The prince is more stable

Chapter 339: Turning Light into Darkness
No matter what era, there is a saying that is an irrefutable truth, that is, opportunities are reserved for those who are prepared.

It’s not impossible for pie to fall from the sky, but it’s definitely extremely rare. Even if the pie falls into your mouth, there are even fewer people who can eat it perfectly.

Now Zhao Xiaoqian could conclude that Zhao Ji was at least not as simple as he had imagined.

A prodigal artist was able to stay on the throne for twenty-six years after obtaining it. It is true that he was a tyrant, but he was by no means a useless tyrant.

If he was really an incompetent and intelligent emperor who did not calculate people's hearts and was not familiar with the art of being an emperor, it would be impossible for him to sit on the throne for twenty-six years.

Zhao Xiaoqian’s current confusion is that Zhao Xu is still young and is certain to have an heir, so it is basically impossible for the throne to fall on Zhao Ji. Why did he start planning so early? What was his motive?
Could it be that he had already calculated that Zhao Xu was destined to have no descendants, or, even if he had descendants, he had a way to make him have no descendants?

The reason why Zhao Xiaoqian encountered assassination ambushes several times before was because Zhao Ji discovered that he was too capable and Zhao Xu trusted him too much, giving him more and more power, so he posed a threat to Zhao Ji's future plans. He had to get rid of him to get everything back on track.

If this is the case, Zhao Ji is really terrible.

Zhao Xiaoqian and Zhao Ji were both smart people, but they used their intelligence in different ways.

Zhao Xiaoqian was not interested in the throne. What he wanted to change was the destiny of the Song Dynasty, thereby changing the fate of himself and his relatives.

Zhao Ji's purpose was very simple, he just wanted the throne.

The different choices made by two smart people are destined to take different paths.

It was already early morning, and Zhao Xiaoqian was standing at the gate of the palace, his mind in a mess.

After a long time, Zhao Xiaoqian sighed.

Since Zhao Ji was identified as a suspect, Zhao Xiaoqian could not do nothing.

No matter who wanted to murder him, he would not sit idly by and wait for death.

He turned his head and looked at the lintel of the palace.

The lineage of the King of Chu has been rich and powerful for generations, but it also hides hidden dangers. In such an environment, if you are not careful, your wealth and power will disappear.

"Chen Shou!" Zhao Xiaoqian suddenly raised his voice while standing at the door.

Chen Shou appeared, bowed and clasped his fists.

"Follow me to the Imperial City Office!" Zhao Xiaoqian ordered, "Also, summon Wei Jie to see me at the Imperial City Office."

The Imperial City was silent late at night. Except for the imperial guards standing guard at the gate, there was silence all around. The sound of the night watchman's clapper came from nowhere, and occasionally there were a few dogs barking in the houses in the distance.

When Zhao Xiaoqian arrived at the Imperial City Office, the imperial guards guarding the gate were stunned.

Duke Zhao came to the office so late. Could something big have happened in the court?
The imperial guards saluted, Zhao Xiaoqian nodded and greeted them before entering the Imperial City Office.

After a while, Wei Jie also hurried over. The imperial guards at the door became more and more surprised. It seemed that something big had really happened. The top two big shots in the Imperial City Bureau had all come.

In a secluded room in the backyard of the Imperial City Administration, Chen Shou and the royal guards surrounded the room and did not allow anyone to approach.

Zhao Xiaoqian and Wei Jie were sitting in a side room. There was only a dim candle lit in the room, and the flickering light cast on their faces, making them look dark and eerie.

Zhao Xiaoqian crossed his legs, took a sip of the hot tea from the teacup.

Wei Jie sat opposite him, looking at him in confusion.

Until this moment, Wei Jie still didn't know why Zhao Xiaoqian summoned him to the Imperial City Office late at night.

At this time, Zhao Xiaoqian did not say anything, and Wei Jie did not dare to ask.

After a long while, Zhao Xiaoqian put down his teacup and said in a deep voice, "Old Wei, we've been working together for almost a year, right?"

Wei Jie chuckled, "It's been almost a year. It was exactly this time last year when the government appointed the Duke of the County to be in charge of official affairs at the Imperial City Department."

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled. "Over the past year, we've enjoyed working together. I feel we're not only colleagues, but also friends worth sharing our hearts with. What do you think?" Wei Jie said hurriedly, "I'm honored that the Lord has not abandoned me and is willing to treat me as a friend. Since you came to the Imperial City Division, I've followed your lead and am completely loyal to you. Heaven and earth can bear witness to that."

Zhao Xiaoqian said calmly, "Tonight, at this moment, I have something to say, but these words are for my friends, not for me. These words are a bit taboo, and if I say them, I might betray you, but my friends won't."

