xymnovel Chapter 146 The Golden Chest Alliance
Chapter 146 The Golden Chest Alliance
Chapter 146 The Golden Chest Alliance (Part 1)
"His Majesty----"
Stared at intently by Zhao Kuangyin like a tiger, Chen Tuan swallowed hard, feeling his scalp tingle and his palms instantly covered in cold sweat.
Zhao Kuangyin remained silent, bent down, picked up the black piece from the cold ground, and gently placed it back on the chessboard.
The soft "thud" sounded like a heavy hammer blow to Chen Tuan's heart.
"This humble Taoist priest is guilty—"
Chen Tuan's lips moved for a long time, but in the end he could only squeeze out this half sentence.
Having spent most of his life in the mountains, how could he possibly see through the emperor's schemes? Caught off guard by Zhao Kuangyin's subtle deception, he immediately lost his composure and blurted out whatever came to mind.
This is precisely why Zhao Kuangyin insisted on sending Zhao Guangyi away.
If Zhao Guangyi were present, he would surely have been able to discern the probing in Chen Tuan's words. But Chen Tuan was different. No matter what, Chen Tuan's nature was as guileless as that of many reclusive Taoists.
When he actually heard these words of confession, Zhao Kuangyin trembled violently, and after a long while, he let out a very complicated sigh.
Chen Zhuan's words undoubtedly confirmed the suspicion he least wanted to believe.
The Zhang Quhua case, the witchcraft accusation—all of this, just as Zhao'er said, is inextricably linked to Zhao Guangyi!
Once he understood this, Zhao Kuangyin felt as if a huge rock was blocking his chest, and an indescribable anger and disappointment swept over him like a tidal wave.
What's up with this?
Why did it have to come to this!
"The Taoist priest has been kind to me. I have always respected his Taoist teachings and character, regarding him as a highly accomplished person of our time, and have treated him with utmost sincerity."
Zhao Kuangyin's voice carried an undisguised weariness and sigh: "I truly cannot understand why the Daoist priest would get involved in this worldly strife and ruin his own reputation."
Upon hearing this, Chen Tuan's expression calmed down slightly. He remained silent for a moment, then slowly rose and bowed deeply to Zhao Kuangyin: "Since Your Majesty has already noticed, this humble Taoist will no longer conceal it."
"The reason why I am willing to come out of seclusion and help the Marquis of Taiyuan is that I have observed that the Marquis of Taiyuan has the appearance of a true dragon, with the world in his heart, and is virtuous and capable. If he can ascend the throne in the future, he will surely bring peace to the people and make the world free from the worries of chaos."
"Secondly, I do have a selfish motive. I hope to use the power of the Marquis of Taiyuan to make my Taoism flourish and its lineage continue, so that it may be remembered by future generations."
He spoke frankly and openly, without any concealment or remorse, as if everything he had done was in accordance with the will of Heaven and the people, and out of a sense of righteousness for the world.
In fact, that's exactly what he thought.
From the moment he first met Zhao Kuangyin and his brother, he noticed that their faces were unusual and that they were no ordinary ministers. He believed that they would one day become dragons hidden in the abyss and eventually rule the world.
Now, Zhao Kuangyin has fulfilled his destiny and ascended the throne.
However, Zhao Guangyi's path to power was blocked and his progress was difficult because of Zhao Dezhao's existence. He should come out of seclusion to help him, set things right, and save the people from suffering!
In his view, after Zhao Kuangyin, only Zhao Guangyi, who possessed the potential to become a dragon, could succeed to the throne, stabilize the Song Dynasty, end the chaos in the world, and create a peaceful and prosperous era.
Therefore, he did not feel that he had done anything wrong.
The so-called "Tao follows nature" means that he is following the way of Heaven, so what's wrong with that?
Thinking of this, he bowed slightly again, his tone earnest and earnest, and advised once more: "Your Majesty, I know that I have committed a grave crime."
"But since things have come to this, there are some things I must say. I have deduced the workings of Heaven and know that the Marquis of Taiyuan indeed possesses the potential to become a future emperor. I hope Your Majesty will reconsider and prioritize the well-being of the Song Dynasty and the people. In accordance with the will of Heaven, the Marquis of Taiyuan should be established as the crown prince!"
As he spoke, he knelt deeply on the ground, tears welling in his eyes, and pleaded, "Only in this way can I live up to the expectations of this country and its people!"
