Emperor Wende came to visit the sick Fourth Prince Liu Yi in person.
Empress Pei was more excited than anyone else.
"Your Majesty, the fourth one is pitiful!"
Emperor Wende had a stern face and remained silent.
He stood in front of the bed and looked at Liu Yi lying on the bed with cold eyes, "You've made it!"
When Empress Pei heard the voice, she was stunned.
Liu Yi was speechless for the time being and could only stare at Emperor Wende, crying silently.
He felt wronged and helpless.
Why not even give him a chance?
At least let him fight for it and grab it.
He accepted that he couldn't win the fight and was not as skilled as others.
But he was not even given a chance to play, how sad he felt.
Looking back at the previous generations of princes, who hasn't experienced bloody storms, who hasn't experienced the flashes of swords and the shadows of sabers...
Regardless of winning or losing, we have at least had a match.
The winner takes all, and the loser must admit defeat.
And he, without even a chance to compete, his ambitions were completely wasted. How would the history books describe him?
It must have been mentioned in passing, he didn't even have a name.
Because there is nothing worth writing about.
Only the struggle for the throne filled with swords, swords, and blood is worth writing about.
For example, King Zhao, who forced the emperor to abdicate and rebelled, will definitely leave a significant mark in history books.
In fact, Liu Yi's mood was the same as that of his ministers.
The battle for the throne was too unpredictable, leaving no room for anyone to maneuver.
The ministers are the worst group of ministers.
The prince was naturally the worst-performing prince among all the princes, and was eliminated before the war officially started.
Oh, oh, oh!
I feel wronged, I refuse to accept it, I just want to suffocate myself to death.
Emperor Wende was very disgusted.
He asked with a straight face, "What do you want?"
Liu Yi looked at it eagerly, he just wanted a chance.
Emperor Wende questioned him, "Given the opportunity, do you think you can win?"
At this time, the house had been cleared.
Even Empress Pei was asked to leave.
Only the father and son were left confronting each other.
Liu Yi continued to feel aggrieved and continued to cry.
Given a chance, even if you can't win, at least you won't have any regrets.
Emperor Wende suddenly sighed, "You truly don't know how to appreciate your blessings. Do you want to experience what it's like to be imprisoned in the Zongzheng Temple for ten years, confined to your own little world? Do you want to experience what it's like to have your every word and action, even going to the toilet, watched? Are you sure you want to live this kind of life?"
Liu Yi was stunned.
Emperor Wende said solemnly, "Do you know what the consequences of failure are? Death is the best outcome. Living a life worse than death is the real torture."
Liu Yi became excited, he might not be a loser.
Emperor Wende sneered, "What can you use to compete with Liu Zhao?"
Liu Yi was furious.
Since he was a child, his father has always believed that he is not as good as Liu Zhao.
Even though he received far more favor than Liu Zhao, it was the favor given by an elder to a child. It had nothing to do with responsibility or ability, but only because he was sweet-talking.
Why?
How is he inferior to Liu Zhao?
Emperor Wende simply sat down, thought for a moment, and said, "Liu Zhao and you are in a different place today. He was eliminated, so his reaction must not be like this."
Liu Yi was stunned, his eyes motionless.
Emperor Wende then asked, "How do you think Liu Zhao would react?"
Liu Yi seemed to be thinking about something.
If the person who was eliminated was Liu Zhao, he would definitely not accept his fate.
He would be like a traitor, smiling on the surface but secretly preparing to force the emperor to abdicate and seize the throne.
In all likelihood, he will start a rebellion.
He has the money.
Emperor Wende said, "Look at your reaction. How is it any different from a child who has been wronged? You are not a child anymore. Zheng Ge'er is old enough to marry, yet you are still so willful. How can I hand over the country to you?"
This is a frank statement, openly acknowledging that the position of crown prince belongs to Liu Zhao.
Liu Yi continued to cry, he just couldn't give up.
"When have you ever been willing?"
Emperor Wende smiled and said, "Although I don't care much about you brothers, I know your temperaments and personalities very well. From childhood to adulthood, when it comes to matters concerning Liu Zhao, have you ever been willing to accept it? You have simply been spoiled by your mother."
They are not arrogant, but they always want to fight and compete for everything.
Whether you can get it or not is another matter, the key is to make your presence felt.
Liu Yi wanted to ask, is he really inferior to Liu Zhao?
At this point, Emperor Wende did not try to hide his feelings and said bluntly, "You are far inferior to Liu Zhao."
These words were like a heavy hammer, hitting Liu Yi's heart hard.
Liu Yi was breathing rapidly and felt uncomfortable all over.
Others said he was not as good as Liu Zhao, but he refused to accept it.
But his father said in person that he was not as good as Liu Zhao, and he felt that everything was over and doomed.
I felt so uncomfortable that I wished I could die.
Emperor Wende pinched his philtrum and said, "Look at how little you can do. Is it so difficult to admit that you are not as good as Liu Zhao? You still want to argue with such a small amount of courage, what can you say?"
Liu Yi cried with tears streaming down his face, and the tears flowed down like a faucet.
He was breathing heavily, his tongue rolling, he wanted to speak, he had to speak.
"ah……"
He finally made a sound.
Aphasia was cured without treatment.
"Father, I am unwilling to accept this!"
