Chapter 81
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Wei Che was still struggling, and because of Zhao Heng’s thoughts, he blurted out, “Royal Uncle, please spare his life!”
Wei Che looked at the Emperor with a dim expression.
At such a critical moment, the emperor actually exposed his weakness, causing Zhao Yuan to know his concerns.
The eunuch waiting outside the hall heard a faintly inappropriate sound coming from inside and immediately knocked lightly on the door.
There was no response from inside, and there was no more sound.
The eunuch made a gesture in a panic.
Looking out from the hall, the figures of the imperial guards were reflected in the corridor, and the swords clanged loudly as they hurriedly approached. In the blink of an eye, a team of soldiers had arrived at the door.
Zhao Heng suddenly woke up and shouted, “Who dares to break into the hall? Step back!”
The people outside the hall stopped their actions, but they remained at the door and did not move any further.
Zhao Heng’s forehead was already covered in a dense layer of fine sweat. If the people outside were to break in, Wei Che would have no chance of surviving.
The rule of protecting the emperor was that as long as the emperor was not under control, the imperial guards would immediately shoot arrows and use their swords, without any consideration for the innocent.
Protecting the emperor was the only goal. Even if the empress dowager fell into Zhao Yuan’s hands at this moment, she would still have to sacrifice herself for the emperor.
Zhao Heng’s heart was in pain and his blood was boiling. His whole face turned red.
Seeing the emperor holding his chest and trying to move towards him, Wei Che was held back by Zhao Yuan and couldn’t make a sound. Just as he was about to struggle desperately, Zhao Yuan directly dislocated one of his arms.
Wei Che groaned in pain, and the emperor urgently called out to him, “Zi Tong!”
Zhao Heng struggled to calm himself down and gritted his teeth as he asked Zhao Yuan, “What is Royal Uncle trying to do?”
To Zhao Heng’s surprise, at this moment, Zhao Yuan’s face did not show any ridicule or resentment, but instead had a hint of compassion as he looked back at him quietly.
“I just wanted to confirm one thing,” Zhao Yuan said.
Upon hearing these words, Zhao Heng was enlightened, and his entire body was filled with boiling blood. He shifted his gaze from Zhao Yuan to Wei Che, unable to take his eyes off him.
Having been awakened by Zhao Yuan’s remarks, Zhao Heng had already understood what Zhao Yuan was trying to do. Could it be that they were only one step away, but he still had to surrender Li Yi?
However, handing over Li Yi meant surrendering his wealth, life, and the vast lands and territories. He would no longer have any support in his hands.
Although Zhao Heng knew that all his previous achievements would be in vain, and this decision was not what a true emperor would do, he had already made up his mind. He looked at Wei Che with a deep gaze and said, “Zi Tong, rest assured, I will protect you from harm.”
In an instant, Wei Che understood what the emperor was thinking. Although he did not understand why the emperor was willing to give up everything for a subordinate like him, as a subject, Wei Che could not let the emperor do so. Moreover, his loyalty to the emperor was beyond measure, even if it meant sacrificing his own life and fortune, he would not hesitate, let alone be inferior to Shen Yin.
Zhao Heng watched Wei Che’s eyes flash with determination. As the emperor, he knew the fate that awaited Zitong if he became a hostage, he couldn’t help but think of Duke Dingguo’s end.
At the thought of this, Zhao Heng felt a sharp pain in his heart, and had to hold onto the imperial desk to keep from collapsing.
The emperor was at a loss for words, only staring at Wei Che with fear of losing him.
Suddenly, Zhao Yuan swiftly made his move, striking Wei Che with a palm and rendering him unconscious. He then turned around and approached the emperor.
Startled and unsettled, Zhao Heng had no strength to evade. Zhao Yuan swiftly laid the emperor down on the ground and began using his techniques to regulate Zhao Heng’s blood and qi.
When Zhao Heng was able to speak again, he was filled with questions and immediately asked why. “Why did you change your mind, even though you already had Wei Che as a hostage and had me under your control, Royal Uncle?”
Thankfully, you changed your mind, or else I feared I would lose Wei Che.
At the thought of this, the emperor’s blood and qi became unstable once again.
Zhao Yuan quickly exerted force to stabilize the emperor. “Your Majesty, please calm your mind.”
Zhao Heng made an effort to comply, and when he had calmed down somewhat, he heard Zhao Yuan speak slowly, “I never intended to use Wei Che as a bargaining chip to exchange for Li Yi.”
Zhao Heng was extremely perplexed.
