My hotel is full of emperors throughout history.

After complaining so much, Chen Mo suddenly felt a little thirsty.

He stood up, walked to the small refrigerator in the corner, and took out two green glass bottles that were emitting cold air.

"Come on, try our beer, it's ice-cold, it'll help you relax."

Chen Mo handed Zhu Biao a bottle, and then skillfully used a bottle opener to pry open the cap of another bottle, making a soft "pop" sound.

Then he opened the door, brought out two old bamboo reclining chairs from inside the house, lay down on them, and called to Zhu Biao.

"Come on! Try this chair again."

After saying that, Chen Mo took a leisurely swig of ice-cold beer and let out a pleasant sigh.

The evening breeze was blowing, carrying a slight coolness, which was much more comfortable than being stuffy indoors.

Zhu Biao followed Chen Mo's example, carefully lay down on another recliner, looked at the cold bottle in his hand, hesitated for a moment, and then tried to take a sip.

Suddenly, a strong, bubbly bitter taste assaulted his taste buds, causing him to frown involuntarily.

But then, the icy sensation and unique malty aroma gave him a strange sense of comfort.

The two fell silent for a moment, with only the occasional sound of cars in the distance and the chirping of insects in the summer night.

Chen Mo gazed at the moon, which was glowing red in the city lights, and continued his rant, talking about everything from high housing prices to the 996 work schedule, from the intense competition to the complexities of interpersonal relationships.

Zhu Biao listened silently. These troubles, which were completely unfamiliar to him, seemed to be far removed from his world, yet strangely made him feel the real texture of ordinary people's lives in later generations.

After a long while, Zhu Biao let out a soft, long sigh.

"well……"

Chen Mo was getting into the conversation when he heard the sigh. He turned around and asked curiously.

"Why are you sighing? You're clearly the most secure crown prince in history, what worries could you possibly have?"

"Look at the other crown princes, they have to guard against other princes seizing the throne all day long."

"But you don't need to, as long as you don't get into trouble."

"Your position is incredibly secure. Your father has always been very supportive of you, placing high hopes on you, and the entire court supports you."

"This vast land will be yours in the future; you just need to wait until then to rule the world!"

"What's there to lament? Your starting point is something many of us can't even reach, even after striving our way to the finish line!"

At this point, Chen Mo recalled a famous joke about the Ming Dynasty on the internet, and that familiar, slightly mischievous expression appeared on his face again.

"Speaking of you and your old man, there's a really interesting meme about you circulating online in our generation."

Chen Mo patted Zhu Biao on the shoulder, his tone relaxed.

"A joke? About me and my father? Brother Chen, please tell me."

Chen Mo cleared his throat and, imitating a storyteller's tone, began to speak vividly.

"This meme is about, what if—I mean, what if—you suddenly had a meltdown and decided to rebel!"

"Pfft—cough cough cough!"

Zhu Biao almost spat out the mouthful of beer he had just drunk, and his face turned red.

"Brother Chen! Be careful what you say! Such treasonous words are not to be taken lightly!"

Chen Mo laughed and waved his hand.

"Don't be nervous, I already said it's a 'meme,' just a joke! Let me finish!"

He continued acting:

"Then, here comes the key to this joke—when you led your troops to the palace gates, your old man, instead of deploying troops to suppress them, said to the guards around him..."

Chen Mo paused deliberately, building up the anticipation, then lowered his voice, adopting a tone that was both helpless and slightly indulgent:

"What are you waiting for? Hurry up! Tie us up and present us to the new emperor!"

“…………”

Zhu Biao was completely stunned, his face showing a look of astonishment, as well as an extremely complex and twisted state of being that was both funny and exasperated.

He opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word for a long time.

Kidnapping the Emperor? Offering him to the new Emperor?

What... what is all this about?!

Absolutely ridiculous!

Seeing Zhu Biao's expression—wanting to refute but finding it funny, and finally turning into a helpless look—Chen Mo couldn't help but laugh.

"How about it? Isn't this a brilliant joke?"

"What does this show? It shows that in the eyes of later generations, your father trusted you to the core and spoiled you to the point of having no principles!"

"He doesn't believe you'll rebel at all. Even if you did, his first reaction probably wouldn't be anger, but rather, 'My son has finally decided to be emperor? Help him!'"

Zhu Biao shook his head, feeling both amused and exasperated, and commented helplessly.

"People of later generations... truly have... rich imaginations."

As he finished speaking, a bitter smile appeared on his lips.

"But in reality, it's simply impossible."

As Zhu Biao spoke, he tilted his head back and took another sip of the bitter beer. The icy liquid slid down his throat, as if giving him a bit of courage to confide in someone.

He gazed at the hazy moon, his voice soft yet carrying a heavy weight.

"Brother Chen, you only know one side of the story, not the other."

"A secure position? It is precisely because it is too secure that one walks on thin ice, daring not to make the slightest mistake."

He paused for a moment, then began to confide in Chen Mo.

"The entire court supports me? Behind this support, how many eyes are watching? My every word and action is being magnified and scrutinized."

"If I appear too lenient, some people will suspect that I am too soft-hearted and incapable of shouldering great responsibilities."

Zhu Biao twirled the green glass bottle in his hand and continued to murmur.

"If I show the slightest sharpness, some will fear that I am harsh and ungrateful, not the appearance of a benevolent ruler."

"I must constantly weigh the options and be careful in every aspect, lest I discourage loyal ministers or allow treacherous officials to run rampant."

"As for Father's expectations..."

Zhu Biao's voice lowered, with a slight, almost imperceptible tremor.

"Brother Chen, do you know how heavy these expectations are? Father is a man of great talent and ambition, with a resolute character, and he cannot tolerate any injustice."

"He had extremely high expectations of me, and the administrative duties he entrusted to me became increasingly heavy. If I made even the slightest mistake in reviewing memorials, I would be reprimanded."

"When handling a case, if it does not meet one's expectations, one must reconsider it repeatedly."

"I live in constant fear, as if standing on the edge of an abyss or walking on thin ice. I am afraid that I will not do well enough, that I will fail my father, fail this country, and fail the expectations of the people."

At this point, Zhu Biao sighed and continued.

"Sometimes...sometimes I really feel that the position of crown prince is not an honor, but a shackle."

"It locked away my breathing space, it locked away my..."

Zhu Biao stopped speaking and looked at Chen Mo with a complicated expression.

"I've also thought about that kind of more carefree life."

"Especially after hearing about your life now, Brother Chen, I envy your carefree and free life even more."

"But I'm destined not to live that kind of life."

Zhu Biao's tone was calm, but carried a deep sense of helplessness and heaviness.

Chen Mo put away his teasing smile and reached out to pat Zhu Biao on the shoulder.

"Every family has its own problems..."

Chen Mo murmured to himself, picked up the wine bottle, and gently tapped it against the bottle in Zhu Biao's hand.

"Come on, Zhu, let's have a toast to these tough days."

Let's have a drink!