Chapter 396 The Queen's Decision
Shen Qingtan's slightly relaxed mood became heavy. The two huge mountains of the Northern Qi Emperor and the Imperial Teacher stood in front of them. If they missed this opportunity, they would not be able to bring Princess Yizhen's remains back to the Great Zhou unless Northern Qi had a new emperor.
The new emperor of Northern Qi must have no hostility or vigilance towards them in order to return Princess Yizhen's remains to them and let them return to the Great Zhou.
But given their current momentum, the new emperor cannot help but be wary.
Shen Qingtan realized that they had no way out and could only give it a try.
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At the same time, the news that the Northern Qi Emperor was going to give the military order to Zhao Yi spread like wildfire. Civil and military officials were shocked and began to speculate about the Northern Qi Emperor's intentions.
When the Queen's father, Marquis Shou'an, heard the news, he asked his wife to pass a sign to the palace, requesting to see the Queen.
Because the empress was in poor health, the Emperor of Northern Qi granted her special grace, allowing the wife of Marquis Shou'an to enter the palace once a month.
It happened that the queen's illness relapsed at this time, and the wife of Marquis Shou'an entered the palace in a low-key manner and went to Changle Palace.
The Queen dismissed the attendants and leaned against the bedside, looking sickly. "Mother, are you here today regarding the military talisman?"
"That's one of them." Lady Shou'an looked at the empress's sickly face. Her lips were pale, and she leaned weakly against the headboard. Her loose undergarments made her body look even thinner. She said distressedly, "Mother heard you were ill again, and she should have come to the palace to visit you."
"Don't worry too much. My body is just like this. It won't be completely healed, but it won't be too bad. I'll be better after a few days of lying down."
The Queen's expression softened slightly as she faced her mother. "As for the military talisman, please tell your father not to worry too much. His Majesty has no one else to turn to, so he is using Prince Guangling."
"Ah, your father knows what's going on." Lady Shou'an's face was filled with worry. "He's just worried that you and Chong'er might do something foolish because His Majesty has given military power to Prince Guangling."
When the queen heard this, her eyelashes trembled slightly, and she looked away, no longer looking into the eyes of the wife of the Marquis of Shou'an.
Seeing this, the wife of Marquis Shou'an thought that the Queen's sensible words were just to comfort the two elders, and she was still upset about the important position that Prince Guangling was given.
"Your Majesty, the Chu family's empire came from an illicit source. This is not only a concern for the late emperor, but also for Your Majesty."
"The late emperor was wary of the remaining bloodline of the previous dynasty's royal family. He feared that Chang Yuan would grow stronger and unite with the old dynasty's subordinates to restore the country. Moreover, Chang Yuan's existence constantly reminded the late emperor that he had stolen the Chu family's kingdom."
"The late emperor's worries have subtly influenced Your Majesty. The recent uproar over the remnants of the previous dynasty has undoubtedly increased Your Majesty's sense of crisis."
"The remnants of the previous dynasty released a statue of the former Emperor Taizu in the Imperial Palace. It came and went without a trace. This means that there are people around you who are colluding with the remnants of the previous dynasty, or that the power of the previous dynasty is rooted in your Majesty's side."
"He was desperate to eliminate the hidden danger, but he was also afraid that some ministers in the court would collude with the remnants of the previous dynasty. Therefore, it made sense for him to prioritize Prince Guangling."
"No matter how bad Prince Guangling is, he still has the blood of the Chu family flowing in his veins. He won't help the remnants of the previous dynasty to deal with Your Majesty."
At this point, Lady Shou'an took the Queen's cold hand and said, "On the day Princess Guangning marries, your father will join all the officials in submitting a petition to Your Majesty to appoint a Crown Prince."
The queen looked up at the wife of the Marquis of Shou'an. Facing her loving eyes, a bitter feeling arose in her heart, and an overwhelming emotion surged up.
She wanted to tell Lady Shou'an Marquis what was hidden deep in her heart without hiding anything.
But as soon as the words reached his throat, he choked again.
The queen was silent for a while, but when she saw the white hair at the temples of Marquis Shou'an's wife, she finally swallowed the words she had not yet said.
"Go back and tell my father that there's no need to ask His Majesty to appoint Chong'er as the Crown Prince." After careful consideration, the Queen expressed her intention: "I plan to let Chong'er return to his fiefdom and become an idle prince."
Lady Shou'an Hou looked at the queen in surprise, wondering if she was sick and confused.
They planned for more than ten years to help King Qi ascend the throne.
Just when it comes to the final push, you give up like that?
"Chong'er has neither the talent to govern nor the tolerance to tolerate others, nor does he understand the art of controlling people and strategy. He cannot be a qualified emperor. If I had not fought for it before, and the throne fell into the hands of the wise king, how could we mother and son survive?"
The Queen spoke calmly, "Prince Guangling is different. He is both magnanimous and capable of managing the world. If he were to become the crown prince, it would be a blessing for the people of Northern Qi. As long as we keep to our duties, he will not make things difficult for us."
"You are confused. Prince Guangling has the blood of the Great Zhou flowing through his veins. Not only will His Majesty not allow him to be crown prince, but even the court officials will not agree to it."
The wife of the Marquis of Shou'an disagreed: "Besides, people's hearts are unpredictable. Prince Guangling is a good person now. Once he sits in that position, will he still retain his original intentions?"
"Only if he takes that position can I be saved." The Queen said softly, "A son follows his mother. He will be like her and stick to his beliefs."
She had already realized that there was a force paving the way for Zhao Yi in order to push him to that position.
If she fights for it, not only will it bring disaster to herself, but her mother's family will also suffer heavy losses.
What's more, she had never thought of letting King Qi and Zhao Yi fight from the beginning.
Lady Shou'an was startled and wanted to say something, but she saw that the queen had closed her eyes, tilted her head and leaned on the soft pillow, her face pale and weak.
The Empress was her eldest daughter, frail, withdrawn, and somewhat melancholic. Even after marrying into the Eastern Palace, she maintained an air of destiny, wealth and status, and would not seek favor from the then-Crown Prince.
It was just that she didn't know when she would mention Yizhen in front of them. Every time she mentioned Yizhen, a little smile would appear on her face.
She began to take medicine actively and cooperate with the imperial physician in treating her illness.
Until Yizhen's death, she suffered a great blow and was ill for a long time. When she recovered, the news of her pregnancy came out.
The face of the wife of Marquis Shou'an gradually became solemn. The queen was still brooding over the fact that she had not been able to save Yizhen's life.
She had to suspect that the Queen gave the throne to Zhao Yi in order to make up for Yizhen.
Lady Shou'an recalled what the Queen had just said, "Only if he sits in that position can I be saved." Perhaps only by doing this could she resolve her worries?
"This is a serious matter. I must go back and discuss it with your father." Lady Shou'an sighed, "After all, this concerns the survival of the entire family."
The queen pursed her lips. The Shou'an Marquisate had mobilized the entire family to plan for the King of Qi and had paid too much. Now that they were about to succeed, it was really too frivolous for her to suddenly say she was giving up.
Even if her father was willing to let her do whatever she wanted, the forces behind her would definitely not agree.
The queen was silent for a long time and made a decision.
She took out a brocade bag from the secret compartment and handed it to the wife of the Marquis of Shou'an: "Give this to father. After he reads it, he will make a decision."
The wife of Marquis Shou'an accepted the brocade bag, sat for a while, and then said goodbye and returned home.
The queen sat quietly on the bed, staring blankly at the embroidery on the ceiling. After an unknown amount of time, she came to her senses, took out a box from the secret cabinet beside the bed, and slowly opened it.
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