Liu Ji's lips twitched slightly. "Old Zhou, you've arrived. Come and sit down. I'd like to have a word with you."
"Yes, sir." Zhou Chang agreed and sat down.
Liu Ji took Zhou Chang's hand and said, "Old Zhou, I have a favor to ask of you..."
"Your Majesty, please speak. This old minister will do his utmost." Zhou Chang guessed that he probably wanted the emperor to support the crown prince more. After all, the crown prince was too honest and kind, and was easily bullied by other ministers and princes.
Liu Ji's eyes shone with boundless brilliance. "Excellent! Truly worthy of being a pillar of the state, a trusted minister of mine! I was initially worried that you wouldn't agree. I have no choice but to trouble you, Your Excellency, to assist the King of Zhao no matter what!"
"Yes, yes, goose?" Zhou Chang readily agreed, but then suddenly realized something was wrong. Why was he supposed to go and assist the King of Zhao?
"I entrust this matter to you, Your Excellency, to serve as the Chancellor of the King of Zhao!" Liu Ji shook Zhou Chang's arm heavily.
"Waaah..." Zhou Chang felt extremely wronged and cried ten times more bitterly than before. What kind of entrustment of the young prince was this? What kind of assistance to the crown prince was this?! "Waaah... This old minister has followed Your Majesty from the very beginning. Why did Your Majesty abandon me to the princes halfway through the journey?"
"I understand very well that this is a demotion, but I am really worried about the safety of the King of Zhao. He just failed to win the position of Crown Prince and offended the Queen. Only by appointing a strong and capable prime minister can the safety of the King of Zhao be ensured."
"After much consideration, I can only say that no one else is suitable but you. I am truly forced into this situation. Please, sir, do me the honor of going! Otherwise, I will die with regrets, cough cough cough..." Liu Ji coughed violently at this point.
Zhou Chang thought to himself that he had just helped the Crown Prince, which had put the King of Zhao in danger. Now that Liu Ji was critically ill and entrusted his son to him, he really couldn't bear to refuse.
"Very well, Your Majesty, I will grant your request. When King Zhao returns to Zhao, I will escort him. However, the future is uncertain, and I am not certain that I can ensure King Zhao's safety."
"It's alright! As long as you do your best, that's fine. Does Old Zhou have his official seal with him? I have already prepared the seal of Prime Minister Zhao for you." Liu Ji said, then took out a large seal from under the covers.
Zhou Chang's lips twitched violently. His official seal was hanging on his body, so he had no choice but to take it off. "I've taken it with me."
"Come on, let's switch. Actually, being the Prime Minister of Zhao is quite good. My son Ruyi is still young. Once we're in Zhao, won't you be the one in charge?" Liu Ji cleanly and efficiently switched the official seals.
"This old minister dares not," Zhou Chang hurriedly replied. "Your Majesty, I am leaving my post as Imperial Censor. Who will succeed me? This will allow me to properly hand over the reins. If no one has been chosen yet, this old minister does have someone to recommend..."
Liu Ji stretched and sat up. "Old Zhou, there's no need to worry about this. I've already decided on the person to take over, and I'll be handing him over to you soon. If there's nothing else, you should go back now. Hehe, I still need to comfort Consort Qi."
Zhou Chang was dumbfounded...
Chapter 208 Inside Story
After Zhou Chang left with a dark face, a person walked in from outside the hall; it was Zhao Yao.
"Your humble servant greets Your Majesty!"
Liu Ji casually tossed the official seal over, saying, "From now on, you will be the Imperial Censor. I remember that you made great contributions when you followed me in attacking Chen Xi, and you also made great contributions when you went to Yan to investigate not long ago. So I will grant you the title of Marquis of Jiangyi."
Zhao Yao was overjoyed and immediately kowtowed, saying, "Thank you, Your Majesty! Your humble servant is willing to go through fire and water for Your Majesty!"
"Alright, you earned all of this yourself. I have other important matters to attend to. You may leave now," Liu Ji waved his hand.
"Yes." Zhao Yao bowed and withdrew, as if in a dream.
Liu Ji scoffed, "He's quite talented, but unfortunately too greedy and brainless."
...
Lady Qi was sobbing in her bedchamber when she heard that Liu Ji had arrived, and she cried even louder.
"Waaaaah... Your Majesty, I'm so wronged by this defeat! Didn't Your Majesty promise to let me inherit the throne? Why did you break your promise... Waaaaah."
"Alas!" Liu Ji sighed. "I have done my best, but if I want to replace him, several people will assist me. Marquis Liu and the Four Sages of Mount Shang will speak out for the Crown Prince. What can I do? The Crown Prince's power is already established and he is difficult to move."
"Waaah..." Lady Qi knew all too well, but she was unwilling to accept it. Why should she be the one to suffer?
"Stop crying, I too have only a few days left to live. My beloved concubine dances for me, and I sing for you." Liu Ji had received the Black Dragon's ultimatum: he was to die within three days, after which the Black Dragon had a way to keep his soul alive and receive the remaining fortune.
