A son who doesn't resemble his father? Love you, old man, see you at Xuanwu Gate!

Chapter 157 Pingnan
The Royal Palace of the Southern Yue Kingdom.

Prime Minister Lü Jia ate Jia fish.

A small piece of sugarcane is placed at the bottom, followed by scallions and ginger shreds. A little rice wine is poured in, and once the water in the copper pot boils, two fish are placed into the earthenware steamer to steam.

As the water gurgled, a subtle silence descended, with only the sound of boiling water audible.

On the other side, Zhao Jiande, the crown prince of Nanyue, felt his heart rise and fall like boiling water.

He was Zhao Yingqi's eldest son.

Before Zhao Yingqi went to the Han Dynasty as a hostage, he was born to a woman from the Yue tribe and had never seen his father's face since childhood.

Upon hearing that his father had returned with his Han wife and children, Zhao Jiande felt not the joy he had imagined, but rather a mix of emotions.

He had no idea how his father would treat him, nor how his fate would change—whether for better or worse—he was completely lost.

The only person he could rely on was Lü Jia, a trusted minister of the Southern Yue Kingdom, who served as the tutor to the crown princes for three generations. This was a trusted minister of both his great-grandfather Zhao Tuo and grandfather Zhao Mo.

After Zhao Tuo, Zhao Zhongshi, who died before becoming king, and Zhao Yingqi and his son Zhao Jiande, and Lü Jia were all tutors to the crown prince.

The king had already entered the city, and the Han envoy's intentions were not good. Seeing that Lü Jia was focused on cooking fish, Zhao Jiande was extremely anxious.

Lu Jia remained motionless, pressing his left thumb against his right wrist to measure the time, as this was crucial for steaming the fish.

Almost done. Lü Jia lifted the lid and saw two fine fish lying side by side in a ceramic plate inside the steamer. Both were white and tender, like soft jade. A unique aroma of steamed fish wafted around them, making one's mouth water.

Lu Jia picked up a pair of jade chopsticks and reached for one of the fish. As soon as the chopsticks touched the fish, the flesh disintegrated, revealing a flawless white flesh without a trace of blood or impurities. Only a thin layer of oil floated on the surface. He picked up a piece and put it in his mouth. The scales, which had not been scraped off, were slightly crisp, complementing the fish flesh perfectly. The rich freshness filled his mouth.

"The people of Han lands are pitiful."

Lu Jia sighed, “Even the Emperor of the Han Dynasty, what could he eat? Nothing more than roasted beef and lamb, jujube paste pastries and the like. Jiande, look at our food! Crab roe, fresh fish, and pork belly—high-class ingredients that, with just simple cooking, surpass countless dishes from the Han imperial court. That’s what you call knowing how to eat.”

"Master Lü, I can't eat," Zhao Jiande said helplessly, picking up and putting down his chopsticks several times.

At this point, unless presented with dragon liver and phoenix gall, he wouldn't be able to eat.

"The Crown Prince has returned to the country and ascended the throne. Isn't the Heir Apparent happy?" Lü Jia asked with a smile, looking at the Heir Apparent whom he had personally nurtured.

Irritable, easily angered, unable to keep secrets, reckless, prone to anxiety and fear when faced with problems, and quick to seek help from unqualified remedies when in dire need.

He was very satisfied.

"I'm not unhappy."

"Then why can't the young master smile?"

Faced with Lü Jia's question, Zhao Jiande tried hard to force a smile, but couldn't even manage a hint of it.

Seeing his emotions rising, Lü Jia smiled faintly and said, "Is the Crown Prince worried that after the Crown Prince ascends the throne, he will depose the Crown Prince and even send him to Chang'an as a hostage, as a continuation of 'hostage politics'?"

The Han Dynasty maintained a high degree of control over the Nanyue Kingdom. Starting with Zhao Yingqi, the hostage system would continue until the Nanyue Kingdom had the strength to resist the Han Dynasty, just like the marriage alliance between the Han Dynasty and the Xiongnu.

Now, Zhao Yingqi has two sons, the eldest son Yue'er Zhao Jiande and the second son Han'er Zhao Xing. If the Han Dynasty wants Zhao Xing as a hostage, it can simply let Jiu Shi and Zhao Xing stay in Chang'an, and let Zhao Yingqi return to the Nanyue Kingdom alone to succeed to the throne.

