Chapter 080

Zhan Yue was slightly startled, probably because he had not expected Jiashan to ask such a direct question about the King of Qin. He looked from top to bottom at Jiashan, and the corners of his mouth curled up into a calm arc: "Why are you asking about him all of a sudden?"

Soon thinking of a possibility, Zhan Yue asked with a stern face: "Since you came back from the palace, I think you have been acting a little strange. Is there really no one who has wronged you today?"

Seeing Zhan Yue bring up this matter again, Jia Shan couldn't help laughing. She explained patiently, "Really not."

"Now that Yuankang's eyes have recovered, those people are busy fawning on me," Jiashan blinked.

"Besides," she said with a soft tone, the corners of her mouth curled up, and she chuckled, "You are behind me. Others will only envy me and dare not let me suffer any injustice."

This sentence obviously pleased Zhan Yue, and his expression quickly softened. He rolled up Jia Shan's trouser leg and gently rubbed the injured part with one hand.

The skin of Jiashan is delicate, fair and clean, and the ankle is one of the most delicate parts of the human body. Even if it is just a little bit of bruise, it will be particularly conspicuous at this time.

Zhan Yue couldn't help but feel more and more distressed as he rubbed it. He lowered his voice and replied, "The King of Qin is a smart man who knows the current affairs."

"What do you mean?" Jiashan raised his head and looked at him.

Zhan Yue raised his eyes slightly and slowly looked into Jia Shan's eyes.

Seeing Jiashan's inquiring look, he paused, as if hesitating about what to say. After a moment, Zhan Yue opened his mouth and said, "As the only brother of my father, the King of Qin was really treated well in the early years."

"I remember when the Queen Mother was still alive, the Prince of Qin took on the position of Minister of Rites. This honor made him the first among the princes."

The six ministers were the ultimate goal of most court officials, and it was always a position that was difficult for the nobles to get their hands on. Although the Ministry of Rites was not as important as the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Revenue, it was still a central position. At the age of the King of Qin, it was indeed an honor to be the Minister of Rites.

Zhan Yue continued, "What's even more rare is that as soon as the Queen Mother passed away, he found a reason and took the initiative to resign from the position of Shangshu. He was able to put his position in the right place."

After all, everyone knows that when one is born in an imperial family, blood ties are so cold that they are not worth mentioning. Emperor Zhanghe agreed to let him join the Ministry of Rites, probably because they were brothers from the same mother.

If the Queen Mother had been alive, Emperor Zhanghe would have looked after the Prince of Qin to some extent for the Queen Mother's sake. But now that the Queen Mother was gone, the relationship between the two brothers would naturally fade as their status became different.

Even fathers and sons sometimes become disloyal for the throne, not to mention brothers. If one holds a high position for a long time, it is inevitable that the emperor will become suspicious. The Yongding Marquisate and Prince Xiaohuai are the best examples.

The King of Qin withdrew from government affairs in time because he understood that even if he was free from official duties, he could still do as he pleased in the capital by virtue of his title as the younger brother of the current emperor. He was considered a rare and ignorant person.

Zhan Yue said: "Now, the King of Qin is in charge of the Imperial Clan House, and no one would offend him. But this move of his can dispel the suspicion of the Emperor and win a good reputation for himself."

"Isn't it smart?" Zhan Yue asked back.

Jiashan had never cared so much about the King of Qin before. Now, listening to Zhan Yue's story, she couldn't help but fall into deep thought.

Thinking of the Princess of Qin who had always been at home among the noble families, Jiashan couldn't help but say with a gloomy face: "It seems that they are both very smart people."

"Tell me," Jiashan raised her head slightly, her almond-shaped eyes were particularly meaningful, and her tone was low and soft, "How could two such smart people not have any ambition at all?"

Although Zhan Yue was always calm, he was still slightly startled when he heard this.

He lowered his voice and whispered in Jiashan's ear: "What ambition do you mean?"

Jiashan remained silent and just looked at him steadily. At this moment, silence was already more powerful than words.

The two looked into each other's eyes, and beneath those calm eyes, there were waves rising and falling. Zhan Yue's eyes were like a huge whirlpool under the water, unfathomable.

He said carefully: "Whether it exists or not is not something we should worry about right now."

"Our opponent is not him." Zhan Yue said briefly.

Even if the King of Qin had further ambitions, he was not legitimate and could hardly win the support of the people. In comparison, the eldest Zhao Youcheng was more of a threat to Jiashan.

Zhan Yue believed that Jiashan would understand this truth. But he didn't know what happened today that made her so stubborn about the Qin Palace?

Zhan Yue frowned slightly, and he gently turned Jiashan's chin so that she had no choice but to face him. He said calmly, "You and I already have a tacit understanding. Husband and wife should be honest with each other."

"Does this still count?" Zhan Yue asked politely.

Hearing him say this, Jiashan's lips couldn't help but move slightly.

Zhan Yue continued, "If it counts, I hope the princess can tell me honestly why you suddenly became suspicious of the King of Qin."

"He is the last person you should have paid undue attention to."

Zhan Yue's words blocked all the excuses Jiashan could find. Yes, as the emperor's uncle, the King of Qin should not have any grudges against Jiashan, and the King of Qin's wife has always been a good person.

Jiashan would not say such a thing for no reason. Something must have happened. But when Zhan Yue went to the Pear Garden to pick someone up today, everyone in the Qin Palace was calm and composed, and it didn't seem like they had revealed anything that shouldn't have been revealed.

Thinking of what Feng Wanhua said, and the past relationship between Zhan Yue and Feng Wanhua, Jiashan bit his lip, his face showing a bit of worry——

Are you telling the truth?

Jiashan looked up at Zhan Yue and saw that he was staring at her steadily, his eyes full of trust and respect. Jiashan felt very uneasy and was too embarrassed to come up with an excuse to fool him.

Jia Shan looked at Zhan Yue's dark pupils, and after a few moments of hesitation, she slowly said, "I became suspicious because someone warned me today."

"Who is it?" Zhan Yue asked gently.

Jiashan did not answer him directly.

She turned her face slightly to the side, allowing her chin to slip out of Zhan Yue's palm.

She lowered her head and looked at her wrinkled palm. Her delicate white palm was now covered with small and dense sweat stains.

Jiashan wiped it gently with a towel beside him, and asked softly, "Yanqing, do you believe in ghosts and gods?"