kingnovel Chapter 293 Purpose
Chapter 293 Purpose
In fact, Wei Lu knew the emperor's thoughts. She also knew that Li Xiaonuan was quite capable.
However, Li Xiaonuan's abilities were rather bizarre, which greatly worried Wei Lu.
The reason the emperor wanted to keep Li Xiaonuan by Zhao Wangchuan's side was precisely because he was worried that if the things Li Xiaonuan possessed fell into the hands of others, they would become a threat to Zhao Wangchuan.
What could be safer than keeping Li Xiaonuan under your watchful eye and keeping her on guard?
Furthermore, the emperor naturally believed what Li Xiaonuan had said before. In fact, there were many other talented people like the founding emperor of the Qi Song continent.
If they don't tie Li Xiaonuan down, they won't know how to deal with people like that in the future.
Knowing yourself and your enemy is one of the essential skills that military strategists must master.
“Miss Li, the Emperor and I are both sincerely begging you on behalf of our son. As for our son, needless to say, you two have known each other since childhood and get along so well. This proves that our son has you in his heart.” Wei Lu had no choice but to change her approach.
Li Xiaonuan glanced up slightly. In the hall, the emperor's expression was inscrutable. Zhao Wangchuan remained lost in thought, chin in hand, his thoughts unreadable.
Wei Lu's expression was even more unreadable. Her face was still covered by a face mask.
"Your Majesty, I have a few words to say. I wonder if Your Majesty could first forgive my entire family for their crimes?" Some things are quite risky to say, so I need to ensure my safety first.
The emperor turned and glanced at Zhao Wangchuan, who was still in a daze, before turning to Li Xiaonuan and saying seriously, "Alright, I forgive you. Please speak."
Li Xiaonuan kowtowed and said, “Your Majesty, although there are many people in Qisong who have suffered the same fate as me, I think they are all like me, unwilling to be exposed to the public. Of course, there may be those with wicked intentions, but they are a minority. If Qisong can continue to be peaceful and stable, those people will not cause trouble. Therefore, Your Majesty need not be so wary of me. I believe I have no other skills and only want to stay in Zhoucun and live a peaceful life as a peasant girl.”
Upon hearing this, the emperor's expression remained unchanged. He simply stroked his chin and asked, "Does Miss Li despise our royal family and refuse to marry into our royal family?"
Kneeling on the ground, Li Xiaonuan couldn't guess the emperor's purpose in saying these words. But she knew that the emperor's words carried a threat and displeasure.
“Your Majesty, we farmers have a saying: ‘One can only eat as much as one can eat.’ I believe I am not worthy of the Second Prince and am not fit to be a royal daughter-in-law. If I were to accept this marriage against my will, it might put the Second Prince in a difficult position.” Li Xiaonuan thought to herself, even if she were a concubine, wouldn’t she still be a mistress?
"If that's the case, then you're just going to abandon all those things you presented to your brother?" the emperor asked, somewhat annoyed.
The items listed by Li Xiaonuan included penicillin and streptomycin, which were to be researched by Prince Jing and Qi Ji, as well as some crude forging methods for firearms.
Even though Li Xiaonuan had written down what she knew very carefully, the craftsmen still couldn't understand it.
If Li Xiaonuan were to completely abandon her responsibilities, those seemingly tempting firearms might not be manufactured for at least a century.
“Your Majesty, all those things I know have been written down, without any concealment. If anyone still has questions, I will answer them truthfully. However, I do not wish to stay in this bustling capital city; I only wish to return to my village and live a peaceful life. Therefore, I ask that you make the trouble to come to Zhou Village to find me.” Li Xiaonuan said neither humbly nor arrogantly.
It wasn't because she was now fearless, but because she had already seen through it all. Even if she was cautious and calculating in every way, she might not be able to do as the emperor wished.
If that's the case, then why is Li Xiaonuan still trying to negotiate? She might as well just tell everyone what's on her mind.
In short, I will not agree to any of your ideas. However, I promise I will not cross your bottom line. That's what Li Xiaonuan was thinking.
