Remarrying Chun Yuan

Chapter 466 Unwilling

Emperor Qi Xiao heard the news of Qin Muyan's death through Yuan Cuo's personal visit.

Upon hearing this, Emperor Qi Xiao merely scoffed, "He remains as reckless as ever, utterly lacking in strategic planning."

Yuan Cuo didn't say much; what could he say?

All the sons resented their own father, "hoping that he could be reborn into a better life instead of being immersed in the struggle for power and interests from birth."

Emperor Qi Xiao: "..." These words were really hard to hear, but as the emperor, he was also looking forward to it.

"But he is, after all, my son. If he is not buried in the imperial ancestral hall, he should not be thrown into a mass grave either. He should be buried in a pit dug on the spot, and there is no need to carve any words on his tombstone."

Cheng Hai immediately obeyed Emperor Qi Xiao's order and carried it out, leaving only the two of them to talk privately.

Cheng Hai hoped that the father and son could open up to each other and talk things out, instead of keeping things bottled up and mistrusting each other.

Moreover, Yuan Cuo has been widely recognized as the best successor to the Great Qi, and Emperor Qi Xiao also intends to pass the throne to him after this incident.

But nobody knew what Yuan Cuo's attitude was.

Emperor Qi Xiao could only probe privately, otherwise, being rejected outright would be too embarrassing.

Before he could even speak, Yuan Cuo said directly, "I have already resolved the biggest problem. I wonder if Your Majesty would be willing to return to power and take charge of the government? Let me rest for a while."

"???" Emperor Qi Xiao was stunned when he heard this.

He has already relinquished the power of regent; does he intend to take it back?

"The matter is not yet fully resolved, and many things urgently need to be addressed. What kind of behavior is it to abandon the task at this time!"

"If you feel your title is insufficient, I can directly summon you to the throne and make you an emperor emeritus, to travel around and have some fun." Emperor Qi Xiao made his point clear.

It wasn't that he was in a hurry to abdicate, nor that he loved his son so much. Rather, seeing Yuan Cuo's ruthless actions these past few days, he knew he could never return to that position.

Putting aside other matters, he was completely helpless and powerless in the face of the support from the Meng and Yan states alone.

Yuan Cuo clicked his tongue twice, "Actually, there is something else I haven't told you."

"What's the matter?"

"May the Emperor of Chu be well."

"She's still alive? Where is she?!"

“She took my wife to the State of Chu.”

"?!!!"

"It was Old Madam Ye who saw the two of them off."

"..."

When Emperor Qi Xiao heard this news, his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. He pondered for a moment, then said, "So, that fire was something she orchestrated herself?"

Yuan Cuo couldn't help but roll his eyes, filled with contempt for the person in front of him.

More than twenty years have passed, and he is still being played by the Chu Emperor, and was even almost forced to abdicate.

Actually, he was also tricked.

Fortunately, the Ye family was astute and knew that if he were to find out about this, they would suffer an unpredictable and devastating blow.

So, after he went crazy for a day, Ye Zinan secretly told him about it, but also mentioned the Chu Emperor's plan, hoping that Yuan Cuo would cooperate.

That's why Yuan Cuo took the initiative to send people from the west to find Wei Gongming. Wei Gongming was also very pragmatic and readily revealed all of Chu Lan and Qin Muyan's actions.

However, Yuan Cuo also had to admit that Wei Gongming was not beyond redemption, as he was able to clearly choose the latter between interests and righteousness.

But when Emperor Qi Xiao heard the news, he roared in fury, "Outrageous! She is utterly outrageous!" He was so angry that his vision blurred and the world spun around him. He felt like a fool for being heartbroken over her disappearance.

But all of this is just her act. When will she stop pretending?!

It was like this twenty years ago, and it's still like this twenty years later!

Moreover, this time, she also took Liu Yuechu with her. Isn't this all to get Yuan Cuo to go to the State of Chu?

"So you're going to abandon me, abandon the Great Qi empire, and abandon the people of Great Qi just to find a wife?!" Emperor Qi Xiao suddenly felt three mountains pressing down on Yuan Cuo's back, fearing that Yuan Cuo would really leave Great Qi.

"Then what should I do? Abandon my wife and live in Chu instead of bringing her back? Am I to be a heartless man?" Yuan Cuo was practically pointing his finger at Emperor Qi Xiao's nose and cursing him.

"Then you can't go now. At least you need to get everything in the Great Qi back on track! Otherwise, if you leave, everything that has just started to improve will fall apart again, and the court officials simply won't be able to take over, nor will they have the ability to do so." Emperor Qi Xiao's attitude was very firm; he would not agree to Yuan Cuo leaving now.

"I will take a month to settle all matters properly."

"A month is impossible. The Jiang family is a centuries-old clan, and who knows how many connections they have hidden everywhere. Do you dare say you can dig them all out?"

"All officials from the Jiang family lineage must be purged, and suitable successors must be found. We cannot allow the government to collapse without anyone to take charge, otherwise the people's livelihoods will be ruined."

"Moreover, I want you to handle all these matters. I don't trust the Ministry of Personnel. They are too focused on immediate interests, only caring about their own protégés and selecting a bunch of parasites! So only you can personally screen them. I know I can only trust you."

"The Great Qi is full of old and young people, with a gap in the middle. How could this be completed in just one month?"

"You must handle these matters carefully. If you leave during this chaotic time, the people of Daqi will be disappointed."

Emperor Qi Xiao directly stated his conditions: he would absolutely not release the person unless these conditions were met.

Moreover, in his view, these things simply could not be accomplished in less than three, five, or even ten years.

He never intended to let Yuan Cuo go.

Yuan Cuo remained silent, clearly seeing through Qi Xiaodi's malicious intentions—he just wanted to find a donkey to do the work!

"Your Majesty, do you think you can stop me if I want to leave?" Yuan Cuo asked with a hint of dissatisfaction.

"I didn't stop you, and I knew I couldn't. I just wanted you to think about why the Chu Emperor took Liu Yuechu away, and whether Liu Yuechu truly wanted you to abandon the Great Qi to find her." Emperor Qi Xiao had indeed hit Yuan Cuo's weak spot.

In his heart, only Liu Yuechu's attitude was the most important.

He truly couldn't understand how someone so innocent in matters of the heart could be so clear-headed and ruthless in matters of state.

Yuan Cuo remained silent.

He didn't need to set a timeframe; he just needed to fulfill the requirements set by Emperor Qi Xiao.

"Your Majesty, I am willing to do what Your Majesty requests, but I also ask Your Majesty to find another successor. I do not wish to sit in your position; it is too hot to sit on."

He left those words behind and turned to leave.

Emperor Qi Xiao finally breathed a long sigh of relief when he saw him leave.

Cheng Hai was also wiping away sweat for a long time, he was really afraid that Yuan Cuo would really abandon his responsibilities.

"His Majesty's wisdom this time has struck a nerve with the Duke of Baoguo, preventing him from simply walking away!"