Chinese martial arts! Grandmaster

Chapter 291 Heaven and earth are vast! I am the greatest!

Chen Jie smiled but didn't say anything.

As people get older, they tend to reminisce about the past.

Emperor Li Zheng was no exception.

Throughout history, the struggle for imperial power has always been the most brutal.

Imperial power is supreme!

Generally speaking, emperors referred to themselves as "孤" (gu), "寡人" (guaren), or "朕" (zhen).
In other words, in the emperor's eyes, brothers were unreliable, and talking about feelings with the emperor was simply a joke.

Emperors are ruthless!

Generally, emperors had many wives and concubines, and numerous children. Many brothers were half-brothers, which made family ties even weaker.

As a prince, he represented not just one person, but a group of people, a very large force.

Mother, wives and concubines, children, father-in-law, students, ministers under his command—and so on!
When one is prosperous, both are prosperous; when one is lost, both are harmed!
Even if you don't think about yourself, you have to think about the large group of people behind you, and you have to choose sides.

If you are not capable or powerful enough, you must rely on a prince who has a greater chance of seizing the throne.

Princes and generals, I would rather be kind!
As members of the royal family, any prince is qualified to rule the country through hereditary succession.

Therefore,
From the moment of birth, any prince is eligible to compete for the throne.

Regardless of whether you have real power or prestige, as long as you rebel, it's easier for you to seize power than for someone from another family.

At least from a moral standpoint, it is justifiable.

This is why the regional princes of the Great Qian Dynasty raised their banners in rebellion, wanting to establish themselves as kings.

Simultaneously,

Behind each prince is a powerful force.

However, Chen Jie didn't understand why Emperor Li Zheng was discussing these things with him.

His surname isn't Li!
The struggle for imperial power had nothing to do with him.

Emperor Li Zheng seemed lost in his memories, a glimmer of life returning to his eyes.

"Although I was the crown prince back then, there were quite a few princes who could pose a threat to me!"

"Prince Xiao was deeply loved by his father. He was exceptionally intelligent and meticulous in all aspects, and had inherited his father's true talents."

"Whether in terms of talent, governance, methods, or the power behind him, I cannot compare with him."

"My father almost deposed me from my position as crown prince and made Prince Xiao the crown prince instead."

"At that time, all the civil and military officials believed that King Xiao would succeed to the throne."

The Fourth Prince – Prince Xiao, Li Kang!
This is a prince with a very low profile in the Great Qian Dynasty.

"I've heard of King Hyo-wang!"

Chen Jie chuckled and said, "However, Prince Xiao's reputation isn't good. Although he's very clever, he's too clever for his own good!"

"I heard that King Xiao used his intelligence to study human relationships and worldly wisdom."

Emperor Li Zheng smiled and nodded, then coughed and said:

"You're right, King Xiao is just too clever!"

"When people are too smart, they become arrogant, conceited, and overbearing."

"He gained the late emperor's favor because of his intelligence, but he also ruined his future because of his intelligence!"

this moment,
Li Zheng seemed to be immersed in his past.

He felt that the most glorious moment of his life was when he ascended the throne.

"Your Majesty, there's a hidden meaning in your words!"

Chen Jie opened his eyes wide and deliberately pretended to be somewhat aggrieved as he said:
"I consider myself quite intelligent. You don't think I'm arrogant and conceited, do you?"

"Ha ha--!"

Upon hearing this, the emperor couldn't help but laugh.

Cough cough—cough cough—!
He was laughing at the same time, while coughing violently.

The eunuch Gao, who was standing nearby, quickly took a towel from the imperial physician and handed it over.

After Emperor Li Zheng took the towel, he covered his mouth and coughed even more violently.

at last,

When he put the towel down, he noticed a trace of blood on it.

boom--!
The next moment, Gao Gonggong's palm slapped Li Zheng's back.

A powerful aura enveloped the surroundings.

Mastery of the Meridian-Opening Qi!

Control your Qi and blood with your mind, and circulate your Qi with your intention!

Where there is free flow, there is no pain; where there is pain, there is no free flow!
hiss--!
Chen Jie felt the aura emanating from Eunuch Gao and couldn't help but gasp.

As the chief steward of the Grand Internal and External Affairs Bureau, Eunuch Cao's martial arts skills had reached the mid-stage of the Meridian Opening Qi realm.

In Chen Jie's eyes, Cao Shaoqing was practically invincible.

but,

At this moment, the martial arts skills that Eunuch Gao displayed were actually at the peak of the Meridian Opening Qi realm.

As expected of the Grand Steward of the Imperial Household Department!

It's important to understand that the higher the level of martial arts, the greater the gap becomes, and the more difficult it is to advance.

Don't assume that just because Eunuch Gao is only one level higher than Cao Shaoqing, their martial arts skills are not far apart.

On the contrary, the two are only one minor realm apart, and their strength is more than double that of each other.

That is,

Cao Shaoqing couldn't withstand ten moves from Eunuch Gao!
It seems that Gao Gonggong played a crucial role in saving the emperor's life after he was assassinated by assassins.

call--!
After Eunuch Gao used his internal energy for a moment, Emperor Li Zheng's breathing finally calmed down.

He took a deep breath and dismissed Eunuch Gao and the imperial physician.

After a while,
Li Zheng turned to look at Chen Jie and said:
"King Xiao lost in the end because he was too cunning and too clever!"

"Back then, my father wanted to depose me from my position as crown prince and instead make Prince Xiao the heir apparent!"

"Do you know? Father actually put Prince Xiao in charge of the Ministry of Personnel. All the scholars in the country are his protégés. It's practically paving the way for his ascension to the throne."

