Please call me Your Majesty!

Chapter 143: Things were done in secret, but were ruined by leaks.

Huan Jie frowned again when he heard what Huan Yi said.

Because Huan Jie was asking about the background of Jin Wang Chu Shizhao, while Huan Yi said that Jin Wang lifted the siege of Chang'an.

Let’s look at it from the premise that he is deeply favored by the Emperor.

Huan Jie should have an idea of ​​what the foundation of the King of Jin is like.

This is because there is no one in the court.

It doesn't mean that Prince Jin has no background at all, but that Prince Jin has no followers of his own and his foundation is weak.

This is good news, but it can’t be said to be good news.

The good news is that their people from Liangzhou are helping King Jin. If they really help King Jin obtain the throne and succeed in seizing the throne, this will be the merit of following the dragon. The status of the ministers from Liangzhou will rise, and they will definitely be valued by Chu Shizhao.

The bad news is that the Liangzhou faction helped the King of Jin. It is impossible that the brothers above Chu Shizhao are without foundation. Their mothers alone are from the famous Wang family in Jingzhao.

Help Chu Shizhao. No matter what, the Liangzhou faction will have to compete with the ministers of the Chang'an faction. Huan Jie is not sure whether he can win.

This is not because Huan Jie looked down on the abilities of the Liangzhou scholars, but because they had grown up in a different environment and received a different education. The ability of the Liangzhou scholars to govern the country was definitely not as good as those of these truly noble and famous families.

The talents emerging in Liangzhou are mostly military talents.

A talented general who can resolve border conflicts.

The most important thing is, facing foreign forces, these famous families in Jingzhao who usually do not get along with each other may join forces to exclude these outsiders from Liangzhou.

Internal struggles are internal struggles. The famous families of Jingzhao fight each other, but the ones who benefit are still the famous families of Jingzhao. They, the Liangzhou faction, flock to Chang'an to rob the interests of those famous families of Jingzhao. If things go wrong, these people will abandon their previous conflicts and unite to face the outside world.

After all, there are only so many positions in the court. If this family takes up a few positions and that family takes up a few positions, the list of ministers in the court will be full. There will be no room for so many people from Liangzhou.

"I can help him, but not now." Huan Jie said after careful consideration.

To make a public statement is not only not helping Chu Shizhao, but is even harming him.

This will only put Chu Shizhao on the table and make him a living target. With the open help of the Liangzhou faction, the threat of Chu Shizhao to those people will increase sharply.

Matters should be done in secret, but will be ruined if leaked.

If you really want to help Chu Shizhao obtain the throne, you don't need to take action at the very beginning. You just need to take the most firm stand at the most important moment, and you will have the greatest chance of winning.

In a fight for the throne like this, if you really want to win it, it would be a matter of a moment. It would be the most impossible to win in a situation where you keep fighting.

"If His Royal Highness the Prince of Jin wants to see me these days, please help me refuse." Huan Jie added, "This is to avoid suspicion, and I need to meet His Royal Highness the Prince of the East Palace first."

"Your Majesty will hold a dinner for his ministers tonight." Huan Jie had never met the holy emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty and was extremely cautious about this matter.

And outside Chengtian Gate.

Wang Huai is meeting Chu Shizhao.

This court official, who did not hold a prominent position in the Yongjin Dynasty, once transformed into a local warlord in the simulation and was an ambitious man who almost caused a rebellion in the north. However, he now appeared cautious and humble in front of Chu Shizhao.

"Your Highness, I, Wang Huai, greet you." Wang Huai saluted Chu Shizhao solemnly. Since the siege of Chang'an, his attitude towards Chu Shizhao has changed greatly.

Many people don't know how to speak, but they just watch others speak.

To put it simply, it's about choosing the right dish based on the situation.

Previously, Chu Shizhao had no status and no background. He had neither the favor of Emperor Yongjin nor the support of his powerful natal family.

Wang Huai has his own interests. Behind him is the Queen Mother Wang Conghui. He needs the support of the Queen Mother to guarantee his own position, and the Queen Mother's interests are Wang Huai's interests.

If Wang Conghui wants to ensure that his offspring can inherit the throne, then Chu Shizhao is the biggest threat and Chu Shizhao is the Wang family's biggest enemy.

Wang Huai, who has achieved his current status through the Queen, must also take a clear stand and confront Chu Shizhao.

He knew clearly that he was just a pawn under Queen Wang Conghui.

But it's different now.

Wang Huai could vaguely feel that the wind direction had changed.

Emperor Yongjin's attitude changed.

This emperor, who had ruled the Zhou Dynasty for more than 30 years, seemed to favor his fourth son, Prince Jin, more.

