Chapter 214 The Third Way The Third Way

"Haha, hahahahahahahahaha..." The crisp laughter echoed in Prince Cheng's Mansion. Apart from the owner Prince Cheng, no one else would be so bold and presumptuous.

Su Fengzhang looked helplessly at Prince Cheng who was laughing non-stop. It wasn't until he laughed so hard that tears came out that he opened his mouth to remind him, "Your Highness, is this really that funny?"

Prince Cheng wiped his eyes and asked, "Isn't it funny?"

Su Fengzhang raised an eyebrow and said calmly, "Your Majesty has now pushed you to the forefront. It's only natural for those who wish to follow you, eager to show their loyalty, to have such concerns."

Prince Cheng asked, "Master Su, do you think so too?"

Su Fengzhang shrugged and said truthfully, "If I didn't know the truth, I'm afraid this is what I'm most worried about right now."

"Since you know this, why did you come here with these words?" Prince Cheng asked.

Su Fengzhang laughed: "I just want you to listen and have fun, Your Highness, and know how many people in the court are eager to join your school."

Prince Cheng casually ate the fruits on the table, his voice nonchalant, "Is this a good thing? Father simply had no one else to turn to, so he had no choice but to use me as a target."

Su Fengzhang's eyes flickered slightly, and he suddenly said, "Your Highness, if the target is strong and durable, and it's used for a long time, everyone will tacitly accept its existence, and the master won't be able to change it even if he wants to."

Prince Cheng's expression changed. He looked at Su Fengzhang and said, "Lord Su, do you know what you are saying? You know that I... I am a woman. How could my father possibly pass the throne to me?"

Su Fengzhang asked curiously, "Your Majesty, I thought that after returning from Yunzhou, you were acting with ambitions for the throne. Could it be that I was wrong?"

Prince Cheng didn't expect him to say this, and couldn't help but feel a headache. He thought he was already very bold in thinking, but he didn't expect that this person was even more daring than him, or even more daring to do it.

Although Prince Cheng was feeling irritated, he couldn't control his joy in his heart.

"Lord Su, I could certainly have one or two children, but with the Emperor above me and the Fourth Child below me, my identity is no secret to those with ulterior motives. This child may bring temporary convenience, but will bring endless trouble in the future."

Su Fengzhang laughed and said, "Your Highness, how could I be so short-sighted as to allow you to make a decision that is full of loopholes?"

Prince Cheng raised his eyebrows and looked at him. Every time Su Fengzhang smiled like this, he felt that this guy was going to do something bad. But every time at this time, this man always had a kind of charm that made people obsessed and unable to take their eyes off.

Every time he felt this charm, Prince Cheng could always fully understand the emperor's mentality of deliberately choosing the top scholar.

Prince Cheng's mood suddenly brightened, and he asked, "What do you mean?"

Su Fengzhang took a sip of tea before speaking leisurely, "Your Majesty will be relieved if the prince has no offspring. If Your Majesty is relieved, the prince can take power. If the prince takes power, my affairs will naturally be easier to handle."

"What big thing have you come up with?" Prince Cheng asked. Su Fengzhang had only done two big things. One was the Xuanwu Ceremony, which is still in preparation and has won him the love of many literati.

One incident was a scene in which the fourth prince cried out in anger in the palace, which directly led to a falling out between the fourth prince and the crown prince. The crown prince's reputation among the people plummeted to the lowest point, and this incident played half of the role in the crown prince's subsequent dethronement.

Su Fengzhang stretched out a finger, dipped it in tea, and wrote the word "Jun" on the table.

Prince Cheng had long known that Su Fengzhang had borrowed the Gu family's manpower and money to take care of those soldiers. When he saw these words, his face changed, and he obviously guessed Su Fengzhang's thoughts.

Su Fengzhang continued, "The prince seems to be in charge of the imperial guards, but in reality, the imperial guards only obey the orders of His Majesty. It is not easy to command them."

"And the city defense army is even more so. Prince Xi may have a good reputation among the generals, but he is also struggling in the Ministry of War."

"Song Wei has been the Minister of War for so many years, yet he still can't control these 100,000 people, let alone make them work for us. In fact, even if they were willing, not only are their relationships complicated, but their military strength is also vulnerable."

Prince Cheng naturally knew this and said, "That's true, but as long as He Jun is in the Ministry of War and I am in the Imperial Guard, they won't listen to anyone else."

"This is not enough." Su Fengzhang said with a smile.

"These people are useless now. They're useless if eaten, but a pity to discard. If left alone, they might even cause a big mess. The most terrifying thing is that they're consuming food and money day and night. Why should the Great Zhou spend money to support a bunch of parasites?"

Prince Cheng's eyes flickered, and he asked, "Lord Su, are you dissatisfied with someone drawing a salary without doing anything?"

Su Fengzhang frankly said, "I am indeed very dissatisfied. Why do some people who fought bloody battles on the frontiers get deprived while they are alive and receive no honor after death, while others can enjoy an easy life, eating pie in the sky?"