The Jiu family and Zhao Xing arrived in the Nanyue Kingdom; it goes without saying that the Han Dynasty wanted "hostages".

The Han dynasty valued the eldest son and the legitimate heir. In Lü Jia's view, the fact that two thousand Han soldiers accompanied Zhao Yingqi back to Nanyue was a vow to take Zhao Jiande as a hostage and continue to increase the degree of control over the Nanyue Kingdom.

Moreover, Zhao Yingqi seemed to have "yielded".

“I am not worried. It is my responsibility as the crown prince to serve as a hostage for the country.”

Zhao Jiande is very stubborn, but he doesn't even dare to raise his voice, which says a lot.

Lü Jia smiled knowingly and reached for the second fish with his chopsticks. "It is truly wonderful that the young master is so righteous and willing to share the burdens of the country."

"Please teach me, Master Lü!"

Zhao Jiande couldn't hold back any longer. He scratched his head in frustration and said frankly, "I don't want to go to the Han Dynasty. I can't get used to the northerners' roasted beef and lamb, or their jujube paste pastries."

Both fish were mutilated.

Lu Jia stopped eating, his smile vanished, and he said solemnly, "That depends on the young master's determination."

"Determination? What determination?"

“Our Southern Yue Kingdom has a long tradition of succession by the crown prince. If the crown prince succeeds to the throne, kills the Han envoy, ascends the throne as emperor, and strictly guards the Five Ridges Pass, even if the Han army is powerful, it will be unable to defeat the crown prince,” Lü Jia said slowly.

The Nanyue Kingdom has had two rulers to date. The first was its founding ruler, Zhao Tuo, the King of Nanyue. He lived to an astonishing 107 years old, from the reigns of Emperor Gaozu, Emperor Hui, Emperor Wen, and Emperor Jing of the Han Dynasty until the current Han emperor ascended the throne. In the Nanyue Kingdom, he was practically a god.

Living a long life does not mean everything is perfect. Under Zhao Tuo, Zhao Zhongshi served as the crown prince for sixty years, but still could not outlive Zhao Tuo and died with resentment. Therefore, after Zhao Tuo's death, his grandson Zhao Mo succeeded him directly, becoming the deceased King Wen of Nanyue.

A century has passed, two monarchs have reigned, and the tradition has been passed down from grandfather to grandson. It seems there's nothing wrong with calling it a tradition.

If Zhao Mo dies, and Zhao Yingqi also dies, and Zhao Jiande succeeds him, then the Nanyue Kingdom will truly have a tradition of succession from grandfather to grandson.

The Han Dynasty always valued propriety. If Zhao Jiande succeeded to the throne and severed the ties between Han and Yue, and ascended the throne as emperor, Han and Yue would inevitably turn against each other, and the hostage system would not be able to continue.

“Although I have never seen my father since the day I was born, I respect him from the bottom of my heart. How could I do something against human ethics? Besides, my Nanyue has been a vassal of the Han Dynasty for many years and has not fought a war for many years. Once war breaks out, countless Qin and Yue people will die. Does Master Lü want to put me in a position of disloyalty, filial impiety, inhumanity and injustice?” Zhao Jiande’s face changed and he said angrily.

"May I ask, Your Highness, where are the imperial seals of Emperor Wu and Emperor Wen?" Lü Jia tore through Zhao Jiande's disguise.

For decades, the Nanyue Kingdom outwardly complied with the Han Dynasty but inwardly defied it. In foreign relations, it was a vassal king who submitted to the Han, but domestically it regarded itself as an emperor, hence the existence of an imperial seal.

Therefore, in the Nanyue Kingdom, Zhao Tuo was the Martial Emperor of Nanyue, and Zhao Mo was the Civil Emperor of Nanyue.

Interestingly, after Zhao Mo's death, the imperial seals of both Zhao Tuo and Zhao Mo disappeared.

"I helped my father temporarily put away the imperial seals of my great-grandfather and grandfather to prevent the Han envoys from discovering this and saying that my Nanyue was disloyal..."

