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

Zhu Chun seemed to be in the mood for conversation and drank the wine in his glass in one gulp: "This room full of drunks is not the place to talk. Why don't we go out for a walk?"

Li Che nodded: "I'll go and tell Fourth Brother."

"I'm waiting for you outside."

After saying that, Zhu Chun walked straight out of the private room and went to the corridor to get some fresh air.

Li Che pushed Li Lin beside him. The latter was obviously drunk and could not be woken up no matter what he did.

Until Li Che changed from pushing to pinching, pinching the flesh inside his thigh and rotating it ninety degrees.

"Hiss..." Li Lin sat up with his teeth bared, "What's wrong?"

"Uncle Zhu and I are going out for a walk. Please keep an eye on this place."

Li Lin's eyes were hazy with drunkenness: "With whom?"

"And your father-in-law!"

Li Lin stared blankly: "What are you going to do with my father-in-law?"

"Go for a walk!"

"Oh." Li Lin nodded, looking confused. "What are you going out for?"

Li Che: . . .

"It's okay, go back to sleep."

"okay."

When he came out of the corridor, Zhu Chun was leaning on the railing, staring at the beautiful woman downstairs with lustful eyes.

Li Che couldn't help but suddenly realized.

At this moment, Zhu Chun did not look like the top military official in Daqing, but rather like an ordinary old man from a wealthy family.

Seeing Li Che coming over, Zhu Chun reluctantly withdrew his gaze: "Let's go, let's go upstairs."

Li Che hurried to catch up, but he felt a little uneasy.

You don’t even want to act anymore, and you’re going upstairs now?

Isn’t this a proper place? How can we go upstairs to add projects?

The key point is that it is unhygienic. If you catch a serious disease here, there is no cure. We haven't developed antibiotics yet.

As Li Che walked, he was thinking about how to politely reject Zhu Chun's kindness.

At the end of the corridor is a long staircase. Going up the stairs leads directly to the outside.

The upstairs was originally a deserted platform.

Li Che breathed a sigh of relief, but also felt a little lost.

However, this platform is also very particular. There are no walls on all four sides, and it can only be reached by a staircase.

When you talk here, you don't have to worry about the walls eavesdropping.

It seems that the boss behind Heming Tower is not simple. This place is obviously a place where dignitaries like Zhu Chun discuss confidential matters.

Zhu Chun took Li Che to the end of the platform and looked into the distance.

The scenery of half of East City is in sight.

"Your Majesty has not allowed the princes to enter the capital for several years. The Prince of Qin and the Prince of Jin have requested it many times, but Your Majesty has never agreed."

Zhu Chun withdrew his gaze and looked at Li Che beside him.

"Your Highness the Fourth Prince, do you know why?"

"It would cost a lot for a vassal prince to come to the capital," Li Che pondered for a moment before saying, "Your Majesty is a frugal man, but he doesn't want to waste money and manpower, so why doesn't he allow it?"

"Perhaps." Zhu Chun remained noncommittal. "Then do you know why His Majesty suddenly allowed all the princes to enter the capital this year?"

"My nephew doesn't know." Li Che said honestly.

"This year's New Year celebrations are different from previous ones. In addition to officials from the capital and various local governments, envoys from various ethnic minority regimes and vassal states have come to pay their respects to Your Majesty."

"According to statistics from the Ministry of Rites, the countries that came to pay tribute included nearby Northern Hu, Nanyue, Dali, and Wa, as well as more distant countries such as Fulin, Dashi, and Bipaluo, totaling 127 countries."

Li Che couldn't help but secretly click his tongue: Wow, more than 120 countries came to pay tribute!

You should know that there have only been 195 sovereign states in later generations, and only 48 of them are in Asia.

More than 120 countries came to celebrate the New Year, which shows the status of Daqing in the hearts of neighboring countries. It is simply an ancient version of the United Nations!

Of course, this is not the right way to calculate it. Due to underdeveloped transportation and cultural disunity, the number of countries in ancient times was far greater than that of modern times.

According to the "Six Codes of Tang Dynasty", before the book was completed, there were a total of 300 ethnic groups or countries that had come to the Tang Dynasty to pay tribute!

By the time the "Six Codes of Tang" was compiled, due to wars among various countries, only more than seventy countries remained.

Only a few of them still maintained their independence, while most became vassal states of the Tang Dynasty.

"But there's been no movement from outside the Great Wall. Aside from Silla, which has already agreed to come to pay tribute, neither Khitan nor Goryeo has sent anyone. I wonder what's going on."

Li Che just smiled and said nothing.

Khitan wants to come, but can he come?

All roads leading to the interior were blocked by the Fengtian Army. If Yelu Daha wanted to come to Daqing, he could only cross the mountains and ask the northern Hu for permission to pass through.

The Northern Hu might not necessarily lend him the road, as the relationship between the two countries was not good.