Lady Qi felt a pang of pain in her heart. How could she not have feelings for Liu Ji after serving him all these years? So she wiped away her tears and began to dance gracefully.
Liu Ji pondered for a moment, then clapped his hands and sang, "The swan soars high, covering a thousand miles in a single flight. Its wings are fully grown, traversing the four seas. Traversing the four seas, what can be done against it! Though there are arrows and snares, where can they be used..."
"Wow, that's really impressive, it even flew to the moon," Hao Jiu joked.
Xiang Yu closed his eyes, "Yu Ji danced much better."
"Xiang Yu misses Yu Ji? Don't worry, Liu Ji is not far from death, we will be able to go back soon." Hao Jiu laughed, knowing that Xiang Yu had indeed suffered during this period.
"Yes, I also feel that Liu Ji seems to be making arrangements for his death, and in a great hurry. But I always feel that something is amiss. A man who knows he is going to die seems to be completely indifferent." Xiang Yu changed the subject.
Hao Jiu thought for a moment, "It must be that the Black Dragon System made some promise to Liu Ji, right? There might be a tough battle ahead. Hmm... Are we going to raise a tiger that will turn on us?"
Xiang Yu laughed heartily, "God of Wine, you're overthinking it. We dare to raise dragons, so what's a tiger? I'm just looking to spar with some real experts, the stronger the better!"
Hao Jiu immediately shook his head like a rattle drum, "Let's not. The stronger Liu Ji is, the more energy the Black Dragon Flower will consume, which would be a huge loss. If we need to fight Liu Ji this time, we'll have to trouble Xiang Yu to go all out and kill Liu Ji in one blow."
"Okay." Xiang Yu readily agreed. After cultivating the domineering aura, he realized the preciousness of energy and understood that the more energy he obtained, the more he could use on himself, and the stronger he would become.
At this moment, Lady Qi, who was dancing, started crying again.
Liu Ji was somewhat displeased. "Why are you crying?"
"If His Majesty passes away, my son and I will have offended the Empress. How will we live in the future? Waaah..." Lady Qi shuddered at the thought of Empress Lü. Han Xin's death was truly tragic.
"My beloved concubine, do not panic. I have already made a plan. The Imperial Censor Zhou Chang will accompany you to Zhao. As long as Zhou Chang is there, Empress Lü will be unable to do anything to you and your son." Liu Ji waved his hand.
"Zhou Chang? Isn't he one of the Crown Prince's men?" Lady Qi was a little confused.
"No, Zhou Chang is a neutral party, strong and upright, and can be entrusted with important matters. I have already persuaded him, so my beloved consort can rest assured. Zhou Chang will never let you lose your lives because of him protecting the crown prince," Liu Ji said smugly.
"That's good... But what if Lü Zhi makes her move before Yi'er and I even reach Zhao?" Lady Qi suddenly remembered a fatal thing.
"Hmm? Empress Lü wouldn't dare to be so bold, would she?" Liu Ji's expression turned cold.
"Your Majesty has forgotten that Fan Kuai, who is now leading troops to quell the rebellion in Yan, is Empress Lü's brother-in-law. Doesn't this mean that the Lü family has military power? What if they collude and plot against Your Majesty after Your Majesty passes away..." Lady Qi said cautiously.
"In that case, I will have someone kill him tomorrow," Liu Ji said through gritted teeth. He never expected that after being careful for so many years, he would make such a big mistake in the end.
Lady Qi looked on incredulously, "His Majesty is going to kill Fan Kuai for the sake of my son and me?"
"Why not? I handed over military power to him, and he didn't refuse at all. Clearly, he had been coveting it for a long time." Liu Ji sneered.
"Could we also include Empress Lü Zhi..." Lady Qi asked tentatively.
"We'll see when the opportunity arises." Liu Ji raised an eyebrow.
"Your Majesty~~~"
...
The following day, it was announced that Zhou Chang had stepped down as Imperial Censor and been appointed Chancellor of Zhao.
Not only that, but Zhao Yao was appointed as the Grand Censor and was even granted a title of nobility!
Zhou Chang felt a surge of anger that he couldn't calm down for a long time. With a dark face, he completed the handover with Zhao Yao.
"How infuriating! Why is it that Zhao Yao who gained His Majesty's trust!" Zhou Chang recalled that Zhao Yao had supported His Majesty's decision to change the heir apparent during the morning court session, and was later assigned to the Yan Kingdom to investigate.
But the problem is that Zhao Yao wasn't the only one who supported changing the heir. Shen Shiqi also went to Yan. Besides him, there were many others who were more qualified than Zhao Yao to take on this important task.
At this moment, a servant came to report, "Reporting to Your Excellency, Prime Minister Xiao has come to visit."
"Oh? Please come in quickly!" Zhou Chang wondered if Xiao He's visit at this time was to see him off or to win him over on behalf of Empress Lü. But the problem was that he had already promised Liu Ji to protect Liu Ruyi's safety. How could he break his promise?
