vrcanaries Chapter 565 Joy of Life 121
Chapter 565 Joy of Life 121
The Empress Dowager of Northern Qi and the young Emperor Zhan Doudou were immediately flustered.
No one understood the power of a Grandmaster better than the mother and daughter.
That's right, the young emperor of Northern Qi, Zhan Doudou, was a woman through and through.
Although the old emperor of Northern Qi, Zhan Qingfeng, had many children, they were all princesses. In order to ensure the continuation of the throne, he had no choice but to announce that the empress had given birth to a prince.
Later, Zhan Qingfeng died suddenly, and Chen Pingping seized the opportunity to incite the Northern Qi rebels to force the emperor to abdicate.
Just as the Empress Dowager and Zhan Doudou were about to be driven out of the palace, it was Ku He's words, "The throne can only belong to Doudou," that stabilized the turbulent Northern Qi and allowed Zhan Doudou to reign peacefully as emperor for twenty years.
Ku He helped Zhan Doudou because his real name was Zhan Mingyue, he was Zhan Qingfeng's younger brother, and Zhan Doudou's uncle.
Therefore, Zhan Doudou knew very well that without the support of her Grandmaster Uncle Kuhe, she and her mother might have been driven out of the palace and died long ago.
Even the fact that the Northern Qi Dynasty was able to remain stable for so many years, and was feared by Emperor Qing, was all due to the existence of Grandmaster Ku He.
However, now that Kuhe is dead, the emperor of Qing Kingdom has become a Grandmaster!
Zhan Doudou sighed, her heart heavy with worry, and said, "Mother, the current Emperor Qing has already conquered Dongyi City in order to avenge their old emperor. His next target will probably be our Northern Qi. He is now a Grandmaster. If he is determined to wage war, how can we defend ourselves?"
Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager appeared slightly dazed, and after a long while, she slowly asked, "What are Your Majesty's plans?"
Zhan Doudou pursed her lips, her heart filled with mixed feelings.
Now they only have two paths before them: one is to decisively surrender before the Qing army arrives; the other is to lead the entire Northern Qi and fight the Qing army to the bitter end.
If she chose the former, she would have disguised herself as a man, endured many years of hardship, and just as she was beginning to rule and enjoy the sweetness of power, she would have to humiliatingly surrender the country. She was truly unwilling to accept this.
If the latter option is chosen, Emperor Qing is currently a Grandmaster, and if a real battle breaks out, even if the entire Northern Qi forces are mobilized, it may be difficult to withstand his onslaught.
Zhan Doudou spoke her mind, and the Empress Dowager was slightly taken aback, and couldn't help but regret sending Ku He to assassinate Emperor Qing.
But it's too late to regret it now.
The mother and daughter were at a loss, and the court was in chaos. Naturally, they split into the pro-war faction and the pro-amity faction. The two sides argued for nearly a month, and even when Li Chengze led his troops to the border between the two countries, they still couldn't reach a conclusion.
Li Chengze did not personally take action; he simply took out the gunpowder that Emperor Qing had secretly prepared, processed it slightly, and used it on the battlefield, which resulted in a near-unimpeded advance.
Northern Qi was already afraid of the power of Grandmaster Li Chengze, and now that Qing Kingdom had obtained such a divine weapon, the pro-war faction defected one after another, leaving only a few court officials who still insisted.
Zhan Doudou's older sister rushed into the palace in a panic. As soon as she saw the Empress Dowager and Zhan Doudou, she said, "Now that the Qing Kingdom's army is pressing on our borders, I wonder what Your Majesty's plans are?"
Hearing this question again, Zhan Doudou felt a little annoyed.
What are her plans? What are her plans? What plans could she possibly have?
If there were a better way, she would have done it already.
Zhan Doudou said in an unfriendly tone, "I haven't figured it out yet. I wonder what brilliant plan Your Majesty has in mind?"
The princess heard her unfriendly tone and knew she was in a bad mood, but she didn't care. She just continued, "At present, the Qing Kingdom is powerful, and Emperor Qing is a Grandmaster-level expert. If the Northern Qi continues to resist, it will probably not escape the fate of being destroyed. Why doesn't Your Majesty take the initiative to propose peace?"
Zhan Doudou suddenly stood up, as if she had thought of something, and anger flashed in her eyes: "Sue for peace? What can we offer to sue for peace? Does the Qing Kingdom intend to give up the Northern Qi, which is already within our grasp?"
"Alright, stop arguing!" The Empress Dowager quickly stood up to stop the two sisters from arguing, and then said to the princess, "Do you think we didn't think of this solution? The new emperor of Qing is domineering. Even though the emperor and I proposed sending the princess to marry a foreign ruler, he still refused to accept the Northern Qi's request for peace."
Seeking peace was their first thought, but Li Chengze refused.
Li Chengze: Just kidding. Now, instead of taking advantage of the opportunity to avenge Emperor Qing and take down Northern Qi in one fell swoop, are we going to let them live for the New Year?
The princess hesitated, as if she wanted to say something more. Seeing this, the Empress Dowager rubbed her throbbing forehead and said, "Just say what you want to say. It's just the three of us here, there are no outsiders!"
Hearing this, the princess gritted her teeth and said, "Your Majesty is a woman. If Your Majesty could be with Emperor Qing..."
"shut up!"
Zhan Doudou was trembling with anger; she never expected her own sister to say such a thing.
As the ruler of a nation, how could he possibly go abroad for a marriage alliance and seek peace in such a humiliating way?
Zhan Doudou's chest heaved violently as she said bitterly, "Our Northern Qi may be small, but it has dignity. I would rather die on the battlefield than choose this way to make peace."
Zhan Doudou, who had been hesitant about whether to surrender, made a decision in an instant at this moment.
Don't assume that just because she's a woman, she lacks courage.
She would rather die with dignity like a king than live a life of humiliation and beg for mercy before Emperor Qing.
Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager felt a surge of pride: "Very well! Since the Emperor has this ambition, I will certainly not stop him. If that day ever comes, I am willing to die for the country with the Emperor."
"Mother." Zhan Doudou looked at the Empress Dowager with tears glistening in her eyes.
The Empress Dowager looked at her daughter before her, her heart filled with mixed emotions, a mixture of heartache and pride.
Although the emperor was a woman, her talent and temperament were no less than those of a man.
Unfortunately, fate played a cruel trick on her, and she encountered a formidable rival like Li Chengze.
Otherwise, she would surely have been a wise ruler who led Northern Qi to prosperity.
The princess listened silently, tears welling in her eyes. She covered her mouth and choked out, "Your Majesty, I know your intentions. Rest assured, Your Majesty, if that day truly comes, I... will certainly not bring shame upon the Northern Qi royal family."
After saying this, the princess covered her face and left.
Unfortunately, although Zhan Doudou was determined to fight against the Qing Kingdom to the end, the courtiers below did not think so.
Northern Qi was originally a small state that split off after the fall of the Former Wei. In recent years, with Ku He in charge, it has successively annexed many surrounding small states, gradually growing to its current size.
While seemingly able to rival the Qing Kingdom, it is actually rife with undercurrents and various factions deeply entrenched within.
Even the Empress Dowager and the young emperor, mother and daughter, had to stage a power struggle in order to barely maintain a semblance of peace.
Now that Ku He is dead, and with the Qing Kingdom's iron hooves pressing in, all the forces are instantly falling apart.
The divisions within the court became increasingly apparent, with the debate between the remaining pro-war and pro-peace factions escalating to the point of near irreconcilability.