As an official, what's wrong with raising a few monsters?

Chapter 124: Desire to Slay the Dragon
"Sir, this is our first formal meeting, right?"

Prince's Mansion,
The steam rises and the fragrance of tea fills the air.

Xiao Zhengyang poured tea for the man in front of him and looked him over carefully. Although he was frail and his face was haggard, he couldn't help but smile.

In a sense, this was their first formal one-on-one meeting.

He couldn't help but marvel at the sight of this man emerging from his invisibility.

This young man, who is not even twenty years old, is truly a genius.

Mingchen.

He had known this person long before Huiyuan emerged and became famous in Yueyang.

Bold and arrogant, flamboyant and unbridled, yet possessing extraordinary talent and the ability to change the world.

He will always come out on top.

Sure enough, it was not unexpected.

In just half a year, this person rose rapidly to become the brightest star in the entire Yueyang City.

If there is one person who can save this precarious country and save Qianyuan, that person must be Mingchen!

Xiao Zhengyang believed it firmly.

He is now imprisoned, his dynasty is in jeopardy, and the only lifeline he can grasp is the man in front of him.

After the New Year, when the white bird landed by the window, his anxious heart finally calmed down a little.

Finally, the covered card was revealed, and Mingchen was finally going to meet him.

Xiao Zhengyang knew deeply that their seemingly simple meeting this time would determine the future of the entire dynasty.

Mingchen sniffed the fragrant green tea in the cup and said, "Your Highness, you are so polite."

There are not many people in the world who can have the prince personally pour tea for them.

Facing the noble successor of the dynasty, he remained calm, as if he were facing an ordinary person.

He can drink with his sister Dai, and he can also drink tea with the prince.

The two of them rarely had the opportunity to talk to each other, never even saying a word. The lazy Lord Ming wasn't the type of minister the Crown Prince favored, and no one in the court believed the two would be so close to each other, sitting opposite each other over tea.

"As it should be!"

Xiao Zhengyang shook his head and said seriously, "Sir, you are not the type to be obsessed with these empty formalities. Let's get down to business."

Since he understood the reason for everything, Xiao Zhengyang felt more and more clearly that his life was slipping away bit by bit.

He was really anxious.

He is not afraid of death.

But he was afraid of where this precarious Qian Yuan would go after his death.

Now no one in the world can be trusted, and Mingchen is his only lifeline.

Today's conversation is crucial, he must come up with a plan with Mingchen.

"it is good!"

"May I ask, Your Highness, what do you want to discuss with Chen?"

The prince was anxious.

Mingchen narrowed his eyes, his expression calm.

"I wonder if you still remember what we discussed half a year ago..."

"Chen naturally remembers it. I wonder what Your Highness is asking about? Is it about the peace talks? Is it about suppressing the rebellion? Or..."

"It's something that will change the world!"

Xiao Zhengyang looked at Mingchen with burning eyes, not wanting to hide anything, and spoke directly.

He wants to slay a dragon!
He has made up his mind to change the world and rule the dynasty.

In just half a year, this sick prince has changed a lot.

Back then he was very secretive and hesitant, but now he is no longer shy and no longer speculates.

He already knew that he had no way out and could not wait any longer.

Now, Mingchen was calm and composed. He asked, "Prince, do you know what this means?"

Xiao Zhengyang is destined to be a short-lived person. Even if he succeeds to the throne now, he will still be a short-lived king.

If he waited until his lifespan was exhausted and he died without doing anything, history would not blame him for anything, but would only express regret and sigh.

But if he ascends to the throne, it will be different.

As time stretches back to infinity, the short time he spent on the throne is not worth mentioning, and killing his father to succeed to the throne will become an indelible stain on him.

It takes courage for him to make the decision.

Xiao Zhengyang shook his body, his eyes firm: "Sir, I am willing to bear all the consequences."

He had already figured these things out over the past few months.

Mingchen nodded and asked directly, "Your Highness has made up his mind. What are your thoughts?"

Xiao Zhengyang was no loser; this matter was destined to be led by Xiao Zhengyang. Several months had passed, and Mingchen couldn't believe that this man hadn't made any preparations and was just waiting for him like this.

Xiao Zhengyang paused, pointed at himself, and asked Mingchen, "Sir, can you remove this curse for me?"

The curse his father had cast upon him had made him see this man clearly. He had driven himself mad in his quest for immortality. How could a madman rule a nation?
Mingchen glanced at the white bird by the window and nodded gently: "Yes, but... Your Highness, it is easy to remove the curse, but the lost lifespan is irreversible and may even further affect your physical condition."

Xiao Zhengyang's expression remained calm upon hearing this. He nodded slightly and asked, "Will my father notice anything when the curse is lifted?"

Mingchen nodded: "Yes!"

"Okay!" Xiao Zhengyang felt relieved upon hearing this and said to Mingchen, "I hope you can remove the curse for me. I have already planned everything else."

