Chapter 463 I Will Never Abandon Prince Chen
Tao Kangping was unwilling to give up easily, so he went ahead with his plan.
"Why do you say that, Lord Qi? The prince of Chen cannot distinguish right from wrong, and the whole world has seen it. I do intend to follow the prince of Dijin. We are originally Yan's ministers, so how can we assist someone from a different family?"
"Prince Di Jin is a man of benevolence and righteousness, known to all quarters, and respected by all his subjects. Lord Qi once said that following Prince Chen was a mistake, and if there is a chance to correct it, we will definitely not miss it."
He tried his best to wink at Lord Qi.
"Isn't the current situation a great opportunity to correct our mistakes?"
Qi Lei looked at him with disdain and sneered.
"Does Lord Tao think that he is unrivaled in wisdom and strategy?"
Tao Kangping felt helpless.
"Master Qi, you..."
Qi Lei was courageous and unyielding in his pursuit of justice.
"It's just a matter of death. We are not cowards. Why should we struggle?"
"If you don't believe me, I'll ask for you."
He glanced at Ning Yunxi leisurely and asked a question without paying attention to etiquette.
"Excuse me, Princess Yuexi, can you tell that Lord Tao's acting is clumsy?"
Tao Kangping was upset and complained bitterly.
"you really……"
Ning Yunxi did not answer, but only used her eyes to signal her brother.
Yan Yu understood and spoke to comfort him at the right time to ease the atmosphere.
"My two beloved ministers, please be patient. I am here to save you, not to harm you. As Lord Qi said, the fire tonight was indeed a plot, and the purpose is obvious, it is only to pacify the officials of Feng Zhengtai."
Qi Lei was ready to sacrifice his life, and he couldn't stand what they did, so he refuted them directly.
"Your Highness may be speechless. This is not appeasement, but winning over. It's buying people's hearts!"
Tao Kangping felt uneasy after hearing the rude remarks.
"Oh, you..."
Qi Lei was unhappy and couldn't hide it at all.
"Tao Kangping, you have to be like this. You have no manliness at all. You are extremely flattering and trying to please King Dijin, right?"
Tao Kangping spoke earnestly and explained the reason.
"What do you mean by flattery? The relationship between the monarch and his subjects should be like this. Sir Qi, you must not be disrespectful in front of the emperor."
As soon as he finished speaking, Qi Lei glanced sideways and glared at Yan Yu fiercely.
"Humph, he schemes against his subjects at will. He is unworthy of his position. What kind of monarch is he?"
Tao Kangping's advice was ineffective and he fell back into silence.
"you……"
Yan Yu acted as if he didn't hear the criticism and remained respectful.
"Qi Aiqing, please calm down."
"I have something to say, my dear ministers, would you like to hear it?"
Qi Lei refused without hesitation.
"Your Majesty, please don't say anything."
He took it lightly and expressed his stance resolutely.
"You may as well tell Your Highness that no matter how deep and unfathomable your schemes are, we two ministers will remain steadfast and will never abandon His Royal Highness Prince Chen. If Your Highness wants to hold you accountable, we will be humble and humble and will do whatever Your Highness decides, and we dare not complain."
Yan Yu nodded in response, then turned to Tao Kangping and asked with a smile.
"Your Excellency Tao, do you have the same idea?"
The situation had come to a point where there was no other plan in place. Tao Kangping no longer pretended to surrender, but remained polite and showed his true heart.
"A wooden man with a heart of stone cannot change his mind. I only ask Your Majesty to forgive me."
Yan Yu spoke frankly and expressed her understanding.
"You two are devoted and loyal, what crime have you committed? I admire your loyalty."
"I have no ill intentions towards you in my quest for appeasement, and I have no intention of forcing you. If you do not wish to do so, you do not need to worry about your safety and can leave immediately."
After hearing the true meaning of the words, Qi Lei couldn't believe it, so he asked to confirm.