After hearing Li Xiaonuan's words, the emperor remained silent for a long time.
However, Li Xiaonuan felt the pressure emanating from the emperor. That pressure was immense, almost suffocating her.
Feeling stifled and uncomfortable, Li Xiaonuan turned to look at Xiao Gang and her father, who were also kneeling beside her.
Xiao Gang is fine; apart from his eyes being more vacant and his expression more foolish, there's nothing else unusual about him.
Father Li was not doing well. Li Xiaonuan noticed that there was a lot of sweat on the floor in front of Father Li. And Father Li's body was trembling slightly.
Seeing this, Li Xiaonuan felt very worried for her father.
Previously, Li's father's health had not been fully recovered. Recently, he has been worrying about these matters, and his mental state has deteriorated further.
Li Xiaonuan was worried that her father might fall ill after being frightened by the emperor.
This somber atmosphere lasted for nearly fifteen minutes. Then, Zhao Wangchuan, who had been lost in thought, spoke.
"Little Nuan, do you still remember what I promised you before we went to the capital?" Li Xiaonuan couldn't help but look up and saw Zhao Wangchuan staring intently at her.
“Brother Zhao, I remember. You said you wanted to build a big estate next to ours. Also, you said that if you had the chance, you would definitely take our family out to sea to find that place called Tahiti.” Li Xiaonuan didn’t know why Zhao Wangchuan would bring this up, but she was happy to play along.
“Yes, Little Nuan once said that it was a place like paradise on earth. However, I can no longer keep that promise. To make it up to you, I promise you that I will protect you for the rest of my life and ensure that your family can live a peaceful life in Zhou Village.” Zhao Wangchuan’s words were resounding, causing the Emperor and Wei Lu to change their expressions.
Wei Lu was uneasy. She didn't want to stay in the capital, didn't want to be empress, and resisted spending every day with the emperor.
The emperor, however, wore a look of delight. He knew that Zhao Wangchuan had always harbored thoughts of leaving. Neither he nor his mother cared for the throne, which he had always valued most, nor were they willing to open their hearts to him again.
This realization deeply saddened the emperor. However, he knew he would never give Wei Lu and her son the chance to leave. He believed he could make them accept him again, and then they would be a loving family of three once more.
The original plan was that by going along with Zhao Wangchuan's wishes and helping him to ask Li Xiaonuan to become his concubine, Zhao Wangchuan would be grateful and reluctant to leave in the end.
Who would have thought that Li Xiaonuan would be unwilling to take this opportunity that others would fight tooth and nail for.
Just as the emperor was pondering whether to issue an imperial decree to grant the marriage, Zhao Wangchuan gave him this unexpected surprise.
It seems that his sincerity truly moved Chen'er. The emperor thought smugly.
If Wei Lu knew what the emperor was thinking at that moment, she would definitely point at his face and scold him for being delusional.
The relationship between Zhao Wangchuan and Li Xiaonuan was more than just brotherly and sisterly, but it didn't quite reach the level of lovers.
The reason Zhao Wangchuan chose to stay in the capital was actually because of the suffering he had endured over the years.
The eldest prince fled to the northwest with General Wang, and his whereabouts are unknown. It's understandable that he was just a child back then and didn't know anything.
However, General Wang and his nephew were involved in the whole affair.
If General Wang and his nephew aren't arrested and brought to justice, Zhao Wangchuan's wife will likely never be able to get rid of her resentment.
Regardless of what the emperor and his two companions were thinking, Li Xiaonuan was in an excellent mood at the moment. Of course, that was if the old Taoist priest remained silent.
"Young lady, if you don't choose my disciple, it's because you're not lucky. However, I don't think that Wei Yu is lucky either, he's not good enough for you. He's facing a great calamity recently, a very dangerous one. I reckon even if he manages to come back, it will be a near-death experience. Why don't you marry my disciple, and I'll go and rescue that Wei Yu for you. After I bring him back, we can set sail together to find that Tahiti island, okay?" The old Taoist priest spoke with an air of composure, not even glancing at the emperor's face, which was flushed with anger.