Chapter 68: The National Traitor
Chapter 68: The National Traitor
Dark clouds hung low, and cool breezes blew in gusts.
From some unknown moment, the night sky had turned extremely gloomy.
Massive black mists churned and rolled overhead.
From time to time, a bolt of lightning flashed from deep within the dark clouds, instantly illuminating the entire night sky.
It seemed that rain was coming.
Inside the Imperial Garden where the Cabinet was located, lights blazed brightly, with sentries posted every five to ten paces. The atmosphere was tense and heavy, eerily quiet.
In a spacious, massive conference hall.
A group of people sat on both sides of a huge oval conference table, with nearly all the chairs behind them also filled.
Tonight, here, the three countries of Qin, Chu, and Zhao would sign an agreement that would influence many years to come.
This agreement was called the “Eastern Sea City” agreement.
This agreement primarily clarified the ownership of Eastern Sea City.
Its ownership belonged to Great Qin!
Yes, this was beyond dispute.
As a sacred and inseparable part of Great Qin, the ownership of Eastern Sea City naturally belonged to Great Qin.
Regarding this point, the members of the diplomatic missions from Chu and Zhao had already reached a high level of agreement with the negotiators from Great Qin.
And this was an explanation to the people of Great Qin.
Then came its usage rights—
it would be leased free of charge to Chu and Zhao for five hundred years!
During these five hundred years, Eastern Sea City and the continent’s premier port, Donghai Port, would be entirely managed by Chu and Zhao.
All profits gained would also be distributed through separate agreements between Chu and Zhao alone, having nothing to do with Great Qin.
This was absolutely an agreement that humiliated the nation and forfeited its sovereignty!
But unfortunately… this was the wish of the Aged Monarch!
Deputy Prime Minister Sun Qingbo was merely a tool sent to execute this, so he was not at fault.
As for Second Prince Qin Xu, who also appeared at the meeting, he too had come under the Aged Monarch’s orders to supervise the implementation of this agreement!
Therefore, if any disputes or issues arose from this treaty, they had nothing to do with Second Prince.
See, doesn’t that make it much more comfortable?
Humiliating the nation and forfeiting its sovereignty?
That was an order personally given by the Monarch!
As for why the Monarch would do this?
The reason was simple. In his youth, the Monarch was militaristic and ambitious, craving greatness and success. He waged war against Zhao Country and Chu State, exhausting the people and draining resources, causing Great Qin’s economy to plummet.
Only after the war stopped did Great Qin’s economy slowly begin to climb from rock bottom.
After so many years of effort, Great Qin’s economy finally showed some signs of improvement.
The Aged Monarch, knowing his time was short, wanted to use his final moments to make up for the losses caused by the wars he had initiated.
So he finally lowered his noble head, no longer stubborn, using this method to secure five hundred years of peace with Chu and Zhao, leaving Great Qin with enough breathing room. Thus, the Aged Monarch was great!
He would rather sacrifice his own reputation to serve the country.
What could be more touching than this?
Long live the Aged Monarch!
The above.
Was what Sun Qingbo read with a voice full of passion, choking several times, from a script before this peace talk meeting began.
Of course, there were many more beautifully embellished words in it, which won’t be detailed here one by one.
Anyway, the Monarch was great, and the decisions he made were also great!
To create peace for Great Qin for generations, he would rather bear endless disgrace!
“Let us wish the Monarch good health!” Sun Qingbo said in a low voice, his eyes moist, after finishing the script and following enthusiastic applause.
“Wish the Monarch good health!” In the large conference hall, a group of people voiced their loud, hearty blessings.
Every face was filled with sincerity.
Then, Sun Qingbo looked at the senior members of the diplomatic missions from Chu and Zhao opposite him and smiled. “After this concludes, there will be a reception held here. I hope our three countries can have eternal peace!”
The senior members of the diplomatic missions from Chu and Zhao nodded one after another.
“Peace is a must.”
“Eternal peace!”
At this moment, from among those sitting in the back, two people suddenly stood up and quickly walked over to their respective highest leaders.
After whispering a few words into their ears, the two people sitting at the conference table slightly furrowed their brows.
On Sun Qingbo’s side… someone also quickly stepped forward and whispered a few words to him.
Afterward, the three important figures representing different countries exchanged glances and smiled at each other.
Sun Qingbo chuckled. “Now, let’s start our official signing process. Let’s finish signing quickly so things are settled, to avoid complications and let everyone sleep well!”
“Hahaha, yes, yes, let’s sign quickly. Then our tasks will be completed!”
