The carefree sixth prince, my father respectfully invites me to ascend the throne.

A roadside teahouse in Beijing.

The play "Blood Stained Jinsha" is being performed on the stage.

Below the stage, Yang Fu and Yun'er sat at a table with tea and snacks in front of them.

However, neither of them had any appetite for it.

Their eyes were all focused on the other two people.

On the second floor, in a private room, Yang Ling and King Yang Yi of Chu sat at a table.

The two picked up their teacups and took a sip.

Great tea!

Yang Ling couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.

"Your Highness, what exactly is the plan you just mentioned? I've already booked this place; no one will eavesdrop! Please speak freely!"

Yang Yi spoke first.

Yang Ling smiled and asked, "Uncle, let me ask you a question. Who makes the most money in the capital these days?"

“Of course, they are merchants from the Western Regions! Just like that guy, he took out 35,000 taels of silver without even blinking.”

Yang Yi answered without hesitation.

Having been in charge of foreign trade for many years, he was naturally well aware of the profits these merchants made.

"If merchants from the Western Regions can travel thousands of miles to the Central Plains to do business, why can't we do business with them in Liangzhou?"

“Liangzhou is perfectly positioned in the middle of both sides! If trade takes place in Liangzhou, the Western Region merchants will have to travel half the distance, and the risks will be halved! If I purchase silk, tea, and porcelain from the Central Plains, sell them to Western Region merchants in Liangzhou, and then exchange them locally for Western Region specialties to sell back to the Central Plains and the capital, then the profits from Liangzhou as a trade hub would be unimaginable!”

Yang Ling explained.

Trade node!

Second-rate dealer!

The national policy of the Great Liang Dynasty emphasized agriculture and suppressed commerce, considering merchants to be a lowly profession.

Therefore, few people thought of making a living through business, let alone going to Liangzhou or even further afield.

Yang Ling's idea is really bold!

Yang Yi looked shocked.

This nephew is really something else!

"That's really a great way to make money!"

Yang Yi sighed.

"That's not all!"

Yang Ling spoke up.

"Once you make money from trade, you can raise your royal banner and recruit warriors from various ethnic groups as mercenaries. This mercenary army can protect the smooth flow of trade routes in Liangzhou! This is called using trade to support the army and using the army to protect trade!"

At the foot of the Qilian Mountains in Liangzhou, there are vast, fertile grasslands, enough to raise a million warhorses! From this day forward, within the territory of Liangzhou, any force that dares to rebel will be utterly crushed, and all those who obey the king's orders will pay taxes according to the law!

"This commercial tax will be another sum of money! And if the security is stable, we can recruit those landless farmers from the Central Plains to go to Liangzhou to cultivate the land, so that they can live and work in peace and prosperity, multiply and thrive. We can also select strong men from them to join the army. In this way, within a few years, Liangzhou will have an army of 100,000, and in another ten years, Liangzhou's million-strong army can sweep across the entire world!"

Yang Ling revealed her entire plan.

Yang Yi was stunned into silence.

Commerce supports the army, and the army protects commerce; water and grasslands nourish horses, and land reclamation sustains displaced people.

All of this sounds so incredible.

And yet, it all happened so naturally.

This nephew of mine is a truly extraordinary talent!

In comparison, Yang Shan, the crown prince, only knew how to plot and scheme, and even turned against his own family; he was hardly fit to be a ruler.

Although it seems that Yang Shan has an absolute advantage right now.

However, given time, it remains to be seen who will be the master of this world!

Thinking of this, Yang Yi stood up, put his hands behind his back, and paced back and forth.

"Actually, there's another reason why I'm helping you: because I feel the same way you do!"

"I am the eighth among the late emperor's sons."

"My mother was a princess of a foreign tribe who was sent to the late emperor as a prisoner of war."

"And more importantly, we both suffered persecution from our older brothers!"

After saying his last sentence, Yang Yi looked at Yang Ling.

Yang Ling remained calm and took a sip of tea.

"Is the elder brother that the Imperial Uncle is referring to Father?"

