Editor: Areth Kyntaul

His Majesty Makes a Wise Decision That's Just and Leaves Him Void of Concern (Part 2)

　　The old Prime Minister didn't say anything, besides that, from beginning to end. He had his eyes slightly shut as if he paid no heed, yet he had, actually, been indifferently watching the entertaining show.

　　Prime Minister Li Si had served for three reigns. They called him the Tree that Doesn't Fall in Politics. He had served as Prime Minister since the time of the Emperor's grandfather. That his steady run had remained for three reigns was attributable to his knowledge on how to be a va.s.sal and how to carry himself as a person.

　　He deliberately didn't involve himself when His Majesty asked a.s.sistant Minister Zhang to come, because he was digging a hole for Zhang Chunfeng. If an outsider had witnessed the ploy that the Emperor had used on a.s.sistant Minister Zhang just before, they'd be utterly confused. Prime Minister Li, however, knew perfectly well what was going on.

　　It's true that Zhang Chunfeng is a pillar of the current Imperial Court. It's also true that he is talented, knowledgeable, and good with words to the point that he is unequalled. Additionally, it's a fact that he is an upright individual with a clean reputation. He doesn't back down just because the opposition holds higher power, and even the Emperor shows his former teacher respect.

　　If he didn't possess all those favourable characteristics, he wouldn't have been given the powerful a.s.sistant Minister post in the Ministry of Personnel; which allowed him to control all manner of civil servants and scholastic tests for government posts.

　　However, despite sporting the face of an intelligent individual, deep down he was still just a scholar who didn't know how to adapt.

　　Yes, perhaps His Majesty still loved the Orange Prince as his son and pitied him. However, the Emperor, who's now over fifty, is no longer the young man that acted according to his emotions anymore. He was definitely no longer the student that had to be guided by Zhang Chunfeng. He was now the monarch of a nation. He had his own way of thinking and his own plans. There was no way he didn't kill the Orange Prince, purely because of the fact that they were father and son.

　　The Emperor is a wise monarch. It wasn't as though he couldn't kill the Orange Prince in order to placate the people, because he, himself, was aware of the severity of the circ.u.mstance. He was different from the Empress. He didn't come to ignore the Orange Prince's sentence, and not consider it part of the equation.

　　Had Zheng Chunfeng tried to slowly calculate his moves, this time, this date next year might have been the Orange Prince's death anniversary.

　　Should the Orange Prince have been killed? Yes.

　　Was the Emperor aware of that? Yes.

　　Was he capable of overcoming his emotions to go through with it? Yes.

　　So how was the Orange Prince able to escape that fate this time? That was because Zhang Chunfeng had been giving criticism without end for the past month. He repeated the same show every single day during the conferences. Therefore, getting numerous va.s.sals to join his cause was an idiotic move on his part.

　　Monarchs will always suspect those that threaten their power, even a benevolent dead ruler, or if it was for work.

　　While the community is equally shared by all, monarchs and va.s.sals can stay out of each other's ways, but can also fight so intensely that the lands turn barren.

　　Prime Minister Li Si had witnessed that himself, on more than one occasion. He knew that to say and what not to say.

　　He knew even better what his monarch was like.

　　Emperor Yuansheng was never a weak monarch. He was different from his father. Unlike his father, he didn't kill or use cruelty. He was a good Emperor, but at the same time, a bold and strong Emperor.

　　Thus, he wasn't the type to lower his head in the face of numbers. To the contrary, that would encourage him to dislike the group and retaliate.

　　The Emperor looked at the Prime Minister. He was pleased with the Prime Minister. He laughed and said, "Hahahaha, Prime Minister, you have been an elder for three reigns for good reason. Nothing escapes your eyes."

　　The Emperor stroked his own beard, "a.s.sistant Minister Zhang is a talented man and a respectable, good va.s.sal. The Imperial Court can't operate revolving around the Emperor's personality. Similarly, it can't revolve around any particular va.s.sal, even if he is of high status and as pure as a clean slate. Today, I wanted to let him know that I can tolerate his arrogance, and I could also keep him in check if he wants to push his agenda."

　　The Prime Minister chuckled.

　　"I imagine that you did not call me here just to watch you destroy him."

　　"You are correct. Besides giving Zhang Chunfeng a reminder, I had another matter to discuss with you." The Emperor took out a sheet of paper from the drawer of his desk and then handed it to the Prime Minister.