If you don't give up, I'd like to be your adoptive father.

Chapter 1498 The remnants of the previous dynasty
"Hu Hai, have you lost your mind?" King Mu originally did not want to get too involved in the private affairs of the reigning emperor.

If it weren't for the problem with the royal bloodline, and Hu Hai's foolish decision to appoint a "bastard" as crown prince, he wouldn't have spoken up before.

Anyone who has ever been a king knows what a "king" or "emperor" is.

Even if everything you say is true, even if you are his ancestor, if your words hurt him, he will still hold a grudge.

Now that Hu Hai knows he is going to raise a bastard, he still forgives those two concubines. Does he really intend to insist on making the bastard the crown prince?

"The imperial bloodline must not be confused. Your privacy in the harem is your own business, but when it comes to the important matter of the succession to the throne, you cannot be allowed to act recklessly!" His tone and expression were extremely stern.

The other former kings and the kings of the Ying clan also wanted to call for it.

Hu Hai spoke first, “Ancestor, what’s the rush? I’m just following the example of the previous emperors and magnanimously forgiving the two concubines. It’s not like I’m going to make their child the crown prince.”

King Mu's expression softened slightly, but his doubts remained. He asked, "Which 'Holy Emperor' are you emulating?"

He carefully considered it and realized that no one seemed as pathetic as the Holy Emperor.

"My father," Hu Hai glanced at Prince Lieyang, Yu Yu, "can follow the custom and, once the children are born, let them take their mother's surname and raise them outside the palace."

The others also looked at Yu Yu with strange expressions.

King Lieyang was furious. "Huhai, why are you looking at me like that?"

"I, I..." Hu Hai shrank his neck, lowered his eyes to avoid the predatory gaze, and said, "King Lieyang, please don't be angry. I'm talking about my private matters."

I followed the sages to learn the way of a wise ruler, and the first principle of a wise ruler is to understand 'benevolence and forgiveness'.

“By choosing to forgive them, I am practicing the way of a sage ruler!” he sighed from the bottom of his heart.

Everyone carefully observed his expression and eyes.

Hu Hai's face and eyes showed little resentment or unwillingness, but rather a sense of joy and freedom after a profound enlightenment.

Is this guy speaking the truth? But is this even human language? Could it be that he's gone mad from studying the ways of a benevolent ruler and damaged his brain?
King Mu said in a deep voice, "Benevolence and forgiveness may be necessary, but the dignity of an emperor is even more indispensable. As the second emperor, you must not lose face!"

Hu Hai shook his head and said, "Ancestor, you are mistaken. The majesty of an emperor is not established by killing and cruelty."

Only heartfelt admiration and reverence can forge eternal majesty.

I have forgiven them, but I will also hold a public trial for this case.

King Mu glared, "You still want to hold a public trial?"

Is this something to be proud of?
Hu Hai nodded, "Yes! I want to learn from my father, the Grand Tutor. Everything should be done in accordance with established laws and regulations, openly and fairly."

The law upholds royal dignity, and so will my dignity.

After the trial concludes, I will consider our past relationship and grant them leniency, thus demonstrating my benevolence.

Who would say I'm weak and incompetent?

He cultivates the False Saint Emperor's Divine Skill, not the Coward's Divine Skill, the Stupid's Divine Skill, or the Incompetent Husband's Divine Skill.

A wise and benevolent emperor must not only be benevolent, but also rational and intelligent.

Hu Hai may not have been very smart, but the "Pseudo-Saint Emperor's Divine Skill" would never have made him blindly benevolent and irrational.

King Mu was filled with doubt and uncertainty. “If we apply leniency on the basis of clear and just punishment, it will not damage our dignity. In fact, it may even earn us some good reputation.”

How could you possibly endure it? With endless pain and humiliation bottled up inside, wasn't it unbearable?

—Perhaps, even some? No, it's guaranteed to earn you a huge amount of good reputation!
Ancestor, you have finally grown old and died, and can no longer keep up with the times!

Hu Hai felt pleased and delighted.

Cultivating immortal martial arts and immortal techniques can enhance a martial artist's perception of danger and keen insight into opportunities.

The essence of spiritual practice is to evolve, not to mention the evolution of the physical body. The direction of spiritual evolution is to make the instinct to seek advantage and avoid harm stronger and more proactive.

The same principle applies to Hu Hai's cultivation of the "False Holy Emperor's Divine Skill." After mastering the False Holy Emperor's Divine Skill, his instinct to seek advantage and avoid harm became even stronger, and it transformed into a skill that could be actively controlled.

For a "sage emperor," the greatest benefit is naturally gaining the trust and faith of the people; the greatest harm is losing the people's approval and faith.

With this kind of intuition, Hu Hai would instinctively move in the direction of "gaining the people's approval and belief".

The higher the level of the "False Holy Emperor's Divine Skill", the less likely one is to go astray.

