My hotel is full of emperors throughout history.

Suddenly, Liu Ju spoke up.

Li Chengqian's eyes lit up.

"That's right! He's the reason we didn't sleep all night! He, on the other hand, slept like a log after coming back with Lizhi!"

"Let's go! Let's find him!"

After Li Chengqian finished speaking, he pushed his wheelchair downstairs.

"Wouldn't that be inappropriate?"

Fusu hesitated.

"What's wrong with that! Just say 'Brother Chen is also awake' when the time comes."

The other three exchanged a glance and quickly followed.

The four of them walked to the front of Chen Mo's room and looked at each other in bewilderment.

Zhu Biao stepped forward and carefully knocked twice.

"Knock knock~!"

There was no sound from inside the room.

Zhu Biao tapped twice more lightly.

Still no movement.

"let me!"

Seeing this, Li Chengqian looked displeased.

"You kept us up all night, but you slept like a log!!!"

After saying that, he pushed his wheelchair to the door.

"Knock knock knock knock!"

He started banging on the door, then pulled it open and found it wasn't locked at all.

"Walk!"

As she spoke, she pushed the wheelchair into the room, saw Chen Mo still on the bed, and walked over to him, shaking him wildly.

"Brother Chen! Brother Chen!..."

"Huh? What happened to Lizhi?"

Upon hearing this, Li Chengqian's lips twitched, and he shook his head even more vigorously.

Chen Mo was shaken awake and opened his eyes groggily.

"What are you doing!"

Li Chengqian looked at the other three who had entered and chuckled.

"Look, Brother Chen is still awake!"

Zhu Biao and the other two: ...

"Damn, you've been watching too many videos! Are you trying to trick me into thinking I'm a ghost?"

Chen Mo cursed angrily, regained a little clarity, and sat up while rubbing his eyes.

"Speak, what do you want by breaking in in the middle of the night?"

"Who told you to sleep like a log!"

Li Chengqian raised an eyebrow, not forgetting the earlier disagreement.

"We knocked on the door for ages but you didn't wake up, especially just now. When we came to call you, we heard you calling for Lizhi!"

Li Chengqian smiled sideways.

"You little brat... are you having some kind of bad dream?!"

"Cough cough cough~!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Mo blushed, slapped Li Chengqian's hand away, and coughed repeatedly to change the subject.

"Coming here in the middle of the night instead of sleeping, you must be having some trouble thinking about something again."

Chen Mo glanced at the four people and noticed that all of them had heavy dark circles under their eyes.

"Didn't sleep all night?"

The four nodded.

"Sigh! I can only say he truly lives up to his reputation as a wise and virtuous crown prince in history! Unlike me..."

Chen Mo sighed, turned on the light, and invited the four of them to bed.

The three of them exchanged glances, carried Li Chengqian to the bed, and then sat cross-legged on one side.

"So, tell me what's on your mind! I'll try my best to help you solve it, haha~"

Chen Mo asked while yawning.

He pondered for a moment.

"Could it be that he's thinking about imperial power and issues concerning China?"

All four nodded in unison.

Liu Ju spoke first.

"That's right! My mind is filled with those thoughts of ceding territory and paying reparations, but the thought of disobeying Father Emperor..."

Liu paused, his fists clenched so tightly they turned white.

"On one side are the Han people who gave me life and raised me; on the other side is the safety of future generations of China. What... should I do?"

Fusu nodded repeatedly.

"I share the same feeling as you, Brother Ju."

"My father unified the six kingdoms and placed high hopes on me. The foundation of the Qin Dynasty was the result of his life's work. How could I disobey him? But the catastrophes described in the book are still vivid in my mind. How could I sit idly by?"

Chen Mo looked at Li Chengqian and Zhu Biao.

"So you two are the same?"

Li Chengqian and Zhu Biao nodded.

Upon hearing this, Chen Mo sighed helplessly and rubbed his forehead.

"Damn it! All the previous conflicts were for nothing!"

"You are not there yet; you are still a long way from that time."

Chen Mo glanced at Li Chengqian and the other two.

"Especially for you, the most urgent task is to develop the productive forces."

"Otherwise, if productivity doesn't increase and we just keep making things up, we're just courting disaster!"

Chen Mo yawned again, his tone tinged with disappointment.

"Do you really think that kind of change is child's play? That you can just do it whenever you want?"

"That only happens when the conflict becomes completely irreconcilable!"

"Otherwise, it will end up like Wang Mang... Many things look wonderful, but are actually impossible."

