We have fought to the Arctic Circle, and you want me to inherit the throne?

Not only Qin Huizhi couldn't figure it out, even Huang Jin, who was with Emperor Qing all day, couldn't figure it out.

Huang Jin believes that he is the person who knows His Majesty best.

In his opinion, Emperor Qing was a completely emotionless political machine, like an immortal or Buddha looking down on humanity from above.

Only when facing the princes would he reveal some human emotions.

But as the princes grew up, they gradually developed their own ideas and ambitions, and this feeling gradually disappeared.

When the Sixth Prince hit his head against a pillar and the imperial physician pronounced his death, Your Majesty could not be said to be very sad.

This was the first time Huang Jin had seen emotion on His Majesty's face in the past few months.

Fearing that they would stare for too long and displease the emperor, Qin Huizhi and Huang Jin both withdrew their gazes.

Qin Huizhi continued to flip through the book in his hand.

It is more like a surrender than a letter of peace.

Yelu Dahe's cautious words and humble attitude opened the eyes of Qin Huizhi, the Minister of Rites.

Compared to the King of Goryeo who was beaten up by King Bong before, he was even more humble and almost knelt on the ground and sang "Conquer".

While flipping through the book, Qin Huizhi suddenly thought of something and his eyes lit up.

At this time, only the last paragraph of the letter from home in Emperor Qing's hand was left.

Emperor Qing picked up the teacup beside him and drank the cold tea in one gulp.

Somehow, I felt a little lost and felt like I hadn't wanted enough.

But he quickly adjusted himself and looked at the last paragraph:

[Your Majesty is busy with state affairs every day, but I still hope that you can take time out of your busy schedule to rest, strengthen your body, and take care of your health.

Although I am in Fengguo, I miss my father all the time in my heart.

I often dream of returning to the capital, and dream of leading hawks and driving dogs with my father, chasing rabbits in the hunting ground.

I know that these are all childhood memories, but they are the most precious treasures in my heart.

I only hope that one day, I can return to the capital, reunite with my father, and share the joy of family.

I, your son, kowtow once again and wish your father good health and prosperity for the Daqing period.

Your son, Li Che, bows again.]

"call--"

Emperor Qing put down the letter in his hand with a complicated expression.

Father and son hunting together? It seems so.

At that time, Li Che's mother had not yet passed away and was quite favored.

Li Che is also still young, with a delicate and pretty face, like a well-behaved girl.

At that time, I had just unified the country and ascended the throne, and was not yet bound by power.

The father and son once rode a horse together, chasing rabbits in the royal hunting ground, laughing and chatting all the way, enjoying the family happiness.

Even Emperor Qing himself had forgotten this memory, but unexpectedly, Old Six, who was only a few years old at the time, still remembered it.

Thinking of that dusty memory, a picture suddenly flashed through my mind:

"If there is an afterlife, I would rather be a farmer than the son of an emperor!"

Li Che's eyes were red, and he ran with all his strength, slamming his head hard into the hard vermilion pillar.

Emperor Qing suddenly felt a pain in his heart.

At that time, Lao Liu must have been really desperate, and must have been very disappointed with me as his father.

He leaned back in his seat, closed his eyes, and looked like a lifeless statue.

An unknown amount of time had passed before Qin Huizhi and Huang Jin didn't dare to disturb them, as their legs were numb from standing.

Emperor Qing slowly opened his eyes, and his expression returned to an emotionless state.

"finish watching?"

Qin Huizhi trembled and quickly replied, "Your Majesty, I have finished reading it."

"Tell me, what do you think?"

Qin Huizhi said without hesitation:

"The military fortunes of the King of Feng are flourishing, and the prestige of our country is enhanced. This is a holy king sent by heaven to celebrate our great celebration. I congratulate His Majesty, for the great celebration, and for His Highness the King of Feng!"

Qin Huizhi knew very well that all power in the current court came from the emperor, and that pleasing His Majesty was the way to get promoted.

So after he impeached Li Che and was demoted, he never tried to trip Li Che up again.

Because he knew that His Majesty still favored the vassal kings.

Since this is the case, and Li Che has made great military achievements, it would definitely be right for me to flatter him more.