"As for me, the crown prince, I cannot enter the Ministry of War; I can only do some insignificant things in the Ministry of Rites."

"I endured five years of hardship in the Ministry of Rites, but no matter how well I did, no one knew my abilities."

“If Prince Xiao can remain calm and proceed step by step in the Ministry of Personnel, then I, as the Crown Prince, will have no chance of winning.”

"To be honest, I was already in despair back then, and I was powerless to turn the tide in the face of defeat."

call--!
At this point, Emperor Li Zheng took several deep breaths.

then,

He continued:
"Unfortunately, he was too clever, and he began to expand his own power in the Ministry of Personnel."

"He befriended important officials, and even before he ascended the throne, he threatened my father's rule and affected the power behind him." "I must say, he is indeed better than me in every aspect, and his prestige is much higher than mine."

"But how could such a little scheme possibly escape Father's notice?"

When Emperor Li Zheng spoke of his glorious past, his spirits lifted.

He seemed very excited, and he no longer felt any pain or coughed.

Chen Jie remained silent, listening intently.

The struggle for imperial power has always been cruel and fierce.

Although he didn't know why Emperor Li Zheng was suddenly talking to him about these things.
Emperor Li Zheng did have a son.

He has three sons and two daughters.

Even if Princess Lingyue became his wife, Chen Jie would still only be a prince consort from a different family.

The Li family's empire has nothing to do with him.

not to mention,
The empire of the Great Qian Dynasty is in grave danger.

Getting involved with the royal family at this time will not end well.

but,

Chen Jie, however, paid no attention to any of this and treated it as just a story.

"Father has seen everything about Prince Xiao and is very disappointed in him."

"In the end, they have no choice but to pay attention to me, the crown prince!"

Emperor Li Zheng sighed as he spoke.

So, when the emperor was still the crown prince, he was almost deposed?
There are so many twists and turns in this story.

The joy of losing something and then getting it back is indeed unforgettable, no wonder Li Zheng always cherishes the past.

"As for my eventual ascension to the throne, that will naturally fall into place!"

Emperor Li Zheng took a deep breath and said:
"When my father went to the Great Buddha Temple to pay respects to our ancestors for the last time, I was always by his side."

"I never expected that King Xiao would mobilize his elite warriors to launch an attack on Dafosi Temple, attempting to instigate a rebellion."

"Although all the assassins were eventually killed, my father was also seriously injured. In the end, in front of all the ministers, he left an edict that I would inherit the throne."

"However, my father still favored Prince Xiao and made me swear to heaven that I would never allow Prince Xiao to be killed and that brothers would not kill each other."

"So many years have passed, and I never expected it to be the Great Buddha Temple again! And the assassins again—!"

Chen Jie lowered his head, his mind racing with thoughts.

Could this assassination attempt have been carried out by King Xiao?

No reason!

King Xiao had long lost power, and he had almost no presence in the entire Daqian Dynasty.

Even compared to the Ninth Prince, the Thirteenth Prince, and others, Prince Xiao, Li Kang, had almost no powerful backing.

Although Emperor Li Zheng did not kill him.

but,

The forces that supported the Fourth Prince, Prince Xiao, had long since switched allegiance to other princes.

However, Emperor Li Zheng was also stubborn, since he always believed that he was no better than Prince Xiao.

Why not just get rid of him?
Was it important for an emperor to swear an oath to Heaven?

The world is vast, but I am the greatest!
You're already the emperor, why would you still keep any oaths?

No wonder the reforms of the Great Qian Dynasty were never successful.

Emperor Li Zheng's personality determined that he would find it difficult to become a wise and benevolent ruler.

"The assassination attempt at Dafosi Temple this time is so similar to the one my father committed."

A look of pain crossed his face, and he sighed, saying:

"These past two days, I've been dreaming about my father—!"

Your royal family is scheming and plotting against each other for the throne, putting all your energy into this.

What art of balancing, what art of emperors controlling people!
I bother!

The enemy has already begun assassinating you, and you're still here reminiscing?

Chen Jie muttered to himself.

However, he naturally wouldn't say anything in front of Emperor Li Zheng; he simply remained silent and listened quietly.

"Forget it, let's not talk about the past!"

Emperor Li Zheng sighed and called out to the outside:

"Gao Yao, bring the portrait here."

Hearing this from the next room, Grandpa Gao quickly came in.

He held a scroll of portrait in his hands, came to Chen Jie's side, and handed him the scroll.

then,

Grandpa Gao nodded to Chen Jie and then turned to leave the room.

Chen Jie looked at the portrait with a puzzled expression, then glanced at Emperor Li Zheng.

What do you mean?
The emperor was reminiscing about his past and was having a lively conversation.

Why did you suddenly pull out a scroll of portraits?
"Look, now that I have betrothed Lingyue to you, there are some things you are entitled to know."

Emperor Li Zheng looked calmly at Chen Jie, gesturing for him to open it.

"Whose portrait?"

Chen Jie was somewhat surprised and asked with a puzzled look.

As he spoke, he unfurled the scroll in his hand.

The scroll depicted a portrait of a woman.

It is so lifelike that it looks incredibly realistic.

but,

Compared to the effect of a photograph, although the painting skills are quite good, there is still a big difference.

Judging from the woman's appearance in the portrait, she was a dignified and virtuous woman.

Very beautiful, with an elegant demeanor.

"Who is this? She's very pretty!"

Chen Jie paused for a moment, then joked:
"Your Majesty, what is the meaning behind showing me such a painting of a beautiful woman all of a sudden?"