Soon, Xiao He met Zhou Chang with a smile on his face, "Lord Zhou, how have you been?"
"Do you think I'm alright?" Zhou Chang said irritably, as if Xiao He had come to laugh at him.
"Haha, Lord Zhou, please don't misunderstand. We can be considered brothers in misfortune, both of us were demoted as retaliation by His Majesty," Xiao He laughed.
"Revenge?" Zhou Chang had also considered this question, but he felt that Liu Ruyi was indeed very dangerous, and His Majesty might really value his abilities.
Xiao He continued, "Isn't that so? We are all loyal to the Crown Prince, and besides, Lord Zhou has embarrassed His Majesty more than once over the years. Do you think His Majesty is a magnanimous person? Isn't revenge a normal thing?"
Zhou Chang sighed, "Even if it's revenge, so what? As a subject, can I disobey an imperial edict?"
"Who is it that refuses to obey the imperial edict every time? I have not admired many people in my life, but you are one of them. To be honest, I came to tell you this because I heard some inside stories about your demotion." Xiao He lowered his voice.
"What's the inside story?" Zhou Chang leaned closer.
"Lord Zhou must also be wondering why Zhao Yao succeeded him, right? Because it was this very person who suggested to His Majesty that you go and protect the Prince of Zhao!"
His Majesty was troubled by not having an excuse to retaliate against you, so he consulted Zhao Yao, who then came up with a plan that would satisfy both sides.
"Your demotion is a minor matter, but offending Empress Lü will surely bring you hardship in the future, and you may even face death. Your Majesty's goal of revenge will then be achieved," Xiao He said bitterly.
"Hiss... So that's how it is!" Zhou Chang was furious. "How could Your Majesty treat a loyal subject like this!"
"Do you think Marquis Liu is disloyal? Am I disloyal? Is Fan Kuai disloyal?" Xiao He flicked his sleeves. "What can't even rulers like Jie and Zhou do?"
"Sigh!" Zhou Chang sighed heavily, then suddenly realized, "What happened to Fan Kuai?"
Xiao He's eyes flickered. "Well, there's no conclusive evidence regarding Fan Kuai's matter yet, so let's not discuss it further. Actually, the reason I came here is because I'm worried about your safety and wanted to offer some advice."
If you wish to be loyal to His Majesty and keep your promise to protect King Liu Ruyi of Zhao, the best course of action is to return to the State of Zhao now with Lady Qi and King Liu Ruyi.
If you trust me, then stay in the manor and pretend to be sick, as if you know nothing. His Majesty will probably pass away within a few days, and Lady Qi and Prince Zhao will surely die. If you risk your life to protect them, you will only be throwing your life away in vain.
If Empress Lü wishes to take revenge on the King of Zhao, how could you, a mere Chancellor of Zhao, possibly stop her? That's all I have to say. You'd better take care of yourself!
Chapter 209 Execute Fan Kuai
Zhou Chang stared blankly as Xiao He left, hesitating about what choice he should make, and what about Fan Kuai? Hadn't he just led his troops into battle?
Just before Xiao He visited Zhou Chang, Liu Ji fell ill again and summoned Zhou Bo and Chen Ping, informing them of the secret that Fan Kuai might be conspiring with the Lü family to rebel.
"Your Majesty, would Fan Kuai really do that?" Zhou Bo asked in shock. Where did Liu Ji get this information from?
Chen Ping didn't speak, but his expression was one of utter astonishment. He had just dealt with Zhou Chang, and now they wanted to kill Fan Kuai. He really couldn't understand it. If he didn't even trust Fan Kuai, who else could Liu Ji trust?
"Cough cough cough... Would I joke about such a thing? I am also heartbroken by what Fan Kuai did! The Han Dynasty is in imminent danger, and the Lü clan has been eyeing us covetously for a long time. If I leave, the Lü clan will seize military power again. What should we do? Killing Fan Kuai to save the country is imperative! Only when military power is handed over to the Prime Minister can I feel at ease!" Liu Ji looked at Zhou Bo.
Zhou Bo gritted his teeth and said, "Your Majesty is right. Does Lord Chen have a good plan to regain military power?"
Chen Ping stroked his beard. "If Fan Kuai truly harbors rebellious intentions, it's certainly not acceptable for the Prime Minister to openly seize military power. Perhaps this would be better..."
In Weiyang Palace, Lady Qi, who looked radiant, glanced at Zhou Chang, who had come to pay his respects. She still harbored resentment; if it weren't for his strong opposition, the Prince of Zhao might have become the Crown Prince long ago.
However, considering that the mother and child might need this person's protection in the future, it was not advisable to make things too difficult for them.
"What brings the Prime Minister to see me?"
"Your Highness, I implore you and the Prince of Zhao to return to the State of Zhao immediately, so that everything may be in order," Zhou Chang said, bowing.
"Prime Minister Zhou is kind-hearted, but His Majesty is unwell. As His Majesty's concubine and son, how can I leave at this time?" Lady Qi thought to herself that Zhou Chang was truly a loyal minister.