Chapter 31: The Rebirth of Zhao (3)
"Well, maybe that's the case for the Prime Minister—"
Only when facing Zhang Ren did Zhou Cheng let go of his dignity as a king and admit his mistakes and face the facts like a child.
"So what does the Emperor want to say?"
"According to the accurate information sent back by the spies, Prince Ling Zhao Zixi was not killed by Prince Zhao——"
"Oh? That's?"
"He chose to commit suicide. Judging from the development of the situation, I am wondering if Prince Ling Zhao Zixi has developed feelings for Lin that are different from those of a brother and sister-in-law?"
"What does the Emperor mean?"
"Aren't they very similar? The two brothers, me and Yan——"
“… Could it be that—”
Zhang Ren couldn't imagine it. Although he didn't know what happened between Zhao Ziheng's brothers, he thought that the hatred between Zhou Cheng and Zhou Yan grew because they both liked his daughter Yinyin. If it was the same for Zhao Ziheng's brothers, then Zhao Zixi's death might be because of Lin Wei. Zhang Ren couldn't accept such a thing. It was just like the situation that Zhou Cheng and Zhou Yan would face in the future. In this case, his daughter Yinyin might very well become the second person to cause a coup because of a woman, and it would prove what people say is a disaster of beauty. He absolutely couldn't accept this.
"If that's true, then what will happen between Yan and I after Yinyin wakes up? I've thought about going to war with Yan for Yinyin before, so I can't imagine what will happen after Yinyin wakes up. Will I attack Yan because of her--"
Zhou Cheng confessed his thoughts to Zhang Ren one by one. He had never considered the consequences of fighting Zhou Yan . However, this accident made him realize the seriousness of the consequences. He knew that both sides would die, but he had never thought about how Yin Yin would react. As such, he really wanted to get an answer from Zhang Ren, Yin Yin's father. He felt that as Yin Yin's father and an important official of the dynasty, he could definitely give him the right direction to choose...
It was as if he had seen in advance that a coup d'état for a woman had resulted in numerous casualties. How could let this happen to his own daughter? If the result was the same as that of Zhao Ziheng's brothers, would he have been able to prevent it and protect his daughter if he had known in advance? If it wasn't his own daughter, perhaps Zhang Ren could have given Zhou Cheng a clear path to follow, but unfortunately he couldn't easily make a judgment on his daughter's life or death.
Zhou Cheng thought Zhang Ren could give him a correct answer, but unexpectedly he was just as confused as himself. He lowered his head and sighed in disappointment.
Who knows the delicate relationship between Zhao Ziheng, Zhao Zixi and Lin Wei? The one Zhao Ziheng loves is Yinyin, not Lin Wei. He only considers himself and Zhou Yan and forgets that the one Zhao Ziheng loves is the same as them. He is totally incomparable with Zhao Zixi and Lin Wei. The three most important figures in the two countries fall in love with the same person at the same time. Maybe they can temporarily suppress their feelings when Yinyin is not awake, but once Yinyin wakes up, a fight between you and me will successfully evolve into the reason for the breakup between the two countries that have reached a permanent alliance. The more chaotic the era has entered, the more chaotic it will become...
After the civil strife in Zhao State ended, it was recovering at an astonishing speed under the diligent administration of Zhao Ziheng . First, the royal city recovered its former prosperity in just a few days, because Zhao Ziheng's policy brought in a large number of merchants from various countries, which became an indispensable bridge for recovery. The defense of the border was also increasingly stable, and foreign invasions were eliminated one by one by Zhao Ziheng. The capital where Zhao Ziheng was now was the best proof of Zhao State's rebirth. No one would have guessed that Zhao State, which should have been devastated by the civil strife and foreign invasions, would be reborn at an unexpected speed and at an astonishing speed...
After a month, Zhao Ziheng was so busy with state affairs that he didn't have a moment to rest. Zhao Ziyin and other ministers were worried about this. However, everyone felt that Zhao Ziheng had not yet recovered from the blow of losing the queen, so they could only stand by and watch silently, because no matter how you persuaded him to rest, he would find the opportunity to refuse. People could only watch Zhao Ziheng getting thinner and thinner and they were powerless to do anything.
In the court hall.
"Your Majesty, the Han envoys have come to our Zhao State many times to ask for reconciliation. They mainly want to know what your Majesty's plans are for Princess Quan—"
"Han State colluded with the deceased King Ling and wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to eliminate the emperor. We don't need to care about this treasonous act. It would be best if Princess Quan was executed in the street to warn the King of Han that anyone who dares to attack our Zhao State must pay a certain price."
"But they said they acted rashly because they were bewitched by King Ling—"
"If he was reckless, would he send Princess Quan to Zhao? He actually sent his beloved daughter to Zhao at that time. It is obvious that he has ulterior motives—"
The ministers in the court discussed and dealt with matters concerning the Han State. After Zhao Zixi's death, the fact that the Han State sent troops to assist in the rebellion was naturally discovered, and Princess Quan became a hostage in the Zhao State.
"Your Majesty, it is understood that Princess Quan came to Zhao this time to form an alliance with the King of Zhao, and did not say that she was with the King of Ling. Of course, if the King of Ling succeeds in his rebellion, she will of course conclude a marriage alliance with him. Although the Han Kingdom wanted to help the King of Ling, it was a pity that we discovered it halfway. It seems that the King of Han planned to hope that Princess Quan could become the Queen of Zhao. Your Majesty originally had a Queen, Lin. In order to let his daughter become the Queen, the King of Han naturally had to help the King of Ling, who had not yet married, so as to offer his daughter to the Queen. However, the death of the King of Ling and Queen Lin gave them a new choice. They wanted to use the excuse of pardoning the crime to marry Princess Quan to Your Majesty——"
"What a cunning old fox. Does that mean he can get away with it regardless of success or failure? If it was just a small matter, it would be fine. But he is one of the masterminds who assisted Prince Ling in trying to shake the Zhao Kingdom. If the emperor had not foreseen it, the Zhao Kingdom would be in dire straits now."
"Yes, Your Majesty, we can't let them go easily—"
"Yes, Your Majesty—"
Zhao Ziheng, who was sitting on the dragon throne, had been silent from the beginning. His haggard face could not hide the energetic light in his eyes. He was indifferent to the disputes among the ministers. After the civil strife, most of the officials in the court had been completely changed. The ministers who participated in the rebellion were replaced by new and senior officials. Although there were some defects in the replacement of important officials, it did not have much impact on the government...
