Once Yu Xiaoxiao and Gu Xinglang vanished from Jing Mo’s sight, Zuo You had strode out of the imperial study with wide strides as well. His face fell when he saw no one else in the courtyard except for Jing Mo and a few of Fengtian Palace’s eunuchs.
Jing Mo’s eyes swept past his beard, finding it funny. “You’re facing me with an expression like that just because you can’t see Her Royal Highness?”
Zuo You laughed coldly. “What expression facing you? Can’t see Her Royal Highness? Jing Mo, please use your brains when you talk. You’re no brothel-keeper and I’m no whoremonger. You think I can’t meet a leading lady if I wanna?”
Jing Mo only denounced him. “You White Tiger Nation people have no concept of elegance for anything, cheap or exalted.”
“Better than those poor and pedantic scholars,” Zuo You looked towards the distance as if hoping to catch a glimpse of something.
“They’re far gone by now,” Jing Mo said without a trace of temper. “Why did you come to Fengtian?”
Zuo You walked forward as he spoke, “You think it’s good just making small talk with me in front of Fengtian’s palace?”
At this moment, a woman’s uncontrollable sobbing came from the depths of the study. Zuo You paused to look back while Jing Mo strode straight past him with a mocking smile on his lips. Yesterday, Yu Xiaoxiao had told him to find a rich and powerful hostage. There was nothing wrong with that principle. With Yu Ziming’s life in his hands, the Zhao Clan would have no choice but to docilely submit to his words. Jing Qian’s “good” days are about to begin now that I have those backbiting curs of the Zhao under control.
Zuo You cleared his throat and asked Jing Mo, “You invited Princess Linglong to a meal yesterday?”
Jing Mo said, “Princess Linglong has a deep and scheming heart. It’d be best to stay far away from her.”
Zuo You refused to believe him. Martial arts practitioners preferred actions over clever tricks. As expected, those of different paths shouldn’t speak for others. Grand Marshal Zuo decided to think of an excuse himself to invite Princess Linglong out to eat.
Meanwhile, Jing Mo was only lamenting the fact that someone so capable of problem-solving like Yu Linglong wasn’t a man. Otherwise, Fengtian would have someone to fill the crown prince’s spot by now.
—
Inside the study, Consort Zhao was weeping bitterly. If she could move her body, she’d be crying in Xianzong’s lap by now.
Zhao Qiuming said to Xianzong in a low voice, “Your Majesty, Zhuri Country arranged Complacent Winery to be their eyes and ears in Fengtian. This official set up a secret passage to safeguard against us being used. Now that Jing Mo has discovered its existence, this official had let Your Majesty down!”
Xianzong replied, “Treasured official Zhao, you’ve taken pains. It’s not your fault.”
Zhao Qiuming shed a few manly tears as his voice grew hoarse. “It’s just that His Sixth Highness will have to suffer.”
Consort Zhao’s heart was bleeding, but her expression had already smoothed into a determined mask. She looked at Xianzong and said, “It is His Sixth Highness’s blessing to take on some of Your Majesty’s cares. Although this consort is is only a woman, I too, understand ‘for the greater cause of the nation.’”
“Esteemed consort!” Zhao Beicheng and his three brothers all cried out her name with unresigned expressions.
With a face full of tears, Consort Zhao lifted her lips in a smile and murmured, “It’s better for this consort to be grieving alone instead of others grieving instead.”
Now it was almost Xianzong’s turn to cry. Even the empress, who had been praised as kind and virtuous, might not have such breadth of mind as Consort Zhao. He gave a long sigh and said, “Beloved consort, don’t worry. Zhen will not treat you or your son unfairly.”
Consort Zhao’s eyes brimmed with tears. “This consort thanks Your Majesty.”
His words were exactly her goal. As soon as Zhao Beicheng had delivered his message last night, she knew that it’d be impossible for the angry Jing Mo to spare Yu Ziming. Thus, she exposed her son to the cold for one night until he caught a chill and developed a fever. She didn’t hold out much hope for Xianzong bitterly contesting Jing Mo to protect his son, or Jing Mo releasing Yu Ziming to avoid being labeled as a infamous man who forced sick children. However, she had already done all she could and now left things to fate.
Zhao Qiuming and his four sons knelt in front of Xianzong. Zhao Beicheng’s forehead hit the ground in repeated kowtows as he vowed to Xianzong, “Your Majesty, one day this subject will definitely take our Fengtian troops to wipe out Zhuri and vent for the grievances we suffered today!”
“Rise,” Xianzong gestured to the men. His heart was struck with guilt, but his expression only showed reluctance as he said to them, “You four brothers haven’t seen your eldest sister for a long time. Stay here and chat with her for a bit.” Without being prompted, he then rose to his feet and left the study.
As soon as Xianzong left with his eunuchs and guards, Zhao Beicheng muttered to Consort Zhao in a low voice, “Is His Sixth Highness really going to Zhuri?!”
Consort Zhao had multiple fractures, so the only place she could move was her neck. Shaking her head at her eldest younger brother, she muttered, “The walls have ears.”
Zhao Beicheng swallowed his indignant words after the warning.
“Since we can’t save him, we have to think about what happens after that,” Consort Zhao’s voice was almost imperceptible, but her words chilled her brothers’ hearts. “His Sixth Highness won’t be the only son I bear in this lifetime. Definitely not.”
So you’re sacrificing His Sixth Highness in exchange for more favor from Xianzong? None of the brothers knew what to say.
“Yesterday, Yu Linglong went to Complacent Winery,” Consort Zhao continued, this time speaking to Zhao Qiuming. “This has to be related to her.”
“Esteemed consort means to say?”
“Yu Linglong’s people already had their eyes on Jing Qian’s men when they arrived at the capital city.”
“That’s impossible,” Zhao Beicheng protested. “How old do you think she is? Even if the empress left her some people, the princess was still in the palace when Jing Qian’s men entered the capital city. How would she have known the news?”
“The Gu Clan,” Consort Zhao explained. “And their allies and friends. Since Yu Linglong was going to marry into the Gu Clan, why wouldn’t they do their best to protect Yu Ziyi?”
Zhao Qiuming sighed. “Right now, all we know is that Gu Xingyan left the city with Yu Ziyi. But we can’t do anything about that now.”
“That’s true,” Consort Zhao said. “Gu Xingyan only said he was taking Yu Ziyi out to play. What else can we say?”
“T-then what do we do now?” Zhao Beicheng asked.
“Send His Sixth Highness off,” Consort Zhao replied. “Then, I want to chase Yu Linglong and Yu Ziyi out of the capital.” If my son can’t stay by Xianzong’s side, then that pair of siblings shouldn’t live in such a flourishing capital either!
“Big sis,” Zhao Beicheng cried out.
“All of you should go back,” Consort Zhao said coldly. “It’s useless to say any more. I know what I have to do next, so none of you need to worry about me.”
Zhao Qiuming looked at his daughter with a complicated gaze, before telling his sons, “Let’s go.”
Outside the imperial study, a young eunuch was standing with his hands in his sleeves. When he saw Zhao Qiuming emerge, he quickly went to meet him. Zhao Qiuming recognized this as one of his daughter’s eunuchs and asked, “Where’s His Majesty?”
The eunuch replied respectfully, “His Majesty went to visit Consort Hua.”
Zhao Qiuming broke into a bitter smile. As expected, ah. What else can soothe a sovereign’s heart besides the company of a beauty right now?
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