sbdcsierra Chapter 456 Think about it carefully
Chapter 456 Think about it carefully
Su Zhengfang closed his eyes, as if recalling the past years. Those days of swords, shadows, intrigues, and deceptions now seemed so pale and powerless.
He sighed deeply and continued, "Zi Yan, I really regret what I have done over the years. If I had been more sober and not been deceived by interests, perhaps I could have witnessed and assisted a great emperor and led Daxia to the peak."
The night breeze blows, bringing a hint of coolness.
Su Ziyan held Su Zhengfang's hand tightly, as if she wanted to give him some warmth. She said softly, "Brother, let the past be the past. What you can do now is to confess your mistakes and keep a trace of blood for the Su family."
Su Zhengfang took a deep breath, looked at Su Ziyan with a firm gaze, and said slowly: "Ziyan, you have to listen to me. Although the Su family has suffered a great disaster this time, there is still hope for rise, and this hope rests on you."
"Promise me, brother, that you will take Qin Hao down no matter what and make him a part of your life."
Su Ziyan's face flashed with confusion, and she asked softly, "Take it down? Brother, what do you mean by 'take it down'?"
Su Zhengfang frowned and said seriously, "The so-called 'take her down' means that you have to be the woman by His Majesty's side, and it would be best if you can give birth to a prince with him. Only then can you gain a foothold in this palace and protect yourself."
"Otherwise, you will have no place to stand in this deep palace. Just the rumors will make you unable to hold your head up. Even if you are a concubine, you will not be respected."
"Moreover, if you can successfully climb onto His Majesty's throne, the Ninth Prince will also benefit from it in the future. With your protection, he may be able to live a stable life. Even if he is just an idle prince, it is better than wandering around without anyone to protect him."
"Otherwise, his future will be full of uncertainty and danger, and he may even die early."
Su Ziyan's lips trembled slightly when she heard this, but she found it difficult to speak. Her brows were furrowed, a trace of fear flashed in her eyes, and her voice trembled a little: "Brother, don't scare me, I... How can I become your majesty's woman?"
"This is not only against ethics and morality, but also intolerable to the world. I cannot accept this request. No, this is absolutely not allowed. I cannot do such a thing."
Su Zhengfang looked at her, his eyes full of deepness and determination. He spoke slowly, his tone full of wisdom from the vicissitudes of life, and said earnestly: "Zi Yan, I, your elder brother, have seen countless people in my life, the ups and downs of officialdom, and too many ups and downs. Don't you still believe me? This is your only way out. Only in this way can you and the Ninth Prince be preserved."
"Otherwise, in this complicated palace struggle, you will sooner or later be harmed by those ruthless people, and end up dying young and beautiful."
He paused, his eyes full of determination, "If you insist on not listening to your elder brother, then you don't have to plead with His Majesty for the rest of the Su family."
"Even if you can save them for a while, they can't escape the fate. Rather than letting them suffer humiliation and suffering in this world, it's better to follow me. At least they can get some peace."
"Zi Yan, that's all I have to say, brother. Think about it carefully."
After saying this, he slowly closed his eyes, as if he was already feeling extremely sad and was just waiting for Zi Yan's decision.
While Su Ziyan and Su Zhengfang were talking, Qin Hao's heart was still uneasy and unable to calm down.
In particular, we learned from Su Zhengfang that the mastermind hidden in the dark was a mysterious figure with the prefix "Huang".
This made Qin Hao start to doubt everything around him. He asked Gao Lishi to bring the royal family tree and looked through it carefully.
There are too many people in the royal family, both inside and outside the palace. Among the younger brothers canonized by Emperor Taizu, there are still two old princes still alive.
Many of Emperor Taizong's brothers are still alive and in their prime.
There are as many as eight princes of Qin Hao's generation.
Among these princes and old princes, Qin Hao's ninth brother was the only exception. He was only two years old, still at an innocent age, and did not seek to compete with the world.
The others each occupied a certain territory, commanded a large number of troops, and were ambitious.
Not only do they possess powerful forces, they also control military and political power, becoming the most eye-catching focus inside and outside the court, and also the object of Qin Hao's greatest concern.
In comparison, he knew something about Qin Hao's half-brothers, and he was also very clear that their ambitions and methods were far inferior to those of the experienced old princes.
After all, a person who could collude with a powerful official like Su Zhengfang, play him around, and even dare to commit crimes in front of Emperor Qin Hao is definitely not an ordinary person.
Therefore, Qin Hao was almost certain that it was not his half-brothers, because they did not have such ability.
If there really is someone behind Su Zhengfang, it is most likely among these old vassal kings.
Qin Hao pondered for a moment and asked in a deep voice: "Master Feng, do you think that it is possible that the old vassal kings of those places are secretly controlling everything in the capital and trying to stir up a bloody storm?"
Old Feng's eyes suddenly became sharp, and he frowned slightly, as if he was thinking about Qin Hao's question.
After a moment, he nodded, with some certainty in his voice: "Your Majesty, what you said is very true, this is indeed very likely. The princes hold a large number of troops in their hands. If they are manipulating all this behind the scenes, then they understand Su Zhengfang's concerns."
After all, Qin Hao is a time traveler. He doesn't remember much about royal affairs and is not clear about many royal relationships.
He turned to look at Elder Feng, rubbed his forehead, and asked in a low voice: "Elder Feng, I have been a little tired recently, and I can't remember many things clearly. Can you help me recall which other authoritative figures in the royal family are there?"
Elder Feng did not think too much and said bluntly: "Your Majesty, among all the old princes, the one with the greatest power is the Third Emperor of Pingzhou, Prince Wu. He is extremely powerful and has been entrenched in the Western Frontier for many years. His power has long been deeply rooted."
"And if we talk about the highest reputation, it has to be the Fourth Prince of Jinzhou, Prince Ning. His reputation for benevolence has long been known throughout the world and is deeply loved by the people."
"As for the other princes, although they hold some military power and have some reputation, it is still limited and cannot be compared with Prince Wu and Prince Ning."
"Back then, the two of them had joined forces with Prince Su to fight for the throne with your father. The 'Rebellion of the Three Kings' that they had started was led by the two of them. Your Majesty must be on guard against this lesson."