Chapter 879 The Emperor's Heart Changes

Wei Gonggong, who was standing at the door, had already awakened from his nap, because he had clearly heard people talking inside.

Yes, talking.

Wei Gonggong was initially shocked. There was someone else in the emperor's bedroom?

But then, Wei Gonggong realized that the emperor was talking to himself.

Cold sweat immediately flowed from Wei Gonggong's forehead.

He wanted to go in and see, but he hesitated.

Just then,

He heard footsteps,

Then,

The door to the bedroom was opened.

Wei Gonggong saw the emperor walk out.

The emperor's eyes were open, and he seemed very awake, but Wei Gonggong noticed that the emperor's gaze seemed to be focused, and the direction of the focus made Wei Gonggong a little puzzled.

"You've always been like this, high and mighty, thinking you can do anything, but you've never taken any responsibility for the messes you've left behind.

Now,

You're still laughing at me, laughing at me?"

Wei Gonggong's hair stood on end. Who exactly was the emperor talking to?

But soon, Wei Gonggong knew who the emperor was talking to, because the emperor spoke again:

"You are my son. The son repays the father's debts; it's only right. Besides, you wanted this position yourself."

"..." Wei Gonggong.

The emperor started walking forward, towards the imperial study.

Wei Gonggong took a few deep breaths. Was His Majesty having a nightmare?

Ordinary people, when encountering such a thing, would slap themselves awake;

If one slap didn't work, then two slaps; if two slaps didn't work, then four slaps in two rounds;

If that still didn't work,

Then...force-feed them manure.

But Wei Gonggong didn't dare.

"I wanted it? You put me on the fire and forced me to take it. Now you say it so nicely. Do you really think that the imperial fathers and sons of Great Yan are models of filial piety?"

Wei Gonggong followed behind, accompanying His Majesty into the imperial study.

His Majesty didn't go to sit in the seat of honor, but stood below, his eyes fixed on that position.

"It's as if the throne I left you is a bed of needles covered in barbs. How many fathers in the world can leave their sons a kingdom?

Could it be that you, Ji Chengjue, would have the gall to tell me that you don't love the kingdom, that you don't like the dragon throne, and that all you want is a few acres of fertile land and a thatched cottage?"

"Father, let's stick to the facts. Some other things can't be sorted out at all, and there's no need to try. On this matter, I don't accept your mockery.

You laugh at my fear, but that's because the circumstances are completely different."

"I'd like to hear it. How are they different?"

"Father, you and the King of Zhenbei and the King of Jingnan have lived together since childhood. You were playmates, confidants."

"Then aren't you and Zheng Fan acquainted from humble beginnings? You were just a carefree, dissolute prince at that time, and he was just a so-called escort captain.

Do you think that I have an advantage in this regard because Liang Ting and Wu Jing are my childhood friends?

Have you ever considered,

Liang Ting was already the young marquis of the Zhenbei Marquisate at that time, the only heir in his line. In the next generation, he would be the rock-solid Marquis of Zhenbei!

Wu Jing was a direct descendant of the Tian family, appreciated by his ancestor from an early age, personally taught the arcane arts, and received Meng Shou's cultural education.

In their childhood, they were already nobles.

Do you really think that I built my relationship by playing in the mud with them since childhood?

Chengjue,

You're underestimating me too much, and you're underestimating Liang Ting and Wu Jing even more."

The real second generation has a different living environment, and their starting point is beyond the reach of ordinary people. Their vision, their defenses, their schemes, absolutely cannot be measured by the concepts of ordinary people.

"Back then, I was just a prince, not even the crown prince yet. The gap here, you can understand. In comparison, when you met that Zheng Fan, your conditions were so much better.

You had the advantage, Chengjue."

Ji Chengjue shook his head and said, "When the King of Nan was powerful, there was still the King of Bei to check him. Below, with the two sides checking each other, Father, you were able to sit securely above.

Because Father knew that these two families could not both have the intention to rebel at the same time, and if one side rebelled, it would inevitably suffer the backlash of the other side.

How comfortable it was to sit on the fishing platform.

But what about me?

I'm still worried about whether that Zheng fellow will come back alive. I don't want anything to happen to him. If something happens to him, I'll be very sad, I'll be very upset.

