At the tender age of eight, he was hastily dragged out and made emperor!

"What? You don't agree with what I say?"

Chu Ling glanced at the crowd before him and said.

"I don't dare!"

Everyone bowed and paid their respects.

Chu Ling knew that among the noble sons who bowed to him, many of them, though saying they dared not, were probably secretly criticizing him.

The reasoning is actually not hard to guess.

Polo is polo.

War is war.

The former is merely entertainment and a way to pass the time, while the latter is a matter of national importance. War breaks out, and victory brings glory and expansion, while defeat leads to the loss of sovereignty and national humiliation!

"Li Bin, have you ever thought about why your cavalry was defeated by Shangguan Xiu?" Chu Ling pondered for a moment, then fixed his gaze on Li Bin.

"Your Majesty... is not as skilled as others."

When questioned, Li Bin glanced around and then bowed to Chu Ling.

They're quite concerned about saving face.

Chu Ling smiled slightly. At this age, people are concerned about their image. Isn't this something that can be taken advantage of?

Unlike their initial meeting, over the past few days, Chu Ling has gained a general understanding of the temperament and speech of these noble sons.

indeed.

Among these sons of noble families, there are some who are mature and composed, but having grown up with a silver spoon in their mouths, their experiences are actually quite simple.

In Chu Ling's eyes, a man's ability to stand tall and upright does not depend on his age, but on the amount of experience he has and whether he dares to take responsibility when faced with challenges!

What defines a great man?

Even in adversity or desperate circumstances, a true hero is one who persists in his beliefs and strives to overcome the difficulties and challenges before him.

Dying is indeed an easy thing.

Living is the hardest thing.

The most difficult thing is knowing a lot and knowing the way to go, but having no one around to help you. In such a situation, you can only move forward step by step, trying to avoid making mistakes, so that the path you have finally walked will be reversed again. You have too many things on your mind, and this feeling torments you at all times, but you have no choice but to keep moving forward. This is undoubtedly the most difficult thing.

Such people either break through or achieve great things, but their personalities are bound to be distinct; beneath their strong exterior lies a soft heart!

They may fade into obscurity among the masses, perhaps collapsing one day, or perhaps losing their fighting spirit one day, but whether it is the former or the latter, they are all worthy of respect.

After all, they persevered and did not give up easily!

"Is it really because they're less skilled?"

Thinking of this, Chu Ling stared at Li Bin and said, "How are your horsemanship skills these days at the Imperial Garden Training Ground? Although I only know the basics, I can still tell a thing or two."

"To be fair, your horsemanship is superior to Shangguan Xiu's, and you have not tarnished the name of Duke Xun. I think none of you would disagree with that, would you?"

Chu Ling's words elicited various expressions on the faces of the noble sons present.

Although the noble sons led by Shangguan Xiu won the polo match, they actually agreed with what the new emperor said.

Li Bin is a bit eccentric and arrogant, but he is truly capable. Not to mention his grandfather, Li Jin, led troops to guard the western border of Liang, deterring powerful enemies for the Great Yu.

These words, however, left Li Bin with a somewhat complicated expression.

If you call it pride, then it is indeed pride, after all, being praised in public for my riding skills, without the tarnished reputation of my grandfather.

If you want to say he was disappointed, then he was indeed disappointed, after all, with his riding skills, he was ultimately defeated by Shangguan Xiu and the others.

"But Shangguan Xiu and his team are bound to win against you."

Seeing that no one objected, Chu Ling continued, "Because I have discovered that Shangguan Xiu has the charisma to command troops. Those in his unit are very obedient to his orders, and some are even moved by a single glance."

"This skill, I'm afraid, is something he learned from the Duke of Jiang, isn't it?"

"How could the outcome of a polo match be elevated to the level of war? If I hadn't studied at the Daxing Hall, I wouldn't have thought of these things."

"But do you know that what Xiao Jing said to me made me clearly understand what war really is, even though I have never been on the battlefield before, let alone commanded a battle."

All eyes were now focused on Chu Ling.

For the first time, these noble sons, harboring their own secrets and filled with suspicion, actually considered the ideas proposed by Chu Ling—something that had never happened before.

'It seems some changes have occurred.'

Seeing the changes in the people before him, Chu Ling remained outwardly calm, but inwardly a smile arose. 'Change is necessary for further change.'

As for Chu Ling, he did want to select a group of trustworthy and capable noble sons from among the guards, so as to gain the support of their respective clans.

But it's not easy to do that.

After all, this involves choosing sides. He is indeed the new emperor of the Great Yu, but the real power lies with the three empresses. At this level, any decision could affect the entire clan. Therefore, the fathers and grandfathers of these noble sons are all very cautious.

Their current status is entirely due to the hard work they put in during their youth. What they least want to see is their clan, which they built up with their own hands, falling into an irrecoverable state because of one wrong decision.

Power struggles can be bloody.

Those who fail will lose everything, including all the achievements they have made.

"Your Majesty, what did the Imperial Tutor say to you?" Seeing that the emperor remained silent, Shangguan Xiu glanced around, hesitated for a moment, and then voiced his doubts.

Shangguan Xiu knew Xiao Jing well.

This person's resume is truly impressive.

Putting aside everything else, the fact that he was able to achieve military merits in Xiliang as a civil official is enough to earn the respect of many people and arouse their curiosity.

Not to mention that Xiao Jing was highly valued during Emperor Xuanzong's reign, and there were several others who were similar, one of whom was the Imperial Censor Bao Yuan.

"Xiao Jing said that when a war breaks out, people die in droves, and their blood can pool into rivers and pools of blood." Chu Ling said with a touch of emotion.

"Those who have never been on the battlefield will never understand how insignificant an individual is in the midst of battle. No matter how brave or skilled you are, if you are facing an array of enemy troops without your comrades by your side, death awaits you."

"The victory of a major battle often requires several, or even more, probing battles before the enemy's weaknesses can be seized, and then the most ferocious offensive can be launched to attack those weaknesses. This will be accompanied by the deaths of many people before a turning point may come."

"Anyone who has experienced war would least like to see war again. On the contrary, those who have never experienced war are the most vocal in their calls for war, but when they are actually needed, they all disappear without a trace."