met free Chapter 314 Status
Chapter 314 Status
"Let him wait." Zhao Yi took the oil-paper umbrella back from Liu Yue and used it to shield Shen Qingtan from the snow. "It's not worth you coming here to freeze for him."
"I'm not cold." Shen Qingtan's gaze fell on Zhao Yi's face. Seeing his gentle expression, she smiled and said, "Sending you a message is secondary. The main thing is that I wanted to come here to wait for you to return to the manor."
Zhao Yi's heart stirred slightly, and he immediately thought of the time when he was receiving medical treatment in the palace shortly after their marriage, which delayed his return home.
She was thinking of him and deliberately waited for him to return to the mansion at the side gate.
Now that his true identity has been revealed, it just so happens that the Northern Qi envoys have come to the palace for negotiations.
She kept him in her heart and waited for him to return to the mansion at the side gate once again.
Zhao Yi looked down at Shen Qingtan, who was wearing a bright red cloak covered in gold mink fur, her hands tucked into fur hand warmers, wrapped up tightly, and looked very warm.
He reached into his hand and touched her fingers, which, as he had expected, were icy cold.
She was sensitive to the cold; no matter how many layers she wore, her hands and feet remained cold once she was away from the stove.
"Let's go back to the house first." Zhao Yi led Shen Qingtan back to Lanxue Garden. To ease her worries, he whispered to her everything that had happened in Taiji Hall that day: "The Northern Qi Imperial Tutor sent seeds, technology, and exempted tariffs, which is understandable. This measure was to quell public resentment and successfully bring the King of Qi and the envoy back to Northern Qi."
He paused briefly, pondering, "But ceding the city so readily is probably a trap."
"The Imperial Tutor incited the people and used public opinion to put the Emperor on the fire, forcing him to agree to peace talks. On this basis, the Emperor proposed that Northern Qi cede a city to Great Zhou, which was to create a difficult problem for the Imperial Tutor."
Shen Qingtan analyzed, "If the Imperial Tutor does not agree to cede the city, everything he did before will backfire on him, and he will definitely agree immediately."
"However, judging from what the Imperial Tutor did before, he is a far-sighted person and may have considered this aspect."
Her expression was serious: "They gave it to us readily; whether we can accept it or not is up to us."
Zhao Yi and Shen Qingtan exchanged a glance, each with their own guess—Northern Qi would not openly refuse, but would use underhanded tactics to force Great Zhou to give up the city.
What could possibly make the Great Zhou Dynasty abandon its cities?
Unless the city becomes a hot potato.
“Only if Yingcheng suffers from natural disasters and man-made calamities, to the point that the Great Zhou cannot govern it, would they abandon the city,” Zhao Yi said in a deep voice. “Natural disasters are unpredictable; only man-made calamities remain…”
The reason why agriculture and water conservancy in the Northern Qi Dynasty were able to develop so well was due to the emperor's tutor.
The Imperial Tutor cares deeply for the people; surely he wouldn't allow Northern Qi to harm them?
"Northern Qi is wicked and unrighteous. We cannot let our guard down against them before the peace treaty is signed." Shen Qingtan looked at Zhao Yi's preoccupied appearance and thought that perhaps they were worrying unnecessarily.
But now it's a contest between two countries, so we can't be complacent.
Zhao Yi nodded slightly and did not discuss the matter further.
He escorted Shen Qingtan back to Lanxue Garden before going to the side hall to meet with the eunuch from Northern Qi.
The eunuch from Northern Qi sat upright in a round-backed chair. When he saw Zhao Yi step into the side hall, he quickly stood up and gave a deep bow: "This servant greets Your Highness."
Upon hearing the address, Zhao Yi frowned slightly and sat down in the main seat.
The eunuch from Northern Qi smiled obsequiously and said, "Your Highness, His Majesty has instructed me to convey His Majesty's wishes upon returning to Great Zhou."
After saying this, he picked up the tray that was on the coffee table and handed it to Zhao Yi.
