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

Li Che's words were like a bolt from the blue, shocking everyone in the room.

Even Li Lin beside him looked over in surprise and wanted to say something, but he endured it silently.

Li Lin is different from Li Che. He is an ancient prince and his awe for the aristocratic families is deep in his bones.

In his opinion, although what the aristocratic family did was excessive, it would be too impulsive to kill them for that reason.

The aristocratic families are the foundation of the dynasty. If such actions get out of hand, even the emperor himself might not be able to protect the two of them.

But Li Che was speaking up for himself after all, so even though Li Lin felt that it was inappropriate, he still did not object.

The other people from the aristocratic families present were stunned and their faces were full of contempt and ridicule.

Want to kill everyone present? Does he have the guts to do that? We don't believe it!

Ever since the existence of aristocratic families, rulers have suppressed, wooed, and intimidated them...but no one has dared to kill them so brutally!

If King Feng really dares to do this, all the noble families in the world will rise up in rebellion.

After all, the aristocratic families have a transcendent status, are not subject to criminal law, and do not pay taxes. This is a custom that has not changed for thousands of years.

When conventions are implemented for a long time, they become truth. How dare Li Che go against the truth?!

Suddenly, there was a 'thump' sound behind me.

Li Che looked back and saw a middle-aged man in a long robe kneeling on the ground in panic, kowtow again and again.

"Your Highness, have mercy on me, Your Highness, please have mercy on me!"

Li Che looked back and couldn't help grinning.

It’s an old acquaintance, isn’t this Wang Lun?

The official in charge of horse affairs in Yan territory had tried to go against him and was beaten so badly that his mother didn't even recognize him.

Li Che smiled and said, "Wang Lun, did I ever tell you not to provoke me again, or you will surely die?"

"What about you? First, you secretly set up obstacles and refused to sell grain to me. Then, you gathered your servants and retainers to assassinate me in the street. I didn't bother with you. I just killed those servants and spared your life."

"You are so brave that you dare to get involved in treason. Are you afraid that I will chop off your heads because you think you have too many?!"

Wang Lun felt a bitter taste in his mouth and burst into tears: "Your Highness, please understand. This matter has nothing to do with me!"

Wang Yu, the head of the Wang family, saw that Wang Lun was so useless and could not help but angrily scolded him, "Wang Lun, shut up!"

"You are also from my family, why are you so cowardly? What are you afraid of him doing? Does he really dare to kill all of my northern noble families?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Wang Lun suddenly looked up at Wang Yu and roared, "You're the one who shuts up!"

Wang Yu was stunned on the spot.

He never expected that the head of a mere branch of the Wang family, who usually bowed and scraped to him, would dare to refute him in public.

Wang Lun continued to curse, "You old thieves are as stupid as pigs. You used such despicable means to frame the two princes and caused my Wang family to suffer such a disaster. Now that you are about to die, you still dare to be so arrogant!"

Wang Lun was also determined to take it all. If he couldn't get Li Che's forgiveness, he would definitely die.

Since everyone is going to die, what's the point of distinguishing between high and low? You can't even be the father or the son in your next life, so why are you so arrogant?!

Wang Yu pointed at Wang Lun in disbelief, his lips trembling: "You...you you you!"

Wang Lun just glanced at him as if he were a dead man, then turned to face Li Che and said, "Your Highness, I am reporting you!"

Li Che looked at him with interest: "Oh? What are you reporting?"

Wang Lun pleaded, "I am willing to report their illegal activities and will not hide anything. I only hope that Your Highness will spare my life since I was not involved!"

Unlike others, Wang Lun knows Li Che too well.

This prince is a madman, his contempt for the aristocratic families comes from the heart!

Last year, when he was still the Prince of Ninggu, he dared to kill people from aristocratic families in the street without mercy.

After arriving in Chaoyang City, he killed most of the city's noble families.

He doesn't dare to kill people? Bullshit! There is nothing in this world that he dares not do!

"Look, the witness is here." Li Che smiled slightly, "Tell me what you have to say first, and let me consider it."

"The Yan rebels were the product of a conspiracy led by Wang Yu of the Wang family, Fan Cheng of the Fan family, Yang Lie of the Yang family, and Lu Xi of the Lu family. They increased taxes on farmers, leaving the already devastated people with no alternative but to take to the mountains and become bandits. They then colluded with the bandit leader and secretly funded him."

"He also threatened Tong Wenjun of the Tong family, spreading false news that His Royal Highness the Prince of Yan was disapproved of by His Majesty and had been assassinated in the imperial capital, in order to incite the Yan army to revolt!"

Yang Lie quickly interrupted, "Wang Lun, be careful with your words!"

"Be careful what you say!" Wang Lun cursed loudly. He knew that if he didn't explain clearly today, he would definitely lose his head.

"Not only that, they also want to pin the blame on you, under the pretext of restoring the Huan Dynasty's legitimacy. On the surface, they support you as emperor, but in reality, they are trying to sow discord between you, His Majesty, and His Royal Highness the Prince of Yan!"

"A person with a heart as poisonous as a scorpion is unfit to be the head of our Wang family. Your Highness, please take charge and execute this thief to serve as a warning to others!"

Li Che narrowed his eyes and looked at the people from the aristocratic families who looked ashen.

It was almost as he imagined. The aristocratic family was indeed very courageous, worthy of being a big family that had been passed down for thousands of years.

"Anything else?" Li Che asked again.

"Also, they just spoke nonsense and were disrespectful to Your Majesty!" Wang Lun no longer cared. "They said that the world belongs to the aristocratic families and Your Majesty has to rely on them. If Your Majesty doesn't obey...then..."

"So what?" Li Lin stepped forward and said while suppressing his anger.

Wang Lun gritted his teeth and shouted, "Let the world fall into chaos again and replace it with an obedient emperor!"

As soon as these words came out, the whole place was silent.

Li Lin opened his eyes wide and looked at the aristocratic families present, totally unable to believe his ears.

Li Che sneered and glanced at Wang Yu.

There is nothing new under the sun. It may sound unbelievable that the aristocratic families are so bold and presumptuous, but in fact it is a historical necessity.

When a group does not need to produce or pay taxes, it monopolizes knowledge, controls talents, and can pass them down from generation to generation.

Sooner or later, they will develop into a group of "celestial dragons" like the aristocratic families, who are high and mighty and have no sense of awe in their hearts.

In his previous life, after Huang Chao entered Chang'an, he trampled on the bones of all the nobles and killed a group of them.

But the aristocratic families cannot be killed off. They are scattered all over the place, colluding with various vassal states, and still sucking the blood of the lower-class people.

It was not until the imperial examination system in the Song Dynasty became increasingly mature that aristocratic families gradually withdrew from the stage of history.

Li Che knew clearly that only by providing a channel for upward mobility for the lower classes could the control of the aristocratic families over society be gradually weakened.

However, Li Che doesn't mind cosplaying as Huang Chao for a while and stepping on the bones of the noble families in the north!

Thinking of this, he reached out and patted Wang Lun on the shoulder, saying softly, "Yes, you can survive."

Wang Lun felt his body relax and he immediately collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath.

Life...saved.