Chapter 257 Your humble servant thanks Your Majesty for your great favor
Emperor Yongming's eyes widened, not understanding why Chu Jichen would refuse after he had already offered such terms.
Chu Jichen said calmly, "I've already said it, I have no interest in your empire."
This turbulent empire, must it be shared with Emperor Yongming?
Moreover, one cannot believe a single word spoken by someone like Emperor Yongming.
He looked at Emperor Yongming with sharp eyes: "And Your Majesty comes to me at this time, making such a demand, asking my private army to fight Liu Wenyuan's troops to the death? Your Majesty's plan is probably to make both Liu Wenyuan and me suffer heavy losses, so that Your Majesty can reap the benefits."
"I am sorry, but I cannot comply."
Emperor Yongming felt a little guilty; he had indeed been thinking about this before.
But he would never admit it.
He was about to retort when Chu Jichen spoke first.
“Even if His Majesty didn’t have such intentions, I still wouldn’t agree. Although I have no intention of sharing the world with His Majesty, I must keep my private army.”
"After all, Your Majesty should also know that during my three years as regent, I have offended many people and made countless enemies. If I were to relinquish my power, there would certainly be people who would try every means to come after me and seek revenge."
"It's one thing for me to have a broken life, but now I have people I want to protect."
"So, it's fine if Your Majesty wants to use my private troops to search for Liu Wenyuan's whereabouts."
"However, it is impossible to send my men to fight Liu Wenyuan's troops to the death."
Emperor Yongming gritted his teeth: "Is my imperial uncle just going to watch the Great Zhou dynasty perish like this?"
Chu Jichen asked in bewilderment, "Why would the Great Zhou dynasty be destroyed?"
Emperor Yongming stamped his foot: "I don't know when Liu Wenyuan's troops started training, or how they were trained. They are as cunning as eels, impossible to catch, and they keep teasing the Imperial Guards."
Chu Jichen lifted his eyelids and chuckled, "Then why don't you just not try to catch them? Your Majesty, you are in the palace now, and the palace is safe. The fact that they want to play a cat-and-mouse game means that they are quite familiar with the terrain of the city. You just stay in the palace and don't play along with them, isn't that enough?"
How could Emperor Yongming not know?
"But they have besieged the palace!"
His voice was urgent, and his eyes held a hint of confusion: "I was thinking, since Liu Wenyuan's men have besieged the palace, and your men happen to be outside the city, Uncle, then perhaps..."
Emperor Yongming gritted his teeth: "Why not have your troops join forces with the palace guards to launch a coordinated attack from the inside? That way, we can trap Liu Wenyuan's troops in the middle, leaving him with no way to escape."
Chu Jichen stroked the patterns on the armrest of the wheelchair, remained silent for a long time, and then raised his eyes again: "It is not impossible for Your Majesty to coordinate an attack from within and without."
Emperor Yongming's eyes lit up. He knew, of course, that such words were often followed by certain conditions.
It's better that Chu Jichen can negotiate terms than that he's too lazy to even negotiate.
Emperor Yongming hurriedly asked, "What does Imperial Uncle want?"
Chu Jichen twitched the corner of his mouth, turned to look at Shen Qingci, and smiled with unusual affection and remorse: "General Shen is innocent. The entire Shen family died unjustly. His Majesty should already know about this and have no objection, right?"
"Of course!" Emperor Yongming said almost without hesitation: "It was all Huo Yunzhan and Liu Wenyuan's doing. They framed and slandered General Shen!"
Emperor Yongming seemed to only now realize what was happening, his eyes widening as he exclaimed, "I know! Liu Wenyuan must have been plotting rebellion all along!"
"He felt that General Shen was a man of unparalleled talent and unwavering loyalty, and that he was an obstacle on his path of rebellion, which is why he plotted to get rid of General Shen!"
Chu Jichen smiled enigmatically: "Your Majesty has finally come to your senses."
His gaze was indifferent: "My condition is very simple: immediately, at once, issue an edict to exonerate the Shen family, announce it to the world, lift the seal on the Shen residence, and restore their original official positions."
"Reinstate him to his original position? A promotion of three ranks wouldn't be a problem!" Emperor Yongming said hastily, but then hesitated, "But...should we issue the decree now?"
Chu Jichen nodded, his voice leaving no room for argument: "Issue the decree now. I will order the troops to be dispatched whenever you finish writing the imperial edict."
Seeing Chu Jichen's insistence, Emperor Yongming did not hesitate and immediately ordered, "Bring pen and ink! I will personally draft the decree!"
Even if an imperial edict is written, it will only take effect after the current crisis is resolved.
He won't lose out no matter what.
The eunuch hurriedly brought over the imperial edict and writing materials, and Emperor Yongming wrote it down with great speed.
Shen Qingci watched him write, and quickly exchanged a glance with Chu Jichen, a subtle smile curving their lips.
After Emperor Yongming finished writing, he heavily stamped the imperial seal on the edict and handed it over: "Uncle, take a look, is this feasible?"
Chu Jichen glanced at it and nodded: "Besides that, I have one more condition."
Emperor Yongming was somewhat irritated. This cripple Chu Jichen, was he still not done with it?
Although he thought this in his heart, he remained outwardly calm and simply smiled and said, "Please speak, Imperial Uncle."
Chu Jichen rolled up the imperial edict and casually handed it to Shen Qingci, who was standing beside him: "My princess is General Shen's daughter. The Shen family suffered an injustice, and the entire family died innocently. My princess has always wanted to personally kill the enemy and then offer the enemy's head at General Shen's grave to comfort the spirits of the Shen family in heaven."
"What is Your Majesty's opinion?"
Emperor Yongming let out a long sigh of relief. So, that was all the conditions he was given.
That's easy to handle, isn't it?
If Shen Qingci could capture Liu Wenyuan, she would kill him herself if she wanted to; she could do whatever she wanted with him.
Anyway, that old bastard Liu Wenyuan deserved to die!
Emperor Yongming's gaze was deep, and he simply nodded emphatically: "Of course, I grant it!"
Shen Qingci seemed somewhat flattered, her face showing joy. She immediately walked around from behind Chu Jichen's wheelchair, knelt down in front of Emperor Yongming, and said, "On behalf of my father and all the members of the Shen family, I thank Your Majesty for your great kindness!"
Emperor Yongming was startled and subconsciously looked at Chu Jichen.
There is no doubt that Chu Jichen dotes on Shen Qingci.
Moreover, according to seniority, Shen Qingci is now his imperial aunt.
Shen Qingci's sudden and grand gesture of respect, especially in front of Chu Jichen, would surely displease Chu Jichen, whose mind is so dark and twisted.
As Emperor Yongming was thinking, he saw Chu Jichen frown.
Emperor Yongming stepped forward almost without hesitation, reaching out to help her up: "Imperial Aunt, please rise quickly, you mustn't..."
Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly saw a flash of cold light before his eyes...
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