sbdcsierra Chapter 470 Late-Night Father-Son Game
Chapter 470 Late-Night Father-Son Game
Shen Tingzhi tried hard to process what the Marquis of Zhenbei had just said.
His sister, Shen Tianjiao, definitely has the strength and ability to replace Li Rui as the Empress of Yunli.
Under Shen Tianjiao's leadership, Yunli will definitely become stronger, far surpassing its former glory.
Shen Tingzhi was not shocked after hearing what his father, the Marquis of Zhenbei, said. He was not thinking about why his sister, Shen Tianjiao, wanted to be the empress of Yunli.
At this moment, what he was thinking was that if Shen Tianjiao really became the empress of Yunli, Yunli would definitely be better than it is now.
Although Shen Tianjiao is now the Empress Regent, she wields supreme power.
However, when she wanted to implement some reforms, matters concerning people's livelihoods, or other important national affairs, her status as Empress Regent was insufficient, and her power would be limited.
At this point, she still has to rely on the person behind her to step in and resolve everything for her.
But relying on others is never as satisfying as taking action yourself.
The person behind her isn't someone who will always lend a helping hand. After all, people are selfish and consider their own interests; they can't possibly accommodate her in everything.
Moreover, that person has always had a strong desire for power. Back then, he targeted Shen Tianjiao and the Zhenbei Marquis's Mansion in every way.
This was because he feared that Shen Tianjiao, with the support of the Marquis of Zhenbei's mansion, would gain more and more power, thus sidelining him as emperor and causing him to lose his power.
The reason he can now agree to be the regent empress and show weakness in front of Shen Tianjiao is simply because he is unable to do many things due to his health condition.
He had no choice but to find a suitable person to work for him and stabilize the court.
And this person can only be Shen Tianjiao; there is no other way.
That person's health condition won't remain like this forever.
Once he recovers his health, the first person to suffer will be Shen Tianjiao.
After all, they knew that person's character best.
He could not tolerate Shen Tianjiao being above him, issuing orders and ruling Yunli indefinitely.
Therefore, under these circumstances, if Shen Tianjiao becomes the empress of Yunli and the true ruler, then all the problems will be solved.
Shen Tianjiao will no longer be restricted by her identity and can do what she wants according to her own ideas and plan Yunli's future.
Shen Tingzhi is still unaware that Li Rui is dead.
The news reached the Marquis of Zhenbei that day, and to avoid any unforeseen complications, he kept it a secret.
After all, at that time, everyone, including the Marquis of Zhenbei, was thinking about paving the way for Li Muyang so that he could successfully ascend the throne as emperor.
But who could have imagined that the situation would suddenly change and develop in a different direction?
After pondering for a long time, Shen Tingzhi raised his head and looked at the Marquis of Zhenbei, saying, "Father, is this what you're worried about?"
"What's there to worry about? Whoever truly cares for Yunli and makes Yunli stronger can be Yunli's king."
"If being an emperor is something a man can do, why can't a woman be one?"
"The previous dynasty produced three empresses, although they also made mistakes and acted irrationally at times."
"But each of them has achieved remarkable political achievements and made indelible contributions to the country and its people."
"No matter how future generations discuss them, their achievements are there for all to see and no one can erase them."
“Our Jiaojiao’s abilities are obvious to all; she’s more than qualified to be the empress of Yunli.”
Shen Tingzhi's words left the Marquis of Zhenbei speechless. He had never heard the words "treasonous" from his own son.
He always raised his children in a very proper and conventional way, and never did anything out of line.
But the words that Shen Tingzhi is saying now reveal a deep-seated rebelliousness.
At this point, even the Marquis of Zhenbei suspected that if it weren't for his daughter being the Empress, his son would have followed in their footsteps and rebelled to seize the throne.
"Father, why are you looking at me like that?"
Shen Tingzhi looked up to meet the gaze of the Marquis of Zhenbei, and his heart skipped a beat. He hadn't said anything he shouldn't have.
But the way his father looked at him made him feel uneasy.
