Chapter 745
The World is at Peace [5th Update] [The End]
Chapter 745 The World is at Peace [Fifth Update] [End of Main Text]
"His Majesty……"
Lu Qing was about to speak when Emperor Jin stopped her.
“Let’s not talk formalities today.” He shook his head at Lu Qing. “I didn’t summon Chao’er to come with me today because I wanted to have some heartfelt words with you.”
These past few days, I've barely slept a wink. Ishan's words keep echoing in my ears, I just can't shake them off.
"Why should Your Majesty take that sorcerer's nonsense to heart?"
"No, it's not nonsense. What he said is the absolute truth, the truth that I haven't had the courage to admit all these years." Emperor Jin closed his eyes, took a breath, and then opened them again. "The battle for the throne back then was so brutal that even though I won, I was still afraid in my heart, afraid that my throne would be unstable, afraid that the same mistakes would be repeated."
So when Zhao Bi used the Vatican's witchcraft to try to eliminate our opponents, although I was disgusted, I ultimately did not strictly forbid it because of my greed for a great victory. I left room for maneuver in my attitude, which led to everything that followed and sowed the seeds of such a great disaster.
Until Zhao Bi resorted to his old tricks, treating your grandfather and father as enemies in his career, and even had your whole family killed, I began to suspect him, but I had no direct evidence.
At that time, he became the most prominent meritorious official in the court after I ascended the throne. At such a critical juncture, if I were to forcibly convict him, at the very least I would be accused of discarding a useful minister after he had served his purpose, or of killing a meritorious official, and people would think that I had plotted to get rid of two important ministers who might pose a threat to me in the future. This would be detrimental to the stability of the throne.
At worst, it would expose that during the struggle for the throne, I tacitly approved Zhao Bi's use of Vatican witchcraft to eliminate dissidents, which would also cause me to lose the hearts of the people.
Emperor Jin looked up at Lu Qing's face, which resembled his father and grandfather's very much, and his eyes became more and more complicated: "After that, Zhao Bi continued to expand his power, and I became more and more hesitant to deal with him. Eventually, we both began to try to cover up many things from the past."
Whether you believe it or not, all these years, I have always felt guilty towards you deep down, and even felt somewhat ashamed and afraid to face you.
The more this happened, the more I had to appear calm and composed. But over time, worries and doubts began to arise in my heart.
I fear that one day, when you learn the whole story, you will resent me and harbor ill intentions towards me.
Therefore, I both want to value you and fear that you will rise to power. I want to be close to you and treat you well, but I also want to keep my distance from you so that you will not discover things that I do not want you to know.
That day, Ishaan's words shattered all my pretense, making me realize that Zhao Bi's greed and Vatican voodoo were merely fueling the flames, and the only one truly at fault was myself.
As the ruler of this land, my cowardice prevents me from admitting my mistakes, and I have made the same mistake over and over again for so many years.
This time, you and Chao'er worked together to quell the rebellion, which made me feel even more ashamed of you.
These past few days I've been thinking about this repeatedly. People can't come back to life after they've died. I may not be able to do anything for your family, but at least I can make it up to you.
"Apart from this empire, you can choose anything else!"
“Your Majesty need not do this. I do not wish to receive any compensation from you.” Lu Qing shook his head calmly. “Back then, Zhao Bi and Consort Zhao tried to harm me several times. If it weren’t for your efforts to send me to Shanqing Temple, I would probably have already met with my grandfather and other family members.”
In this respect, my life was indeed given to me by you, twice, and I have always been grateful for it. Over the years, I have faithfully fulfilled my duties as a subject and have had no ambition whatsoever for your empire.
"I did not mean to test you..." Emperor Jin was taken aback upon hearing this.
Lu Qing smiled and nodded: "Your Majesty, the reason why I am willing to assist Lu Chao is firstly because I am indeed like a brother to him, and secondly because Lu Chao himself is a kind-hearted person with a broad vision and a magnanimous heart."
In my observation, Lu Chao has not failed Your Majesty's years of quiet cultivation and support, and should become a benevolent ruler in the future.
