After reading my mind, Daddy, why don't you smile?

But things happen unexpectedly. Emperor Jianxi had been worried for days and was getting old. When he suddenly learned that his beloved son could be saved, the breath he had been holding on to finally eased, and his illness came as a sudden onslaught.

Emperor Jianxi was unable to set off, which was exactly what Shangguan Shu wanted.

According to his plan, by transferring Zhao Xi away, he could take this opportunity to get things done. Once Emperor Jianxi wrote the edict to enthronize him, it would be difficult for Zhao Xi to return to Beijing.

A prince who is not in the capital when the emperor is choosing an heir has already lost his opportunity.

Even if Emperor Jianxi was not sick, he would not let him go to Dali with Zhao Xi. He needed to separate the emperor and the prince.

Of course, he also left a way out.

What if Emperor Jianxi saw through his plan?

Emperor Jianxi was not a foolish or stupid monarch. He was the winner of the succession race and was extremely cunning and scheming. If he was suspicious and cast doubt on himself...

The worst that could happen is that he would reveal his cards. He just wanted the emperor to give his Ying'er a chance. He had planned everything, just to get an opportunity that the princes could easily get.

There is a reason for choosing Dali. Dali has been troubled by border issues recently. Northern Myanmar colluded with local officials to sell a kind of opium powder made from the juice of grass seeds called "Afurong" to Da Chu. The drug is addictive and can cause mental disorders, skin ulcers and sudden death over time.

The people of Dali were living in poverty and had no food to eat because of this small piece of hibiscus. As hibiscus was expensive, the people gave up growing millet and started growing opium, which resulted in a decrease in local rice production. If this continued in the long run, it would cause widespread harm.

At present, Dali has tens of thousands of hectares of fertile land, which can provide 70% of the grain needed by the south of Da Chu. If Dali stops growing crops, the people in the south will starve, and soon the national grain prices will rise. Even if they rise, grain will be hard to come by.

They could only buy grain from Jiaozhi, Siam and other countries at high prices, but their situation was not much better than Dali. How could that little grain be enough to meet the needs of the people of Da Chu?

Before this, Emperor Jianxi discussed with him that he should first stabilize the internal situation, which meant sending officials to Dali to strictly investigate local officials, cut down all opium and plant wheat on the spot. However, several imperial envoys who went there in succession either died inexplicably or were disobeyed by the people below.

Even the local people presented strong resistance, believing that if the imperial envoy cut down opium, they would be cutting off their livelihoods. They knew that the law did not hold everyone responsible, so they openly defied the court.

After wave after wave of imperial envoys were sent to maintain domestic stability without any results, Emperor Jianxi began to think of repelling foreign aggression.

That is to let him lead his troops to neighboring countries to rob food. This is a last resort.

But if anyone can accomplish this task, it will certainly solve the court's great difficulties and will be enough to prove his ability and talent.

He believed in Zhao Ying.

If roaming the sky and flying freely is what she wants, then he will tear off the shackles on her and let her fly.

In the past, he owed her too much, and from now on, he will fulfill all her wishes.

It's just a throne...

After lunch, Shangguan Shu was summoned into the palace.

Perhaps it was because Emperor Jianxi himself was in poor health and his son was not going to be by his side, which aroused the emperor's vigilance. He did not say anything, but only told Shangguan Shu lightly that he decided to let Zhao Ying take Zhao Xi to ask for medicine.

He didn't trust others, he believed that only Zhao Ying would not hurt Zhao Xi.

Shangguan Shu showed no expression after hearing this. He had long guessed what kind of person Emperor Jianxi was. He would rather kill the wrong person than let him go. He was just on guard and wanted to cut off his source of trouble. Since Zhao Xi was not around, he would also get rid of Zhao Ying.

Fortunately, Shangguan Shu had a backup plan.

Shangguan Shu said, "If Your Majesty wants Princess Chengqian, a woman, to go and get medicine for His Royal Highness Prince Ding, you should come up with a suitable excuse so that His Royal Highness Prince Ding doesn't have to be accused of relying on a little girl, nor does he have to be suspected of discord between the royal brothers. The Emperor had no choice but to let a princess go and get medicine!"

