After dinner, the little fish was tired from playing, so Jing Li took him back to the tent to sleep.
Qin Zhaoze went to Xiao Yue again.
"Now that we are alone, can you tell the truth?" Qin Zhao sat down on the main seat without hesitation and asked, "Did something happen in the capital?"
Xiao Yue didn't bother to argue with him, and walked to the military bed beside him and sat down: "The little emperor has been in court for two months."
Qin Zhao nodded: "I know. I heard that she retired to the harem to recuperate because of a serious illness."
"You believe it?"
“No.”
Xiao Yue sighed, his expression slightly serious: "This scene... doesn't it look familiar?"
At the beginning, the emperor was seriously ill, so he let the trusted powerful ministers run the government on his behalf. As time went on, the acting ministers became ambitious, and began to collude with each other to expand their power.
During the reign of the previous emperor, the Queen's direct lineage gradually gained power in this way.
"It just so happens that this time the Queen Mother is in power." Qin Zhao said slowly, "Are you using the same old trick again?"
"That's what I guessed as well." Xiao Yue said, "Otherwise, what do you think I brought these hundreds of people with me for? Do I need so many people just to help you with a small favor?"
Qin Zhao: "I don't mind too many people."
Xiao Yue: “…”
"If you bring more, we won't be able to hide in this broken place! And what do you need so many people for? You're not really going to rebel." Xiao Yue spat, "Don't think I don't know what you're planning. Don't you just hope that if something really happens to you in the future, I can help you protect your husband and children?"
"If you were really involved in those chaos, the other party would first find your weak spot. You suffered this loss, so you came to me in the first place."
Xiao Yue felt unhappy when he thought of this: "I am a great general who protects the country. I came back from the border in secret and was ordered around by a group of guards. How can I face people if people know about this?"
"Wrong, you are hired by me." Qin Zhao corrected, "Didn't I promise to give you the manor outside the city?"
Speaking of the manor, Xiao Yue's attitude improved a little: "I don't know if I can get it back..."
Xiao Yue asked again: "Now can you tell me, what are your plans next?"
Qin Zhao: "I want to find an opportunity to meet the little emperor."
"How can I meet him?" Xiao Yue asked, "He has retired to the harem now. Even if I go, I may not be able to meet him. So how can I meet him?"
Qin Zhao seemed to have planned this long ago: "Has Your Majesty gone to the ancestral temple to worship the ancestors in recent years?"
According to old rules, the emperor must go to the ancestral temple on the outskirts of the capital to worship his ancestors once a year. It has been exactly three years since the last time he did so.
Xiao Yue slapped his forehead: "How could I forget about this!"
Ancestor worship was a major national event, and the emperor had to attend in person. Otherwise, it was possible that the emperor was seriously ill and bedridden, postponing the time for ancestor worship.
"I don't think so." Qin Zhao said, "The emperor has not revealed his illness for two months, and there will be people in the court who will be suspicious. Regardless of whether the illness is true or false, and what the hidden truth is, he should come out to calm people's hearts. Even if... it's just to make everyone sure that he is really seriously ill."
Xiao Yue understood.
Even those who had been stationed at the border for a long time knew that the emperor had been missing for two months, let alone the ministers in the capital, who knew what they were thinking during this period. Whether the emperor really had an accident or someone had done it on purpose, he should find a chance to show it in front of everyone.
Ancestor worship is the best opportunity.
However, he still had doubts in his heart: "Do you really think that everything can be solved as long as you see the little emperor?"
"What I mean is..." He paused, then said, "If it is confirmed that the incident last year was indeed planned by the little emperor, what should we do, regicide?"
Qin Zhaoyi answered hurriedly.
The capital city was already very cold in late autumn, and there was a charcoal brazier in every tent. Qin Zhao stretched his body over the charcoal fire and roasted it, the flames flickering slightly on his handsome features.
After a while, he asked softly: "Do you think the little emperor is now worthy of being the ruler of a country?"
He still remembered that when the young emperor had just ascended the throne, Xiao Yue was quite disdainful of the child.
Xiao Yue thought about it and said, "He is weak and lacks authority, but he has done nothing wrong. Except..."
Except for dealing with Qin Zhao.
If the person who murdered Qin Zhao that year was really the little emperor, then this was most likely the biggest mistake he made after ascending the throne.
As a monarch, it is not wrong to be weak in character, but if they fail to employ talented people and are suspicious, it will be fatal to their subjects.
At first, Xiao Yue was hostile to Prince Rong because he was worried that Prince Rong would threaten the imperial power after becoming regent. Now it has been proven that Qin Zhao has no such intention, and as a student he has trained, he should understand this even more.
