met free Chapter 305 Summation
Chapter 305 Summation
"Is Your Majesty merely worried that the Prince of Qi will not be able to return to Northern Qi safely?" The Imperial Tutor slowly folded the letter, gently pressing along the crease with his fingertip, and continued to ask, "What is the purpose of Northern Qi's mission to Great Zhou this time?"
The Northern Qi emperor frowned. He had two purposes for this mission to the Great Zhou.
One reason was to form an alliance, giving the Northern Qi a chance to recover.
Secondly, it was to sow discord between the Prince of Zhenbei and Emperor Jing'an.
Because the Prince of Zhenbei was a powerful weapon of the Great Zhou Dynasty and also the nemesis of the Northern Qi Dynasty.
If the Great Zhou loses the Prince of Zhenbei, it's hard to say who will emerge victorious.
"Your Majesty, underestimating the enemy is a cardinal sin in warfare." The Imperial Tutor, seeing through the Northern Qi Emperor's thoughts, said with a hint of helplessness, "The Great Zhou is now strong and well-equipped, no longer the weak nation it was twenty years ago with few generals and soldiers. You should view the Great Zhou with an equal eye."
Even if it's just a small country, you have to treat it as a formidable opponent in order to achieve a steady victory.
Otherwise, you will suffer a great loss in the end.
For example, the Northern Qi emperor at this time still regarded Emperor Jing'an as a prince held hostage in Northern Qi, rather than a wise and ambitious emperor who cared about the world.
That's why they naively thought that by holding Princess Yizhen's remains, they could make Emperor Jing'an obey their will.
As a result, he lost all his trump cards and even his princes and ministers fell into the hands of Emperor Jing'an, putting him in a very passive position.
If the Northern Qi emperor had ever truly looked at Emperor Jing'an, he would have been able to see the situation clearly.
Princess Yizhen was certainly important to Emperor Jing'an, but Emperor Jing'an was not only an elder brother, but also an emperor who cared for his people.
Emperor Jing'an was first and foremost an emperor, and only secondly an elder brother.
Where is the home when the country is destroyed?
Only by protecting our country can we protect the people we cherish.
Thinking of this, a slight ripple appeared in the eyes of the Imperial Tutor, and he slowly said, "If Your Majesty wishes to form an alliance with the Great Zhou, then you should display the magnanimity and demeanor of a great power and sincerely seek peace with the Great Zhou."
After a brief pause, he continued, "With friendly relations between the two countries, the King of Qi will naturally return to Northern Qi safely."
The phrase "the demeanor and style of a great power" made the Northern Qi emperor blush with embarrassment.
The fact that the ministers of Northern Qi went to Great Zhou to form an alliance, yet repeatedly used the matter of Yi Zhen to threaten Emperor Jing'an, was truly unbecoming of a great power and revealed the behavior of petty people.
As the Imperial Tutor said, the Great Zhou is no longer a weak country with few generals and soldiers. They have repeatedly exposed Emperor Jing'an's shortcomings and touched his sore spots, angering him so much that he might raise an army to crush the Northern Qi.
After careful consideration, the Northern Qi emperor finally put aside his deep-seated prejudice and arrogance towards Emperor Jing'an.
"Imperial Tutor, we have already angered Emperor Jing'an and the people of Great Zhou. How can our two countries maintain good relations?"
"The situation is not yet beyond repair," the Imperial Tutor advised. "To eliminate the public resentment in the Great Zhou and the anger of Emperor Jing'an, we must address the root cause of the problem."
The Emperor of Northern Qi was taken aback, his eyes narrowing slightly. The root cause... the root cause was Yi Zhen.
Emperor Jing'an washed away Yi Zhen's shame and built a temple and tomb for her, which shows that he had not given up his determination to bring Yi Zhen back to her homeland.
More than 20 years ago, when the Duke of Zhao was sent as an envoy to the Northern Qi, he wanted to bring Yi Zhen's remains back to the Great Zhou, but he refused.
At the time, they planned to leave the Jing'an Emperor's weakness so that they could negotiate terms with him in the future.
The Emperor of Northern Qi sighed, showing a rare moment of foresight.
