Chapter 513 Spy
These words only lack the ability to state the truth clearly.
Zhao Yi had the answer in his heart.
A man would only keep a woman's portrait hidden away if he loved her.
However, this alone was not enough for the imperial teacher to support him as the crown prince.
Unless the mother's kindness to the imperial teacher is equal to her hatred.
"The Imperial Master is indifferent to everything, as if he has no emotions and is untouched by worldly matters, so I didn't speculate in that direction." Zhao Yi still had many questions in his mind, and these questions needed answers from the Imperial Master.
Shen Qingtan stared at the painting on the wall and felt strange in his heart.
The Emperor of Northern Qi included Princess Yizhen in the painting because Princess Yizhen gave him a heart-protecting mirror in the pavilion, which saved his life. The meaning of this to him was different.
So what about the imperial teacher?
Perhaps Princess Yizhen did something in the pavilion that touched the imperial teacher, causing him to be so persistent in painting the exact same picture?
Since this painting is of such extraordinary significance, why did the imperial tutor hang it in the Guangling Palace when the Emperor of Northern Qi gave the palace to Zhao Yi?
With Princess Yizhen's noble character, even if she was forced to give herself to the Emperor of Northern Qi, she would never have an affair with the imperial tutor.
The imperial tutor had a special feeling for this painting and was unwilling to destroy it. However, he was also afraid that the painting would ruin Princess Yizhen's reputation in his hands, so he gave the painting to Zhao Yi?
Shen Qingtan suppressed her doubts and said, "When the Imperial Tutor wakes up, shall we go to his residence to visit him?" She reached out her hand and lightly touched the woman in the pavilion with her fingertips. "Perhaps, we can learn something about Mother from the Imperial Tutor."
From the things the Imperial Tutor had told them, they should be able to detect traces of interaction between the Imperial Tutor and Princess Yizhen. Perhaps by following these traces, they could deduce what kind of connection the two had.
"Okay." Zhao Yi agreed, opened the lid of the teacup, and took a few sips of tea: "Let's pack our bags first and try to leave within the next day or two."
"You have a mansion in Yuncheng. Please write to the housekeeper in advance to arrange for your daily food, clothing, and shelter. We'll just need to prepare a few sets of clothes and some dry food." Shen Qingtan leaned tiredly on the couch, kicked off her shoes, and gently kicked his hand with one foot, indicating that he should take off his socks. "I've already asked Liu Yue and Ting Xue to pack these. We can set off at any time."
Zhao Yi held her feet, sat down at the end of the couch, and took off her silk socks, revealing a pair of white, delicate feet. He held her feet in his palms, these delicate feet were not even as long as his hands.
"Itchy." Shen Qingtan tried to pull her foot back, but Zhao Yi held it tightly with both hands, kneading it inch by inch. The calluses on his palms rubbed the tingling sensation on the soles of her feet, drilling straight into her heart. She curled up her toes and said in a soft voice, "Husband, I'm ticklish, please stop."
Zhao Yi watched the blush rising on Shen Qingtan's cheeks, spreading to the corners of her eyes. She bit her lower lip gently, as if enduring something. He was moved and obeyed her. He put down her feet and, without waiting for her to react, pressed down on her and kissed her lips fiercely, forcing her to open. When she responded to him passionately, he whispered, "Are you really going to let me stop?"
Shen Qingtan was still a little shy inside, but after being married for so long, she no longer had to be coy in front of him. So, under his gaze, Shen Qingtan hooked her fingers around his belt and deftly untied it.
Zhao Yi's breathing paused slightly.
Shen Qingtan became even bolder. She climbed her arms around his neck and pulled his head down. Her red lips pressed against his ear as she whispered, "Husband, why did you stop? Is it because your body can't have sex?"
Listening to her teasing, Zhao Yi lay down beside her and said, "My lady, provoking me is useless. If you want it, come and get it yourself."
Shen Qingtan opened her eyes slightly wide, as if she didn't expect him to do this. She lay on him in shame and anger, bit his shoulder, and was about to leave.
Unexpectedly, the man grabbed her waist with both hands and pushed down.
She sat on his hips.
The next moment, the clothes fell to the ground.
Sunlight streamed in through the window, casting the shadows of the two figures clearly on the wall. A gentle breeze blew the curtains of the room, causing the two silhouettes on the wall to sway.
-
Imperial Palace, Qinzheng Hall, Inner Hall.
After Zhao Yi left, the Emperor of Northern Qi slowly walked to the front of the scroll and stared at the two figures in the pavilion. He couldn't help but imagine that if Yizhen had not been so stubborn and was willing to submit in front of him and be as obedient as Concubine Shu, she probably wouldn't have died tragically.
The Emperor of Northern Qi did not feel the slightest bit of guilt about Yizhen's death.
After all, in his opinion, Yizhen gave him the heart-protecting mirror not to save him, but to save herself.
Only if he is alive can Yizhen have a place to stay.
If he died and Yizhen lost his protection, her fate would be even more tragic than if she had stayed with him.
If Yizhen had any other choice, she would have left him long ago.
Thinking of this, the Emperor of Northern Qi looked at the painting and felt disgusted.
He instructed the eunuch beside him: "Take this painting down."
"Yes." The eunuch took down the painting and asked, "Your Majesty, what do you do with this painting?"
The Northern Qi Emperor said coldly, "Burn it."
It seemed that by doing this, he could completely erase all traces of Yizhen from his sight.
The eunuch left with the painting.
Afterwards, the Northern Qi Emperor summoned Right Pillar of the State Liu Zhengrong into the palace and said to him, "My dear Liu, I have arranged for Prince Guangling and his wife to reunite with the Great Zhou's Zhenbei King during the Mid-Autumn Festival. I believe that as long as the Zhenbei King remains in the Great Zhou, Northern Qi will find it difficult to win. Now, we have an opportunity to sow discord between Emperor Jing'an and the Zhenbei King."
The Right State Minister, a trusted minister of the Northern Qi Emperor, asked, "Your Majesty, what good advice do you have?"
"The Prince of Zhenbei and the Princess of Guangling are father and daughter, and he treasures her like a pearl. For this precious daughter, he not only disregarded his own life, but also rewarded his daughter with titles and titles for the merits of several of his sons. His actions, not to mention the Great Zhou, are probably known throughout the world. Therefore, it is not surprising that he would betray his country for his daughter."
The Northern Qi Emperor revealed his plan: "If I secretly station troops in Yuncheng after the Zhenbei Prince meets his daughter, and the Zhenbei Prince is completely unaware of this, how could he possibly report back to the imperial court the news that Northern Qi has stationed troops in the border city with the intention of attacking them? Furthermore, I have placed a spy beside the Zhenbei Prince. If this spy reports the Northern Qi troop deployment to Emperor Jing'an, will Emperor Jing'an's trust in the Zhenbei Prince remain unshakable?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
