diskusbooks Chapter 925 Original Intention
Chapter 925 Original Intention
Such a major case should ultimately be decided by Emperor Zhou Pu, but the way the Prince of Qin acted made Zhang Ping'an somewhat uneasy.
Zheng Ping narrowed his eyes, wondering what trick the King of Qin was playing.
After discussing the matter, the group ordered someone to search Qin Qingshan again to confirm that he was not carrying anything that could harm him. They then tied him up securely and took him to the palace to await Zhou Pu's judgment.
Cui Ling wasn't stupid. He happened to be next to Zhang Ping'an, so he tentatively asked, "Lord Zhang, what other tricks does that old man Qin Qingshan have up his sleeve? Judging from his confident look, he probably already has a plan in mind!"
Zhang Ping'an shook his head, "It's hard to say, I'm thinking about it too!"
“Hey, do you think it might be related to the Empress?” Cui Ling pondered. “After all, Empress Qin and His Majesty are husband and wife, and Qin Qingshan is, after all, the rightful father-in-law of the Emperor. Plus, there are three young princes under his command. His Majesty is always soft-hearted. If this old scoundrel were to plead and beg in front of His Majesty, he might actually be spared. If that happens, things will be really troublesome.”
These words struck a chord with Zhang Ping'an. For such repeated acts of rebellion, eliminating the root of the problem was the best solution and deterrent.
If His Majesty takes pity on Qin Qingshan and spares his life, regardless of what the other court officials will think, these vanguards today will likely face endless troubles in the future.
As the saying goes, "Wildfire cannot burn it all; the spring breeze will bring it back to life."
There's no guarantee that Qin Qingshan won't come up with some other underhanded tricks. As long as he's alive, the risk remains.
"Logically speaking, Empress Qin, the princes, and the concubines in the harem are currently under house arrest and cannot cause any trouble for the time being. Moreover, after the incident with the second prince, although we do not know how His Majesty will deal with them, he will definitely be unhappy. Even if they are spared, their situation in the harem will probably be very awkward in the future."
"However, Lord Cui's concerns are justified. Let's see how this old scoundrel defends himself before His Majesty. If things don't go well..."
At this point, Zhang Ping'an looked at Cui Ling, and they exchanged a knowing glance.
When the group arrived at the palace gate and were being searched, Cui Ling took the opportunity to subtly give a few instructions to his personal attendants.
Zheng Ping and Li Chong saw all of this, but pretended not to know anything.
It was a tacit agreement, without any real understanding.
None of them were blindly loyal, and they didn't want their hard work in rescuing the emperor and quelling the rebellion to end up being in vain.
It wasn't just for their own sake, but also for the safety and well-being of the nation.
The Hall of Mental Cultivation has been burned down, but the nearby Hall of Tranquility is still relatively intact.
Zhou Pu is currently recuperating inside.
Since entering the palace, Qin Qingshan had been quietly observing his surroundings. When he saw that the fire in the Hall of Mental Cultivation had been mostly extinguished, he couldn't help but sigh softly.
Whom do you toil your whole life for, only to end up making wedding dresses for others!
"What are you standing there for? Let's go!" Cui Ling shouted.
Qin Qingshan gave a self-deprecating laugh, then stepped inside, still exuding an imposing aura, not too disheveled.
Inside Yangning Palace, Zhou Pu had been waiting for a long time, with several imperial physicians also waiting beside him.
Her complexion was slightly better than before.
Li Chong respectfully stepped forward, bowed, and reported: "Your Majesty, we have brought the criminal Qin Qingshan to the palace. Apart from the Princess Qin and her children who are still on the run, everyone else in the Qin Prince's residence has been brought to justice!"
"Ahem, rise. Minister Li, you have worked hard to quell the rebellion. Once things are settled, I will reward you handsomely," Zhou Pu said, waving his hand.
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Zhang Ping'an and the others then stepped forward one by one to pay their respects.
After Zhou Pu nodded, he waved for the imperial physician and most of the palace servants to leave.
Then, when he looked at Qin Qingshan, his face immediately turned cold, and his emotions became visibly agitated.
His eyes held a complex mix of emotions, including pain, confusion, anger, and disappointment.
"King Qin, my good father-in-law, you have really schemed against me. Although the facts are already clear, I still want to hear you tell me the whole story yourself."
I have always treated you well, and even after the late Emperor's passing, I continued to treat you with courtesy and respect. I always believed that you would always stand by my side, assisting me in governing this realm. Why then did you join forces with the Second Prince to oppose me?
From these words, one can clearly feel the repression in Zhou Pu's heart. He has a deep affection for Qin Qingshan, who has been by his side since childhood, teaching and accompanying him like a close uncle.
Even at this point, I still want to hear an explanation from him.
Upon hearing this, Qin Qingshan kowtowed deeply, then straightened his back and said in a calm and open voice, "Your Majesty, I dare not use false words to cover up the crimes I have committed. I can only lay bare my heart and soul and hope that Your Majesty will listen to my original intentions."
"Tell me, I'd like to hear what kind of excuses you have up your sleeve, cough cough," Zhou Pu said patiently, his eyes darkening as he adopted an expression of being all ears.
Qin Qingshan sighed before continuing, his voice unhurried: "Your father and I grew up together, and I watched you and your other brothers grow up, especially you. Your father and I have put the most effort into you, hoping that you will become successful and that the country will have successors in the future."
But the older you get, the more your personality resembles your grandfather's, too gentle. In fact, you should have realized by now that the position of crown prince is not easy to hold, and ruling the country is even more difficult.
Do you remember? You complained to me more than once in private that it would have been so much better if you hadn't been born into royalty. Even if you had been born into a noble family, with your personality, you would have had a much smoother life.
"Is that why?" Zhou Pu looked disappointed, and his hands involuntarily tightened their grip on the armrests of the chair.
Qin Qingshan shook his head and continued, "That's only one aspect. On the other hand, I discovered that your younger brother Zhou Shu's attitude towards the throne is exactly the opposite of yours. He is ambitious and acts very decisively and ruthlessly. Compared to you, he is more suitable to be emperor. Even though he was exiled to the Daxiangguo Temple for cultivation, he was still able to secretly mobilize power for his own use. In fact, at this time, the scales in my heart have slowly tipped towards him."
Regarding the Second Prince's plot to rebel under the pretext of the Empress's burial, the late Emperor and I had already received secret reports. To be honest, Your Majesty, I turned a blind eye at the time.
In this world, only the victor reigns supreme; I want to see if he succeeds in the end.
At this point, Qin Qingshan's tone was slightly disappointed as he shook his head and said, "I didn't expect it to fail after all! The real trigger that made me think of rebellion was after this treason case. You secretly instructed someone to release him and even pulled a switcheroo to deceive the eyes of the world. This makes me very unwilling. You are so soft-hearted and lack political skills. How can you face the officials who are eyeing you with covetous eyes? Rather than watching the Great Zhou Dynasty slowly perish in your hands, I would rather take its place!"
"You...you think so? You believe I will be a ruler who brings about the downfall of his country?" Zhou Pu's words were tough, but in his heart he had been utterly crushed.
He was on the verge of collapse again.
Zheng Ping stepped forward at the opportune moment and said, "Your Majesty, do not listen to his one-sided story. This old man is just spreading heresy and trying to confuse the Emperor. Even on his deathbed, he is still spouting nonsense. We should drag him away..."
Before he could finish speaking, Zhou Pu coldly interrupted him, "Wait, I want to hear what he has to say. Is there anything else he's dissatisfied with?"