The Valued Lady is Truly Dominant

Emperor Chu’s good mood vanished whenever he thought of the cunning Cabinet Minister Ning having a hidden plan.

Indeed, if he were Cabinet Minister Ning, would he truly resign himself to seeing his years of planning collapse in a day? Wouldn’t someone as shrewd as him definitely leave some room for maneuver before daring to negotiate with Emperor Chu?

If he did leave a hidden plan, then he would be fearless, at least preserving a line for the Ning Family to make a comeback.

Emperor Chu pondered this and felt extremely uneasy, as if he were being led by the nose.

How could he allow others to sleep soundly beneath his throne?

Emperor Chu summoned Chu Ze for an audience.

Chu Ze was already able to walk, yet he couldn’t exert himself or overthink, but needed to be carefully nurtured, as his health was as frail as paper.

The two brothers hadn’t seen each other for months, and both felt a sense of poignant emotion.

”Emperor, you have gained a few strands of silver hair since a few months ago. I heard you weren’t well recently; you must take care of yourself. The Great Qing cannot do without the Emperor,” Chu Ze said, standing on the white jade tiles of the Yangxin Hall with a cloak draped over him, and spoke calmly.

Emperor Chu chuckled lightly: ”You needn’t use those words to jab at me. No matter how poorly, my body can still walk and jump. As for you, old seventh, I heard that during the leadworm incident, you had no breath for a moment but managed to come back. With such a weak body, what will become of you?”

Chu Ze remained undisturbed and said, ”As you mentioned, I am someone who has ’died’ once. Now I merely linger here alive; it’s just living on borrowed time.”

”I only fear you don’t wish to die,” Emperor Chu said, with a deep meaning.

Chu Ze frowned slightly, the fingers inside his sleeves stirred, sensing something unpleasant.

Emperor Chu said: ”They say the one who understands an enemy best is their opponent. You have plotted for years and have planted a few nails beside Xia Houzhe, even managing to deceive Cabinet Minister Ning, proving you have some skill. Tell me, from the Ning family, has Cabinet Minister Ning left any hidden plans?”

Chu Ze raised an eyebrow and said blandly, ”I don’t quite understand what you mean, Emperor. I’m not close to Cabinet Minister Ning, so how could I know?”

”Is it true ignorance or feigned ignorance?” Emperor Chu stepped down from his throne, walking slowly towards him, and said coldly: ”Chu Ze, you bear the surname Chu. I thought you would bring down the other side from the clouds for your own selfish desires, but now, do you wish to bury the Chu dynasty with you? Do you truly disregard your surname?”

Chu Ze laughed aloud and said, ”Emperor, you overestimate. You are the true dragon and the Emperor. How can mere minor players shake your position or disrupt the dragon vein of Great Qing? Saying such things is to underestimate yourself and overestimate supposed opponents.”

”You have a point; in that case, where is Cabinet Minister Ning’s hidden plan, or rather, where is the Ning kid?”

Chu Ze smiled faintly but remained silent, yet his fingertips stirred, has it been discovered?

Emperor Chu looked at him and suddenly laughed: ”You probably think your time is short, and you no longer care whether the realm falls into chaos or the people are displaced.”

Chu Ze remained silent.

”Under a fallen nest, no egg remains intact,” Emperor Chu murmured, then suddenly shifted his tone: ”By the way, you might not know, this month Princess Consort of Min County hasn’t changed yet. Oh, the Imperial Hospital seemed to visit to check for peace today, surely there will be good news soon.”

Upon hearing this, Chu Ze’s face finally cracked, and he met Emperor Chu’s gaze directly.