Chapter 128 Misplaced Trust "But you promised..."
"Don't you really want her?"
In the darkness, Jiang Yu could clearly hear the sound of his heart pounding. He knew very well that Jiang Jin's question was meant to provoke him, but he still couldn't suppress the impulse in his heart. The veins on his hands bulged as he unconsciously clenched them, and Jiang Yu's breathing gradually became heavy.
Jiang Jin sensed the change in the person in front of him, and a smile appeared on his lips. He was about to speak again when Jiang Yu grabbed his arms and then shouted, "Take down the King of Zhao!"
Dead servants appeared from all directions, and the candlelight before him gradually dimmed. As the numerous figures approached him, Jiang Jin couldn't help but burst into laughter: "Brother, do you really look down on me so much that you want to use everything I've done for you to benefit someone else!"
He shouted hysterically and laughed like a madman. Jiang Yu looked at him like this and a trace of pity flashed in his eyes.
It was this momentary lapse in concentration that allowed Jiang Jin to break free of his grasp. He stood backlit before the small table, flashing a bloodthirsty smile at Jiang Yu: "Men, seize them all for me!"
People who practice martial arts year-round are always extremely sensitive to any unusual movements around them. Jiang Yu's team of assassins is an extraordinary group of secret guards. Therefore, when he sensed the lurking aura around him, his eyes instantly sharpened.
"You've colluded with people in the martial arts world?"
His tone held both disbelief and a hint of hope, a hope that the King of Zhao would give him a different answer, but in the end, he was disappointed.
"Yes, otherwise, brother, how do you think I managed to bring this vast imperial city under my control in such a short time?"
Jiang Jin walked slowly toward Jiang Yu, seemingly oblivious to the surrounding confrontation. He suppressed the turbulent emotions in his heart, his lips twitching slightly: "Brother, you were born noble, a star of imperial destiny, you are destined to sit in that golden palace. We have come a long way, and I will not let you ruin everything because of a moment's lapse in judgment."
Just before he was completely suppressed, Jiang Yu heard Jiang Jin whisper in his ear: "Between power and beauty, as long as you want it, I will get it for you at any cost. If you can only choose one of the two, then don't blame your brother for making the choice for you."
The Shen family only produces one legitimate daughter in dozens of generations, but the position of Empress of the Great Xia has been held by someone in every generation.
When things quieted down outside, Shen Yujiao had no idea how long she had been locked in this secret room. Her fingertips curled slightly as she struggled to wake up from her daze. She had slept very restlessly.
King Zhao, as expected of someone cultivated by King Huan, was even more suspicious than King Huan himself. After listening to everything that happened outside the door, King Zhao ordered his men to turn the study upside down.
When the search reached the vicinity of the bookshelf, Shen Yujiao had already given up struggling. The discomfort of being in the secret room far outweighed her unease at being captured by the King of Zhao. If it weren't for the ever-burning lamps before the Buddha, she would never have been able to spend so much time here.
Whether it was fortunate or unfortunate, after searching the area, King Zhao found nothing. Listening to the chaotic footsteps outside, her heart was in turmoil. King Zhao had not found the entrance to the secret chamber, and he had left with King Huan, which meant that she could not expect Jiang Yu to open the door for her.
She memorized every word of the conversation between King Zhao and King Huan. The court was colluding with people from the martial arts world, and King Zhao's schemes were far too extensive. On the one hand, she felt ironic, and on the other hand, she couldn't help but worry.
Ironically, more than a decade ago, the court colluded with the Northern Barbarians to secure stability in the northern frontier, at the cost of countless loyal generals of the Great Xia Dynasty losing their lives on the battlefield. Now, the one in power has changed from the emperor to a prince, and the court is once again colluding with foreign enemies to disrupt internal affairs. It is unknown which loyal ministers and generals will perish this time.
The actions of the King of Zhao made Shen Yujiao wonder why he was so fearless. Was he truly driven mad by his brother? Or was her brief trust in Jiang Yu along the way just a charade put on by the two brothers?
If she had truly trusted Jiang Yu... Shen Yujiao shook her head. She still remembered what Jiang Yu had said: "Since I promised you, I will not break my word."
She didn't trust Jiang Yu, but she believed that Jiang Yu wouldn't break his promise to Shen Yujiao.
Her thoughts were too jumbled up, so much so that even her sleep was restless. Shen Yujiao groped her way up from the daybed and, sensing the silence outside the door, decided to search for an exit in the secret room.
Since they were able to get in, there's no reason why they shouldn't be able to get out.
This is an extremely simple secret room. Perhaps because it is built in the study, the secret room is not large. Apart from the half-wall Guanyin statue in the center and the offerings in front of the Buddha, the entire secret room is very simply furnished. There is only a simple Luohan bed for sleeping, and a small tea table.
Shen Yujiao got up and went to the tea table to pour herself a cup of water. Then she gently stroked the wall. Although it was a secret room, the wall was extremely smooth. It was not hard to tell that people often visited this place. She walked along the wall to the end but did not find any clues. However, judging from her steps, she could vaguely tell that the length of this secret room should correspond to the bookshelf.
Not on the wall, Shen Yujiao turned to look at the only furniture in the room. Whether it was the tea set or the Luohan bed, they were all movable, so the key point would definitely not be there. With her gaze withdrawn, she looked up and stared directly at the Guanyin in front of her.
The Guanyin statue, which bore an eight-tenths resemblance to her, exuded a divine compassion and awe under the lamplight. However, perhaps because Shen Yujiao had seen Shen Yujiao before, she felt mostly at ease. She put down her teacup, clasped her hands together, and bowed.
