept.
In a flash, they remembered the Duke's words, and their feelings became extremely complicated.
The killing of Princess Yizhen by the Northern Qi was a blood feud for Zhao Yi, akin to the murder of his mother. He would inevitably be irreconcilable with the Northern Qi, so why would he help his enemy to attack the land that nurtured him?
Having grasped the key to this matter, the vast majority of ministers accepted Zhao Yi.
The remaining small group of ministers still held objections to Zhao Yi's complicated background.
They opened their mouths, as if to say something.
Emperor Jing'an spoke first: "I also bear an inescapable responsibility for everything Yizhen suffered in Northern Qi. If I had not been incapable of protecting her, she would not have had to submit herself to the Emperor of Northern Qi."
As soon as these words were spoken, the ministers who had expressed their opinions immediately fell silent.