"This matter..." Yang Jin didn't know what to say, but he also wanted to say something.
Ye Rufeng understood, "The late emperor knew, but General Yang didn't. The Feng family is involved."
Back then, Yang Jianye, as the crown prince, was sent away to be raised as an infant. For some unknown reason, word got out. His guards were all attacked, and the crown prince disappeared without a trace.
The old emperor was heartbroken and, having no other heirs, devoted himself entirely to raising the successor emperor, the late emperor. Meanwhile, he continued his search for a crown prince. However, for sixteen long years, the crown prince remained nowhere to be found, neither alive nor dead.
Before the old emperor passed away, he instructed the late emperor to find the true crown prince. He also told the late emperor that the crown prince had seven blue moles on the instep of his foot. These seven moles, when connected, resembled a small dragon.
The late emperor remembered this well and feigned agreement, but in reality, he wanted to find the crown prince and eliminate him completely. The old emperor, however, did not see through the late emperor's wolfish ambitions. Seeing that the late emperor had agreed, he closed his eyes in relief.
The late emperor had secretly sent people to investigate those with seven moles on the instep of their feet, especially those around his age, but they were never found. The late emperor then assumed the real crown prince was dead!
Years ago, the real crown prince was rescued by an elderly couple. The couple had only one daughter, who was already married, so they raised the prince as their own child and named him Yang Jianye. After the elderly couple died, Yang Jianye went to the border to join the army.
After joining the army, Yang Jianye, naturally brave and fearless in battle, was also resourceful and quick-witted. Although he was illiterate, he was adept at learning. Soon, Yang Jianye gained the appreciation of many and quickly rose to the rank of centurion.
Later, Yang Jianye rose through the ranks from centurion to general. After becoming a general, he rescued a damsel in distress and married Chan Ruoxue, with whom he later had Yang Jin.
Barring unforeseen circumstances, Yang Jianye could have lived a very happy life even if he hadn't become the crown prince. He would have achieved great things, had a beautiful wife by his side, and had children around him—a truly blissful life.
However, the mistake lay in the fact that after Yang Jianye was injured, the mole on the instep of his foot was discovered, and the Feng family became heroes because of it. When the late emperor learned that Yang Jianye was the true crown prince, he was both shocked and furious. Thus, the Yang family's later tragedy unfolded.
"To avenge the harm he suffered in place of the Crown Prince, the late Emperor used you to replace his child. He also decreed that the day his child returned would be the day you passed away. That's why you were named Zhao Dai. In recent years, the late Emperor's offspring have been few, and he hasn't escaped this vicious cycle. Therefore, he has paid special attention to the children born to Empress Dowager Feng!" Ye Rufeng sighed. The imperial family is the most ruthless, and the most chaotic place is also the imperial family.
"Didn't they say that Empress Dowager Feng gave birth to a stillborn child?" Leng Yue remembered that Zhan Wudi had said that.
Ye Rufeng shook his head, "No, it's just to cover things up. The Liu family doesn't know that the late emperor is an imposter, and even if they did, they wouldn't let it go. Over the years, their goals have changed. They don't care who owns the Great Qi, as long as it's still nominally under the Zhao family name, they will continue to persecute it. So, the late emperor and Empress Dowager Feng released a lot of smokescreens to keep the Liu family from seeing clearly."
"But are the Liu family really that easy to fool? I have no one to protect me, how could they not see through me?" Leng Yue was speechless, unless the Liu family were idiots.
"You must have figured it out. Didn't you notice that you never actually die?" Ye Rufeng stroked his chin.
"When have they not already had one foot in the grave? Are these people really that confident?" Leng Yue scoffed. "I don't believe they deliberately spared their lives!"
"You don't know, it's not just the Liu family causing trouble. The Turks have also come, and the Imperial Uncle's men have tried to assassinate you. Not to mention the frequent visits from assassins from enemy countries!" Ye Rufeng felt that since he was going to say it, he might as well finish it, so he stopped hiding anything and told Leng Yue everything at once.
Leng Yue's eyes widened as she listened. "What are these people thinking? I'm clearly a puppet, yet they keep coming after me instead of someone else?"
"With all this deception, how will they know if you're a puppet? Regardless, you're still an emperor, and killing you will certainly bring them prestige. It'll be something to be proud of in their future careers as assassins." Ye Rufeng shrugged, infuriatingly shrugged.
Yang Jin clenched his fist in anger. "Lord Ye, please be mindful of your actions!"
Seeing this, Ye Rufeng coughed a few times as if to make a sound, and then asked Yang Jin, "Young Master, how about you sit on the dragon throne first? That way, taking revenge will definitely be easier."
Yang Jin was immediately terrified. "What nonsense are you talking about? I only want revenge, not to be an emperor! Whoever wants that damned throne can have it!"
"Oh? Is that so? If you don't do it, your sister won't be able to stay. I reckon in two or three years, your sister will die of illness to make way for the next one. You really don't care?" Ye Rufeng asked cheekily.
"Impossible! I won't let anything happen to my sister. Once I've avenged her, I'll take her and run away with her!" Yang Jin said, then suddenly thought of the porcelain vase. "I can definitely do it. I also want to take her to the South to experience what it's like to have spring all year round!"
"Young Master, please think it over. I believe you are more suitable to be emperor than most people. It's not just because of your bloodline, but also because of your character." Ye Rufeng truly thought highly of Yang Jin; a person who cares for the country and its people will naturally be concerned about the nation and its people.
When it comes to someone who cares deeply about the country and its people, Yang Jianye is the most suitable candidate. However, alas, Yang Jianye is dead! Yang Jin, on the other hand, grew up under Yang Jianye's tutelage and was deeply influenced by him. Therefore, Yang Jin is also a suitable candidate.
Ye Rufeng has completed one-third of his mission; the spy from Qi has been confirmed to be a member of the Liu family. The remaining task is to help Qi restore its prosperity. To maintain national prosperity, a wise ruler is essential. Otherwise, it's all just empty talk.
"I..." Yang Jin looked at Leng Yue with some worry.
“You don’t need to answer right away, you still have time to think. However, I think the most urgent thing for you is to leave the palace, right?” Ye Rufeng said, revealing his original purpose for coming here.
"But...but I'm worried about my sister..." After hearing Ye Rufeng's words, Yang Jin felt even more that Leng Yue had ventured out of a dangerous place.
"It's alright, I'll be fine for now. They probably still have something to do, so I'll be safe for a while." Leng Yue shook her head, reassuring Yang Jin, "You should leave quickly, it's getting more and more unsafe here."
Yang Jin moved his mouth several times, but in the end he didn't say anything.
"Here are the clothes, quickly change into them. Here is the waist tag, hang it up." Ye Rufeng was indeed extraordinary; he had prepared all of this in the short time it took to leave the house.
Seeing Leng Yue and Yang Jin looking at him, Ye Rufeng explained helplessly, "This was handed over to my informant before I came in, which is why it was so fast. I was waiting for him when I was talking to you just now."
Leng Yue nodded, then turned to Yang Jin and said, "Let's change and go. Follow Lord Ye; he won't harm us."
Ye Rufeng nodded, "Please hurry, young master. Delay could lead to unforeseen circumstances, and it might even implicate the Emperor!"
Yang Jin quickly changed his clothes and left with Ye Rufeng. As he left, he kept glancing at Leng Yue, his eyes filled with worry and reluctance. Leng Yue smiled and waved, urging him to leave quickly.
This scene was etched into Yang Jin's mind, and even many years later, he still felt a pang of heartache whenever he thought of that smiling face...
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