stonecrandall Chapter 1217 Emperor Qing Returns, Emperor Qing is Enraged!
Chapter 1217 Emperor Qing Returns, Emperor Qing is Enraged!
Qin Ye could easily imagine what the iron cavalry of Northern Qi, the swordsmen of Dongyi City, and those small countries that usually bowed their heads in submission would do once they discovered that Qing's deterrent power had been greatly diminished.
This is a situation where one small change can have far-reaching consequences. Thinking about this, Qin Ye felt a chill run down his spine. He took a deep breath and forced himself to continue thinking.
The second possibility is that Emperor Qing had to find another way to stabilize the situation.
The simplest and most direct way is to announce that there is another Grandmaster.
Who will be this "other person"?
The most suitable person, of course, is Emperor Qing himself.
Qin Ye knew that Emperor Qing's martial arts skills were unfathomable. Although he had never truly fought against a Grandmaster, with his discerning eye, he could tell that Emperor Qing's strength was by no means inferior to Ye Liuyun's. It was just that for so many years, Emperor Qing had never revealed it, nor had he ever admitted it.
Once he chooses to admit that he is the hidden Grandmaster, the situation can indeed be stabilized. Northern Qi and Dongyi City will continue to be wary, and the surrounding small countries will not dare to act rashly.
But what's the cost? The cost is too high.
First, Emperor Qing's long-planned purge of Grandmasters will be completely thwarted.
Qin Ye vaguely knew some of this plan. What Emperor Qing wanted was a world without Grandmasters. At least, a world where Grandmasters could no longer influence the world's格局 (geju, a concept encompassing overall situation, overall structure, and overall dynamics). He had been planning this for years, proceeding step by step with meticulous care. But if he himself came forward and admitted to being a Grandmaster, then this plan would never be realized—he himself would be the biggest target; how could he then eliminate others?
Secondly, and more seriously, it has an impact on the internal political situation of the Qing Kingdom.
Emperor Qing is an emperor, that's common knowledge. But if the emperor is also a Grandmaster, then the implications are entirely different.
The dignity of an emperor already inspires awe. But when combined with the power of a Grandmaster, it transcends awe and evokes fear—absolute, insurmountable fear.
What will those court officials think? What will those princes think?
The eldest prince, the second prince, and the still-underage third and fourth princes were all striving for that position. Emperor Qing was also happy to see this happen—he needed an heir, he needed the Qing Kingdom to develop healthily, and he needed competition to temper the character of his sons.
But if the news that Emperor Qing is a Grandmaster spreads, everything will change.
The princes would realize one thing: their father was a Grandmaster, with a lifespan far exceeding that of ordinary people. At the Grandmaster level, living past a hundred years old would be a piece of cake. So, did they still have a chance to ascend to that throne in their lifetime?
No more.
The mindset of a prince who doesn't know when he will ascend the throne is completely different from that of a prince who will never ascend it. The former will try his best to perform and gain his father's approval; the latter... the latter will either completely give up or take a desperate gamble.
However, if someone takes a risk, the political situation will become unstable.
Even more frightening is that those courtiers who were originally loyal to the princes will also switch sides. They will think, since His Majesty can live so long, what's the point of investing in the princes? It's better to pledge allegiance to His Majesty directly, at least that's safer. As a result, the power around the princes will gradually disintegrate, and the power in the court will further concentrate on Emperor Qing.
This sounds like a good thing—the imperial power is more secure.
But Qin Ye knew that this was precisely the situation that Emperor Qing least wanted to see.
Because such a court would lose its vitality. Without competition, without anticipation, everyone would just be waiting, waiting for the day Emperor Qing dies. But that day seems so far away, so everyone can only drift through life. What can you expect from a court that's just going through the motions?
What Emperor Qing desired was a vibrant Qing Kingdom, a group of motivated heirs, and a nation that could continuously grow stronger through healthy competition. Not a court silenced by fear, and a group of princes who had given up in despair.
Therefore, concealing the identity of a Grandmaster is not only a matter of foreign strategy, but also an inevitable choice in domestic politics.
Qin Ye stood under the corridor for a long time, until the setting sun cast a long shadow of him. He finally moved, stretched his stiff neck, and turned to walk back to his duty room.
He could keep this secret hidden for three days, five days, even until Emperor Qing returned to the capital. But what would happen after that?
How will Emperor Qing respond after his return? Will he continue to hide, or will he be forced to reveal himself?
Qin Ye didn't know. He only knew that no matter which path Emperor Qing chose, the future of the Qing Kingdom would face a huge change.
Three days after Hong Siyang's death, Emperor Qing finally returned to the palace.
He wasn't wearing a dragon robe, only an ordinary black casual dress. He walked very quickly, his face expressionless. He walked to Hong Sixiang's side, looked down at the old man who had followed him for decades, looked at the congealed blood, and looked at the few plum blossoms that had fallen into the pool of blood.
Silence. A long silence.
No one dared to make a sound; they even held their breath.
After a long silence, Emperor Qing finally spoke. "Who?"
There is only this one word.
The head guard said in a trembling voice, "Your Majesty, when we arrived, the chief steward had already... already... We found these two words next to the chief steward, which seem to have been left by him before his death."
He pointed to the two shallow scratches on the ground.
Emperor Qing followed his finger and saw those two words.
Ran Min. He stared at those two characters for a long time, so long that everyone thought time had stopped.
Then, he slowly squatted down, reached out, and gently closed Hong Sixiang's still-open eyes.
"A proper burial." He stood up, his voice eerily calm. "Investigate."
After saying those two words, he turned and left, never looking back even once.
But everyone knew that beneath this calm surface lay a turbulent undercurrent. Emperor Qing rarely ordered investigations himself. Once he did, it meant someone was going to be in deep trouble.
Anyone who had ever served Emperor Qing in the Qing Kingdom's palace understood one thing: the calmer the expression, the more indifferent the gaze, and the fewer words spoken by the supreme ruler seated on the dragon throne, the more intense the anger in his heart had become. It was an instinct honed through decades of imperial life, like an undercurrent beneath the deep sea, seemingly calm on the surface, yet capable of devouring everything within.
Emperor Qing has been like this these past few days.
Inside and outside the Imperial Study, all the eunuchs, palace maids, and even the commanders of the Imperial Guards on duty were walking on thin ice, deliberately keeping their breathing extremely light and slow, for fear that the slightest sound would drag them into that unknown raging storm.
The young eunuchs who were supposed to be sweeping the corridors had all been reassigned to a distant spot, leaving only a few elderly men who had served His Majesty for decades, their hands clasped and heads bowed, like statues of clay or wood. Even Eunuch Yao's usually calm face now held a hint of solemnity, and no one dared meet his gaze. He knew His Majesty all too well, knew the storm brewing beneath this calm.