"I will send another minister to the Great Zhou to sincerely apologize to Emperor Jing'an, and then let Zhao Yi return to the Northern Qi to bring Yi Zhen's remains back to the Great Zhou."
The Northern Qi emperor's expression was somber as he said in a low voice, "But this time, who should I send as an envoy to the Great Zhou?"
The Imperial Tutor said, "Only by having a higher status and reputation than the great man can we show the sincerity and importance that Northern Qi attaches to us."
The Northern Qi emperor, with his wide sleeves fluttering and his hands clasped behind his back, paced slowly in the hall, carefully considering the candidate.
"Above the highest-ranking officials are all elderly and pedantic ministers. Only when the time comes to use them do we realize how few talented people there are." The Emperor of Northern Qi sighed, "The only one who truly satisfies me is you, Imperial Tutor."
At this point, the Emperor of Northern Qi paused for a moment, and began to think seriously, finding the Imperial Tutor to be the most suitable candidate.
"Imperial Tutor, with your talent, you will surely be able to facilitate diplomatic relations between the two countries and bring Chong'er back safely." The Emperor of Northern Qi said solemnly, "I hope you can go on a diplomatic mission to Great Zhou."
The Imperial Tutor lowered his eyes and head, extending his well-defined fingers to hold the hot tea offered by Eunuch Liu, gently stroking the sky-blue cup with his fingertips.
These are subtle movements he makes when he's thinking.
The Northern Qi emperor took this scene in and knew that the imperial tutor was showing signs of softening his stance.
"The relationship between our Northern Qi and Great Zhou is tense, and we cannot afford to make any further mistakes. If we offend someone again, it will truly be beyond repair."
The Emperor of Northern Qi said earnestly, "Imperial Tutor, please consider the well-being of the people and personally go on a mission to Great Zhou."
Upon hearing the words "common people," the Imperial Tutor gently put down his teacup and agreed to the Northern Qi Emperor's request.
-
In the Duke of Da Zhou's mansion, Zhao Yi left the study in the front courtyard and returned to Lanxue Garden.
Upon entering the room, he saw Shen Qingtan holding a copper coin-patterned hand warmer, lazily curled up on the couch.
She wore a light brown jacket with a white silk collar and a skirt with gold-embroidered edges. The bright and vibrant colors made her fair cheeks look rosy and delicate.
Shen Qingtan had said that she was afraid of the cold in winter, but Zhao Yi didn't think much of it, just that she was weak and needed to be treated by the imperial physician.
Now that winter is approaching, she seems to be hibernating, staying curled up on the couch or in bed, unwilling to move, and rarely leaving the courtyard.
Zhao Yi approached the daybed and saw Shen Qingtan dozing off with her head tilted to the side.
He chuckled softly, turned around and went to the lotus-shaped hand warmer with fine coin patterns. He warmed his hands before touching Shen Qingtan's fingers.
Shen Qingtan was startled awake and saw Zhao Yi sitting on the daybed. She stuffed the hand warmer into his hand and asked, "What did Grandfather say to you?"
When Zhao Yi's true parentage was revealed, the Duke did not propose to revoke his status as the eldest grandson; everything remained the same.
Zhao Yi touched her warm hand and smiled slightly: "Grandfather said that the Imperial Tutor of Northern Qi has come to Great Zhou with sincerity to make peace with Great Zhou."
Shen Qingtan frowned slightly. The arrival of the imperial tutor from Northern Qi in Great Zhou meant that the two countries had made peace, which meant that Zhao Yi would have to go to Northern Qi, and also meant that the couple would have to separate.
She didn't know how dangerous this trip to Northern Qi would be, and she was worried about letting him go alone, so she wanted to go with him.
She worried that if she went, she would become a burden to him.
Zhao Yi saw through her thoughts and gently patted her head: "On my way back to the manor today, I passed by Xiangmanlou and smelled the aroma of almond tea. Would you like to try some?"
“My husband can smell the aroma of almond tea as he passes by the door. Today’s almond tea will surely be delicious.” Shen Qingtan knew he was just trying to coax her. She sat up from the couch and looked at him with a smile in her eyes: “I want to try it.”
Zhao Yi picked up the deerskin boots from the side of the bed and put them on her. He then took her hand and led her out of the room. Just then, Zhiyi came over in a panic.