She Holds the World After Being Reborn-Chapter 585 - 584: The Real Qin Zhen Is Innocent, and Should Not Die
Qin Wu’s voice was resonant, continuously spiraling within the great hall, resounding at the tip of everyone’s heart.
Indeed, no matter who fought, those who remained would watch each other like tigers and hang on with bated breath. It would be better to balance each other out so no one dared to make a move lightly.
"Besides, Qin Zhen, though lacking in many ways, has established a good relationship with the leader of the Guixiao Building," she said calmly as murmurs rose around her once again.
This time, the ministers could no longer conceal their excitement, "Is it the same Guixiao Building that’s the subject of rumors in the Jianghu as a mysterious organization?!"
"The rumored Guixiao Building that’s rich enough to rival a country! Truly!"
"If we could gain the assistance of Guixiao Building, the strength of Qin State would surely rise a level!"
Qin Zhen stood at the bottom of the steps, hands empty, without any accessories, her figure frail and thin. Yet, her eyes were utterly determined as she locked gazes with Qin Wu, who was above in the high seat, across the air.
The Guixiao Building was her ultimate trump card.
If the chaos throughout the world was Song Huaxu’s conspiracy, then she was determined not to let him have his way!
Qin State was her final line of defense.
Qin Zhen looked at Qin Wu and said word by word, "The leader of Guixiao Building has already reached an agreement with Your Majesty, originally to serve Qin State with the utmost loyalty. With this in mind, do you believe I, Qin Zhen, am suitable for the position of Prime Minister?"
"Baseless claims. Qin Zhen, you need to provide evidence that Guixiao Building has indeed submitted to our Qin State!" The Idle King could no longer contain himself and stood out, pointing at Qin Zhen as he spoke.
Qin Zhen’s eyes sparkled, "The evidence is with His Majesty. Perhaps the Idle King could inquire from His Majesty after the morning court session. For now, we have important matters to discuss, such as the subjugation of Zhao and Song that I’ve just mentioned."
"Yes, the submission of Zhao and Song is not a simple matter. They risk offending Dawei by turning to ally with our Qin State; they’re not fools. They would know how to choose between the strong and the weak. How then should we address this?" a minister asked anxiously.
Everyone had this question.
"Moreover, we need to select the envoys for the diplomatic mission to Zhao and Song. Who would be the most appropriate choice for this critical juncture?"
These were all important issues.
Everyone completely ignored the Idle King’s provocation. In the face of national calamity, there were still many who remained lucid.
The Idle King’s face turned ashen as he watched the crowd pushing him to the side. All flocked around Qin Zhen, this young girl who had yet to mature!
"A bunch of blind fools!" the Idle King cursed to himself.
Qin Zhen, faced with everyone’s confusion, was very calm, "The hermit has his own ingenious plans; the choice of the envoy must be kept confidential."
The situation was special, and she would not tell everyone who would be sent as an envoy, nor when. Everything had to be carried out secretly.
Qin Wu, from her high seat, coughed at the right moment, and the ministers quickly returned to their own places.
"If there are any issues, raise them now. If not, court is dismissed!" Aman shouted loudly.
Everyone was brimming with questions, but it was not the right time to voice them.
Qin Zhen, this girl who seemed meek and inexperienced in the ways of the world, dealt with the provocation of the Idle King and Master Li adroitly and was even able to resolve the pressing dilemma of Qin State.
"Since the esteemed ministers have no further questions, let’s confirm the appointment of the Prime Minister right here," Qin Wu announced definitively, blatantly ignoring the Idle King’s gaze.
As the court adjourned, Qin Zhen was surrounded and congratulated by the officials, escorted at the very end of the procession.
The Idle King approached with a sullen look.
"Qin Zhen, do not get smug. Just because His Majesty is backing you doesn’t mean you can do whatever you want. The imperial court is not a playground for children! You’d better watch yourself!" he said.
Qin Zhen didn’t understand why the Idle King harbored such hostility towards her new status.
But she had never been afraid of anyone who bore ill will.
"Even if it’s like children playing house, this official plays it much better than Your Highness ever could," she replied without reservation.
The Idle King’s face turned even darker, "Don’t think that just because His Majesty has made you Prime Minister you can soar to the heavens. In your bones, you are just a lowly creature, and that is what you will be for your entire life!"
After dropping these somewhat nonsensical words, the Idle King left in a huff.
Qin Zhen stood still, narrowing her eyes as she watched his retreating figure.
His words were interesting.
Qin Wu, who had come from Imperial Kinsmen and Nobility, how could she possibly be considered of low status?
What exactly was the identity that Qin Wu had arranged for her?!
But it was just right, she too needed to find her to discuss the matter of the envoys.
After bidding farewell to the courtiers, Qin Zhen paid no mind to the discussions about her and headed straight towards the inner palace.