“Tingzhi, what Father just said is that Jiaojiao wants to replace the descendants of the Li Dynasty and become the Empress of Yunli.”
The Marquis of Zhenbei looked at Shen Tingzhi, clearly still recovering from the shock he had just experienced.
So he repeated what he had just said once more.
"Yes, my son knows."
Shen Tingzhi looked at the Marquis of Zhenbei with a blank expression, suspecting that his father's slow brain reaction was due to lack of sleep.
Once he was certain that his son not only did not oppose the matter, but on the contrary, was very supportive of it, Marquis Zhenbei breathed a sigh of relief.
It seems he was worrying too much; his sons' ideas were far more insightful than his own.
"Tingzhi, do you really think Jiaojiao is capable of being an empress?"
Marquis Zhenbei did not doubt his daughter's abilities; he was just worried that her future path would be difficult.
"Yes, of course she can. Jiaojiao will definitely be able to do a good job as empress."
Throughout the entire process, Shen Tingzhi never considered the possibility that his younger sister, Shen Tianjiao, could not become empress. He only thought that his sister, Shen Tianjiao, absolutely had the ability to be empress.
"Why are you looking at me like that again? What did I say wrong?"
Seeing the way the Marquis of Zhenbei was looking at him, Shen Tingzhi finally couldn't hold back anymore.
"Didn't you ever doubt whether what Father said was true or false?"
Marquis Zhenbei knew that Shen Tingzhi had always been a shrewd and calculating child.
Of his four children, besides Shen Tianjiao, she was the most intelligent and capable, and also the most insightful.
But what he couldn't understand was why this smartest child didn't have a single doubt about this matter.
He really believes everything I say without ever questioning me.
This is truly abnormal, and something that even the Marquis of Zhenbei cannot understand.
"Father, wasn't it you who said that Jiaojiao will replace the Li Dynasty and become the Empress? Was it Grandpa Li Xian who told you this before he passed away?"
"Since it was Grandpa who said it, and you believe it, right?"
"Then what else do I have to doubt?"
Shen Tingzhi looked at the Marquis of Zhenbei with a puzzled expression and asked curiously, "Father, are you doubting the authenticity of this matter?"
"No, no, I never doubted it."
Marquis Zhenbei shook his head and firmly denied it.
It seems his son is more insightful than his old man.
"Ever since your grandfather Li Xian told me about this, I have never doubted its authenticity."
"After all, that old man is incredibly capable; he's not just good at business."
"He is knowledgeable in astronomy and geography, proficient in the arts of divination, and skilled in healing and saving lives. He is a rare genius."
Marquis Zhenbei had known Li Xian the longest, and he knew Li Xian's abilities very well.
On several occasions, he was able to escape misfortune on the battlefield and survive without suffering any misfortune, all thanks to Li Xian.
It was he who foresaw in advance that the Marquis of Zhenbei would face calamity, so he sent a message to the Marquis of Zhenbei by carrier pigeon, which allowed the Marquis of Zhenbei to escape those calamities.
Later, Li Xian fell seriously ill because of these events, which almost cost him his life. It was said that he had spied on heavenly secrets and helped the Marquis of Zhenbei overcome his tribulation, which led to the illness.
From then on, the Marquis of Zhenbei forbade Li Xian from having any contact with those things, because he knew that Li Xian could deduce the secrets of heaven, but if he revealed the secrets of heaven and changed other people's fates, he would suffer a backlash.
At best, it can cause physical damage; at worst, it can be fatal and even harm future generations.
Li Xian was someone who listened to advice, and from then on, he never touched those things again.
This time, he will predict Shen Tianjiao's future fate. It's probably because he noticed something unusual and thought that he might die, so he made an exception for this.
"Yes, you said it yourself, Grandpa is incredibly capable. You've never doubted his words, so why should I?"
"Besides, what's wrong with our Jiaojiao being the empress of Yunli?"
"She is already doing a very good job as the Empress Regent. Since she became the Empress Regent, she has done one thing after another."
"Let alone that person, even if it were our founding emperor, he might not have had the courage to do it."
