Chapter 940: The Young Empress (77)

Qi Kingdom had many princes, but only one princess. As long as he planned carefully and made proper use of the princess's status, taking control of the entire Qi Kingdom would be far easier than raising a rebellion.

Thus, he schemed cautiously.

For the sake of success, he married a woman he did not love and even had children with her.

On the surface, he had to pretend that he loved her deeply, presenting the image of a devoted husband.

Yet deep inside, he had never forgotten that everything he was doing was for the sake of obtaining the Empress of Western Saint Kingdom.

Once he reached the pinnacle of power, the first thing he intended to do was launch an attack against Western Saint Kingdom.

Once he conquered Western Saint Kingdom, the Empress would belong to him.

In his desire to possess her, he had already descended into obsession.

Sometimes, when he looked into the mirror, he could hardly bear to look at the man reflected there a second time.

At a single glance, he could see the ruthless calculations hidden in those eyes—the willingness to stop at nothing to achieve his goals.

Even knowing that many innocent people would suffer, he still marched down this path without hesitation.

After ten years, he had attained a position of extraordinary influence within Qi Kingdom.

Although the Emperor had yet to consider passing the throne to the princess, the princes merely regarded Su Qing as an outstanding man and their spoiled younger sister as harmless. None of them harbored any suspicion.

Precisely because no one was on guard did he manage to develop his power in secret.

At first, Xiao Jin still kept in contact with him.

But for some unknown reason, messages from Xiao Jin became fewer and fewer.

Su Qing paid no attention to it.

He had only ever used Xiao Jin.

Even if Xiao Jin wanted to reclaim his former forces now, it was already impossible.

Of course, once Western Saint Kingdom fell, as repayment for Xiao Jin's help, he could still grant him supreme honor.

Provided that the man did not set himself up as a king and did not covet the person Su Qing loved most, he could satisfy any request.

Over the next ten years, Su Qing intended to drag the princes of Qi Kingdom down one by one.

He wanted the old Emperor to lose faith in them himself and, ideally, strip them of their titles and send them away as hostages to foreign lands, just as Xiao Jin had once been.

Everything had to be carried out step by step.

Under no circumstances could the old Emperor discover that he was behind it all.

By now, he was highly experienced.

As a result, everything proceeded with remarkable smoothness.

Watching one prince after another being dragged away in panic, seeing the disappointment in the old Emperor's eyes, Su Qing merely lowered his gaze.

His face wore an expression of utmost loyalty.

No one realized that beneath it all, he harbored evil intentions.

Five more years passed.

After purging many of his disobedient sons, the old Emperor of Qi suddenly discovered one day that he scarcely had any sons suitable to inherit the throne.

He had considered choosing from among the younger princes, only to find that they were all useless.

Then he thought of Xiao Jin.

That son had always been intelligent and talented.

Now that his older sons had either been ruined or cast aside, and the younger ones knew nothing, Xiao Jin alone still seemed acceptable.

"Su Qing, you used to be from the region near Western Saint Kingdom?"

One day, the old Emperor summoned Su Qing and asked the question directly.

Su Qing had prepared his answer long ago.

"This son-in-law indeed grew up near Western Saint Kingdom, though the land belonged to Qi Kingdom. My father often took me to visit Western Saint Kingdom as well."

The old Emperor didn't suspect anything.

Most men of Western Saint Kingdom were as delicate and gentle as daughters. Su Qing was handsome and dignified, and he had never once considered that the man might actually be from Western Saint Kingdom.

The reason he had asked this question—

Was because he intended to entrust Su Qing with a certain task.