"Before today, the Crown Prince was unaware that the Han envoy would be entering Panyu City."

“I know that my father’s Han wife and children are coming.”

"She is just a woman and a child. The Crown Prince can still retrieve the imperial seal when he returns to the palace."

"I, I, I..."

Zhao Jiande couldn't find an excuse anymore, and tears streamed down his face. "But... I want to be emperor so badly. I dream about it all the time. I... I dream about it all the time. I... I want it so badly. If I become emperor, I'll do whatever you say, I'll do whatever you say..."

Zhao Jiande made no attempt to conceal his ambition. Looking at Lü Jia, he said firmly, "I will trust you and give you more important positions than my great-grandfather and grandfather. I will respect you like I would my uncle. I don't want to lose this opportunity, and I don't want to go to the Han Dynasty. I know that I am letting my father down, but I want to be emperor so badly. Lü Shi, no, Uncle, you have to help me."

"Your Highness, Emperor Wu and Emperor Wen have shown me great favor and kindness. I absolutely cannot stand idly by and watch the Crown Prince lead the Han people to undermine the foundation of Nanyue!"

Lü Jia tried to help Zhao Jiande up, saying, "I'll help you! I'll help you!"

"Thank you, Father Xie, for your immense kindness and virtue!"

Zhao Jiande actually knelt down and thanked Lü Jia for his kindness.

The people outside broke free of their restraints and, unable to contain themselves any longer, rushed in, shouting, "Lü Jia, you old thief!"

"Prince?"

Lü Jia and Zhao Jiande were both stunned.

Why didn't the guards outside inform the Crown Prince when he entered the palace?
"Father, father, King..."

"I am not your father!"

Zhao Yingqi wished he could kill this rebellious son. Killing the envoy and declaring himself emperor was jumping off the line of the Han Dynasty. He was gambling with the lives of the entire Zhao clan. How dare he? How dare he?

“Your Highness, you have stayed in the Han lands for too long, and your heart is set on the Central Plains. We are born and raised in Lingnan, and we are the ones who truly care about Nanyue. The establishment of Nanyue as a country and the establishment of an emperor is the long-cherished wish of the Qin people and the local people. If you cannot fulfill this wish, then you are not worthy to be the emperor of Lingnan. I can only look for a true emperor of Lingnan.”

Lü Jia's voice was filled with deep weariness and helplessness.

There was applause.

Zhang Cigong stepped forward, exclaiming, "What a loyal subject of Nanyue!"

Lü Jia looked in the direction of the sound and was startled. He passed Zhang Cigong and saw that Ren Shou was holding the head of his own brother, Lü Ming.

Seeing the old prime minister's eyes widen, Ren Shou was very considerate of Lü Jia's failing eyesight. In order to let him see more clearly, he let go of the head and let it roll over.

It stopped right at Lü Jia's feet.

Lu Jia bent down, touching his younger brother's flesh and head, his eyes wide with fury. "My brother! It hurts me so much! Don't close your eyes, watch me avenge you."

"Someone is coming!"

"Someone is coming!"

"Someone is coming!"

Lu Jia called out three times, but there was no response. He could vaguely smell blood and looked out the window to see familiar figures lying on the ground.

Collapsed to the ground.

Upon returning to the country, Zhao Yingqi launched a massive purge of the palace and ruthlessly murdered important officials. Was he not afraid that the Baiyue people would rebel?

Moreover, they precisely targeted him and them with the butcher's knife.

There are spies!
Lu Jia suddenly raised his head, staring at the smiling Ren Shou, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, "It's you?"

"Yes, it's me."

Ren Shou's smile remained unchanged as he beckoned several lieutenants to him. "Didn't you hear the old prime minister calling you? The old prime minister has devoted himself to Nan Yue for decades. Go and escort the old prime minister back to his 'hometown'."

"Yes, Lieutenant."

The struggle abruptly ceased with the sound of the broadsword slicing through the air.

Zhang Cigong was both satisfied and wary of Ren Shou. He made up his mind that once the Ren family became marquises in the Han Dynasty, he must not befriend them. He then turned his attention to Zhao Yingqi and his son Zhao Jiande.

"Uncle Ren, let's get started!"

(End of this chapter)