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Chapter 525 A huge quarrel

“That is indeed possible.” Lu Qing nodded. “There have been more than one troubles involving Cao Tianbao alone.”

Initially, he tried to ruin General Cao's reputation by targeting his nephew in the most inconspicuous way. Not long after, the issue of privately manufacturing weapons emerged.

Although my secret memorial helped clear his name of the crime, he and the emperor still had a falling out, which, while not exactly damaging their relationship, created a rift between them, making them no longer as close as they used to be.

General Cao has always been loyal to Duke Yan, and this unwavering loyalty is naturally something Duke Yan would appreciate. However, looking at this matter and these people from the Emperor's perspective, how would you feel if you were in his shoes?

Zhu Yu didn't even need to think about this question much, and simply shook his head: "If I were in the Emperor's position, I would feel that my right and left arms have now quietly grown onto someone else's body."

As a result, the peace of mind I felt in the past has become an uneasy feeling.

"So, although the two previous tests did not have much impact on General Cao's position in the court, they did highlight the relationship between him and Duke Yan." Lu Qing sneered, "Even if His Majesty had not noticed it in the past, or had turned a blind eye to it for some reason, he now has to face this fact."

Not only him, but it should be said that the connection between Cao Tianbao and Zhao Bi has been laid bare before the entire court, and everyone is watching.

At this moment, Zhao Bi was undoubtedly pushed into the eye of the storm, as if he were being pressed into a frying pan.

Given Zhao Bi's personality, he probably won't have an easy time lately. If he gets into trouble because of Cao Tianbao and is afraid of being implicated, cutting ties with him completely would be like cutting off his own arm.

However, if it is not cut, it will inevitably arouse unnecessary suspicion.

Through Cao Tianbao's "private manufacturing of weapons," the problem of the large number of followers of the Duke of Yan's faction will also be brought to the forefront.

A veteran official with outstanding achievements has cultivated and won over many followers over the years, including generals who hold military power. Moreover, this general is also suspected of privately manufacturing weapons...

All these factors combined were enough to put Duke Yan in a difficult position, leaving him with no way out.

"Do you think he really has some treacherous plot that he's afraid of being discovered?" Zhu Yu couldn't help but ask in a low voice.

Lu Qing smiled and looked at her: "Maybe yes, maybe no, maybe yes, maybe no, it's not something he can decide on his own."

What he was after when he first cultivated his own confidants in the court was his own business.

Now that he has amassed such power, whatever he wants to do depends on what others say and the Emperor's opinion.

Zhu Yu deeply agreed with his words.

As a high-ranking official in the court, he already had the merit of supporting the emperor's ascension to the throne. Having been entrusted with important responsibilities by Emperor Jin for so many years, it was impossible for him to be completely unaware of Emperor Jin's temperament.

Under such circumstances, his extensive cultivation of followers clearly demonstrates his ambition and ulterior motives. This almost blatant disregard for propriety has led Zhao Bi to not only act without restraint over the years, but also to repeatedly attempt to harm Lu Qing.

Now that things have escalated to this point, it's unlikely that Emperor Jin needs to make any statement. Who, inside or outside the court, would still think that he doesn't have any ulterior motives?

Whether this intention is simply to install one's own grandson in power is a matter of opinion.

Seeing her thoughtful expression, Lu Qing continued, "If there are no other actions, it's still a bit uncertain. Now that Lu Zhang has been summoned to the Duke of Yan's mansion for meetings time and time again, I'm afraid that old scoundrel Zhao Bi really has something to gain. So now he's eager to pull Lu Zhang over and use the blood relationship between grandfather and grandson to give himself a 'guarantee'."

"So, is Lu Zhang able to go back and forth like this because he was persuaded by his maternal grandfather, or is he conflicted and indecisive?" Zhu Yu asked.

"Lu Zhang is always easily swayed, so the fact that he's so conflicted suggests that what the Duke of Yan is planning is probably somewhat risky. But besides the risks, the part that his maternal grandfather revealed to him must also be very tempting, which is why he's in such a dilemma."

Zhu Yu felt that Lu Qing's words made a lot of sense, and then she thought of Yan Shu.

The scheme that the Duke of Yan could devise might benefit Lu Zhang the most, but it would certainly exclude the Jie Kingdom and its king.

All of this shows that Duke Yan clearly does not want Lu Zhang to have a stable and powerful ally, such as his wife's family, to dilute his importance to Lu Zhang.

He hoped that Lu Zhang would possess a Jie Kingdom that appeared powerful, but could be completely suppressed by them, with their life force firmly in their grasp.

This kind of thinking is clearly contrary to the wishes of King Jie and Yan Shu.

Whether this is good or bad for Lu Zhang is hard to say.

At least for Yan Shu, this must have made her already unsatisfactory arranged marriage even worse.

However, she didn't know what the next step would be for her and Lu Qing, and she really didn't have the time to think about others right now.

And so, they waited in vain for two more days in the shackles. Emperor Jin still did not send anyone to take them in for questioning. However, Lu Ze came again.

This time, Lu Ze seemed to be in a very good mood, looking radiant and walking briskly. Dressed in a long, wide-sleeved blue robe, he walked towards Lu Qing's cell as if the wind was blowing through him, like a large bird swooping down.

"Brother! Good news! Good news! Father's headache is basically cured, and he was able to attend court today!" He approached the fence and said excitedly to Lu Qing, "Although I heard that his spirits are still not as good as before, at least he can attend the morning court, which is much better than before."

I requested an audience with the Emperor today, but he did not grant it. I heard that he was still somewhat dispirited after court, but this is at least a sign that the situation is developing in a positive direction.

When Father summons you for questioning, elder brother, you must explain things clearly so that we can leave here as soon as possible.

I heard that during the morning court session this morning, because of you, a prince, being imprisoned in the shackles of a hellish place specifically for detaining outsiders, the hall was in an uproar. Wasn't this utterly disrespectful? If Father Emperor hadn't just recovered from his serious illness and wasn't still feeling weak, the argument might have been even more intense.