Chapter 300 Sacrifice
"Zhao Yi was not favored in Northern Qi. The palace maids who took care of him said he died young, but the emperor didn't care and just let the palace maids handle it."
Deputy Envoy Gao frowned, "Who knew this palace maid had been bribed by the Great Zhou, colluding with the Great Zhou envoys to steal the child from the palace."
When the Prince of Qi heard that his father was so indifferent to Zhao Yi, the gloom on his face dissipated, and he became somewhat relaxed and carefree: "We have set up the stage, and it depends on how Emperor Jing'an will carry on this drama."
Deputy Envoy Gao laughed and said, "I am looking forward to it too."
I believe this play will be sung very wonderfully.
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Imperial Palace, Taiji Hall.
The Jinyiwei reported to Emperor Jing'an: "Your Majesty, rumors are spreading outside the palace that Master Xiao Zhao is your heir."
Emperor Jing'an put down the "Holy Instructions" in his hand and stood up. "What did you say?"
"Your Majesty, the rumor that Lord Xiao Zhao is your heir has spread like wildfire outside the palace," the Imperial Guard said solemnly. "We've discovered that the news was spread by envoys from Northern Qi, perhaps with the intention of causing civil unrest in the Great Zhou."
Emperor Jing'an looked stern and after a moment's thought, he guessed what Northern Qi was thinking.
Bei Qi knew the position of Yizhen in his heart and was sure that he would not reveal Zhao Yi's life experience, otherwise Yizhen would lose all her last dignity.
If he did not clarify, it would mean that he tacitly acknowledged that Zhao Yi was his heir, and then his sons would inevitably confront Zhao Yi.
Seeing Emperor Jing'an fall silent, the Imperial Guard asked, "Your Majesty, should this matter be suppressed?"
"No need." Emperor Jing'an pondered for a moment and said in a deep voice, "If I take any action at this critical moment, the situation will only escalate and even confirm the rumors."
The more this happens, the more we must remain patient, otherwise we will be led by the nose by Northern Qi.
The Imperial Guard added, "Prince Yu and Prince Rui have not responded yet."
Emperor Jing'an nodded slightly, signaling the Jinyiwei to withdraw.
The Embroidered Uniform Guards withdrew from the Taiji Hall.
Emperor Jing'an sat down slowly and pressed his swollen forehead.
Eunuch Cao put down his whisk and pressed Emperor Jing'an's forehead. "Your Majesty, do you wish to summon Lord Xiao Zhao?"
Emperor Jing'an's eyebrows twitched, and he said tiredly, "I won't see you for the time being."
For the next three days, Emperor Jing'an did not attend the morning court and began to fast.
The court officials were all waiting for Emperor Jing'an's response, and some censors even wanted to ask about this matter during the morning court session. However, who would have thought that Emperor Jing'an, who was always working day and night, would actually cancel the court session.
The court officials who originally did not believe that Zhao Yi was the heir of Emperor Jing'an could not help but feel shaken.
Especially the court officials from Prince Yu and Prince Rui's factions, who were like ants on a hot pan, running around in panic.
Zhao Yi has the support of the Duke's Mansion, the Qi family, and the Prince of Zhenbei's Mansion, and is deeply favored by Emperor Jing'an.
If he were a prince, the throne of the Great Zhou would belong to him.
They could no longer sit still and went to visit Prince Yu and Prince Rui privately.
Prince Yu and Prince Rui kept their composure and refused to meet with anyone.
The atmosphere in the court was tense and extremely depressing.
When several key ministers in the court were preparing to persuade the Prime Minister to go to the palace to meet Emperor Jing'an together, news finally came from the palace.
Emperor Jing'an wanted to hold a sacrificial ceremony in the Taimiao.
On the second day, Emperor Jing'an wore a crown and led all officials to the Taimiao for sacrifice.