"I am willing to support Lu Chao and assist him; Your Majesty can rest assured."
Emperor Jin opened his mouth, but ultimately said nothing more. A sense of relief flashed in his eyes, mixed with a hint of loss and regret.
Perhaps he truly regretted it, regretting his contradictory attitude towards Lu Qing over the years, regretting his pointless suspicions and tests of him, and regretting not truly giving him the care and love a father would give a loyal adopted son.
But now, it seems that all of this is too late. The wall between him and Lu Qing is destined to never be completely dismantled, and they can only remain within the realm of ruler and subject.
He closed his eyes wearily, and after a while, he opened them again and looked at Zhu Yu sitting beside him: "Speaking of which, I did a good deed by accident, finding you a good marriage."
Lu Qing turned to look at Zhu Yu, his eyes softening and a faint smile appearing on his lips: "Your subject is deeply grateful."
After that day, Emperor Jin did not say anything more to them. It seemed that he had a lot to say, but he was too tired to say anything, so he had to give up.
After Yan Daoxin adjusted the prescription for Emperor Jin and prepared enough medicine, she left the palace with Lu Qing and Zhu Yu.
A few days later, Cao Tianbao returned to the capital to report back, and the people of the capital lined the streets to welcome him.
Cao Tianbao brought back two pieces of news. One was that the Jie troops had all returned to Jie territory and had not overstepped their bounds in any way within the Jin Kingdom's borders, thus keeping their word.
The other one is a letter written by Lu Zhang.
The handwritten letter was presented to Emperor Jin, who read it word by word, and a smile of satisfaction appeared on his face.
“Without Zhao Bi by her side, Zhang’er has actually grown up…” He handed the letter to Eunuch Gao, who was standing to the side.
Eunuch Gao carefully glanced at the contents and was so surprised that his mouth formed an "o": "His Highness Prince Yi... doesn't want to return to the capital, he wants to stay at the border?"
His Highness has never suffered like this in his life!
"Perhaps this is his growth." Emperor Jin slowly exhaled. "The children have all grown up, and I should start thinking about the future."
Soon after, Emperor Jin, who had been ill for a long time, issued an imperial edict, establishing Lu Chao as the crown prince and appointing him as regent. The edict also announced that, effective immediately, Lu Qing's title of Prince Xiaoyao would be restored, and he would be posthumously granted a higher rank. Although he would only be a two-character prince, he would enjoy the same rank, salary, and fief as a one-character prince, and the title would be hereditary.
In addition, Princess Zhu Yu of Xiaoyao was further granted the title of First-Rank Imperial Lady to commend her extraordinary courage and intelligence.
In addition to these, Emperor Jin also drafted another imperial edict, which was sent by fast horse to Jie, granting Yan Shu and Lu Zhang permission to divorce.
When the imperial edict was delivered to the Prince of Xiaoyao's residence, a large procession of eunuchs and imperial guards carried dozens of boxes of rewards, accompanied by gongs and drums, making a great show of it, as if they were afraid that there was still someone in the capital who did not know the glory of the Prince of Xiaoyao.
Lu Qing and Zhu Yu naturally accepted the imperial decree and expressed their gratitude. They respectfully thanked the eunuchs and imperial guards who came to deliver the rewards. As was customary, the steward of the Xiaoyao Prince's Mansion happily stuffed golden melon seeds into each of their hands as a token of their thanks.
The others left one after another, but the eunuch Gao, who had led the way, didn't seem to be in a hurry to leave.
He waited until everyone else had gone outside to wait before mysteriously pulling Lu Qing and Zhu Yu aside. He then took out a brocade box from his wide sleeve and handed it to them, saying that it was a special gift from Emperor Jin to Zhu Yu.
Zhu Yu looked surprised and carefully opened the brocade box. Inside was a gold-faced censor's waist tag, exactly the same as Lu Qing's.
"His Majesty instructed me to tell you two that the waist tokens are to facilitate your assistance to His Majesty and His Highness the Crown Prince in understanding the people's conditions, so that all matters of the world can have the opportunity to reach the Emperor's ears."
