Ministers Begging Me to Ascend the Throne-Chapter 192 - 161: To speak the truth, Your Highness, you are more suited to be Emperor than Prince Yi Yong.
Chapter 192: Chapter 161: To speak the truth, Your Highness, you are more suited to be Emperor than Prince Yi Yong.
The Emperor appeared in the mansion dressed in casual clothes, "What a surprise that you would voluntarily see me."
The middle-aged man didn’t waste words with the Emperor, directly asking, "What are you planning to do about the Xiongnu?"
Hearing the middle-aged man’s question, the Emperor raised an eyebrow slightly in surprise, "Little Ten told you."
The middle-aged man looked at the Emperor mockingly, "Being friendly with the Wusun and relying on them, you really are clever."
The Emperor ignored the middle-aged man’s sarcasm, "When they proactively want to befriend us, why shut them out? Besides, I’m not counting on the Wusun to resist the Xiongnu."
"Your plan."
"I have already sent people to the Xiongnu, at least for the next five years, they won’t have any plans to move south."
The middle-aged man smirked at these words, "You’re really good at scheming." Although the Emperor hadn’t said much, the middle-aged man had guessed the Emperor’s intentions.
The Emperor graciously accepted the middle-aged man’s "compliment," "Thank you for the praise."
The middle-aged man let out a cold laugh.
"Did you call me here just for this matter?" The Emperor looked at the middle-aged man teasingly, "Are you worried about the Xiongnu moving south?"
The middle-aged man looked at the Emperor coldly, without saying a word.
"If the Xiongnu really move south, what do you intend to do?" The Emperor asked, "Will you personally take to the field to drive them away?"
The middle-aged man said indifferently, "I wouldn’t go to the battlefield for you."
"Lao He, you should know who designated the name ’Great Zhou,’ and you should understand the significance of the name ’Zhou,’" the Emperor said, "Once the Xiongnu move south, Great Zhou will be unsettled, could you bear that?"
No one understood the significance of the name "Great Zhou" better than the middle-aged man. Because he was the first to hear of this name.
In the past, when Prince Yi Yong was selecting the national name, he considered many words and finally chose to use "Zhou." At the time, he even asked the master why he used the word "Zhou."
The master said, "Zhou" implies completeness and continuity, endless cycles. He hoped that after establishing Great Zhou, it could protect the people throughout their lives, allowing them to live peacefully and joyfully. Most importantly, he hoped the establishment of Great Zhou would bring new hope to the people.
"I suddenly remember, you’ve never fought the Xiongnu, so if you’re afraid of them and don’t dare go to the battlefield, it’s understandable."
The middle-aged man didn’t even acknowledge the Emperor’s childish and low-level provocation.
Even though he had never fought the Xiongnu, the middle-aged man did not regard them as a threat.
"You have five years to prepare. In these five years, you can study the Xiongnu thoroughly."
The middle-aged man still did not respond to the Emperor.
"By the way, didn’t you say you wanted to kill my Little Ten?" The Emperor looked at the middle-aged man with mockery, "Today Little Ten came to see you, why didn’t you kill him?"
The middle-aged man retorted sarcastically, "Didn’t you forbid your youngest son from appearing in front of me?"
"I had no idea that kid was coming to find you."
"He came here, and you didn’t know?" The mansion where the middle-aged man lived had many Hidden Guards. It was under surveillance by Hidden Guards, and whatever happened or whoever came, the Hidden Guards would report it all to the Emperor.
As soon as Zhao Yao entered this mansion, the Emperor in the palace would receive the news.
The Emperor was not surprised at all that Zhao Yao came to find the middle-aged man during his days off.
"I only knew after he arrived." The Emperor said very frankly, "I just wanted to see if you would really kill Little Ten."
The middle-aged man looked at the Emperor with a chilling gaze.
"I knew you couldn’t bear to kill Little Ten." The Emperor interlaced his fingers under his chin and raised an eyebrow at the middle-aged man, "Isn’t my Little Ten cute and likable?"
"More likable than you." The middle-aged man said coldly, "He really doesn’t seem like your son. How could someone as treacherous and ruthless as you give birth to such a cute son?"
"Hahaha..." The Emperor laughed heartily, "I knew you’d fall for Little Ten."
The middle-aged man wasn’t annoyed or embarrassed about being seen through, "He doesn’t resemble you." He meant that if Zhao Yao were like the Emperor, he would never like him.
"No matter how unlike me he is, he is still my biological son," the Emperor said with pride.
Seeing the Emperor’s smug look, the middle-aged man felt very disdainful and unceremoniously ordered him out: "You can leave now."
"Oh, don’t be like that, I just got here, let’s chat a bit more."
"I have nothing to say to you."
"Who says? We could talk about Little Ten," the Emperor winked at the middle-aged man, "I can tell you about Little Ten."
"I don’t want to hear it."
"I want to tell you."
