Chapter 114 The Servant is Unwilling
This game was so ingenious and ruthless, with each link linking together. It was so clever that even those loyal ministers and generals who had been on the battlefield for a long time and had seen many storms were kept in the dark and only saw the tip of the iceberg at the last moment.
After the dust settled, countless people gasped in shock, and couldn't help but sigh in their hearts: This young emperor is so scheming and cunning, and his methods are so decisive and experienced, far beyond the imagination of ordinary people!
After listening to the guard's report, Xiao Jin's eyes narrowed slightly as he asked, "How was she captured? Tell me in detail."
The guard respectfully replied, "Your Majesty, a woman escorted him to the palace gate. She simply said, 'The traitor must die,' and rode away without leaving any name."
Xiao Jin knew it was Yun Zhao when he heard this. Only she would present this "gift" to him in this way at this moment.
"Wang Gui!" he ordered immediately, "Prepare the horses! I want to leave the palace!"
"Yes!" Wang Gui responded immediately, gathered more than 30 elite guards, surrounded the emperor, and galloped westward.
Yun Zhao hadn't gone far, just eating a bowl of steaming wonton noodles at a simple food stall beside the official road, when Xiao Jin caught up with her. He saw her sitting there calmly, as if she had known he would come.
She did not flee in panic, but calmly put down her bowl and chopsticks, stood up, and bowed with her skirt lowered, her posture respectful yet distant: "Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you. May your Majesty be well."
Xiao Jin walked over quickly and offered his hand to help her up. "There's no outsider here, so no need to be polite. I'm sorry... I've wronged you this time. I had no choice..."
Yun Zhao leaned slightly aside, avoiding his touch, and stood upright. Her voice was steady and calm, "Your Majesty's actions are based on divine judgment. No one should question them, and no one should feel wronged. This is all for the sake of the country. Your Majesty has no choice but to act. I understand."
Xiao Jin felt a pang of pain at seeing her like this, but he still spoke the words he had been holding back for a long time: "A Zhao, thank you... for understanding me. I was also worried that you would be involved and hurt, so I had no choice but to force you out of the palace. Now that everything is settled, follow me back to the palace. The position of Shang Gong is too tiring, you don't need to do it anymore. I... I want to make you the queen, are you willing?"
Yun Zhao was startled and immediately bowed her head, firmly refusing, "Your Majesty, I am deeply unworthy of your kindness! With my limited talent and virtue, I am unworthy of the responsibility of being the mother of the nation. I beg Your Majesty to choose someone virtuous and kind, for the benefit of the nation."
Xiao Jin couldn't hear what she was thinking at the moment, and couldn't help but feel anxious: "Why don't you want to? I thought... you and I already had a mutual understanding."
Ah Yun died as he said he would, his former favor vanishing in the blink of an eye. It seems he was nothing more than a pawn. The so-called heir to the throne is probably nothing more than a figment of the imagination!
[The emperor's mindset is truly terrifying! Even if it's just a chess piece, it's still a living life!]
Yun Zhao's heart felt even colder. Subconsciously, she took a step back and bowed deeply once more, drawing a clear line between them. "Your Majesty, I have never dared to overstep my bounds between the ruler and his subjects. Your Majesty has already granted me permission to leave the palace and return home. Your Majesty has spoken with such sincerity, I hope you will not break your word. Considering my father's willingness to serve Your Majesty once again, I beg Your Majesty to grant this permission."
Seeing her so resolute, Xiao Jin felt extremely depressed and couldn't help but explain, "You! Are you so unwilling to stay by my side? Do you hate me so much? The child Ah Yun is carrying... isn't my own flesh and blood! It's not that I don't want to protect her, but I can't! I have my own frustrations!"
Yun Zhao's expression remained calm, as if she were listening to something that had nothing to do with her. "Your Majesty, you are too kind. I have never disliked you. It's just that life in the countryside is more comfortable. As for the matter of Yun Cairen, Your Majesty has never wronged me. I know this clearly. Thank you for sharing this."
Every word was polite and considerate, but also revealed a chilling courtesy and alienation, as if an invisible wall had been built between them.
Xiao Jin looked at her stubborn defiance and finally let out a long sigh, his voice a mixture of helplessness and compromise. "Since that's the case... you should return to Jinzhou first. I'll come looking for you next spring. Since your father has also written a petition requesting a return home to live out his days in honor, I... will grant his request."
"That's fine. Separating for now might be the best option. By next spring, there are still a few months left. Perhaps by then, Your Majesty will have met someone more desirable and will gradually forget Yun and me."
"Your Majesty, thank you very much for your favor." Yun Zhao bowed again, with a hint of relief in her tone.
Xiao Jin stared at her back as she turned around impatiently and left in a hurry, feeling bitter in his heart.
Falling in love with someone else? How could it be possible? From his youth till now, the only people he truly cherished were his late mother and the woman before him. No one could ever replace them.
Wang Gui quietly stepped forward and whispered, "Your Majesty, the wind is cold and the dew is heavy. Please take care of your health. I will escort you back to the palace. Miss Yun...will eventually figure it out."
Xiao Jin retracted his gaze, hiding all the emotions in his eyes, and replied lightly: "Yeah."
He mounted his horse and suddenly remembered something. He said to Wang Gui, who was following closely at his side, "This time, you secretly investigated the rebels and passed on information. You were very effective. I am very pleased. If it weren't for you lurking and maneuvering, how could those entangled old foxes be brought down so easily?"
His tone suddenly changed, and he spoke with the decisiveness of an emperor: "After we return, I will issue an order to establish the Eastern Investigation Bureau to monitor all officials and eliminate the remaining evil. You will be the supervisor and take charge of this matter! If anyone dares to criticize or oppose—" He sneered, his eyes as sharp as a knife, "then slam the irrefutable evidence I have collected over the past few months in his face. I want to see who dares to say anything more!"
Wang Gui was deeply shocked, but his expression became even more respectful, even showing a hint of gratitude: "Your Majesty, I... thank you for your grace! I will do my best, even if it means death!"
Xiao Jin rode forward a few steps, gazing at the desolate winter landscape lining the official road. Suddenly, he whispered another order, his tone icy and bone-chilling: "One more thing. I want that bastard Xiao Yan to hear with his own ears before he dies how his beloved mother, the Empress Dowager, colluded with the father of that traitor Su Mingli. And whether he is truly the so-called 'blood of Emperor Gaozong'! Since he boasts of his noble status, I will let him know that he is destined to be a bastard who hides his true identity!"
Wang Gui's heart trembled, and he immediately accepted the order: "I understand! I will do it properly, Your Majesty, please rest assured!"
Xiao Jin reined in his horse, overlooking the land he firmly controlled. The winter wind whirled withered branches and fallen leaves, creating a pale, desolate scene. He murmured softly, as if addressing the late emperor in the shadows, or perhaps swearing an oath to himself: "Father, I have preserved the land you left behind... But I have yet to fully avenge Mother's blood feud!"
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