Unexpectedly, Emperor Qing waved his hand impatiently: "What I want to ask you is, what do you think of Yelu Dahe's words?"

Qin Huizhi was slightly stunned. His Majesty's attitude was different from what he had imagined.

Yelu Dahe expressed three views in his book:

One is to express grievances.

Why did you, the Emperor of Daqing, let your son beat me? You didn't beat me yourself back then, so why did you send a junior to beat me?

The second is to show fear.

Your Majesty, your son is too powerful, and black gunpowder is too powerful. Only 40,000 men defeated 140,000 Khitan wolf cavalry and made them flee in panic.

But did you know that your son is so talented that he is almost surpassing you?

The third is to ask for forgiveness.

We Khitans surrender. Don't let your son beat us anymore.

Besides, your son is getting more and more violent. Once he beats us down, will you still be able to control him?

Although he has been begging for mercy, in fact, every word he says is full of evil intentions and he has been trying to sow discord.

Qin Huizhi was a smart man, so he naturally saw through Yelu Daha's intention.

Could it be that Yelu Dahe's words really made Your Majesty suspicious of Prince Feng?

That's great! This Prince Feng isn't very friendly to the aristocratic families. Bringing him down would be very beneficial to me and my family!

Thinking of this, Qin Huizhi cautiously probed:

"The Khitan were the first to invade Feng State territory, so they were wrong. The King of Feng State has a legitimate reason to attack."

“However, the Khitans have a friendly agreement with Your Majesty and have not invaded our territory in recent years.

If His Royal Highness Prince Feng persists, it will inevitably affect the diplomatic relations between the two countries and make other neighboring countries fear Daqing. Moreover..."

Qin Huizhi raised his head and glanced at Emperor Qing cautiously. Seeing that his expression remained unchanged, he had no choice but to continue speaking.

"Besides, isn't His Royal Highness Feng Wang's martial virtue a little too abundant?"

"A mere 40,000-man army was able to defeat the Khitan wolves, who were always known for their invincibility, and leave them in disarray. This elite force is capable of destroying a nation.

Your Majesty enfeoffed the princes so that they could guard the borders and protect the peace of Daqing.

However, if the feudal lords grow stronger, the constraints imposed by the direct rule of Kyoto will become weaker and weaker. If this continues, I'm afraid it will not be a good thing."

This was a very bold statement, and even had a subtle tone of advice.

You know, Prince Daqing's national policy of guarding the border has always been opposed by the aristocratic families and court officials.

It is true that giving the princes real power and guarding important border areas consolidated the imperial power.

When Emperor Qing was still on the throne, the princes naturally did not dare to rebel, but what if Emperor Qing was gone and the successor was weak?

However, Qin Huizhi was not a loyal minister after all, and he said these things for the benefit of his own class.

After just saying that, he stood there waiting and didn't express his opinion anymore.

Emperor Qing raised his head and looked at him with a half-smile in his eyes: "Khitan, when did you become worthy of being called a country?"

Qin Huizhi was shocked and quickly knelt down to admit his mistake: "Your Majesty, please forgive me. It was a slip of the tongue!"

Emperor Qing ignored him and continued:

"The Khitans are just a large tribe and have no right to make demands on me!

Yelu Daha is still dreaming of restoring the Liao Kingdom and proclaiming himself the Khan of the Liao Kingdom in his own territory. Does he really think that I don’t know?

How the Sixth Brother treats the Khitan is their own business. I will never support a foreign race and put pressure on my own son."

Emperor Qing pointed at Qin Huizhi with a mocking expression, "I will not grant Yelu Dahe's request! I won't even see that envoy. They're not a vassal of Daqing, so they don't deserve to see the emperor."

"Yes, I'll send him away right away." Qin Huizhi stood up and was about to leave.

"Wait!" Emperor Qing stopped him, "Tell him to stop sowing discord and keep a low profile. No one wants to attack him, the Khitan."

"If you provoke Daqing again, even if Lao Liu doesn't take action, I will send troops to destroy their country and destroy their ancestral temples!"

Seeing Emperor Qing's tough attitude, Qin Huizhi couldn't help but smile bitterly.

Yelu Dahe is getting old and confused. He is pretending to be stupid and obedient to Your Majesty. How can Your Majesty not see through his mere counter-espionage plot?