"Heh heh—following the will of Heaven, establishing the Marquis of Taiyuan as the crown prince? Heh heh heh—"
Zhao Kuangyin laughed in anger, a chill and disappointment welling up inside him. He looked at Chen Zhuan with cold eyes and said in a hoarse voice, "Then I would like to ask the Taoist priest, if Tingyi is a hidden dragon, then what about my son Zhao Dezhao, the crown prince whom I personally raised and selected!"
"A hidden dragon? Destiny? How could a mere mortal like you possibly fathom it?!"
"Since you keep claiming that Tingyi is a hidden dragon, then I will let you see for yourself what a true hidden dragon is!"
Having said that, he stopped looking at Chen Tuan and suddenly raised his voice, "Zhao'er, come out!"
No sooner had the words been spoken than a figure suddenly appeared on the screen in the side hall.
Inside the hall, the candlelight flickered, casting dappled and chaotic shadows. Zhao Dezhao, with a calm expression, slowly stepped out from the deepest shadow behind the screen.
The moment he stepped out of the screen, a beam of slanted light suddenly pierced the darkness and struck his face directly.
Suddenly, light and shadow spread out, and in an instant, Zhao Dezhao's facial features took on a three-dimensional shape!
His forehead jutted out prominently in the light, his brow bone ridges were like swords tempered by frost, his nose bridge was straight and high like a solitary peak in the sky, while his eye sockets and entire jaw were hidden in shadow, not revealing his sharpness.
The interplay of light and shadow on his face, blending and overlapping, subtly outlined the appearance of a young dragon about to emerge!
The hall fell silent.
Even Zhao Kuangyin was momentarily lost in thought.
Chen Tuan, who was kneeling on the ground, barely managed to raise his head. When his gaze fell on Zhao Dezhao, he froze instantly, stunned on the spot. It wasn't until Zhao Dezhao's calm steps stopped in front of him that he came back to his senses.
He looked up and saw Zhao Dezhao slightly bowing his head, his expression seemingly carrying a hint of coldness and disdain: "Daoist Master."
"Look at me, am I a true dragon?"
Chen Tuan trembled again, his face turning pale, but he said nothing more. He simply knelt down heavily, as if subdued by the young dragon, and prostrated himself on the ground.
Seeing this, Zhao Kuangyin secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
He knew that Chen Tuan was not good at lying.
Thinking of this, the last trace of hesitation in Zhao Kuangyin's heart vanished, leaving only the coldness and decisiveness of an emperor.
He raised his hand to summon the eunuch, his tone calm and utterly indifferent: "Draft an imperial edict."
The eunuch bowed and accepted the order, bringing the imperial edict in bright yellow and writing materials. He stood respectfully to the side, listening as Zhao Kuangyin read out each word: "I hereby order Zhao Guangyi, the Marquis of Taiyuan, to be removed from his post as Prefect of Kaifeng and transferred to Luoyang as Grand Commandant. He is to leave the capital within seven days without delay. Any disobedience will be considered treason!"
The eunuch quickly wrote down the imperial edict, and after Zhao Kuangyin finished reading it, he immediately picked it up and bowed to request its seal.
Zhao Kuangyin took out the imperial seal and stamped it heavily on the imperial edict: "Immediately send this edict to the Marquis of Taiyuan's residence, and make sure to personally hand it to Zhao Guangyi and watch him receive it!"
"Here you go!"
The eunuch, holding the imperial edict stamped with the emperor's seal, dared not delay for a moment, and hurriedly left the Chuigong Hall, riding at full speed to the Taiyuan Marquis's residence.
Zhao Dezhao stood aside, watching everything unfold, his expression remaining calm, without the slightest surprise.
He knew that it was already quite an achievement for his father to have done this much.
Zhao Kuangyin, in the end, couldn't bring himself to be ruthless because of his brotherhood.
Thinking of this, a cold glint flashed in Zhao Dezhao's eyes. He couldn't help but recall what Zhao Pu had once told him: "Killing is sometimes an extremely foolish act, but it can also be a wise move. Sometimes, killing one person can solve the problem once and for all and eliminate future troubles."
"As long as it is done cleanly and neatly, leaving no trace, His Majesty will naturally not suspect Your Highness."
"By then, who will be able to challenge His Highness's position as Crown Prince?"
Since Dad can't bring himself to be ruthless.
As a son, it is naturally my duty to do so.
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