amaotonovel Chapter 405 Resolving the feud
Chapter 405 Resolving the feud
Upon hearing this, Zhao Yi looked up at the Emperor of Northern Qi, only to see that his expression was gentle, like that of a loving elder.
With his hands behind his back, the Emperor of Northern Qi casually asked, "Yi'er, I heard that you mobilized the soldiers of the garrison to go find Shen Qingtan?"
“Everyone knows that His Majesty entrusted me with the important task of hunting down the remnants of the previous dynasty, and I led troops to destroy their stronghold. After that, the princess disappeared, and I couldn’t help but suspect that it was the remnants of the previous dynasty who were behind it.”
"With the princess in their hands, they not only have another bargaining chip in their negotiations with the Great Zhou, but they can also use her to coerce me. In Your Majesty's opinion, should I mobilize the soldiers of the garrison to rescue the princess?"
Zhao Yi bowed and said, "If Your Majesty thinks it is wrong, then it is your humble servant who has abused military power. I am willing to await Your Majesty's decision."
The smile on the Northern Qi emperor's face froze. When he first heard the news, he did intend to punish Zhao Yi. However, when he saw the former crown prince's private seal, he decided to hold off on the matter for the time being and settle accounts later.
Now, fearing that the former crown prince might use Yi Zhen's remains to cooperate with the Great Zhou, he has no choice but to win over Zhao Yi first. As long as Zhao Yi is on his side, the Great Zhou will not cooperate with the former crown prince.
He mentioned that Zhao Yi had secretly mobilized troops to find Shen Qingtan, which was nothing more than an attempt to use both kindness and force to make Zhao Yi grateful to him.
Unexpectedly, Zhao Yi used a feigned retreat to advance, completely disrupting his plans.
"Yi'er, as I said, today's conversation between father and son was frank and open. There is no distinction between ruler and subject here." The Emperor of Northern Qi sighed, feeling misunderstood. "I did not mean to reprimand you for mobilizing troops without authorization. I just wanted to understand the situation. Now that I have a clear understanding, when the ministers impeach you at tomorrow's morning court, I will have a plan to protect you."
"Shen Qingtan is my daughter-in-law. She has gone missing. Whether she was abducted by remnants of the previous dynasty or not, we should use all available resources to find her." The Emperor of Northern Qi said kindly, "Besides, you are my son. No matter how big a mistake you make, as your father, I should cover for you."
Zhao Yi's heart stirred slightly. The Northern Qi emperor was showing him a small favor, intending to use the father-son relationship to influence him.
The Northern Qi emperor was somewhat displeased that Zhao Yi did not respond. Then, he recalled Zhao Yi's earlier question about how Yi Zhen had died. He frowned, suspecting that someone had been gossiping to Zhao Yi.
Otherwise, why would Zhao Yi show no affection for his father?
If he wants Zhao Yi to trust him, he needs to clear up the misunderstanding.
"You asked me before how your birth mother died. There were outsiders present, so I couldn't answer you. Since you want to know, I have no reason to hide it from you, lest you be deceived by others and hate the wrong person."
When the Emperor of Northern Qi mentioned Yi Zhen, a look of grief crossed his eyes: "Your birth mother was a princess of an enemy state. She was held hostage in Northern Qi and suffered mistreatment and humiliation at the hands of noble families. This not only ruined her reputation but also her innocence. I wanted to make her a concubine, but my ministers opposed it."
“At that time, I had just ascended the throne and my foundation was not stable. I was powerless to confront the court officials, so I had to make her submit first and wait for your uncle to ascend the throne before giving her a title. Who knew that before your uncle ascended the throne, Consort Shu forced your mother to commit suicide.”
"I wish I could kill Consort Shu to avenge your mother. But I am such a coward as emperor, constantly controlled by those ministers, and I need her brother to clear the obstacles for me, so I cannot do anything to her for the time being."
"Now that I have secured my throne, and you have returned to Northern Qi to acknowledge your ancestors, I can finally give you and your son an explanation. That's why I dealt with Consort Shu and the Lin family."
At this point, the Emperor of Northern Qi said earnestly, "Yi'er, I don't ask you to understand me. Once you sit in my position, you will be able to understand my predicament."
Zhao Yi sneered inwardly. The Northern Qi Emperor had personally forced his mother to her death, and now every word he uttered expressed his helplessness and bitterness, while also shifting all the blame onto Consort Shu.
Even if we take a step back and assume that the Northern Qi Emperor hadn't given his approval, would Consort Shu have had the guts to kill his mother?
Consort Shu and the Lin family deserved to be punished, but now, in the mouth of the Northern Qi Emperor, it's said to be to avenge his mother.
If the Northern Qi emperor had frankly told the truth, he would have shown some responsibility, but no one expected him to be so shameless.
Zhao Yi clenched his fists tightly within his wide sleeves, a surge of anger burning within his chest and his internal organs, giving rise to a deep hatred. He wished he could kill the Northern Qi Emperor to avenge his mother, and he loathed the filthy blood of the Northern Qi Emperor flowing through his veins.
He found it utterly ridiculous that the Northern Qi emperor was still hinting to him that he would pass the throne to him in the future, trying to win him over with the throne.
"Is that so?" Zhao Yi lowered his eyes, concealing the emotions in them, and his words became more respectful: "I misunderstood His Majesty before, and listened to the words of villains, mistakenly believing that His Majesty had killed my mother. Now the misunderstanding between us father and son has been resolved, and we have reconciled. I will repay your kindness to my mother even more in the future."