Chapter 414 Adding makeup
The King of Qi said, "My father intended me to be the crown prince, but he was afraid that once I became crown prince, I would become powerful and force him to abdicate. So he gave you power so that you could check and balance me."
"I know what my father is thinking, which is why I'm particularly angry about his lack of trust in me. He's constantly making enemies for me and putting me in danger. I've been thinking to myself that only by eliminating all my brothers and ensuring that my father has no other sons can I live a peaceful life."
"But Chang'an told me that you had no intention of fighting for the throne of Northern Qi and only wanted to take your mother's remains back to the Great Zhou. I believed him and chose to cooperate with you, helping you steal your mother's remains. I then arranged for someone to cover for you and send you back to the Great Zhou."
"In the end, we both had our own reasons, and our mindsets changed. I have no intention of vying for the throne, but you do want to fight for the throne of Northern Qi."
"If I want to return to my fiefdom safely, I have to commit an unforgivable crime, which will result in my father exiling me to my fiefdom, or I will become a commoner."
Having said this, the King of Qi fell into a long silence.
Because if he fails to control the degree properly, the Emperor of Northern Qi will most likely execute him.
The King of Qi finally said, "Brother, I hope you can help me."
As soon as he said this, the King of Qi undoubtedly put his life in his hands.
He looked into the dim eyes of the King of Qi, who had lost his former ambition and fighting spirit, and was only filled with resentment, pain, and depression, as if he had suffered a great blow and had to make the decision at this moment.
He agreed to the King of Qi's request and was willing to lend a helping hand on the second day after Guangning's wedding.
Zhao Yi collected his thoughts, slowly walked down the steps, and before getting into the sedan chair, he looked back at his residence. The afterglow of the setting sun enveloped the yard, and the fallen peach blossoms revealed the desolate and bleak atmosphere of the fading spring.
He pursed his lips slightly, got into the sedan chair and returned home.
The ministers who were secretly following Zhao Yi's movements were speculating on the purpose of the King of Qi inviting Zhao Yi to the palace. After all, the King of Qi and Zhao Yi were enemies, and when the King of Qi was suddenly assassinated, they suspected that it was Zhao Yi who was responsible.
Because the King of Qi had an accident, Zhao Yi was the beneficiary.
They thought that the King of Qi thought the same, so as soon as he recovered from his injuries, he sent his confidant to invite Zhao Yi into the palace for a confrontation.
As a result, Zhao Yi left the palace safely, there was no movement from the King of Qi, and the Emperor of Northern Qi did not punish Zhao Yi.
They were a little unsure. Could it be that the assassination of King Qi had nothing to do with Zhao Yi?
Unable to find the answer from Zhao Yi, everyone turned their attention to the Shou'an Marquis Mansion.
At the same time, Marquis Shou'an also left Changle Palace and secretly summoned all the ministers who supported King Qi.
Until late at night, all the ministers left the mansion with their own thoughts and met in private.
Everyone noticed the strangeness of this place and felt that there would be big moves in Shou'an Marquis Mansion.
Because Marquis Shou'an rarely summoned his ministers for private meetings, and the ministers who supported the King of Qi would not meet without Marquis Shou'an.
This is obviously not normal.
For the next two days, the ministers were extremely cautious and made no unnecessary moves. The more they did so, the more tense the atmosphere became, as if a storm was about to break out.
In the blink of an eye, it was the day of Princess Guangning's wedding.
Princess Guangning represented Northern Qi in marrying off to Great Zhou. The Emperor of Northern Qi paid rare attention to this princess and allowed her to marry out of the palace.
The palace was decorated with lights and there was a festive atmosphere, but it could not dilute the oppressive atmosphere.
Guangning sat in front of the dressing table, staring blankly at the eight-petal diamond-shaped bronze mirror. The woman in the mirror was wearing a colorful and gorgeous wedding dress and had bright makeup on. She was completely different from her usual elegant and pretty self.
Her fingers gently stroked her cheek, which was covered with a thick layer of powder, and in her eyes looked like a mask.
She is her, and she is no longer her.
After entering Prince Yu's Mansion, her life would be even more precarious than her life in the Northern Qi Palace, and she would no longer be able to be herself.
Thinking of this, Guangning curled the corners of her lips. It seemed that she had never been herself since she could remember.
At this moment, she was shaken.
I can’t help but wonder, what is the meaning of life?
At this time, the palace maid said: "Princess, the Guangling Princess and the ladies of the family are here to add makeup to you."
Guangning looked towards the palace entrance and saw Shen Qingtan walking towards her in the morning light. Her mood suddenly brightened and she quickly stood up and walked over: "Imperial sister-in-law."
When Shen Qingtan entered the room, he saw Guangning staring at the bronze mirror in a daze. The expression on his face could not be described as happy, but rather revealed the sadness of being unable to resist fate.
Guangning represented Northern Qi in a marriage alliance with Great Zhou, and the two countries signed an alliance. No matter how unhappy she was about this marriage, no one could interfere.
"Ningning, if you don't have anyone to confide in when you go to the Great Zhou, you can make friends with Yaoyao. The third sister of the Duke of Zhenguo is also an excellent woman."
Shen Qingtan took out a sachet from his sleeve and placed it in Guangning's hand: "This is a wedding gift from your eldest brother. When you encounter difficulties, the contents inside can help you overcome them."
When Guangning heard Shen Qingtan's words, his throat choked, his eyes became sore, and tears welled up in his eyes.
The emperor's sister-in-law felt sorry for her because she was married alone in a foreign country and had no one to talk to. She was also worried that she would not be able to judge people well, so she showed her a clear path and gave her a life-saving talisman.
No one ever thought about her or cared about her feelings.
Her life was filled with coldness and darkness. Just when she was about to give up, someone suddenly gave her a spark.
"Imperial sister-in-law..." Guangning hugged Shen Qingtan, tears rolling down her cheeks. She bit her lips to suppress her sobs: "I... I used to think that as long as I was alive, it didn't matter even if my life was not good."
Because being alive is already a luxury for her, she dare not have any greed anymore.
But when she saw the unfamiliar self in the bronze mirror, she felt confused for the first time.
No one in this world cares about her. Why does she work so hard to live?
Prince Yu was not a kind man and had always wanted to kill her. Now, for the sake of the crown prince, he was forbearing to play along with her for the time being. When he ascended to the throne, the first thing he would do would probably be to kill her.
If Prince Yu fails in his attempt to seize the throne, she will also be doomed to death.
Her life seemed to be completely hopeless.
But the emperor's brother and sister-in-law were afraid that she would not have a good life in the Great Zhou, so they not only arranged friends for her, but also gave her a life-saving talisman, hoping that she could live well.
She thought that there were still people in this world who cared about her.
Shen Qingtan felt sorry for Princess Guangning, who struggled to survive in the palace yet remained true to her original aspirations. It was inevitable that she felt pity for her. Now, after hearing Guangning's heartbreaking words, she didn't know how to comfort her.
At this time, there was a noise outside: "This servant pays respects to Her Majesty the Queen."
Guangning quickly took out a handkerchief to cover his cheeks.
Shen Qingtan raised his eyes and looked outside the palace, only to see the queen wearing a thin spring dress, with a slender waist and graceful demeanor.
The ladies saw the Empress's figure. One of the younger ladies touched her widening waist and said enviously, "Your Majesty's figure is the same as that of a young girl before pregnancy. It hasn't changed at all. A noble lady is a noble lady. The feng shui of the palace nourishes people."
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