Although Wang Huai gained the favor of Emperor Yongjin and held his current official position by relying on Wang Conghui's power, the person who ultimately gave Wang Huai power was still Emperor Yongjin.

Of course, based on Emperor Yongjin's attitude alone, Wang Huai would naturally not have any extra thoughts. It was Chu Shizhao who was too powerful, which made Wang Huai think about extra possibilities.

In the past, who would have thought that Chu Shizhao had a chance of taking the throne?

In the siege of Chang'an, facing the Huns in a desperate battle, Chu Shizhao not only won, but also fought beautifully. This forced Wang Huai to think about this new possibility.

Wang Huai knew very well that being a double-dealer was the most thankless thing. You couldn't help the Queen and then help Chu Shizhao. You would gain nothing from both sides.

But Wang Huai was afraid that if Chu Shizhao really won, the King of Jin would settle old grudges against him on the spot.

This battle made Wang Huai feel awe for Chu Shizhao.

Anyone who has personally experienced this war with Chu Shizhao would probably be shaken in their belief in the talents of this man.

"Lord Wang, you are too polite." Chu Shizhao stretched out his hand to lift the other person up.

"In the past, I was ignorant of etiquette and had many negligences and offenses." Wang Huai sighed and said, "The East Palace has been jealous of Your Highness these days. Your Highness should be careful with what you say and do and pay more attention."

Chu Shizhao said calmly, "Brother treats me very well, how could he be jealous of my talent? Lord Wang, you are too kind."

He would not trust the other person just because of a few words from Wang Huai.

Nice words have no practical value. What is important is to see how he behaves.

What Wang Huai said and did showed that he was cowardly in front of Chu Shizhao. He thought he had no ability to control Chu Shizhao, so this was a sign of submission.

And if you say that Wang Huai really wants to work for Chu Shizhao, whether Chu Shizhao dares to use him or not, of course he dares to use him.

There is no one in the world that Chu Shizhao dares not use. Cao Cao dared to use Zhang Liao, who surrendered. Zhang Liao fought many battles for Cao Cao, fearless of death and with extremely high strategic value.

Even if a Sima Yi came to work for Chu Shizhao, Chu Shizhao would dare to use him, because Chu Shizhao had the simulation function of the [Emperor Growth Plan] and could find out early on who was selfish, who was not a team player, and who had problems with their playing style.

If Wang Huai really worked for Chu Shizhao, it would undermine the cohesion of the Wang family.

Furthermore, his growth potential is still good. Even if he wants to stab him in the back, Chu Shizhao can control him at any time.

What's more, Wang Huai has a superior alternative, Huan Jie.

Chu Shizhao even dared to use Huan Jie, so how could he be afraid of a small Huan Jie, a small substitute.

At such a critical juncture, Chu Shizhao wanted to unite all the people he could as much as possible, and talk about anything later.

After following the ministers into the palace.

Within the time of an incense stick, all the wise men had arrived and most of them had chosen their own seats. Many of them sat on the right. Huan Jie, a local general who came from afar, brought several important figures from Liangzhou and sat on the left.

As a member of the royal family, Chu Shizhao's position was on the right side, close to the dragon throne.

Chu Shixu, who lived in the East Palace, also had to attend such a banquet. He walked straight to Huan Jie and had a pleasant conversation with him. On the contrary, next to Chu Shizhao, the greatest contributor to the siege of Chang'an, there was only Yang Fang.

Yang Fang was indignant about this. No matter what, he believed that Chu Shizhao should be the guest of honor at this banquet.

They were the ones who fought the battle, but the military merits were shared with the Liangzhou Army which had not fought any battle. Everyone would feel a little emotional about this, especially when they saw others receiving attention and favor, while they, the real heroes, did not get any face. This was very unpleasant.

After everyone was seated and waited for a long time, Emperor Yongjin finally arrived. He was wearing his regular palace clothes. When he entered the hall, he first glanced at the ministers, then his eyes fell on Huan Jie, and he said softly, "Thank you for your trouble, my dear minister."

Huan Jie immediately knelt on the ground and said, "This is my duty as a minister."

Emperor Yongjin sat on the dragon chair and said leisurely, "Why are you all so lifeless? You are all ministers of the Great Zhou. Come, drink with me."

Du Zhiyun raised his hand and took the lead in toasting Huan Jie, saying, "I'll toast to the general first."

Emperor Yongjin nodded approvingly.

Huan Jie immediately stood up, bowed to Du Zhiyun in return of courtesy, and drank the wine in the cup in one gulp.

As the glasses clinked, everyone looked very happy. Chu Shizhao also joined in the toasting. However, he did not talk about government affairs or the war, and he did not want to mention the great victory in the siege of Chang'an to elevate himself.

In this matter, there is no need for Chu Shizhao to seek a sense of existence.

