How can you rule the world if I'm just a substitute for you?

Fu Youde knew he couldn't avoid it today, so he could only bite the bullet and say:

"Does Your Majesty truly require me to speak frankly?"

Emperor Qian nodded slightly: "Speak, I really want to hear your thoughts."

Fu Youde took a deep breath and slowly said, "Your Majesty, I understand your concerns. If the Crown Prince's request is granted, all the political affairs of Jiangzhou will fall into the Crown Prince's hands. However, I do not think this is a great disaster."

"Jiangzhou is located in the heart of our Great Qian Dynasty, unlike the border regions. The border regions are thousands of miles away, making it difficult for the court to control them. However, Jiangzhou is not far from the capital. Even if His Majesty approves the Crown Prince's request, the Crown Prince cannot cause any trouble. However..."

Fu Youde paused, his expression turning serious.

"There is one hidden danger: the Crown Prince holds the power of personnel appointments and dismissals in Jiangzhou. If he takes this opportunity to place his own confidants in large numbers and cultivate his own power, it will eventually become a problem for His Majesty if the Crown Prince's power grows too strong."

After listening, Emperor Qian tapped his fingers lightly on the imperial desk and remained silent.

He certainly shared this worry.

Fu Youde continued, "On the other hand, the current situation in Jiangzhou is chaotic. The Qin family has been entrenched for many years, and the powerful families are deeply entrenched. If the Crown Prince is not given enough authority, it will be difficult for him to completely break the deadlock. Without the power to appoint personnel, the Crown Prince alone will be hampered at every turn if he wants to govern Jiangzhou."

Fu Youde paused, glanced discreetly at Emperor Qian's expression, and continued:

"In my opinion, we can grant the Crown Prince's request, but we cannot agree to it entirely."

Emperor Qian raised his eyes: "Oh? Tell me in detail."

Fu Youde continued solemnly, "Your Majesty may grant Liu Huai'an the temporary position of Prefect of Jiangzhou, and then determine his official appointment based on his future achievements."

"At the same time, the Crown Prince may be granted the power to select lower-level officials in Jiangzhou, but it must be stipulated that the appointment and removal of officials of the fifth rank and above in Jiangzhou must be reported to the court and decided by His Majesty, while the Crown Prince may make decisions on officials of the fifth rank and below."

"Besides that, the most important point is that the military power in Jiangzhou must never be handed over to the Crown Prince."

Fu Youde spoke solemnly and cautiously: "Your Majesty may send another person to garrison Jiangzhou and command the local military forces."

"In this way, we can both open up personnel channels and give the Crown Prince enough convenience to carry out his duties, allowing him to smoothly clean up the long-standing problems in Jiangzhou and suppress the powerful families, while firmly grasping the power of high-ranking officials and the military. The lifeline of Jiangzhou will still be in the hands of the court and will never completely slip out of its control."

After listening, Emperor Qian pondered for a long time before slowly nodding.

"Your method is feasible."

His gaze was calm as he spoke softly, "If the Crown Prince desires power to do things, I can grant it. But power must never be delegated without limit."

"At the morning court tomorrow, all the officials will surely launch a collective attack on the Jiangzhou incident. I will publicly protect the Crown Prince and suppress all impeachments."

"Approve this memorial according to your terms."

Fu Youde breathed a sigh of relief and bowed deeply, saying, "Your Majesty is wise."

Emperor Qian waved his hand, looking weary: "It's late, you may leave."

"Your subject takes his leave."

Fu Youde bowed and left the Imperial Study, then slowly walked out of the main hall of the palace.

Looking up at the pitch-black night sky, only a few scattered stars flickered.

He exhaled a long breath, and the cold sweat soaking his back slowly dried.

He felt a chill run down his spine.

Very dangerous today!

The Emperor Qian had just been testing him with every word, clearly indicating that he had already become suspicious of him.

If he had been slightly careless and expressed an overly extreme opinion just now, and had been labeled as part of the Crown Prince's faction by the Emperor Qian, he would surely face endless troubles in the future.