As for Goryeo... they did come, and the king came in person.

Zhu Chun continued, "So many countries have come to congratulate the great celebration. This has far exceeded the expectations of the ministers. The scale of this year's tomorrow's court meeting will surely be unprecedented."

"Your Majesty has ten sons. We have recalled them all this time to show the envoys from other countries that Daqing has successors and that the royal family of Daqing is full of talented people."

Upon hearing this, Li Che couldn't help but secretly criticize.

I was wondering why he suddenly called me back, it turns out that the cheap father wanted to show off his baby.

"I know that you used to be a low-key person. Although you had deep feelings, you never showed them. Even His Majesty and I were mistaken."

"Keeping a low profile is a good thing, but everything is excessive. The situation is different now. If Your Highness wants to compete, you must show your edge!"

"Not only for His Majesty to see, but also for the court officials and those who support you to see."

Li Che nodded, a gleam in his eyes: "Don't worry, Uncle Zhu, I was young before, but now I am strong!"

Keep a low profile?

The previous Sixth Prince was not hiding his strength under a bushel, he was simply stupid and cowardly!

Li Che is different, he is not from Daqing, he is the King of Feng! He is Chinese!

The sacrifices of countless martyrs have allowed us to stand tall for more than seventy years. How could we possibly kneel down again?

Even if you are the emperor, it won’t work, even if you travel through time and space!

Li Che had no intention of bowing down to others. Since he didn't want to kneel, there was only one solution...

Fight! To be! The! Emperor!

Seeing Li Che's aggressive look, Zhu Chun was a little dazed.

In him, one seems to see the shadow of Emperor Qing when he was young.

He smiled slightly and said nothing more, but put his hand on Li Che's shoulder and pressed it hard.

At his position, he really doesn't care who the next monarch of Daqing will be.

Anyway, there is a high probability that he will not see that day.

Although he didn't care, he still hoped to see a successor he liked. After all, Daqing was built from the mess of the previous dynasty by his brothers who sacrificed their lives and blood.

What about the Crown Prince, the King of Qin, the King of Jin...are these flowers that grew up in a greenhouse, spoiled children, worthy of inheriting Daqing?

The two exchanged some thoughts about the court and had a very pleasant conversation.

It was not until the sun was setting that he returned to the private room.

Li Lin has sobered up, and the other nobles have also been tortured to death.

The crowd walked out in disheveled clothes, arm in arm, and looked so unruly that they didn't look like dukes or marquises at all, but more like a group of riotous soldiers.

When we reached the door, the manager of Heminglou personally saw us off: "Gentlemen, are you enjoying your drinks?"

"Ah."

The supervisor handed over a bill: "This is the cost of the drinks..."

Zhu Chun glanced at it sideways, took it casually, and his pupils shrank slightly.

"Okay, I've got this money. Go to the Ten Kings' house tomorrow to get it."

The supervisor's expression changed.

The Mansion of the Tenth Prince...are those two unfamiliar young men actually the two princes?

However, he quickly reacted and said, "I don't know which prince should be credited to it."

The supervisor is not afraid that they will default on their debts because they are all well-known people.

Moreover, the current emperor hates officials who bully the market the most. Although these nobles have done extraordinary things, no one dares to exploit the people under the nose of Emperor Qing.

Zhu Chun snorted, "King Yan."

Li Lin was stunned and looked at Li Che for help.

He couldn't pay the bill, not because he was reluctant to spend the money, but mainly because he couldn't let the Princess of Yan know about this.

Noticing his brother's pleading gaze, Li Che sighed helplessly.

Do you want to treat yourself to a drink and spend your own money?

However, for the sake of fourth brother's family harmony, Li Che could only hold his nose and remember it.

He stepped forward and asked casually, "How much?"

The supervisor did not dare to be careless, knowing that this handsome young man might also be a prince.

He said respectfully, "Including the girls' expenses, the total is five hundred and fifty-one taels."

Take less?

Li Che's eyes suddenly widened like copper bells.

He ate more than five hundred taels of gold. Was it gold or silver?

These damned old killers! There are no good people among them!

With so much money, how many glasswares do I have to sell to earn it back?

Um, it seems like selling one is enough... then it's fine.

Li Che made a painful expression and stuffed the bill back into the supervisor's hands: "Forget it, I'll do it."

Li Lin heaved a sigh of relief upon hearing this and looked at Li Che gratefully.

Sixth brother is so generous!

Li Che said calmly, "Put it on the account of the Prince of Qin. Just go to the Tenth Prince's Palace and ask for it tomorrow."

As soon as these words came out, Li Lin staggered and almost fell.

Then, Li Che added, "Don't count it as 551 taels. Make it an even number, and count it as 600 taels. The extra amount will be divided among the girls."

The supervisor also showed a happy expression and said with a bow, "Your Highness the Prince of Qin is very generous!"