I'll cry,

I really will cry.

But I'm even more clear that when he comes back alive, a new King of Jingnan will reappear in my Great Yan!

The land of Jin Dong is already a fief, no, it's a kingdom!

The imperial court's system can't enter Jin Dong. He's already practicing his own unique methods in Jin Dong!

He has the support of the people;

He has the support of the army;

He also has trade and land reclamation.

In another two or three years, his Jin Dong will be completely self-sufficient.

Here I am, cleaning up the mess you left me, Father, while he's starting from scratch, writing on a blank canvas.

Most importantly,

Right now,

In my Great Yan,

There isn't a King of Bei who can check the King of Nan like in the past!

Previously, with a light cavalry of eighteen and a single royal decree, he mobilized the Jin region army like clouds; with the great feat of breaking the capital, his reputation is already undeniably the first in the Great Yan army.

What do I have to protect myself?

Rely on Eldest Brother?

Rely on Li Liangshen?

Rely on that Little King of Zhenbei who came from a fishing village, can do some things, but whose true prestige and foundation have long been scattered?

Heh heh heh.

Yes,

His territory is only Jin Dong, but as long as he wants to, he can easily mobilize his elite troops, summon the old Jingnan army, and control the Jin camp's soldiers, almost unimpeded, and break through from Jin Dong to Jin Xi, arriving at Matishan.

At that time,

With a cry of 'Cleanse the Emperor's court,'

What do I use to stop him?

Can Eldest Brother and Li Liangshen stop him together?

Whose side will the local troops follow under my imperial decree and his royal order?

Even if I don't underestimate the Zhenbei Marquisate of Beifeng County, are they willing to pull out their last resources to defend the emperor?

As long as he wants to,

He can immediately obtain nearly equal status with me, the legitimate emperor of Great Yan!

He can sit right in front of me, and have a tug-of-war!

But now,

Looking at the entire Great Yan,

No,

Looking at all of Xia,

Is there anyone who can beat him in leading troops in battle?

Nian Yao has already been castrated and sent to the palace!"

At the entrance of the imperial study, Wei Gonggong had long dismissed the eunuchs and palace maids, leaving only him to guard the outside, his forehead already constantly oozing cold sweat.

Inside the imperial study, Ji Runhao sat on the throne, looking at his son, watching him, losing control of his emotions.

"Is this what you're thinking in your heart, the source of your fear?"

Ji Chengjue, standing there, didn't speak.

"So, throughout history, why have there been so many emperors who hurt their loved ones and gladdened their enemies, why have there been emperors who destroyed their foundations and cut off their wings;

Later generations read history and only find those emperors foolish, but they don't know that after sitting in that position, their thoughts change.

Sometimes, it's not just you who are thinking these things; in fact, your officials are thinking even more than you.

Chengjue,

Tell me,

What you just said,

Is that really what you think?

Is the reason you can't sleep at night because you're afraid that Zheng Fan will one day overthrow your kingdom?

But you,

Have already invited him to sit on the dragon throne with you,

The two of you,

Have already made some things very clear in advance.

What he wants, he has already said;

What you can give, you have already given;

Do you not believe him?

Or,

What you really don't believe in,

Is yourself?

Suspicion, distrust, the heart of an emperor, often comes from within, not from without."

Ji Chengjue bit his teeth,

Looking at his "father,"

Said:

"I know what to do, I've always known what to do. I can't make the slightest, not even a tiny bit, not even in a future scheme, any unfavorable measures against him, Zheng Fan.

Not even a little bit!

I have to appease him, I have to open my heart and show it to him.

I have to wash myself from time to time, and every now and then, I have to warn myself that I can't do it, and I mustn't do it.

I have to do it for Great Yan, I have to do it for the hegemony, I have to do it so that in the history books in the future,

Your self-righteous father,

Will be made insignificant in the face of my glory!

I want to unify Xia, and future generations for thousands of years will surely leave this mark of unification, and you are just an embellishment before my mark!

Isn't it because you don't trust your descendants that you're in such a hurry to do the work of several generations on your own?

I won't let you enjoy it alone,

I want your future evaluations to be that after me, you only laid a foundation, and I am the true Emperor of the Ages!"