"You just said that Grandpa is a rare genius, so isn't Jiaojiao also a remarkable woman?"
"As long as Yunli can become strong, does it matter who the emperor is?"
"That's not important at all. Besides, if our Jiaojiao becomes empress, it will be beneficial to Yunli and the Li family in every way."
"Anyway, Jiaojiao will eventually abdicate in favor of Mu'er. Mu'er is of the Li family bloodline, and the throne will always belong to the Li family."
“We all know what Yunli is like now, but the Yunli that Jiaojiao will give to Mu’er in the future will not be the same Yunli as it is now.”
"At that time, Yunli will be looked up to by the six kingdoms of the Nine Provinces. The Li family will only profit from this. If anyone opposes it, that person is definitely a fool."
Shen Tingzhi was very clear-headed. He knew that his sister had no desire for power and that even if she became empress, she would not abuse her power or act recklessly.
Shen Tianjiao's reason for waging war against the six kingdoms of Kyushu was originally to leave Li Muyang a prosperous world.
Even though Shen Tianjiao has become empress, nothing has actually changed. Her original intentions and the outcome remain the same.
The only change was Shen Tianjiao's identity, which transformed her from the Empress Regent into the Empress.
The throne will still belong to Li Muyang, and the imperial power will ultimately belong to the Li family.
The Marquis of Zhenbei nodded at Shen Tingzhi. His son was insightful and understood things better than he did.
Since that's the case, the Marquis of Zhenbei has nothing left to hide.
“Tingzhi, Li Rui passed away several months ago.”
Shen Tingzhi, who remained calm as if nothing had happened when he heard that his younger sister was going to be empress, was shocked when he heard the news of Li Rui's death.
No wonder he felt something was off when he went to the Imperial Ancestral Temple last time.
Li Rui was being far too polite to him, to an excessive degree.
Moreover, not only was Li Rui acting strangely, but even Chun Chao seemed very abnormal. When facing him, she always avoided him, as if she didn't want to see him.
Now that he heard what the Marquis of Zhenbei said, all his doubts were resolved.
Since Li Rui is already dead, the one in the Imperial Ancestral Temple is obviously a fake, so he should naturally be polite to me.
He found it strange at the time that since Li Rui had so many people serving him, why was it Chun Chao who accompanied Li Rui to the Imperial Ancestral Temple?
Only then did he realize that the reason Chun Chao had gone to the Imperial Ancestral Temple was because she wanted to keep an eye on Li Rui, the current stand-in, to prevent him from making any mistakes and ruining her sister's plans.
Having resolved his doubts, Shen Tingzhi breathed a sigh of relief. Thinking that Li Rui was dead and his sister no longer needed to suffer, he felt much more at ease.
This really saves a lot of trouble. In the future, Shen Tianjiao won't have to be restricted by others when she wants to do something.
"He was poisoned and killed by Feng Yuanyuan. His death has nothing to do with Jiaojiao."
Although Marquis Zhenbei knew that Shen Tingzhi would not suspect that Li Rui's death was related to Shen Tianjiao, he still spoke up to explain on behalf of his daughter.
"Of course it can't have anything to do with our Jiaojiao. If Jiaojiao really wanted him to die, she would make sure he died honorably, not in such a pathetic and ambiguous way."
Shen Tingzhi glanced at the Marquis of Zhenbei, thinking to herself that her father was really senile. How could he not know his daughter's character and what kind of person she was?
Marquis Zhenbei smiled. He had only said those things because he loved his daughter dearly. Now, after this brat's words, he realized that he had indeed appeared petty.
"Tingzhi, what you need to do now is keep this a secret. It's not the right time yet. You can't even tell Jiaojiao about this."
"Father, don't worry, your son knows what he's doing."
Shen Tingzhi naturally knew that this matter was of great importance and could not be known to anyone, especially not to his sister Shen Tianjiao.
If Shen Tianjiao finds out now, things will likely become very difficult to handle later.
Given Shen Tianjiao's personality, she would never be willing to become an empress.
If you want her to be the empress, you have to force her to do it at the right time; otherwise, it's hopeless.