Ministers Begging Me to Ascend the Throne Chapter 1066 - 116: Are the Common People More Important, or the Scholarly Family?

While conversing with Zhao Yao, Zheng Xilin refrained from sending away his youngest son. Zheng Qian remained quietly at the side, attentively listening as his father expounded on profound principles alongside Prince Han.

Zhao Yao had anticipated that Zheng Xilin would lecture for hours on end, yet surprisingly, the discussion wrapped up after merely two hours. Upon concluding, Grand Commandant Zheng mentioned feeling weary and planned to depart Swamp Prefecture by boat at dawn the next day, vowing not to bring any hassle or peril to Zhao Yao.

Zheng Qian extended an invitation to Zhao Yao for tea in his study. Zhao Yao lifted the teacup yet held off on sipping; he lightly stirred the tea's surface using the lid. Across from him, Zheng Qian sat in silence.

Following a prolonged silence, Zhao Yao at last broke the quiet, "What do you think your father meant?"

Zheng Qian realized Zhao Yao surely grasped the underlying message in his father’s remarks, "My lord, you don’t need to heed his words." He had never truly heeded his father anyway. "Just consider him talking nonsense."

Zhao Yao was initially startled by Zheng Qian’s remark about his own father, then erupted into laughter.

"Haha, Zheng Qian, is it alright for you to speak of your father like that?"

"I’ve always spoken of him this way." He had uttered even bolder things in the past.

Zhao Yao had observed Zheng Qian’s profound contempt for Grand Commandant Zheng long ago. He jested, "Your elder brothers take pride in having a father like Grand Commandant Zheng; why do you hold such disdain for your father?"

Zheng Qian let out a cold snort, "He’s annoying."

Zhao Yao fell silent and sipped his tea leisurely.

"My lord, you should live according to your own intentions."

Once the tea was finished, Zhao Yao set the cup down, "I won’t change my mind because of your father’s words. I don’t understand why your father values me; what makes me worth him looking at me differently?" To this day, he remained puzzled about the Emperor’s choice of him. He believed himself superior only in generating wealth compared to his imperial siblings, but lagged behind them in every other regard. Militarily, he paled against Prince Dai. Scholarly, he couldn’t compete with his fourth brother. In resilience and scheming, he trailed his eighth brother. By lineage, he was vastly outmatched by Prince Jing. Money-making was his sole edge, yet his royal kin surpassed him elsewhere entirely—why then did the Emperor and Grand Commandant Zheng deem him worthy of immense duty?

"My lord, if he couldn’t see your worth, then he’d be blind." Despite his numerous grudges toward his father, Zheng Qian concurred with the man’s lofty estimation of Zhao Yao. "My lord, you are excellent; it is only normal that he thinks highly of you."

"What is good about me?" Zhao Yao gestured at himself, "I have no great ambition; I wish only to be a wealthy prince and not concern myself with state affairs. How does someone like me qualify to be Emperor? Let’s not mention others—just my fourth brother; in every aspect, he excels and he cares for the common people. He’s the most suitable person to be Emperor; why don’t Father and Grand Commandant Zheng think highly of him? In what way is he lacking?"

"Prince Chu is indeed good, but he does not compare to you, my lord."

"In what way is my fourth brother inferior to me?" In his eyes, his fourth brother embodied the ideal heir.

"My lord, you create many things beneficial to the people, something Prince Chu far cannot match."

"What does that represent? Becoming Emperor does not require making items like curved plows and water wheels." Zhao Yao dismissed with a wave, "The things I make indeed benefit the people, but that doesn’t mean I’m suited to be Emperor. Being Emperor doesn’t need this but needs managing the realm well. I’m even lazy about handling affairs in my small court, let alone major state affairs." He loathed overseeing his modest court’s duties, far less the weighty national ones. Crucially, national issues carried immense gravity; every decision impacted all of Great Zhou’s populace and demanded utmost seriousness.

Zheng Qian abruptly inquired, "My lord, how do you think Prince Chu would manage Great Zhou if he became Emperor?"

Without a second thought, Zhao Yao answered, "Naturally with Benevolent Governance."

"Do you think Benevolent Governance is good?"

These words caused Zhao Yao to hesitate briefly. He creased his forehead in utter bewilderment and questioned, "Isn’t Benevolent Governance good? Have the wise rulers throughout history not governed benevolently?"

Rather than responding to Zhao Yao’s query, Zheng Qian countered, "My lord, do you think the Emperor rules with Benevolent Governance?"

"Doesn’t my father govern with Benevolent Governance?" Zhao Yao found Zheng Qian’s question odd, "Since my father’s ascension, he has reduced various taxes and labor obligations, lessened punishments, and enacted policies beneficial to the people—isn’t that Benevolent Governance?"

"Is that all you consider Benevolent Governance, my lord?"

"Of course, these are not enough; I just gave some examples. Benevolence in governance should be demonstrated in many aspects." Zhao Yao declared fervently, "To be benevolent with civil and military officials so they will actively offer counsel. To be benevolent with scholars so that Great Zhou’s culture prospers, encouraging more people to read and to take the imperial exams to become officials. To be benevolent with the common people so they can live peacefully and prosperously, ensuring a prosperous country and happy people..."