Have you forgotten that Your Majesty was once a powerful emperor on horseback? A fierce man who rose from Longxi, defeated all the rebel kings along the way, and personally seized the throne?

"Your Majesty, won't you reply to this letter?" Qin Huizhi asked in a low voice.

Emperor Qing glanced at the book and suddenly became interested. He waved to Huang Jin, who was standing beside him, and said, "Go back! You must go back! Bring me some writing brush and ink!"

After taking the paper and pen, Emperor Qing thought for a moment, then wrote down a few large characters in a flamboyant style.

Then he threw it in front of Qin Huizhi and sneered, "Send it to the envoy and tell him that this is my reply!"

Qin Huizhi quickly bent down to pick up the paper on the ground. The moment his eyes fell on the paper, his head suddenly buzzed.

But there were eight big characters written on the paper:

Beyond the mountains and seas, everything is Fengtu!

Emperor Qing looked at the book with a sarcastic sneer on his face.

Do you want to sow discord between me and my son?

Are you worthy?

All under heaven belongs to the king. Your land was originally mine, but I looked down on it, so I let you occupy it temporarily.

Now that my son wants it, let him take it. If you can’t keep it, then die!

This is my answer to you!

Qin Huizhi was shocked by Emperor Qing's domineering reply. He paused for several seconds before respectfully picking up the paper.

"I understand. I'll go right away."

After saying this, he bowed and took his leave, then hurried out of the palace.

After Qin Huizhi left, Emperor Qing sat upright behind the desk.

He took the three letters and read them over and over again, his expression sometimes solemn, sometimes happy.

Finally, as if he had made up his mind, he slowly said to Huang Jin beside him:

"Issue an order to all the princes: on New Year's Day this year, all the princes must go to the capital. I want to stay up with them to celebrate the New Year."

Huang Jin was surprised and said, "Didn't His Majesty just order that they are not allowed to enter the capital for this year's birthday and are not allowed to send gifts?"

I can’t come back for my birthday, but I can come back for the Chinese New Year?

The prince's visit to the capital was a big deal, so Huang Jin had to be cautious, fearing that he might misunderstand him.

"Yes." Emperor Qing sighed, "But what Qin Huizhi just said is right. The power of the princes is too great. If we don't give them a good beating..."

Emperor Qing stopped talking halfway, so Huang Jin naturally didn't dare to ask.

"Tell them that on their journey to the capital, they must not be extravagant, disturb the people, or alarm the authorities."

"You must not mobilize a large army, and your followers must not exceed three hundred swords."

“Don’t waste money and labor by offering extravagant things.”

"Remember?"

Huang Jin quickly bowed and said, "I'll remember this."

"Yes." Emperor Qing nodded, pointing to the peace letter and battle report on the table, "Put these two books away. I will have all the officials circulate them at court tomorrow, so they can see the demeanor of the King of Daqing."

"Yes."

After Huang Jin left, Emperor Qing slowly took out the black gunpowder formula from his sleeve and spread it out on the table.

"75% saltpeter, 15% charcoal, 10% sulfur, and a small amount of rusty iron flakes..."

"How powerful can such a simple formula be?"

Emperor Qing's curiosity was aroused and he couldn't control himself.

He shouted to the eunuch at the door, "Go to the Ministry of Works and get me some saltpeter, charcoal, and sulfur. I need them!"

About half an hour later.

Suddenly, a loud roar was heard in the imperial garden in the backyard of the palace, attracting countless palace maids and eunuchs to look in horror.

"Your Majesty is still inside!" a eunuch screamed.

Everyone suddenly panicked.

Dozens of figures fell from the sky. They were actually the Jinyiwei lurking in various places in the palace. They broke into the imperial garden from all directions.

However, before the Jinyiwei could enter.

A figure, wearing a pitch-black dragon robe with holes in it, slowly walked out of the imperial garden. Two white eyes appeared on his black face.

"Hahaha! It really is a magical weapon, it can actually blow up the rockery!"

"But this Sixth Brother is really not a human being. He only told me the proportions, but he didn't tell me the weight!"

"This rebellious son, it's a good thing I ran fast!"