Chapter 513: Not Over 1
Xu Lanqi could no longer understand the emperor's thoughts as his attitude towards the prince became more and more unclear day by day.
As his childhood companion, this was the first time he failed to understand him since the emperor ascended the throne.
But this won’t work. Saying that the emperor’s mind is unpredictable is just bluffing.
Failure to understand the emperor’s mind means failure to understand the direction of the situation.
They are closely connected with the prince, and Xu Chengzhan is already engaged to him.
If the King of Qin comes to power in the future, their lineage will come to an end.
He did not allow Cheng Chuan to have more than one child.
While he was struggling, the King of Qin showed him good will.
After all, the Minister of the Secretariat holds a high position of power and is one of the people that the prince vying for the throne needs to win over.
Xu Lanqi also knew that if he surrendered now, there would still be a chance to break away from the Eastern Palace.
But...he couldn't be sure that King Qin was the ultimate winner.
Xu Lanqi was so worried that she didn't get a full night's sleep for several days.
Finally, he decided not to agree to the King of Qin, but not to reject it outright, so as to give himself a chance.
Just as he was about to extend his claws to touch the King of Qin's men, he was summoned by the emperor.
The emperor summoned him not often, but not too often either.
Xu Lanqi originally thought it was some political matter that required him to worry about, but he did not expect it to be just a casual chat among friends.
The emperor, wearing a thick robe and looking lazy, recalled the past to him: "I grew up with you, and my schoolmates back then either died or got injured. Now you are the only one left."
Naturally, he would not miss any opportunity to connect with the emperor, so he told him several interesting stories from his childhood to bring a smile to Bei Heng's face.
He suddenly asked, "Lanqi, do you still remember when you were young and rebellious, we read history books and made conclusions about the kings of all dynasties?"
Xu Lanqi smiled sheepishly, and remembered how frivolous she was when she was young. She said with great nostalgia, "I remember."
"At that time, we divided the emperors of all dynasties into four categories, from wise to foolish."
"The first category is like the Emperor Qin Shi Huang and Emperor Wu of Han. They are great and cunning, cruel and heartless, selfish and cunning, but they are the ones who achieve great things and rule the world."
"The second type has both talent and virtue, but because they are too benevolent, their hearts and minds are weak. They cannot become the wisest rulers in the world, but they can maintain the status quo and revive the country."
"The third type is those who have no talent but are virtuous. Although they are mediocre and incompetent, they know that they are incapable. However, they are obedient and will not disturb the court. As long as they have wise ministers to assist them, they can still keep the court running."
"This last category..."
Speaking of this, even Xu Lanqi, who prided himself on being a reserved person, couldn't help but click his tongue and shake his head.
"He has neither talent nor virtue. He is incompetent and tyrannical, bringing disaster to the country. This cruel character can only be a sharp weapon if it is matched with talent. Without talent, the more cruel he is, the more he will cause chaos in the court and the more the people will flee."
Bei Heng stroked the soup pot in his hand and said in an ambiguous tone, "Actually... although it's a frivolous statement, it does make sense."
He asked, "Then what category do you think the prince belongs to?"
Why did the emperor ask this?
Xu Lanqi caught a fleeting thought, but before he could figure it out, the emperor asked, "What category do you think the heirs to the throne, such as the Prince of Qin and the Fifth Prince, belong to?"
"......"
Xu Lanqi didn't answer, but he had already figured it out.
Your Majesty is reminding him not to take the wrong path or choose the wrong person...
His little actions these days did not go unnoticed by him.
Xu Lanqi was so frightened that he knelt down and apologized.
The emperor just sighed softly and said: "I have always been particularly kind to you. Today's talk is to show you the way forward."
"If you reveal even a little bit of this after you get out, and delay the teaching of the prince, you will take the lives of the whole family as the responsibility."