Chapter 292 Divine Pillar

Hearing Ni Kun's statement that he was going to execute the Earl of Song Lu, the Minister of the Central Secretariat Wang Lian, and the Dean of the Academy Sima Yao, Nan Lijun sneered:

"Hmph, Ni Kun, I knew you had no good intentions. These three didn't go to Mount Li to rescue me, and I originally wanted to punish them severely. But you actually advised me to sentence them to death? What kind of fool do you think I, Lord Nanli, am? By executing three court officials for this matter, you want the whole world to curse me, don't you?!"

Ni Kun just smiled and said nothing. Nan Lijun became more certain of his guess. Perhaps Ni Kun knew that he could not escape the death penalty, so he wanted to drag a few more people down with him.

"Ni Kun, not only will I not punish Song Lu and the other two, I will also promote Yun Wang, the one you hate the most. Didn't you say that Yun Wang is far more talented than you and is arrogant because of his talent? But he is very respectful to me, and I will definitely use him!"

It has always been like this.

Nan Lijun opposed anything the "treacherous minister" Ni Kun supported; and supported anything Ni Kun opposed. Ni Kun was content to save the lives of his three loyal colleagues.

"There's another person you forgot. He didn't go to Mount Li to rescue you either." Nan Lijun asked teasingly, tentatively:

"Someone came to his house to complain, saying that he had suddenly fallen ill and was unconscious in bed."

Nan Lijun was very concerned about Huo Gannian's absence when the emperor came to rescue him on Mount Li Road. At noon, he sent Zhuang Ji to check and was told that the Huo Mansion was heavily guarded and Huo Gannian was indeed unconscious.

After pondering for a while, Ni Kun said:

"Huo Gan thought this man was a mortal but had divine bones. Your Highness can use him. If not, Your Highness, please kill him."

A look of surprise flashed across Nan Lijun's face.

She didn't quite understand what Ni Kun meant. One moment he asked her to reuse Huo Gannian, and the next moment he asked her to kill Huo Gannian.

In her opinion, Ni Kun knew that she was testing him, but still gave her an ambiguous and meaningless answer.

Nan Lijun lowered his eyes and sneered at Ni Kun:

"As expected of a Prime Minister, you're skilled at flattery and manipulating people's hearts. For years, you've colluded with the Yu family and disrupted the government. I wonder what tricks you used to escape the Xuandu Palace Incident. But Ni Kun, your good days are over! Since you've requested death, I will grant your wish!"

Ni Kun lifted his official robe lightly, knelt down solemnly and kowtowed, saying calmly:

"I, your Highness, thank you for your grace. I wish you a long and prosperous reign."

"Boom" another muffled thunder, the last rain of late autumn finally came.

Ni Kun kowtowed to Nan Lijun again and said:

"Your Highness, when a man is about to die, his words are kind. Although I have committed many evil deeds, I have a few final words for Your Highness. Your Highness is about to ascend the throne. You know, the most important principle in governing a country is 'checks and balances.'

Since ancient times, every dynasty has had corrupt officials, treacherous ministers, and loyal ministers. As ordinary people, we naturally hope that the world is filled with loyal and good people. However, as a king, we must not be confined to a single box. Loyal ministers are necessary, but treacherous ministers are also inevitable. This is the balance of yin and yang, a symbiotic relationship.

If there are too many treacherous ministers, the country is in danger, but if the court is full of loyal and good people, it will be difficult for you to sit on the throne. The desire and demands of loyal and good ministers for a wise ruler often exceed those of a treacherous minister.

If this minister is greedy, give him money. He will cling to the imperial power to gain benefits, and naturally hope that the imperial power will not fall so that he can be rich and powerful forever. But if this minister is loyal, he will hope that you will be as virtuous, wise, diligent, and strict as a god... If you can't do that, they will easily be disappointed and find it difficult to tolerate your flaws.

Therefore, loyal and treacherous coexist, and you only need to control and check and balance them. Never let them lose balance, and never let them escape your control. The king is not the master of loyal ministers or the master of treacherous ministers. The king is the master of the world."

After a long silence, Nan Lijun didn't know if it was an illusion, but she actually heard a tragic sincerity in Ni Kun's words.

"Ni Kun, if I had known this would happen, I wouldn't have done it in the first place," Nan Lijun said. In her opinion, Ni Kun was only asking for trouble.

Ni Kun looked at the dark clouds outside the hall, as if recalling many past events.

He was still young at that time, and was fortunate enough to meet the peerless female monarch that only a thousand years could meet—the Empress. Unfortunately, heaven was jealous of her talent and took her away early.

He devoted all his years and youth to the Kingdom of Nan, throwing his good reputation behind his back, regardless of how he would be infamous for eternity.

Now, he would dedicate his life to the throne of her only bloodline.

"I will never regret this life."

Nan Lijun sneered, "That's quite a powerful statement. It sounds like you are the loyal minister and I am the incompetent ruler."

Ni Kun ignored the sarcasm. "As long as Your Highness knows how to appoint the right people, he will surely become a wise ruler like the late Emperor and the Empress. The Nan Kingdom will prosper from generation to generation, and the vast empire will last forever."

Some words touched Nan Lijun's sore spot, and she frowned unhappily:

"Which law stipulates that I must become a monarch like my father, the emperor, or my mother, the queen?"

This sentence made Ni Kun stunned. He subconsciously asked, "The late emperor's great achievements shook the world. The empress is unparalleled in her power and strength, a rare sight in the world..."

"Enough!" Nan Lijun shouted, interrupting Ni Kun.

It was as if the resentment suppressed for many years suddenly burst out, Nan Lijun said with disgust:

"'The Late Emperor' and 'The Empress'?! You have never been my subjects! If I do well, you will say, 'It's as it should be. This is the bloodline of the Late Emperor and the Empress, so it should be so.' If I do not do well, you will sigh and lament, blaming me for dishonoring the wisdom of the 'Late Emperor and the Empress'!

I've lived in the shadow of the 'Empress' since I was a child! Everyone praised her for her extraordinary beauty and heroic spirit! But all her splendor became a shackle that bound me!

No matter how hard I try to imitate her! Or my father! I can never surpass them!! No matter what I do, you'll never be satisfied! You'll always be so high and mighty and have your own excuses!

I heard that you were also someone that the Queen Mother favored and promoted back then, but what happened? The Queen Mother made a mistake! She appointed a wicked villain! This shows that she wasn't that wise after all! So I don't want to be a monarch like the 'late emperor and the empress'! I want to be different from them!

Ni Kun was stunned.

He never expected that while everyone was working hard to repair the divine pillar that supported the sky and the earth, Nan Lijun was only concerned about whether the world would become more grand and interesting if the divine pillar was torn down.

He shook his head and sighed:

"Your Highness should only build upon the wisdom of your predecessors and carry it forward. You shouldn't risk the fate of the nation by showing off your strength. This will only create opportunities for treacherous villains to flatter you. Your Highness, think twice! The easiest path is always a downhill one!"

Nan Lijun finally exploded in anger, throwing everything he could grab at Ni Kun fiercely, and angrily said:

"Shut up! Shut up!! Since you think the late emperor and the empress are the best in everything! Then I will send you to meet them today! Go to the underground and serve them!"