The Legend of the Condor Heroes: From Being Expelled from Peach Blossom Island

Chapter 411 Wanyan Honglie's Decision

Under the influence of Wu Chengyu's persuasive talk, Wanyan Honglie was somewhat dazed. He unconsciously raised his head and looked at the clouds rolling in the sky. His eyes slowly lost focus, his heart was surging and he could not control himself. After a long while, he finally spoke.

"I am the sixth son of the current Emperor of the Great Jin Dynasty, and I am granted the title of Prince Zhao. Mr. Tian, ​​tell me, throughout history, which prince has not wanted to be emperor, and which prince has been able to resist the temptation of the throne?"

Wu Chengyu remained silent, asking himself if even he, from the modern society of the future, who had received higher education and whose vision and knowledge far surpassed those of this ancient person, would not be unmoved if faced with the same choice as Wanyan Honglie.

Putting aside everything else, his position as a mid-level leader in a state-owned enterprise in his previous life was also the result of numerous open and covert struggles.
Those who say being an emperor is bad, being a wise ruler is too tiring, and being a foolish ruler invites criticism, and who think they are very clear-headed, are actually just people who never had the chance.

If given the chance, they would probably fight to the death. The allure of power is something no one can truly resist.

"Originally, I had no chance, and I had long since given up on these wishful thinkings."

Mr. Tian has never met my fourth brother, Prince Qi, Wanyan Hongyu. He is the son of the current empress, a true legitimate son. In terms of bloodline nobility alone, he surpasses us brothers. My father loves him so much that he often says that he alone can make our Great Jin Dynasty rise to a higher level.

Moreover, he himself is very shrewd and capable, and his experience in handling affairs far surpasses mine. In the previous war between Song and Jin, it was under his command and planning that we won a great victory. It was also he who led the delegation to the Song State, intimidating the Song court and making it tremble with fear.

That's 300,000 taels of silver as annual tribute and 3 million taels of silver as a reward for the army. Although Shi Miyuan was assassinated, those spineless cowards in the Song Kingdom still signed the peace treaty under pressure from my fourth brother.

With such a great victory that shook the world, and the vast wealth plundered from the Song Kingdom, my fourth brother, having achieved such immense merit, would soon be made crown prince upon returning to Daxing, his ascension to the throne practically a certainty. But who would have thought…”

At this point, Wanyan Honglie's eyes were filled with complex emotions, a mixture of nostalgia and schadenfreude, but mostly ambition.

"Who would have thought that my fourth brother, Wanyan Hongyu, would fall ill after returning to Daxing and pass away not long after? That wise and powerful fourth brother, who was the most likely to become the crown prince, was gone just like that. In an instant, the opportunity that had been lost was placed in front of us princes."

At this point, Wanyan Honglie downed the tea that had gone cold in front of him, while Wu Chengyu realized that it was still related to him.

The Fourth Prince, Wanyan Hongyu, actually died of kidney failure due to poisoning, but Wanyan Honglie described it as an illness.

Therefore, the opportunity that Wanyan Honglie mentioned was actually given to him by Wu Chengyu. It would be really unreasonable for Wanyan Honglie not to kowtow to him.

Looking back at the original story, Wanyan Honglie indeed never had the opportunity to become the crown prince, presumably because Wanyan Hongyu always suppressed him, as he was superior to Wanyan Honglie in terms of bloodline, imperial favor, and ability.

Moreover, he knew his own situation well. The Han Chinese princess was indeed an obstacle to his ascension to the throne. As a true lover, he really couldn't bear to give up Bao Xiruo. Under the combined influence of these two factors, Wanyan Honglie finally gave up competing for the throne.

There is no Wanyan Hongyu in the original work. Wu Chengyu guessed that Wanyan Hongyu should have died when the Jin Dynasty was defeated in the first major battle between the Jin and the Mongol Yuan Dynasty and was forced to move the capital. In the later period, the Jin Dynasty was supported by Wanyan Honglie. By then, the dynasty was about to collapse, and Wanyan Honglie probably had no desire to compete for the throne.

