Chapter 190: Hold On, Imperial Advisor! I, the Emperor, Have Recovered 27

Chapter 190: Wait, National Teacher! I've Recovered 27

"How foolishly soft-hearted!" Zhao Ge snapped. "You think I don't want to save Yan'er? Who would've thought that brat would sacrifice his own flesh and blood just to frame her? Looks like he's really declaring war on me this time!"

The sacrificial rite to Heaven next month would be his best opportunity to act. But he still had a lot to prepare.

If this succeeded, with the Little Emperor dead, why bother propping up his young son? He might as well just rebel outright.

He'd be the founding emperor himself.

At that point, he just needed to arrange a neat death for Lin Huaiqing and spread the word. The people would naturally believe Lin Huaiqing was a wicked ruler who'd angered Heaven and brought divine punishment on himself.

Wouldn't he then be able to ascend the throne without any questions asked?

Of course, he still needed to plan this carefully and contact his old friends to help him out.

In a matter of moments, the skeleton of a plan had already taken shape in Zhao Ge's mind.

Meanwhile, Cui Shi was crying her eyes out, unaware that her daughter's life in the cold palace was not as miserable as she thought.

"Cui'er... why hasn't the Emperor released me yet? When will my father finally beg the Emperor to get me out of this cold palace..."

Consort Yan sat before her bronze mirror, feeling sorry for herself as she gazed at her reflection, endlessly hoping the Emperor would come save her.

After all, the other former imperial concubines of the previous dynasty in the cold palace were all out of their minds. They could only eat coarse grains and endure the cold.

Compared to them, although her meals weren't as good as before, they still tasted decent. Water was brought to her door by young eunuchs, and her clothes fit well and kept her warm.

Wasn't the special treatment she got in the cold palace the Emperor's doing? If he still cared about her, why wouldn't he listen to her side of the story?

The more she thought about it, the more upset she got. She could only repeatedly ask her attendant Cui'er, hoping to hear the answer she wanted from someone else.

Cui'er had spent many years in the Zhao household and had been personally selected by Zhao Ge to accompany the second young lady into the palace—she wasn't your average maid.

She knew exactly what her mistress needed to hear right now.

"My Lady, please be patient. The Emperor was just angry at the time when he sent you here, but he feels bad about it too—that's why he instructed the servants to take good care of you. The Emperor definitely still cares about you deep down."

In reality, the Emperor wanted to use this chance to eliminate the spies the Grand Chancellor had placed around him, but because of the second young lady's status, he didn't want to go too far and left himself a way out.

That's why he didn't treat the second young lady badly.

Until the two sides figured out who wins, the second young lady could only remain in the cold palace.

But who knows? Maybe a year, maybe ten... Until then, she could only stay in the cold palace with her mistress, who was getting crazier by the day.

Half a month passed in the blink of an eye, and tomorrow was the day to leave the palace and head up the mountain for the sacrificial rite to Heaven.

According to the rules set by the founding emperor, on this day every year, the Emperor must go up to the mountains for cultivation—ten days of no meat, no sex, praying for favorable weather and national peace.

The site of the rite was atop Cloud Crane Mountain outside the city, where there was a divine statue about six zhang tall.

Next to the statue was Lin Huaiqing's destination: Jing Temple.

The temple was not open to the public, and no other random people resided there—only an old man said to have reached the Nascent Soul stage, who lived there cultivating.

Lin Huaiqing wasn't sure whether this old man had been bribed by Zhao Ge to take his life as well. But with Qin Hanyue by his side, he felt a lot safer.

On the night before they left, Qin Hanyue gave him something.

Lin Huaiqing suddenly felt a small stack of talisman papers shoved into his hand. He stared at Qin Hanyue, confused: "What's this for?!"

"For your protection. Who knows what's gonna happen in the next few days. Keep these talismans on you—they can shield you from attacks below the Nascent Soul stage when it counts."

"That's a lot?! That should block quite a few hits, right? Do you think Zhao Ge's guys will include anyone above the Nascent Soul stage?"

He knew Zhao Ge was capable, but he hadn't expected him to have such good connections in the cultivation world either.

An ordinary Nascent Soul cultivator was already a big deal in the cultivation world—at minimum, an elder of a sect.

Would these arrogant old geezers really answer Zhao Ge's call?

Besides, wouldn't cultivators who killed mortals get punished by Heaven?

Hmm... he seemed to have forgotten that he was no longer a mortal. He was now a Golden Core stage cultivator. When cultivators killed cultivators, Heaven didn't care.

Qin Hanyue handed over the stuff without another word and turned to leave.

"Hey! Qin Hanyue, get some rest early too. Ride in the same carriage as me tomorrow!"

"Mm..."

Now everything was foolproof—who knew if someone might try to assassinate him inside the carriage?

This time out, he couldn't afford to care about face. He'd stick to Qin Hanyue like a shadow—wherever Qin Hanyue went, he went. If Qin Hanyue went to the restroom, he'd even hold him steady.

He absolutely would not leave Qin Hanyue's side for even half a step!

On the day of the sacrificial rite, Lin Huaiqing rose early—even earlier than his usual court assembly time.

Half-asleep, he was dressed by Yan Weiquan in the heavy dragon robe and ceremonial crown, which nearly toppled him over.

The ceremonial crown alone, with its golden peak and eastern pearls, weighed at least several jin by itself.

Although he looked quite imposing in the mirror, Lin Huaiqing could still spot a hint of cowardice between his brows.

After this journey, he didn't know if he'd ever wear this dragon robe again—perhaps he'd fail the mission outright and be sent back.

"Host, keep going! You're the best! You'll definitely survive until Qin Hanyue's ascension! After all, Zhao Ge is just a minor boss—Qin Hanyue is the real final boss!"

Hmph... Zhao Ge could kill him with one slap, and Qin Hanyue with two. Either way, he didn't want to die at their hands.

Under the watchful eyes of the Empress Dowager, the consorts, and the entire court, Lin Huaiqing's carriage departed through the main gate of the Forbidden City.

The city's citizens knelt in a vast crowd, chanting in unison: "Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

Lin Huaiqing let down the curtain. Though stunned by the scene before him, he still wore a languid, half-asleep expression.

He'd barely slept half the night, worrying about his head, and had risen early this morning—his energy was flagging.

"Your Majesty, have some tea." There was a dedicated tea set in the carriage, and Qin Hanyue had somehow already poured him a cup.

"Thank you." Lin Huaiqing accepted it and took a sip, immediately feeling refreshed and invigorated, all drowsiness swept away.

"Hey! What kind of tea is this? It's so effective at waking you up." It was practically comparable to black coffee, yet not bitter—and on closer taste, somewhat familiar.

"Baihua Dew?"

"Mm... it's green tea with Baihua Dew added. As long as Your Majesty enjoys it, I only ask that you don't punish me for ruining the imperial garden's greenery."