Chapter 510: Paintings in the Imperial Palace
"Your Majesty, I am a prince of Northern Qi, and my father-in-law is the King of Zhenbei, a powerful military commander in the Great Zhou." Zhao Yi's face showed an embarrassment. "If I go to the Great Zhou, I'm afraid I won't be able to return to Northern Qi. My father-in-law came to Northern Qi alone, for the sake of Northern Qi's safety. I worry that someone will seize the opportunity to kill him and avenge the deaths of Northern Qi soldiers."
The purpose of the Northern Qi Emperor letting Zhao Yi and Shen Qingtan meet the Prince of Zhenbei in his fiefdom was not only to alienate the relationship between the Prince of Zhenbei and Emperor Jing'an, but also to test the extent of Zhao Yi's ambition.
In the eyes of the Northern Qi Emperor, power is the greatest test of human nature. Once one has tasted the true power, no one can resist its temptation.
He wanted to see whether Zhao Yi would attack the Great Zhou that raised him in order to obtain the throne of Northern Qi.
As for what tricks Zhao Yi has in mind, it doesn’t matter anymore.
"I was inconsiderate," the Northern Qi Emperor pondered. "Yingcheng is a border town of the Great Zhou, bordering your fiefdom, Yuncheng. You can meet at the border."
Zhao Yi bowed and said, "Your Majesty is wise and wise."
"Privately, you and I are father and son. There's no need for these empty formalities." The Northern Qi Emperor was friendly and gestured for Zhao Yi to sit down. "Today, we are not king and subject, but father and son. Let's talk about personal matters."
Zhao Yi wanted to see what the Northern Qi Emperor was going to do, so he sat down.
"You are my only useful son. When you return from your fiefdom, I will anoint you Crown Prince." The Northern Qi Emperor personally poured tea for Zhao Yi. "When you become the Emperor of Northern Qi, I'm afraid your father-in-law's situation in the Great Zhou will be difficult. Although Emperor Jing'an is your uncle, I won't make things difficult for him out of your consideration. But if there are conflicts and disagreements between the two countries, it will be difficult for him to handle it."
"You were an official in the Great Zhou before, so you should have known that various forces were entrenched in the court. Your father-in-law's high position and power have harmed the interests of many people. I am worried that they will take advantage of your status to make trouble."
"As for how to make a big fuss, I don't need to tell you, you know it too. Once these officials in the court get the opportunity to suppress their political opponents, they will use all kinds of methods, both overt and covert, dirty and foul. They will not stop until their political opponents are brought down."
"My idea is..." The Northern Qi Emperor seemed to be afraid that Zhao Yi would have second thoughts, so he explained, "I don't have any other intentions. If you think what I say is right, you can do as I say. If you think what I say is wrong, then just treat it as a joke."
As the saying goes: Parents who love their children will plan for them in the long run.
Zhao Yi looked at the kind father's face in front of him and couldn't help feeling ironic.
Because every word the Northern Qi Emperor said seemed to be for his own good, but it was actually full of calculations.
"Your Majesty treats me as the closest person to you, and just now he opened his heart to me and spoke to me in confidence." Zhao Yi's eyes were gentle, and he showed a little more intimacy towards the Northern Qi Emperor. "You have considered everything I could have imagined and even the unimaginable. I will always remember your kindness towards me."
The Northern Qi Emperor sighed softly, seemingly dissatisfied with Zhao Yi's address, but he didn't say much. He continued, "The Prince of Zhenbei has spent his entire life in battle, achieving remarkable military exploits. It would be a real shame if he were persecuted by treacherous ministers. You will be the future emperor of Northern Qi. Why not invite him to court and use him for your own purposes?"
Zhao Yi lowered his eyes to hide the coldness that flashed across his eyes.
The King of Zhenbei is upright, of iron will, and loyal to the core. How could he serve two masters?
Even if I die on the battlefield, I will never choose a new master.
The Northern Qi Emperor's words were humiliating to him.
Even if the King of Zhenbei betrayed his loyalty and defected to Northern Qi, would the Great Zhou release him?
I'm afraid that the Great Zhou would rather kill the King of Zhenbei than give him the chance to point the sharp blade at their throats.
