Chapter 829: Don’t Want Her to Come Back

"My granddaughter gave the Yin-Yang Harmony to the Emperor when she obtained it back then, yet you secretly hoarded an artifact from the immortal Penglai mountain, Prime Minister Gao. What wouldn’t you dare to do?" Zhan Yi turned to glare at him with a cold snort.

"Your Majesty, please see clearly!" Prime Minister Gao had never expected to draw the fire onto himself. He felt a pang of regret.

"My beloved Minister Gao, I have always trusted you," the Beili Emperor said after a brief pause.

"Thank you for your profound grace, Your Majesty. I would absolutely never dare to deceive you. My son was truly cured by a wandering doctor many years ago." Prime Minister Gao knocked his forehead against the floor.

"Rise, both of you. This matter ends here." The Beili Emperor seemed unwilling to press the issue further.

Zhan Yi stood up. Prime Minister Gao rose, trembling.

"As for Ye Qianning’s matter, I am merely curious about who managed to heal her when her injuries were so severe back then. If such a Divine Doctor could be invited to Beili, it would be a great fortune for our nation." The Beili Emperor’s tone shifted slightly.

Zhan Yi kept a taut face and did not reply. Having learned his lesson just now, Prime Minister Gao didn’t dare to say another word either.

Sang Qi lowered his eyes, his expression complex.

"Since she is still alive, let Zhan Chi bring her back to Beili when he returns to the capital. The flesh and blood of the Zhan family cannot be left to wander outside. Wouldn’t you agree, Zhan Yi?" the Beili Emperor added.

Zhan Yi frowned slightly, stepping forward to bow. "Your Majesty, Ye Qianning has lost her citizenship and cannot return to Beili. The Zhan family feels guilty toward her. As long as she is alive and free, it doesn’t matter where she lives."

"The Zhan family doesn’t want her to return to Beili?" The Beili Emperor’s tone grew heavier.

"No." Zhan Yi blurted out without a second thought.

The Beili Emperor fell silent.

Sang Qi’s lowered gaze darkened. He wondered why his Imperial Father wanted Ye Qianning to return to Beili. Was it because of Gu Shuo’s commercial empire, or the Divine Doctor who had saved her? Or perhaps... because of his engagement to her back then?

Zhan Yi clenched the fingers inside his sleeves. He thought, "The Emperor was so heartless when he drove the child out of Beili all those years ago, and now he wants her back? The clicking of his mental abacus is so loud it can be heard all the way outside the palace gates!"

"Over the years, Noble Princess Consort Zhan has grown ill from missing Ye Qianning. I truly cannot bear to see her suffer," the Beili Emperor said slowly after a long silence. "If Ye Qianning returned, the Noble Princess Consort would definitely be overjoyed, and perhaps Mrs. Zhan’s stubborn, chronic illness would also be cured."

Zhan Yi’s expression looked awful. For the past ten years, everyone in the palace knew that the Noble Princess Consort had fallen out of favor, and even the Twelfth Princess was not favored. Now that his daughter was being brought up, the Emperor was truly leaving no stone unturned when it came to exploiting them.

"I recall that little twelve, Lan Yu, goes by the nickname Nianning," the Beili Emperor added.

Zhan Yi’s expression turned even uglier. "Your Majesty, whether she returns to the Zhan family depends entirely on her own willingness. I will not force her, and the Zhan family certainly will not force her. She suffered too much in Beili all those years ago. I do not wish for her to return to a place of heartbreak."

The Beili Emperor’s fingers tightened, and his eyes darkened. "I was only thinking of the Zhan family’s best interests. Since the Zhan family does not want her to return, then let it be."

"Thank you for your understanding, Your Majesty."

"I am somewhat weary today. You are all dismissed." The Beili Emperor waved a hand.

Hearing this, Sang Qi stood up. "Your son takes his leave."

"This official takes his leave."

"This old minister takes his leave."

Zhan Yi and Prime Minister Gao stood up, bowed, and exited the room. As soon as they were outside, the two men glared at each other.

"Hmph." Prime Minister Gao gave a cold snort and flicked his sleeves before storming off.

Zhan Yi stared with dark eyes at Prime Minister Gao’s retreating back. This man had repeatedly tried to murder his granddaughter; the Zhan family and the Gao family were absolutely irreconcilable!

"Does the Zhan family truly not want her to return?" a cold voice came from behind.

Zhan Yi turned around and bowed to the speaker. "Crown Prince."

"Why?" Sang Qi asked.