As for the gold mask...
His Majesty said, "I've heard that Your Highness's disguise skills are already quite sophisticated. In that case, we might as well get rid of this mask."
Lu Qing and Zhu Yu expressed their gratitude again.
After that, Lu Chao, as the crown prince, attended court with Emperor Jin every day. About three months passed, and Emperor Jin's health finally gave out, and he passed away.
During the national mourning period, Lu Zhang rushed back to the capital to fulfill his duties as a son and a subject. After the funeral was over and Lu Chao ascended the throne, he bid farewell to his two elder brothers again and returned to the frontier.
In his own words, his time away from home allowed him to experience the joy and satisfaction of immersing himself in nature and to find the life he truly wanted to live.
Some people privately say that the reason why Prince Yi is willing to guard the frontier for a long time is because of the past and he wants to avoid suspicion.
Which of these two statements is true, or perhaps both, only Lu Zhang himself knows the answer.
After the first morning court session following Lu Chao's ascension to the throne, he kept Lu Qing behind. The two walked one after the other in the Imperial Garden. Lu Chao was no longer wearing a moon-white robe, but a yellow robe, while Lu Qing was still wearing his court attire. From their expressions, it was as if there had been no change between them.
When they reached a pavilion, Lu Chao stopped, took out two tokens from his sleeve, and handed them to Lu Qing: "Take these. If you and Zhu Yu have nothing to do, come to the palace, talk to me, and play chess."
He looked around with a hint of melancholy: "This palace is too deep, and the walls are too high. I'm afraid that over time, I'll forget what I was originally like."
They say one should use others as a mirror, and you two are my mirror. Seeing you often helps me remember my original intentions.
“I understand,” Lu Qing nodded, taking the two tokens from his hand. “The palace is lonely, and Zhu Yu and I can bring you some warmth from your family.”
However... my wife really doesn't like staying in the capital for long. The world is vast and the scenery is beautiful. I promised to take her around to see different places and visit my master while we're at it.
Therefore... even if Your Majesty is worried about us, you must try your best to restrain yourself.
Lu Chao pointed at him with his hand, then shook his head with a smile: "I knew it. Once things settled down and everything was peaceful, I wouldn't be able to keep you here."
"Fine, go then. Be my eyes, and help me see what the world is really like."
After saying that, he raised his hand and patted Lu Qing on the shoulder: "Remember to write back often."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A few days later, a large carriage pulled by three fine horses drove out of the capital under the rising sun.
"Aren't we... going a bit too far?" Zhu Yu sat in the carriage, which had a soft couch, a small bookcase, and even a snack box, looking at the various food and supplies crammed into it. "We agreed to travel light, didn't we?"
"The steward almost prepared the imperial carriage for us, which is already a very restrained result for them." Lu Qing smiled and stuffed another soft cushion behind Zhu Yu's waist. "So you can eat and drink to your heart's content along the way, and don't let Zhao Mama's efforts in preparing these flowers go to waste."
Have you decided where you'll be going on this trip?
"I've heard that this is the best time of year to visit Quzhou. I've heard people say that the mountains there are cool in summer, with strange rocks and trees, and birds singing in the streams, like a paradise. I've always wanted to go and see it."
"it is good."
"I've also heard that in the Jie region after autumn, the setting sun over the long river and the lone smoke rising from the desert have a unique and magnificent beauty, and you can also visit Yan Shu while you're there."
"it is good."
“After winter sets in, let’s go to Shanqing Temple to visit your master! I heard Yan Daoxin say that Shanqing Temple is named so because the trees don’t change color when it snows in winter. Just thinking about it makes me feel that the scenery is beautiful. We can sit around the stove, drink tea, and see if we can find out any embarrassing stories about you in the past.”
"Okay, it's up to you."
The runes and talismans in front of the carriage exchanged a glance, and smiles appeared on the faces of the two brothers.
The future is getting more and more exciting!
【End of text】