She mistakenly got into the bridal sedan chair and married a sickly but powerful minister, becoming

Yan Heqing realized that he hadn't understood Princess Yizhen well enough before, but at this moment he suddenly understood her.

Because Princess Yizhen did not lose her faith, she was able to survive through countless hardships.

What happened today is indeed insignificant compared to the beliefs in her heart.

Or perhaps, she said these words to dispel his guilt and remorse.

The two of them tacitly avoided mentioning the matter again.

Before returning to the Crown Prince's residence, Princess Yizhen asked him for a bowl of contraceptive soup.

Although he had no women around him, he knew that contraceptive soup was extremely harmful to a woman's body.

Princess Yizhen was physically weak and could not take medicine at will.

So he sent someone to invite a doctor to examine Princess Yizhen's pulse.

The doctor said, "This lady is physically weak and has difficulty conceiving. These contraceptive prescriptions contain arsenic and mercury, two poisons that will cause her great harm. At best, she will never be able to have a mother again; at worst, it will affect her lifespan."

Yan Heqing, thinking that Princess Yizhen's body was unlikely to conceive, had the doctor remove the arsenic and mercury from the contraceptive soup, and only used a few herbs such as musk and saffron to make a soup for her to drink.

After that, he paid more attention to Princess Yizhen and, through the Crown Princess, arranged for a maid to serve her.

A few days later, Chu Mingyuan acquired a novel treasure and suddenly remembered Princess Yizhen, whom he had neglected for many days. So he took the new toy to Princess Yizhen's courtyard.

I don't know what happened in between.

From then on, Chu Mingyuan grew tired of her and never went to her courtyard again.

He thought the matter was over, but an unexpected event still occurred.

One day, a maidservant who served Princess Yizhen told him that after eating, Princess Yizhen felt nauseous, as if she had morning sickness.

His feelings were extremely complicated, and his thoughts became chaotic.

Princess Yizhen could pretend not to care about their one-night stand, but she absolutely did not want to conceive his child, as that would be a fatal blow to her.

Given her personality, there's absolutely no way she would give birth to the child.

And he didn't want this child to exist.

The name is not justified.

It will only cause trouble.

A few days later, Princess Yizhen seemed to realize something. With the help of the Crown Princess, she secretly left the Crown Prince's residence to see a doctor. He arranged for someone to intercept Princess Yizhen on the way and take her to a doctor.

He told the doctor in advance that if he detected a pregnancy pulse, he should tell her she was two months pregnant.

This month coincides with the date when Yizhen and the Crown Prince shared a room.

Sure enough, Yizhen's expression changed drastically when she learned she was pregnant. But when she calculated the time of conception, she visibly breathed a sigh of relief.

After Princess Yizhen left, he asked the physician, "Given her health condition, is it possible for her to not have this child?"

The doctor said with a solemn expression, "I'm afraid her life will be in danger." Then he added, "Even if she keeps the child, she must be properly nourished, otherwise she won't be able to survive the difficult process of childbirth."

The child stayed.

He also accelerated the pace of restoring the kingdom, setting a trap in advance to cause Chu Changyue's death, and then supporting Chu Mingyuan to ascend the throne.

He originally planned to overthrow the Chu family's regime during the autumn hunt that year.

Unexpectedly, a few days before the Mid-Autumn Festival, his subordinates inadvertently exposed their whereabouts, which led to the imperial court's crackdown.

Overnight, their stronghold was brutally massacred.

More than half of the dead and injured.

The remaining half of the people fled the town where they had been hiding for over a decade, hid in a cave, and brought him a message.

On the day he arrived, the sky was overcast, with dark clouds obscuring the light.

Most of these soldiers were married with children, and when they were not on duty, they lived the same lives as ordinary people in the small town at the foot of the mountain.

This time, after the attack, their wives and children lay dead in pools of blood, their family destroyed.

Now, they are crammed into dark caves, half of the soldiers and their families are seriously wounded, and the other half are taking care of the wounded.

Aunt Yan was not spared either, suffering severe injuries. She tightly gripped his hand, her breath coming in gasps, "Your Highness, revenge...you must take revenge..."

Before she could finish speaking, Aunt Yan had already fallen silent.

His heart was heavy. Listening to the soldiers' painful groans and the cries of their wives and children, a thought arose for the first time: what was the purpose of restoring the country?

Is he willing to sacrifice the soldiers who were living peaceful lives and shatter countless families in exchange for becoming the ruler of the world?

He stood blankly on the mountaintop, looking down at the empty town below, no longer as vibrant as it once was.

However, when he returned to the capital after dealing with everything, his subordinates told him about Yi Zhen's death. It was as if a heavy hammer had struck his heart, and the sudden pain almost made him lose his balance.

Before he knew it, he arrived at Anrui Palace. As soon as he stepped inside, he saw the child locked in a cage.

The baby lay quietly in the cage, neither crying nor fussing. Sometimes it would grab its little toes, and sometimes it would put its tiny fingers in its mouth and suck on them, making "smack smack" sounds.

Suddenly, the child tilted his head and stared at him curiously. As he looked, he giggled and then reached out his hands, babbling as if he wanted a hug.

