Chapter 130 What if he faked his death?

Lunch was served in the pavilion by the water in the flower hall. Although Shen Qingci was hungry, she had no appetite. Since returning to the manor yesterday, she had been in a daze and knew nothing except what the guards had reported to her.

Chu Jichen noticed her absent-mindedness and didn't say anything. He simply served her food quietly until she put down her chopsticks and bowl before standing up and saying, "Let's go."

Once again, as she boarded the carriage heading to the palace, Shen Qingci's state of mind was completely different from yesterday.

Inside the carriage, she frowned and hesitated for a long time before finally speaking tentatively, "Your Highness, there is something I don't understand."

"Hmm?" Chu Jichen raised his eyes, gesturing for her to continue.

"Emperor Yongming is so incompetent that he dared to commit such despicable acts against the women of the court at a palace banquet, and even uttered wild words, regarding all women in the world as playthings. Moreover, his collusion with Prime Minister Liu to plot against you and his desire to seize back imperial power are already obvious."

Shen Qingci's eyes flashed with a sharp light: "Why not take this opportunity to spread his absurd remarks from yesterday verbatim? Let all the people and officials see what kind of unworthy monarch they are serving!"

"At that time, public resentment will boil over, and the court and the country will be shaken. Your Highness, holding the regency power bestowed by the late emperor, can completely follow the will of the people, emulate the coup of the previous dynasty, and propose to depose the incompetent emperor and establish a new one!"

The more she spoke, the more feasible the plan seemed. She paused slightly and pondered for a moment: "Your Highness can select a young member of the royal family whose maternal clan is slightly more powerful and can rival Prime Minister Liu, and support him to ascend the throne."

"In this way, we can not only get rid of Emperor Yongming, this scourge, in a legitimate way, but also use the power of the new emperor's maternal clan to restrain Prime Minister Liu and bring new checks and balances to the court."

"Even if... even if the attempt to depose the emperor faces too much resistance and fails, publicizing Emperor Yongming's scandals will still make him completely lose the people's hearts!"

After she finished speaking, she looked at Chu Jichen with anticipation.

Chu Jichen listened quietly, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes, but in the end he still slowly shook his head.

Shen Qingci was taken aback, thinking that he thought this move was too dangerous. After all, the words "deposed emperor" meant a bloody storm in any dynasty.

Unexpectedly, Chu Jichen spoke, but what he said was a completely different story.

"Qingqing's plan is ruthless, but it's also... too idealistic." His voice was calm, yet it carried a clear understanding of the world. "You underestimated the complexity of people's hearts and overestimated the power of public opinion."

"Ordinary people don't care about the name of the person sitting on the dragon throne, nor whether he is incompetent or absurd. What they care about is whether the taxes are heavy, whether they have enough food at home, and whether they can live a peaceful life free from the suffering of war."

"Since Emperor Yongming ascended the throne, although he neglected state affairs, he did not issue any decrees that burdened the people and wasted resources."

"I am the regent of this land, and all decrees originate from the Regent's Palace. What the people see is peace and prosperity under the Regent's rule."

Chu Jichen's lips curled into a mocking smile: "Under these circumstances, if you publicize his scandalous affairs of indulging in beauty and moral depravity, the people will at most treat it as gossip and amusement. How many people would actually risk rebellion and rise up for a lustful emperor?"

“They won’t,” he said confidently. “In fact, if we use some extreme measures to incite public opinion and forcibly drag them into this turmoil of the change of imperial power, the only person they will hate is the one who disrupted their peaceful lives—that is, me, the regent.”

Upon hearing this, Shen Qingci felt as if he had been struck by lightning and instantly calmed down.

Yes, she was ultimately looking at things from the perspective of a young woman confined to her chambers.

She only saw the emperor's tyranny, but ignored the complex web of interests behind it.

Chu Jichen is right; what the people want is peace and stability.

As long as people have enough to eat and wear, who would be willing to gamble their life and fortune on a vague and uncertain scheme to purge the emperor's inner circle?

She couldn't help but feel a little deflated: "Then... should we just let him continue to act recklessly like this?"

"Of course not." Chu Jichen looked at her, a sly smile flashing in his eyes. "As I just said, if something happens to the people and court officials, they will only blame me, the regent. So... what if I stop being regent?"

Shen Qingci suddenly raised her head, her eyes filled with astonishment: "What does Your Highness mean by this?"

Chu Jichen's smile deepened. He slowly leaned closer to her, lowered his voice, and said, word by word, "If... while I am protecting you, I am unfortunately attacked by assassins, seriously injured, and fall into a coma."

“Or…” he drawled, a crazed and dangerous glint in his eyes, “...what if we just… faked our deaths?”

“A dead regent, naturally… no longer needs to act as regent.”

Shen Qingci felt as if the blood in her body had frozen instantly!

suspended animation!

This word was so familiar to her, yet so jarring!

But when she calmed down and thought it over carefully, she had to admit that Chu Jichen's desperate, do-or-die approach was truly... brilliant!

Emperor Yongming had long desired to rule in his own right, and Chancellor Liu was also ambitious.

The reason they are able to temporarily unite is because of Chu Jichen, a common and powerful enemy.

But once Chu Jichen, the biggest threat, suddenly "disappears" and returns power to Emperor Yongming, the political landscape of the court will inevitably undergo earth-shattering changes!

Having finally regained imperial power, Emperor Yongming would certainly do everything in his power to firmly grasp it and never allow anyone else to touch it.

But how could Prime Minister Liu be content to be merely a minister who assists a foolish ruler?

He will inevitably try to undermine the imperial power and turn Emperor Yongming into a puppet in his hands!

At that time, their fragile alliance will inevitably crumble instantly, and a new and even more brutal internal struggle will be inevitable!

Chu Jichen could then withdraw from the game, hide in the shadows, and watch the two sides fight it out. When they were both exhausted, he would then seize the opportunity to conquer the land with overwhelming force!

"This plan... is brilliant!" Shen Qingci couldn't help but exclaim, her gaze towards Chu Jichen filled with unprecedented appreciation and admiration.

Just as she was about to say something, Chu Jichen laughed again. The sharpness and scheming he had shown earlier vanished instantly, and he returned to his gentle and doting demeanor.

"Don't worry," he said softly, "this is only a last resort. I won't use it unless absolutely necessary."

Shen Qingci was taken aback: "Why not use it?"

Chu Jichen looked at her, his eyes full of tenderness.

She was still young and inexperienced; how could he bear to part with her?

Chu Jichen's lips curved into a smile, but his words were different: "After all, I have only just married my queen and haven't had enough of our honeymoon. I can't bear to... die like this."