Xiaosheng is not a nerd

Chapter 1669 Bloody Feud

The emperor laughed loudly: "What a wise and brave phrase! I am tired of hearing these four words, but they are not as true as when they come from your mouth at this moment. I am indeed wise and brave. At least since my Qin family took over the country, no previous emperor has been as courageous as me!"

Qin Chuzhen looked at the emperor and felt that his father was so heroic, just like what he saw when he was a child.

The emperor held Qin Chuzhen with both hands: "Chuzhen, get up."

His father's hands, long-lost hands, reminded Qin Chuzhen that they were blood-related father and son, and he mustered up his courage: "It's just that I don't understand what my father has been doing all these years..."

Qin Chuzhen paused for a long time before saying, "What you did."

"Chu Zhen, it's not that you don't understand, it's that you understand but are confused, right?"

Qin Chuzhen nodded: "I understand half of it, but I am also confused half of it."

The emperor smiled slightly and said, "Chu Zhen, how long has it been since you played chess with me?"

"Father, since you first taught me how to play chess, you have never played with me again."

"Well, let's play a game, and let the emperor see how good you are at chess."

Qin Chuzhen was a little confused. Could it be that his father came to visit him in the middle of the night just to play chess with him? However, he still followed the instructions and took out the chessboard to play chess.

When the game started, Qin Chuzhen thought that this was a good opportunity to show his talent in front of his father. He would fight his father to a draw, and then he would win without a sound.

After just over twenty moves, Qin Chuzhen felt that his father's chess skills were unfathomable. He had to rack his brains for every move, but his father did it with ease.

In the middle game, Qin Chuzhen was already defeated and had no way to turn the tide. Just as he was about to give up his piece and admit defeat, the emperor grabbed his hand.

Just when Qin Chuzhen was puzzled, the emperor waved his sleeves and disrupted the chess game: "Chuzhen, you win."

Qin Chuzhen was surprised and said in surprise: "I lost!"

The emperor pointed to the chessboard and said, "Look, there are more black pieces than white pieces on the board. Doesn't that mean you win?"

"This..." Qin Chuzhen really couldn't figure out what his father was thinking. Was he hinting that the little tricks he was doing behind his back were breaking the rules and violating the law?

The emperor said meaningfully, "This game of chess is played by only you and me, so the winner is clear. It is not difficult to win. You just need to study chess every day. But if this game is played by more than two people, but three, four, or even ten people, to win, you can't just rely on superior chess skills. You also need to use the opponent's strength to mediate and balance it."

"Father, what do you mean?"

"I am just one of the chess players in this game, even though I am the emperor. In addition, there are hundreds of civil and military officials, nine surnames and thirteen noble families, the three schools of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism, the Penglai Immortal Sect, you, Chu Cheng, and..."

The emperor hesitated for a long time before reading out the last name: "Xie Fu!"

Qin Chuzhen was secretly shocked. He thought that Xie Fu was a force cultivated by his father to fight against others, but he didn't expect that his father actually regarded Xie Fu as one of the opponents.

Could it be that father wanted to remind me to keep a distance from Xie Fu, but his expression remained calm.

The emperor smiled and said, "Indeed, you are used for the sake of power, but man proposes, God disposes. There are some things that I cannot predict."

The emperor saw Qin Chuzhen bowed his head and said nothing, and said softly: "It is really not easy for father to be the emperor. Chuzhen, do you understand now?"

Qin Chuzhen knew he had to say something now, instead of just being submissive. He looked up at the emperor and said, "Father, I don't find it strange that you regard the Nine Families and Thirteen Families, the Three Sects of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism, the Civil and Military Officials, and even me and Chu Chengdu as your opponents. But I don't understand why you regard Penglai Immortal Sect as your enemy."

The emperor smiled without saying anything, as if he wanted Qin Chuzhen to express more of his inner thoughts.

Qin Chuzhen smeared the two separate piles of black dots into one: "Father, my Qin family has been a whole with Penglai Immortal Sect since the founding of the dynasty. This is also the reason why my Qin family has been the center of the world and has been stable for 200 years."

The emperor smiled faintly: "Chu Zhen, now is the time to decide the outcome. I will not hide it from you, because Penglai Immortal Sect is my biggest enemy. Since I was old enough to understand things, I have made up my mind that one day I will overthrow this mountain that has been pressing down on my Qin family for two hundred years."

Qin Chuzhen was horrified when he heard this, he felt as if the sky was falling and the earth was collapsing. Without the protection of Penglai Immortal Sect, his Qin family could be replaced by someone else at any time, but his father was taking the initiative to overthrow this protection.

The emperor looked displeased: "Why, are you scared?"