But even so, he still chose to hide his bow after the bird was killed.
How can one serve such a monarch with peace of mind
He could even deal with his mentor who had taught him and was loyal to the court, so how could he deal with outsiders like them
Xiao Yue has always known these things, but he never dared to think about them.
Because, if the little emperor is really like this, Xiao Yue will definitely be the person who is most threatened right now.
After all, the young emperor already had the idea of taking control of his military power.
Qin Zhao's words made Xiao Yue think a lot. If the facts were really as he guessed, he wanted to return to the capital, and it seemed that there was only one way in the future...
Raise an army to protect yourself.
The moment these words came out of his mind, Xiao Yue's back was soaked with cold sweat. He raised his head and looked at Qin Zhao who was sitting at the table.
But in the end, he just quietly roasted the fire.
Has this person already thought of this step
He had already calculated that if the little emperor really stood against him, would Xiao Yue's only choice be to rebel with him
By then, it would not be Xiao Yue who helped him, but he who helped Xiao Yue.
… How terrible.
"Fuck, I feel like I'm on a pirate ship." Xiao Yue took a deep breath and wiped his face vigorously. "Has this bastard been planning all this for half a year?"
Qin Zhao just smiled and said nothing.
There is a rebuttal.
Xiao Yue just felt terrified. This man now looked much more restrained than before, and even harder to see through. These years of experience seemed to have changed him a lot, but it was not until today that Xiao Yue discovered that this man had never changed in his bones.
He is still the scheming regent Qin Shu who has the power of life and death.
As if to sympathize with Xiao Yue's hesitation, Qin Zhao said, "I've asked someone to find out. In recent years, there have been several good talents from the royal family. If we train them well, they should be able to become great men."
"Just shut up."
Xiao Yue covered his face with his hands in pain: "If I dare to rebel, my father will definitely break my legs and kick me out of the house. I don't want to consider this possibility, so don't tell me this."
"This is something that can only be solved. I'm sure the old general will understand." Qin Zhao actually spoke in a gentle and comforting voice.
When saying these words, Qin Zhao's attitude was always downplaying, as if he and Xiao Yue were just chatting casually after dinner, and it was not a major matter of treason and regicide.
Qin Zhao said: "Besides, I am still here, right? You just need to lend me the person, you don't have to go out in person."
"You're getting more and more serious!" Xiao Yue finally lost his patience and scolded her, "After all, let's talk about it after we meet the little emperor. I hope that brat will fight back. How can she be so cold-blooded? After all, she was brought up by you. She has even thought of a way out after killing the emperor... Doesn't your husband know that you are so heartless?"
Qin Zhao stared at the charcoal fire beside him without raising his eyes: "If I really didn't care about feelings, I wouldn't have gone to so much trouble to come to the capital."
If he didn't care about feelings, he could have said these words frankly when he met Xiao Yue. He didn't even need to look for any evidence, he could just take over the world.
But just because he didn't want to believe it.
In the firelight, Qin Zhao said calmly: "I am willing to give him a chance and confront him because I want to die. But if he really wants to get rid of me, who will be the king?"
It was already very late when Qin Zhao left Xiao Yue's tent.
The campfire in the camp gradually dimmed, and only a few soldiers who were on night watch were dozing by the fire. Qin Zhao looked back at the mountains not far away. The woods on both sides were dark and silent, but he knew that there were countless pairs of eyes guarding the camp in the darkness.
The personal guards of the Great Protector of the Nation may not be very capable in kidnapping kidnappers, but their ability to protect people should be good.
Qin Zhao gathered his cloak and walked towards a smaller tent nearby.
There was still a fire in the tent.
As soon as he walked in, a figure rushed over to him and crashed into his arms with the warm air from the tent.
"Slow down." Qin Zhao lowered his voice and asked, "Why aren't you asleep yet? Is Yuzai asleep?"
"I've been asleep for a long time." Jing Li rubbed Qin Zhao's arms for a while, and felt that he was full of cold air, so he quickly pulled him in, "Come and warm yourself by the fire, you feel so cold!"
The charcoal fire in this tent is twice as big as that in other places. The tent is kept warm in summer, which is probably Jing Li's intentional request.
Jing Li helped Qin Zhao take off his thick cloak, asked him to sit next to the charcoal brazier, and was busy pouring hot water for him.
"It's too late to drink tea. Drink some water." Jing Li stuffed the cup into Qin Zhao's mouth. "Are you hungry? Someone just brought some fruit."
"... I'm not hungry. Sit down." Qin Zhao pulled Jing Li and said helplessly, "If you need anything, I'll do it myself. If you're busy running around, it will be troublesome if you wake the child up."
