readytorunbook Chapter 376 Emperor Cheng's Panic
Chapter 376 Emperor Cheng's Panic
Chapter 376 Emperor Cheng's Panic
After Shen Zizai officially became the Grand Secretary, he stayed at home due to illness. Although he continued to handle official business as usual, he stopped attending court.
Having witnessed the disastrous fates of the previous two prime ministers, the other cabinet members dared not take sides, opting instead to compromise and always seeking His Majesty's decision.
As a result, there were very few old-school civil officials in the court who opposed the power of Prince Yi, and the pressure of deposing the empress and supporting Prince Yi fell entirely on Emperor Cheng's shoulders.
Emperor Cheng was visibly exhausted. He had to take twice as many pills as before to barely muster his energy, but even so, he could not withstand the pressure from the King of Yi's side.
The ministers all knew that the fate of the Great Zhao Dynasty would change sooner or later, and that Prince Yi was the inevitable trend, essentially the only correct choice. No one wanted to miss this opportunity to make a contribution.
Emperor Cheng had already foreseen the scenario of being gradually sidelined after establishing a crown prince, and he was determined not to allow such a thing to happen.
He originally intended to use the Shen family to temporarily suppress the King of Chess, making him obedient and compliant, rather than having him command widespread obedience during his reign.
But now things seem a little off.
Shen Li did not show any aversion to Zheng Yanran's upcoming marriage. On the contrary, she dignifiedly asked her family to prepare for the wedding.
Although Shen Zizai stated that the empress should not be deposed, it was just a casual remark. After that, he claimed to be ill and stayed at home, simply ignoring the matter.
None of Shen's disciples submitted a memorial to express their grievances, and the voices of the common people expressing their grievances were louder than those in the imperial court.
All signs indicate that the Shen family has agreed to and tacitly approved of the marriage, and has even sided with the King of Chess's faction.
The thought of this possibility sent chills down his spine.
siding with Prince Yi would be entirely beneficial to the Shen family and Gu Chang'an. However, he believed that the Shen family, with their integrity, would not support a prince who would vie for the throne and disrupt the court.
But... what if the Shen family suddenly becomes more flexible?
Emperor Cheng paced back and forth in his bedchamber in his nightgown, unable to fall asleep.
"Your Majesty, it's time to retire for the night," Wang Ru suggested from the side. "If you're not well-rested, shall I summon Consort Zheng?"
When Emperor Cheng heard the name Consort Zheng, he could picture her recent smugness, and his brows furrowed even more.
Seeing this, Wang Ru dared not speak again.
"Zhao Jing," Emperor Cheng said in a deep voice, "has Zhao Jing sent any news?"
No sooner had he finished asking than a eunuch brought in a secret report, which turned out to be from the Flying Fish Guard.
Emperor Cheng opened it, and the contents made his vision go black.
Gu Chang'an made an unprecedented appearance at the King of Chess's banquet.
When the Prince of Yi was summoned to live in the palace, it was only a few times. He spent most of his time in his palace, where he had many dancers. In the evenings, he would often invite ministers to banquets, all in order to win over powerful officials.
After all, Prince Yi's claim to the throne as a vassal king was illegitimate and he needed to find ways to befriend some useful people, so Emperor Cheng tacitly approved of almost all of these things.
But Gu Chang'an never appeared at the banquet. He always regarded Gu Chang'an as his confidant. After all, Gu Chang'an was the top scholar he personally selected, who eliminated many powerful officials for him and took the blame for him.
Now, Gu Chang'an is one of the six ministers, and the reforms he presided over are of particular importance in the court. He has long been regarded as a key minister, and in the future, with him as the chief minister, the Great Zhao Dynasty will surely become a strong country for a hundred years.
If he also sides with the King of Chess, then I, the emperor, will soon be sidelined.
Emperor Cheng sat down weakly, wondering if he had made a mistake or fallen into someone else's trap.
Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.
The Prince Yi's mansion was brightly lit at midnight, and the melodious sounds of string and wind instruments filled the air.
At this moment, in the main hall of the Prince's mansion, Prince Yi, dressed in a purple python robe, sat at the head of the table, with several people sitting on each of the two rows to his left and right. The first person sitting on the left was Gu Chang'an, who was dressed in a moon-white brocade robe.
His previous everyday clothes were mostly plain, but this brocade outfit, embroidered with orchids, made him look even more luxurious and also softened some of his sharp edges.
At this moment, he appeared approachable, drinking wine and watching the beautiful women in front of him sing and play music, looking completely content.
King Yi was especially happy tonight. He hadn't expected Gu Chang'an to agree to come. Although he hadn't made any promises yet, his intention to surrender was already very clear.
“Lord Gu, it’s not that I don’t want you to stay, but it’s almost 11 PM. Aren’t you in a hurry to go back and be with your wife?” Prince Yi asked tentatively.
"Thank you for your consideration, Your Highness. I had already asked my wife for leave before coming. I'm not afraid of Your Highness laughing at me, but if Your Highness hadn't invited my wife, I might not have been allowed to have a banquet in the middle of the night." Gu Chang'an was relaxed and casual, and his smile even had a touch of unrestrained charm.
Hearing this, Prince Yi was very pleased and said with a smile, "Since Lord Gu values his wife so much, I'm sure Yanran will be a good match marrying into the family."
Gu Chang'an's lips curled up slightly, and his slightly drunken eyes revealed a hint of wickedness.
"Your Highness, rest assured, I have no other merits but I am fiercely protective of my own. Once you enter my household, I will protect you with my life." His tone was languid, but the weight between his words was considerable.
For some reason, the King of Yi felt that there was something else behind those words, but he couldn't figure it out for the moment, so he didn't think about it and instead raised his wine cup and said, "In that case, I can rest assured. Come, Lord Gu, drink up."
Gu Chang'an had drunk quite a bit of alcohol that night and was already a little tipsy. After a few more drinks, he shook his head and stood up.
"Your Highness, I am unable to hold my liquor, I must take my leave." After saying this, he slumped down and his body slumped forward.
"Guards, escort Lord Gu back to his residence," Prince Yi ordered.
The servant standing nearby was puzzled, and he was anxious as he watched the adults, who were somewhat drunk, lead the dancers to their rooms.
"Are you curious why I didn't keep him?" King Yi asked with great interest.
"Yes, Your Highness, didn't you say that there's no man in the world that no woman can hold onto? If we do it a few more times, he'll naturally be unable to leave."
Upon hearing this, Yi Wang shook his head and said, "No rush, it's not time to haul in the net yet. If we rush, the fish will easily get off the hook."
He didn't believe that Gu Chang'an would submit to him so easily. He wanted to use a counter-strategy to give Gu Chang'an a reason to follow him.
Once you're on this pirate ship, don't expect to get off easily.
"Let's go." He also got up, stretched, and said, "Call a few skilled men to my bedchamber."
"Yes."
Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.
Inside the carriage, Gu Chang'an's eyes, which had just been hazy, were now clear. He was indeed not a good drinker, but he had taken an antidote from Old Qiu before coming.
Even though he had heard a lot about this banquet before, he only gained a new understanding by going there. He turned the ring on his finger, and a plan gradually took shape in his mind.
Shen Li tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. She felt extremely resentful, because every time she put herself into a trap, it was a deadly trap, while Gu Chang'an was in a trap of beauty.
If he makes a mistake, he'll lose his life; if Gu Chang'an makes a mistake, he might gain two more concubines.
They're both good people, but the difference is just too great.
As she was thinking, she heard the door open deliberately and footsteps being deliberately light. She breathed a sigh of relief, but turned away, pretending to be asleep and not wanting to pay attention to him.