Chapter 1509 (1508): The Grand Finale (Part 11) [Seeking Monthly Tickets]
"hehe."
Qi Shan looked at his three colleagues with a cold smile.
He had known Gu Chi the longest, their first meeting dating back over twenty years. Next was Qin Li, and even the shortest relationship, with Chu Yao, was nearly twenty years. Qi Shan knew the personalities of these three perfectly well, even after drinking the Meng Po soup: "A Prince Yuan who appeared out of nowhere, occupying the position of Crown Prince, and this is your reaction? Do you think I'd believe you if you lied and said you didn't know?"
He's just physically ill, not that his brain has been eaten away.
If these three really didn't know who Shen Rugui was, they wouldn't look so half-dead! Qi Shan's patience ran out. He was like a wounded tiger that had been starving for days and couldn't find its prey. Every muscle on his face twitched, revealing his restlessness and suppressed anger.
"What are you hiding from me?!"
Qi Shan's teeth were chattering, and the whites of his eyes were covered with blood vessels.
"Who exactly is this damned Shen Rugui?!"
His agitation seemed to affect even the air; he paced back and forth like a caged beast, his feet so heavy that they trampled the animal-skin rug on the ground: "Where is the master? Where is the master now?"
During the two days that Qi Shan was recuperating, Shen Tang did not come to visit him.
He assumed the latter was too busy with official duties to spare the time, but considering that the emperor still had the time to organize such a large amount of stuff and rack his brains to come up with titles for meritorious officials, even if he was busy, it couldn't be too much. If that's the case, why wouldn't he come and see him?
The trip of Chu Yao and his two companions was also quite strange.
In an instant, Qi Shan realized what the problem was.
Most likely, his lord had taken advantage of his momentary lapse in attention to go on another adventure, perhaps even suffering a minor loss at the hands of the enemy, and was afraid he would find out and cause trouble for her again? Thinking of this, Qi Shan felt a wave of dizziness wash over him. Based on his years of experience, his lord's guilty conscience was directly proportional to the level of risk.
The greater the risk, the more uneasy she felt.
Qi Shan glanced at his three colleagues, then laughed in anger.
"Fine, I won't answer. I'll go and get an explanation myself."
He was aggressive and turned to leave.
Qin Li said, "Our lord is not in the camp."
Qi Shan pulled his right leg back from the tent.
Qin Li has been extremely irritable these past two days. The pressure is so great that he wants to find his pipe. He had his luggage searched before he realized that he had run out of tobacco: "Shen Rugui is the crown prince chosen by the emperor. He will be born in a month. He is also the emperor's own flesh and blood."
Qi Shan, unable to bear it any longer, retorted: "What nonsense are you spouting?"
After ten months of pregnancy, the fruit ripens and falls from the vine.
The crown prince will be born in a month?
Does this mean that the Lord is already more than eight months pregnant?
No, it doesn't necessarily have to be the Lord himself who gives birth.
Qi Shan thought of Qiu, the infertility dream-fulfilling master from Jimo, and then of Gongyang Yongye, who firmly believed in male fertility. She suspected that this was how the so-called crown prince came to be: "The crown prince is a matter of national importance. Why doesn't the emperor inform us of his actions in advance?"
If it were merely a matter of the monarch visiting the inner palace, there would naturally be no need to inform the ministers. However, the matter of the crown prince is of great importance, and Qi Shan, as the Grand Secretary, should have known in advance and made some mental preparations, right? For example, the matter of establishing an heir is not something that the monarch can simply decide on a whim.
At the very least, you should consult with your trusted advisors.
Qin Li: "..."
How is he supposed to answer that?
He felt that this crown prince was probably the one with the most undisputed bloodline in history, even his birth was witnessed by the court officials. Qin Li and the other two knew of the crown prince's existence about ten hours earlier than Qi Shan: "His Majesty has chosen the four of us as regents."
Qi Shan's pupils trembled: "What do you mean?"
His body, though not thin, now resembled a weak, yellowed leaf falling from a branch, as if a gust of wind could sweep him away. Qi Shan gripped the things beside him tightly, ignoring the redness and blisters on his fingers from the scalding hot wax.
Qin Li replied blankly, "It means entrusting the orphan to someone."
Entrusting the orphan... Entrusting the orphan... Entrusting the orphan...
Qi Shan's reaction exceeded the expectations of the three.
He wasn't furious, nor was he enraged, nor did his face turn red with anger. Instead, his expression was blank, the light momentarily lost from his dark eyes, leaving them so deep they seemed to absorb everything. He blinked dazedly, murmuring, "I can't hear you..."
In the instant he lost his hearing, he clearly heard something break in his mind, followed by a completely black and white, silent world, and then a dizzying spin. He lost his balance and knocked over the lamp, a small, vibrant orange-red mixed with wax blooming on his sleeve.
“Chen Youli”.
Whisper this name in the gentlest voice.
You—again—betrayed—me—
The hatred etched in those four characters sent chills down the spines of Chu Yao and the other two.