These words,

Were almost roared out,

Ji Chengjue tore at the dragon robe on his body,

Pointed at his face,

And stared fiercely at the "father" sitting above,

"So, I can endure, I can endure anything, I can see through anything, I can see through anything!

That Zheng fellow,

Is my brother,

He wins battles, he's the Great Yan Army God, he's invincible, he's infinitely glorious,

I,

Yan Xiaoliu,

Am genuinely happy for him!

When he led his army on a desperate gamble into Qian, I wasn't worried that if he failed, the situation in my Great Yan would completely collapse, nor did I care that my Great Yan had reached the point where we couldn't afford to lose.

I was worried that that Zheng fellow wouldn't be able to come back. He's the only one in this world who can make me feel interesting, who's qualified to be my friend, whether in the past when my status was humble or now, he's unconventional.

He's the only one who can make me laugh, make me scold, and make me laugh and scold.

Sometimes, I constantly tell myself in my heart to be prepared, to be prepared, to be prepared...

To be prepared for that day,

When he, that Zheng fellow, leads his army to the capital,

I can open the city gates with a smile,

And say to him with a stubborn face:

I'm tired of sitting on this dragon throne. You come and take it for me. I still have to thank you."

As he spoke,

Ji Chengjue,

The emperor of Great Yan,

Sat on the ground,

One hand covering his face, crying and laughing, and one hand clenched into a fist, pressing against the bluestone bricks under the imperial study.

This suppressed movement lasted for quite a while.

Wei Gonggong, standing at the door,

Only felt a twitch in his heart when the emperor's laughter came, and his tailbone began to feel cold when the emperor's sobbing came.

Wei Gonggong, who had served a generation of emperors, had truly never encountered such a scene.

…

He had laughed, and he had cried.

Ji Chengjue raised his head,

And found that his "father" was still sitting there.

In his heart,

He couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief.

He was afraid,

Afraid that when he raised his head, there would be no one above, even though he himself knew in his heart that there was no one there.

"I can wait for you a little longer."

Hearing this, Ji Chengjue shook his head and said:

"It's alright."

"And then?"

"There's no 'and then'." Ji Chengjue looked at his father, "In this world, there are some things that can't be solved by doing, and sometimes doing is worse than not doing."

"Too negative."

"It's not negative. From beginning to end, it has nothing to do with Zheng Fan. It's my own problem."

Ji Chengjue raised his head,

Pointed around,

And said:

"I used to think that being an emperor was just a job, with no real difference from a county magistrate, a warehouse manager, or a commanding officer.

But after sitting on it,

I realized,

That's not how it is.

An emperor,

Is a beast!"

Ji Chengjue pointed to his father sitting above,

"You, are an old beast."

Then,

He pointed to himself again,

"I, am a little beast!"

Immediately afterward,

Ji Chengjue said again;

"Chuanye, my child, is a tiny little beast."

"Tch..."

Wei Gonggong at the entrance of the imperial study almost couldn't hold back his breath;

For a moment, his entire face was turning blue.

"Why are emperors lonely? It's because they are all human, and the emperor is a beast. A beast in a crowd of people, how can it not be lonely?"

"Heh heh." Ji Runhao laughed and said, "Little beast."

"Hahahaha." Ji Chengjue also laughed, "Old beast."

"..." Wei Zhonghe.

"So, little beast, what have you decided to do next?"

"Didn't I just say it? There's nothing to do, nothing to do. If the sky wants to rain, the mother wants to marry, doing more leads to more mistakes."

"Pa!"

Ji Chengjue punched his chest,

"Can't I be a little willful, can't I be a little simple? People, only live this one life. When it's time to kneel, we kneel. For example, when Father was around, wasn't I very docile every time.

When it's time to stand up, we stand up.

When it's time to be happy, we're happy.

In this life, I've suffered hardships, endured difficulties, and enjoyed blessings, so I should cherish the days to come even more."

"Who taught you these words?"

"Zheng Fan."

"You plan to do this?"

"Yes, that's what I plan to do. It has nothing to do with whether you, Father, come out or sit in front of me. You, old beast, are already buried in the mausoleum.

I watched the sealing of the door with my own eyes.

I stared carefully, I watched seriously,

You know,

I was afraid that the craftsmen would be careless in the slightest,

And give you, the old beast, another chance to climb out, hahahahaha!