Qin Chuzhen quickly bowed his hands and saluted as a subordinate: "I am not afraid, but I am extremely surprised and don't know why."

"You don't understand! Then I'll tell you clearly, my Qin family is the imperial family, and I am the ruler of a country. How can I allow someone to ride on my head and even control the fate of me and the Qin family?"

"Father, in the past two hundred years, Penglai Immortal Sect has never..."

The emperor interrupted: "I know what you want to say. It hasn't happened in the past two hundred years, but it doesn't mean it won't happen in the future. It's just a matter of time. Since we know the outcome, why don't we take measures to deal with the changes? Someone from the Qin family has to do this, and that person is me!"

"Although my Qin family is an imperial family, listen to what the world says. The Qin family, the emperor, sits on the throne and protects the nine surnames and thirteen noble families of China. It's as if my Qin family has taken advantage of us for nothing. They completely ignore the fact that my Qin family has governed the country and served the people for two hundred years. They even rank the Li and Wang families above my Qin family, regarding my Qin family as a mixed blood of the barbarians, and disdain to intermarry with my Qin family. These wealthy and famous families are so bold!"

The emperor became more and more angry as he spoke: "It is shameful to sit on the throne of the Son of Heaven, and the title of emperor is flashy but not real. I will not only overthrow the Penglai Immortal Sect, but also purge these wealthy and powerful families, and make the three sects of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism bow down to me, dominate the universe, and only my Qin family is supreme!"

Qin Chuzhen could not imagine that his father had such ambitions. He thought...he thought...

"Chu Zhen, now is the time to decide the outcome. I have an important matter to entrust to you personally..."

The emperor suddenly stopped talking and looked towards the door.

Qin Chuzhen also noticed someone coming and asked coldly, "Who is it?"

Gu Liuqing's voice came softly: "Prince, it's me."

Qin Chuzhen looked unhappy: "What are you doing here?"

"I heard from the servants that the prince is still busy with official duties at the moment, so I made some ginseng soup and sent it to you."

Qin Chuzhen was just about to ask Gu Liuqing to go back, but Gu Liuqing pushed the door and walked in. When she saw there was someone else in the room, she was so scared that she stood at the door in a daze. Then she felt that although this person had a calm smile on his face, his eyes fell on her sharply, like a thorn in her back.

Qin Chuzhen said coldly: "Who let you in?"

Gu Liuqing was panicked after being yelled at by Qin Chuzhen: "Slave..."

The emperor smiled: "Okay." Qin Chuzhen then softened his tone: "Put your things down and leave immediately!"

Gu Liuqing approached timidly, put the stewed ginseng soup on the table, and took the opportunity to quietly look at the emperor's clothes and sitting posture. Unexpectedly, his eyes met the emperor's and he was so scared that he almost fell down.

The emperor raised his hand and added a handful, smiling, "Be careful."

Gu Liuqing nodded, thanked him, and left in a hurry.

After Gu Liuqing left, the emperor stopped smiling and asked solemnly, "Chu Zhen, who is this stunningly beautiful woman?"

"Father, her name is Gu Liuqing, and she is my son's singing girl."

The emperor said calmly, "Well, I think she has a kind of simplicity that the ladies of noble families don't have. It just so happens that I am tired of listening to the music in the palace. You can send her to the palace tomorrow."

Qin Chuzhen immediately looked embarrassed. His father said he wanted to listen to new music, implying that he wanted to get Gu Liuqing.

He originally just used Gu Liuqing as a pawn to alienate Xie Fu and Qin Chucheng, and at the same time deepen his relationship with Xie Fu.

But after spending these days together, he found that he really liked this woman. No matter how noble a man is, there is always a soft spot in his heart, especially when he is in the imperial family full of intrigue and fear at every step, and Gu Liuqing just plays the role that allows him to find spiritual home.

Gu Liuqing's gentleness and thoughtfulness, as well as her beautiful body, gave him great spiritual comfort. Moreover, this woman gave him a smart and lively son, whom he could not abandon.

"Father, this woman doesn't know the etiquette of the palace. I'm afraid she will spoil your fun. You want to hear some new songs. I'll find you a few more beautiful singers and send them to the palace."

The emperor said in a deep voice: "Chu Zhen, do you really think that I am old and incompetent and cannot see the relationship between you two?"

Qin Chuzhen knelt down quickly to apologize: "Father, her real name is Du Zhiwei. She is the daughter of a convicted official. She was registered as a prostitute and became a brothel girl. I saw that she had some talent and beauty, so I took her in in the palace." He was trembling with fear in his heart. His father was becoming more and more terrifying.

The emperor smiled and said, "Chu Zhen, if you are willing to tell me the truth, I will forgive you. However, this woman looks familiar to me. You must not let her live. Kill her!"

