Chapter 906 - 903: The Situation Is Lost
Bai Qingyan mentioned the rebellions happening in various places, which the Eldest Princess had heard about. She had heard that... all because of the conscription of children, chaos had turned everywhere into a living hell.
The Eldest Princess closed her eyes calmly; the end was near!
After a moment, the Eldest Princess moved slightly, taking out a handkerchief from her sleeve to wipe the tears from the corner of her eyes. When she turned to look at Bai Qingyan, her expression changed, shedding the sorrowful look from before. Her brows were clear and her voice was firm...
"If that’s the case, then you shouldn’t have come! Since you are to become the Empress of Zhou, you should know that... a ruler must never put themselves at risk. You... are the Empress of Zhou, the foundation of Zhou! Not a single mishap must occur! Zhou is newly established, there is so much to be done, and those generals and soldiers you brought back from Daliang are all loyal to you, Bai Qingyan. If anything happens to you... Zhou will descend into chaos! For the sake of justifying to your grandmother alone, you are risking the safety of an entire nation. This is not what a ruler should do!"
Upon hearing the Eldest Princess speak, the Emperor sitting behind the screen suddenly stood up, murder flashing in his eyes. Could this be what an Eldest Princess says to a traitor?
He roared through clenched teeth, "Eldest Princess!"
Already restrained, Quan Yu was startled into bowing down, knocking over the Cuiyu wine cup on the black lacquered platter — the spilled wine filled the black lacquered platter, and Quan Yu, trembling all over, remained rigidly bowed behind, staring intently at the shining floor reflecting the candlelight, hardly daring to breathe.
All his life, he was just a servant, at most becoming the Crown Prince’s personal eunuch. Even if he reached the top to be the Emperor’s personal eunuch, he would still be a servant, inherently fearing his master. Even a slight glance from the master would cause unease, let alone the Emperor’s current rage.
The Eldest Princess seemed not to hear the Emperor’s shouts, gazing fixedly at her granddaughter, as if heartbroken, desperately clutching her granddaughter’s hand. She leaned closer solemnly, "You are a ruler, not a crude general! You should not risk yourself for a grandmother nearing her end! You carry the weight of an entire nation! From the moment you became a ruler... you ceased to belong to yourself alone! You are the embodiment of the people of Zhou. Their welfare must be prioritized! Such a simple choice... you don’t understand?! The choice when your father shot arrows to kill... your five brothers, you still don’t understand?!"