Emperor Wende patted his shoulder and said, "You've been spoiled since you were little. You're still like this at your age."
"I'm not spoiled, I'm just unwilling to give up. During the years I've served in the government, I've been diligent and hardworking, not slacking off for a single day. I believe I've lived up to the expectations of the court officials. How am I inferior to him?"
Emperor Wende laughed. "You've fulfilled your duties as a minister, which is excellent. Do you know what abilities are required to be an emperor?"
Liu Yi said eagerly, "I can learn."
Emperor Wende shook his head. "The most important thing for an emperor is to see the bigger picture. So, let me ask you, how should we manage the western region going forward? The Marquis of Lu has clearly become a major concern for the court. How should we resolve this issue?"
Liu Yi was stunned on the spot, obviously a little flustered. "I haven't thought about it that much. But give me a few days, and I will definitely have an answer."
"Will time wait for you? My health is not good, and everyone can see it. Maybe it will happen someday... If you were to inherit the throne, the first thing you would face after ascending the throne would be how to deal with the northwest issue and how to suppress the Duke of Lu. How would you do that? You can't just say I haven't thought it through and keep putting it off."
"Courtiers..."
Emperor Wende interrupted Liu Yi, "You are the ruler. You cannot listen to your ministers on everything. You must first have a clear mind and then adopt some of their advice as needed. If you follow their advice on everything, you will be led by them. Sooner or later, treacherous ministers will emerge from the court. Even the matter of the Marquis of Lu may never be resolved. He has enough money to bribe the ministers to speak for him. Can you tell who is loyal and who is treacherous? Because every minister has a reason."
Liu Yi swallowed subconsciously, "Your son..."
Emperor Wende patted his shoulder and said, "So I say, first of all, you must have a scale in your heart so that you can judge who is loyal and who is treacherous."
Liu Yi asked anxiously, "Does he have a strategy for conquering the northwest? Does he have a way to deal with the Duke of Lu?"
Emperor Wende nodded. "Regarding the northwest and the Marquis of Lu, Liu Zhao has already submitted a proposal. It's quite bold, but there's hope for the future. I'm optimistic about his plan."
Liu Yi's face turned pale. "He, he has been in the northwest for many years. He does have an advantage over me when it comes to issues concerning the northwest."
"What a coquettish spirit!" Emperor Wende silenced Liu Yi with one sentence.
Liu Yi burst into tears, "I'm not spoiled, I just feel wronged."
Emperor Wende laughed. "Just based on your complaint, you've already lost. I know the outcome without even having to compete. Take good care of yourself and think positively. You are brothers, and he will need you in the future."
"I don't want it!"
"If you don't think about yourself, you should also think about your descendants. Being willful will only get you hurt."
Liu Yi was silent.
Emperor Wende said again, "This is the first and last time I will advise you simply as a father. You, take care of yourself."
After saying this, Emperor Wende stood up and left.
Liu Yi burst into tears.
He wanted to call out to his father and tell him not to leave.
It was the first time in many years that he felt his father's love, and he couldn't bear to let it go.
But in the end, he couldn't even scream.
Empress Pei was waiting in the courtyard. When she saw Emperor Wende come out, she eagerly went to greet him, "Your Majesty, is the fourth prince all right?"
Emperor Wende sneered, "Just spoil him less and he'll be fine."
Empress Pei looked unhappy and said, "I am also wrong to spoil my own son."
"If you don't care about his future, you can spoil him anyway."
After saying this, Emperor Wende turned away.
Empress Pei stamped her feet in anxiety.
He wanted to catch up with Emperor Wende, but he was worried about Liu Yi.
In the end, Liu Yi was chosen.
Empress Pei rushed into the room and hurriedly comforted Liu Yi, "Fourth Brother, don't overthink it. If there is anything, tell me and I will find a solution for you."
Liu Yi was stunned, staring at the ceiling without saying a word.
Empress Pei was terrified, "Imperial Physician, Imperial Physician..."
"Don't call the doctor, I'm fine."
"Can you speak now?" Queen Pei cried with joy.
Liu Yi said expressionlessly, "My son wants to rest. Can the Queen Mother..."
Empress Pei wiped away her tears and said, "You should have a good rest. I will go find your father."
"Whatever."
He was too tired to even care.
Empress Pei excitedly went to find Emperor Wende, but was told that his majesty was tired and had already rested.
Despite being rejected, Queen Pei did not give up.
She ordered someone to invite Liu Zhao over.
"You have to help the fourth brother." Queen Pei went straight to the point, leaving no room for negotiation.
Liu Zhao asked bluntly, "How can I help?"
Empress Pei said with a stern face, "Plead for the fourth son in front of His Majesty."
Liu Zhao played dumb, "I don't know what happened to the fourth brother, how can I beg for mercy?"
"I don't care. You just want to plead for the fourth prince. Can you bear to see him lying on the bed half dead?" Queen Pei burst into tears as she spoke.
Liu Zhao looked innocent, "I haven't even seen my fourth brother, how can I be so cruel?"
"Then go see him now and see how pitiful he is."
Liu Zhao secretly rolled his eyes and said, "Okay! I'll go see him now, son."
As for the request for mercy, it was simply ignored.
Empress Pei didn't notice anything wrong either.
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