roccoschili Chapter 512 Under what circumstances would you draw a woman?
Chapter 512 Under what circumstances would you draw a woman?
As for the origins of their relationship, Zhao Yi had no idea.
He turned to look at the palace, where he saw vermilion roofs and green tiles, with upturned eaves and intricately designed corners.
Just like the people inside this palace, they confront each other and fight each other.
Zhao Yi withdrew his gaze, left the palace and returned to the Guangling Prince's Mansion, where he saw Shen Qingtan leading Liu Yue out of the front hall.
He asked, "Manman, are you planning to leave the manor?"
Shen Qingtan shook her head and briefly explained what she had done that day: "Yesterday I received a letter from Uncle Qin, and this morning I invited the managers of all the shops to the mansion to discuss matters. After finishing the discussion with the managers, I replied to Uncle Qin and Yaoyao. I calculated the time and estimated that you would be back soon, so I planned to wait for you at the side gate."
She knew that the Northern Qi Emperor would need Zhao Yi's help and wouldn't make things difficult for him because he had refused to be summoned to the palace the previous night.
But she always felt that the seemingly normal Emperor of Northern Qi had already gone somewhat insane after the murder of the Prince Xian.
A madman who has lost his mind cannot reason.
She couldn't help but worry that a casual remark Zhao Yi made during his audience with the emperor might drive the Northern Qi emperor mad.
Now that Zhao Yi has returned unharmed, Shen Qingtan can't help but breathe a sigh of relief and take his arm: "To the inner courtyard, or to the study?"
"The study." Zhao Yi took her hand that was resting on his arm, his smile gentle. "I have something to tell you."
Shen Qingtan observed his expression. Although his smile was extremely relaxed, there was no hint of a smile in his eyes. Clearly, he was hiding something unpleasant in his heart.
“Alright.” Shen Qingtan responded, then brought up something: “This morning, Madam Zhang came to the manor to check my pulse.”
She was the most famous lady in the capital, known among the people as the "female Bian Que" (a legendary physician in Chinese mythology), and was the favorite of the wives of officials to have their pulses taken.
Zhao Yi heard yesterday that the wife of the Minister of Personnel had sent her a fertility pill, so today she arranged for Zhang Xiaoniangzi to take her pulse.
It's obvious that he wanted to use Zhang Xiaoniangzi's words to spread the news that she was in good health.
Zhao Yi casually said, "We'll be setting off for our fiefdom in the next few days. Let Zhang Xiaoniangzi take your pulse to check your health, so I can have peace of mind."
Shen Qingtan didn't expose his little scheme, but simply hugged his arm even tighter.
The two entered the study, while Liu Yue and Jiang Chao stood guard at the door.
Shen Qingtan pulled Zhao Yi to sit on the couch: "Has something happened in the palace?"
Zhao Yi remained silent for a moment, then told Shen Qingtan everything the Northern Qi Emperor had said to him in the Hall of Diligent Governance, and also shared his guesses with her: "His Majesty is betting on the throne that I won't return to the Great Zhou, and he's also betting on your status as the Princess Consort of the Northern Qi that your uncle won't dare to give your father an important position. I guess that once we've met your father, he'll order me to send troops against the Great Zhou."
He had previously guessed that the Northern Qi emperor's purpose in sending them to see the Prince of Zhenbei was simply to make the Jing'an emperor lose trust in the Prince of Zhenbei, and then to gradually plot against him.
It now seems that the Northern Qi emperor can't wait any longer.
"If he were to launch an attack on the Great Zhou now, he would truly be insane." Shen Qingtan's expression changed instantly: "Since ancient times, an army must first prepare its supplies before it can move. Only with well-trained troops and sufficient provisions can one be invincible. But the Northern Qi's treasury is empty, and its provisions are scarce. What will it use to attack the Great Zhou?"
The Great Zhou Dynasty had been at war for years, and last year it was hit by natural disasters, resulting in a shortage of food and supplies. It could not sustain a long war, so Emperor Jing'an, on the advice of the Duke, ordered his father to lead the three armies, and only then did they win a decisive victory.