“If I force Your Majesty to hand over Li Yi, will I be allowed to spread my wings and fly out of the palace? Even if I were to succeed in everything, what would happen next? Are we to conspire against each other, vowing never to rest until one of us perishes? I am well aware of Your Majesty’s concerns. If we were to truly discuss it, at least half of Your Majesty’s skills as a ruler were taught by me. We both have our own positions and are compelled to keep some cards hidden.”
While speaking, Zhao Yuan continued to massage the emperor’s back with the palm of his hand. Zhao Heng slightly turned his face, clearly eager to know the Regent’s thoughts.
Zhao Yuan continued, “Your Majesty had the power to take action against me by holding onto Li Yi. If you had joined forces with the Shen family and captured me within the palace, I fear I would have long since perished. This shows that deep down, Your Majesty trusts me. I also trust Your Majesty. My actions towards Wei Che were merely for the sake of my own and Li Yi’s future days.”
At this moment, Zhao Heng was no longer obstructed and turned completely to face Zhao Yuan. It was apparent that the Regent Prince’s gaze extended beyond himself, as if he had already transcended this Golden Hall and palace, focusing on some unknown distant place.
He listened as Zhao Yuan spoke softly, “By that time, I will no longer have any troops under my command, and the longer I stay away from Your Majesty, the more susceptible I become to unforeseen events. There may be slanderous individuals, or other unforeseen circumstances… What if Your Majesty wants me to don armor and go to war again? I have absolutely no desire to be involved in such matters anymore. Now that I know Your Majesty’s weakness, I simply wish to use this secret as leverage for a carefree future for both me and Li Yi.”
Zhao Heng couldn’t help but interject, “Uncle, are you so confident that once you are far away from the court, you can still pose a threat to Wei Che? Aren’t you afraid that I might change my mind, release Li Yi, and take preemptive action against both of you, eliminating any potential threats before they arise, leaving Wei Che out of your reach?”
The Emperor spoke with fierce anger in his eyes, but Zhao Yuan smiled dismissively. Indeed, the two of them, uncle and nephew, were alike. They both detested being threatened.
“Wei Che is not a woman confined to the deep palace. Your Majesty cannot keep him locked up in the palace gardens day after day, unless you wish to destroy him. As long as Your Majesty fails to kill all of my subordinates, if even a single person manages to escape, you need not rely on me to remind you of the cunning and formidable poison methods of the Zhao family, which has prospered in Dian Nan. By then, Your Majesty will either witness Wei Che’s death or endure the same blood poison as I.”
“Royal Uncle! Are you so distrustful of me?!” Zhao Heng was furious.
Zhao Yuan was unmoved and calmly said, “Your Majesty used Li Yi to pressure me. If I don’t trust Your Majesty, then I wouldn’t have released Wei Che.”
The two were silent for a moment in the vast and quiet Golden Hall. The emperor turned his head to look at Wei Che, who was lying asleep on the felt mat to the east of the imperial desk.
Outside Qinzheng Hall, the layers of court guards were waiting, and inside, there were remnants of the recent fierce battle.
Zhao Yuan and the emperor sat side by side on the west side of the imperial desk. Several beams of sunlight shone diagonally through the window, illuminating their feet. Zhao Heng’s heart inexplicably calmed down, as if he had returned to the afternoon of his childhood, sitting across from Zhao Yuan in the study, each reading to pass the time.
The emperor looked up at Zhao Yuan, and Su Wang pondered for a moment before opening his mouth solemnly, “I once said that those who serve the emperor should not have any weaknesses. Your Majesty will soon be separated from me, and the path ahead will be solely yours to tread. You must be even more cautious in all matters.”
Zhao Heng made a muffled sound and felt that Zhao Yuan was getting farther and farther away from him, even though Su Wang was still by his side.
The emperor suddenly felt a little sad and wanted to say something to Zhao Yuan, but didn’t know how to start.
Su Wang suddenly said, “Your Majesty, I have a small matter in a few days that I would like to ask you to agree to.”
Zhao Heng’s emotions were interrupted by this sudden request and he smiled, “Uncle, you have already beaten Wei Che, why should I help you?”
Zhao Yuan slowly said, “Your Majesty, I have found out what Duke Dingguo did to Li Yi. Did he really do it alone, without anyone else instructing or condoning him?”
Zhao Heng fell silent for a moment before asking, “Okay, what does Uncle want me to do?”
Zhao Yuan smiled and said, “Since we have reached this point, why not let all the civil and military officials witness the full spectacle? Your Majesty’s personal rule will surely win over the courtiers. Besides, I know that there is still a knot in Li Yi’s heart. How about Your Majesty join me in this performance?”
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