“Later, we can have a good drink to relax. I must say, these days of fierce debates… have been quite tiring!”
Sun Qingbo smiled. “There’s no helping it. Everyone serves their own master. But in private, we can all become true friends!”
“That’s right, that’s right!”
“Well said, we’ve long been good friends!”
Then, someone brought forward an agreement, first presenting it to Sun Qingbo.
Without even looking at it, Sun Qingbo directly found the section belonging to Great Qin and smiled. “Please bring the Monarch’s Seal!”
Immediately, someone beside him brought forward a seal the size of a fist.
The leaders of the diplomatic missions from Chu and Zhao opposite him instantly exchanged a glance—
How impressive!
Normally, this agreement should have been effective with just their two names plus Sun Qingbo’s name!
But unexpectedly, that old scoundrel Sun Qingbo refused to bear even a speck of disgrace. By some means, he not only dumped all the blame onto the reportedly seriously ill Aged Monarch but even obtained the Monarch’s Seal!
This level of formality… tsk tsk!
But this way, the agreement was thoroughly confirmed.
Even if Great Qin produced a few revivalist rulers later, wanting Eastern Sea City back would be completely impossible!
That seal was personally stamped by your ancestor. You want to go back on it?
The two highest leaders of the diplomatic missions were ecstatic inwardly.
Compared to this, a few low-level members of the missions being beaten to death by furious Qin people in bars… seemed, really, not much at all.
For Chu and Zhao, this was undoubtedly expanding their territory!
Only a few people died… not millions. It was totally worth it!
Sun Qingbo’s hand reached for the royal seal. His hand trembled slightly!
This seal symbolized the supreme authority of Great Qin!
In the past, he had only seen it a few times.
But never did he expect that this time, he could possess it, even if temporarily.
The Second Prince… truly was impressive!
In comparison, the methods of the Third Prince paled by far.
He wondered what the Aged Monarch was thinking, actually handing over this seal.
Qin Xu, sitting quietly nearby, also stared blankly at the seal.
He remembered the scene when he visited his father and asked to borrow the seal—
“Father, could you leave the seal with me? Having to come to you every time to stamp it is really troublesome!”
The Aged Monarch lay on the bed, eyes slightly closed, as if he hadn’t heard him.
“Father, I know what worries you, but this kingdom will eventually be passed to me, right?”
“The Third Prince is simply incapable. Even if you had the intention and actually named him Crown Prince, how has he performed? Quite disappointing. I don’t need to say more, do I?”
“Nothing actually happened. It was just someone making false accusations to impeach him, and he got scared and ran away!”
“If he wasn’t guilty, why did he run?”
“Now he says he wants to come back. It almost seems like I’m plotting against him. I’m his elder brother, and we share the same mother. What could I possibly do to him?”
Qin Xu clearly remembered that when he said this, his father suddenly opened his eyes, stared at him expressionlessly for a long time, and then slowly spoke.
“Do you promise not to kill him?”
To this day, Qin Xu still applauded his own reaction at that moment!
He… immediately knelt down, tears welling in his eyes—
“Dad, people say royalty has no heart, but he is my own brother! Why would I kill him? In your eyes, am I really such a heartless and ungrateful person? If you truly don’t trust me, why not just grant me a cup of poisoned wine and have me executed!”
The Aged Monarch lay quietly on the bed, silent for a long time before saying, “I don’t know what you want the seal for, but you are my son. I hope you can be a man of integrity. Never do something you’ll regret for the rest of your life. If you need the seal, take it.”
Qin Xu never expected things to go so smoothly. It seemed his father was truly senile and truly no longer capable!
If he had even a bit of vigor left, he would at least have asked a question, right?
Yet he really didn’t ask a single extra question!
But then again, his father was completely isolated in the sickroom. Whether the medical team or the old divine doctor Chen Feng, everyone’s contact with the outside world was cut off, and they weren’t allowed to leave the Imperial Palace.
The personal guards around his father were also gradually being isolated. Though only a wall away from his father, meeting him was harder than reaching the heavens!
The entire Imperial Palace had long been completely controlled by him and those big shots in the Cabinet!
Knowing nothing, even as the Monarch, his father wasn’t a god!
How could he possibly know what was happening outside?
Obtaining the seal symbolizing Great Qin’s imperial power, Qin Xu was almost too excited to contain himself. He knew his father had tacitly accepted his becoming the Crown Prince!
As for the Third Prince… he truly was a thing of the past!
So what if he returned tonight?
Trying to enter the Imperial Palace?
