Chapter 112

As long as it’s not related to Princess Yuliu, the Emperor still maintains the demeanor of a monarch, and he would never joke about the stability of the Southern borders.

He nodded solemnly at Qiao Zhongguo, “Lord Qiao, my concern lies here.”

“The reason why the Southern Departure Country remains so peaceful is because of General Xiao’s reputation. If the successor turns out to be incompetent, it may disrupt the peace that General Xiao has maintained for over a decade.”

Although Qiao Zhongguo resented the Emperor’s bias in favor of the Second Prince’s affairs, when it came to the welfare of the people of Yong, he would speak up without reservation.

“Your Majesty, what I advocate is to doubt the suspicious, and trust the trustworthy.”

“If Your Majesty does not currently have a suitable candidate, it would be better to let General Xiao recommend a reliable deputy to temporarily assume the position of general.”

“This way, the Southern borders will remain stable, and Your Majesty will have sufficient time to evaluate the various generals and select the most competent candidate.”

Upon hearing this, the Emperor glanced at the Crown Prince and Tan Hanchi.

Earlier on their way here, the Emperor had also asked the two of them, and their opinions were exactly the same as Qiao Zhongguo’s.

In this way, the Emperor no longer hesitated and nodded.

“Let’s follow Lord Qiao’s suggestion. As for the final selection of the Grand General, I will need to carefully consider it.”

Upon hearing this, Qiao Zhongguo couldn’t help but feel a slight stir in his heart, wondering if there was a suitable candidate in the future foreseen by Jiaojiao.

It seemed that he would have to find a way to subtly probe his daughter’s words when he got back…

With the main matter concluded, Qiao Zhongguo was about to take his leave when the Crown Prince suddenly stood up.

“Father, since Lord Qiao is here, I would like to request a favor for Xiaoxi.”

Qiao Zhongguo was slightly startled!

What’s this, is he going to arrange a marriage between Jiaojiao and the Western Prince?

Absolutely not!

Absolutely not!

The royal family is the most dangerous, and under no circumstances can Jiaojiao be involved!

Qiao Zhongguo had already silently prepared his refusal in his heart, but then he heard the Crown Prince continue:

“I hope to have Xiaoxi become a disciple of Lord Qiao, to learn from him about how to conduct oneself and to strengthen martial arts.”

Qiao Zhongguo was momentarily stunned, then he breathed a sigh of relief.

Thank goodness, it’s about being a student, not becoming a son-in-law!

This…is acceptable.

The Emperor was also somewhat surprised, but when he saw the Crown Prince’s furrowed brows and gloomy expression, he remembered the ordeal Xiaoxi had experienced yesterday, and felt a twinge of guilt in his heart.

“Very well.”

The Emperor nodded, then looked at Qiao Zhongguo.

“Lord Qiao, would you be willing to take Xiaoxi as your student?”

The Crown Prince had not expected the Emperor to agree so readily.

But after what happened yesterday, he no longer dared, nor could he, place his future in the hands of the Emperor.

Even though his younger brother was audacious and daring, and had even conspired to send Yu Zhaoyi to the Emperor’s bed, and was still entangled with her, the Emperor still refused to heavily punish his younger brother.

This made him see clearly the weight of Consort Yu and his younger brother in the Emperor’s heart.

Standing by the Yuhua Lake last night, he had already made up his mind. He would fight! He would compete!

Whether it was for his mother, for Xiaoxi, for the loyalists of the Qiao family, or for the people of the Great Yong Dynasty, he could not let the Emperor hand over the Great Yong Dynasty to his younger brother!

Qiao Zhongguo thought of the obedient Western Prince and was willing, but he had some concerns.

“Your Majesty, it is my honor to accept the Western Prince as my student. However, as you know, I am a rough person, and…the Western Prince following me will require real hardships.”

The Emperor knew that Qiao Zhongguo was a sensible man and immediately spoke up, “A little hardship would be good; Xiaoxi has been pampered too much.”

With this assurance, Qiao Zhongguo no longer hesitated and agreed with a nod.

The Crown Prince was delighted, and when he thought of the delay in Xiaoxi’s education since the incident with Di Zaiying, he immediately looked to Tan Hanchi beside him.

“Father, Xiaoxi’s mentor has not yet been decided. In my opinion, Mr. Tan is very suitable. What does Father think?”

Bringing up the matter of Xiaoxi’s mentor made the Emperor even more ashamed. He glanced at Tan Hanchi.

