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

Chapter 139 I beg you, save our country
Xiao Yu is dead, and the supreme position has changed.

The previous game of cards has long ended, and everything has been settled. Now that the covered cards have been revealed, there is naturally no problem.

In the Yangxin Hall of the Imperial Palace, the door was open and Mingchen walked in with his head held high.

It has been a long time since I came here. The last time I came here was when I returned from Beilie before the New Year and met Xiao Yu.

Now the old ones are being replaced by the new ones.

At the end of his sight, there was a person sitting quietly in front of the desk, waiting for him.

The new king of Qianyuan, Xiao Zhengyang.

Since ascending the throne, Xiao Zhengyang has never summoned him, the most important person to him.

It took such a long time before the decree was issued.

Compared to the time when Xiao Yu was in power, the current Yangxin Palace has changed in appearance and decoration. Warm light fills the palace, but it is less eerie and strange than before.

It's been a long time since we last met, but your black hair has turned white.

The man in the imperial robe with a haggard face seemed to notice something and slowly raised his head.

Compared to before, he seemed more majestic and weaker.

"Your Majesty... I'm really not used to calling you that!"

Xiao Zhengyang is now the emperor, but Mingchen's tone of voice does not seem to be very respectful, as if it is no different from before.

"Hahaha... Mingchen, it's fine if you call me 'Your Highness'."

Xiao Zhengyang was not angry, and even grinned.

After not seeing him for such a long time, he is still the same, bold, unbridled and arrogant.

Whether he was the crown prince or the emperor, it seemed to make no difference to this man.

Xiao Zhengyang was troubled by many things and felt suffocated by the complicated affairs of the country. Sitting in a lonely position, there was no one he could talk to.

It’s the person in front of me.

Communicating with him face to face seemed to calm me down a bit.

Since he ascended the throne, there have been too many and complicated things to do, and he has been busy until late at night every day, so he has no time to summon this person.

Mingchen waved his hand and said with a smile, "I wouldn't dare. Serving the emperor is like serving a tiger. Your Majesty, please don't put the crime of deceiving the emperor on my head and punish my entire clan!"

"Humph!"

"It doesn't matter what you call me, I won't punish you!"

Xiao Zhengyang glared at the man and said, "You are not meddling in government affairs. I will definitely give you a good treatment! You look much healthier than me, how could you have so many illnesses?"

He is clearly a very talented and capable person, but he is so lazy and even has some bad habits of a corrupt official.

He didn't believe that this person couldn't understand these things based on his vision. He just liked to be lazy.

How infuriating.

"Your Majesty, you are joking. I dare not. I am suffering from illness and am really weak."

He has already given up on the capital. It would be a waste of time and energy to run away in a few days and get involved in the messy power struggles in the court.

Isn’t it nice to lie down at home?
Xiao Zhengyang also sighed helplessly.

You'd better not dare!

What the hell is wrong with being sick!

This is what I call being sick!

Sometimes, this person is really helpless.

"Sir, he's been cast under a spell."

"He's dying."

While Mingchen was talking to Xiao Yu, a voice suddenly sounded in his ears.

The little bird entered the palace this time.

The world was in chaos, the country was collapsing, and the oppression from the palace on her had become minimal, so Mingchen allowed her to enter the palace.

In Fu Yao's eyes, a sinister and eerie aura was swirling behind Xiao Zhengyang, and the ominous aura was particularly strong.

This is a sign of a spell being cast.

This person is really unlucky.

Not long ago, he was cursed by his father, which took away half of his life. Now he is being persecuted by someone using magic.

Fuyao couldn't bear to look at it anymore.

"Ok?"

Mingchen raised his eyebrows when he heard this and looked at Xiao Zhengyang again.

In fact, even without Xiaoniao saying anything, he could see it himself.

Xiao Zhengyang has some problems now. His face is haggard and thin, his cheeks are sunken, and his hair and beard are all gray.

He was less than forty years old, and he exuded a strong aura of death.

Even more exaggerated than before.

According to Xiaoniao's previous estimation, even if the curse was broken, he shouldn't be like this.

"Mingchen, what's wrong?"

Xiao Zhengyang seemed to notice Mingchen's gaze. He lowered his eyes and touched his dry silver hair.

I don't know when, his hair has turned white.

Exhausted and demoralized.

He only had nightmares when he slept at night, and he walked unsteadily, needing help from others. In the end, he just sat in a wheelchair.

"You can see that... I don't have much time left."

As an emperor, he was very calm when he said that his life would end, without any stubbornness or reluctance to give up power.

He even smiled... and there was a hint of relief in his smile.

Mingchen complimented him: "Your Majesty, you are joking. You can still live for a long time~"

"The court is beyond help. Your Majesty, why not enjoy yourself and be happy while you can~"

In fact, Mingchen didn’t quite understand why Xiao Zhengyang was so busy every day.

Xiao Zhengyang knew very well that he could not change anything now.

Instead of working hard every day to compete with those ministers in wits and courage, it would be better to just let go and live happily.

Xiao Yu left him a huge mess. The court was rotten to the core, and his policies might not even be implemented at the local level.

