Chapter 11 The Prince's Helplessness
"I have asked Qingfeng to go to the capital first to investigate this matter." Ye Qingyu said.
"Well, this matter is of great importance, so you must be cautious. Behind you is Northwest City and your father, and your every move will have far-reaching implications." King Shi reminded Ye Qingyu earnestly.
"My father... I'm afraid he won't agree with me and Qing Yi being together." Ye Qingyu's expression was gloomy and his voice became low.
He knew better than anyone that, despite his hot temper, his father doted on him immensely, especially since he had been poisoned since childhood, and his father had been incredibly worried about him. If he ever caused his father any grief over this, he would undoubtedly feel incredibly guilty and uncomfortable.
"Your father's side is easy to deal with. Even if he is angry, he will not really make things difficult for you. But have you ever thought about how you would respond if the emperor threatened the safety of your father or Northwest City and forced you to agree to this marriage?" Prince Shi asked a question that was difficult for Ye Qingyu to answer with a burning gaze.
"..." Upon hearing this, Ye Qingyu was stunned. He had indeed been too simplistic before, only thinking about expressing his feelings to the Emperor. Even if it meant giving up his status as a prince, he would never agree to the marriage. But if it was really as Prince Shi said, how could he disregard his father and the safety of Northwest City?
"Uncle, was it because of these reasons that you married the concubine back then?" Ye Qingyu hesitated for a long time, and finally asked out the question that had been in his heart for a long time.
"Alas! Yes, when you are in the royal family, some things are hard to resist even if you are unwilling. This royal identity is not something you can give up easily. We are just a part of the royal power." The voice of King Shi was different from the usual indifference. There was an extra vicissitude and helplessness in his voice, as if this sigh could spit out the bitterness of the past twenty years.
"But uncle, you met Sect Leader Mo, who is tolerant and can accept you taking a princess. But Qing Yi is different from Sect Leader Mo. If I marry a princess, Qing Yi will definitely not tolerate it." Ye Qingyu understood Qing Yi and expressed his concerns.
"Haha, a patient character?" Upon hearing this, Prince Shi let out a wry smile, almost self-deprecating. Back then, he'd thought that as long as he treated Mo Qitian well enough, even if he married a concubine, she'd be nothing more than a decoration. But what happened? Mo Qitian was indeed patient, neither making a scene nor getting angry. But after saying "never see you again," he resolutely left.
At this moment, Prince Shi couldn't help but wonder to himself, if Mo Qitian had clearly expressed his opposition at that time, would he still insist on marrying the concubine?
Ye Qingyu looked at King Shi, and in a trance, she seemed to see some disappointment on his face.
"Uncle?" Ye Qingyu called softly, pulling King Shi back from his thoughts.
"Since you have made up your mind and do not want to accept the arranged marriage, then tell Qing Yi honestly and you must reach an agreement. No matter what purpose the emperor has in granting this marriage, it is ultimately to consolidate the imperial power. If you cannot satisfy him on this matter, then you should work hard to do better in other things. In this way, the emperor will weigh the pros and cons." Prince Shi gave advice with a steady look. Twenty years was enough to give him more wisdom.
"Thank you, uncle. I understand." Ye Qingyu bowed his head to express his gratitude. The issue that had been weighing on his mind finally had a breakthrough.
Prince Shi was absolutely right. If he directly disobeyed the Emperor's will, he would most likely anger the Emperor, bringing unforeseen troubles to his father, Northwest City, and even Qingyi. Although the current Emperor doted on him, even more than he did on most other princes, the Emperor's power was unpredictable. Who could guarantee that this wouldn't lead to disaster?
"Hey! Xiaoye, what are you thanking King Shi for?" Qingyi and his master had just finished exchanging moves, and ran to Xiaoye excitedly, and happened to hear Ye Qingyu thanking King Shi.
"Have you finished practicing? How do you feel?" Ye Qingyu did not directly answer Qing Yi's question. He felt that this matter needed to be discussed with Qing Yi alone at a suitable time.
"It feels so comfortable! I feel like my internal strength has improved a lot!" Qing Yi was overjoyed to hear Xiao Ye's caring words, and didn't care at all why Ye Qingyu didn't respond to his question.
"Well, we will be heading towards the capital tomorrow. You should ask Master Mo for advice on how to practice inner cultivation on a daily basis." Ye Qingyu instructed.
"I know, Xiaoye. I really want to get to the capital as soon as possible. Don't forget what you promised me before, to get me some agarwood wine from the palace." Qingyi loves drinking and is obsessed with the three famous wines of Da Chu.
In his opinion, the Feixia wine from the Northwest Prince's Palace, thanks to his relationship with Xiaoye, was no different from his own. Of course, that was assuming he ignored the Northwest Prince, who didn't like him very much. He had already tasted the Linglongzui from Jiangnan three years ago. Now, the only thing missing was the Chenxiang from the Great Chu Palace. He was truly curious about what that wine tasted like.
In fact, Qing Yi had somewhat forgotten that he had already drunk the palace's agarwood three years ago. Back then, the Emperor of Chu had gone to great lengths to find the Seven Juice Herb from overseas to detoxify Ye Qingyu. It was soaked in agarwood and escorted all the way to Prince Shi's residence by the Emperor's chief eunuch, Eunuch Lin. But Qing Yi had secretly drunk the whole thing.
Ye Qingyu looked at Qingyi. He was actually still yearning for the palace. She really didn't know if he would still have such thoughts after she told him that the emperor intended to grant them a marriage.
Ye Qingyu made up his mind that after he parted with King Shi and Master Mo tomorrow, he would find a suitable opportunity to explain the matter in detail to Qingyi.
"Master, have you ever been to the capital before? Have you ever drunk agarwood?" Qing Yi turned to ask Mo Qitian out of curiosity.
In his opinion, given the relationship between his master and King Shi, he should have been to the palace. After all, as a prince, King Shi was closer to the imperial power than Prince Xiaoye.
Mo Qitian remained silent, but Prince Shi, upon hearing Qing Yi's question, fell into deep thought. "When my father was alive, he issued a hunting order for Mo Qitian. Anyone who set foot in the territory of Great Chu would be killed. Later, even after my brother ascended the throne, he didn't rescind this order. I almost forgot about it and even allowed Mo Qitian to live in Prince Shi's mansion. Even though the current Emperor of Chu hasn't mentioned this matter again, as long as this imperial order remains, it's definitely not good for Mo Qitian."
Mo Qitian didn't want to pay attention to this noisy disciple, but seeing Prince Shi's expression constantly changing, he knew that he was daydreaming again, so he had to say, "Qingyi, when you arrive in the capital, you must listen to the young prince's words. Don't talk nonsense, and don't act too arrogantly."
"Oh, Master, don't worry. With your disciple's handsome appearance and great abilities, maybe even Emperor Chu would praise me when he sees me!" Qing Yi said proudly with confidence.
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