Chapter 105 Reunion
At the Yuzhou Governor's office, Zhao Mingyue was bent over his desk, handling state affairs as usual.
Xue Qi strode in from the main gate. "Princess, the imperial decree has been issued. Everything you requested has been approved."
Zhao Mingyue was overjoyed. She quickly took the imperial edict from her hand, quickly read it over, and then was stunned. "Why didn't they summon me to the court to pay homage?"
Nearly two years have passed since she left the capital as a princess for marriage and now has established a foothold in Yuzhou.
Although it seems that she is extremely busy every day and has no time to think about anything else, she is very motivated in her heart. She wants to prove to Chi Lan and those who look down on her that she, Zhao Mingyue, is not a waste!
She hated the male officials who suppressed her and tried their best to make her marry, and she also hated the male generals who wanted to send her to marry after the war failed.
However, what she hated more was Chi Lan.
Hate her, don't love her that much.
Zhao Mingyue knew that her idea was unreasonable. After all, Chi Lan was not her biological mother, and she had no right to ask her for anything.
However, she had clearly done what A Niang asked. She took over Yuzhou, repelled Xi Qi, and even allowed all the women in Yuzhou to have land and property.
Why? Why couldn't she go back to the capital?
Are all her contributions and efforts not worth mentioning in the eyes of her mother?
Zhao Mingyue lowered her eyes to look at the imperial edict, the light in her eyes gradually dimming, "Master Xue, does my mother really hate me? Is that why she won't let me return to the capital?"
Xue Qi saw her expression and guessed why she was disappointed. He dismissed everyone and gently placed his hand on Zhao Mingyue's shoulder, saying softly, "Princess, don't think of His Majesty like that. He still cares about you very much."
Zhao Mingyue looked up at Xue Qi, her eyes dark, and asked, "Really?"
"Of course! Otherwise, why would His Majesty give you Yuzhou? Didn't His Majesty agree to your request for Ningzhou and Tangzhou?" Xue Qi saw that she was getting a little stubborn and patiently explained, "Princess, there's no need to worry too much. At least judging by this imperial edict, His Majesty still supports you."
In fact, she was a little confused about the actions of Queen Mother Chi, and she was not sure that she would definitely stand on the side of the princess.
She could only be sure of one thing: if there was a conflict between the princess and Queen Mother Chi, the princess would definitely be the loser.
It is better to obey the court and conserve your energy for now.
Zhao Mingyue was not comforted by these words. Her mother didn't want her to return to the capital. Was it out of political considerations or her personal selfishness?
The last time A'niang came to see her, she said that she had never expected that she could be her successor.
So now, does she still think so?
Zhao Mingyue suddenly clenched the imperial edict in his hand, and his dark pupils revealed a cold and ambitious ambition.
Then there was only one thing she could do.
Replace her!
Surpass her!
Since her mother didn't let her go back to the capital, she would walk back by herself.
Just as I was thinking about it, I heard footsteps at the door. They soon reached the door and stopped.
Zhao Mingyue looked up and saw that the person was wearing a black cloak with the hood covering most of her face.
The government office is heavily guarded and outsiders should not be able to get in. What's wrong with this person?
Zhao Mingyue frowned and was about to speak when she saw the man take off his hood. A cold smile appeared on his face. His thin lips parted slightly and he uttered her name, "Mingyue."
Zhao Mingyue stood up suddenly, her eyes full of disbelief.
Xue Qi also saw her and was surprised. Almost subconsciously, he excitedly shouted, "Your Majesty!"
Chi Yan strode into the room and looked at Zhao Mingyue, who was still stunned. She chuckled and said, "What's wrong? Mingyue, are you still angry with me?"
Zhao Mingyue turned away and said, "I dare not."
She took a deep breath, calmed herself, and then stepped forward, kneeling and bowing, saying, "I am Zhao Mingyue, the Governor of Yuzhou, and I pay my respects to Your Majesty."
Xue Qi followed suit and knelt down to pay his respects.
Chi Yan walked to the table and sat down, saying gently, "Get up."
The two men stood up, and Xue Qi spoke first, "Your Majesty, why don't you have any guards with you? This is too dangerous!"
"I've asked the guards to wait outside Yuzhou City. Don't worry, I won't put myself in danger." Chi Lu's voice was calm, as if she didn't think her sudden appearance in Yuzhou was a big deal.
But after saying this, she did not forget to remind him, "Not many people know that I came to Yuzhou, so don't make it public."
After all, she didn't come to Yuzhou by the normal road, but through a special door.
If this gets out, others will find out that she was attending court in the capital two days ago.
However, she had already prepared to stay away from court for a month due to illness.
Seeing so many princes in various states wanting to rebel, it is normal to get angry and fall ill.
Zhao Mingyue was in a complicated mood, "What is your Majesty doing in Yuzhou?"
It can't be that he came here specially to see her.
Chi Li certainly didn't come here for such a boring reason. "I'm here because I have an important matter for you to do."
It would be a waste of time to let Zhao Mingyue come to the capital. It would save much more time if she came to Yuzhou.
Zhao Mingyue lowered her eyes. "If Your Majesty has something for me to do, he can just send someone to Yuzhou to give the order. Why bother going there in person?"
Hearing her cold tone, Chi Qi felt that she had become quite distant from him, and looked at her with a little surprise.
Compared to when she was in the capital, Zhao Mingyue has grown a lot taller, her temperament has become more stable, and her originally round face has become more defined.