The inner palace was very quiet. Qin Wu had been diligently devoted to the affairs of the state for the past three years, and her interest in affairs of the heart had waned considerably.
In this life, perhaps it was only at the very beginning with Xiao Pingfeng that she had entertained thoughts for someone else, her elder brother.
Regrettably, her tastes were too lofty, coveting only those with hearts of stone or the ruthlessness of wolves and dogs.
After following the palace maid around eighteen twists and turns, they finally arrived at Qin Wu’s study.
At this moment, she was sitting upright at the desk, perusing documents with her brows knitted tightly together, forming what seemed to be a small mountain peak on her face.
"Your Majesty, the Prime Minister has arrived," the palace maid reported after hurrying over.
On hearing that her trusted Prime Minister had come, her face relaxed slightly, revealing a smile as she looked over, "Please, come in quickly."
"Today, your battle of wits against a multitude of scholars in the great hall was utterly exhilarating to me," Qin Wu excitedly pulled Qin Zhen over to sit on the cushion, "Come, tell me, who do you plan to send as emissaries to the Zhao and Song states?"
"Yan Li’an," Qin Zhen replied without hesitation.
Qin Wu’s brows, which had just relaxed, knitted again, "Say that again?!"
"Yan Li’an." In the whole of the Qin State, there was no one more suitable to be an envoy than her own elder brother.
"His martial arts skills are formidable, and his intelligence is extraordinary; he is the most suitable candidate." He was also the best choice she had come up with after much contemplation.
She served as the Prime Minister in the Qin State, her elder brother would go as the emissary, and then her fifth sister Hongzhao would continue to be her Rujin, the Great General. Only then would the Yan Family truly take deep root in the Qin State, unable to be easily shaken by anyone, and directly resolving the potential crisis of her identity being revealed and the people of Qin State threatening Qin Wu to surrender the Qin Family.
After thinking in circles, Qin Wu finally understood why Yan Wanqing would do such a thing.
She couldn’t help but be astonished, "You really don’t trust me, do you?"
"Then Your Majesty, tell me, what exactly is Qin Zhen’s identity?" She shared the small interlude that had transpired between her and the Idle King.
Upon hearing this, Qin Wu’s face darkened.
"Keeping him alive is nothing more than a tool for show; he really thinks too highly of himself. I’ll have someone execute that wretch right now," she gestured dismissively, prompting her personal palace maid to act, but Yan Wanqing immediately stopped her, "That’s too deliberate, overacting the part."
Qin Wu cleared her throat with a cough, "Actually, that Qin Zhen, the little miss, was not born to my aunt by blood, but to my uncle’s concubine. After the two of them were murdered, the child was raised by me. The day you said you needed a clean identity, I thought hers couldn’t be more fitting. A well-known background, and easy to control."
This was indeed the truth.
No wonder the Idle King looked down upon Qin Zhen’s identity.
It turned out she was born to a concubine.
"Where is Qin Zhen now?" asked Yan Wanqing.
Qin Wu squinted at her, "Are you intending to meet her?"
"I do want to meet her."
Qin Wu snorted coldly, "In the end, you still don’t trust me. You’re afraid I had her killed, isn’t that so?" With a wave of her hand, a palace maid was dispatched.
"How could that be? When taking someone else’s identity to do something, you must at least explain things clearly to the original person," Yan Wanqing explained earnestly.
Qin Wu, of course, was known for her thunderous approach, but the real Qin Zhen was innocent and didn’t deserve to die.
It was a different matter altogether.
However, when Qin Zhen was brought before them, Yan Wanqing was still shocked.
Her face was covered with a layer of gauze; her eyes looked at Yan Wanqing with shock and avoidance. As the breeze lifted the veil, Yan Wanqing saw the scars beneath it.
Without saying a word, she reached forward and tore off the veil, revealing the pretty face beneath, now completely marred.
Yan Wanqing turned to look at Qin Wu, who remained silent.
After a long while, Qin Wu sighed deeply, "It’s not that I’m heartless; it’s just that one cannot afford any slip-ups when aiming for greatness. And the girl was willing."
"Truly?" Yan Wanqing murmured softly, then turned her head to Qin Zhen, "Did you agree to this voluntarily?"
A tear fell from the eyes of the real Qin Zhen as she nodded her head.
Her voice had even been poisoned into silence.
After the girl was taken away by Aman,
Yan Wanqing and Qin Wu looked at each other, lost for words.
"...I cannot bear the consequences of Xiao Pingfeng finding out, Yan Wanqing. I have agreed to spare her life, but I made no other promises," Qin Wu laid out her bottom line. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚
As a gentle breeze passed, scattering strands of hair, Yan Wanqing used one hand to tuck her stray locks behind her ear.
She revealed a bitter smile, "One must think thoroughly when in high position. I can’t blame Your Majesty for this." But she couldn’t help blaming herself.