All the officials were confused. Today was not the emperor's birthday, Qingming Festival, or the death anniversary of emperors of all dynasties. They didn't know why Emperor Jing'an came to the Taimiao to offer sacrifices.
Emperor Jing'an did not explain the doubts to the officials. He stood outside the Taimiao and looked up at the two words "Taimiao" written in sharp calligraphy on the gold-plated plaque with nine dragons.
He walked into the front hall with steady steps. The ancestral tablet had been moved from the middle hall to the front hall.
Emperor Jing'an first paid homage to his ancestors and stood in front of the tablet of Empress Yuanrong.
The sharp-eyed minister noticed that there was another tablet behind Empress Yuan Rong's tablet.
As we all know, only emperors of all dynasties and their original empresses can be enshrined in the Taimiao.
Apart from these, only meritorious officials were qualified to be enshrined in the Taimiao.
Obviously, the tablet behind Empress Yuanrong's spirit tablet violates the ancestral system.
The ministers in the front row frowned, and before they could speak, they heard Emperor Jing'an asking a question.
"Have you ever heard, my dear ministers, that I was held hostage in Northern Qi? And do you know how I returned to Great Zhou?"
Emperor Jing'an turned around and faced the officials.
All the officials were stunned. Everyone present knew very well that Emperor Jing'an was not favored by the previous emperor and had been sent to Northern Qi as a hostage for more than ten years.
As for how Emperor Jing'an returned to the Great Zhou, they were not very clear. They only knew that it was the Duke who escorted Emperor Jing'an all the way back to the capital from the surrounding cities of the Great Zhou.
"Back then, as the prince of the Great Zhou, I went to Northern Qi with my younger sister as hostages for the sake of the people and the country of the Great Zhou, promoting peace between the two countries and sparing the people from the suffering of war."
"Northern Qi has betrayed our alliance and torn up the treaty between our two countries. Not only have they continued to send troops to attack Great Zhou, they have also bullied and persecuted me."
"If it weren't for my sister who sacrificed herself to save me, I would have died at the hands of the powerful people of Northern Qi and would not have returned to the Great Zhou alive."
At this point, Emperor Jing'an's eyes were red. "I am where I am today because of my sister's sacrifice. It is also because of her righteousness that the Great Zhou is now so powerful."
All the officials looked at Emperor Jing'an in astonishment, never expecting such a secret to exist.
Emperor Jing'an clenched his fists and said, "My sister, having witnessed the brutal and cruel methods of the Northern Qi people, has commanded me to return to the Great Zhou alive, to protect the land of the Great Zhou, and to make the Great Zhou strong."
"In this way, Northern Qi will not dare to attack Great Zhou again, and my people will not have to be displaced and starve to death."
"Men of the Great Zhou no longer have to leave their wives and children to rush to the battlefield and sacrifice their lives for their country. The elderly, the weak, women and children no longer have to endure the grief of losing their sons, their husbands, and their fathers."
"Today, I and my soldiers have defended the Great Zhou territory, not losing an inch of it, and have brought defeat to Northern Qi."
When all the officials heard what Emperor Jing'an said, they were deeply shocked.
Especially the military generals, every family had sons who died in the battlefield, and they felt a strong hatred for Northern Qi in their hearts, and they wanted to flatten Northern Qi and take revenge!
"Northern Qi was defeated and wanted to make peace with Great Zhou. I couldn't bear to start another war and let the people suffer, so I agreed to Northern Qi's request for peace. But they refused to repent and dared to spread rumors and stir up trouble on Great Zhou's territory, saying that Zhao Shidu was my heir, attempting to cause civil unrest in Great Zhou and then take advantage of the situation to attack Great Zhou."
Emperor Jing'an slowly picked up the spirit tablet from behind Empress Yuanrong's tablet, then said in grief and anger: "What qualifications do they have to act recklessly in the Great Zhou after what they did to Yizhen back then?"
The moment the officials saw the spirit tablet, they were stunned.
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