“In that case, let Mr. Tan be Xiaoxi’s mentor.”

Tan Hanchi had no room for refusal and immediately respectfully accepted the decree.

Seeing that the conversation had reached this point, Qiao Zhongguo also joined in for the fun.

“Your Majesty, I also would like to request a favor.”

The Emperor: ?

Qiao Zhongguo grinned shamelessly.

“Your Majesty, I’ve noticed that my second son at home has some insignificant talent in tactics and martial arts. I want him to become a disciple of General Xiao and learn some real skills.”

The Emperor raised an eyebrow at his words, gazing steadily at Qiao Zhongguo for a moment before semi-jokingly remarking,

“Lord Qiao is quite candid. Aren’t you afraid that people in the capital will say you’re insatiable for favors, seeking power and influence?”

Qiao Zhongguo faced the Emperor’s gaze, as if he understood the Emperor’s concerns. Suddenly, he dropped his smile and spoke seriously,

“Your Majesty, I fear no rumors, nor do I care about reputation. I only dare to bare my heart to Your Majesty.”

“My second son has such talent, and I cannot bear to let it go to waste. However, I have been away from the battlefield for a long time, and I have forgotten many things and lost the spirit of battle.”

“If my second son can learn something under General Xiao, he will surely be able to relieve Your Majesty’s worries in the future.”

After Qiao Zhongguo finished speaking, he bowed deeply to the Emperor.

The Emperor stared at Qiao Zhongguo for a while, his face showing a hint of emotion.

Looking around the entire court, the Emperor knew that no one dared to speak such words to him.

The Qiao family was already very prominent, and ordinary people would have long ago bowed their heads and behaved. Only Qiao Zhongguo, knowing that such a move might arouse suspicion, still chose to speak candidly.

At this moment, even the Emperor had to admit that Qiao Zhongguo was still the same as he was in the past—frank and composed, with a heart full of courage and bravery.

The study fell silent. Upon hearing this, the Crown Prince and Tan Hanchi couldn’t help but feel a sense of admiration.

Qiao Zhongguo was indeed an extraordinary man.

He never seemed to fear challenges, and his rare frankness was something the Emperor could not refuse.

Sure enough, the next moment, the Emperor walked over from behind the desk and personally helped Qiao Zhongguo up.

Qiao Zhongguo raised his eyes and met the Emperor’s rarely gentle expression.

“Lord Qiao, I trust you. I hope that the second son of the Qiao family can have half of his father’s backbone and courage. If so, why should I worry about finding capable people?”

Upon hearing this, Qiao Zhongguo’s face revealed genuine joy.

“Thank you very much for your trust, Your Majesty. I dare not fail the task entrusted to me!”

After the Crown Prince and others left the study, the Emperor sat silently at the desk for a long time.

Huang Gonggong, who was serving on the side, felt somewhat uneasy about the Emperor’s unusual behavior.

Usually at this time, after handling the state affairs, the Emperor would sit for a while with the portrait of Princess Yuliu, occasionally saying a few words. But today, there had been no movement for a long time.

“Your Majesty, would you like to rest for a moment?” Huang Gonggong asked softly.

The Emperor raised his head slowly, his expression seemed to be filled with complex emotions.

“Huang Pei, what do you think of Lord Qiao?”

Huang Gonggong tried to guess the Emperor’s thoughts and smiled apologetically, saying, “Your Majesty, this humble servant would not dare to speak recklessly, but Lord Qiao indeed appears to be a rare loyal and righteous minister.”

“The words just now, I’m afraid no one in the capital would dare to speak so openly in front of Your Majesty.”

The Emperor nodded slightly at the words, then said softly,

“Indeed, Qiao Zhongguo is truly someone of great use. I just wonder, regarding the incident of attacking the Northern Kingdom, whether he still harbors any resentment…”

Huang Gonggong was suddenly startled.

Whenever it involved the Northern Kingdom or Princess Yuliu, he had to be especially cautious.

It seemed that the Emperor didn’t expect an answer from Huang Pei either. He slowly turned his head and looked at the wall where the portrait was hidden, then spoke in a deep voice:

“I have confined the second son to the Zongren Mansion. I wonder if Yuliu will be angry with me.”

“I hope the second son can reflect on his actions and not hurt my heart again…”

With that, the Emperor suddenly got up and walked out.

Huang Gonggong stood there dumbfounded, unable to react!

This was the first time in over ten years that the Emperor didn’t open the hidden compartment to look at the portrait of Princess Yuliu!