Even though they won, the Great Zhou was severely weakened and needed to recuperate, which is why they didn't press their advantage.
However, even if the Northern Qi were to send troops against the Great Zhou, the Great Zhou would not be afraid.
Zhao Yi said sarcastically, "He has always been incompetent. Before, with the Imperial Tutor guiding him, he wasn't too outrageous. Now that the Imperial Tutor is seriously ill, his health is deteriorating, and he has also lost his only pure-blooded heir. This vast empire will be without a successor. Faced with multiple blows and pressures, his actions have become increasingly radical."
“After all, the adopted children of the royal family are not his bloodline. How could he be willing to pass the throne to his relatives? If he appoints me as the crown prince, he will have concerns that I, like my mother, will be loyal to the Great Zhou and hand over the Chu family’s empire to the Great Zhou.”
"Although he knew in his heart that with the current national strength of Northern Qi, there was only a 20% or 30% chance of winning an attack on Great Zhou, he attributed all of this to your father. He believed that without your father, a fierce general, Great Zhou would be no better than Northern Qi in strength."
"So, after he made your uncle lose trust in your father, he ordered me to send troops to the Great Zhou. And he did this for two reasons."
"Firstly, to test whether I would disregard blood ties and fight with my uncle for power."
"Secondly, he has always coveted the Great Zhou. If he wins, he will be remembered in history. If he loses, I will be sworn enemies with the Great Zhou, and he will not have to worry about me handing over the Northern Qi kingdom to the Great Zhou."
The Northern Qi emperor's actions were exactly what he had expected.
To his surprise, the turmoil in Northern Qi was about to begin ahead of schedule.
"The late Emperor of Northern Qi's dying wish was to annex the Great Zhou and eliminate the remnants of the previous dynasty. Your Majesty has always been acting in accordance with the late Emperor's dying wish. Annexing the Great Zhou has long been his obsession."
Shen Qingtan's expression was grave: "He is well aware of the weaknesses of Northern Qi. If he wants to win the war, he must raise food and military funds. But if he wants to raise supplies in a short time, he will probably have to start by taking from the people. Wouldn't that be courting his own destruction?"
"The more incompetent and tyrannical he is, the more advantageous it will be for us." Zhao Yi had a plan in mind: "I will write a secret letter to my uncle and father-in-law."
"We need to inform them in advance," Shen Qingtan quickly prepared ink for Zhao Yi.
Zhao Yi wrote two secret letters and handed them to Jiang Chao.
Jiang Chao carefully put away the two secret letters and left in a hurry.
Shen Qingtan poured Zhao Yi a cup of warm tea, and then saw him staring intently at the calligraphy and paintings on the wall.
She handed him the tea and asked, "What are you thinking about?"
“Today I saw the same portrait in the palace, the only difference being the people in the pavilion. In the palace painting, the Imperial Tutor only depicted the landscape, while His Majesty painted his mother and himself. But in this painting, the Imperial Tutor not only painted the landscape but also his mother.” Zhao Yi took the teacup and said slowly, “I suspect there is some connection between him and my mother, and it is because of my mother that he supported me as the crown prince.”
Finally, he succinctly told Shen Qingtan some things that the Northern Qi emperor had said about the "Early Spring Painting".
Shen Qingtan looked bewildered and subconsciously glanced at the "Early Spring Painting" on the wall, which depicted a graceful figure in the pavilion.
People like the Imperial Tutor may appear gentle on the surface, but they are actually quite cold-hearted at heart.
He has never married or had children, nor has he taken a concubine or made any concubines.
What connection led him to include Princess Yizhen in his painting? And why did he hang this painting in the Guangling Prince's residence?
She seemed thoughtful: "If it were you, and your impromptu painting was taken by your superiors, under what circumstances would you paint another identical painting? And would you add a new woman's figure to the painting and keep it for yourself?"