Qi Shan closed her eyes wearily. The previous seven rulers were all liars, becoming arrogant and revealing their true colors once they gained power. But she, Shen Youli, was the best at pretending, deceiving herself for over a decade! He was just a mortal; how many decades does one have in a lifetime?
Before his consciousness faded, he saw three colleagues who all looked panicked.
Qin Li: "Put out the fire quickly!"
The three hurriedly removed his outer robe, which had been set ablaze by the candlelight, and then ordered someone to fetch a physician from the medical field to examine him. Fang Yan looked speechlessly at Qi Shan, who seemed to have one foot in the grave: "So hot-tempered?"
Is he trying to drive himself crazy?
Chu Yao said, "He knows about what happened to the master."
Fang Yan, who was also in the know, said, "But there's still no result yet. As the saying goes, we need to see the person alive or dead. Right now, we haven't even received any accurate information. Why is he so furious?"
Chu Yao: "..."
He didn't answer, but Fang Yan had his own answer.
Putting himself in his shoes, he too was on the verge of death because of his elder brothers. If it weren't for his twelfth and thirteenth brothers still being alive, he would have wanted to go with them. Qi Yuanliang's reaction was understandable: "Prime Minister Qi... is quite badly injured this time."
Qin Li looked over: "How heavy?"
"The heart meridian was damaged, and there were multiple cracks in the brain meridians, but fortunately it has stopped. However..." Fang Yan paused, then said worriedly, "The brain meridians and heart meridians are the most vulnerable and vital points in the human body. This time the rescue was timely and a life was saved, but it will take a long time for these cracks to heal completely. During this time, we cannot get so angry again."
Repeated rupture of a wound can be fatal.
Not to mention the heart meridian and the meridians in the brain?
Even the most skilled physicians have their limits.
Qin Li felt a headache coming on when he heard this, and asked, "But Qi Yuanliang now... do you think he can remain calm after waking up?"
Fang Yan: "..."
That is indeed asking too much of people.
Qin Li seemed to have made up his mind: "I remember there are some royal families who have passed down a calming remedy that can make people drowsy and listless after drinking it? Can we increase the dosage of this remedy and control him for a while?"
If Qi Shan cannot calm down, then use external objects to help him calm down.
Fang Yan knew about this thing.
He shook his head and said, "This thing is extremely harmful to the body and should not be taken."
He went back and searched to see if there was a suitable solution.
Qi Shan remained unconscious for a whole day before slowly waking up.
He was surprisingly calm upon waking, though his expression was numb as he cooperated with Fang Yan's treatment. His face was several shades paler than a corpse that had been in the morgue for three days, utterly lifeless. No one could fathom what he was thinking at that moment; even Gu Chi's scholarly principles were blocked by the heavy barrier deliberately erected by Qi Shan. The more this was the case, the more terrifying it became.
Literary figures and scholars are all mentally unstable.
Many people don't fall ill simply because they haven't encountered a trigger. No one knows what earth-shattering things a mad scholar might do. Qi Shan still has seven lives of his lords in his hands.
Their glorious achievements are verifiable.
Qin Li came and stayed to guard the place for half a day.
Qi Shan was quiet and didn't go crazy; she just asked him for a pipe.
"I've run out of tobacco."
"I still have some."
I don't know what year the tobacco leaves are from, but they have a rather pungent taste.
"Cough cough cough—"
Qi Shan almost choked on her lungs, feeling like she was about to crush them.
"Let's go see the Crown Prince."
Qi Shan's emotional stability frightened Qin Li.
After becoming pregnant, Shen Xiaohonghua De was placed in Shen Tang's original main tent by Ji Moqiu, which was heavily guarded nearby.
Those present that day knew what was going on, and even those who weren't there sensed an eerie atmosphere amidst the tension, a kind of unspeakable danger brewing in the shadows. Ordinary people weren't allowed near the main tent, but Chu Yao and his three companions could come and go freely. Inside the tent, a red light shone brightly.
The little red flower detached from the wooden stick, its roots penetrating deep into the earth.
It was originally only half the size of a palm.
At this moment, the illusory image of the petals had expanded to half a zhang (approximately 3.3
A baby, about the size of a fist, was curled up in the very center of the flower.
No, it was less like an infant and more like a network of fine, dense blood vessels forming veins and bones, covered by a faint golden light, resembling skin. Qi Shan gazed intently at this small creature, which carried a familiar aura. As if sensing something, Chen Xiao Honghua De stretched out its limbs and shifted its position within the flower's stamen.
Qin Li's gaze remained fixed on Qi Shan.
After a long silence, Qi Shan asked, "How many days are left?"
Ji Moqiu replied, "The 26th."
Qi Shan looked at the future crown prince, who was beginning to take on a human form.
"Is it a man or a woman?"
Judging from the name left by Shen Youli, it is still unknown whether the person is male or female.
Ji Moqiu: "Female."
A life created using His Highness's blood is an heretical existence intolerable to the laws of Heaven, and will be subject to certain restrictions, one of which is reproduction. If the child is chosen to have a Yang zodiac sign, it is virtually impossible to have offspring, so this child is naturally a Yin zodiac sign.