What are you doing here, I ask you,

You came out for no reason,

What are you doing?

You know that after I succeeded to the throne, to clean up the mess you left behind, I have to curse you back and forth a hundred times in my heart every night!"

Ji Chengjue reached out and poked his forehead,

"I knew what I should do, even if those officials one by one advised me, hinted to me, that the tail was too big to wag the dog, that the country was in danger, what omens, what impossible rewards for merit, heh heh, they all came out.

But I always knew how to face it.

I can be a beast to anyone in the world,

But to my family,

I can't do it."

"What about Zheng Fan?"

"That Zheng fellow has always treated me like a younger brother."

"What about you?"

"I..."

"You are the emperor."

"I..."

"You are the Son of Heaven."

"I..."

"You are the supreme ruler of Great Yan."

"But I still want to try to treat him like my older brother."

"Is this your answer?"

"Yes."

"Did Li Liangting and Tian Wu Jing treat me like an older brother?"

"No." Ji Chengjue shook his head, "They recognize you more as their lord."

"So, with you, it's getting worse with each generation?"

"That Zheng Fan is not Li Liangting, and that Zheng Fan is even less of a Tian Wu Jing. You old beast, you don't have to stand after you die, so naturally your back doesn't hurt when you talk.

He has children, two children, about to be born!

Zhao Jiulang dared to attack Tian Wu Jing's woman, to attack Tian Wu Jing's son, with the beautiful name of doing so for the stability of Great Yan's kingdom.

If Tian Wu Jing were replaced with him, Zheng Fan,

If that Zhao Jiulang dared to do this,

The Jingnan army would have directly launched a Jingnan campaign! (Referring to the historical Jingnan campaign)

Attacking this Yanjing city,

Killing a Zhao Jiulang is nothing,

It's not enough to quench their thirst,

If they want to kill,

They would have to wipe out my Ji family's imperial clan to be satisfied!

That's Zheng Fan!"

"Oh, so that's how it is. You're forced to do it?"

"Heh heh heh, hahahaha, but I'm enjoying it quite a bit."

Blood flowed from his nostrils,

Ji Chengjue wiped it casually with his dragon robe.

"Do you know why I appeared here?"

Ji Chengjue didn't speak.

"I said I would leave you with a lifelong nightmare, to watch you, to become a true emperor of Great Yan."

Ji Chengjue silently wiped his nosebleed.

"This is a nightmare, but also a seed for self-reflection;

An emperor can be muddleheaded, and the subjects of the world will bear everything for you.

But at the critical moment, a difference in one thought can lead to the collapse of the kingdom."

"Father, I know, didn't you see your son is bleeding?"

Ji Runhao stood there, looking at Ji Chengjue, just looking, without speaking.

"Heh heh." Ji Chengjue laughed, "Sure enough, I really can't imagine how my own father would speak when he cares about me, heh heh."

Letting out a long sigh,

Ji Chengjue waved his hand,

And said:

"I'm tired,

Father,

You may take your leave."

Wei Gonggong at the entrance of the imperial study knelt down,

And said:

"Respectfully sending off the late Emperor."

Immediately afterward,

Wei Gonggong immediately came in and saw Ji Chengjue's face and body covered in blood from his nose, which frightened him so much that he immediately began to help him wipe and stop the bleeding.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, you, why didn't you call this servant earlier, this, this..."

The emperor was held by Wei Gonggong,

But he twisted his neck,

And looked around,

The tall black dragon-robed figure was gone.

Only then did he let out a long sigh of relief, phew...

"Your Majesty, this servant will help you stop the bleeding."

"It's alright, my liver fire has been strong recently, so a little bleeding is just to release the fire.

Wei Zhonghe..."

"This servant is here."

"I've finally decided what to reward the Prince of Pingxi when he returns."

"Then, what does Your Majesty plan to reward Prince Pingxi with?"

Ji Chengjue stretched out one finger,

Hesitated for a moment,

Then bent another one,

"Two cucumbers."

"This..."

"I'll tell him clearly that I have nothing to reward him with;

Just two cucumbers grown by my family,

He can take them or leave them!

Hmph."

————

Don't wait tonight, hold on tight everyone!