Ignoring whether the middle-aged man wanted to listen or not, the Emperor "forcefully" shared quite a bit about Zhao Yao with him.
The middle-aged man listened for a while, then found the Emperor too noisy and once again ordered him out.
The Emperor was ruthlessly driven out of the mansion. He stood at the mansion’s door, still with a look of longing for more.
"I hadn’t finished talking, how could he just kick me out."
Sun Kui thought to himself: That one found you too noisy and bothersome.
"Your Majesty, don’t you usually complain that the Tenth Prince is dim-witted? Why were you just praising him?" Hearing the Emperor’s praise of the Tenth Prince earlier, he could hardly believe those words came from the Emperor.
"I need to let Lao He know how great Little Ten is so that Lao He will like Little Ten more."
Sun Kui thought whether getting that one to like the Tenth Prince was a good or bad thing.
"Your Majesty, are we heading back to the palace now, or somewhere else?"
The Emperor thought for a moment and said, "Let’s go to Lao He’s place."
Prime Minister He was loosening the soil for his precious orchids when he was startled to see the Emperor arrive.
"Your Majesty, what brings you here?"
"I just came by to check on you."
Prime Minister He personally brought a cup of tea for the Emperor, "Your Majesty, where are you coming from?"
"From Lao He’s place." The Emperor lifted the tea bowl and drank a few sips of tea.
"What were you doing at Lao He’s place?"
"He called me over voluntarily to ask about some matters regarding the Xiongnu."
Prime Minister He asked, "What are his thoughts?"
"He thinks the Wusun are useless." The Emperor fiddled with the tea bowl and said, "I told him to study the Xiongnu well."
"If the Xiongnu move south, Your Majesty plans to send him?"
"I can’t let him just rot away in that mansion," the Emperor said, "I didn’t keep him around for retirement, he has to play his part, doesn’t he?"
"He hasn’t fought the Xiongnu before, has he?"
"With his ability, the Xiongnu wouldn’t be a match for him."
"Your Majesty, I must remind you," Prime Minister He’s expression suddenly became very serious.
"Go ahead."
"Lao He has always hated you, believing you caused the death of Prince Yi Yong," Prime Minister He said, "He also thinks you stole Prince Yi Yong’s throne. Once you release him, his subordinates might reconnect with him, and then who knows what they might do."
The Emperor spoke out what Prime Minister He truly intended to say, "Are you implying they might rebel?"
"Lao He not only has outstanding military command capabilities but also excellent management skills." Lao He is exceptionally outstanding in all aspects, which is why people fear him.
"He might instigate my son to rebel and overthrow me as the Emperor, but he wouldn’t rebel to become the Emperor himself."
"Your Majesty, are you so sure?"
Smiling, the Emperor said, "Because the name ’Great Zhou’ was chosen by my elder brother, and the establishment of Great Zhou owes half of its credit to him; if he rebels to become the Emperor himself, it would be like destroying my brother’s legacy."
Prime Minister He had not considered this point.
"If my brother had a son, he might have backed my brother’s son in a rebellion to dethrone me."
"If Prince Yi Yong had descendants, Your Majesty, you would have already relinquished the throne." As someone who followed the Emperor from the very beginning, Prime Minister He quite understood the Emperor’s nature. "It wouldn’t take Lao He rebelling."
"You truly understand me, Lao He!"
"Unfortunately, Lao He doesn’t know that you, more than anyone, wished Prince Yi Yong was alive; you would have preferred it had been you who died back then rather than Prince Yi Yong."
"God wasn’t watching and let my brother go."
"If not for Prince Yi Yong’s urging, you would have long since thrown the towel and stopped caring."
Before his death, Prince Yi Yong held the Emperor’s hand tightly, repeatedly urging him to protect the people, to establish a strong Great Zhou for them.
"Even though I don’t want to be this Emperor, since I am, I will naturally take responsibility," the Emperor’s previously casual smile vanished, his demeanor suddenly becoming very serious, "I will strive to fulfill my brother’s ideals."
"Your Majesty, let me speak frankly, you are more suited to be Emperor than Prince Yi Yong was."
The Emperor slightly raised an eyebrow at this, "Why do you say that?"
"Prince Yi Yong was too idealistic, but you are more pragmatic." Prince Yi Yong was indeed great, but many of his ideas were too ideal, whereas the Emperor proceeded with work more pragmatically.
The Emperor did not refute Prime Minister He’s words. Although he repeatedly said he wished Prince Yi Yong were still alive, so he wouldn’t have to be Emperor, in his heart, he always understood that Prince Yi Yong wouldn’t make a good Emperor.
"Your Majesty, this is why Heaven chose you," after saying this, Prime Minister He quickly changed the subject, "Lao Liu has already arrived in Yangzhou; soon, Yangzhou will be in turmoil."
R𝑒ad latest chapt𝒆rs at freew𝒆(b)novel.c(o)m Only
