Leaving Emperor Zhou’s bedchamber, Shen Jing headed towards the outer palace.
However, he hadn't gone far before someone blocked his path.
It was Ye Li, that Xiao Ba Po!
“Greetings…”
Shen Jing was about to bow when Ye Li stopped him.
Before Shen Jing could figure out what was happening, Ye Li stepped back and bowed to Shen Jing.
Shen Jing’s eyelids twitched. “Princess, what is this all about?”
“I know everything that happened tonight at Linde Hall.”
Ye Li raised her eyes, looking intently at Shen Jing. “My elder sister and I should both thank you for your righteous words!”
“Is that all it is!”
Shen Jing suddenly understood and joked, “Princess, if you’re thanking me, shouldn’t it be something more substantial?”
More substantial?
Ye Li was startled for a moment, then took a jade hairpin from her hair and handed it to Shen Jing.
“No, no!”
Seeing that Xiao Ba Po was serious, Shen Jing quickly waved his hand. “I was just joking with the Princess!”
“This Princess is not joking with you!”
Ye Li glared at Shen Jing, her eyes wide. “If you dare not accept it, see how this Princess deals with you!”
No way…
Is she really forcing him to take it?
Sigh!
Since it had come to this, he would graciously accept it!
Judging by the quality of this hairpin, it must be a top-tier item.
It could be passed down as a family heirloom along with her father’s jade pendant!
“This… it’s a bit embarrassing.”
Shen Jing said he was embarrassed, but his body honestly accepted the jade hairpin.
Ye Li snorted lightly through her nose, then said aggressively, “This is the green jade hairpin my Imperial Father gave me the year I came of age. If you dare to break it or sell it, this Princess will castrate you!”
Shen Jing automatically ignored Ye Li’s threat and said speechlessly, “If you give it to me, isn’t it mine?”
“Why are you talking so much nonsense?”
Ye Li was impatient. “If you keep babbling, this Princess will take you to be castrated right now!”
“…”
Shen Jing was speechless.
Couldn’t this Xiao Ba Po come up with a different way to threaten him?
After a brief chat with Ye Li, that Xiao Ba Po, Shen Jing found an excuse to leave.
As he walked out of the palace, he happened to run into Ye Qing, who was entering.
Hmm?
This Sunzi?
The Emperor summoned him to the palace already?
He wouldn't really beat him up, would he?
If so, he would have to drink a few cups to celebrate properly.
Thinking this, Shen Jing reluctantly bowed. “Greetings, Prince Jing.”
Damn it, if only Emperor Zhou would give him some special privilege one day, so he wouldn't have to bow to these Imperial Princes and Princesses.
However, he could only think about this in his heart.
To get this privilege, he would need to command hundreds of thousands of troops!
“Marquis Shen, there’s no need for such formality!”
Ye Qing glanced at Shen Jing indifferently. “Marquis Shen certainly stole the show tonight!”
“Your Highness is joking.”
Shen Jing shook his head with a smile. “This humble official wasn’t trying to steal the show; I was just wholeheartedly serving the country!”
“Serving the country?”
Ye Qing snorted lightly, saying sarcastically, “Marquis Shen is truly a great loyal official!”
Serving the country, my foot!
He was just trying to escape blame, stirring up trouble!
He'd probably be happy if the court was in chaos.
Shen Jing shook his head seriously. “This humble official is not a loyal official, but an upright official! It is precisely because of this that this humble official is targeted by many treacherous villains in court.”
Ye Qing’s expression changed, and he reprimanded sharply, “Presumptuous!”
This scoundrel!
How dare he insult him to his face?
Did he really think he could do whatever he wanted, relying on Imperial Father’s temporary favor?
“What do you mean, Your Highness?”
Shen Jing looked at Ye Qing with an innocent expression. “How have I offended Your Highness?”
Ye Qing paused slightly.
How was he supposed to respond?
Was he supposed to openly admit that he was the treacherous villain Shen Jing was cursing?
This dog, he's quite sharp-tongued!
He and Su Yourong, that jinx, truly are a match made in heaven!
“I hope you can remain so smug!”
Ye Qing gritted his teeth and growled, then flicked his sleeves and left.
Shen Jing pouted, cursing him inwardly as a foolish bird.
He hadn't even chosen the right side, yet he still wanted to contend for the throne?
