The emperor is biased and wants to kill me, but you chickened out when the army is at the city gates

"Xuan'er, I already know about it."

The Emperor Emeritus gently stroked Qin Xuan's cheek, his wrinkled face now filled with kindness and heartache. "I am old and sometimes even delirious. I am already one foot in the grave. It is my fault, really. After abdicating, I stopped governing, which has caused you, a meritorious minister who has protected the country, to suffer!"

"Your Majesty, you have done more than enough for the Great Qi. Xuan'er has never complained about you."

Qin Xuan was deeply moved. After so many years, the Emperor Emeritus was still as virtuous and selfless as ever.

"Your Majesty, why is this?"

The retired emperor turned to look at Qin Tian, ​​his eyes filled with disappointment.

“Father, Qin Xuan has indeed made unparalleled contributions to the country, but I have bestowed countless rewards upon him over the years, and I have truly done nothing wrong to him! His wife has violated the law, and as the saying goes, princes are subject to the same laws as commoners. What is wrong with me punishing the Princess Consort of Chu!”

Even now, Qin Tian still refuses to admit his mistake: "Qin Xuan, for the sake of the Emperor Emeritus, I can spare your life, but Zhao Luoying must immediately submit to the law, and you will never again be allowed to control military power. I will guarantee your safety for the rest of your life!"

"Your Highness, Luo Ying is willing!"

Zhao Luoying said resolutely, without the slightest hesitation in her eyes.

For Qin Xuan, she was willing to give up everything!

"Qin Tian, ​​it seems you haven't grasped the current situation."

Qin Xuan stood up and sneered.

Qin Tian's words were not something even a three-year-old child would believe. If the Emperor Emeritus were to pass away one day, Qin Tian would probably use the excuse that Qin Xuan stepped into the gate with his left foot first to have Qin Xuan beheaded the next day. "The Shence Army is at the city gates, and you are isolated and helpless. If it weren't for the Emperor Emeritus's sake, you would already be a dead man!"

"you!"

Qin Tian's expression changed drastically, but he had to admit that what Qin Xuan said was true!

"Xuan'er, would you be willing to listen to what I have to say?"

The Emperor Emeritus looked at Qin Xuan with eyes full of affection.

"Your Majesty, please speak!"

Qin Tian's attitude became respectful again.

"The emperor has committed such a mistake, so it is reasonable for you to force the emperor to abdicate. However... the Great Qi is now beset by internal and external troubles and its national fortune is declining. There are still many generals and nobles in the Great Qi who are loyal to the emperor. If you kill the emperor and seize the throne today, the world will surely be in chaos."

The retired emperor sighed, "Moreover, the capital is easy to defend and difficult to attack, and it has 100,000 imperial guards. If the Shence Army wants to attack the city, it will definitely result in mutual destruction. At that time, the Jurchens may benefit from the mutual destruction."

Qin Xuan fell silent. He had to admit that although the Emperor Emeritus was old and frail, his insight was still sharp.

Qin Xuan was, after all, a modern man. He knew that the reason why the Jurchens established the Qing Dynasty was because of internal strife within China. Although he was irreconcilably opposed to Qin Tian and Qin Zhen, he really did not want to repeat the tragedy of the Southern Ming Dynasty, which would cause immense suffering to the Chinese people.

“Your Majesty, I understand what you mean. But if I let you go today, I fear that I myself, Luo Ying, and the Shence Army will face dire consequences in the future!”

Qin Xuan said.

"I understand. I have thought of a solution for Xuan'er."

The Emperor Emeritus said, “The Jurchens are ambitious and treacherous. Although they were severely damaged by Xuan’er before, they will make a comeback sooner or later. Xuan’er might as well lead the Shence Army to the northern border to establish a prefecture. In this way, he will have a large army at his disposal and will not have to worry about the emperor’s revenge in the future. He can also guard the border and resist foreign enemies.”