The more he followed the right path, the more recognition and conviction he gained, the more dopamine was released in his brain, and the happier he became.

If he goes down the wrong path and loses the people's approval and faith, he will suffer more than death.

"As the Son of Heaven, I should endure what others cannot!" Hu Hai first puffed out his chest and showed off, then said truthfully, "Moreover, I don't need to endure; I genuinely think this way."

When I lost my temper and flew into a rage just now, I felt extremely uncomfortable and pained.

Now that I have regained my senses and made the right decision, I feel extremely relieved and very glad that I was able to pull back from the brink.

Seeing King Mu's distorted expression and strange eyes, Hu Hai was displeased. He pointed to his own face and shouted, "Ancestor, look into my eyes! Do you see extreme repression and forbearance?"

King Mu and the others stared intently into his eyes, seeing only clarity, wisdom, and a certain "serene joy" that they could not understand yet felt awe for.

Well, that's right. Before, they were laughing at Hu Hai and were quite contemptuous of him, but now they inexplicably feel a bit of awe.

Generally speaking, when we cannot do something ourselves, but others can accomplish things that are beyond the norm, even if they are somewhat abnormal, we will feel awe.

"You win, I admit defeat, Ancestor." King Mu sheepishly withdrew his gaze.

Hu Hai looked around with a fierce gaze, and no one faced him with ridicule or contempt anymore.

He was smug and turned to Grand Tutor Yu, saying, "Father, I am destined to have no children. Is it possible to change my fate? Or, can I use medical techniques to improve my health?"

Grand Tutor Yu had been silently observing Hu Hai from the sidelines, and was now very satisfied with his performance.

—This guy has mastered the "False Holy Emperor's Divine Skill" to the core, it's starting to penetrate his soul and alter his very nature. Hmm, perhaps he should be given some "reward" to help him create new realms, so he can keep climbing, endlessly.

Grand Tutor Yu had an idea in mind, but said aloud, "There is a common saying among the people that he has no affinity with offspring."

If the time is not right, it's fate's arrangement and has nothing to do with physical health.

Using medical secrets, one can alter feng shui and subtly adjust destiny, even helping some mortals who have accumulated good karma to continue their lineage. As the emperor, and currently in the midst of a great calamity, any slight change in your destiny will have a huge impact on reality.

However, you don't need to worry.

As long as you persist in practicing the ways of a sage ruler and strive to accumulate merit and prestige for yourself, your fate of 'enjoying the kingdom for three years' will change, and your fate of 'dying tragically without an heir' will also change."

Hu Hai thought for a moment and then asked, "Just now, the Grand Tutor said that 'enjoying the country for three years' is a minor destiny compared to 'the Qin Dynasty perishing after two generations'."

Compared to the saying "the southeast has the aura of an emperor," the Qin Dynasty's demise after only two generations seems like a minor destiny.

What is the true destiny, and what is the greatest destiny?

"The greatest destiny lies in the hearts of the people! As long as you can truly become the one who the people want, all the destiny that was unfavorable to you and Qin in the past will crumble."

On the contrary, if you cling to the fate determined by the people's hearts in the past, such as "the dynasty will last for three years" or "it will perish after two generations," and ignore the people in the present, you will only hasten the fulfillment of the predetermined destiny. "Grand Tutor Yu said.

"The people's hearts are the foundation, I understand." Hu Hai nodded first, and then said, "Before, because my father said that I could become the shield of Xingyang within three years, I took the lead in the Xingyang siege and defense battles for the past two years."

For the sake of war and government affairs, I neglected the concubines in the harem. Sigh, it seems I summoned them to my bedchamber ten times this year? None of them were summoned by me; they insisted on coming to my side.

I dare not take credit for Xingyang's ability to hold on until now; at least 30% of the credit belongs to me.

I am still willing to continue leading the Qin soldiers to resist the rebels, but what if, after the three-year period, those rebels disregard my reputation and past merits and simply surround and kill me?

Grand Tutor Yu said, "You should pay attention to balancing work and rest. If such a scandal occurs in the harem, the court will also lose face."

Hu Hai wanted to say: "Being with those concubines now, I'm being drained of my energy, which only makes me miserable and exhausted. Being a wise ruler outside, I receive the love and respect of the people and soldiers every moment, and I'm happier than a god every moment. It's much more enjoyable than the 'pleasures' between men and women."

"Alas, with the nation in peril, I have no heart for personal feelings! Even knowing the dangers, I can't help but lead my troops to charge the enemy camp at least once a day. Only then can I eat and sleep peacefully," he sighed.

—What are you pretending to be, a saintly ruler in front of me? You're just controlled by dopamine and can't stand the withdrawal symptoms.

Grand Tutor Yu thought to himself, but said solemnly on the surface: "You can do whatever you want next year and the year after. Don't worry about the 'three-year reign' thing."

Outside the battlefield, if anyone dares to assassinate you, I will avenge you through a public trial.