"I am from the Ministry of Revenue, so I can't reach that far. But Prince Xi is from the Ministry of War, so he has the right to handle this matter. I'm sure Song Wei won't stop me, and may even turn a blind eye."

Song Wei had offended the Fourth Prince severely in the past, and they had even fallen out with each other. Although it was unknown what the Emperor's intention was in keeping him as the Minister of War, the rift between them was already deep.

Compared to the Fourth Prince, Song Wei would definitely prefer the Fifth Prince to take the throne, at least they have no deep hatred.

Prince Cheng knocked on the table and couldn't help but say, "Aren't we being too impatient?"

Su Fengzhang said, "Now is the best time."

"Your Majesty is unable to take care of things, and the Fourth Prince is uninterested in this matter. Lord Song will make it easier. As long as Prince Xi acts cautiously and promotes those who have a say, what trouble can the others cause?"

Prince Cheng frowned as he looked at Su Fengzhang and heard him continue, "After all, only the upper-ranking officers have good family backgrounds. Those below them are just relying on flattery. Is there anyone who can sue His Majesty for his most favored prince in front of him for them?"

Su Fengzhang smiled and said, "There were many times when the Crown Prince caused trouble in the streets, but no one ever complained to Your Majesty."

Their Majesty is extremely partial and has almost no bottom line when it comes to the people he favors. The officials in the court have become accustomed to it and avoid him when he favors someone. After all, it is of no use if you say bad things about him.

Prince Cheng and Su Fengzhang looked at each other and saw ambition in each other's eyes.

If we can truly control these 100,000 people, to exaggerate a little, we can directly flatten the capital.

But soon, Prince Cheng sighed and said, "Lord Su has been so dedicated to my plans, and I am deeply grateful. It's a pity... Since Lord Su knows my identity, he should also know that in terms of the future, I am far inferior to my fourth brother."

Su Fengzhang smiled and said, "What's the big deal? If you hold power, what's the difference between men and women?"

Prince Cheng's heart skipped a beat, and he frowned and said, "Since ancient times, there has never been a woman who became emperor."

Su Fengzhang laughed and beguiled, "Why don't you be the first one, Your Majesty?"

Prince Cheng suddenly fell silent. At this moment, she even felt that Su Fengzhang was a little scary, but the light in his eyes made people indulge in it.

Prince Cheng had thought about this before, but he quickly said, "I am willing to do this, but if that day comes, there will be rivers of blood. Lord Su, aren't you afraid?"

Su Fengzhang smiled and said, "If this way doesn't work, then let's try another one. Since Your Highness has been the Fifth Prince for so many years, he can naturally keep this secret buried forever."

"There have been kings in history who were childless. There's always a way out, whether by adopting a son or borrowing a child."

Prince Cheng frowned and asked, "Many people know my identity, and they won't allow it."

Su Fengzhang said lightly, "Kill as many as there are. These people can't stay anyway."

Those who know Prince Cheng's identity and want to take advantage of it are basically from the Fourth Prince's faction. If the Fifth Prince is really determined to fight for the throne, the two brothers will naturally fight to the death.

Prince Cheng was not afraid of regicide, patricide, and brother slaying, but he also knew that this was a road full of thorns.

Seeing that he remained silent, Su Fengzhang quickly asked, "Your Highness, you are avoiding the question. Is it because you have already chosen the third path?"

Prince Cheng's face was shocked, and he stared at Su Fengzhang with questioning eyes.

Su Fengzhang said, "When I saw Master Yun Qian here that day, I had some doubts in my heart. At that time, I just thought that Master Yun was a wise bird choosing a good tree to roost in. Now I think that everything was a foreshadowing."

"The Crown Prince lost power, and the Fourth Prince rose again, both after a new prince was born in the palace."

"I don't know what agreement the Jade Concubine and the Empress have reached, but I can guess a little."

"Although Lord Yun Qian is selfless, he is also a human being, and everyone has selfish desires. Moreover, the Queen in the palace is his biological sister, and she has sacrificed a lot for the Yun family over the years."

"If that's the case, then it's no wonder that Your Highness was able to go to Yunzhou, and that the Prince of Xi, who His Majesty had always feared, was able to enter the Ministry of War, and that I was lucky enough to enter the Ministry of Revenue. These are not things Your Highness could have accomplished alone."

After hearing Su Fengzhang's words, Prince Cheng sighed deeply, looked at him and said, "Sir Su, this matter is top secret. I hope you won't blame me for not informing you in advance."

Su Fengzhang didn't mind. He was just a civil servant who came to the company halfway. His family background was nothing worth mentioning. Why should he tell the other party about the plan from the beginning?

But at this moment, Su Fengzhang still said: "I didn't expect that Lord Yun would hide it from His Royal Highness Prince Rong."

Prince Cheng didn't know what he was thinking about. He sighed and said, "Lord Yun is also afraid that the emperor's uncle will think about what happened in the past."

So much so that he didn't want to train another prince who didn't know his own limits.

Su Fengzhang didn't ask further about this matter. He looked up and asked, "What about you, Your Majesty? Are you willing to accept this?"