King Jingbei thought hard all night and decided to bring the blood jade into the palace to meet the emperor.
After leaving the court the next day, he went to the palace to find the emperor's brother, but was stopped outside the imperial study by the chief internal supervisor, saying that the emperor was discussing important matters with Grand Master Yan and it was not convenient to see him.
King Jingbei lingered outside the imperial study for a long time, but the door of the imperial study was still closed. Helpless, he had no choice but to go back home angrily.
He had just left for a while when the chief internal supervisor knocked on the door and went in to report to the emperor and Grand Master Yan that King Jingbei had requested an audience.
After hearing this, the emperor murmured hesitantly: "The King of Jingbei came to see me, could it be because of the blood jade matter?"
Grand Master Yan was good at observing people's words and knew that the current emperor was suspicious in character, and that he and King Jingbei had always been at odds. He was trying to take the opportunity to eradicate King Jingbei's power and prepare for his future monopoly on the government.
So he pretended to be serious and said: "Your Majesty, I heard that King Jingbei has been quite arrogant since he conquered the Northern Yi and returned to the dynasty. I am afraid that King Jingbei will not hand over the blood jade easily..."
"Oh? Why did Aiqing say that?" The emperor looked at Taishi Yan's serious look and became a little confused.
Grand Master Yan paused, looked embarrassed, and hesitated to speak: "To be honest, Your Majesty, I received a secret report from the army, saying that the King of Jingbei was proud of his achievements and had some criticisms of you, Your Majesty. ...After returning to the capital, he sent people many times to search for blood jade in an attempt to develop peerless magical skills, subvert the imperial court, and establish himself as emperor..."
The emperor's face changed drastically when he heard this, and he blurted out angrily: "Is there really such a thing? Is he really trying to gain my throne?"
Grand Master Yan stroked his beard and said in an embellished tone: "Your Majesty, think about it, if King Jingbei had no objections, why didn't he come to tell you about the blood jade overnight, and why didn't he present the blood jade to you as soon as possible... Think about it again, General Fan suffered several defeats during his last campaign against Beiyi, but he won the battle without spending a single soldier. There must be some fraud involved... maybe he has secretly colluded with the Beiyi Wolf Lord, I’m just waiting to find a suitable opportunity to force the palace to become independent..."
Listening to Master Yan's analysis, the emperor couldn't help but feel a little more suspicious. Although King Jingbei and himself were brothers from the same mother, the ancient saying "Ruthlessness is the most important thing in an emperor's family" was still in his ears, and he still did not dare to gamble his life and the country on the fickle human heart.
The emperor's younger brother may no longer be the sibling and playmate he could completely trust when he was young. For the sake of Jiangshan Sheji, I would rather betray him than let him pose a threat to me.
Thinking of this, he took off a gold medal from his waist and handed it to Master Yan, asking him to secretly investigate King Jingbei's every move. If the evidence was conclusive, he could act cheaply.
Master Yan won the gold medal and looked happy. He was secretly proud in his heart: King Jingbei, King Jingbei, I don’t believe I can defeat you this time!
The monarch and his ministers chatted for a while longer before leaving.
As soon as Taishi Yan returned to Taishi's Mansion, he immediately asked the housekeeper to go to Yulouchun Opera Troupe, bribed leader Dou with a lot of money, and instructed him to secretly spread rumors that King Jingbei had embezzled blood jade and colluded with Weiyuan Escort Bureau.
For a time, rumors spread everywhere. The rumors, which were added to the story and processed many times, spread into the palace and reached the ears of the emperor.
The emperor couldn't sit still anymore and hurriedly summoned the grand master into the palace to discuss matters.
After some conspiracy, the emperor followed the advice of the Grand Master and asked the Grand Master's daughter, Queen Yan, to go to spy on the pregnant Princess Jingbei and secretly collect evidence of Prince Jingbei's rebellion.
The next day, King Jingbei and the princess were having breakfast when they suddenly heard the butler hurriedly reporting that the queen was visiting the princess.
King Jingbei and the princess looked at each other and were stunned for a moment, but soon realized that the queen's visit was probably a lie and the lie was real.
King Jingbei patted the princess and told her not to be nervous. As long as I am here, I will never let the princess be bullied.
The princess smiled knowingly, straightened her clothes, puffed out her belly, and followed the housekeeper to the front hall.
Queen Yan was a little impatient waiting in the front hall and was about to ask someone to urge her again. Seeing Princess Jingbei coming in with a smile on her face and saluting her, it was hard to get angry for a while. He just said in a weird way: "Oh, my sister has come out, so I can wait..."
The princess hurriedly bowed and apologized: "Your Majesty, I apologize. I am pregnant and move slowly. Please forgive me..."
Queen Yan sneered and waved her hand: "That's all, that's all, I'm not an unreasonable person... I just made a joke with my sister, so don't take it to heart..."
After that, he changed the topic and said: "My sister is probably seven or eight months old...she should be giving birth soon, right? Didn't the prince stay with you in the house to take care of you?"
The princess smiled and said that the border has been peaceful recently, and the prince rarely goes to the army. He spends most of his time playing the piano and painting in the palace. He occasionally goes shopping with her to choose clothes and quilts for the fetus in his belly.
Queen Yan's trick failed and she left angrily. She spoke ill of Prince Jingbei and the princess in front of the emperor, making the emperor even more alienated from Prince Jingbei and his wife.
For several days, King Jingbei was interrupted by the emperor whenever he spoke in the court. Regardless of any decision, Taishi Yan's advice will be adopted in the end.
Soon, the officials in the court saw some signs, and they all fawned over the Grand Master and suppressed King Jingbei and the outspoken officials everywhere.
For a time, the court was filled with an atmosphere of open and covert fighting. All kinds of strife and frame-up dramas were staged one after another.
Many innocent officials were also implicated, some were imprisoned, some were demoted, and the court was full of complaints.
The emperor was a little shaken when he saw this, and occasionally reflected on himself in private, whether he had wrongly blamed King Jingbei, or whether he was a little too suspicious...
But every time he hesitated, Grand Master Yan would fan the flames beside him, causing him to involuntarily vent his anger on King Jingbei, and even have the idea of getting rid of his own brothers and sisters...
Many times, he would wake up from his dreams in the middle of the night...
Many times, he dreamed of King Jingbei leading soldiers to chase him. He dreamed that King Jingbei put on a dragon robe and sat on a dragon chair...
He finally failed to defeat the nightmare in his heart! He thought about it for a long time, and finally made up his mind to completely pull out this sharp thorn that pierced his heart deeply, causing him to toss and turn in pain!
So, he once again summoned Grand Master Yan into the palace, granted him a secret decree, gave him the power of life and death, and asked him to eliminate the serious troubles in his heart.
Master Yan had his own ideas. He was unwilling to become the emperor's butcher's knife unless absolutely necessary.
If one day, I also have the opportunity to be crowned the Ninth Five-Year Plan, I must not leave the world with the bad reputation of framing Zhongliang.
Thinking of this, Grand Master Yan gave the emperor a new plan - to let the emperor give his trusted maid Caiping to King Jingbei as his concubine, and become the emperor's spy to spy on King Jingbei.
After hearing this, the emperor praised him repeatedly and regarded the grand master as the incarnation of Zhuge Kongming, and he obeyed the grand master's words even more.
