amaotonovel Chapter 414 Adding makeup
Chapter 414 Adding makeup
King Qi said, "My father prefers me to be the crown prince, but he is also afraid that if I become too powerful, I will force him to abdicate. Therefore, he has divided power among you so that you can check and balance me."
“I know what my father is thinking, which is why I am so angry about his distrust of me, his constant making of enemies, and his putting me in danger. I thought to myself that only by getting rid of all my brothers, so that my father will have no other sons, can I live a peaceful life.”
“But Chang An told me that you had no intention of fighting for the throne of Northern Qi, and only wanted to take your mother’s remains back to Great Zhou. I believed him and chose to cooperate with you, help you steal your mother’s remains, and arrange for people to cover for you and send you back to Great Zhou.”
"As a result, we both had our own reasons and our thoughts changed. I had no intention of vying for the throne, but you wanted to compete for the throne of Northern Qi."
“If I want to return to my fiefdom in peace, I must commit an unforgivable crime, which would lead to my father exiling me to the fiefdom or making me a commoner.”
At this point, King Qi fell into a long silence.
If this balance is not properly maintained, the Northern Qi emperor could very well execute him.
The King of Qi finally said, "Brother, I hope you can help me."
By uttering these words, the King of Qi had undoubtedly placed his life in his hands.
He looked into the King of Qi's dim eyes, which had lost their former ambition and fighting spirit, and were filled only with resentment, pain, and despondency, as if they had suffered a great blow and had no choice but to make the current decision.
He agreed to the King of Qi's request and offered to help him the day after Guangning's wedding.
Zhao Yi pulled himself out of his thoughts, slowly walked down the steps, and before getting into the sedan chair, he glanced back at his residence. The last rays of the setting sun enveloped the courtyard, and the fallen peach blossoms conveyed a desolate and bleak feeling of late spring.
He pursed his lips slightly, got into the sedan chair, and returned home.
Meanwhile, the ministers who were secretly monitoring Zhao Yi's movements were speculating about the purpose of King Qi's invitation to the palace. After all, King Qi and Zhao Yi were enemies, and they suspected that Zhao Yi was responsible for King Qi's sudden assassination attempt.
Because of the unexpected death of King Qi, Zhao Yi was the beneficiary.
They assumed that the King of Qi thought the same way, which is why, as soon as his injuries were treated, they sent their trusted confidants to invite Zhao Yi to the palace for a confrontation.
As a result, Zhao Yi left the palace unharmed, and there was no movement from the King of Qi, nor did the Emperor of Northern Qi punish Zhao Yi.
They were starting to feel uneasy. Could it be that the assassination of the King of Qi had nothing to do with Zhao Yi?
Unable to find an answer from Zhao Yi, the crowd turned their attention to the Marquis of Shou'an's residence.
At the same time, Marquis Shou'an also left Changle Palace and secretly summoned the ministers who supported King Qi.
Late into the night, the officials left the Marquis's residence, each with their own thoughts, and then met privately with each other.
Everyone noticed the strangeness of this place and felt that the Marquis of Shou'an's residence was about to make a big move.
Because the Marquis of Shou'an rarely convened private meetings with his ministers, and the ministers who supported the King of Qi would never meet without the Marquis of Shou'an's presence.
This is clearly not normal.
For the next two days, the officials were extremely cautious and made no unnecessary moves. The more cautious they were, the more tense the atmosphere became, as if a storm was about to break.
Before they knew it, the day of Princess Guangning's wedding arrived.
Princess Guangning represented the Northern Qi in a marriage alliance with the Great Zhou. The Northern Qi emperor, unusually, valued this princess and allowed her to marry from the palace.
The palace was decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, creating a festive atmosphere, but this could not dispel the oppressive mood.
Guangning sat upright in front of the dressing table, staring blankly at the eight-lobed bronze mirror. The woman in the mirror was wearing a brightly colored and gorgeous wedding dress and had applied bright makeup, which was completely different from her usual elegant and delicate appearance.
Her fingers gently touched her cheek; her face was covered with a thick layer of powder, making it look like she was wearing a mask.
She is herself, yet she is no longer herself.
After entering the Prince Yu's mansion, her survival became even more precarious than her life in the Northern Qi palace; she could no longer be herself.
Thinking of this, Guangning tugged at the corner of her lips. Since she could remember, it seemed she had never been herself.
At that moment, she wavered.
I can't help but wonder, what is the meaning of life?
At this moment, a palace maid said from the side, "Princess, the Princess Consort of Guangling and the ladies of various noble families have come to add to your dowry."
Guangning looked towards the palace entrance and saw Shen Qingtan walking towards her in the morning light. Her mood brightened instantly, and she quickly got up and went over to her: "Sister-in-law."
When Shen Qingtan entered, she saw Guangning staring blankly at the bronze mirror. His expression was not happy, but rather revealed a sorrowful inability to resist fate.
Guangning represented Northern Qi in a marriage alliance with Great Zhou, and the two countries forged a pact. Even if she was unwilling to accept this marriage, no one could interfere.
“Ningning, if you don’t have anyone you can confide in when you go to Da Zhou, you can befriend Yaoyao. The third sister of the Duke of Zhenguo’s mansion is also an excellent woman.”
Shen Qingtan took out a sachet from her sleeve and placed it in Guangning's hand: "This is a wedding gift from your eldest brother. When you encounter difficulties, the contents inside can help you get through them."
Upon hearing Shen Qingtan's words, Guangning's throat tightened, his eyes stung, and tears welled up.
The Empress Dowager pitied her for marrying alone in a foreign land, with no one to talk to, and worried that she might misjudge people. That's why she pointed her in the right direction and gave her a life-saving charm.
No one ever thought about her, and no one cared about her feelings.
Her life was filled with coldness and darkness, and just when she was about to give up, someone suddenly gave her a spark of hope.
“Sister-in-law…” Guangning hugged Shen Qingtan, tears streaming down her face. She bit her lip to suppress her sobs: “I… I used to think that as long as I was alive, it didn’t matter even if I was miserable.”
Because living was already a luxury for her, she dared not have the slightest greed.
But when she saw her unfamiliar reflection in the bronze mirror, she felt bewildered for the first time.
No one in this world cares about her. Why is she trying so hard to live?
Prince Yu is no good man and has always wanted to kill her. For now, for the sake of the crown prince position, he is enduring this and playing along with her. But once he ascends the throne, the first thing he will probably do is kill her.
If Prince Yu fails to seize the throne, she will also face certain death.
Her life seemed to have no hope at all.
But her elder brother and sister-in-law were worried that she would not live well in the Great Zhou, so they not only arranged friends for her, but also gave her a life-saving charm, hoping that she could live well.
She thought that there were still people in this world who cared about her.
Shen Qingtan felt sorry for Princess Guangning, who struggled to survive in the palace yet still maintained her original aspirations, and couldn't help but feel pity for her. Now, after hearing Guangning's heartbreaking words, she didn't know how to comfort her.
Just then, a commotion came from outside: "This servant greets Her Majesty the Empress."
Guangning quickly pulled out a handkerchief to cover her face.
Shen Qingtan looked up at the outside of the palace and saw the Empress wearing a thin spring dress, her slender waist graceful and her demeanor elegant.
Upon seeing the Empress's figure, one of the slightly younger ladies touched her own widened waist and said enviously, "Your Majesty's figure is just like that of a girl who has not yet conceived; it hasn't changed at all. A noblewoman is indeed a noblewoman; the feng shui of the palace is truly nurturing."