This was the first time he had seen a child up close, and the first time he had seen one so closely. He was surprised to find that the child had a pair of beautiful eyes, dark and bright, just like Yizhen's.

He slowly extended a finger and placed it in front of the child. The child quickly grabbed his finger, holding it tightly, as if grasping his own little world.

A strange and unfamiliar feeling welled up in Yan Heqing's heart. The fog in his heart dissipated at that moment, and he found the answer.

No one's empire lasts forever; dynasties rise and fall, and fortunes change.

His initial intention in restoring his kingdom was to avenge his father and mother, to ensure that his followers no longer had to hide and could receive the glory they deserved, and to spare the people of the world from the suffering of war.

Yan Heqing knew very well that everyone's attachment to their own interests outweighed their desire for unknown gains, so the people were more willing to fight to restore the lost peace.

After Chu Changyue usurped the throne, he continuously waged wars against foreign powers, causing immense suffering to the people. Compared to his father, the emperor, he was far less popular. Precisely because of this, more and more people supported his uprising to restore the kingdom, yearning for the peace of the previous dynasty.

Besides their spiritual beliefs, they also have considerations of self-interest.

Now, the great cause of restoring the country has not yet succeeded, but his subordinates have suffered heavy casualties, which runs counter to his vision.

Yan Heqing slowly raised his fingers, but the child held them tightly and refused to let go. With his movement, the child even slowly raised his little head and giggled, as if he were supporting the child's tiny world.

He changed his strategy for restoring the kingdom, planning to send his child to the Great Zhou, where the child could grow up safely. If he continued to stay in Northern Qi, his excessive attention to the child would only arouse suspicion, so he ignored the child and allowed the palace servants to mistreat him.

Only in this way can the child's "death" be concealed from suspicion.

Over the course of twenty years, he brought down the court officials who had betrayed the previous dynasty one by one, placed his followers in important positions in the court, and finally eliminated those who had humiliated Yi Zhen before bringing Zhao Yi back to Northern Qi.

Now, without firing a single shot, he has personally killed all his enemies, avenged his great grudge, and also elevated Zhao Yi to the supreme position, allowing the Zongzheng family bloodline to continue ruling the world and restoring the country in another form.

As for the master of this land, whether his surname is Zongzheng or not, it is not important to him.

The important thing is that the great revenge was achieved, his followers received the glory they deserved, and the people lived in peace and prosperity.

Recalling this point, the Imperial Tutor lowered his eyelids and gently brushed off his spotless, snow-white robe.

The characters "仪贞" (Yi Zhen) imply dignified and proper conduct, as well as steadfast integrity.

No matter how the powerful and influential people of Northern Qi humiliated her, they could never break her pride.

Such a woman who was not afraid of death in order to protect the people of her country.

How could he possibly push her into the limelight and smear her innocent life just to clear the name of the country?

This is what he owes her.

The Imperial Tutor gestured for Yan Yi to bring in the Right Pillar of State.

Yan Yi strode out of the inner hall and brought in the Right Pillar of State.

The Right Pillar of State was deathly pale; the fear of impending death made his limbs weak, and he stumbled into the palace.

Originally, he left the inner palace at the behest of the Northern Qi emperor, but was detained by guards as soon as he reached the palace gate and locked in a side hall.

It was only then that he realized the truth.

The person who set them up was the Imperial Tutor.

He racked his brains but still couldn't understand why, apart from the throne, everything in Northern Qi was decided by the Imperial Tutor.

Why did the Imperial Tutor still join forces with the Prince of Guangling to deal with the Emperor of Northern Qi?

Could it be that the increase in taxes and corvée labor caused the Imperial Tutor to lose faith in the Emperor of Northern Qi?

After all, everyone knows that the Imperial Tutor's heart is with the people of Northern Qi.

Thinking of this, he prayed in his heart that the Emperor of Northern Qi could persuade the Imperial Tutor with emotion and reason.

Out of consideration for their many years of friendship, the Imperial Tutor stopped in time.

Although he knew very well that the Imperial Tutor's actions were tantamount to forcing the emperor to abdicate.

Even if the Imperial Tutor eventually backs down, once the Emperor of Northern Qi regains power, he will surely eliminate the Imperial Tutor as soon as possible.

If he understands this principle, how could the Imperial Tutor not understand it?

Sure enough, the sound of bells came from the inner hall of the Hall of Mental Cultivation. It was clear that the Emperor of Northern Qi was calling for help. He felt as if a knife was held to his neck and he would be beheaded at any moment.

The Right Pillar of State entered the inner palace and immediately saw the Northern Qi Emperor lying dead on the dragon bed.

With a thud, he collapsed to the ground, his legs giving way.

The emperor of Northern Qi has actually passed away!

At this moment, the Grand Secretary of the Cabinet held the imperial edict in both hands: "Imperial Tutor, the imperial edict has been drafted."

The Imperial Tutor nodded slightly: "Sealed."

"Yes." Several civil officials took the imperial edict and sealed it away.

