On the way back, the wind and snow gradually stopped.

Qin Zhao did not ask anyone to follow him. After having lunch in the temple, he rode back to the capital alone. On the way, he told Jing Li everything he had just said with the little emperor.

After Jing Li heard what he said, he asked doubtfully, "That's it?"

"What else do you want?" Qin Zhao held the wooden barrel containing the little koi in his arms, holding the reins with one hand, and walked slowly on the mountain path.

"It always feels too simple..." The little koi fish swam back and forth in the wooden barrel, digesting its food, its soft tail fin swaying slightly. "Isn't his role as emperor too pathetic?"

Although he had heard from Qin Zhao what the former emperor looked like beforehand, he still couldn't believe it after seeing it with his own eyes. After all, he was the king of a country, and it was too strange for him to be manipulated like this.

Thinking of this, Jing Li began to reflect on whether he was too hostile towards the little emperor.

Qin Zhao had intended to retire, but he was assassinated and poisoned not long after. If these things were made public, anyone would suspect the young emperor.

Do these things really have nothing to do with the little emperor?

"We will know the truth sooner or later." Qin Zhao said lightly.

Jing Li felt that there seemed to be a deeper meaning in his words and asked, "Do you also think that the little emperor is not telling the truth?"

Qin Zhao: "There is no evidence, it's just speculation."

The little koi fish wagged its tail at him: "Then just guess."

"Okay, let me guess." Qin Zhao smiled, but then asked, "If you were the young emperor, and you found that the regent, who should have died, suddenly appeared before you, how would you react?"

"Hmm..." Jing Li thought for a moment and said, "If the Regent's death was related to me, I would probably be very scared."

Qin Zhao asked, "What are you afraid of?"

"I'm afraid of his revenge," Jing Li said. "Think about it, from the young emperor's perspective, he was on a long journey today and encountered a mountain road that blocked him. He arrived at the dilapidated temple without many guards and ran into his old enemy. He must have thought it was premeditated, right? If it were me, I would definitely be terrified."

Qin Zhao lowered his head and looked at him thoughtfully.

"What, what's wrong?" The little koi tilted his head back. "Am I wrong?"

Qin Zhao shook his head: "No, you are right."

"I was just wondering when you became so smart."

The little koi fish was about to lift its tail, but after hearing this, it felt something was wrong: "Are you saying I was stupid before?"

Qin Zhao coughed lightly: "I didn't say that."

Jing Li snorted twice and didn't fall for his tricks.

Qin Zhao stopped joking and said sternly, "What you just said is correct, but think about it again. If what happened back then had nothing to do with him, what would he do?"

"What else can we do?" Jing Li didn't understand what he meant. "If your accident has nothing to do with him, he should be very happy to have you back. After all, he is now under the control of the Queen Mother, and he must be hoping that someone can come and break the deadlock."

Qin Zhao asked, "But how can he prove that this matter has nothing to do with him?"

Jing Li fell silent.

He vaguely understood the meaning of Qin Zhao's words.

"He is indeed afraid of me, but it's not necessarily because he's guilty." Qin Zhao sighed. "It's been six years. Now I'm afraid of him, and he's afraid of me too. He doesn't know why I came back or what my plans are. His behavior today is just because he's afraid that I'll take his life in a moment of impulse."

Qin Zhao made a lot of preparations for this audience with the emperor. In fact, in this matter, the little emperor was in the open and Qin Zhao was in the dark.

Faced with such an emergency, even Qin Zhao would not remain calm.