"Old Wei, can I trust this friend?"

Wei Jie looked up at him in astonishment. These words were quite heavy and Wei Jie didn't know how to respond for a moment.

It must be a big deal that Zhao Xiaoqian could describe as so serious, and this big deal is not convenient to talk about publicly. The nature of his meeting with Zhao Xiaoqian tonight is not that of a superior and a subordinate, but that of a friend.

Wei Jie immediately understood what Zhao Xiaoqian meant and said in a deep voice, "Zi'an, if you consider me a friend, then I will never let you down. Even if thousands of arrows are fired at me, I will be the first one to stand in front of you."

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled: "It's not that serious. Don't be so dead-eyed. Besides, what crimes have I committed that deserve everyone to shoot arrows at me..."

The moment Wei Jie changed his name, Zhao Xiaoqian knew that this friend would not let him down.

In the adult world, friendship may not be so pure, but at least as long as it does not affect interests, friendship will not change. If you can bring benefits to each other, friendship will be sublimated.

Wei Jie asked cautiously, "Zi'an, what exactly happened?"

Zhao Xiaoqian was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "From the assassination attempt in the dark alleys of Zhouqiao, to the ambush in the canyon of Hezhong Prefecture, the silencing of Jin Xilai, Liu Yao, and others, and then the subsequent annihilation of the thousands of assassins in Xiangzhou that I took the initiative to design, I already have a suspect as the mastermind behind all of this..."

Wei Jie was startled, then gritted his teeth and asked, "Who did it?"

"Prince of Suining, Zhao Ji."

Wei Jie opened his eyes wide and looked at him in shock.

Zhao Xiaoqian said in a deep voice, "The Imperial City Bureau has studied the word Liu Yao said before his death for a long time. Do you still remember it? It wasn't 'Sui' or 'Shui', but 'Sui', the 'Sui' of Suining County Prince."

"Before he died, Liu Yao intended to reveal the mastermind behind the incident, but he died after only saying one word. In fact, the answer had been right in front of us for a long time, but we just didn't see it."

Wei Jie took a deep breath and said, "The Prince of Suining is the emperor's younger brother..."

Zhao Xiaoqian raised an eyebrow at him. "This matter is of great importance, and I have no evidence. So tonight, I can only tell my friends, not you, my subordinates."

Wei Jie only now understood why Zhao Xiaoqian said that so much preparation had to be done before anything serious happened. This matter was indeed fatal. If the Imperial City Division went to investigate Zhao Ji, once the news leaked out, Zhao Xu would definitely be very angry. It was said that he loved his younger brother Zhao Ji more.

Wei Jie pondered for a moment, then looked up at him and said, "Zi'an, you tell me, and I'll do it."

Zhao Xiaoqian laughed and said, "Aren't you afraid of being implicated? This is a serious matter. The official's brother is of a high status. If the news leaks out, your head will be in jeopardy."

Wei Jie gritted his teeth and said, "Of course I'm afraid too, but... since I consider you a friend, I should share your worries. Putting aside your power and official position, at least among all the people I know, Zi'an, you are a good man, and you are very capable."

"Following you, Zi'an, I feel at ease. As long as I don't have any second thoughts, I believe you will not treat me unfairly in the future. So, when it's time for me to take risks and share your worries, I will definitely not refuse. Otherwise, I will not have the face to enjoy wealth and glory in the future. Is that right?"

Zhao Xiaoqian laughed heartily. "That's right, Old Wei. I never knew you were such a clear-sighted person."

Wei Jie also laughed twice and said, "I'm not good at using my brain, but I will definitely do as you say. So, Zi'an, just go ahead and make the arrangements. I promise to get it done for you."

"So what if he's the emperor's brother? As long as the evidence is irrefutable, it's an ironclad case. The emperor won't tolerate such a cunning person around him, not even his own brother."

Zhao Xiaoqian hummed and said, "This matter shouldn't involve the Imperial City Bureau. You, Old Wei, must handle it privately. And you absolutely must not tell anyone. You know the implications and dangers of this better than I do."

"The first thing we need to do is bypass the Imperial City Bureau and open another line to plant spies in the Suining County Prince's Mansion. This matter cannot be resolved overnight. The spies need to lie low for a long time and wait for the opportunity to collect evidence."

Wei Jin's eyes flashed, and he suddenly said, "I suddenly thought of someone who is the most suitable candidate..."

Zhao Xiaoqian met his gaze, and they both said in unison, "Zhang Xiaoyi?"

After saying that, the two looked at each other and smiled.

(End of this chapter)