"Ah Jiao, if you have divine knowledge, please bless me so that I can get out safely, and also bless the Great Xia with peace and security."
Her tightly closed eyes slowly opened, and Shen Yujiao raised her hand to touch the lotus flower beneath Guanyin's seat...
"It's you! It really is you!"
The Empress stared with bloodshot eyes at the two brothers who were slowly approaching her. She pointed at Prince Huan, her whole body trembling uncontrollably: "Sure enough, I knew it! How could Prince Zhao have acted like a madman and committed such a heinous crime of disrespect? It turns out he really did it all for you!"
Looking at the calm face of the person in front of her, she felt a sweet taste rise in her throat: "When you were young, I raised you. Ayu even regarded you as her own brother. Now, you have actually done this. Jiang Yu, when it comes to ruthlessness, no one can match you even a fraction!"
The King Huan stopped in his tracks as she spoke. He stood before the Empress, looking down at her with an expressionless gaze: "What else? Jiang Chende is unworthy of the position. Even if he secures his position as Crown Prince, he is not fit to rule. Even if Ayu knew, she would only agree with me."
He slowly curtsied, his sharp gaze piercing the Empress's heart: "Your Majesty knows it yourself, don't you? Your two sons are really not very similar."
"Oh......"
Contrary to what the brothers had imagined, the Empress was not angered by these words, nor did she show any dissatisfaction at the Prince Huan's contempt. Despite not having rested for several days and being in a very poor situation, the Empress's phoenix eyes still exuded majesty. She raised her eyebrows slightly and sneered, "Of course they are not like each other. Although Achen is different from his brother, he is more suitable for the throne than you."
The undisguised contempt in his eyes went straight to their hearts. Their birth had always been a disadvantage that they could not mention. Although royal blood was already more noble than the heavens, among the princes whose maternal families were illustrious, they still seemed inferior.
Before King Huan could react, King Zhao had already spoken out: "Your Majesty the Empress is already in a state of being trapped like a beast, so why force yourself to say such things? Now that Father Emperor has passed away and the border is unstable, the court urgently needs a new emperor to preside over the court. My elder brother is the eldest of all the princes, and he is both talented in literature and martial arts, and is the best candidate at present."
King Zhao bent down and placed his hand on King Huan's shoulder, gently helping him up: "When my elder brother ascends the throne, he may honor you as Empress Dowager, but only if you have no children can you enjoy such a position."
Having said that, disregarding the Empress's resentful expression as she was tied to the chair, Prince Zhao half-pushed and half-supported Huan Wang as they walked behind. Unlike the Empress, who was tied to the chair and had no dignity, Consort Yao was comfortably sitting at the head of the Kunyi Palace. She looked at her two brothers who were slowly approaching her and smiled as she got up from her chair to greet them: "Ayu is back."
As soon as she finished speaking, the ingratiating smile on her face froze. Ignoring her eager familiarity, the Prince Huan sat down in the seat of honor where she had just been sitting: "Has anything unusual happened in the palace these past few days?"
Consort Yao was still reeling from the embarrassment of being humiliated by Prince Huan when she heard the Empress's cold snort. Her hands, hanging by her sides, clenched unconsciously, and she forced a smile: "Things are still behaving themselves in the palace, but..."
Her gaze swept around, finally settling on the King of Zhao: "His Majesty has been gone for some time now, Ajin, do you think it's possible that... Yongjia can return to the Qianyuan Palace?"
“Your Highness Consort Shu,” the Prince of Zhao interrupted her with considerable displeasure, “Although you are now in charge of palace affairs, the palace is not entirely impenetrable. It is rare that Eighth Sister volunteered to take on such an important task. Bringing her out of Qian Yuan Palace now would be like announcing to the world that Father Emperor has passed away.”
"But—" Consort Yao grew anxious. She stepped forward and said earnestly, "We agreed that once everything was settled, we would call Yongjia back..."
Seeing that King Zhao remained unmoved, she turned to King Huan and said, "Ayu, Yongjia is still your sister. Your father has passed away and his funeral has not yet taken place. Your sister is still a young girl. Letting her guard such a large palace like the Qian Yuan Palace will cause her to collapse!"
Consort Yao was extremely anxious, but the two brothers in front of her were both very calm.
After a moment, King Zhao spoke first, his tone tinged with a hint of mockery: "Yes, I did promise you back then, but it's not settled yet, is it?"
The King of Zhao emphasized the word "at present moment".
As if receiving some signal, Consort Yao quickly turned her head to look at King Zhao, then crawled a few steps on her knees and knelt down in front of King Huan, solemnly kowtowing: "Your Majesty, may you be well. The country is currently unstable and the court is in turmoil. I urge Your Majesty to ascend the throne as soon as possible to consolidate the legitimacy of the Great Xia Dynasty."
Jiang Jin had been waiting for this very sentence. He knelt down behind Consort Yao and said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, all matters concerning the Ministry of Rites have been completed, and the court attire and crowns are in place. All civil and military officials are waiting for the new emperor to ascend the throne. We urge Your Majesty to take the throne as soon as possible and take charge of the overall situation."
As the sun rose, Kunyi Palace welcomed the first rays of sunlight of the morning. Jiang Yu sat in the shade, ignoring the two kneeling figures before him, and turned his gaze to the light and shadow on the open ground of the main hall.
After a long pause, everyone heard him say in a deep voice, "Then... let's do it in three days."
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