Qin Chuzhen's face changed. He never expected that Gu Liuqing's appearance would bring him death. He couldn't bring himself to do it, but he could not disobey the emperor's order.

After all, he had been through ups and downs, so he pretended to be nonchalant and asked, "Father said she looked familiar. Did he see her somewhere?"

The emperor said calmly: "I can't remember, just kill her."

Seeing the emperor's determination, Qin Chuzhen had no choice but to plead: "Father, I beg you to spare her life. I am not like my elder brother, who is surrounded by beautiful women. I only have this woman to comfort me in my lonely time."

The emperor said calmly, "Chu Zhen, the more you say this, the more this woman must be killed."

Qin Chuzhen remained silent, with his head lowered and a tense expression. As a prince, he couldn't even protect his own woman. This was his fate of being born in an imperial family, yet being worse than an ordinary citizen.

All the years of forbearance and grievances he had suppressed wanted to burst out at this moment, but he said calmly: "Father, I can't do it, because she gave birth to a son for me, and I don't want my son to repeat my fate, not knowing where his biological mother is since he was a child!"

The emperor said calmly: "Chu Zhen, you know everything."

Qin Chuzhen nodded and said "hmm".

The emperor said earnestly: "Chu Zhen, if you still have the heart to be an emperor, you must pass this test."

Qin Chuzhen raised his head and said, "I can't do it. I don't want to be a cold-blooded person. If you must do this, I will give up this thought now. I only ask you to spare the life of this miserable woman."

In fact, he was taking a risk, betting that the more his father lacked these things, the more he valued them.

The emperor said coldly, "Do you really think I don't know that you are the one behind the Crown Prince's affairs? Do you really think I have no choice? Even if Chu Cheng is unworthy of being appointed, I can always train a candidate for the Emperor when I dominate the world. Chu Zhen, do you believe that I will kill you now?"

The emperor's words were filled with murderous intent, but Qin Chuzhen held his head high and showed no fear: "Then please grant me death, father!"

The emperor smiled faintly: "Stand up and talk first."

When Qin Chuzhen stood up, the emperor said with a smile: "Chuzhen, do you know why I did not expose you and still imprisoned the prince? It is because I want you to take over the prince's military power."

Qin Chuzhen was surprised and happy, and felt that he had made the right bet.

At this moment, the door was suddenly pushed open. It was Gu Liuqing, and she was holding a sleeping child in her arms.

The emperor and Qin Chuzhen were both surprised. The emperor looked at Gu Liuqing, who was calm and composed at the moment, and not as timid as before. He turned to Qin Chuzhen and asked, "Chuzhen, did you collude with her?"

Qin Chuzhen had no time to think about the meaning of his father's words at this moment. He shouted coldly at Gu Liu: "What are you doing here!"

Gu Liuqing ignored Qin Chuzhen, looked at the emperor and smiled, "Your Majesty, my name is Du Zhiwei, and my father is Du Wenyan."

Qin Chuzhen's face changed when he heard this, and he shouted angrily: "Liu Qing, what nonsense are you talking about!"

For a moment he had no idea what Gu Liuqing's purpose was, he quickly stepped forward and raised his hand to pull Gu Liuqing out, but Gu Liuqing raised his arm and easily grabbed Qin Chuzhen's arm.

Qin Chuzhen was surprised and secretly used his internal energy, but his meridians felt numb and he was gently pushed to the ground by Gu Liuqing.

Gu Liuqing smiled slightly and said, "Prince Qi, why don't you just sit down and take care of yourself, because I have a lot to say tonight."

Qin Chuzhen tried again, but found that his tendons and veins were weak and he couldn't move any Qi.

Gu Liuqing smiled and said, "Prince Qi, don't waste your efforts. This is the world's number one poison - Traceless Sumai. If you can resist it, I won't go out of my way to deal with you."

Qin Chuzhen said coldly: "When did you do it?" Then he looked shocked: "Was it last night?"

Gu Liuqing shook his head slightly, looking at the steaming ginseng soup on the table: "My intention is not to kill you, so why would I attack you when we were being affectionate last night?"

Qin Chuzhen glanced at the ginseng soup on the table: "It's ginseng soup!"

Gu Liuqing smiled: "Using soup as fragrance, Prince Qi, no matter how cunning and treacherous you are, I'm afraid you can't think of it."

Being described like this by the woman he loves is really ironic. Qin Chuzhen responded: "Du Zhiwei, it's you that I didn't expect."

Gu Liuqing smiled: "Qin Chuzhen, you should have thought of it earlier. After all, you have done so many dirty things. I know all your conspiracies and tricks. I even know what you are thinking in your heart. You kidnapped the child specifically..."