Princess Promotion

At this time, Lord Xiao did not know that the person standing behind him, exuding a strong sense of resentment, was Fu Hongxuan.

Yao Chuguang smiled and said, "Don't be nervous, Mr. Xiao. I heard that Mr. Zhang and you are close friends."

Elder Xiao was stunned and didn't know why Yao Chuguang suddenly mentioned Zhang Huaijin, but when he heard Yao Chuguang say that he and the man surnamed Zhang were close friends, he was shocked.

Xiao Ge Lao chuckled and said, "Not really. Mr. Zhang and I are just acquaintances."

This conscienceless guy clearly knew that he and Zhang Huaijin were at odds. If he wanted to gain a high position in the officialdom, he would have many political enemies.

Zhang Huaijin came from a prominent family with generations of scholars and officials. Compared with the Xiao family, it can be said that each has its own strengths and weaknesses.

There was no conflict between Lord Xiao and Zhang Huaijin himself, they just had different political views.

Although Lord Xiao and Zhang Huaijin have little interaction in private, the people who know you best are often your enemies.

They had served in the same court for many years, so how could Lord Xiao not know what kind of person Zhang Huaijin was?

Zhang Huaijin was famous for his talent when he was young. He was arrogant because of his fame at a young age. To put it bluntly, he was stubborn. Others would not turn back until they hit the wall, but he would not turn back even if he hit the wall.

Ever since Yao Chuguang ascended the throne, Zhang Huaijin began to claim illness and stayed in his residence, refusing to attend court.

But Lord Xiao knew that this old man just looked down on Yao Chuguang.

I feel that Yao Chuguang was just a little girl who stole the country with the help of a few soldiers.

It is easy to conquer an empire but difficult to maintain it. Zhang Huaijin does not think that Yao Chuguang can sit firmly on the throne.

It is estimated that Qi will be in chaos soon, and then the Emperor of Qi or King Rui and King Kang will counterattack.

Who among them is not more capable and knowledgeable than this little girl? The throne is not yours just by sitting on it.

It is not uncommon for someone to sit on the throne today and someone else to sit on it tomorrow.

If Zhang Huaijin defected to Yao Chuguang at this time, then when a new emperor came to the throne in a few days, wouldn't he be seen as a fence-sitter in the eyes of the emperor?

By then, his career would probably have come to an end, and he would no longer be likely to be reused.

Zhang Huaijin pretended to be ill and avoided the situation for a while.

If Yao Chuguang falls, this will be his token of allegiance to the new emperor. You see, when Yao Chuguang ascended the throne, I disdained to work with him. You are the majesty that I recognize.

On the contrary, Yao Chuguang sat firmly on the throne, which means he was ill a while ago and is now well enough to attend court.

If it were any other emperor, they would more or less give him some face because he is an old minister who has devoted himself to the court for so many years. Even if they knew that he was pretending to be sick, they would turn a blind eye.

As a result, Yao Chuguang ignored it and directly stripped Zhang Huaijin of his official position.

This is not because Yao Chuguang needled Zhang Huaijin, but at that time there were indeed many officials who had the same wait-and-see attitude as Zhang Huaijin.

But Yao Chuguang could only indulge him and directly sent the imperial physician to take his pulse. If he was really sick, he would rest, and if he pretended to be sick, he would be dismissed from office.

What's even more outrageous is that in order to prevent people from deliberately catching a cold and feigning illness at home, Yao Chuguang directly asked the imperial physician to make a judgment. Those who could not be cured and needed rest were allowed to retire and return home.

After this series of operations, some officials who wanted to wait and see completely gave up the idea of being fence-sitters.

If others were dismissed from office, they would probably have to accept their fate, but Xiao Ge Lao knew Zhang Huaijin, and he would definitely not be willing to leave the court in such a disgrace.

Now that Yao Chuguang suddenly mentioned Zhang Huaijin, Lord Xiao had a bad feeling in his heart.

Yao Chuguang tilted his head and said, "So Lord Xiao and Lord Zhang are not friends! But that's not important anymore."

Lord Xiao: It’s not important, but you keep bringing it up!

Yao Chuguang raised a half-smile at the corner of his mouth. "I won't keep you in suspense. I hope Lord Xiao can send Lord Zhang off on his last journey on my behalf."

After hearing this, Lord Xiao was shocked.

Elder Xiao asked hesitantly, "Your Majesty, Zhang Huaijin...Hasn't Zhang Huaijin already retired and returned home?"

Yao Chuguang said in a cold voice, "Old fox, is it really possible that Zhang Huaijin will just retire?"

Elder Xiao asked cautiously, "What did Zhang Huaijin do?"

Yao Chuguang was silent for a moment before he slowly spoke, "Do you know why I spared the Emperor?"

Elder Xiao asked cautiously, "Will it harm the harmony of nature?"

Yao Chuguang looked at Lord Xiao expressionlessly. Needless to say, Lord Xiao knew that this was not the reason.