As his health deteriorated, everyone could see that he was not in good condition, and many people were waiting for his death.

Xiao Zhengyang shook his head upon hearing this and gave a bitter smile: "Mingchen~ I am not a saint, I also love fame..." "Recently, I often dream that my father points at my nose and scolds me, and the people of the world laugh at me."

If he kills his father to seize the throne and still pursues pleasure, then he is truly rotten.

He died of exhaustion while handling government affairs, but at least his reputation was preserved.

Mingchen shrugged. "Your Majesty, you're overthinking it. Just listen to what the people are saying. If you go to a restaurant and listen, you'll find most of them praising you. Reputation is something that is naturally decided by the public. If the people say you're good, then you're good."

"Of course, if someone else usurps your Qianyuan kingdom in the future, your reputation will be in jeopardy."

I don’t know if this person is comforting himself.

Xiao Zhengyang sighed and said, "Forget it..."

"Your Majesty, do you regret it?"

In a sense, Xiao Zhengyang has come to this point.

It was all Mingchen's instigation.

When they first met, Mingchen instigated Xiao Zhengyang to fight for power.

Later, he told Xiao Zhengyang the news of the grafting of the life-transferring curse, which completely ignited the fire of seizing power in his heart.

Now, he sits on the throne, but his life is coming to an end.

If he hadn't done these things, perhaps he could have lived a few more years and been a foolish prince. The stain of patricide and the throne would not have fallen on him, and Xiao Yu would have had to bear all the infamy alone.

Xiao Zhengyang paused when he heard this, and all kinds of thoughts swirled in his mind.

After a while, he just smiled with relief: "Mingchen, thank you, I don't regret it."

"This is all I can do. As a crown prince, as an emperor, and even... as a son, I don't think I've done anything wrong."

There was no reason to tell him that a son should sacrifice his life for his father.

There is no reason to tell him that if his father is unkind, the son cannot rebel.

"I have a clear conscience."

"Yeah~"

"Just have a clear conscience."

There are few people in this world who have a clear conscience.

Xiao Zhengyang holds this supreme position with a clear conscience, which is not in vain.

Xiao Zhengyang seemed to remember something and asked Mingchen, "Mingchen... do you have any wine?"

Mingchen: ...

Well, you are addicted to taking advantage of others, right?

The refreshing aroma of green bamboo wine wafted towards me, seeming to ease my heavy spirit a little.

"How did you make this wine? I'm the emperor now, and I can't find such fine wine in the palace."

Xiao Zhengyang couldn't help but sigh.

Mingchen just casually said: "The masters are all among the people."

Emperor Xiao Zhengyang actually pays great attention to efficiency because he doesn't have much time.

But now, the two of them seemed like old friends reminiscing about the past, chatting about this and that, but never getting to the point.

It's easy to get along with Mingchen, there's no need for intrigue.

They had known each other for a short time, just over half a year.

We have only met a few times and have not spoken a few times.

Logically speaking, he should dislike Mingchen's personality, but now they are quite close and have become confidants.

He is the only one among all the civil and military officials in the court.

Xiao Zhengyang didn't know if he would have the chance to have a conversation with this person like this again in the future.

After three rounds of drinks, Xiao Zhengyang's haggard face seemed to have become a little rosier.

He looked at Mingchen with burning eyes and said, "Mingchen, have I ever let you down?"

Mingchen was stunned and shook his head: "No."

Xiao Zhengyang is a good leader.

It’s a pity that his life was too short.

Otherwise, he really wouldn't mind staying in the capital and increasing investment in him.

Xiao Zhengyang nodded: "Okay."

He waved his hand gently, and a palace maid came out from the side room carrying something covered with yellow cloth.

He put it on the table in front of Xiao Zhengyang, turned around and walked out the door. He didn't walk far before he fell to the ground and lost his voice.

Xiao Zhengyang slowly uncovered the yellow cloth, and an exquisite and noble jade seal lay there quietly.

It is square and palm-sized, yet it seems to weigh more than a thousand mountains.

Since ancient times, heroes have emerged and competed for supremacy across the world, and what they have done is... just like this.

"I have done everything I could."

"I acknowledge that human power has its limits, and I cannot reverse the situation."

He has recognized his limits.

He didn't ask himself to change anything while he was still alive, and he had already started to make arrangements for his afterlife.

Xiao Zhengyang suppressed all his emotions, gently pushed the jade seal forward, and looked at Mingchen with a serious face: "Mingchen, this is my empire for the past five hundred years of Qianyuan. I hand it over to you..."

"I have never let you down."

"I hope... you won't let me down."

He did not give the imperial seal to his rising sister, who was extremely talented and whom even he envied.

Instead, he chose to entrust it to this lazy guy at this time.

Mingchen: ...

Xiao Zhengyang struggled to stand up, staggering, with stars flashing before his eyes.

He managed to stand up, clasped his hands together, and bowed slowly, saying, "I beg you, please save our country."

The emperor bowed.

He could no longer see the way forward for the country, but he believed Mingchen could.

Now, he gave all the sincerity he could give.

(End of this chapter)