The prince is going to fight to the death.

As mentioned before, Xiao Zhengyang actually has a chance. As long as he wants, he can always find an opportunity to change this world.

It's just that he doesn't want to.

Now that he was pushed to the edge of the cliff, he came up with a plan in just a few months, without even needing Mingchen's help.

Mingchen nodded without asking any more questions. Instead, he looked around and pointedly asked Xiao Zhengyang, "Your Highness, why don't you see the Crown Princess?"

It is often impolite for a visitor to ask about someone else's female relatives.

But both of them understood the meaning of Mingchen's words.

On Mingchen's first day, he didn't notice anything wrong with the Crown Princess. But he was cautious and only spoke to people in private. He had used some trickery to knock the Crown Princess unconscious.

Xiao Zhengyang smiled bitterly when he heard this: "Don't worry, sir, what you and I talked about today will not be known to a third person."

Xiao Zhengyang knew his wife was a pawn. But after more than a decade together, the time they had spent together was real, and he didn't blame her. People aren't tools; they always have feelings. This time, he chose to trust his own judgment and this relationship.

However, he was responsible for his trust and feelings and did not want to implicate Mingchen.

Therefore, the Crown Princess will not see Mingchen.

Mingchen took a sip of tea and nodded: "That's good."

Xiao Zhengyang lowered his eyes and asked Mingchen, "Sir, changing the world is a small matter. Zhengyang wants to ask, what should I do after I obtain the artifact?"

In fact, overthrowing his father was not his main purpose, and he didn't even necessarily need Mingchen's help.

This is actually the real issue that Xiao Zhengyang and Mingchen wanted to discuss during their meeting.

If you think about things from a different perspective, you will find many problems.

In the past, Xiao Zhengyang had never thought of doing such a rebellious thing, but now everything was pushing him forward, and he began to think about what would happen after he ascended the throne.

The dynasty has too many problems.

The situation has reached a point where it is difficult to reverse.

He ascended to the throne by unconventional means, and was bound to face many problems. Succession meant the loss of power, and he would have to use all his strength to suppress a group of scheming ministers.

Not to mention how to make this country a better place.

The tangled web of relationships in the court made him despair. He was like a butterfly trapped in an impenetrable net.

It's just beautiful. The message may not be delivered to him, and the order may not be passed on.

He can kill one person, kill ten people, but he cannot kill a hundred or a thousand people.

Kill one person and a new one will take his place.

Mingchen shook his head and asked, "Your Highness, do you want me to teach you how to be an emperor?"

Xiao Zhengyang: ...

It is indeed strange that the prince asked a minister how to become an emperor.

But Xiao Zhengyang still felt it was natural.

Xiao Zhengyang clenched his teacup, his voice filled with sorrow: "Mingchen... Mingchen..."

"The Qianyuan government is rotten to the core. What should I do...what should I do?"

"I don't know... Please tell me, what should I do?"

Xiao Zhengyang has always been a sincere person. In today's conversation with Mingchen, from the beginning to now, he has never used any self-proclaimed title that represents a noble status.

Even, some humble requests have begun.

He had very little time left to live, and after bringing down his father, he didn't know how to save his country.

But he really didn't want the dynasty that had lasted for hundreds of years to end in his hands. He didn't want to see his country in chaos and the people suffering.

But the court is already full of selfish, incompetent and scheming people. What should he do?
What a pity for this prince.

If he had been born in the early days of the dynasty, he would probably have left behind a name as a sage.

But... regret runs through it all.

Fate had no mercy on him.

Mingchen shook his head gently: "Your Highness, where there are people, there will be classes. Where there are classes, there will be rule. Where there are people, there will be problems. People always have private feelings. This problem cannot be solved."

"The king seeks a throne of supreme power that will last for thousands of generations, and I, the minister, seek glory for our family and establish a great clan."

"As time stretches on, the power of kings gradually erodes with the passing of generations, while the aristocratic families grow ever stronger through their successive generations."

"Kill the stupid ones, and leave the smarter ones behind."

"Until the end, powerful ministers and aristocratic families dominated the government and squeezed the people dry, and a chaotic era arrived. A heroic leader was born, either rising up or seizing the throne, changing the dynasty."

"How many years has Qian Yuan been here? Your Highness, you can't avoid it, and you can't change it."

"The rest is just a slow death."

Mingchen was like an outsider, seeing everything clearly and telling Xiao Zhengyang about it.

As Xiao Zhengyang listened, he clenched his fists, and his already haggard face became even uglier.

As someone involved in the matter, he could vaguely sense these things, but he couldn't see clearly. And what Mingchen said made him even more desperate when he heard it.

"However, if we can't cure it completely, we can treat the symptoms..."

"If Your Highness wishes, it is not impossible."

However, Mingchen then changed the subject and said to Xiao Zhengyang, who was looking at him with hope in his eyes, "Move the capital, kill!"

(End of this chapter)