Even if the throne was given to him, he would only be fit to dine at the same table as Yuan Shu!
Ye Qing didn't know why Emperor Zhou had summoned him late at night, and he quickened his pace along the way.
Finally, Ye Qing arrived at Emperor Zhou’s bedchamber.
At this moment, Emperor Zhou was reading a book.
Ye Qing looked closely and saw that it was a history book from a previous dynasty.
After Ye Qing bowed, Emperor Zhou raised his hand, signaling Ye Qing to sit. “You sit first; I’ll speak after I finish reading this section!”
“Yes!”
Ye Qing sat down, like a well-behaved child.
Emperor Zhou said no more and continued reading the history book in his hand, nodding occasionally.
Ye Qing didn't know which part Emperor Zhou was reading, but Emperor Zhou’s actions made him even more anxious.
Could it be that Shen Jing, that dog, had been slandering him in front of Imperial Father?
Ye Qing pondered secretly in his heart.
What was originally only two pages, Emperor Zhou read for a long time.
After about a quarter of an hour, Emperor Zhou finally closed the book and looked up at Ye Qing. “At the beginning of tonight’s banquet, you consistently advocated for peace, so why did you advocate for war later?”
“This son listened to Shen Jing’s words and was moved by the deeds of Emperor Taizu, hence I advocated for war.”
Ye Qing did not know Emperor Zhou’s thoughts, so he could only choose a relatively safe way to answer.
Emperor Zhou’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Do you truly believe the court has the strength to fight?”
“This…”
Ye Qing pondered for a moment, then replied, “The court’s situation is indeed not optimistic, but as long as our Great Zhou unites, we will certainly not fear any strong enemy!”
“Unite?”
Emperor Zhou snorted coldly. “The court is full of factions; do you think they can unite?”
Upon hearing this, Ye Qing immediately fell silent.
He currently had no idea of Emperor Zhou’s true intentions and dared not speak carelessly.
At this moment, silence might be the best option.
Seeing that he didn't respond, Emperor Zhou didn't press him, instead saying, “No matter what, our Great Zhou will still have to negotiate with the Yong Country Delegation. I want you to preside over the negotiation matters. What do you think?”
Negotiate?
Ye Qing’s eyelids twitched, and he quickly refused. “Imperial Father, this son is afraid he cannot.”
He couldn't just blindly get involved in this matter!
If the negotiation results were poor, the person in charge of the negotiations would have to take the blame!
“Why not?”
Emperor Zhou’s face showed displeasure. “If Yong Country’s Imperial Prince can be an envoy, can’t Great Zhou’s Imperial Prince preside over negotiation matters? Could it be that Great Zhou’s Imperial Princes are all useless?”
“No…”
Ye Qing’s heart was flustered, and he suddenly remembered Shen Jing, whom he had met when entering the palace.
Could it be that Shen Jing suggested this to Imperial Father?
Imperial Father hadn't mentioned this matter before, and suddenly brought it up after summoning him?
There's no such coincidence!
Right!
It must be him!
This dog, he must be trying to harm him!
With this thought, Ye Qing immediately asked, “Did Shen Jing suggest that this son preside over the negotiation matters?”
Emperor Zhou’s expression was calm. “What if he did, and what if he didn’t?”
Ye Qing quickly said, “This son previously said that in the matter of Prince Ji’s rebellion, the harm outweighed the good. Shen Jing must have some opinions about this son. His suggestion that this son preside over the negotiation matters probably has ulterior…”
Before Ye Qing could finish his sentence, Emperor Zhou suddenly picked up the history book and slowly stood up.
Ye Qing had a bad feeling and quickly swallowed the rest of his words.
Emperor Zhou walked in front of Ye Qing.
Under Ye Qing’s nervous gaze, Emperor Zhou suddenly raised his foot.
Bang!
Emperor Zhou suddenly kicked Ye Qing to the ground, his face covered in frost as he angrily rebuked, “When I tell you to do proper work, you say you can’t do this and you can’t do that, but when it comes to forming factions and framing loyal officials, you’re better than anyone!”
Ye Qing was in a panic, quickly scrambling up and kneeling properly. “Imperial Father, this son…”
Slap!
Before Ye Qing could finish, Emperor Zhou slammed the history book in his hand onto his face and roared, “Get out of my sight right now and go kneel at the Imperial Ancestral Temple, and read this history book properly!”