Ministers Begging Me to Ascend the Throne Chapter 1183 - 172: The Deep Pit (Part 2)

Five years had passed since the ascension to the throne when the late emperor succumbed to illness.

Upon his deathbed, the emperor earnestly implored his son not to forget their initial strategic planning. He cautioned his son against being swayed by wealth and prosperity, which might lead him to neglect the powerful aristocratic families.

In the late emperor's judgment, complete stability within the court and a brighter future for the common populace could only be achieved by thoroughly dismantling the influence of these noble clans.

A profound animosity festered within the late emperor's heart towards the aristocratic families.

Zhao Zheng gave his solemn promise to the dying emperor that he would indeed eradicate these families, ensuring they would no longer hold sway over the court or inflict suffering upon the people.

Following his ascension, the emperor diligently continued implementing his father's grand design, systematically weakening and eliminating the aristocratic families. To date, all formidable clans have been dismantled, with even the foremost Xie family meeting its downfall. Consequently, the capital is now entirely free from the dominion of aristocratic powers.

The fall of the Xie family resulted in Prince Jing's demotion, leaving only Prince Chu and Prince Wei to vie for dominance in the imperial court.

The assembled officials are fully aware that the ensuing confrontation will be between Prince Chu and Prince Wei, and the outcome remains uncertain.

Within the opulent Prince Chu Mansion, Yang Ling and Prince Chu were engaged in a discussion regarding their subsequent strategies.

"Your Highness, Prince Wei is proving to be a far more formidable opponent than we initially anticipated," Yang Ling confessed, finally grasping the intricate web of events unfolding in the capital. "Prince Wei first dealt with Prince Dai and Prince Han, then Prince Yue. Now, he has also neutralized Prince Jing and the Xie family; his methods... they are truly ruthless."

Truth be told, these recent developments caused Prince Chu to realize that Prince Wei’s capabilities were even more profound than he had previously imagined. While he had never underestimated Prince Wei, viewing him as a significant rival, he now understood he had drastically underestimated him.

"Your Highness, concerning these affairs..." Yang Ling hesitated, his brow furrowed with concern. "I always believed we possessed substantial intelligence on Prince Wei, but it now appears our understanding is far from complete."

Prince Chu's brow furrowed slightly as he responded, "I did underestimate him."

"Your Highness, irrespective of other matters, the rebellion orchestrated against Prince Dai and Prince Han was no simple feat achievable by an ordinary individual," Yang Ling expressed his astonishment at Prince Wei’s audacity. "Prince Wei not only possesses inscrutable schemes but also employs cunning tactics; he is indeed a most difficult foe to contend with."

Prince Chu declared, "We must anticipate his maneuvers and dismantle them accordingly."

Yang Ling recalled Prince Jing, who had been relegated to his provincial domain, a hint of bewilderment clouding his expression.

"Your Highness, why would Prince Wei choose to spare Prince Jing? It simply doesn't align with his typical modus operandi," Yang Ling mused. "Initially, I assumed Prince Jing would meet an unfortunate end on his journey back to his territory, but to my surprise, he returned unharmed. Could it be that Prince Jing still holds some utility for Prince Wei? Prince Jing is known for his pride and arrogance; he fundamentally disdains Prince Wei. Even after being demoted to a Commandery Prince, he would surely refuse to align himself with the low-born Prince Wei."

Regarding this particular point, Prince Chu also found himself at a loss, unable to comprehend Prince Wei’s true intentions.

"Your Highness, perhaps His Highness Prince Han possesses some insight," Yang Ling suggested, still remembering that before the betrayal by Prince Dai and Prince Han, Zhao Yao had specifically sought out Prince Chu to issue a warning. "Prince Dai and Prince Han conspired together, and His Highness Prince Han seemed to have prior knowledge; otherwise, he would not have approached you so early with those cryptic words."

Prince Chu had initially suspected Prince Han of harboring rebellious intentions but had not foreseen the involvement of Prince Yue and Prince Dai.

"Even if my tenth brother is aware of something, I cannot simply approach him. We had long ago reached an agreement that he would remain uninvolved in the matters between Prince Wei and myself."

Yang Ling, privy to this arrangement, refrained from mentioning the distant Zhao Yao residing in Swamp Prefecture.

"Your Highness, it would still be prudent to dispatch individuals to monitor Prince Jing," Yang Ling advised. "Prince Wei would not spare Prince Jing without reason; he must be formulating some scheme, and we need to be prepared."

Prince Chu simply nodded in agreement, "Mm, send someone to keep an eye on him."

"Your Highness, why do we not strike first?" Yang Ling proposed, questioning why they should passively await Prince Wei’s move when they could seize the initiative.

Prince Chu lightly shook his head, "Let us wait and observe."

"Your Highness, striking preemptively would grant us the advantage; a delay could mean losing the opportunity entirely."

"Given Prince Wei’s methods, he is likely anticipating us to make the first move," Prince Chu explained. "We shall wait and see, responding to changes with steadfastness."

Yang Ling found merit in Prince Chu's reasoning and acknowledged his counsel with a nod. "Very well, then we shall wait and observe."

At this precise moment, the Emperor was engaged in a game of chess with Prime Minister He in the Imperial Study.

"Old He, between the fourth and eighth prince, who do you believe will make a move first?"

Prime Minister He responded with an uncertain, "I do not know."

A glint in his eye, the Emperor playfully chided the Prime Minister, "You old fox."

Prime Minister He offered a polite bow, clasping his fists together. "I could never be as cunning as Your Majesty."

The Emperor openly welcomed the compliment. "Thank you for your kind words."

Having witnessed the Emperor's shamelessness on numerous occasions, Prime Minister He chose to ignore it and resumed their game of chess.

"These few minor figures remaining, we shall deal with them all together shortly," the Emperor declared, referring to the lesser noble families within the capital as mere 'small fry'.

"Your Majesty, was the alliance with the Xie family a strategy conceived by you, or by the late Emperor?"

"That endeavor, naturally, was the old man's design," the Emperor replied.

Prime Minister He, unconvinced, countered, "No, it was your plan."

The Emperor immediately denied it. "It was not."

"Regardless of its origin, the marriage alliance with the Xie family proved to be an exceptionally brilliant strategy," Prime Minister He mused. He recalled that when the Zhao family joined forces with the Xie family, both he and Old Liu had assumed it was a move by the late Emperor and the current Emperor to pacify these powerful clans, not to undermine them. Unexpectedly, the true intention was to dismantle the Xie family's influence. "This entire scheme has been meticulously laid out over decades; I must concede my inferiority."

Meanwhile, far away in Swamp Prefecture, Zhao Yao finally had an epiphany, realizing the Emperor's proposed marriage alliance with the Xie family was, in fact, a deeply laid conspiracy.

"It absolutely could not have been Grandpa Emperor's idea; it must have been the cunning father's strategy." While his Grandpa Emperor was undoubtedly a brilliant military strategist, when it came to matters of the court, the elder was not quite as farsighted.

The initial targeting of the Xie family, and subsequently allowing them to happily propose the marriage alliance under the illusion that their status and power would be restored in the new dynasty with an Empress from their own kin, had instead led them into a meticulously crafted trap.

The former Duke and his son, until their dying moments, failed to comprehend that they had been utterly deceived by the cunning father, a deception that precipitated the Xie family's downfall from the pinnacle of aristocratic society to the very commoners they once disdained.

Such profound malice, it was truly spiteful.

Despite the bitterness, one could not help but admire the cunning father's extraordinary foresight and his unparalleled ability to orchestrate such complex schemes.

When it came to manipulation and insidious plotting, no one could ever surpass the cunning father.