"When you're learning to walk, just focus on learning to walk; don't think about running."

"Trying to run before you can even walk properly is bound to cause an accident."

Chen Mo glanced at the group of people.

"Secondly, if you really want to carry out that kind of change, you need soldiers, food, and people who support you."

"You have nothing now, and you think you can overturn the table just because you're full of enthusiasm?"

Chen Mo looked at Liu Ju.

"Your Han Dynasty is still locked in a life-or-death struggle with the Xiongnu, and the people are barely able to get enough to eat. Instead of developing firearms and improving agricultural tools to increase grain production, you're thinking of overthrowing the imperial power?"

"When internal and external troubles come together, the Han Dynasty will be gone first. What will we talk about protecting future generations of China then?"

Then, Chen Mo turned to Fu Su.

"The Qin Dynasty has just unified the six kingdoms, and the people's hearts are not yet settled. Although the oppressive policies must be changed, you must first let the people see the benefits!"

"Promoting the new land reform will fill the granaries with grain, and improving salt and iron production will enable the manufacture of fine ironware. Only when the people's lives improve will they support your subsequent reforms."

"Thinking of going against the imperial power now will only give the former nobles of the six states an opportunity to rebel, causing the Qin Dynasty to fall apart!"

Li Chengqian wanted to retort, but Chen Mo glared at him and shut him up.

"You're the same! The Tang Dynasty may seem powerful, but there are still barbarians in the Western Regions eyeing it. Internally, aristocratic families monopolize resources, leaving no way out for scholars from humble backgrounds."

"Instead of using your father's power to build workshops, manufacture guns and ships, and develop the military and trade industries of the Tang Dynasty, you're going to start a revolution?"

"Leaving aside whether it will even work out, if a war breaks out, the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty will be destroyed in an instant!"

Finally, Chen Mo looked at Zhu Biao.

"Your Ming Dynasty is still doing alright, and some problems have already begun to emerge later on, but right now, Japanese pirates are harassing the coastal defenses, and the remnants of the Northern Yuan have not been eliminated."

"You must first convince your father to use imperial power to promote the innovation of firearms, lift the sea ban and engage in trade, so as to fill the national treasury and strengthen the army."

"When the people are prosperous and the country is invincible, even if adjustments to the system are needed, the transition can be smooth; there will be no need for a bloody revolution."

"One or two of them are just out of their minds from not sleeping all night."

Li Chengqian looked unconvinced.

"Then why did you tell us all that before?"

"I've told you so much because I want to tell you that the demise of imperial power is inevitable, but you are clearly not there yet."

Chen Mo softened his tone.

"What you can do now is to focus on productivity, while lying low and hiding yourselves, quietly doing things that seem to be entirely beneficial."

"For example, we should promote education, encourage people to learn science and technology and conduct research, enlighten the public, and let them know what is right and what is wrong."

Chen Mo spoke earnestly.

"You must remember that you are the Crown Prince, not some bandit rebels, and that you have a powerful father backing you up."

"If something really happens, they'll be there to cover for you..."

Chen Mo glanced at Zhu Biao.

"Take Old Zhu for example. He's already killed so many people, killing a few more who oppose him won't hurt him."

"If something really goes wrong, let your father handle it."

Chen Mo spoke earnestly.

"Make your country strong first, and let your people get rich first."

"Once productivity increases and public morale is united, even when it comes time to adjust production relations, it will be done smoothly rather than with bloodshed."

The four of them fell silent, their troubled expressions gradually fading, replaced by a clearer look in their eyes.

Liu Ju slowly relaxed his clenched fist and suddenly realized.

"So that's how it is! I had my priorities backward before, focusing only on the conflict between imperial power and the Chinese people, forgetting that what I should have done most was to make the Han Dynasty stronger!"

Fusu nodded.

"Brother Chen is absolutely right. Developing productive forces is the foundation. When the people live in peace and contentment, and the country is strong and invincible, that is the fundamental way to protect China."

Zhu Biao also breathed a sigh of relief, a relieved smile appearing on his face.

"I was too fixated on the form of change, and forgot that the core was to benefit the country and its people."

Li Chengqian stroked his chin and suddenly grinned.

"Alright, you have a point! I'll go back and talk to my father first, and ask him to support me in building the workshop."

After saying that, Li Chengqian looked at Chen Mo and smiled sideways.

"By the way, I'll have Lizhi help me oversee logistics. Brother Chen, you'll have to give me lots of pointers!"

"Not again?!"