Your Majesty, please beg for mercy. The prince's rebellion was successful.

All the ministers left the court, and Emperor Tianjing left only Chen Duo.

The huge hall suddenly became empty.

Emperor Tianjing slowly stood up from the dragon throne, then walked down the dragon steps and slowly walked towards Chen Duo.

His pace was slow, but Chen Duo's heartbeat kept accelerating.

Since ancient times, there has never been a king like this.

Chen Duo didn’t know what Emperor Tianjing would do, but he still knelt down obediently in front of him.

"My dear, there is no need to be so polite."

Emperor Tianjing smiled, stopped beside Chen Duo, and actually bent down to help Chen Duo up.

Those cloudy eyes were also filled with a glimmer of light at this moment.

The Chen Duo in front of him was not only the Minister of Rites appointed by him, but also a capable person who had turned the tide many times.

The more he looked at Chen Duo, the more he liked him.

In today's Great Zhou, it seems that all the officials in the court are afraid of death, but Emperor Tianjing is neither old and blind, nor is he stupid and incompetent.

In the past, all the talented people who followed him had already been cleared out by Zhou Zheng, and those who were left could only hold on for a moment.

Almost all the officials in the court were unworthy of their positions. As for Gong Tan, Mu Yun, Sima Cheng and others who followed Zhou Zheng, they would follow him to the death and would not be loyal to him at all.

Looking around the court, there is no one available.

This is what Emperor Tianjing is most worried about.

From the prime minister to the chief official, no one is capable of taking on the important task.

The most important thing is that these people are a bunch of snakes and rats, have no ambition, are opportunistic, and are afraid of death.

In their eyes, they only care about their own petty gains, immediate comfort and short-term benefits. Where is the court, where is Emperor Tianjing, where is the future of the Great Zhou? !

It was these people who caused Emperor Tianjing a lot of headaches and fatigue, and even made the situation that he had finally controlled almost go to a point of no return.

But I just can’t pay them back.

The more this is the case, the greater Chen Duo's importance becomes.

"I am very pleased with your words today."

"From now on, whatever you need, I will satisfy you."

Emperor Tianjing slapped Chen Duo's shoulder heavily with his hand. He didn't say much nonsense, but his words were very meaningful. Although Chen Duo was prepared, he couldn't help but feel shocked at this moment.

He immediately knelt down again, bursting into tears of gratitude.

Since ancient times, a gentleman will die for his confidant!

In Chen Duo's opinion, the current Emperor Tianjing really values ​​him and trusts him.

As long as he wins this decisive battle, Chen Duo will be able to make a big leap forward and achieve supreme glory from then on.

Erect a monument and a statue, and your fame will last forever!

The most important thing is that the trust between the monarch and his subjects is very likely to become a good story in the future.

"My dear, what do you think will be the relationship between the ancient family and the imperial court after this victory?"

Suddenly, Emperor Tianjing asked this question out of the blue.

As soon as these words were spoken, Chen Duo broke out in a cold sweat and immediately knelt on the ground, not daring to look up.

Neither the imperial court nor the five ancient aristocratic families are people that Chen Duo can afford to offend.

How dare he evaluate the relationship between the two?

"If you want to be loyal to the world, you need courage to be brave to the world."

"Today, no matter what you say, it will only be known to the two of you, the king and his subject. No one else will know."

"I forgive you for being innocent!"

Emperor Tianjing was not surprised by Chen Duo's reaction.

He still asked in a nonchalant manner, but this time there was a hint of fluorescence in Emperor Tianjing's eyes.

As an emperor who ascended the throne twice, he may seem old and frail, but he is by no means an ordinary person.

How can ordinary people compare to Emperor Tianjing's methods? !

He had already seen that Chen Duo was not an ordinary person, and he also knew that Chen Duo was talented, capable, and even wise.

But what he wants is not cleverness, but great wisdom.

What he wants is great wisdom that will always stand on his side.

So, Emperor Tianjing gave this answer.

What he wanted to hear was whether Chen Duo would stand on the side of the imperial court or on the side of the five ancient families!

And this choice will determine whether Chen Duo lives or dies after the decisive battle!

Tick ​​tock, tick tock, tick tock!

Beads of sweat the size of beans couldn't help but drip down Chen Duo's forehead, and could be clearly heard inside the hall.

But Emperor Tianjing pretended not to hear it, and Chen Duo didn't dare to wipe it.

"This decisive battle..."

"If the imperial court wins a tragic victory, Your Majesty will become a puppet in the future."

Finally, Chen Duo looked up.

His voice was a little hoarse, his eyes were a little red, and even his voice was shaking slightly.

But his eyes were not dazed, nor did he evade. Instead, he stared straight at Emperor Tianjing.

"puppet?!"

"Isn't it a good thing to have the five ancient families supporting you?"

Emperor Tianjing looked down from above, his dragon brows slightly wrinkled, and his pupils suddenly shrank to the size of pinholes.

His voice was also lowered a little, and even had a hint of coldness!

"Or are you trying to sow discord between the five ancient noble families and the imperial court?! Between you and me?!"

This time, Emperor Tianjing's voice was much louder.

This kind of cold shout, lingering in the empty hall, made people shudder.

"Your Majesty, I will only follow Your Majesty in this life!"

"So, sir, I speak from the bottom of my heart!"

Taking a deep breath of cold air into his chest, Chen Duo knew that if he had any hesitation or indecision at this moment, death would be waiting for him!

He has no choice!

Between the ancient family and Emperor Tianjing, he can only choose Emperor Tianjing!

If he chooses Emperor Tianjing, he may die at the hands of the ancient family in the future.

If he had chosen the ancient family, he would have died at the hands of Emperor Tianjing by now.

He naturally knows what is more important.

As expected, this answer brought a hint of gentleness and satisfaction to Emperor Tianjing's face.

"Go on."

Emperor Tianjing gave in.

"I want to recruit King Zhou Yong, win the hearts of the people, and help Your Majesty leave a legacy of benevolence in the minds of the people."

"The purpose is to preserve the power of the court."

"It is to allow the court, His Majesty, and the five great ancient families to have something to talk about."

Having said that, Chen Duo has nothing to hide.

"What the five ancient noble families value most is value."

"Only if the court has enough value and Your Majesty has enough power, will there be a chance to talk to the five ancient families."

Chen Duo gritted his teeth and spoke word by word.

What he said was correct, but Emperor Tianjing shook his head.

After all, he is just an official that I have just promoted. No matter how talented you are, it will be useless.

Because Emperor Tianjing knew that Chen Duo did not know the true strength of the five ancient families, otherwise he would not have said such arrogant words.

Not to mention that the Great Zhou is now in tatters, even at its peak, it did not have the opportunity to have an equal dialogue with the five great ancient families.

However, this is not important.

The important thing is that Emperor Tianjing got the answer he wanted.

He knew that from now on, Chen Duo would truly stand on his side.

But Emperor Tianjing was still curious.

"I want to know, what kind of relationship do you think I want to maintain with the five ancient families?!"

......