newbobooks Chapter 347
Chapter 347
Chapter 347
The confidant lowered his voice even further: "They came to the capital disguised as merchants, supposedly directly under the orders of the Emperor of Western Qi, wanting to discuss more deals with the Marquis."
Marquis Changguo's eyes lit up immediately, and he said excitedly, "Quickly invite him in! Arrange for him to go to Guangzhuo Hall in the inner courtyard. Strengthen the defenses around the area and guard it strictly. Not even a fly can get in!"
The Western Qi envoy who arrived did indeed look like a merchant, but he immediately produced a secret edict from the Western Qi emperor.
He went straight to the point and said to Marquis Changguo, "My lord, I have come on the orders of His Majesty the Emperor of Western Qi. Previously, my lord provided Western Qi with a lot of confidential information, which greatly benefited Western Qi. His Majesty was very satisfied and also knew of my lord's long-cherished wish. Therefore, he wanted to cooperate with my lord further."
Suppressing his inner joy and excitement, Marquis Changguo said, "This further cooperation is..."
The envoy didn't mince words: "The shorter my meeting with the Marquis, the safer it will be, so I'll be frank. The Marquis hopes that the Chu family will become more and more prosperous, while Western Qi hopes to take back the twelve cities in the Northwest."
The territory of the twelve cities in the northwest has undergone several twists and turns over the past few centuries. It was briefly seized by the Western Qi, but was later taken back by the Northern Yi.
Both countries felt justified in believing that this land rightfully belonged to them.
The envoy continued, "The Chu family is currently weakened and out of the trust of the Northern Yi Emperor. If they are content with the status quo, they will certainly not be able to maintain their current power and position. Your Excellency surely understands that for a family to prosper forever..."
He made an upward-pointing gesture: "...You must go up, to the highest position, to truly control the fate of the family."
Marquis Changguo felt his heart surge with emotion.
This had always been his goal. Now that he had just learned that Consort Xue had given birth to a prince, the Chu family could finally participate in the struggle for the throne, and Marquis Changguo's ambition suddenly surged even more fiercely.
The envoy said, "Your Excellency is wise and resourceful, and the Chu family has a deep foundation in Bei Yi and is a contender for the throne. We in Xi Qi can fully assist Your Excellency in ascending to the highest position in Bei Yi. After the matter is accomplished, you only need to return the agreed-upon twelve cities in the northwest to Xi Qi. This is the cooperation we want to discuss with Your Excellency."
At this point, any clear-headed official from the Northern Yi could tell that the Western Qi envoy was merely deceiving Marquis Changguo.
By cooperating with the Chu family, Western Qi could secretly infiltrate Northern Yi with its influence. With the Chu family involved in the struggle for succession, Northern Yi experiencing dynastic change and power shifts, this period of turmoil would be the perfect opportunity for Western Qi to invade.
The Western Qi has been eyeing the Northern Yi for so many years, how could they possibly give up after only taking the twelve cities in the Northwest?
But at this moment, Marquis Changguo had no consideration for Bei Yi at all; all he could think about was the future of the Chu family.
If he could help Consort Xue's young prince ascend the throne, then the Chu family would still be the emperor's maternal family, and the young prince would recognize Empress Chu as his mother, making him the emperor's maternal grandfather.
Then why worry about the decline of the Chu family?
Although the Chu family's strength has been greatly reduced, Xi Qi has extended an olive branch to him!
With the support of the Western Qi state, a nation of such stature, behind him, how could he not have a better chance of winning than the Shen family?
It took a great deal of effort for Marquis Changguo to suppress his ambition and excitement.
Thinking himself to be dignified, he said, "Since it is His Majesty of Western Qi's will, then the Chu family will naturally obey with utmost respect."
The envoy smiled politely.
"Your Excellency is truly a wise man. Shall we now discuss the terms and details of this cooperation?"