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Chapter 618 Everything is Fate

“Zhao Bi can be considered a powerful opponent, but he cannot be considered a formidable enemy.” Lu Qing slowly shook his head and sighed softly. “He has spent so many years slowly and painstakingly accumulating a huge following. You have seen how much he protected himself and kept a low profile when we dealt with him indirectly before.”

Logically speaking, given his personality, I believe he was capable of embezzling some of the tribute items.

However, allowing his grandson to so extensively privatize the imperial guards and do something that would make the emperor wary was clearly not in line with his usual character.

I've always felt that he wanted to use his huge following in the court to push Lu Zhang to that high position, and then, once everything was legitimate, slowly take control of Lu Zhang, who had no ideas of his own and no supporters, turning him into a puppet.

Then he could find another pretext, a suitable opportunity, and a plausible reason to take over, and from then on, Da Jin would truly change hands and be surnamed Zhao.

Zhu Yu found his words very reasonable. Although she hadn't dealt with Zhao Bi many times, based on her observations, Zhao Bi's style of doing things was indeed more like what Lu Qing had said, which was more in line with the final result he had been trying to achieve through all his "efforts" over the years.

That being the case...

"So you think that Zhao Bi may not have been fully aware of what Zhao Boce was doing outside, and that someone secretly encouraged Zhao Boce to outwardly comply with his grandfather but inwardly defy him, resulting in him foolishly ruining his grandfather's original plan?" Zhu Yu understood. "Before, Zhao Boce often followed Lu Zhang, like a shadow."

Whether he was using Lu Zhang's power to bully others or was deliberately arranged by Zhao Bi to cultivate some kind of brotherhood with him, whether he liked it or not, he followed Lu Zhang like a shadow.

However, later, because there were rumors that the Jie and Shuo regions were colluding and suspected of privately manufacturing weapons, Lu Zhang volunteered to patrol the border. At that time, Zhao Boce did not go with him, which is quite understandable. It is estimated that Zhao Bi was unwilling to let his grandson take the risk. If he failed to catch the fox and got into trouble, he would suffer a great loss.

After that, Lu Zhang followed us through many things. After he returned to the capital with Yan Shu, it seems that we never heard of him going in and out with Zhao Boce again.

I specifically asked Liu Yueyao about this matter before, and her people have been keeping an eye on it privately. It's certain that a rift did develop between the two cousins ​​after Lu Zhang returned to the capital.

So… Zhao Boce probably felt a little resentful because he realized Lu Zhang no longer wanted him by his side, and someone with ulterior motives took advantage of this, fanning the flames until he finally couldn't hold back anymore and felt he had a way to help his grandfather?

At the time, Zhu Yu was always a retainer of Lu Qing and the Chief Secretary of the Xiaoyao Prince's Mansion, so she naturally had no opportunity to chat with Zhao Boce. However, even though she had only met him a few times from afar, she still had a deep impression of the young man.

Unlike Zhao Bi, who was an old fox who was incredibly arrogant and ambitious inside but pretended to be calm and composed on the surface, Zhao Boce, although he dared not do anything under his grandfather's nose, still revealed his arrogance and ambition in the subtle expressions in his eyes and face.

No matter how shrewd and capable a person may appear, he is actually just a good-for-nothing with only a shrewd face, due to his grandfather's cunning and power.

Zhao Boce was so well protected by his grandfather's meticulous plan that he lacked the ability and shrewdness to stand on his own, yet he thought himself a peerless talent and was most susceptible to the instigation and encouragement of others.

“It should be the opportunity you mentioned.” Lu Qing looked into the distance and sighed softly. “Although Lu Zhang is not a particularly intelligent person, he is not really a fool either.”

In the past, he was kept in the dark and did not see what was happening outside. When he went out and happened to meet Yan Shu outside the capital, he had the opportunity to get to know each other and hear and see things that were different from what he had been taught. His understanding naturally changed.

I believe that after that experience, Lu Zhang will have a more accurate understanding of his actual situation and the right path forward.

His realization may have made Zhao Boce uncomfortable, which is why he fell into the trap set for him by others.

I wouldn't call it brotherhood with Lu Zhang, but to be fair, Lu Zhang is more intelligent than Zhao Boce.

"Yeah, being the less foolish one out of two idiots is something to be proud of," Zhu Yu nodded seriously and remarked.

Lu Qing had some worries on her mind, but she didn't expect her to suddenly say something like that, so she finally couldn't help but laugh.

After laughing, he sighed again: "From the moment Zhao Bi smelled of Chang'e's Intoxication, he must have been targeted and used as a pawn. Now, the usefulness of this pawn has been exhausted, and it has become a hindrance, so it has been eliminated."

Coincidentally, the other party needed to eliminate a competitor, and the emperor needed an opportunity to make an example of him, which led to Zhao Bi's fate.

My concern now is that, based on our experience, the person behind this is extremely ruthless, and the journey home for Zhao Bi's family... may not be peaceful."

When Lu Qing mentioned that Zhao Bi needed to leave the capital and return to his hometown, it reminded Zhu Yu of something: "Didn't that letter just now mention Lu Zhang?"

I didn't quite understand that part, could you explain it to me?

"Well, Lu Zhang has always been on the same page as his maternal grandfather, and everyone outside knows that his maternal grandfather is wholeheartedly trying to support him. So when Zhao Boce's private army was exposed, Lu Zhang was inevitably implicated and suspected of trying to force the emperor to abdicate."

So, in a fit of anger, the Emperor banished him from the capital to guard the frontier. Judging by the circumstances, he should have already set off by now.

Zhu Yu had neither a good nor a bad feeling towards Lu Zhang. She just felt that this person had been extremely confused before, had no thoughts of his own, and was actually quite muddle-headed beneath his glamorous exterior.

"Everything is predestined. We have a long road ahead, so I'd better save my energy and not waste it on other people's sorrows." Zhu Yu paused, then sighed again. "I just don't know what will happen to Yan Shu..."

"Don't worry, we'll get news." Lu Qing comforted her as he took out a tinderbox and lit the secret letter in his hand.

The thin sheet of paper quickly curled up in the flames, turning into a light, floating cloud of black ash, which was scattered by the wind in the broken afterglow of the setting sun.