Yao Chuguang: "To fish for fish, anyone who is dissatisfied with me and wants to rebel will find a name for themselves, but they can't surpass the emperor."

Elder Xiao understood instantly that if anyone wanted to rebel, usurp the throne or overthrow Yao Chuguang, they could not get around the retired emperor.

Then these people must try their best to get in touch with the emperor, who is the bait thrown by Yao Chuguang.

Zhang Huaijin bribed Eunuch Wei's apprentice. When Eunuch Wei was killed by Yao Chuguang, his apprentice naturally hated Yao Chuguang.

Zhang Huaijin thought that Eunuch Wei's apprentice was definitely not Yao Chuguang's man, so he asked Eunuch Wei's apprentice to pass the message to the emperor without any worries.

But the truth is that all the people bribed by Zhang Huaijin were baits arranged in advance by Yao Chuguang.

Eunuch Wei had long since died and fled to travel around, enjoying the beauty of nature, and Eunuch Wei was naturally Yao Chuguang's man.

He just pretended to be unable to take revenge on his master who had been killed.

Elder Xiao knew that when Yao Chuguang mentioned Zhang Huaijin again, things had reached an irreversible point.

Although Elder Xiao was filled with regret, he also knew that Yao Chuguang's decision was made and could not be changed.

He could only sigh helplessly and ask, "Your Majesty, besides asking me to see Zhang Huaijin off for the last time, is there anything else you need me to do?"

Elder Xiao had been fighting with Zhang Huaijin for so many years, and he still felt a little disappointed when he saw that he was about to be sent away.

Elder Xiao knew that Yao Chuguang couldn't have simply asked him to make this trip. Yao Chuguang was not the kind of person who would be sad about the passing of time, and he had never done anything unnecessary.

Yao Chuguang did not hide it: "After Zhang Huaijin's death, you can help take a look at his disciples. If there are any good ones, keep them and use them for your own benefit."

Elder Xiao asked hesitantly, "What if these disciples hold a grudge against Your Majesty?"

Yao Chuguang said indifferently, "If he's just talking nonsense, then leave him alone. If he has any ulterior motives, then tell me and I'll handle it myself without getting your hands dirty."

Lord Xiao exclaimed that it was a great thing, and it was making the best use of it.

He and Zhang Huaijin are political enemies, so there are only two types of people who can join his camp.

One is that he has no loyalty to Zhang Huaijin at all, and follows Zhang Huaijin only for his own career.

The other option is to be loyal to Zhang Huaijin, work under him, and wait for the opportunity to stab Xiao Ge Lao in the back.

But no matter which type of disciple they are, they will only think that Zhang Huaijin fell because of Lord Xiao.

They fought in the court for so many years, and in the end Zhang Huaijin died at the hands of Lord Xiao.

Now that Zhang Huaijin is dead, Lord Xiao has swallowed up his power.

If anyone were to tell others that Zhang Huaijin's death had nothing to do with Lord Xiao, no one would believe it.

If Lord Xiao was not involved, he himself would not believe that there was no connection between the two.

Lord Xiao knew that if he went, he would be responsible for Zhang Huaijin's death, and he had no choice.

Since Lord Xiao had obtained Zhang Huaijin's power, he naturally had to take the blame for Yao Chuguang.

If you want something, you have to pay a price.

The court is full of intrigue and struggle for power. If it was Zhang Huaijin standing here today, he would not let me go.

The power field is a life-and-death struggle.

Since Lord Xiao has made his choice, there is no reason to hesitate.

Looking at the receding back of Master Xiao, Fu Hongxuan took off the mask on his face, frowned, and did not speak for a long time. His eyes stayed on Yao Chuguang's face, not knowing what he wanted to see from her face.

Yao Chuguang felt a little guilty when she was looked at. He wasn't going to beat her up, was he?

Yao Chuguang asked anxiously, "Just say whatever you want to say!"

What's the point of staring at me like that without saying anything? Do you think there are cameras rotating 360 degrees around the Taiwanese idol?

But when I think about it this way, I feel that some of the scenes in the TV series I watched before can only survive in TV series.

In real life, even if the person staring at you is a handsome guy, it’s still embarrassing!

Fu Hongxuan's eyes deepened: "So you trust Elder Xiao more than me?"

They both gave up their power, but they were wary of him again and again, while Lord Xiao was not wary of him at all, and he didn't even say a harsh word.

Yao Chuguang really couldn't understand what was happening for a moment. At this moment, a handsome man and a beautiful woman were alone on the street.

The man asked the woman why she trusted others more than him!

From the scene and tone Yao Chuguang felt, it was obvious that the man was jealous.

But Yao Chuguang felt that no matter how inferior Fu Hongxuan was, he would not think that he was inferior to Xiao Ge Lao, an old man with one foot in the ground.

Then this is not an emotional issue. If it is not an emotional issue, then it is a question of interests.

But Yao Chuguang was even more confused.

Fu Hongxuan sneered, "You don't trust me at all."