She has indeed grown up. She is no longer the little girl who chased after her and called her "Mom", Chi Qi thought, stroking her chin.
She pondered for a moment before speaking, "I don't trust others with this matter."
Being able to have A Niang come here in person must be a matter of great importance. Zhao Mingyue concentrated her mind and said, "Your Majesty, please speak."
Chi Li glanced at her and said, "Prince Yue is trying to win over Prince Ling to form an alliance and plot a rebellion. I think you should have heard the news."
Zhao Mingyue's expression turned serious. "Yes, mother, do you want me to arrest them?"
Chi Li smiled and said, "No, I want you to join them——"
Zhao Mingyue was stunned.
Chi Li continued, "I want you to join them and destroy their alliance."
Zhao Mingyue breathed a sigh of relief. She had thought Chi Qi was asking her to rebel, but it turned out that he was just using her to get rid of these princes.
She responded, "Yes, I obey your order."
"I can't stay in Yuzhou for long, so I'll leave first. You can make some plans." Chi Li said, then stood up and walked out.
When passing by Zhao Mingyue, he saw a strand of hair hanging down from her forehead out of the corner of his eye, and he couldn't help but stop.
She reached out her hand, but Zhao Mingyue took a step back, dodging her hand and kneeling down, "Your Majesty, I respectfully bid you farewell."
Chi Qi looked at her hand hanging in the air and couldn't help laughing. Is this the result of her deceiving Zhao Mingyue?
Once there is a crack in a relationship, you can never go back to the intimacy of the past.
Fortunately, she doesn't need useless things like emotions.
Just like this time, she still lied to Zhao Mingyue.
But this is the last time.
Chi Li looked at Zhao Mingyue and lowered her voice, "Then I will stay in the capital, waiting for good news from Mingyue."
She raised her hand to put on her hood, turned around and walked out of the government office neatly.
Zhao Mingyue suddenly looked up, staring blankly at the black cloak disappearing at the door. She wanted to chase after her and call out to her, but her feet were nailed to the ground and she couldn't move.
After a long while, she stood up, turned to look at Xue Qi, and said softly, "I want to see Xue Shiyun."
Xue Qi was startled for a moment, then understood what she meant, "Okay, I'll have someone call her over."
Zhao Mingyue watched Xue Qi leave, then turned back to the desk, picked up the imperial edict on the table, lowered her eyes and thought quietly.
After a long while, she sighed softly, "Mother... Mother..."
Is this what you wanted?
———
"What? Zhao Mingyue actually killed the person I sent over!"
Zhao Ping's angry curses were heard from the Lanzhou Governor's Office.
"Instead of coming to apologize to me, she sent a batch of firearms to Zhao Diao? What does Zhao Mingyue want to do?" Zhao Ping said angrily, crumpled the letter into a ball and threw it on the ground.
The counselor quickly picked up the letter, read it through quickly, and then frowned. "It seems that Princess Fuguang already knows about the alliance between the prince and the Spirit King. She sent firearms to curry favor with the Spirit King, probably hoping to join the alliance."
Zhao Ping sneered, "That's strange. She's living well in Yuzhou, so why would she join us in rebellion? She even went around trying to curry favor with King Ling, bypassing me. It seems like she has ulterior motives!"
"Regardless of whether Princess Fuguang has ulterior motives or not, King Ling cannot refuse her surrender. Once these two join forces, Your Majesty, your position in the alliance will be in danger. You must know that there can be no two masters in the world, and the alliance army can only have one commander."
Zhao Ping was immediately alert when he heard this. "That's right. I must write to Lao Liu immediately and tell him not to trust Princess Fuguang. This person has a close relationship with Queen Mother Chi. I'm afraid it's a trick."
He immediately wrote a letter to Zhao Diao, and soon received a reply.
Unexpectedly, Zhao Diao did not believe his words. Instead, he felt that Princess Fuguang was trustworthy and persuaded her to accept Princess Fuguang's joining.
"As the saying goes, great achievements frighten the emperor. Princess Fuguang defeated the Western Qi army and stationed troops in Tangzhou and Ningzhou. Such a large force is bound to arouse the imperial court's fear. Her relationship with Empress Dowager Chi is not as innocent as my third brother said."
"Besides, she's a woman, and there's no way she can compete with us brothers for the world. All she's asking for is the three northwestern states. I think we can get her to join the alliance. That way, wouldn't we have a better chance of winning against the imperial court?"
After reading the letter, Zhao Ping pounded the table in anger. "He was bribed by Princess Fuguang with just a few words. What a fool!"
The counselor disagreed with Zhao Ping's opinion and said tactfully, "I think King Ling is not stupid, but ambitious. He wants to use Princess Fuguang's power to compete with the prince."
Zhao Ping was shocked when he heard this. After thinking about it carefully, he realized that Zhao Diao was indeed not a brainless person. He would help Princess Guang and speak up for her because he must have seen other benefits.
But what great benefit could possibly impress a prince? Only the throne.
As long as Princess Fuguang supports Zhao Diao to become emperor, it is impossible for him not to be tempted.
So that's how it is. It seems that Zhao Diao is too greedy and is not willing to share the world with him.
Zhao Ping's face darkened instantly. Just as he was about to say something, a servant rushed in and shouted, "Oh no, Your Majesty! The court has issued an order for your arrest, and the soldiers are already outside the palace!"
Zhao Ping's body swayed and he almost fell off the chair. "What did you say?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
