kvmb What does Chapter 873 have to do with Lin Wuji?
What does Chapter 873 have to do with Lin Wuji?
Zong Que led Lu Yangyang back to the East Palace.
The Eastern Palace was indeed exactly as it had been when they left, everything remained the same.
It had been a long time since anyone had lived there, and even though palace servants came to clean it every day, it still felt empty and desolate, lacking any human presence.
Lu Yangyang stood in front of the bedroom door, subconsciously looking outside.
Zong Que waved for the palace servants to leave, then hugged her waist from behind, bent down and rested his chin on her shoulder, gently closing his eyes. "So tired."
He had been traveling for days and hadn't slept for a long time.
Lu Yangyang asked in a low voice, "Can we talk here?"
There were spies everywhere in the palace. Lu Yangyang couldn't see anyone from where she was standing, but she couldn't let her guard down.
“Pei Ji is guarding outside,” Zong Que replied.
Lu Yangyang then remembered that she hadn't seen Pei Ji when she came in.
"His Majesty didn't want you to live, did he?" After confirming that no one was listening outside, Lu Yangyang asked impatiently.
“Half and half,” Zong Que said with a slight smile.
Lu Yangyang turned her head in surprise and met Zong Que's smiling eyes, muttering, "You can still laugh."
"I only smile at you." Zong Que pinched the tip of her nose. "Don't worry."
Zong Que pulled Lu Yangyang to sit on the soft couch and pulled him into his arms, but Lu Yangyang pushed him away, went to the washroom to wash his hands, changed his clothes, and came back to the soft couch. He gestured for Zong Que to lie down, saying, "I'll give you a couple of acupuncture needles. I'll stay here and watch over you for a while. You should get some sleep first."
Lu Yangyang knew how many difficulties would be involved in transporting those remains from Chenzhou to the capital undetected. This wasn't something Zong Que could accomplish with a simple order; he must have been planning this for a long time. His leg injury had only healed a year ago, and in that year, he had been constantly on the move, barely having a moment's rest. Even if she were a miracle doctor, let alone a miracle doctor, she couldn't cure such a disobedient patient as him.
He had suffered many serious injuries, and it was extremely difficult for him to recover to this state. He would have to set off again in three days without a moment's rest.
Even though she had so many questions to ask, at this moment, her first thought was to let him take a nap and rest for a while.
Zong Que nodded and waved to her, "Then come closer first."
Lu Yangyang leaned closer, and Zong Que first held the back of her neck and kissed her lips.
Lu Yangyang glared at him, and Zong Que reluctantly separated from her, holding her hand and saying, "Then you have to wait for me to wake up."
"I understand!" Lu Yangyang's cheeks flushed slightly as she pressed him down on the couch and went to get the needles.
“My father did want me to die, but in his eyes, I was also a creation of his own making. On the one hand, he wanted to kill me, but on the other hand, he couldn’t help but want to see what else I could do. For him, killing me was not a necessary decision; he wanted to see how fate would end things.”
While Lu Yangyang was giving her acupuncture, Zong Que explained to her, "At this point, Northern Yan clearly has no intention of compromising. The princes are fighting tooth and nail among themselves. With internal and external troubles, if there is any mishap, he may become a king who will lose his country. Therefore, he will not be obsessed with attacking me. Instead, he wants to use me to solve his current major problem."
"At this moment, the person he most wants to kill is Crown Prince Chongwen."
Lu Yangyang's hand almost trembled as she inserted the needle, and she exclaimed in surprise, "Crown Prince Chongwen?"
She could only think that His Majesty's agreement to let Zong Que lead troops on a northern expedition was probably not for good reasons; he wanted to use Zong Que but did not want him to live.
Little did they expect that what His Majesty truly cared about at that moment was Crown Prince Chongwen.
"Back then, Crown Prince Chongwen was deeply trusted by the late emperor and had a long-standing reputation. When Northern Yan marched south to Shunhe, it seemed like they were fighting easily. In reality, if they had continued fighting, the worst outcome would have been a southward relocation. The country wouldn't have fallen, but the people would have suffered. Northern Yan had a strong army, but they lacked supplies and didn't know enough about the south. They relied on burning, killing, and looting along the way. But the Great Zhao had only been established for a few decades, and the people's lives were not easy. Reaching Shunhe was already their limit. The battle lines were too long, which was not a good thing for Northern Yan, whose regime was not yet stable."
"Under these circumstances, the worst that could happen is to negotiate peace, cede territory, and pay reparations, which would be nothing more than submitting to the emperor. Why would a crown prince be held hostage? The truth behind this remains to be seen."
"You mean, there was another reason why Crown Prince Chongwen went north as a hostage back then?" Lu Yangyang asked in surprise.
"I can't be sure, but it's highly likely." Zong Que looked at Lu Yangyang and suddenly asked, "Lin Wuji?"
"What?" Lu Yangyang exclaimed in surprise, "What does this have to do with Lin Wuji?"
“I was the one who spread the news that he was the son of Crown Prince Chongwen.” Zong Que played with Lu Yangyang’s fingers. “But I received a message from Northern Yan that Empress Dowager Dugu had recognized a son and bestowed upon him the title of Prince Lü.”
Lu Yangyang's eyes widened, and she hesitated to use her other hand, which was holding the needle.
Zong Que chuckled and said, "How about we try acupuncture first?"
Lu Yangyang glared at him. If he took another shot, he would fall asleep. He had only said half of what he meant; he was just teasing her!
Zong Que chuckled and squeezed her fingers. "Be bold. If Lin Wuji is the son of Crown Prince Chongwen, why would Empress Dowager Dugu bother to make him a king? If he is Empress Dowager Dugu's biological son, then tell me, who is his father?"
Lu Yangyang was completely dumbfounded. How did the conversation about important military and national affairs turn into gossip?
“It’s just speculation, there’s no evidence. Duke Xiao kept quiet and took the blame for others. Today, he’d rather be infamous for eternity than say anything reckless. Tell me, why?” Zong Que asked.
Lu Yangyang: "For his family."
"I asked you to talk to Father Emperor about abolishing the law of collective punishment. Although Father Emperor could not agree, he left room for maneuver and gave Duke Xiao hope. As long as he takes all the responsibility, the Xiao family will still have a chance to survive. In the end, he was also reminding Father Emperor not to forget his contributions."
Lu Yangyang gasped, "So you caught Duke Xiao off guard. Knowing he had no way out, Duke Xiao simply took all the blame so His Majesty would show leniency."
"Now that things have come to this point, we have left enough room for maneuver, making the world believe that the Chenzhou case has ended and that His Majesty is still wise and powerful. This time, he will think that he has everything under control, and he will decisively abandon Duke Xiao, restore the general's innocence, and agree to let you lead the troops on the northern expedition."
Lu Yangyang felt like she was about to grow a brain, and her head was starting to itch.
Seeing her expression, Zong Que couldn't help but laugh, "Smart."
"You should just go to sleep." Lu Yangyang gripped the needle tightly in her hand and dropped it without hesitation. If she continued talking, she was afraid she would get confused herself.
It's not true that this father and son have nothing in common; when it comes to using and scheming against each other, neither of them leaves any room for maneuver.