Yao Chuguang was puzzled and asked, "Are you crazy, or am I crazy?"

A hint of almost invisible anger flashed in Fu Hongxuan's eyes. Yao Chuguang actually scolded him!

Yao Chuguang looked at Fu Hongxuan and said, "Fu Hongxuan, do you think you are just wandering around the back mountain with a few pigs? That's a full 100,000 soldiers and horses."

"You're right. I'm on guard against you, and I'm on guard to the core. If you dare to act rashly outside, don't blame me for turning my back on you."

Fu Hongxuan became furious as he listened to Yao Chuguang's constant calls for caution.

Li Sheng said: "Yao Chuguang, you always doubt and scheme against me. If that's the case, why do you want me to come back?"

Yao Chuguang: "If I didn't trust you, I wouldn't let you lead the troops to fight, but how can you prove that you can do it without betraying me?"

Fu Hongxuan: "So you attacked me ruthlessly because of suspicion!"

Yao Chuguang touched her head which hurt from the noise, and she finally understood why Fu Hongxuan had such a good hand but ended up in this situation today.

This guy really only knows how to lead troops in battle. He is so bad at political struggle in the court that he doesn't even have any sense.

Being able to hold on for so many years, it seems that his ability to lead troops and fight is indeed strong, otherwise he would not have been able to climb to such a high position.

Yao Chuguang took a deep breath and said calmly: "I do this for your own good!"

Fu Hongxuan was shocked by Yao Chuguang's shamelessness.

Yao Chuguang continued, "I don't deny that I chose you not because of trust, but because I had to."

It is not easy to build human trust. As an emperor, Yao Chuguang is destined to not be able to trust anyone wholeheartedly.

Because behind every trust of the emperor are thousands of lives, Yao Chuguang cannot afford to lose and must not lose.

Yao Chuguang: "War is not a matter of one person. Fu Hongxuan, no matter how strong you are, and no matter how invincible the army you lead is, you cannot resist human nature."

"I believe you won't betray Qi not because of anything else, but because I believe you are a person who cares about the people of the world."

"But just because you can do it, does that mean everyone can do it? How can you ensure that the brothers who go to war with you won't be blinded by the desire for power?"

"How can you guarantee that they won't be tempted by the high positions and generous salaries promised by the Western Territory and Yan State? Even if they aren't tempted, their families won't be either, and they'll eventually compromise for their families."

This is just like many officials who were actually good and honest officials at the beginning, but were eventually dragged into trouble because of their families.

Fu Hongxuan knew that Yao Chuguang was not exaggerating.

Fu Hongxuan stayed not only for the peace of the world, but also for the brothers who had been through thick and thin with him for many years.

Everyone has selfish desires, even Fu Hongxuan cannot avoid it.

If he does not come back to take on the important task, the years of military merit and hard work of the generals who once followed him in bloody battles will be in vain.

They have no way to make a living for the rest of their lives.

This is also a reality. No general of Qi would abandon his brother who had been through thick and thin with him and promote someone else who was once a general of the enemy country.

This is also the reason why Yao Chuguang chose Fu Hongxuan. Only Fu Hongxuan, the former general of the Western Zhou Dynasty, would truly surrender.

If a general from Qi were to go instead, no matter who the general of the Western Zhou Dynasty was, he would feel that the general of Qi would definitely be biased towards the soldiers of Qi.

Unstable military morale is a taboo on the battlefield. This is why Yao Chuguang went to so much trouble and went against all odds to make Fu Hongxuan the commander-in-chief.

But if Fu Hongxuan becomes the commander-in-chief, Yao Chuguang will face another risk: the people's hearts are too united.

Fu Hongxuan may not have the idea of rebellion, but no one can guarantee whether his subordinates will be smart enough to make decisions for Fu Hongxuan.

For example, although Fu Hongxuan clearly did not issue any orders, his subordinates directly led a group of troops back to stab the Qi army. They were stabbed before the battle, and no one believed that Fu Hongxuan did not rebel.

If Fu Hongxuan came back at this time, he would die. If he didn't come back, he could just defect to the western border and have a chance to survive.

Fu Hongxuan himself is not afraid of coming back to die, but can he bear to bring his brother, who has been through life and death with him for many years, back to die?

At this time, it is not a question of whether Yao Chuguang trusts Fu Hongxuan, but whether Fu Hongxuan trusts Yao Chuguang.

Yao Chuguang looked at Fu Hongxuan and said word by word: "Human nature cannot stand the test."

When the benefits outweigh the risks, many people take a gamble, and few can resist the temptation of power.

Only when the risks outweigh the benefits can we best stop people's greed.

It's like if you go to rob and get caught you'll just be locked up for a night and then be released, but if you're not caught you'll make a fortune without doing anything.

Of these two methods, beheading someone immediately after a robbery, the latter is definitely more likely to lead to a robbery.

Yao Chuguang would rather do things to the extreme from the beginning and bear the stigma of cruelty and inhumanity for the rest of his life than gamble on so-called human nature.