"His Majesty said that you are the eldest son of the Northern Qi emperor and should not be left to wander. Because of someone with ulterior motives, you and your father were separated. Now that we know your whereabouts, we will definitely bring you back to Northern Qi and grant you a title."
The eunuch from Northern Qi placed the tray on the tea table beside Zhao Yi: "This is the prince's robe His Majesty prepared for you. Wear this when you return to Northern Qi and go to the palace to pay your respects to His Majesty."
Zhao Yi glanced at the tray, on which lay a red robe with a white collar, adorned with embroidered gold patches and a gold sash, and a pair of black leather boots.
Seeing that Zhao Yi remained silent and his expression was indifferent upon seeing the prince's attire, the eunuch from Northern Qi did not show any signs of being flattered or overwhelmed by the emperor's approval.
If it were an ordinary person, they would have already kowtowed in gratitude for the emperor's favor.
Although Emperor Jing'an favored Zhao Yi, after revealing that Zhao Yi was the offspring of Princess Huguo, he did not bestow upon Zhao Yi the title of Prince, nor did he grant him a Prince's Mansion. Zhao Yi continued to live in the Duke's Mansion and act as the offspring of the eldest son's family.
One was a prince in name only, and the other was a prince with real power and a noble status.
Anyone would choose the latter, but Zhao Yi remained unmoved.
"Your Highness, His Majesty has issued an oral decree to the Ministry of Rites, instructing them to begin preparations for the investiture ceremony and the posthumous conferment of the title of Princess Protector of the Nation."
While observing Zhao Yi's expression, the eunuch from Northern Qi cautiously said, "Princess Protector of the Nation has been waiting for His Majesty to bestow upon her the title of Consort, grant her a formal status, and vindicate you."
"It's a pity that Emperor Zhou had not yet ascended the throne at that time, and Princess Huguo was a hostage. His Majesty had only been on the throne for a short time, and his foundation was not stable."
"If Princess Huguo were to be made a concubine, it would likely cause unrest. Therefore, His Majesty planned to make Princess Huguo a concubine after helping Emperor Zhou ascend the throne. However, after Emperor Zhou ascended the throne, Princess Huguo passed away."
Zhao Yi laughed, a hint of sarcasm on his lips.
The eunuch's words revealed the helplessness of the Northern Qi emperor, and expressed how much the emperor loved his son who had been living away from home.
If he truly loved his mother and son, how could he have allowed his birth mother to die at the hands of wild beasts, and how could he have allowed him to wander in the Great Zhou?
The current attempts to portray a peaceful and harmonious society, appealing to his emotions and reasoning with him, are simply because they value him.
"His Majesty learned of the tragic news of Princess Huguo's passing and suspended court for three days." A eunuch from Northern Qi wiped his eyes with his sleeve, deeply grieving for Princess Huguo's death. "His Majesty, saddened by your loss of your mother, intended to place you under the care of the Empress, but who knew... who knew that news of your untimely death would arrive. Now that His Majesty knows you have established yourself in society, he is very pleased and hopes you will return to Northern Qi to make up for the years he has neglected you and fulfill Princess Huguo's last wish."
Zhao Yi said indifferently, "I wonder what posthumous title Emperor Qi bestowed upon my mother?"
The eunuch from Northern Qi was taken aback, opened his mouth as if to spout nonsense.
He was also worried about saying something that might cause trouble, so he didn't dare to respond casually.
The eunuch from Northern Qi said awkwardly, "His Majesty said that we will discuss the title of Princess Protector of the Nation and where she will be buried after you return to Northern Qi."
The last sentence implies that Princess Zhao Yi's remains have not yet been laid to rest.
Whether he should be buried in the Northern Qi imperial mausoleum or returned to his homeland depends on Zhao Yi's attitude.
Zhao Yi understood perfectly well that the Northern Qi emperor was using his birth mother's remains and title to lure him back to Northern Qi.
He asked unhurriedly, "Does the Emperor mean that to make amends to my mother and me, I can ask for any rank I want for my mother?"