Chapter 101

I didn’t expect the former emperor to be destined by heaven to claim the supreme throne after numerous battles across the land. However, the crown prince died young, and the emperor, who had to bury his own child, did not choose another prince but instead designated the crown prince’s son, the new emperor, as the heir apparent.

This July, the former emperor passed away, and the new emperor inherited the throne.”

Shuiqing remembered Fan Jin had mentioned this dynasty was the Ming Dynasty, with the royal family surname Zhu. To confirm if it was the dynasty she knew, she asked about the specific characters and confirmed them multiple times.

She initially thought it was a fictional dynasty because there was no Ming Dynasty in Huaguo’s history.

Now it seems that ancient novelists also avoided naming real dynasties and emperors, creating fictional dynasty names and royal surnames, yet not entirely deviating from reality!

The historical events are quite similar.

However, if the historical trajectory is similar, she would have some knowledge of the events to come, which could be advantageous, right?

Heavens, knowing the future development in advance, does this count as a benefit for her? Remembering instantly, romance novel s23us.com!

“King Yan’s strength is not just reflected in his vast fiefdom, large population, and abundant supplies; the most important thing is…”

Shuiqing silently added in her mind: The most important thing is that he is a skilled warrior!

Following the former emperor in conquering the land, it is no exaggeration to say that half of the new emperor’s kingdom was secured by King Yan!

But he was never on the list of successors to the throne.

Ling Ran continued, “King Yan is a military genius, capable of leading troops to victory! Half of the current empire was conquered by him. The new emperor… the new emperor’s path has been too smooth;

Previously, the former emperor worried that the new emperor would not secure his throne, so he killed many meritorious generals to pave the way for him, intending to prevent these generals from wielding too much power. Now there are no external threats, but if he forces the princes into rebellion, the new emperor will have no generals to rely on.”

Fan Jin was stunned, his mouth slightly open, and asked naively, “Is it possible to kill meritorious officials just because of the fear of losing the throne?”

Ling Ran’s lips curved into a smile, a chill on his face unbefitting his age: “Why not? The emperor’s path is paved with blood. Which emperor hasn’t ascended the throne over countless corpses?”

In the eyes of the emperor, all threats to his power must be eliminated, regardless of whether they intend to rebel or not. The important thing is that they have the capability to do so.

Fan Jin frowned, clearly disapproving.

But he also knew that his approval or disapproval was meaningless. This was imperial politics, beyond the comprehension or resistance of a mere scholar.

Shuiqing accepted it quickly.

The saying goes, “When the sly rabbit dies, the hound is cooked; when the birds are gone, the bow is put away.” This has been the case throughout history.

Fan Jin frowned, focusing on the crucial point: “This… King Yan, is he really that formidable? If he is so powerful and has conquered vast territories, why didn’t the former emperor pass the throne directly to him?

Wouldn’t that have ensured the stability of the new emperor’s position? King Yan could have deterred the court and generals, avoiding the need to kill meritorious officials.”

Ling Ran understood that his uncle Fan felt sorry for those meritorious officials, thinking they shouldn’t have been treated this way.

Throughout history, generals are like beauties, not allowed to grow old.

Few are willing to give up power. Those generals who helped conquer the land should have retired completely by relinquishing their military power, but unfortunately, few did.

“King Yan was never considered for the throne, not just because he was fourth in line, with several older brothers ahead of him, but because he wasn’t born of the empress. The former emperor believed that only a child of his and the empress should rule the land.

Another reason was the former emperor’s particular fondness for the crown prince, a preference you cannot comprehend. So, after the crown prince died, he directly appointed the crown prince’s son as the heir apparent, without choosing another crown prince.”

Shuiqing agreed with Ling Ran’s explanation.

If it was the same as the history she knew, the former emperor indeed had a special fondness for the crown prince.

How fond was he?

Perhaps to the extent that if the crown prince rebelled, he would be gratified, thinking his son had finally grown up and wanted to take the throne, and then would promptly abdicate.

Under such circumstances, how could he pass the throne to another son!

Fan Jin couldn’t understand why, if the former emperor only loved the empress and the crown prince, he still had children with other women.

Having those children only created more trouble.

He sighed, knowing that if he didn’t take this opportunity to ask Ling Ran, he might never meet someone knowledgeable about this again, and continued, “Did the former emperor not consider the exceptional abilities of King Yan and the fact that the other princes had fiefdoms, creating a fragmented situation?”

“Of course he considered it and set many rules, such as prohibiting bringing troops into Jinling without permission, and many other restrictions;

After all, they are all imperial descendants. Entrusting them with border defense and protecting the Ming Dynasty was reliable, but…” Ling Ran paused.

He gave Fan Jin and Shuiqing a deep look, causing them to straighten their backs and focus. Ling Ran lowered his voice and continued, “To say something disrespectful, the new emperor acted too hastily.”

It’s possible to weaken the princes, but it shouldn’t be done when the throne is not yet secure.

“Uncle Fan, Auntie, you should be prepared for the princes to rebel.”

Fan Jin’s usually gentle and refined expression darkened upon hearing this.

Whether the empire flourishes or falls, the people suffer; but in between lies the true hardship of chaos.

Better to be a dog in a time of prosperity than a human in a time of chaos—this much was understood.

Shuiqing, having heard Ling Ran’s words, had her suspicions largely confirmed.

This confirmation, however, brought only a small measure of reassurance—just a little.

After all, with so many variables, who could say if the future would unfold as originally expected?

However, “We need to make necessary preparations.” She looked at Fan Jin, speaking in veiled terms.

Fan Jin immediately grasped her meaning and expressed his concern to Ling Ran, “If the princes truly rebel and chaos ensues, it will be even more dangerous for you to be out there alone. Why not stay with us? We can look out for each other.”

Shuiqing had valuable items, so sustenance wouldn’t be an issue. In times of turmoil, having enough to eat was already a significant advantage.

He also considered the abnormal weather, fearing that a flood next year would make life even more difficult.

Ling Ran had planned to head north to find his maternal grandfather once the weather warmed. But with the potential rebellion… he looked at Fan Jin and cupped his hands in thanks, “Thank you, Uncle Fan and Aunt Shuiqing. If chaos does break out, I’ll have to impose on you.”

He couldn’t rely on his father and stepmother; his stepmother wished him dead to clear the way.

In chaotic times, disappearing would be the best opportunity for him.

He had no home to return to, as that was never truly his home.

His maternal grandfather was far in the north, and going there recklessly wouldn’t work. The main issue was that following his previous plan, he might not even reach his destination.

At this moment, he was immensely grateful to have encountered Uncle Fan and Aunt Shuiqing, who took him in and gave him a place to belong…

Shuiqing was quite pleased with Ling Ran’s decision to stay.