A crisis like the Siege of Chang'an itself is not suitable to be put on the table.

Because the more such things were said, the more they belittled the incompetence of the ministers, and the more they implied that the military of the Great Zhou Dynasty was lax, and that the Emperor Yongjin did not have the ability to govern the world, which led to such a disaster.

Just when all the wise men were enjoying the victory of the war, Chu Shixu from the East Palace finally spoke.

"Father." Chu Shixu suddenly walked to the center of the hall, revealing a tearful and resentful look, "Your son wants to ask for your permission."

Emperor Yongjin was quite displeased. His opening remarks had already set the tone for the banquet. He just wanted to hold a simple welcoming ceremony and did not want to create any unnecessary complications.

"Speak." Emperor Yongjin spoke calmly.

"I want to be enfeoffed anywhere in the north." Chu Shixu said his 'idea', "My Chu family won the world with bows and horses, but now we are being bullied by the Xiongnu and they are invading our capital. I think it is because the border troops are not strong enough. If I can guard the border for my father, I will definitely make it difficult for them to enter the country."

Emperor Yongjin narrowed his eyes.

"You want me to release the fourth son to a fiefdom?" Emperor Yongjin revealed Chu Shixu's thoughts in one sentence.

Chu Shixu didn't expect that his father didn't leave any foundation at all.

You should know that Emperor Yongjin likes to be a riddler the most. He has ideas, thoughts, and attitudes, but he will never say them out loud. He will only express his attitude in his own way, allowing others to guess.

So Chu Shixu listened to the opinions of some officials of the Eastern Palace and thought that it was not a good idea to always let Chu Shizhao stay in Chang'an.

I need to ask around and test my father's attitude to see if I can find a way to get him to send Chu Shizhao away to be a vassal king.

Moreover, it was impossible for Chu Shixu to directly say that he wanted the Prince of Jin to go out and establish a fiefdom. He was taking advantage of the banquet to say this as a tactful way of expressing his stance.

It seemed that Chu Shixu told his father that he wanted to be enfeoffed, but in fact he was reminding his father that it was time to let a capable member of the royal family like the Prince of Jin be enfeoffed.

But Emperor Yongjin was very dissatisfied. What was going on?

This is forcing the emperor to abdicate. This is teaching him, his father, how to do things. He wants Chu Shizhao to become a vassal, and that is what it means for you, the eldest son of the Eastern Palace, to express such an attitude.

Do you want to rebel?
"I dare not." Chu Shixu would naturally not deny it and expressed his true attitude.

He put on a good show, showing that he truly wanted to contribute to the Great Zhou Dynasty.

"I have devoted my whole heart to the country and the public. I want to be a vassal." Chu Shixu said sincerely, "Father, you have wronged me for my loyalty."

Chu Shizhao on the other side thought for a moment, walked out of the hall, bowed to the Yongjin Emperor and said, "I am willing to serve as a vassal."

"The world is in turmoil right now. Father has the ambition to govern the world, and I am determined to help the world. If Father is willing, I am willing to defend the country for him and the country."

Chu Shizhao really didn't care whether he became a vassal or not. In fact, becoming a vassal was a good thing for him as he could go and pick up his wife in Jinyang.

Moreover, if Chu Shizhao stayed in Chang'an, he had no choice but to launch a coup d'état. Sooner or later, he would get rid of all his brothers.

It would be better to let my brother die in Chang'an!
After they have committed all the suicides, Chu Shizhao in Jinyang will fight back to Chang'an and recapture the capital. Not only will he have the legitimate reason, but he will also not have to bear the blame for murdering his brother.

This sentence, on the contrary, shocked Chu Shixu. Doesn't Chu Shizhao know the disadvantages of becoming a vassal?
Once you become a vassal, it would be very difficult, almost impossible, to return to Chang'an.

After all, Chang'an is the center, and the resources of the entire Zhou Dynasty are also in Chang'an. If you leave Chang'an and want to use another place to return to Chang'an, it means that one place is against the entire center and the entire world.

Becoming a vassal would mean a dead end, and no prince would think of becoming a vassal, as it would be tantamount to giving up the throne.

Chu Shixu wanted to retreat in order to advance and buy himself an opportunity, but he didn't expect that Chu Shizhao really wanted to become a vassal and had no selfish motives at all.

Seeing the attitudes of his two sons, Emperor Yongjin felt tired at this time.

He saw through the eldest son of the Eastern Palace's plot against Chu Shizhao, and he also saw that Chu Shizhao's attitude towards becoming a vassal was real.

Because Chu Shizhao has expressed his desire to become a vassal more than once.

How could Emperor Yongjin not be heartbroken by such a contrast?
(End of this chapter)