Thinking of the current situation in the Dongzhao Kingdom, Xiao Chengjing calmed down and let out a heavy sigh.
He did not raise his eyes to look at Prince Ying, but instead swept his gaze lightly over the civil and military officials. His tone carried a bitter smile and a touch of self-mockery.
"This item from Prince Ying truly wins my heart, but I wonder who can help me fulfill this wish."
The great hall was dead silent. Not a single civil official dared to speak. The military officials exchanged glances, many of them letting their eyes fall upon Chu Liuyun, the Duke of Qing. If they were to attack the Shuobei Kingdom, he would definitely be the first to bear the brunt.
Sitting below Prince Ying, Princess Yongjia looked at Chu Liuyun with worried eyes. Even though she knew that fighting on the battlefield was the destiny of most generals, she still could not help but worry.
Chu Liuyun secretly shook his head at her. The Emperor was merely talking; it was absolutely impossible for him to take the initiative to deploy troops.
Ultimately, the current Dongzhao Kingdom lacked the capital and confidence to forcefully endure a war with an unknown outcome. Xiao Chengjing could not afford the price of defeat. He feared his throne would become unstable and that he would be condemned by the people of the world.
When no one spoke up for a long time and the atmosphere grew stiff, Prince Qi suddenly stood forward.
He said loudly, "Since Second Brother was able to personally draw the Complete Map of the World, he must already have a thorough understanding of the Shuobei Kingdom. When war breaks out between our two nations in the future, if you lead the troops into battle, you will surely conquer Shuobei and fulfill Imperial Father's grand vision of unifying the world. As your elder brother, I will be the first to congratulate you, Second Brother, and to congratulate Imperial Father."
Silence. Numbness.
Having Prince Ying lead troops into battle meant that if he accidentally died on the battlefield, the throne would naturally fall to Prince Qi. This was no congratulation; it was sheer sarcasm.
But the Emperor did not think this way. His desire to unify the world had been ignited. Looking at the Complete Map of the World, he only felt that Xiao Rongche made sense.
Nearly two years had passed since the new monarch of the Shuobei Kingdom ascended the throne, and there was no telling when war might break out again. Sending his younger son to the battlefield to fight might be a good idea; it could boost military morale and hone his abilities.
"Rongche makes sense."
Prince Ying's body stiffened, and he looked at the Emperor in disbelief. However, the Emperor completely ignored him and directly looked at Chu Liuyun, saying, "Duke of Qing, the troops under your command have the strictest discipline. I am entrusting Prince Ying to you. You must help me cultivate a commander capable of sweeping away thousands of enemy troops."
Chu Liuyun, who had not said a single word from beginning to end, did not expect Xiao Chengjing to suddenly call upon him.
Training a prince to be a supreme commander meant he could neither scold him nor use physical force. And he was supposed to make him capable of sweeping away thousands of enemy troops? What if the prince died? This was absolutely a troublesome burden.
Just as he was about to step forward and refuse, the semi-retired Duke Zhenguo preemptively knelt down. "To reply to Your Majesty, my son is still young and cannot even sweep away enemy forces amidst thousands of troops himself. How could he possibly cultivate His Highness Prince Ying into a masterful commander? I beseech Your Majesty to retract this order."
With a white-haired, highly decorated veteran general kneeling before him, even the Emperor had to give him some face. However...
"Duke Zhenguo is too modest. Liuyun may still be young, but you are still here. I am entrusting Prince Ying to you father and son. After a year, no matter how he turns out from your teachings, I will accept it. If he cannot become a commander, treating it as physical training is fine too."
Since words had reached this point, even if Duke Zhenguo and Chu Liuyun were extremely reluctant, they could only bow their heads and accept. This coming year was probably going to be difficult.
Sitting in his seat, Ye Liangyu looked at the Emperor with a profoundly meaningful expression. A year's time—what was the Emperor planning to do?
Prince Qi swayed back to his seat, his mind half-lost in a daze.
Having Duke Zhenguo and his son instruct Prince Ying could easily lead to trouble. If they switched allegiances, Prince Ying would gain the backing of the military.
If he had known his Imperial Father would do this, he shouldn't have spoken out of turn just now. Damaging the enemy by a thousand while losing eight hundred oneself was truly not worth it.
Prince Ying picked up his wine cup and took a small sip. Today's events were too sudden; he needed a little time to process them.
The ministers kept their heads down, drinking and eating, while their minds had already spun through eight hundred different schemes. In contrast, the female relatives sitting in the grand hall were completely baffled.
How did a perfectly fine gift presentation suddenly involve court politics? It truly made them feel awkward, not knowing whether to sit or stand.
Sitting on the dragon throne, Xiao Chengjing took in the expressions of everyone below the dais, a faint, almost imperceptible smile curving the corners of his lips.
For a year, Prince Ying staying in the military camp would inevitably distract him, which would perfectly facilitate the Emperor's dealing with Prince Ying's faction in the court.
As for Prince Qi, he would be sent out next year to inspect the river floods in Jiangnan and wouldn't be able to return for a year or half. Once the spring examinations were over, it would be time for some fresh blood in the imperial court.
Thinking about how he only had two sons, and how giving them too much power made them eager to turn him into a figurehead, yet abandoning them would leave no one to inherit the great lineage, Xiao Chengjing wanted to sigh.
Could they not just behave themselves and wait to compete for the throne when he was in his seventies or eighties? Starting to form factions for selfish interests now truly showed a lack of respect for him as their Imperial Father. He had to suppress them and teach them a proper lesson.
