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

The next morning, the cold was still there.

Li Che was wearing a black light armor, no helmet, and his black hair was tied up with a simple jade hairpin.

Holding the four-year-old Crown Prince Li Cheng in his arms, he slowly walked out of the bedroom.

Outside the door, Zhuge Zhe, Qian Bin, Wen Zaiyin and Tao Qian had been waiting for a long time, all with solemn expressions, and stepped forward to salute.

Li Che smiled gently at them, then leaned over and placed the naive Li Cheng in his arms steadily on the ground.

Little Li Cheng was wearing a small brocade robe and was standing a little unsteadily. He looked at everyone curiously with his big black eyes.

"The prince is still young and needs your careful instruction and support..."

Hearing Li Che's tone, which sounded like he was entrusting an orphan to someone, Zhuge Zhe suddenly became anxious and took a step forward:

"Your Highness! Why do you say that? You will surely be able to..."

Li Che waved his hand, signaling him not to be anxious.

"We still don't know what Qubing's talent is. Once he reaches adulthood, if he is capable of being trained, you will assist him wholeheartedly and help him carry on this legacy."

He paused slightly, his voice lowering. "If... his talent is unworthy of the position, then you, the ministers, will lead the military and political affairs of Fengguo in the name of the cabinet, protect the country and its people, and continue our common cause."

The four were even more shocked, and Zhuge Zhe immediately replied:

"I dare to use all my strength to serve you, even to the death!"

Qian Bin, Wen Zaiyin and Tao Qian also bowed, shocked beyond words.

Li Che smiled and shook his head: "You have followed me for many years, and you should know that what I say is true. The great cause of the country cannot be destroyed in the hands of a mediocre ruler."

"What this king wants is peace and prosperity for the country and the people, and unity for the world, not the rise and fall of a single family or clan."

"If our descendants are unworthy, how can we sacrifice public interest for personal gain and entrust these millions of soldiers and civilians to mediocre people?"

Upon hearing this, all the ministers took a deep breath and looked at Li Che in disbelief.

This was the first time that Li Che expressed his political ideals so bluntly in front of everyone.

In Daqing's concept, scholars are loyal to one family and one surname. They receive salaries from the Li family and are loyal to the Li family, rather than the national concept that is more recognized by later generations.

And those who followed Li Che could more or less sense the difference in Li Che.

He seemed to care less about the rise and fall of the Li family and more about the people and the rise and fall of the nation.

But this was not the best time to discuss politics. Li Che had already squatted down, looking straight into his son's clear but ignorant eyes:

"My son, remember this: if you ever hold power, you must not let it blind you."

"We should be close to virtuous officials and stay away from villains. In everything we do, we should put the people's livelihood first and the country first."

“Do not do evil, no matter how small it is; do good, no matter how small it is. Only virtue and morality can win the hearts of others.”

Although Li Cheng couldn't fully understand the meaning, he could sense his father's seriousness. His face was tense and he nodded vigorously.

"Don't worry, Father. I'll remember this!"

Li Che touched his head with relief and turned to look outside the hall.

All the civil and military officials were present to see him off, and the atmosphere was solemn.

All the ministers came to see him off, and the only ones accompanying Li Che were his four close generals Hu Qiang, Qiu Bai, Ying Bu, and Qu Jinshan, as well as Prince of Yan Li Lin and Huo Duanxiao who insisted on going with him to save his father.

In the crowd, Prince Fu Li Neng was wiping his tears with his sleeves, with a look of worry on his face.

Li Che smiled slightly and walked quickly to his side: "Tenth brother, why are you crying?"

Li Neng raised his tearful eyes and cried, "Fourth brother, Sixth brother, you are all going back to the capital, why don't you take me with you? I am also the emperor's son!"

Li Che tried to dissuade him, "Tenth brother, your heart isn't in this, and you don't know martial arts. This journey is dangerous, what are you going to do?"

Li Neng said seriously, "But I am also a prince. I should go to the capital to attend to the sick and fulfill my responsibilities as a son."

Li Che shook his head, then suddenly lowered his voice and asked, "Tenth brother, do you want to seize the throne?"

Li Neng was startled, his face turned pale, and he waved his hands repeatedly:

"Sixth brother, how can you say that! I am only interested in the physical sciences. I only wish to spend my life with books and equipment. I have absolutely no extravagant desires!"

Li Che nodded and smiled, "If that's the case, why are you so worried, Tenth Brother?"

"You have no ambition to become emperor, yet you also have a lifelong ambition to fight for. Your situation is completely different from that of the other brothers."

"They have no soldiers or civilians, no choice, but you do."

"Going to Kyoto is like entering a tiger's den. It's extremely dangerous. Why do you have to jump into this vortex and put yourself in danger?"

"Can......"

Li Neng was stunned. He opened his mouth to say something, but in the end, no words came out.

He knew that all this was given by his Sixth Brother.

Sixth Brother rescued him from the cage in Fuzhou City and introduced him to the great world of physics.

Now the world is about to fall into chaos, and all the princes are unable to protect themselves. Only he, Li Shen, can stay safe under the protection of his sixth brother.

He nodded heavily and choked up:

"Little brother... I understand. I wish Fourth Brother and Sixth Brother a safe journey and a safe return."

Li Che patted him on the shoulder and turned to walk towards the waiting ministers.

His eyes swept over the familiar faces and he said loudly:

"You are all the pillars of our Feng State. Now that I have returned to the capital, I will rely on you for all the affairs of Feng State!"

All the ministers bowed in unison, their voices resounding to the heavens: "We, your Highness, are willing to die for you!"

Li Che also nodded in return and said, "Thank you all!"

The ministers bowed again: "Farewell, Your Highness!"

Li Che said no more, turned around resolutely, and strode towards the palace gate.

Outside the door, the carriage and horses are ready.

Li Lin, Huo Duanxiao and others have all mounted their horses and are waiting.

Li Che jumped onto his horse swiftly and took a deep look at the majestic outline of the Fengtian Palace.

Then he took another look at the small figure in front of the hall and shook the reins.

"drive!"

The horse's hooves shattered the silence of the early morning.

A group of people rushed towards the south.

. . . . . .

As Li Che said, Prince Fu still has a choice, but the other princes do not.

Li Che voluntarily rushed to the imperial capital because he was driven by justice and the throne. If Li Che himself was unwilling to go, Li Huan and the aristocratic families would have no way to do anything to him.

But it was different for other princes. After the King of Shu rebelled, Emperor Qing began to reduce the power of the princes, confiscated their military power, and reduced their treatment.

It was right to reduce the power of the princes, but Emperor Qing's methods were too thorough and swift, and now the side effects have appeared.

In the name of the crown prince, Li Huan allowed the princes to enter the capital, and they had no room for resistance at all.

The envoys were accompanied by the imperial army, which refused to negotiate terms with them and escorted them back to the capital.

Among all the kings, only the King of Qin and the King of Chu tried their best to resist, but it was of no avail.

But Li Che was different. Although he also came to Beijing, Li Che did not come to die.

Accompanying him were a thousand personal guards and a thousand elite cavalry, all wearing cotton armor and carrying muskets.

Three powerful generals of the time, Huo Duanxiao, Hu Qiang and Ying Bu, accompanied him.

With such a lineup, even if Li Huan was desperate and led his troops to intercept them halfway, they could still escape safely.

Of course, the real danger is not on the road, but in Beijing.