62 The Tragedy of Zhao Ji
◎What truly led to your father's downfall was—himself.◎
"Madam Zhao is truly a remarkable woman," Qi Gu exclaimed.
Chen Zhan poured himself a glass of wine, the wine flowing down his throat, filling him with bitterness and resentment.
He hadn't spent much time with his father and mother, so much so that his memory of their faces was now very blurry. It was the remaining faith, or what Qi Gu called obsession, that had sustained him until now.
“But I have another version of the story here. Brother Zhan, would you like to hear it?” Perhaps the truth that Chen Zhan knows is incomplete. But if Chen Zhan really knows another truth, will what he is clinging to still have any meaning?
Chen Zhan had long harbored suspicions, but he dared not seek confirmation, dared not... know the truth. But now, the time had come when he had no choice but to face it.
Seeing Chen Zhan remain silent, Qi Gu continued, "Madam Zhao is indeed a very, very good woman. She is brave and resourceful, and she recommended herself to the Prince of Yan as a strategist. However, compared to her talent, the Prince of Yan values her beauty more. People say that the Prince of Yan fell in love with the stunningly beautiful Zhao Ji, but rather than love, it is more accurate to say that Madam Zhao took the initiative to serve the Prince of Yan. Unfortunately, the Prince of Yan made Madam Zhao his concubine, and Zhao Ji had no choice but to exchange her beauty for the opportunity to advise the Prince of Yan."
Qi Gu secretly observed Chen Zhan and, seeing that he was listening intently, continued, "At first, the King of Yan did not pay attention, but unexpectedly, Zhao Ji was indeed talented. Many of her strategies helped the Yan army win battles large and small. At this time, the King of Yan slowly began to value Zhao Ji's abilities. Not only could Lady Zhao offer advice on war, but she was also very adept at handling the political affairs that the King of Yan was impatient with. She cared about the people, helped them rebuild their homes, and allowed them to regain land to cultivate. She required the army to regulate their words and deeds and not to burn, kill, and abuse as before. She also treated prisoners of war kindly. Gradually, the King of Yan became very dependent on Zhao Ji, and Zhao Ji also won the love and respect of the people under her rule."
"However, these actions aroused resentment, rejection, and jealousy from some of the trusted generals around the King of Yan, especially those led by General Zhang Tao and assisted by Qi Le. They joined forces to sow discord between Zhao Ji and the King of Yan, and even fabricated the story that Zhao Ji was actually a spy sent by the King of Jin, and that it was a honey trap used by the King of Jin, Chu Pei."
Chen Zhan's throat was dry, and his lips were cracked and white. He said with difficulty, "These are all rumors. Back then, the person my father trusted most was Zheng Hui. My father not only trusted Zheng Hui, but also respected him very much. Zheng Hui never believed that my mother was a spy."
"Yes, Lord Zheng is indeed a rare talent. If Lord Zheng had been present for the final battle, the outcome might have been unpredictable, and people like Qi Le would not have succeeded at all."
Chen Zhan suddenly remembered something. Why wasn't Zheng Gong here? Could it be...?
Seeing that Chen Zhan seemed to have thought of something, Qi Gu said, "You're only realizing it now? The real reason Qi Le and his people were trying to sow discord was between the Prince of Yan and Zheng Hui. In the end, Zhang Tao and Qi Le's conspiracy succeeded. Zheng Hui was already in poor health, but he advised the Prince of Yan not to listen to the slander of petty people, to not use those he doubted, and to not doubt those he used. He also advised that those who deserved to be rewarded should be rewarded, and those who deserved to be punished should be punished. However, in the end, the Prince of Yan did not punish Zhang Tao and Qi Le. Instead, he became suspicious of Zheng Hui. On the surface, he told Zheng Hui to take good care of his health, but in reality, he sidelined Zheng Hui."
"No, no, how could Father suspect Duke Zheng and my mother? That's impossible!" But just as Aunt Qi said, those things were too coincidental!
Chen Zhan had always known that Qi Le and the others looked down on his mother, so he used them as cannon fodder in his plan. However, he never expected that his father...