Since everyone is talking about the fact that Zhao Ying is a princess, he has to say something too.

When conferring the title, Zhao Ying was treated as a princess, and when doing things, she was used as a son? Since ancient times, how could a princess be asked to travel a long distance with a prince to seek medicine?

Emperor Jianxi was lying on the dragon couch, with a cloth covering his forehead. It was obvious that he had a high fever. In response to Shangguan Shu's weird tone, Emperor Jianxi chuckled and said in a muddy voice, "According to you, what name should be established?"

Shangguan Shu said calmly, "Your Majesty, I dare to recommend Princess Chengqian to quell the chaos in Dali!"

As soon as Shangguan Shu finished speaking, the bedroom was quiet for a moment.

After an unknown amount of time, Emperor Jianxi said cryptically, "I will give Cheng Qian a secret order..."

"Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty."

Emperor Jianxi drove Shangguan Shu out. Zhao Ying was waiting outside the palace because he was sick. When he saw Shangguan Shu coming out, Zhao Ying asked curiously, "What did the emperor say to you?"

Shangguan Shu pulled Zhao Ying away and said, "Let's talk in your Guangming Palace."

Arriving at the Hall of Light, Zhao Ying dismissed his attendants and said, "Tell me, what are you talking about that is so mysterious?"

"The Emperor wants you to go to Dali and ask for medicine for Prince Ding."

Zhao Ying didn't comment, "And then?"

"Then I will recommend you to quell the rebellion in Dali!"

"The rebellion in Dali?" When Zhao Ying was serving ink in the imperial study, she did learn about the cause of the rebellion in Dali. Afterwards, she heard about the repeated setbacks and felt indignant. She thought that if she went, she would definitely execute those traitors one by one. Unfortunately, it was just a thought. She was a woman and she was not...

But Shangguan Shu said so, and looked at her with such bright eyes, with relief and fascination, her heart beat faster, and she couldn't help but ask, "Did the emperor... agree?"

Zhao Ying's tone was tentative and a little cautious.

Shangguan Shu smiled slightly and nodded.

Zhao Ying was startled, as if her heart was tugged for a moment, and then it stretched out like cotton soaked in water, becoming thick and moist.

Zhao Ying's eyes were red.

Is the emperor willing to give her a chance?

Zhao Ying didn't want to guess Emperor Jianxi's motives for the moment. She insisted that her father gave her the opportunity just as he wanted.

Then she held it tightly!

Shangguan Shu said softly, "It is inconvenient for me to go with you this time. I will send secret guards to protect you. There are also my troops stationed there. I will write a letter for you to take with you. If the people over there are desperate, you can take the letter and mobilize 150,000 soldiers on the Dali border to fight them to the death!"

Zhao Ying wanted to laugh when she heard this, but she felt warm inside.

Shangguan Shu thought very carefully and even considered that if he went, the local officials would listen to him and not to her, a woman, so he could not go.

Zhao Ying said sincerely, "Thank you."

It was not until this moment that she vaguely realized that Shangguan Shu might have put a lot of thought into this opportunity.

She hadn't even told him that she had the ambition to become emperor, but he saw through it and carried it out for her step by step.

She had to admit that the unreserved and unlimited preference was really touching.

Pity……

The imperial edict was issued very quickly. Emperor Jianxi left a secret decree to Zhao Ying, asking her to go to Dali for a secret visit first, and to reveal the secret decree when necessary, so that the strike would hit the target.

Emperor Jianxi called Zhao Ying over. Zhao Ying thought he wanted to give her some instructions, but Emperor Jianxi said nothing. He only told her to hurry on her journey and take care of herself.

Because Zhao Xi was poisoned, it was not advisable to delay any longer, so Zhao Ying set off overnight. It didn't matter if she left, but the children were reluctant to let her go, especially Shangguan Qingyue, who hugged Zhao Ying tightly with tears in his eyes, and said pitifully, "I don't want to leave my mother, I want to go with my mother!"

"We want to go with mother too!"

The other four were easy to persuade, except Shangguan Qingyue. Zhao Ying could not persuade her for a long time, so she made up her mind and took her away.