Chapter 216 2/3

After they helped him ascend to the throne, if this person wanted to eliminate anyone who knew he wasn’t actually of royal blood, what would they do?

Lu Qingxi had never thought about rebelling. As long as Qi Jun was alive, he wouldn’t harm him. But if Qi Jun were to pass away… He was just a eunuch, and even if he did rebel and become emperor, it would be pointless.

However, he didn’t want to die. He didn’t want to help an unrelated person ascend to the throne only to be killed by them later.

With these thoughts, Lu Qingxi expressed his concerns to Concubine Liu.

“Then… should we find an orphan and tell him that he’s my biological son?” Concubine Liu suggested.

If they found an orphan and told him that he was taken away by the late emperor’s Concubine, he would most likely believe them. Once convinced, he wouldn’t worry about his bloodline and wouldn’t try to harm them.

Lu Qingxi pondered deeply.

He indeed enjoyed power but had never intended to hold on to it until death. He always hoped that in his old age, he could buy a large house in the capital, adopt several godsons and grandsons, and live a wealthy life. Ideally, he would be favored by the emperor, so even the officials in the capital would have to respect him.

He didn’t want to be in a position where anyone could trample over him when he was old. He liked the feeling of being respected by everyone, but he wasn’t particularly fond of handling state affairs. Who likes working, anyway?

If they followed Concubine Liu’s suggestion, finding an orphan to become emperor and treating him as a trustworthy elder, he could dominate the capital!

Even if he no longer held power, officials like Zhang Zhiru would have to respectfully address him as “Your Grace” when they saw him.

“Ah Xi, what do you think? Can we do this?” Concubine Liu asked again.

“We can try,” Lu Qingxi replied. In the civilian world, many people would adopt children who weren’t biologically related to them. It wasn’t a problem for the emperor to do the same. If the child considered the emperor his biological father, he would definitely honor the emperor after his death.

“Ah Xi, I don’t have many people outside the palace, so this task is up to you,” Concubine Liu said.

“I’ll handle it, but it will take some time,” Lu Qingxi contemplated.

Concubine Liu, seeing Lu Qingxi agree, breathed a sigh of relief. Concerned about Qi An, she immediately took her leave to check on him.

After Concubine Liu left, Lu Qingxi didn’t return to the palace. Instead, he went to his residence outside the palace and summoned Li Zhu.

He had many subordinates, but for finding someone, Li Zhu was the most suitable.

Lu Qingxi had a portrait of Qi Jun when he was young. He took it out and waited for Li Zhu. When she arrived, he said, “Shopkeeper Mu, I have a task for you. You must handle it quietly and use only your trusted men. Don’t let anyone else know.”

“Your Grace, please instruct me,” Li Zhu replied.

After Li Qingzhi brought Concubine Liu back, she informed He Yi, and Li Zhu knew about Concubine Liu staying at Li Qingzhi’s place.

With Qi An’s face disfigured, unless Li Qingzhi revealed his powers and fully healed him quickly, Qi An had no chance of ascending the throne.

The emperor was in poor health, and both Prince Jin and Prince Yan were eyeing the throne, each having the support of military leaders. Even if Qi An became emperor, he might not secure his position.

Li Zhu was anxious. When Lu Qingxi tasked her with something, she wondered if it was related to Concubine Liu and Qi An. Or perhaps he planned to assassinate Prince Jin or Prince Yan?

Lu Qingxi handed her a portrait: “This is a friend of mine. He lost his son shortly after birth. Help me find an orphan in the capital who looks like him. If you can’t find one in the capital, look elsewhere.”

Li Zhu didn’t recognize the person in the portrait but had seen Prince Jin and Prince Yan. The person in the portrait resembled them slightly. This was… the current emperor?

The current emperor lost a son?

No, impossible. If it were true, Lu Qingxi would have started searching long ago!

And it seemed Lu Qingxi wasn’t picky; as long as the orphan resembled the portrait…

Then…

Li Zhu instantly suspected Lu Qingxi intended to find someone and claim he was the emperor’s son!

Her theory seemed bold but not impossible. She thought of many things but showed nothing on her face, respectfully accepting the task.

Seeing her reaction, Lu Qingxi provided more details, such as the child’s age. He also instructed her to inform him once she found the person without disturbing them.

After issuing these instructions, he summoned another subordinate to investigate Li Qingzhi.

He didn’t trust Li Qingzhi.

With these tasks arranged, Lu Qingxi returned to the palace.

When he arrived, Qi Jun was awake, speaking to several ministers to reassure them.

Yesterday, Lu Qingxi suddenly sealed the palace and surrounded the residences of Prince Jin and Prince Yan, making some ministers think the emperor had died.

Qi Jun was calming the ministers with his frail body.

The ministers soon left, and Qi Jun asked Lu Qingxi, “Cough, cough, where did you go?”

“Your Majesty, I didn’t sleep well last night. I went to rest for a while but couldn’t fall asleep,” Lu Qingxi replied.

“You’re not young anymore. Not sleeping well can be harmful… Go rest some more,” Qi Jun said, seeing the exhaustion on Lu Qingxi’s face, with concern.

“Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty,” Lu Qingxi responded quickly, “If it pleases Your Majesty, could I rest here?”

“Of course, rest here. How could I turn you away?” Qi Jun, an emperor with little pretense, often spoke informally.

Lu Qingxi lay on the couch beside the emperor’s bed. Qi Jun saw this and had someone bring a blanket to cover him.

Lu Qingxi closed his eyes but didn’t sleep. Instead, he pondered Concubine Liu’s suggestion.

The idea was feasible.

However, directly telling the emperor that Concubine Liu had a son might not be believable… Lu Qingxi suddenly thought of the recently famous Taoist Master Lu in the capital.

If he arranged for Taoist Master Lu to meet Qi Jun and tell him he had a son who had already grown up, Qi Jun would surely investigate!

Then, Concubine Liu could reveal the past…

They might not even need Concubine Liu to say it. One of her maids could. Concubine Liu could claim ignorance, and the midwife who helped with the birth could reveal the truth…

How to explain it would depend on the situation!

After that, they could help Qi Jun find his “son” naturally.

The emperor’s health was failing. Even with meticulous care from the imperial physicians, he had only a few years left, possibly even passing away tomorrow. In such a state, knowing he had a “son” would bring him joy in his final days.

However, Taoist Master Lu might not be willing to help.

If so, he would find someone else! He would create a reputation for this person as a true master, then arrange an “accidental” meeting with the emperor…