Qin Xuan's eyes lit up. The Emperor Emeritus had indeed come up with a brilliant plan. If Qin Xuan were to kill the Emperor, the Great Qi would be thrown into chaos, and the Shence Army and the Imperial Guard would suffer heavy losses, allowing the Jurchens to reap the benefits. However, if Qin Xuan followed the Emperor Emeritus's plan, he could develop peacefully on the frontier without having to be mindful of the Emperor's feelings.

"Father, what should I do if Qin Xuan harbors rebellious intentions in the future?"

Qin Tian was getting anxious. He had already witnessed Qin Xuan's leadership and the strength of the Divine Strategy Army. If he let Qin Xuan leave like this, he would probably have to pay a hundred times the price to eliminate Qin Xuan in the future!

Qin Zhen gritted his teeth. He had been shot in the arm with a poisoned arrow and had already cut off his arm to save his life. He had only managed to hold on until now because of his hatred for Qin Xuan. If Qin Xuan didn't die, wouldn't his arm have been shot in vain?!

"Emperor, you once said that you would listen to Father's words."

The retired emperor said, "You have angered both gods and men this time. Issue an edict of self-reproach. Only in this way can you preserve your throne."

Issuing an edict of self-reproach?!

"hiss……"

Qin Tian couldn't help but gasp. He considered himself a wise and powerful emperor, and for an emperor, issuing a self-reproach edict was the most disgraceful thing to do. If he issued such an edict, where would he put his face?

Zhao Luoying drew her sword, the longsword scraping against the blade with a sharp, piercing sound!

Seeing the killing intent in Qin Xuan's eyes, Qin Tian sighed deeply.

He knew that without the edict of self-reproach, his chances of survival were slim.

"Father, I will obey you."

Half an hour later, at the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

"If all people are guilty, the guilt lies with me."

"I was easily misled by the slander of treacherous people and wronged the two loyal and virtuous Prince Chu and Princess Chu. Fortunately, the Emperor Emeritus advised me and I finally realized my mistake."

"I am deeply ashamed. Today I issue this edict of self-reproach to proclaim my mistakes and the loyalty of the King of Chu to the world."

"Xu Zhi, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, Deng Qun, the Minister of Justice, and other treacherous officials have slandered the Prince of Chu with ulterior motives! Order them to be executed by slow slicing and their entire families exterminated!"

These people were naturally the officials who cooperated with Qin Zhen to deal with Qin Xuan.

The entire court was shocked and drenched in sweat!

No one expected that the confrontation between the emperor and the King of Chu would end with the emperor's compromise!

"Issue the imperial decree: The Jurchens are eyeing us covetously. Order the King of Chu to lead the Shence Army to the northern border to defend the frontier. He shall be rewarded with one million taels of silver, five hundred thousand shi of grain, and a quantity of weapons, armor, and warhorses."

These resources have nearly emptied the national treasury.

At this point, Qin Tian almost ground his back teeth to powder.

This was the suggestion of the retired emperor. Qin Xuan still possessed the ability to kill the emperor, so Qin Tian naturally had no choice but to comply.

"Your subject thanks Your Majesty."

Qin Xuan casually tossed out a sentence, then turned and left without looking back.

"The Great Emperor."

Leaving the Hall of Supreme Harmony, Qin Xuan bid farewell to the Emperor Emeritus, his eyes filled with reluctance: "I don't know when I will see you again after this departure. I dare to suggest that Your Majesty accompany me to the Northern Border!"

"Go in peace, my child."

The Emperor Emeritus smiled kindly and said, “I don’t have much time left. Staying by your side will only hinder you from leading troops into battle. You don’t need to be sad. With a loyal minister and general like you, what is there to fear from the Jurchens? Good child, you truly have the demeanor of the founding emperor. The happiest thing in my life is seeing that the Great Qi has you as its successor.”

The retired emperor did not use the word "朕" (zhen, meaning "I" or "I" in Chinese). He was no longer the revered retired emperor, but just an ordinary grandfather instructing his grandson, who was about to embark on a long journey, to be careful.

"Grandfather, I take my leave!"

With tears in his eyes, Qin Xuan kowtowed three times to the Emperor Emeritus before leaving the palace.