But now the timing is just right. The Mongol Yuan Dynasty has not yet risen, and the Jin Dynasty is at its most prosperous and flourishing after its great victory over the Southern Song Dynasty. It is a false prosperity, and Wanyan Hongyu just happened to die prematurely.

Therefore, for Wanyan Honglie, the throne of the emperor was closer and more tempting than ever before, making it impossible for him not to be tempted.

However, Wanyan Honglie still has a fatal weakness. If this weakness is not eliminated, he will still have no chance to ascend the throne.

That is, his queen was Han Chinese, and Yang Kang, whom others thought was his biological son, was half Han Chinese and had only one son.

No one in the entire Jin royal family would agree to a Han Chinese becoming empress, and they would resolutely prevent a mixed-race prince from becoming the heir to the throne.

Therefore, Wanyan Honglie now can't help but want to seize the throne. The first thing he needs to do is cut ties with his beloved queen and replace her with a queen of Jurchen blood. Bao Xiruo and Yang Kang will have to step aside.

Wanyan Honglie, a romantic with the traits of a male protagonist in a Qiong Laotai novel, has probably been wavering between the throne and loving a beautiful woman more than the country, which is why he has been constantly worried lately.

Thinking of this, Wu Chengyu decided to add fuel to the fire, tilting the scales in Wanyan Honglie's heart toward power, while Yang Kang, who was eavesdropping nearby, would feel even more resistant to his new father.

Yang Kang was originally power-hungry, but if Wanyan Honglie became emperor and he could not become crown prince, the resentment he had just developed towards Wanyan Honglie would probably soon turn into hatred.

“I have never met that Fourth Prince, but he is no longer here. Among the other princes of the Great Jin, you, Prince Zhao, have always been the most talented. Now that you have the opportunity, Your Highness should seize it. I am also willing to lend Your Highness a helping hand.”

"It's not that simple. If you want to fight for the throne, I must first depose the Queen and marry my noblewoman from the Great Jin Dynasty."

"I deeply love my queen. If I were to do this, how could I face her? It's a truly difficult decision."

Yang Kang, who was eavesdropping outside the courtyard, was stunned when he heard Wanyan Honglie's words. It turned out that Wanyan Honglie had really thought about this matter, which meant that his mother and his position as the young prince were somewhat precarious.

But Yang Kang was a man of principle; how could he possibly let the wealth and glory before him slip through his fingers?

"How can one have it all, to be true to both Buddha and love? Your Highness's love for the Princess is profound and admirable. However, if Your Highness truly becomes the Emperor of the Great Jin, I, a mere guest, will also benefit from Your Highness's glory."

"What? Does Mr. Tian mean I should give up on the Princess and Kang'er?"

"Given the prince's feelings for the princess, whether it's a divorce or demoting the princess to a concubine, does that mean the prince no longer loves the princess?"

"My love for the Princess is as clear as the sun and moon; there is no one else in the world who can move my heart." "Then that makes things easier. Your Highness can tell the Princess what's in your heart. The Princess is magnanimous and will surely grant your wish. This temporary separation is only for a better reunion."

"As long as the prince can successfully ascend the throne and wield great power in the future, then the princess can be made empress. Anyone who dares to stop him will be killed. This is the proper majesty of an emperor."

Wu Chengyu's seductive words struck Wanyan Honglie like a thunderbolt. Subconsciously, the throne overshadowed true love for the first time. He unconsciously stood up and paced back and forth in the courtyard, muttering to himself.

"That's right. As long as I become emperor, I can bring Xiruo back and make her empress. By then, I will already be emperor, and who will dare to stop me?"

Xiruo has always been understanding and doesn't care about the title of princess. As long as I discuss it with her properly, she will definitely support me, so why should I worry?"