Chen Zhan's mental defenses were on the verge of collapse. Qi Gu knew this was cruel to Chen Zhan, but she did not hesitate and continued, "In the end, the King of Yan still suspected Zheng Gong and Lady Zhao. Zheng Gong was already old, and the double blow of being suspected by his own monarch caused him to fall ill. He had no choice but to retire and recuperate in despair. The last person he saw before he passed away was not the King of Yan, but Lady Zhao. Why do you think that is?"
"Nonsense! How could you know these things!" Even he didn't know these things, so you can imagine how confidential they were. How could Qi Gu know them!
“Because my mother was a prisoner under the command of the King of Yan at that time, Zhao Ji did not make things difficult for my mother. Perhaps she saw my mother and younger brother and thought of you, who had been sent to a safe place for protection early on.”
"This is impossible!!"
Qi Gu looked directly into Chen Zhan's evasive eyes and said, "These things aren't actually that secret. At least Song Shi knows about them. If you don't believe me, you can ask Song Shi to confirm it. He told me this himself."
Chen Zhan looked up, staring straight at Qi Gu. "No! It's your mother! It was her! She spread those rumors, she killed my mother!" Chen Zhan's shackled hands gripped the two sturdy pillars of the cell tightly. He knelt up, his eyes bulging, bloodshot and streaked with red tears. His face contorted with rage. "Zhang Shi is ungrateful! How cruel she is! My mother didn't make things difficult for her, yet she harmed my mother like this!"
Chen Zhan's furious face was just inches away from Qi Gu. If it weren't for the prison pillars blocking her way, she felt he could grab her and tear her apart alive.
Did Mother really sow discord between the King of Yan and Zhao Ji while she was a prisoner? Qi Gu thought, that was indeed Mother's style. Even in the most desperate situation, Mother still knew what was most useful to her...
Not far away, around the corner, the Empress and Sima Hong stood in the shadows, watching Qi Gu and Chen Zhan sitting cross-legged.
The Queen looked at her daughter with satisfaction. After the two sat down facing each other, they stood there and listened to their entire conversation.
She hadn't expected her daughter to be so calm and collected, speaking logically and methodically, building up her argument step by step. Seeing Chen Zhan almost completely crumble under Qi Gu's words, Empress Zhang couldn't suppress the smile on her face.
Although she didn't grow up by her side, Aunt Qi was indeed as A-Zhi had said, possessing the demeanor of the Zhang family. She nodded in satisfaction.
Sima Hong watched the two sitting opposite each other. Qi Gu was no longer the girl in her previous life who only had him in her eyes. Now, her eyes were on her father, the millet seedlings she had carefully cultivated, her mother, her younger brother, and even Li Qiao and Chen Zhan, and so many other people, but he was nowhere to be seen...
When Empress Zhang saw Qi Gu recoil backward in fright at Chen Zhan's sudden outburst, before she could even intervene, she noticed Sima Hong, usually aloof and rarely showing excessive emotion, revealing a rare hint of outward anger. This was...
At the prison cell door, Sima Hong helped Qi Gu up from behind, then looked down at Chen Zhan kneeling in front of the cell and said, "Chen Zhan, you've long suspected the truth, but you just didn't want to believe it. After Duke Zheng died for his lord, Qi Le and his group came to you, wanting to use your name to overthrow the country, but you didn't really trust Qi Le. You know everything, but you don't want to believe it. The one who truly caused your father's downfall was actually—himself."
"Hahaha! Hahaha!" Chen Zhan supported himself on the ground with both hands, his head hanging low in despair. He slammed his hands on the ground, his painful and suppressed emotions finally erupting. The truth was right in front of him, leaving him no choice but to believe it.
Qi Gu stared blankly as Chen Zhan wept in despair. Sima Hong held Qi Gu in his arms, protecting her against his chest, and the two remained in this position, watching Chen Zhan vent his grief and anger.
Only after Chen Zhan stopped crying and stood up from the ground, his lifeless appearance startled Qi Gu. She stammered, "Brother Zhan, you..."
"Aunt Qi, do you still have the little hoe I gave you?"
"Huh?" Qi Gu didn't know why Chen Zhan suddenly brought up that little item, but she had actually brought it with her today, so she quickly pulled a red thread from her neck.
