Chapter 418: They Are All Victims
Xiao Shao thought for a moment and said, "Ah Jue is very clever. If he knew what Cao Qinbo was doing but did not take any action, then Ah Jue most likely has other plans. Knowing his character, he would not let anyone take what was his."
Huan Yun summarized what Xiao Shao had just said and asked, "So, the emperor already knew what Cao Qinbo had done, but he deliberately pretended not to know?"
Xiao Shao nodded as an answer, and Huan Yun asked again: "But why? The emperor could order the execution of Cao Qinbo and finish everything in one move. Why did he take the detour?"
Tapping his fingers on the table, Xiao Shao pondered for a while and said, "I guess Ah Jue also wants to get rid of Cao Qinbo, but with his current strength, it is not easy to do that. With Cao Qinbo’s current military power and political power, if Ah Jue orders the execution, then the chance of Cao Qinbo usurping the throne is very high. What’s more, Zhao Xu is still alive. Killing Cao Qinbo now is equivalent to killing himself. Ah Jue will never do this."
Not knowing the relationship between the royal family, Huan Yun asked, "The emperor wants to get rid of Cao Qinbo. What does this have to do with this Zhao Xu?"
Xiao Shao looked at her and said, "This Zhao Xu is the eldest prince with title Xu Wang. He is the eldest brother of Ah Jue and the son of Imperial Concubine Cao. This Imperial Concubine Cao is the eldest legitimate daughter of Cao Qinbo. As long as Zhao Xu is alive, when Cao Qinbo usurps the throne, he can let Zhao Xu sit on the throne and control him from the dark."
Hearing this, Huan Yun had already grasped the core of the problem and said, "So, the reason why the emperor did not kill this Xu Wang is because of his maternal family’s power?"
Xiao Shao nodded and said, "That is one of the reasons. Another reason is that only Xu Wang never bullied Ah Jue in that vast imperial palace. Although Xu Wang has never helped Ah Jue, he has not plotted against or hurt him in the slightest. This Zhao Xu, he hates the power struggle in the imperial court and has been living a secluded life since he was a child."
Recalling the past, Xiao Shao said, "I once saw Zhao Xu block a knife for Ah Jue and almost died. Ah Jue cried hard at that time and kept calling for his elder brother. Unfortunately, after learning that it was Cao Qinbo who sent the assassins, Ah Jue never spoke to Zhao Xu anymore."