"The Prince of Zhenbei is a valiant warrior, having made tremendous contributions to the expansion of Great Zhou's territory. Emperor Jing'an cherishes his capable generals and, rather than being suspicious of him because of his superior achievements, he instead uses him in a powerful position, appointing him to command the three armies, granting him the Tiger Tally, and granting him a mansion. This extraordinary favor has made the Prince of Zhenbei swear to serve his sovereign to the death. If, seeking stability, he changes sides and seeks a new master, abandoning the subordinates who have fought alongside him through thick and thin, such a man without integrity will defect to others in the future when Northern Qi faces difficulties."
At this point, Zhao Yi asked, "Your Majesty, do you dare to use him?"
The Emperor of Northern Qi naturally did not dare to reuse the Prince of Zhenbei. The purpose of these words was just to test Zhao Yi's attitude. Secondly, he really had this idea, but not to reuse the Prince of Zhenbei, but to weaken the power of the Great Zhou.
Without the powerful general King Zhenbei, the national strength of the Great Zhou will be on par with that of the Northern Qi.
If Zhao Yi is ambitious and willing to attack the Great Zhou for the throne of Northern Qi, what's wrong with passing the throne to him after Zhao Yi conquers the Great Zhou?
After all, the incorporation of the Great Zhou into the territory of the Northern Qi laid the foundation for the Northern Qi's great cause.
He became a great leader, whose name will go down in history and whose fame will last forever.
This has been the ambition of emperors of all dynasties.
The Northern Qi Emperor even made up his mind. Before he died, he ordered the killing of the King of Zhenbei to prevent Zhao Yi from ascending the throne and usurping power over the country.
Zhao Yi didn't know what the Emperor of Northern Qi was thinking, and his expression kept changing.
He continued, "Although the Prince of Zhenbei and I are father-in-law and son-in-law, we each serve a master and carry heavy responsibilities on our shoulders. When it comes to the interests of the country, we should put aside personal feelings."
This sentence shows his position.
The Emperor of Northern Qi figured out the meaning of Zhao Yi's words. If it involved his own interests, he would kill his own relatives for the sake of justice when necessary.
After getting the answer he wanted, he looked relaxed and much more energetic.
The Northern Qi Emperor patted Zhao Yi on the shoulder and said, "Not to mention that you each serve your own masters, even if you share the same master, it would be difficult to achieve both."
He didn't think there was anything wrong with forcing Zhao Yi to take action against his uncle and father-in-law.
If you want to achieve hegemony, you have to be cold-blooded and heartless. Not to mention your uncle, even your master who has been as kind as a mountain, your wife who has been with you hand in hand, your closest relatives, and your brothers and sisters have to be abandoned.
When Zhao Yi sits in this position, he will definitely understand his painstaking efforts.
The Northern Qi Emperor extended his hand: "Help me up."
Zhao Yi was slightly startled, but quickly reacted and helped the Emperor of Northern Qi to stand up.
He did not respond to the summons to the palace yesterday in order to test the attitude of the Emperor of Northern Qi.
When he entered the palace today, just as he expected, the Emperor of Northern Qi did not attack him.
After this conversation, he actually understood the intention of the Emperor of Northern Qi.
This time, arranging for him and the princess to return to the fiefdom to meet the King of Zhenbei was not just to alienate the relationship between the King of Zhenbei and Emperor Jing'an, but it might also allow him to take direct action against the Great Zhou.
"When I was young, I was surrounded by people, bustling and noisy, giving me a headache. Now in my old age, some have left, some have dispersed, and only you are left. I finally have peace and quiet as I wished. But I feel empty, yet I long for the hustle and bustle of the past. People are really strange. No matter what they do, they can never feel satisfied." The Northern Qi Emperor took two steps and felt his hands and feet weak, his chest tight, and he couldn't breathe. "Help me to the inner hall."
Zhao Yi supported the Northern Qi Emperor as they walked towards the inner hall, slowly turning the conversation towards the Imperial Tutor: "The ministers who were loyal to you when you were in the palace are still here."
Suddenly, he stopped and looked at a painting hanging on the wall.
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