Even if he were a near-Great Luo Immortal, he would be executed without mercy.

On the battlefield, if someone uses strange and secret methods to ambush you, I will also help you take revenge.

I reckon that after this year's "Yan Wushuang case," no one will dare to break the rules.

Hu Hai asked, "What if they openly and honestly attack me on the battlefield?"

“You shouldn’t be afraid of being surrounded. You’re not fighting alone, and your skills are strong enough now. Just don’t stray too far from Xingyang, and you’ll be fine,” Grand Tutor Yu said.

"What if some powerful immortals shamelessly act as generals under the rebel army, such as Erlang Shen and Nezha from the Investiture of the Gods? I am no match for them, and they kill me with a single spear thrust. What should I do?" Hu Hai asked again.

Grand Master Yu said, "If you really encounter that kind of immortal general, you will die a worthy death. Killing you will surely cause him to incur huge karma and karmic burdens. I can calmly arrange for Qiu Mingzi and Ye Jiutian in Xingyang City to kill him with magic weapons."

These peerless generals, once killed, can deter others.

After all, there are hundreds or even thousands of princes and nobles in the Qin Dynasty. Even if one Qin emperor is killed, there are still hundreds or thousands more waiting to succeed him.

A powerful being like Erlang Shen, who cultivated diligently for hundreds of thousands of years to reach his current level and status, wouldn't risk his life for a mere mortal emperor.

—But I don't want to die a worthy death, I don't want to die!

Hu Hai looked at her expectantly, "Father, can you intimidate them in advance? For example, if one of my elder brothers dies heroically in battle, will Father intervene?"

The kings of the Ying clan began to curse in their hearts again.

Grand Tutor Yu pondered for a moment and said, "I told you this during my first time traveling through time. The kings of the Ying clan should focus on protecting their own fiefdoms and not take the initiative to attack."

Even in the final moments, survival must be the priority.

If you decide to die for your country, I will not stop you; if you decide to flee because you cannot win, the court will not hold you responsible for the loss of territory and country; if you cannot even escape and have truly reached a dead end, you can try to surrender and try your best to survive.

At this point, she turned to the King of Wu and asked, "What is the current situation of your son, Ying Song?"

"Reporting to the Grand Tutor, my son Ying Song is still imprisoned by Xiang Liang in Wu County," said the King of Wu.

Li Si continued, "I contacted Zheng Chang, the magistrate of Wu County, and he promised to help take care of the Crown Prince of Wu and prevent him from suffering hunger and humiliation."

However, Xiang Liang rejected the suggestion of using members of the Xiang family as hostages in exchange for the crown prince of Wu.

He insisted on not releasing the Crown Prince of Wu.

Xiang Liang fled to Kuaiji Commandery for refuge mainly because his old friend Zheng Chang was the magistrate of Wu County. Yin Tong was the governor of Kuaiji Commandery, and Wu County was the capital of Kuaiji Commandery, so Zheng Chang was essentially the magistrate of the county seat.

If Xiang Liang had killed Zheng Chang instead of Yin Tong, his reputation would have been ruined, even worse than Chen Sheng's.

Grand Tutor Yu laughed and said, "Since Xiang Liang values ​​the heir of the King of Wu so much, let him serve in the Xiang family army! If Xiang Liang dares to use Ying Song now, then other members of the Ying clan will dare to surrender in the future!"

King Mu frowned and said, "If Xiang Liang really uses Ying Song to buy horse bones with a thousand pieces of gold, it will be very detrimental to our Qin Dynasty!"

"How could it be unfavorable? According to the original destiny, all of them should have died by the sword." Grand Tutor Yu swept his hand around the kings of the Ying clan and the officials of the Qin Dynasty. "For you, surviving is equivalent to successfully defying fate!"

For the Qin Dynasty under the Ying clan, as long as the princes and grandsons of the emperor were alive, hope would always exist.

Look at the group of people who are rebelling now; most of them are 'remnants of the previous dynasty'.

If they can be considered 'remnants of the previous dynasty,' why can't the royal family of our Great Qin be considered 'remnants of the previous dynasty' on their territory?"
"It's only right to reciprocate!"

Everyone subconsciously felt that there was a big problem with what Grand Tutor Yu said, but if they wanted to refute it, they couldn't find a suitable reason for the time being.

After a long while, Li Si said, "I'm afraid Xiang Liang won't give the Crown Prince of Wu a chance."

The Grand Tutor wanted the descendants of the Ying clan to still hold high positions among the rebels after the defeat, but would the rebels truly trust them?

The main reason why Xiang Liang did not immediately kill Ying Song as a sacrifice to the flag was that the Xiang family's hometown in Xiaxiang had been destroyed by the court first.

Some of the Xiang clan's collateral branches fell into the hands of the imperial court.

Even so, Xiang Liang still refused to let the Crown Prince of Wu go.

(End of this chapter)