His words penetrated Yang Kang's ears word by word, and surprisingly, he didn't mention Yang Kang at all, only caring about Bao Xiruo.

Hiding outside, Yang Kang's face was ashen. His hands clenched involuntarily, and the wound that had just been bandaged immediately burst open, with drops of blood falling to the ground, but he seemed oblivious to it.

The little guy was once again certain that Wanyan Honglie was still lusting after his mother's beauty, and that he, her adopted son, was just an afterthought and had never been truly cared for by Wanyan Honglie. All the previous father-son affection was a lie.

Wu Chengyu sensed Yang Kang's state and knew that he had achieved his goal of bewitching Wanyan Honglie today. He didn't care how Wanyan Honglie would fight for the throne afterward, nor did he care whether Wanyan Honglie would depose Bao Xiruo from her position as princess.

What Wu Chengyu truly cares about is Yang Kang's opinion of Wanyan Honglie. Today's events will inevitably shatter Yang Kang's feelings for Wanyan Honglie that have been building up over the years. He will eventually become like Shunzhi and Banggeng, someone who hates his adoptive father to the core.

After his initial excitement, Wanyan Honglie finally realized he had lost his composure. He had made up his mind and didn't want to waste any more time. He cupped his hands in greeting to Wu Chengyu and turned to leave.

After Wanyan Honglie left, Wu Chengyu sat alone silently drinking tea until, after an incense stick had burned, Yang Kang finally walked in with a resentful expression.

"Did you hear what your father said just now?"

"Did Master know all along that I was out there?"

"How could a top expert not sense that someone is eavesdropping outside? You're too inexperienced, kid."

Yang Kang felt an urge to question his master. In his opinion, since his master was his biological father's friend, he shouldn't have advised Wanyan Honglie to fight for the throne. This directly affected his and his mother's status in the palace and his future.

“Master, why did you say such things to Father? Do you know that he will depose Mother from her position as a concubine?”

"Sit down first, have some tea, calm down, and then talk to me."

Yang Kang plopped down, not drinking any water, but just taking deep breaths, his eyes still fixed on Wu Chengyu, demanding an explanation.

"The reason I say this is because your father was already interested in the throne. Even without me, he would have eventually taken that step."

Let me ask you this: if your father were to become emperor, as his son, even with Han Chinese blood, wouldn't you still be able to become a prince? What difference would that make compared to your future inheritance of the title of Prince of Zhao?

Most importantly, even if he becomes emperor, but you remain his only son, what will become of you in the future?

Yang Kang's eyes widened instantly. In the eyes of outsiders, he was Wanyan Honglie's own son. Even if he had Han Chinese blood, as long as Wanyan Honglie became emperor, he would definitely become a prince, and his situation would not be worse than it is now.

However, since Wanyan Honglie was going to marry someone else, how could he possibly only have one son?

Thinking of this, Yang Kang's eyes showed a hint of speculation. He didn't speak, but waited for his master to continue.

"Your father's previous serious illness caused an imbalance of yin and yang. Although I have cured him, he has no chance to have children since then. Therefore, he will only have you as his son."

Yang Kang couldn't help but get excited; his eyes lit up. If Wanyan Honglie really only had him as his son, and if this cheap father really became emperor in the future, wouldn't that mean he would also have a chance to get his hands on the throne?

He had Han Chinese ancestry, so becoming emperor would be extremely difficult for him, but at least he had some hope.

"Master, so you were helping me?"

"Nonsense, you're my only disciple. If I don't help you, who will I help? When my disciple becomes the emperor of the Great Jin Dynasty, won't I be able to have whatever I want?"

"Thank you for your kindness, Master. Master, what should I do next?"

"Practice martial arts diligently. With higher martial arts skills, you can control many things on your own. Now, what you need to do is deepen your father-son relationship with the prince."

"Master, rest assured, I will definitely be Wanyan Honglie's most filial son in the future."

(End of this chapter)