Chapter 395 Contest

The late emperor considered himself invincible and fearless, not afraid of a dead person. He knew of the existence of this statue, but did not arrange for its destruction.

Instead, the statue that guarded the Zong Zheng family's kingdom was buried underground to watch how he seized the Zong Zheng family's kingdom and how he continued to build on it and expand the Chu family's kingdom even further.

The only person the late emperor was afraid of was the crown prince of the previous dynasty.

He was afraid that Chang Yuan would make a comeback and overthrow his dynasty.

Therefore, the remnants of the previous dynasty were wiped out.

Decades passed, and neither the previous emperor nor the Northern Qi emperor could find any trace of Chang Yuan.

Now that Chang Yuan has sent out the signal of restoring the country, it is likely to make the Emperor of Northern Qi even more uneasy.

As expected, as the two former ministers had predicted, the Northern Qi Emperor widened his eyes in fear when he heard the results of the investigation reported by the Imperial Teacher. He said, "He Qing, I didn't hear you clearly. Please say it again."

"This humble official and the commander of the Imperial Guard conducted a thorough investigation at the scene. We also questioned palace maids who had served in both dynasties and went to the library to look up historical records from the previous dynasty. We did learn some of the inside story."

The Imperial Preceptor looked at the pale-faced Northern Qi Emperor and said in a gentle voice, "The statues in Chengtian Hall were created by the previous dynasty's Emperor Taizu, who recruited extraordinary talents. They stood in Chengtian Hall to protect the previous dynasty. When the previous dynasty fell, the king buried the statues underground."

At this point, the Imperial Master paused for a moment before continuing, "The only one who knows the mechanism is the former Crown Prince. Apart from him, no one else can activate it and raise the statue from the ground."

The Emperor of Northern Qi was terrified. He felt a chill crawling up his neck and his heart sank.

The imperial teacher's words undoubtedly told him that the prince of the previous dynasty was right beside him.

The Northern Qi Emperor broke out in a cold sweat. "He Qing, capture him as soon as possible." He squeezed out a word from between his teeth: "I will tear him into pieces."

"Your Majesty, the former Crown Prince's men are deeply entrenched in the court. I'm afraid I can't find them so quickly on my own." The Imperial Preceptor said, "Please send a few more people to search together."

The first person that the Emperor of Northern Qi thought of was the King of Qi, but the next moment he remembered that the King of Qi had been beaten with a stick and was still recuperating in his mansion.

The faces of all the civil and military officials flashed through his mind one by one. Whenever he found a suitable candidate, he couldn't help but think of what the imperial teacher had said about the power that the crown prince of the previous dynasty had rooted in the court.

No matter how honest and loyal the ministers looked, they instantly became hateful in his eyes, and he suspected that they were the men of the former prince.

The Emperor of Northern Qi sadly discovered that apart from the Imperial Preceptor and the Prince of Qi, he had no one else to rely on.

Suddenly, he thought of Zhao Yi.

Although this son is loyal to the Great Zhou, he will not be bribed by the prince of the previous dynasty and overthrow his own dynasty.

We are just searching for the remnants of the previous dynasty, and once any trace is found, we must send troops to kill them.

In this case, he would give Zhao Yi a military mobilization order.

When it came to military power, the Emperor of Northern Qi still had some concerns in his heart, but thinking of the knife hanging over his head, which was already on his neck, he finally made up his mind and ordered people to invite Zhao Yi into the palace.

Then he said to the imperial teacher, "You have been busy all day. Go home and rest early."

The imperial tutor realized that the Emperor of Northern Qi was asking him to stay away.

Ever since rumors spread that the Northern Qi Emperor was incompetent, the Northern Qi Emperor no longer consulted him on many political affairs, but instead imitated his style of doing things.

The imperial teacher took his leave and returned home.

Zhao Yi, led by a palace servant, arrived at the Yangxin Palace and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you."

The Northern Qi Emperor frowned slightly, his gaze fixed on Zhao Yi's face, his expression normal. He showed neither the awe of meeting an emperor nor the respect of an elder.

