Chapter 274 Heartbroken
Emperor Tai'an suppressed his emotion and looked at the tall young man standing there. He said slowly, "I sent envoys south to negotiate peace. What do you think the result will be?"
Qi Ming was silent for a moment, then asked, "Using me as a bargaining chip?"
Emperor Tai'an did not shy away from the question: "Yes, I will use you as a bargaining chip."
Qi Ming lowered his eyes slightly and said in a calm tone: "It seems that Fourth Uncle has failed."
His calm reaction made Emperor Tai'an feel that he was out of control of the situation, which was rare.
Do you really not care, or have you already guessed the outcome and are mentally prepared?
Emperor Tai'an glanced at Liu Chuan.
Liu Chuan winked, and soon a eunuch came over with a tray. On the tray was something covered with a snow-white cloth.
Following behind the eunuch was Deputy Envoy Zhao, who couldn't help but cast his gaze on Qi Ming out of curiosity.
It turns out that the top scholar Yang Zhe is the former crown prince. This is really unexpected.
"Uncover it."
As Emperor Tai'an spoke, Deputy Envoy Zhao reached out and lifted the cloth covering the tray.
It was a freezing cold season, and the head had been specially embalmed, so there was almost no change. The emotions of shock and anger were clearly visible on the face.
Qi Ming took a look, his expression seemed unchanged, but his eyes darkened a little.
He had an excellent memory. Although he and Doctor Yang were not in the same yamen, and Doctor Yang was not a high-ranking official known to everyone in the court, he still recognized him.
It can be said that he knows most of the Beijing officials, regardless of their rank.
"Deputy Envoy Zhao, please tell us in detail what you heard during your trip south."
Deputy Envoy Zhao responded, recounting everything that had been said to General Wang Minghai from their first meeting to their second: "...General Wang, as soon as we met, angrily rebuked us for fabricating the lie that the new number one scholar was the former crown prince, claiming that their crown prince was right beside the Lord. Without waiting for Lord Yang to refute him, he chopped off Lord Yang's head..."
Deputy Envoy Zhao knelt on the ground and couldn't help crying: "Lord Yang died so tragically, wuwuwu..."
Emperor Tai'an waved his hand, and two eunuchs came forward to help Deputy Envoy Zhao retreat. The eunuch carrying the tray also retreated.
Emperor Tai'an looked at Qi Ming and did not speak for a moment.
Qi Ming was silent, his calm expression making it impossible to guess what he was thinking. If you looked closely, his tightly pursed thin lips revealed a hint of unrest in his heart.
He was naturally not calm, but if he couldn't hold back and showed his vulnerability, he would become the biggest joke.
After a long moment, Qi Ming spoke, his voice soft and cold, like a gust of winter wind: "Fourth Uncle had someone tell me this. What's his intention?"
Emperor Tai'an looked at that jade-like face and asked steadily, "Is it worth it?"
Qi Ming raised his eyebrows.
Is it worth it?
If you ask him now, he naturally feels it's not worth it.
But if it had not come to this, how would he have known that the father who once held him on his knees, the father who hugged him and cried to him about his incompetence and how he could not become the crown prince, the father who told him again and again that he would make up for all he had lost when he regained the throne, the father he always thought was weak and helpless, was actually so cruel and decisive.
It turns out that my father's weakness and decisiveness depend on the situation.
only--
Qi Ming's eyes were sore and tears were about to well up, but he suppressed them.
But the emperor didn't know that he didn't really care about sitting on the throne of the crown prince for just two years.
He just felt sorry for his frustrated father and wanted to make him happy.
Qi Ming exhaled slowly, not wanting Emperor Tai'an to see his embarrassment.
"Qi Ming, tell me where your father is hiding." Emperor Tai'an said in a gentle voice.
The Great Zhou is now under attack from three sides and is unable to cope with it. It cannot afford to drag on a protracted war with the three parties.
Northern Qi's forces were the heaviest, so there was no hope of an early end. Yu Liu, unwilling to suffer any loss, was a ruthless opportunist, willing to take advantage of someone's misfortune. If he truly saw that Great Zhou was too difficult to defeat, he would withdraw. Therefore, an early end for Emperor Pingle's forces was crucial.
Emperor Pingle's faction had been dormant for over a decade, but suddenly launched an attack and seized the initiative. A real fight would have been impossible to end early. The only way was to find Emperor Pingle's hiding place and dispatch a team of elite soldiers to capture the leader first with lightning speed, achieving a surprise victory.
Qi Ming did not answer.
Emperor Tai'an knew he couldn't act hastily, so he said, "Then think about it carefully. I'll see you tomorrow."
Not long after Qi Ming was taken away, news came from the Cining Palace that the Empress Dowager asked the Emperor to come over.
Emperor Tai'an thought about it for a moment and had a rough idea of why the empress dowager asked him to come over. Therefore, his steps towards the Cining Palace were inevitably a little heavy.
When he arrived at the Cining Palace, he returned to normal and greeted the empress dowager with a smile.
The empress dowager took a look at her son's complexion and saw that although he was smiling, he could not hide his fatigue between his brows, and his eyes were even blue. She couldn't help feeling distressed and asked about Emperor Tai'an's diet and daily life.
"Don't worry, mother. Everything is fine."
The Queen Mother sighed, "So much trouble has suddenly arisen. I know how difficult it is for you, but no matter how difficult it is, you can't let it ruin your health."
"My son knows."
After a tender exchange of mother and son, the Queen Mother finally spoke of the purpose of summoning Emperor Tai'an: "I heard... Yang Zhe is Ming'er..."
Emperor Tai'an was silent for a while, then nodded: "Yes..."
It is impossible to keep this matter secret from the Queen Mother.
"Yang Zhe is Ming'er..." The Queen Mother said again with a complicated tone.
For a moment, both mother and son were silent. Finally, Emperor Tai'an took the initiative to break the deadlock: "Is there anything you want to tell your son, mother?"
That time, he canceled the marriage between Yang Zhe and Yi An without consulting his mother, and agreed to Princess Lingque's willful request, which had already planted a rift between mother and son. Now that he was in a desperate situation, he didn't want to make the palace unstable.
"Your Majesty is thoughtful and considerate. There's no need for my instructions. It's just that..." The Queen Mother paused, then continued, "Ming'er is your nephew and my grandson. I hope Your Majesty can spare his life."
The Queen Mother had known the news for some time, but she had been keeping it to herself.
She had two sons, the eldest son, Emperor Pingle, and the fourth son, Emperor Tai'an. Like other princes, the fourth son went to his fiefdom after he came of age. The eldest son was the crown prince and had always lived in the Eastern Palace.
It can be said that the only grandson she watched grow from a little boy to a handsome young man was Qi Ming.
As soon as she closed her eyes, she saw Qi Ming calling her "Grandmother".
The Queen Mother certainly knew that there were some things that shouldn't be said, but there were always times when emotions overwhelmed reason in life, and even she, who had experienced countless hardships, was no exception.
Emperor Tai'an had already guessed this, but he pretended to be stunned for a moment before saying seriously, "Don't worry, mother. I will make arrangements for him."
The Queen Mother smiled and said, "I feel relieved now that Your Majesty has said this."
The next day, Qi Ming was brought before Emperor Tai'an again.
"Have you thought it through?"
Qi Ming looked at Emperor Tai'an calmly: "My nephew wants to see someone."
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