Yang Yi sighed and said, "The late emperor's crown prince, the current emperor! Who else could it be?"

"When I was ten years old, my mother was poisoned to death, and letters of secret communication with foreign tribes were found in the palace! I was imprisoned in the Imperial Clan Court, and all of this was orchestrated by His Majesty."

"I stayed in the Imperial Clan Court for ten years. During those ten years, some of my other brothers died, some went mad, and many more came to the Imperial Clan Court and became my neighbors."

"I am the only one who lived to see him ascend the throne."

"At the beginning of his reign, in order to counterbalance the power of the previous dynasty, he asked me to come out of retirement to serve as his right-hand man. I worked diligently day and night and handled the affairs of state in an orderly manner."

"However, when the current Crown Prince Yang Shan, who is also your elder brother, came of age, my elder brother began to skillfully ditch me and hand over all the power to the Crown Prince."

"Recently, there have been rumors that His Majesty may be plotting against me."

"My life has been like walking on thin ice, but perhaps I'll never reach the other side!"

The King of Chu stood bathed in the glow of the lamplight, filled with endless emotion.

Yang Ling was suddenly deeply moved.

If it weren't for today's unexpected events, I might have followed in the footsteps of the King of Chu.

To be a tool that is used and discarded for a lifetime.

"When the cunning rabbit dies, the hunting dog is cooked; when the birds are all gone, the good bow is put away!"

Yang Ling spoke up.

Upon hearing this, the King of Chu suddenly turned around.

"When the cunning rabbit dies, the running dog is cooked..."

"Excellent sentences! Just these two sentences encapsulate my entire life!"

"But perhaps this is the tragedy of being a son of a concubine!"

Upon hearing this, Yang Ling took a deep breath: "No! We didn't have to live such a fate!"

"At least, I will not accept my fate!"

"My purpose in going to Liangzhou is to recruit soldiers, rebel, and become emperor!"

Upon hearing this, Yang Yi was so shocked that he stopped in his tracks.

"Your Highness, do you know what you're saying? His Majesty is your own father!"

He said in disbelief.

"When the court was turning black into white, did he ever think of the bond between father and son?"

Yang Ling countered with a question.

Upon hearing this, Yang Yi silently sat back down in his seat.

"Uncle, you're right, we feel the same way! We're at their mercy! But if we join forces, perhaps it's not too late to turn things around!"

Yang Ling seized the opportunity to speak.

Given the current situation, he is not accepted by the Crown Prince and is disliked by the Emperor. Perhaps this uncle in front of him is the only ally he can win over!

"You and I joining forces?"

Yang Yi's eyes were filled with anticipation.

“I do business in Liangzhou, and I need a supplier in the capital! If my uncle can use the Ministry of Rites to persuade my father to allow merchants from Daliang to trade with foreign countries on the border, then I can use the pretext of transporting goods to send the goods I need to Liangzhou!”

"And I'll give you 30% of the profits from each batch of goods!"

Yang Ling explained her plan.

"In this way, my uncle not only helped me but also accumulated wealth, which I can use to expand my own power and prevent the court from having any covetous thoughts! On the other hand, my uncle's focus on trade can also put my father at ease, because those in power love nothing more than greedy subordinates!"

Yang Ling added.

Yang Yi nodded repeatedly as he listened to his words.

"The imperial treasury is currently in serious deficit. I don't think His Majesty would refuse anything that can make money! It's not a difficult matter!"

By saying this, Yang Yi was essentially agreeing to join forces with him!

Yang Ling was very satisfied, then changed the subject: "But there is one more thing that may be difficult for you, Imperial Uncle!"

"What's the matter?"

Yang Yi asked.

"On this trip to Liangzhou, my father gave me neither money nor men. I have already received tens of thousands of taels of silver, enough for initial expenses! But I have no capable guards under my command. If I encounter bandits or brigands, I will become easy prey!"

"I heard that the Imperial Uncle's mansion has a guard of nearly a thousand men, and each ordinary soldier in it is as capable as a squad leader in the border army!"

"I want to select some men from this guard to be my personal guards!"

Yang Ling said directly.