Chapter 844 Handle
There was no sarcasm as expected, and Liang Guangyi's straightforwardness shocked King Hui.
Looking at the other people from the aristocratic families in the room, although they looked indifferent, they did not refute Liang Guangyi's words, which obviously acquiesced to Liang Guangyi coming forward to "negotiate" on their behalf.
King Hui was silent for a moment, then gave up the temptation and said bluntly:
"Your Majesty is missing, and the royal family is leaderless. A woman like the Queen cannot control the court and maintain the people's hearts. I wish to temporarily take charge of the court on Your Majesty's behalf, and I hope for your assistance."
Shi Qingrong scoffed at the words and without hesitation pulled off the fig leaf that King Hui was talking about: "Will you temporarily take charge of the court, or will you replace him?"
King Hui pursed his lips.
Feng Qiuli spoke up, "Your Highness, since you've come looking for us today, I'm sure you want us to join you on the same boat. If that's the case, you need to explain your intentions to us. How can we possibly help you if you're still being so evasive at this point?"
"If you truly only wish to temporarily control the court, then there's no need to come looking for us. Although the Empress is a woman, she's no less wise than an emperor. During your absence, the court has been clear and the ministers have been loyal. Even if the Empress continues to hold power, she'll be able to suppress any unrest."
Prince Hui heard the unspoken meaning in Feng Qiuli's words and couldn't help but frown: "There is no possibility of reconciliation between the noble families and the Queen. The Queen will never let you go once she is in power."
"That was before."
Liang Guangyi looked cold and spoke as he sat next to Feng Qiuli.
"It's true that the aristocratic families are at odds with the Empress. We've had conflicts with her in the past for our own benefit, but things are different now. His Majesty is missing, Cen Guang is rebelling, and the court is in turmoil. As long as our families are willing to sacrifice their dignity, even forgo the interests of the court, and submit to the Empress, we are willing to put aside our past grudges and help her stabilize the court."
"I can tell the Queen that I am willing to resign my position as Prime Minister and that all of us will return power to her. Once the situation is pacified, we will take our entire clan and leave the court. Does King Hui think the Queen would be willing to risk chaos under heaven by threatening us at this time?"
King Hui's face turned dark instantly, and Wang Huailu and the others' expressions changed even more.
Duan Zhiru said anxiously, "Are you crazy? The aristocratic family has accumulated wealth in the capital for so many years, and you actually throw it away?"
Liang Guangyi: "It's better than being used by others and then being left with nothing."
King Hui said solemnly, "I am not taking advantage of..."
"Your Highness doesn't even dare to speak frankly to us about his true thoughts. He can use Cen Guang's backstab to force us along with Duan Zhiru and the others, and you still dare to say it's not exploitation?"
Liang Guangyi interrupted Prince Hui, his eyes cold and gloomy: "I do not want to listen to your excuses, nor do I want to argue with you about who is right and who is wrong. Since you want to use the power of the aristocratic family, then show your sincerity. Otherwise, please go back. I will take care of the future of the aristocratic family. You don't need to worry about it."
King Hui's face turned pale and blue after hearing Liang Guangyi's blunt words, and his original confidence was gone.
He originally thought that by instigating Cen Guang to rebel and causing Mu Nanguan to revolt, the aristocratic families would be cut off from their retreat and would have to become his possessions. Even if they were angry and resentful, they would have no choice but to follow him in the end. Only by following him could they save their lives.
But now Liang Guangyi's words were like a slap in his face, which not only shattered his composure, but also poured cold water over him to the core.
He forgot that although the family is not as prosperous as before, a broken ship still has three thousand nails.
What's more, Liang Guangyi and others are so arrogant that he has already angered them by stabbing them in the back. If he pushes them too far, these people will turn against him and bite him back, and he will not get any benefit at all.
Prince Hui instantly lost his previous arrogance, his expression softened, and he said, "Your Majesty, there is no need to be upset. Since I came here today, it is naturally because I sincerely want to cooperate with you, and I have no intention of exploiting you."
"This prince indeed desires that position, but he also cannot bear to see the noble families frustrated because of Xiao Yan's selfish bias. You are all the backbone of the court, and the clans behind you were once the pillars of the Great Wei. If you leave the court like this, it will be a loss for the Great Wei."
"If I succeed to the throne, I will certainly make use of you and restore the family to its former prosperity."
Liang Guangyi said calmly: "Empty words are not enough."
King Hui quickly said, "I won't make empty promises." He reached into his bosom and pulled out a scroll, handing it directly to Liang Guangyi: "This is my sincere gift to you all."
Liang Guangyi took it and opened it to read. After he finished reading, he handed it to Feng Qiuli and others. Min An and others stood up and surrounded Feng Qiuli. After seeing clearly what was written on the thing in his hand, some of them were interested.
What King Hui had promised did indeed make them excited, but Feng Qiuli closed the scroll and said in a deep voice, "This alone is not enough."
King Hui frowned.
Feng Qiuli casually placed the scroll on the table. "Your Highness did show some sincerity, but anyone who ascends the throne can promise us this sincerity, and most of these promises can only be fulfilled after you have firmly established your position on the throne."
"Whether it's conferring a lordship, transferring an official position, or even rewarding you with gold and silver, you can change your mind at any time. By then, the prince will have ascended the throne, and there will be nothing we can do to you. This little sincerity is not enough for us to drag our entire clan to work for you."
Min An and others who were originally a little moved were stunned, and then they reacted.
King Hui was simply trying to get something for nothing. Although the things he promised were tempting, they had to be alive to get them. If King Hui turned against them after he came to the throne, wouldn't all their efforts be in vain and they would be in trouble.
King Hui frowned. He hadn't expected that even after he had retreated to this point, the noble families were still not satisfied. He took a deep breath and said, "Then what do you want?"
Feng Qiuli: "We need something that can protect us at all times."
King Hui's eyelids twitched, and he heard the handsome young man opposite him speak slowly.
"There has long been a rift between us and the prince. The prince doesn't trust us, and we don't trust you either."
"Your Highness wants us to help you ascend the throne. Okay, but Your Highness will just write us a letter in your own handwriting detailing how you instigated Cen Guang to murder Yin Bao, imprisoned the Xiao family father and son, and seized military power at Munan Pass. This will serve as a guarantee that you won't abandon us once you ascend the throne..."
"impossible!"
Upon hearing this, King Hui refused without even thinking.
He is not crazy, how could he write such things!
Wang Huailu was also shocked by what he heard. He spoke for the first time, "Master Feng, you are forcing me to do something that is beyond my power. The prince would never write something like this to give anyone a handle."
Feng Qiuli didn't seem anxious at all when she heard this: "If he doesn't have any evidence in our hands, why should we trust him?"
Feng Qiuli pointed at the roll on the table and spoke with sarcasm.
"Only based on these empty promises?"
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