Qi Shan said, "Mm."
His gaze swept over the bored Gong Xichou.
"How many people are unaware that our lord is not in the camp?"
Qin Li: "You should ask how many people know."
Qi Shan said, "This is a crucial moment. If the bandits in the central region find out, it will only add more complications. Why not create the illusion that our lord is still alive and take control of the central region first? We can discuss the rest later?"
Qin Li disagreed: "Who would be suitable?"
Qi Shan scoffed: "Gong Xi Chou would be perfect."
The main reason is that Gong Xichou's thought process and strength are very well matched.
Gongxi Chou doesn't need to do anything; he just needs to occasionally show up to make his presence known so that the ordinary soldiers know that their lord is always there.
Gong Xichou felt that this task was not too difficult.
"You should discuss it with me first."
Qin Li hesitated: "Should we discuss this matter with the gentlemen first?"
Having someone impersonate the emperor could indeed stabilize morale, especially among those who were unaware. Apart from a few high-ranking officers, most in the army were still unaware of the emperor's whereabouts and the crown prince's appearance. Having a double in the open would certainly reduce a lot of trouble. However, this suggestion came from Qi Yuanliang, whose mood was very off, so Qin Li couldn't help but show his old wariness and asked, "What do you think?"
Qi Shan chuckled again: "Good."
Qin Li: "..."
Qi Yuanliang has gone mad.
Shen Tang felt like she was going crazy.
There is probably no one in this world who has suffered more than her during the tribulation.
After a lifetime of hard work, and before heading towards an uncertain future, there are still piles of work to handle through the night. The massive project of rewarding merits should have been discussed and decided by a group of people over three to five months before the final list was finalized: "...Yuanliang is really going to be hard to appease this time..."
Just thinking about it makes my scalp tingle.
There's an urge that even if she went back alive, she'd pass by her home three times without ever entering.
I really don't dare to buy it.
Despite their objections, Shen Tang's moral blackmail worked on them. Their high moral standards prevented them from abandoning everything. Even if Shen Tang never returned, they would most likely still diligently raise the child and manage Kangguo. As for how badly they would manage it in the end, Shen Tang didn't have high hopes—not because she didn't acknowledge their abilities, but because human nature is unpredictable.
One example is that people become distant and their relationships cool after they leave.
Secondly, there are some things that Shen Tang, as the ruler, can do, but which are difficult for his ministers to do. What Shen Tang does is seen as a wise ruler purging the court, while what they do might be maliciously misinterpreted as factionalism and the suppression of dissent. If a court is filled with conflicting opinions and no one makes a firm decision, public morale will easily crumble, policies will be ineffective, and ultimately, it is the ordinary people at the bottom of society who will suffer. If things can hold out until the crown prince comes of age, the situation might improve. However, there's no guarantee that the elder statesmen won't change their minds during this process…
Human hearts are fickle; this has always been the case.
Shen Tang had considered abdicating the throne to one of them.
After careful consideration, I realized that no one would do.
Thinking of this, Shen Tang scratched his head again.
"...If only I had been a little more perceptive earlier and chosen a concubine who was pleasing to the eye and wouldn't cause trouble, at least now we'd have a mature, authoritative figure ruling from behind the curtain..." After muttering to himself, Shen Tang shook his head, banishing the absurd thought from his mind. What if the next step of this behind-the-scenes rule was to seize the throne? If the elders of Kangguo were dissatisfied with this ruler, the conflict between them could become even more acute, leading to greater unrest.
"well……"
It's all the dog's fault for being kind!
If it weren't for Gou Shannian's interference, and if someone hadn't dug up Yunda's grave and disturbed the four pillars, why would she have gotten lost in the deep mountains and forests? Yes, she lost her way in the towering mountains.
He took out the map that Ji Moqiu had given him and his eyes were spinning from looking at it.
Is this something a human could understand?
Shen Tang used the Investiture of the Gods as a tool for clearing paths and weeding. In her hands, it was like a multi-purpose military shovel, paving roads through mountains and building bridges over rivers, and even serving as a walking stick when she got tired. Wherever she went, vegetation lay flattened. Don't ask her why she carried this cumbersome thing.
The question is whether it has the same purpose as the national seal and a coffin.
Yes, Shen Tang needs it to enter the Four Extremes Land.
Ji Moqiu revealed that the answer lay in Shen Tang's hands, referring to the Investiture of the Gods, a document that had long since fallen into her possession and seemed utterly useless. However, Shen Tang needed to fulfill a certain prerequisite before she could activate it.
Now, she is going to the territory of the Gongxi tribe.
|ω`)
Today, while driving down the mountain, I came to a bend with a large blind spot. Xianggu was driving in her lane, and an oncoming car sped past without even braking, even encroaching on part of my lane. Xianggu was terrified and instinctively slammed on the brakes to avoid a collision… Why drive so recklessly on such a narrow mountain road?
(End of this chapter)
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