53Chapter 53: Emperor Jing goes fishing, the show begins
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In fact, the Prince of Liang was somewhat uneasy about returning to the capital this time, after all, no one understood his elder brother's character better than he did.
But... what if?
As soon as he thought of the message his mother had sent him, his heart surged with emotion.
What if he could truly get closer to the throne?
After all, the succession of a younger brother after an elder brother had a tradition in the Han Dynasty!
Didn't his father take over the throne from his elder brother? As for why his father didn't give the throne to Emperor Hui's son? That was because Emperor Hui had no son!
He, Liu Wu, Prince of Liang, would certainly not do such a thing. As long as his elder brother gave him the throne, he would definitely pass it on to his elder brother's son when the time came!
Hmm! That's right!
The Prince of Liang rubbed his face, making his expression appear more sincere, and then, with a hint of feigned humility and deference, he walked into Chang'an City.
The winds of change were stirring again.
Perhaps the Prince of Liang had forgotten what kind of ruthless person his elder brother was.
This was a ruthless person who dared to smash the heir of the strongest vassal king in the current world, the Prince of Wu's son, to death with a chessboard!
.... ....
Inside the Guandu Marquis Residence,
Chen Yun coughed a few times, his face showing a hint of weariness. He was gradually growing older.
When Emperor Gao was on the throne, he was already a young man. Now, having lived through Emperor Gao, Emperor Hui, Emperor Wen, and the current Emperor Jing, he had become an old man with one foot in the grave.
Time is the fairest thing in this world; it never spares anyone.
"Chen Xi."
Chen Yun looked at Chen Xi, his expression somewhat complex: "What do you think His Majesty wants the Prince of Liang to do? Why is he so indulgent of the Empress Dowager, even allowing her to summon the Prince of Liang to the capital?"
Chen Xi lowered his gaze: "He merely wants the Prince of Liang to be a 'shield'."
"After the policy of reducing the power of the vassal states spread throughout the land, all the kings were restless towards the imperial court, wanting to raise troops and rebel. At such a time, the Prince of Liang, caught between the imperial court and the kings, became a natural barrier."
"Perhaps His Majesty will use the pretext of 'succession of a younger brother after an elder brother' to make the Prince of Liang exert all his strength, using all the power of his fiefdom to block the other kings."
"By the time many vassal kings have exhausted most of their strength, His Majesty will then step in to suppress the rebellion of the vassal kings, and then discard the Prince of Liang, who will no longer have any use."
He pursed his lips: "His Majesty is more ruthless than The Late Emperor, and even more... than Emperor Gao."
Chen Xi did not finish his sentence, but his tone carried a hint of mockery.
The father and son talked in the courtyard without restraint—this was not like before. In the past, Liu Bang's subordinates, the Emissaries in Embroidered Uniforms, were able to spy on the Guandu Marquis Residence, firstly because the Chen Clan had not yet established a firm foothold, and secondly because the Chen Clan did not want to confront Liu Bang, the founding emperor.
But now?
The Chen Clan had quietly developed for many years. While not completely impenetrable, at least in some areas, it was absolutely "clean."
Chen Yun nodded lightly, showing his agreement and support for Chen Xi. He looked at Chen Xi and said, "Then... Chen Xi, what do you plan to do?"
He looked into Chen Xi's eyes, wanting to know what Chen Xi was thinking.
At this moment, Chen Yun did not realize that his eyes were flickering with a look of "desire."
Chen Xi, however, noticed it and slowly sighed.
Chen Yun... he was a good person! Or rather, a good person who conformed to the Chen Clan's values!
He straightened his body and said softly yet firmly: "Father, my idea is very simple: no one in the world should be able to affect the Qian Shou of the world because of their political struggles!"
"The Qian Shou are innocent and are the ones who should most enjoy this rare peace!"
A hint of ruthlessness flashed in Chen Xi's eyes.
"If anyone wants to use war to harm the Qian Shou of the world, to gain so-called political power, then the Chen Clan will let them know what iron-blooded suppression is!"
"Bang—"
Chen Xi slammed his hand onto the stone table in front of him. In an instant, a "fist print" even appeared on the table.
He slowly smiled: "Your son is not talented, but he has inherited the unparalleled divine strength of our ancestor."
"I can barely wield the Overlord Halberd, the weapon our ancestor obtained from Xiang Yu back then. It hasn't appeared on the battlefield for many years. I wonder if everyone in the world has forgotten its power?"
Chen Yun looked at Chen Xi, who was sitting there with a straight back, and a smile suddenly bloomed on his face.
"Good!"
He clapped his hands and laughed heartily: "This is truly a son of my Chen Clan!"
"However, you probably won't need to take action."
"Chen Ke will be arriving in the capital soon. When he does, let him handle it."
Chen Yun grinned, slowly revealing a smile.
He looked at Chen Xi and said, "Tonight, His Majesty is hosting a banquet in the palace to entertain the Prince of Liang. You can come to the palace with me."
"Tonight, it's likely to be very lively."
Chen Xi smiled, understanding what Chen Yun wanted to do.
He also clearly knew what would happen tonight, but he still smiled and said, "Then your son will have to go to the palace to watch the show properly."
.... ...
Inside Weiyang Palace,
Emperor Jing suddenly stood up, his face filled with horror: "What? Did Guandu Marquis really say that?"
The Inner Attendant bowed his head, his face still showing a hint of lingering fear: "Your Majesty, your servant absolutely did not mishear. Guandu Marquis truly said so!"
Emperor Jing immediately burst into laughter, unable to suppress the crinkles at the corners of his eyes.
A moment later, after he had finished laughing, he clapped his hands and said, "How could I not have thought of it? So it can be done this way!"
"It's just..."
He hesitated slightly: "It's just that the Chen Clan is already the head of the noble families and meritorious officials. If Chen Ke were to achieve another great accomplishment and gain control of military power, I'm afraid..."
Emperor Jing smiled bitterly, shaking his head: "However, now is not the time to consider these matters."
He smiled faintly, looked at the distant palace, and sighed softly: "Tonight, there's likely a good show to watch!"
.... ....
In the Empress Dowager's palace,
Empress Dowager Dou had a gentle smile on her face as she spoke with the Prince of Liang beside her, and Liu Wu was also very happy to amuse his mother.
After all, whether he could take over the throne from his imperial brother depended on his mother's performance.
Empress Dowager Dou held the Prince of Liang's hand and said with a beaming smile: "Don't worry, at tonight's family banquet, I will certainly make your imperial brother promise the succession of a younger brother after an elder brother!"
.... .....
The second year of Emperor Jing's reign, third month of spring.
Palace night banquet.
An unprecedented grand drama was about to unfold in this imperial palace.
And as dusk fell, all the actors had taken the stage.
The main characters: the Empress Dowager, the Emperor, the Prince of Liang, and... Guandu Marquis Chen Yun!