The Right Pillar State was on edge, fearing he would be next to die. He scrambled to his knees at the Imperial Tutor's feet, begging for mercy: "Imperial Tutor, the matter of increasing taxes and corvée labor has nothing to do with me. His Majesty wants to attack the Great Zhou and realize his grand ambition, so he made me, along with the Minister of Revenue and the Minister of War, exploit the people."

"Is that so?" The Imperial Tutor covered his lips with a handkerchief and coughed a few times. "His Majesty has passed away, and there is no way to verify the facts. In that case, you should go to the underworld and settle this matter with His Majesty."

The Right Pillar of State suddenly looked up, staring at the Imperial Tutor in disbelief.

Suddenly, a eunuch's voice came from outside the hall: "Imperial Tutor, the Prince of Guangling has arrived." Then, the eunuch's voice suddenly rose: "The imperial clan... the imperial relatives and important officials of the court have also arrived."

The Right Pillar of State's eyes, filled with despair, revealed a glimmer of hope as he prepared to run out to beg for help from his relatives and ministers.

With a "thud," the longsword pierced the Right Pillar State's back and went through his chest.

Right Pillar State collapsed to the ground.

With a creak, the palace door opened.

Zhao Yi and Wang Qiaoxin took the lead and entered the hall.

Immediately afterwards, the relatives stormed in aggressively.

Before they could even get a clear look at the situation inside the hall, they shouted at the top of their lungs, "Your Majesty, while you were ill, the Right Pillar of State has gone completely mad! He has seized control of the court and forbade us from coming to see him. He has even brazenly colluded with court officials, plotting a rebellion."

Furthermore, your good son has instigated Wang Qiaoxin to rebel, and has marched all the way from Yuncheng into the capital, causing countless deaths and injuries among the people, who are filled with resentment. If you had woken up just one more day later, this empire might have already changed hands.

Fortunately, Heaven opened its eyes and allowed you and the Imperial Tutor to wake up in time, preventing those two treacherous officials, the Right Pillar of State and the Prince of Guangling, from succeeding.

Your Majesty, you must punish them severely to serve as a warning to others.

As they spoke, they all knelt down in unison, and it was with this kneeling that they saw the Right Pillar of State lying in a pool of blood.

The relatives' expressions changed instantly, followed by a surge of secret joy.

The Northern Qi emperor has already executed the Right Pillar of State; next, it will be Zhao Yi's turn.

Once Zhao Yi died, and the Northern Qi emperor had no other capable sons, the heir apparent would naturally have to be chosen from among the imperial relatives.

Who knows which family will receive this immense wealth?

The ministers who followed in also knelt down after hearing what the imperial relative had said.

The main hall was deathly silent.

The clansmen, having received no response from the Northern Qi emperor for a long time, felt a sudden unease. Before they could figure it out, a mocking laugh came from above.

The next moment, Wang Qiaoxin's voice rang out in the hall: "The Right Pillar of State harbors wolfish ambitions, plotting to harm His Majesty and the Prince of Guangling, plunging the world into chaos. The Prince of Guangling, in accordance with the will of the people, raised an army to punish the traitor and rescue His Majesty. How did you come to call the Prince of Guangling a traitor?"

At this point, he changed the subject: "Could it be that you are taking this opportunity to frame the Prince of Guangling, cut off His Majesty's lineage, and then promote your own son to the throne?"

The imperial relative was startled and was about to plead his case when he heard the imperial tutor announce: "His Majesty has passed away."

These words were like a thunderclap, exploding above everyone's heads.

Everyone stared in disbelief: How... how is this possible?

They didn't believe what the Imperial Tutor said, so they got up from the ground and went to the inner palace to investigate the situation themselves.

The Northern Qi emperor lay on the bed, his face pale, his eyes staring straight ahead, as if he had been murdered by his closest and most trusted confidant and died with his eyes wide open.

"The Right Pillar General poisoned His Majesty's daily medicine. Logically, His Majesty should not have been able to wake up, but unexpectedly, His Majesty experienced a sudden surge of lucidity and awoke. He then sent Eunuch Liu to summon me to the palace. The Right Pillar General, fearing that his deeds would be exposed, plotted to harm His Majesty again." The Imperial Tutor said with a face full of regret, "When I arrived at the Hall of Mental Cultivation, I saw through the Right Pillar General's conspiracy and immediately killed him. However, His Majesty was already on the verge of death, and I was ultimately too late to save him."

The expressions of the imperial relatives and ministers changed, and they subconsciously glanced at Zhao Yi, hurriedly asking the imperial tutor, "Did His Majesty leave any words before his passing?"

Logically, the Imperial Tutor would have informed the Northern Qi Emperor of the news that the Prince of Guangling had attacked the capital. Given the Northern Qi Emperor's prejudice against him, he would never have passed the throne to him.

The clansmen placed their hopes on the will.

The Imperial Tutor replied, "On his deathbed, His Majesty urgently summoned several officials and made a will to arrange his affairs after his passing."

The imperial relatives and ministers exchanged glances and said in a grand manner, "His Majesty's death is full of suspicious points. Why don't we read the imperial edict aloud in public?"