Jing Li said "Oh" and stopped struggling.
The charcoal brazier was placed next to the military bed. Qin Zhao and Jing Li moved wooden stools and sat by the fire. When they raised their eyes, they could see the kid sleeping soundly on the bed.
After a while, Jing Li asked: "How was your chat?"
"It's okay, don't worry." Qin Zhao said, "Xiao Yue is just worried that something might happen to the emperor, and wants to discuss with us what to do next."
Jing Li nodded and asked, "Are we going into the city tomorrow?"
"Go in." Qin Zhao said, "Xiao Yue came to Beijing secretly this time, so it's inconvenient for him to go out. It won't help if we stay here. It's more convenient to do things in the city. There's a saying, 'The great hide in the city.'"
"I'm listening."
Jing Li leaned on Qin Zhao's shoulder and said softly: "I just don't know when we can solve this problem."
Qin Zhao lifted him up and hugged him in his arms, touching his hair: "Are you scared today?"
Jing Li pursed his lips: "Don't be afraid."
"You lied." Qin Zhao said softly, "Did I tell you what my reaction was when I first encountered this kind of thing?"
"Ah?" Jing Li blinked and shook his head, "Yes."
"I was terrified." Qin Zhao said, "I was less than ten years old at the time. I went out and met a group of thieves. They had an grudge against my father and wanted to capture me for revenge."
"That was the first time I had a knife held to my neck. I was so scared that I couldn't speak and was shaking all over."
Jing Li asked nervously: "What happened next?"
"Later, my father's shadow guards arrived and killed the man, but I was unharmed." Qin Zhao said, "From then on, I began to train my own shadow guards and learned some self-defense skills."
His tone was light when he retold it, but Jing Li could imagine how scared a child under ten years old must have been when he experienced all this.
As if noticing that Jing Li was a little upset, Qin Zhao comforted him: "So I'm used to it now. Over the years, there have been too many people who have tried to kill me in various ways, openly or secretly. If I wasn't more cautious, how could I have kept my life?"
Jing Li didn't continue to feel sad, and half-jokingly said: "You said you were cautious, but you didn't even know when you were poisoned. I really don't understand, you have so many guards around you, and you were not in the capital at that time, how could someone poison you?"
"Who knows?" Qin Zhao said ambiguously.
Qin Zhao and Jing Li have discussed this matter many times, but they still can't find the answer.
The Shen Huan powder he had taken that year was not a poison, so even if there were guards around him to test for poison, they would not be able to detect any problems. However, his symptoms could only be caused by a large amount of Shen Huan, so how could he not notice such a large amount of drug intake
If this is not the case, then it could be that he has been drugged for a long time.
But he never showed any symptoms of being addicted to Shen Huan San.
I'm afraid this matter can only be solved after they find the real murderer.
Qin Zhao didn't think about it anymore and continued to coax his young husband: "I said this just to tell you, what are you afraid of? You have been much braver than I was when I was young, so you don't need to think so much."
"I know." Jing Li paused for a moment before telling the truth, "I am actually a little scared."
This was the first time Jing Li encountered such a thing. No matter how much psychological preparation he did beforehand, it could not make up for the panic and fear he felt when it happened.
Besides, the little fish was still by his side at that time.
Qin Zhao tilted his head and kissed Jing Li lightly on the lips: "So I came here to comfort you, didn't I? Don't worry, whether it's true or not, I won't let this happen again in the future."
This kiss was so quick that it was just a light touch. Jing Li was still not satisfied and whispered, "Not enough."
"What?"
"This consolation doesn't seem very sincere." Jing Li's eyes were a little vague, "It's too casual."
Qin Zhao understood, and hugged the person in his arms and kissed him deeply.
After a moment, Jing Li pushed the man away: "Okay."
His breathing was a little rough, and after taking two breaths, he said, "Go and rest quickly, or it will be troublesome if you wake up the little fish."
Qin Zhao was still a little unsatisfied and sighed, "Every time this happens, I always feel that the little guy on the bed is really an eyesore."
It's inconvenient to do anything.
After saying that, he raised his eyes and met a pair of big round, dark eyes.
Most of the little fish's face was wrapped in the quilt, with only a pair of eyes exposed. He blinked blankly and innocently, and no one knew how long he had been looking.
Qin Zhao: “…”
What’s going on? Weren’t you closing your eyes just now
Jing Li's voice was trembling: "Xiao, Xiao, why did you wake up? Daddy and grandpa were just... talking about something serious, how much did you hear?"
The little fish cub said happily: "I heard it all."
Jing Li: “…”