"Your Majesty is actually willing to release me and the other two?"
Yan Yu smiled politely, without a trace of sinisterness.
"Please listen to what I have to say before you leave."
After exchanging glances to make sure that Lord Qi had no objection, Tao Kangping lowered his eyebrows humbly and responded to Yan Yu.
"Your Majesty, your words are very serious. I am so humbled and I beg you to enlighten me."
Yan Yu analyzed the interests with a serious face, revealed his true feelings and expressed his desire to seek talented people.
"I know both of you. One of you is a benefactor of Zhong Shuyi, and the other is a close friend of Zhong Aiqing. The Zhong siblings are undoubtedly talented people with noble character. They are strict with themselves and lenient with others."
"However, the successor of the Prince of Chen has no moral character of the Zhong clan, and is only interested in pleasure and covering up his faults. How can such a person survive in the long run? When the time comes, the king will send an army to punish the culprits. As his loyal subordinates, you will definitely not be able to escape."
"Your own life is not important, but can you also ignore your family members?"
"My dear Imperial Physician Lin was indeed sent by the king to feign surrender. Everything was a ruse. His actions may seem like a mean man, but they are not sincere. However, even if Lin Mu is not by the side of the king, someone else will appear one day."
"This is a plan that still has some room for maneuver; if we encounter a truly cunning person in the future, what are you two going to do?"
Qi Lei and Tao Kangping remained calm and did not respond, only thanking them politely, which meant they were rejecting the request.
"Thank you, my lord, for your kind words of advice."
Everything was under control. Yan Yu was not discouraged. He gestured towards the main entrance.
"That is all I have to say. My two beloved ministers, please do as you please."
Tao Kangping was about to say goodbye when he was suddenly stopped by Qi Lei.
"Master Tao, please wait."
He turned his gaze to Yan Yu, his eyes still cold and indifferent.
"Your Majesty, I have something to clarify."
Ignoring his disrespect, Yan Yu asked humbly as if she were an elder.
"Lord Qi, what do you have to say?"
Qi Lei left his seat slowly, stood up proudly, held his head high and straightened his back, refusing to bow to Yan Yu.
"Your Highness Prince Chen is not as bad as the prince said. His current situation is only because he is young and pure-minded, so he was deceived by the villain."
"Whether he slandered us or didn't trust us, it was all because of your schemes. It has nothing to do with his own character. He and I have known each other for more than 20 years. No matter how bad the fight was, he would never have the intention to kill us."
"Soon after, the contradiction resolved itself."
He pretended to bow.
"Please forgive me for speaking frankly. Compared to your sneak attacks and deceitful behavior, Your Highness is truly kind."
"The simple ideas of the two of us are not worthy of your brilliant plans. From now on, please stop trying to win us over, lest it be in vain and a waste of effort!"
Every word he said would implicate all nine clans. Tao Kangping felt like crying but had no tears. He had no way to deal with him and could only sigh.
"Ugh."
Yan Yu listened attentively and responded seriously.
"Qi Aiqing's kind words of advice will be kept in mind by the king."
Qi Lei looked at him and saw nothing but hypocrisy, so he just dealt with it perfunctorily and bowed without kneeling.
"I hope Your Majesty will keep his word. I will take my leave now."
Feeling a bit of sincerity and good intentions, Tao Kangping bowed solemnly.
"Your humble servant Tao Kangping, I take my leave in awe. If I have been impolite, I beg Your Majesty to forgive me."
Yan Yu stood up to see him off, and Ning Yunxi stood up and followed closely behind.
Qi Lei ignored him and left the house.
Tao Kangping is polite and meticulous.
"My Lord, my Princess, please stay."
Watching them go away and gradually disappear into the night, Ning Yunxi instructed Qiu Bi beside her.
"Inform Lord Lin that the time is right and we can proceed to the next step."
Qiu Bi responded respectfully.
"Yes."