northernbook Chapter 63 The King of Chess's Recruitment
Chapter 63 The King of Chess's Recruitment
“Your Highness, this is completely fabricated.” Shen Li smiled and shook her head. “This humble woman will not defend herself; please speak as you see fit.”
Shen Li's denial did not affect the King of Chess, who continued:
“At first I had no suspicions, until I learned that the snake had been chasing and biting my mother that night, and that you had taken away my mother’s unique calming incense. However, the palace maids who were assigned to serve you said that you had never used that incense.”
“I suppose you let the snake smell that calming incense every time you feed it, and over time it will recognize that smell as food.” King Yi said, his eyes slightly narrowed. “Once the snake gets used to the smell, it will cause a huge disturbance for you, whether or not it can harm my mother.”
"And you, taking advantage of the chaos, moved Zheng Youwei's body and set fire to Wanbaoge."
Hearing these words, Shen Li was not flustered at all; on the contrary, she felt a sense of admiration for this King of Chess. He was a kindred spirit.
"It was this fire that destroyed all the clues, including the container where you kept your snakes, the untouched calming incense, and even the traces of you moving the body and prying open the window of Wanbaoge. All of them were gone."
“Even though I can deduce that you were the one who committed the crime, I can’t find a single clue, so that Zheng Youwei has to bear the crime of arson even after he dies.” King Yi sighed, “Lady Gu, you are brilliant.”
Upon hearing this, Shen Li simply chuckled: "Your Highness is exceptionally talented, and your story is quite captivating. However, I would never dare to admit to this crime, so I'm afraid I'll have to spoil your enjoyment."
Prince Yi had anticipated that she wouldn't admit it; after all, only a fool would admit to something without any evidence. He wasn't angry and simply said, "I've heard that the painting of the goddess that Lady Gu made for my mother is a masterpiece of its time, exquisitely beautiful. How could Lady Gu bear to burn it?"
His question has always been this, and this may be the only evidence in the case. As long as Shen Li has the Goddess Painting, no matter how she tries to cover it up, it will be in vain.
"Your Highness has asked the right question. Who would be willing to burn their own life's work? If it were truly me who set the fire, I would have secretly preserved the painting for posterity." There was a hint of regret in Shen Li's eyes.
This statement was half true and half false, and Yi Wang couldn't tell for the time being, but he wouldn't give up the investigation. Once he got a clue about the painting, Shen Li would be finished.
"I know this matter cannot be verified, but Madam Gu is so clever, do you know what the price will be for setting me up like this?" King Yi's eyes were wicked, with a hint of ferocity hidden in them.
Shen Li lowered her eyes to avoid his gaze: "Your Highness, let's not beat around the bush. We're just serving our own masters."
“I have never taken that good-for-nothing Crown Prince seriously. My greatest concern has always been you and Gu Chang’an.” Seeing that she seemed afraid, Prince Yi laughed again: “As long as you are eliminated, the Crown Prince is nothing to fear.”
"Your Highness is too kind," Shen Li said, her voice weakening.
Seeing the situation, the King of Chess became even more aggressive: "Do you really think that if you help Li Heng win against me, he will give you any benefits? That man is full of benevolence and morality, but he is ruthless. Are you really not leaving yourself a way out?"
"What does Your Highness mean?" Shen Li seemed somewhat tempted.
"If you pledge allegiance to me, I will reward you with even greater rewards than the Crown Prince. When I ascend to the throne, I will appoint Gu Chang'an as Grand Secretary, bringing you and your wife unparalleled glory." Prince Yi's words were indeed sincere.
"My husband and I are not worthy of your kindness or ability, and we are afraid that we cannot be of any help to Your Highness." There was a hint of wavering in Shen Li's eyes, but she still refused.
"Well, no wonder they say you scholars are all stubborn." King Yi said this, but he wasn't surprised at all.
The Shen family has always been like this; if they actually agree to his request, they'll suspect something's amiss.
However, he sincerely hoped that Shen Li would agree. With such a strategist and a minister like Gu Chang'an, how could they not succeed?
"Your Highness is too kind; I am unworthy of such a position," Shen Li said politely and modestly.
"I'll say it again, Madam Gu, do you really not want to leave your family a way out?" Prince Yi saw her hesitation and continued, "If you can promise to help me when I need it, I might consider letting you go this time."
"Otherwise, even if I can't defeat the Crown Prince for the time being, surely I can take down a mere Grand Secretary and the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review?" His words were full of threat.
“This…” Shen Li’s eyes showed obvious worry when her family was mentioned.
The King of Chess pressed his advantage and immediately lowered his demands: "Just once, I only need you to help me once, and then our score will be wiped clean."
Once you've been hooked in this kind of thing, it's not so easy to get out.
"Is what Your Highness said true?" Shen Li was completely shaken upon hearing this.
“Of course, my word is my bond.” King Yi suppressed the smug look in his eyes and poured Shen Li another cup of hot tea: “Since Madam Gu is so adept at adapting to circumstances, I must retract my previous statement.”
Shen Li gave an awkward laugh.
"Then it's settled. If I need anything, my lady, please don't refuse." Prince Yi wanted to confirm whether Shen Li was playing a trick on him.
Shen Li seemed to have mustered a lot of courage before speaking: "Your Highness, I now know of an opportunity that I wanted to share with His Highness the Crown Prince. Would you like to hear it?"
"Oh?" King Yi hadn't expected to make such a good start so soon, and his interest was piqued: "Tell me about it."
"Has Your Highness learned of the unusual activity in the Northern Liang?" Shen Li asked.
"Yes, Flying Fish Guard Zhao Jing secretly reported to Father that the Great Liang is secretly transporting grain to the border, which may indicate that war is imminent." Prince Yi indicated that he understood.
"How likely do you think war is, Your Highness?"
Without hesitation, King Yi replied, "We must fight this time. The Great Liang has been planning this for a long time, and they have wanted to attack our Great Zhao for more than just a day or two."
"Has Your Highness ever considered using the war to bolster your prestige?"
"You want me to go and supervise the battle?" Prince Yi immediately denied it: "No, not to mention that my father would not allow a prince to lead troops outside, even if I could go, wouldn't it be a permanent stain if we lost?"
Shen Li deeply understood why the war in her previous life had ended so badly, because even the vassal king didn't care about the war situation and only cared about his own interests.
How can such a court be saved?
"Your Highness is mistaken. What I am offering is an opportunity, not a risk." Shen Li kept everyone in suspense and continued, "I visited my maternal grandfather's house a couple of days ago and saw a new type of firearm with extremely powerful firepower."
"Firearms?" Only then did the King of Yi look at her properly, as if he had realized something.
"It was newly developed by General Lin's daughter, Lin Wan'er. From what my cousin and grandfather said, if this firearm is used properly, we will surely win a great victory in this battle," Shen Li said vividly.
The King of Chess couldn't contain his excitement; it truly was a great opportunity.
"If Your Highness can obtain this new type of firearm and request His Majesty to order its manufacture, a great victory in this battle will greatly enhance Your Highness's prestige."
“Even if we are defeated in this battle, it will be the fault of the general at the front. Your Highness has done your best for the people and will surely earn the reputation of a wise king.” Shen Li narrowed her eyes slightly: “You will not lose out no matter what.”