Chapter 155: The Empire's Lament

y see the emperor, and when they meet ordinary princes or nobles, they must proactively dismount their horses."The empire rules the world with benevolence and filial piety. For an elder to show such g...Chapter 155: The Empire's Fall

Li Chen's words left Zhao He Shan speechless.

He blushed with shame and said, “I don't regret it, Your Excellency. A chief minister’s words and deeds are not the actions of a subordinate. Though I am but a lowly official with little influence, I have ambitions in my heart. As an official, I receive the emperor’s salary and serve the emperor. If I cannot fulfill this duty, then I will resign and return home... However, it is my wife and children who suffer because of me, and that weighs heavily on my heart.”

Li Chen smiled, noncommittal.

For this statement, Li Chen is likely to be skeptical.

If Zhao Heshan had been brave enough, he should have resigned directly when he was demoted. Neither Zhao Xuanji nor the Great Emperor could have stopped him.

To put it simply, just as Zhao Heshan himself realized, he was nothing more than cannon fodder. Zhao Xuanji's failed investment in him had branded him with a label that the Emperor wouldn't be able to erase. As a result, both sides wouldn't pay him much attention.

The taste of power, those who haven't tasted it don't know its goodness. But once you've tasted it, you become hooked and can never let it go.

Zhao Heshan was not a saint, nor did he begrudge the taste of power.

Perhaps he was living by the river, but his heart still yearned for the capital.

Otherwise, why would Zhao Rui travel thousands of miles from Hejian to seek refuge with Zhao Xuanji

In the end, everything Zhao Rui did was for her father Zhao Heshan to make a comeback.

Zhao He Shan's words sounded nice, but Li Chen only listened to half of them before discarding the rest.

Having once served as an imperial attendant under Emperor Taizong, Zhao Heshan, who was experienced and skilled at gauging the emperor's intentions, seemed to have seen something in Li Chen's demeanor. He gritted his teeth and clasped his fists, saying, "Does Your Highness not believe me"

Li Chen smiled and said, "Zhao sir, where did you get that from"

Zha He Shan said in a grave voice: "Back then, although there was constant friction between me and the chief minister, it never reached a complete break. But what truly turned us into enemies was when I went to see him once. I heard him instructing his confidants outside the door about colluding with a foreign enemy!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere in Xizheng Hall grew heavy.

"Zhao Heshan, do you know that this matter is of great importance If you speak recklessly, it will cause a great deal of trouble," Li Chen asked sternly.

Li Chen's power is growing stronger day by day. The majesty of the emperor is beginning to take shape. Zhao He Shan only feels like he has been stripped naked and thrown into an icy wasteland. The bone-chilling cold and suffocating pressure make him feel as if he were back over a decade ago when he served as the Imperial Attendant, experiencing the terror of the Emperor's wrath.

He had no time to organize his words and Zhao HeShan hurriedly said, "I am no longer a child of three years old. How could I not know the importance of this matter It is precisely because I know this that for many years I have kept silent and never dared to mention it to anyone. But what happened that day, every time I wake up in the dead of night, it still haunts me as if it were yesterday. I always keep it in mind and never forget it."

Li Chen's eyes flashed with a cold light as he said, "Which country do you call the enemy, and who are you saying is having an affair with them"

Zhao He Shan said in a solemn voice, “The enemy country is our great Qin's century-long enemy, the Liao Kingdom. Zhao Xuanji's private contact, is the current Liao State Chancellor, Wanyan Zidao.”

At that time, I only heard snippets from outside the study and was not certain. Later, after this incident, within two months, the conflict between Liaoning and Da Qin at Yumen Pass broke out. Liaoning actually obtained the defense map of Yumen Pass at that time, and even mastered the patrol schedule. Most importantly, it happened that the guard commander of Yumen Pass was being replaced at the time.

“These were once imperial secrets, yet Liao knew them all. Eighteen thousand cavalry broke through Yumen Pass, our soldiers and civilians suffered a combined death toll of 23,621. Ten towns were razed to the ground, bloodshed lasted for seven days, and Yumen Pass was stained with blood for ten years without fading. This event is a tragedy for the Empire!”Chapter 700: Difficult Government Affairs