northernbook Chapter 412 Are you willing?
Chapter 412 Are you willing?
Marquis Shou'an was silent for a moment, then met King Qi's eyes: "His Majesty only has three sons. If you withdraw from the struggle for the throne, then His Majesty will support the virtuous king."
"The feud between Consort Shu and her son and you has been brewing for a long time. Now that the Prince Xian has ascended the throne, we will all be doomed."
"However, the Prince of Guangling is a variable. The power behind him is too great, and His Majesty may not be able to support the Prince of Xian to ascend the throne as he wishes. If the throne is inherited by the Prince of Guangling, we can all live in peace."
Having said that, Marquis Shou'an observed King Qi's expression and asked, "Are you willing to give up everything here and leave for your fiefdom?"
"What if I'm willing? What if I'm not?" King Qi retorted, "Do I have any other choice?"
From as far back as he can remember, people have said that he will become the emperor of Northern Qi.
He firmly believed this, and spent ten years meticulously planning for the position of crown prince.
With Consort Shu and her son fallen from power, he will be the only choice for Crown Prince. He is just waiting for his father's death before he dons the dragon robe and ascends the throne.
But now his mother tells him that he is not the crown prince, and that he must give up everything within his grasp and go to his fiefdom to live a peaceful and ordinary life. Is he willing to accept this? No, he is not!
He and his mother had different ideas; rather than entrusting their lives to others, they preferred to keep them in their own hands.
Only when he ascends to the throne can the mother and son rest easy.
However, he was wary of the power behind Zhao Yi and feared that if he confronted Zhao Yi head-on, his secret about his origins would be exposed, which would implicate his mother.
So what can you do if you're unwilling to accept it?
He had no choice.
Besides, he had promised his mother that he would listen to her.
Marquis Shou'an was surprised that King Qi would say such a thing, given King Qi's volatile temper and impulsive nature. He never thought things through, only seeking momentary pleasure and gratification, without considering the consequences.
Now that the King of Qi has learned about his true parentage, it is truly remarkable that he can remain calm and concerned about his ministers who support him.
He must have suffered a setback, which has made him more composed.
Thinking of this, Marquis Shou'an's expression turned solemn. Those who supported the King of Qi were not limited to his own family; the number of people involved with vested interests was far too wide. The King of Qi was only one step away from ascending the throne.
It wasn't easy for him to persuade those people to give up.
After all, he couldn't reveal the true identity of the King of Qi.
Even if he revealed the true identity of the King of Qi, that group of people would not give up.
Now that things have developed to this point, whether or not the Prince of Qi is the crown prince is no longer important. He may not be, but he has to be.
"Your Highness, please don't worry too much. Just focus on recovering. I'll make further plans after I request permission to see the Empress." Marquis Shou'an comforted him before getting up and leaving for the Imperial Study to request permission from the Emperor of Northern Qi.
When the Emperor of Northern Qi heard about the assassination of the Prince of Qi, he was furious and ordered an investigation. Soon after, upon hearing that the Marquis of Shou'an had come to request an audience with the Empress, the Emperor granted his request without much thought and assigned Eunuch Liu to him.
Marquis Shou'an thanked the emperor for his grace and then went to Chang Le Palace.
After the Marquis of Shou'an left, the King of Qi instructed his palace attendants to go to the Prince of Guangling's residence to invite Zhao Yi to visit him.
The eunuchs responded and immediately went to the Prince of Guangling's residence to invite Zhao Yi to the palace.
When Zhao Yi arrived at the Prince of Qi's residence, the prince had developed a fever again, was delirious, and somewhat disoriented. Zhao Yi stood quietly by the bedside, his gaze fixed on the prince's injured shoulder, seemingly lost in thought.
“Your Majesty.” Prince Qi opened his aching eyes with difficulty and looked at Zhao Yi by the bedside: “I have invited you here today because there is something I want to discuss with you.”
Zhao Yi's brow twitched slightly when he heard the King of Qi address him. He naturally knew that the King of Qi wouldn't be so naive as to invite him to the palace to visit him when they didn't have much of a relationship.
This is just a pretext; they probably want something from you.
The way they address him has changed, which shows that he has high expectations.
Zhao Yi said gently, "You are seriously injured and should take good care of your health. Other matters should be put aside for the time being."
"I am perfectly healthy. I sent someone to invite you here specifically because I have an important matter to ask you." Prince Qi mustered his spirits and said in a low voice, "Guangning is getting married the day after tomorrow. Do you wish to escort her to her wedding?"
Zhao Yi frowned slightly, understanding the hidden meaning in the King of Qi's words. He asked if the King wanted to return to the Great Zhou: "Your injuries won't heal in a short time. I'm leaving your duties to you, and I'm afraid I won't have the time to go and escort the bride."