Now Zhao Yi has returned to his ancestral home, and till now, he has never changed his way of calling him father.

He clearly knew that he was not feeling well, but he didn't even say a word of greeting.

The Northern Qi Emperor asked, "Do you know what happened in the palace today?"

Zhao Yi said, "I've heard a little bit about it."

The Emperor of Northern Qi did not have much affection for this son who did not grow up in his presence, and he only schemed and exploited him.

But now, seeing Zhao Yi's dull expression, showing neither admiration nor flattery towards him, he felt a surge of anger in his heart for no reason.

But now he only had this son who could be used, so he had to suppress his anger: "Tell me what you have to say."

Zhao Yi looked at the haggard Northern Qi Emperor and asked, "Your Majesty, what do you think the remnants of the previous dynasty are trying to accomplish by bringing out the statue?"

The Northern Qi Emperor sneered: "It's nothing more than a threat to me."

"That's one reason." Zhao Yi added fuel to the fire. "Secondly, the statue of the former Emperor Taizu has been unearthed, signaling the return of the former Crown Prince. The purpose is to rally the former dynasty's former subordinates."

The Northern Qi Emperor had a gloomy expression.

Zhao Yi stopped talking. The Emperor of Northern Qi was suspicious by nature, and if he spoke too much, it might backfire.

He laid out the pros and cons. Given the Northern Qi Emperor's fear of the previous prince, the more he thought about it, the more afraid he would become, and he would take action.

As expected, the Northern Qi Emperor spoke: "I give you a military mobilization order. You are free to mobilize the troops from the garrisons. Within one month, find the lair of the remnants of the previous dynasty and eliminate them."

Zhao Yi did not agree, but proposed a condition: "My mother's birthday is coming soon. As a son, I should go to her grave to pay my respects to her."

The Northern Qi Emperor declined, "Your mother has been canonized as a noble concubine. I have built a separate mausoleum for her, but she has not yet been buried. Please set up a simple memorial tablet for her in the palace."

Zhao Yi remained silent.

How could the Emperor of Northern Qi not know that Zhao Yi was making an offer?

He was furious, but he couldn't do anything to Zhao Yi.

After all, the crown prince of the previous dynasty was plotting to restore the country. If he dealt with Zhao Yi, he would be at odds with the Great Zhou. If the Great Zhou assisted the crown prince of the previous dynasty, he would be attacked from both inside and outside.

"I will move your mother's spirit tablet to the imperial mausoleum. On her birthday, you will go to the mausoleum to pay your respects." The Northern Qi emperor compromised and handed a mobilization order to Zhao Yi, "Withdraw."

Zhao Yi was not satisfied with the result, but he did not contradict the Emperor of Northern Qi. He pursed his lips and left without saying a word with the troop mobilization order.

The Emperor of Northern Qi took in Zhao Yi's gloomy expression and sneered, thinking that his arm could not twist his thigh after all.

As Zhao Yi left the Yangxin Palace, the expression on his face faded, and he returned to his usual calm demeanor. His previous behavior was only intended to ease the Northern Qi Emperor's vigilance.

If he agreed without hesitation, the Northern Qi Emperor would be on guard and send people to keep a close eye on them on his mother's birthday, which would make it inconvenient for them to act.

Zhao Yi took a carriage back to the Prince of Guangling's Mansion and went straight to Lanxue Garden.

Shen Qingtan was worried about Zhao Yi, and was afraid that the Northern Qi Emperor would make things difficult for him. Seeing Zhao Yi come back with ease, he breathed a sigh of relief: "Second Master, has His Majesty agreed that we can go to pay respects to my mother-in-law?"

Zhao Yi said, "It doesn't matter whether he agrees or not. We are not only on guard against him, but also the Imperial Master."

The imperial teacher was in control of the overall situation and took every step carefully, pushing him to his current position.

Compared with the Emperor of Northern Qi, the Imperial Preceptor is the biggest obstacle.

Zhao Yi held the troop mobilization talisman in his palm and curled the corners of his lips: "We can just use the opponent's force to counterattack."

Whether he can get his mother's remains depends on this time.