Just with Wang Tingjian and that woman… that really wasn’t enough!
Besides, that woman didn’t seem willing to get too involved. Wasn’t she accompanying Ling Yi to pay respects at Shen Xiaowu’s grave?
In the end, they were just a bunch of ants—brave but foolish, nothing to worry about.
A faint smile appeared on Qin Xu’s face.
This smile was accidentally captured by a reporter accompanying a Zhao Country diplomatic mission, who had actually intended to photograph the Great Qin Monarch’s seal but caught Qin Xu’s smile in the shot.
In the photo, the seal was extremely clear, while Qin Xu in the background was slightly blurred. Yet his expression and that faint smile were still clearly visible and left a deep impression.
Later, this photo came to be known as—the Prince’s Mysterious Smile.
After changing hands several times at auction houses, it even fetched an astronomical price.
Many years later, many people studied this photo, trying to figure out—as a prince, at the scene of signing a humiliating treaty, why would he show such a smile? What was he really thinking then?
Sun Qingbo picked up the seal, dipped it in the finest inkpad, and pressed it firmly onto the treaty!
One copy.
Two copies.
Three copies.
This treaty came in three copies, one for each country to keep.
Of course, many reproductions might be made later, but there could only be one original copy per country.
After stamping all three copies, Sun Qingbo let out a long sigh.
As if completing a significant historical mission, his eyes grew slightly moist.
He believed posterity would give him a fair evaluation!
Everything he did was truly for the good of Great Qin!
What did war bring, besides division and wounds?
So, as the executor of the Monarch’s will, he pressed on resolutely!
He completely moved himself.
Bang! Bang!
Boom!
Crash!
First came several gunshots, then a series of violent explosions and collisions… continuously from outside.
This national-level conference hall actually had quite good soundproofing.
The Imperial Garden had always been a quiet place, and no one dared to make loud noises here.
The extremely powerful security forces were more than enough to ensure the safety of this place.
So, no one believed anyone would be mad enough to force their way in.
But the very next second, as the conference hall’s tall double doors were blasted into pieces by a terrifying force, everyone froze instantly and saw the two audacious intruders.
One was a woman wearing a mask, with a noble demeanor. The other was a tall, handsome young man in a hoodie.
Behind them, a large number of Imperial Guards were frantically rushing over.
In front of them, a crowd stood dumbfounded, stunned, and motionless.
Ling Yi’s gaze fell on the three stamped treaty copies in front of Sun Qingbo.
The next second, he strode toward Sun Qingbo.
“Sis, stop everyone behind us.”
“Alright.”
Qian Luoying answered softly.
At this moment, Qian Luoying even felt her mind go somewhat blank.
She could hardly remember how they had gotten here.
It was too tense, too thrilling!
Before this, she had never done anything so rebellious.
Forcing their way into the Cabinet was probably no different from forcing their way into the Imperial Palace in today’s Great Qin.
If intruding into a sect like the Heaven’s Gate Sect was a big deal, what about intruding into a place symbolizing a country’s dignity?
The consequences were too severe!
But somehow, at this moment, Qian Luoying actually felt a sense of excitement!
With the information Luo Xue had passed to Ling Yi, they had fought their way through smoothly and exhilaratingly!
Sun Qingbo stared blankly at Ling Yi approaching him. This old fox of Great Qin’s political arena, who had “confined” the Monarch, manipulated princes at will, and forced the Prime Minister into idle retirement—this truly ruthless man now felt a creeping horror.
“Who are you?”
“What do you want?”
Sun Qingbo remained seated, looking at Ling Yi and shouting sternly.
“Is this a place for you to be?”
Sun Qingbo looked coldly at Ling Yi, glanced at the long sword in Ling Yi’s hand, and his eyes grew calmer. “Put it down. If you have something to say, you can talk to me.”
Ling Yi grinned at him. “What is there to say to a traitorous old thief like you?”
He drew his sword and, under Sun Qingbo’s disbelieving gaze, stabbed it into his heart.
At that moment, a deafening crash suddenly sounded outside!
A thunderclap roared.
A downpour instantly fell.
Ling Yi pulled out the sword.
Sun Qingbo’s eyes widened. As his body began to fall backward, Ling Yi flicked his sword with a clever force. Not only did Sun Qingbo not fall, a spurt of blood shot out.
Under the control of Ling Yi’s sword, Sun Qingbo’s body shifted slightly. The blood from his chest sprayed directly onto the three copies of the traitorous treaty.
Bleak, yet chillingly vivid.