She had brought this item with her on purpose today, hoping to use it to get closer to Chen Zhan and put his guard down. Unexpectedly, before she could even take it out herself, Chen Zhan brought it up first, making her feel even more guilty.
Chen Zhan watched as the gift he had given to Qi Gu was strung on a red thread and worn by her. At least in this world, there was still someone who truly cared for him. If only they were just two ordinary people from Li Family Village and Zhao Family Village.
Qi Gu took the small hoe off her neck. The silver hoe lay in her palm. Chen Zhan gently stroked it with his fingers, and the cold iron lump was warmed by Qi Gu's body heat.
His gaze was as if he were looking at his most prized creation. Then his eyes shifted from Qi Gu's palm to her face, looking at her intently, as if he wanted to trace her face with his eyes and imprint it deeply in his mind.
After finishing his drawing, he smiled slightly. "Aunt Qi, if you were just a peasant girl from Li Village and I were just a blacksmith from Zhao Village, maybe you could have married me. We could have lived an ordinary life, working from sunrise to sunset. That would have been quite nice, wouldn't you say?"
Qi Gu felt her shoulders being gripped tightly. She turned to look at the culprit, trying to break free from his embrace, but Sima Hong held her firmly in his arms.
Unable to argue further, Qi Gu looked at Chen Zhan again. She couldn't answer Chen Zhan's question, so she said, "I don't know either."
Chen Zhan gave a bitter smile. "If I had known this would happen... Never mind, Aunt Qi, you should keep the gift I gave you with you from now on. Just think about it occasionally." After saying that, he waved to Aunt Qi, then turned around, with his back to Aunt Qi and Sima Hong, and sat in the center of the cell with his eyes closed.
A beam of light shone through the small window of the cell, landing directly on him. Qi Gu seemed to see relief on his exquisitely beautiful face, but also something that seemed to be gradually draining away from him.
Qi Gu, looking utterly dejected, was helped away by Sima Hong. As they turned the corner, Empress Zhang looked at them with a scrutinizing gaze, but Sima Hong did not flinch.
"Mother? What are you doing here?" Qi Gu's face was pale, and she lowered her eyes. "I'm sorry, I failed to obtain the method of iron casting." Her conversation with Chen Zhan had exhausted all her energy, and she had no extra energy to speculate on the way her mother was looking at her and Sima Hong beside her.
She couldn't truly be completely indifferent to Chen Zhan's plight.
Empress Zhang noticed her daughter's expression and, remembering that she had just been kidnapped and was still recovering, decided that she had come here to deal with Chen Zhan. She said, "You did very well today. Leave the rest to your mother. Go back and rest."
She thought that what she wanted, Qi Gu had already obtained, but since she had already obtained it, there was no rush. It wouldn't be too late to wait until Qi Gu recovered.
He then turned to Sima Hong and said, "Xiuyuan, please take Qi Gu back and take good care of her."
Qi Gu subconsciously refused, saying, "No, it's not necessary. I'll go back by myself. Hongyan and the others are waiting for me outside."
However, Sima Hong refused to give an answer, saying, "By order of Her Majesty the Empress, I will first escort the princess back to rest."
Unable to resist, Qi Gu could only let Sima Hong support her shoulders. After taking only two steps, Qi stopped and turned to look at Empress Zhang. "Mother, if possible, could you spare Brother Zhan's life, even if... he also..."
Qi Gu pleaded, though she knew that given her mother's personality, she wouldn't leave behind such an uncontrollable risk as Chen Zhan, but she still couldn't help herself...
Empress Zhang looked at the pleading look in her daughter's eyes, and remained noncommittal. She simply raised her hand and waved, signaling Sima Hong to take Qi Gu away.
Watching Sima Hong walk with Qi Gu through the dimly lit prison cell, Empress Zhang frowned slightly. "It's rare to see Sima Xiuyuan so concerned about anyone."
Behind her, Aunt Lin covered her mouth and chuckled, "This shows that our princess is beloved and blessed with good fortune."
These words brought a smile to Empress Zhang's usually stern face.
[Author's Note]
I've revised and fixed some bugs, so everyone, guess where the Empress and Sima Hong want? Hahaha, it's quite obvious!
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