Fortunately, he weighed the pros and cons and acted prudently, helping the crown prince out of a predicament without overstepping his bounds, and firmly standing within the emperor's balancing act.

As soon as I stepped out of the palace gate, a carriage that had been waiting was parked by the roadside.

The coachman bowed and asked, "Sir, are we going back to the manor?"

Fu Youde waved his hand, his eyes serious: "Don't go back to the manor, go to Qiyue Pavilion. I have important business to discuss with that brat."

Fu Youde couldn't help but grit his teeth whenever Meng Yuanbao's name was mentioned.

It's all that brat's fault!

If it weren't for his involvement with Meng Yuanbao, he wouldn't have had to take such a risk tonight, walking on thin ice in front of the emperor.

He murmured to himself, "Knowing this Meng lad is truly not a fortunate thing..."

But as soon as he finished speaking, he secretly shook his head and changed his mind, thinking to himself:

But it's not all bad.

If he hadn't met Meng Yuanbao, he might never have known about such romantic affairs and exotic customs in the world.

Fu Youde's eyes lit up when he thought of Meng Yuanbao's promise to send him a woman from the Northern Di tribe.

Tonight, I risked my life to protect the Crown Prince before the Emperor. How could I simply let go of such a huge favor?

Fu Youde gritted his teeth and made a firm decision:

"This time, I'm risking my life to help the Crown Prince stabilize the situation. Ten are required! Even one less, and I won't stand for it!"

The carriage wheels turned, the night was deep, and it sped towards Qiyue Pavilion.

The carriage traveled through the long streets of the capital and finally came to a smooth stop in front of Qiyue Pavilion.

Fu Youde lifted the curtain and got out of the car, walking straight to the private room on the second floor, familiar with the way.

The private room was softly lit and filled with the gentle aroma of incense.

Meng Yuanbao was lying on a soft couch, sipping tea, when he heard footsteps. He turned around and grinned slyly.

He knew a little about what was going on in the court and could roughly guess why Fu Youde had come to the palace so late at night.

"Has Lord Fu completed the task?"

Fu Youde entered the room, casually flicked his sleeves, and plopped down in a chair, his expression not exactly pleasant.

He glared at Meng Yuanbao, gritting his teeth as he said, "Done? I almost lost my life today!"

Meng Yuanbao put down his teacup, his smile undiminished: "Oh? His Majesty is testing you?"

"It's more than just a test!" Fu Youde lowered his voice, still shaken. "Tonight, the Imperial Study is filled with memorials impeaching the Crown Prince. His Majesty is interrogating me step by step, digging traps with every sentence. If I'm not careful, I could be labeled as part of the Crown Prince's faction today, with endless consequences!"

He grew angrier as he spoke, glaring at Meng Yuanbao:

"It's all your fault!"

"If you hadn't made me speak up for the Crown Prince earlier!"

"Do you know how treacherous the emperor's mind is? If I show even the slightest sign of taking sides, my position as Minister of Revenue, and even my life, will be in danger!"

Meng Yuanbao's smile faded slightly, and he bowed slightly, saying, "I understand Lord Fu's difficulties. Lord Fu has always been a close advisor to His Majesty. If His Majesty were to find out that you, Lord Fu, are involved with us..."

"Thank you for your help today, Lord Fu. You've worked hard."

A simple "thank you" is too light and meaningless.

Fu Youde didn't buy it at all and just snorted coldly.

He took a huge risk tonight, playing coy and trying to smooth things over in front of Emperor Qian, racking his brains to come up with a compromise that would both secure power for the Crown Prince and prevent Emperor Qian from becoming suspicious of him.

How can you just say "you've worked hard" and call it a day?

Fu Youde was straightforward, immediately asking for an exorbitant price:

"Stop talking nonsense."

"You promised me before that you would give me a few women from the Northern Di tribes."

"That's not enough now."

Meng Yuanbao raised an eyebrow: "Oh? What does Lord Fu intend to do?"