Ministers Begging Me to Ascend the Throne Chapter 1173 - 168: Take It Easy
Previously on Ministers Begging Me to Ascend the Throne...
Within the Imperial Study of Zichen Hall, Emperor and Zhao Yao were locked in a strategic game of chess, a contest where neither father nor son yielded an inch. Few in this world could match the Emperor's skill at the board, with only He Lianfang and Zhao Yao falling into that select category.
"You rascal, must you depart tomorrow?" the Emperor grumbled.
"Oh? Have you grown so attached that you can't bear to see me go?" Zhao Yao's lips curled into a smirk. "If you were to plead, then perhaps I might reconsider."
Amused by his youngest son's impudent retort, the Emperor affected a stern frown. "Begone! Make haste and leave!"
"There's no need for you to hurry me along; I'm departing tomorrow," Zhao Yao stated with deliberate emphasis. "I find I can scarcely tolerate remaining in this capital another moment."
"Go quickly, then, so you are no longer before my very eyes," the Emperor declared, though his heart held a distinct reluctance.
Zhao Yao cast a profound gaze upon his father's feigned impatience, a silent sigh escaping him. After a moment of contemplation, he finally spoke, "Take care not to bring harm upon yourself."
The Emperor's eyebrows shot up in surprise at these words, his gaze shifting to his son seated opposite him.
"Be careful? Careful of what, pray tell?"
"Exercise caution in your dealings with Eighth Brother," Zhao Yao advised, a slight hesitation preceding his warning. "Eighth Brother's cunning and his methods are a match for your own. Do not presume to have him ensnared; it may well be that you are the one being manipulated."
This declaration caused the Emperor's brow to furrow deeply. His expression immediately turned grave. "You brat, do you possess some knowledge?"
"I am unaware of the specifics of your interactions with Eighth Brother, nor do I harbor any desire to know," Zhao Yao responded nonchalantly, idly toying with a chess piece. "I merely suggest that you do not underestimate Eighth Brother."
"I am fully cognizant of Eighth Brother's capabilities and methods," the Emperor asserted, confident he well understood Prince Wei's considerable talents.
Inwardly, Zhao Yao perceived that the Emperor still harbored an underestimation of Prince Wei's true prowess.
"You had best be certain."
Detecting the doubt in his son's tone, the Emperor reached out and playfully tapped Zhao Yao's head.
"What, you don't trust your old man?"
"I fear you might find yourself burned."
"Brat, you vastly underestimate your old man," the Emperor retorted, feigning annoyance while secretly pleased by his son's concern.
"Whether I underestimate you or not is of little consequence. What truly matters is that you do not underestimate Eighth Brother." Zhao Yao then made his move, his gaze sharp as it locked onto the Emperor's. "Is it truly because of you that Eighth Brother remains without heirs?"
The Emperor was clearly taken aback by the pointed question. After a brief stunned silence, he managed, "What did you just say?"
"I inquired if it is indeed your doing that Eighth Brother has had no offspring throughout the years," Zhao Yao stated directly, meeting the Emperor's eyes. "You have no wish for the Southern Wei Royal Family's bloodline to persist."
"Did Eighth Brother inform you of this?"
"Eighth Brother would never utter such words to me; I do not meddle in your affairs, and thus neither Eighth Brother nor Fourth Brother would confide in me." Zhao Yao tapped his temple. "I possess a mind; I am capable of deducing certain matters."
"Then you are indeed a remarkably clever fellow, quite the prodigy," the Emperor remarked, a mocking edge to his voice.
"Did I miscalculate? Is it not your doing after all?"
"I would never descend to such depths," the Emperor replied testily. "It is Eighth Brother himself who is incapable of fathering children."
"Is that so?" Zhao Yao replied with a distinct lack of belief. "Eighth Brother is unable to have children?"
"You may inquire directly with Eighth Brother."
"Perhaps it is best not to." The thought of confronting Eighth Brother directly conjured an image of profound awkwardness, which he wished to avoid.
"The Southern Wei Royal Family has historically faced challenges in procreation. Back then, if it hadn't been for..." As the Emperor spoke, a look of plain distaste crossed his features, clearly recalling unpleasant memories.
Witnessing the Emperor's expression of revulsion, Zhao Yao suspected it stemmed from the incident involving Princess Wei's schemes. Curiosity piqued, he pressed further.
"What precisely did Eighth Brother's mother do to incur such strong aversion towards both of them?" Zhao Yao mused, believing Eighth Brother to be merely a pawn in his mother's machinations. "Did she employ some form of potent medicine on you?"
The Emperor glared at his son, affronted by the mixture of curiosity and mischief in his voice.
Receiving no answer, Zhao Yao took silence as confirmation of his conjecture.
"Was it perhaps the forbidden medicine of Southern Wei, the kind known for its potent effects, possibly even enabling conception?"
"How did you come to know of that?" The Emperor's question, laced with surprise, strongly implied Zhao Yao had hit the mark.
"Southern Wei’s proximity to Lingnan meant its people were adept at the peculiar concoctions of witch doctors and Miao medicine practitioners. Upon reviewing the records of Southern Wei’s Imperial Physicians, I found that the majority hailed from Lingnan, specializing in such arts." This realization led him to the item discovered deep within Swamp Prefecture. "The Eighth Prince’s mother employed a medicinal method for his conception; it's no surprise he has suffered from poor health since his youth."