Chapter 234 Emperor Hongren's Scheme Gone...
Before he arrived—or rather, before planning this counterattack against the "ticket incident"—Qi Chengming knew that he and Emperor Hongren would inevitably clash sooner or later, and there would be a direct confrontation. What he had been trying his best to avoid was having the "ticket system" taken away in the conflict.
That was the last hope for the stability of the nation.
Without it, Dingguo would truly be utterly ruined.
Therefore, long ago, Qi Chengming had repeatedly pondered what Emperor Hongren would ask during this conflict, and how he should answer it.
First of all, your expression can't be too innocent or pretend to be stupid...
Qi Chengming knelt on the ground, his upper body slightly bent, appearing even more humble and prostrate. He said with shame, "Yes, Father, it seems there are still many great talents in this world. My achievements are not as impressive as others boast, but..."
"Just what?"
"But... I only now realize that it was Father who was able to tolerate my talent."
[Then they elevate him and praise him...]
Emperor Hongren's expression softened somewhat, but this time his goal was clear and his focus was firm, so he did not let the matter drop as he had done before. Instead, he became blunt and said, "Now is the time to use your talents—hand over the royal record warrant to me for disposal."
Despite being the emperor, he now felt a touch of paternal tenderness and wanted his son to understand him. He spoke earnestly for a while, saying, "Chengming, you are my son. For the sake of this vast empire, I must make some sacrifices. That's why I let your little schemes go unchecked... Look at those outsiders, how could they expect such leniency from me?"
"Now that Father Emperor is in trouble, sending troops is only a temporary measure... I still have to rely on the warrants to stop the powerful families!"
After all the precautions, the day has finally come to say it!
Qi Chengming knelt on the ground without saying a word.
Well, it was his status as a prince, coupled with the extreme remoteness and poverty of his fiefdom, that led Emperor Hongren to become complacent and dismissive for so long. The Wang family of Taiyuan was located right next to the Central Plains, in the Hedong region—where scholars from Hedong had flocked for years, and now held high positions in the court. How could Emperor Hongren not be wary of them?
You actually believed a couple of compliments about Old Deng?
He's a seasoned PUA (Pick-Up Artist) practitioner.
"Chengming." Emperor Hongren waited for a long time but received no response, so his tone became more serious.
Qi Chengming mentally calculated for a while, just as he had been silently calculating something with his brows furrowed. He hesitated for a moment, then fell to the ground and said, "Your subject is willing! But Father... it seems... it seems we can't deal with them."
"You don't need to worry about that." Emperor Hongren's face lit up with joy, but his years of imperial life quickly brought his rationality back, and he still tried to find a way to hear the Crown Prince's opinion. "...What do you mean by that?"
On the matter of issuing currency, Emperor Hongren had to admit that he had never understood it at all. The Wang family of Taiyuan had already become too arrogant, and he could no longer be stubborn.
"When Father Emperor allowed various regions to mint their own coins, I participated simply to make life a little better for the people of Liuzhou." Before explaining, Qi Chengming carefully put on a layer of armor.
Emperor Hongren waved his hand impatiently, indicating that he would skip the formalities and that he would not doubt anything since he had already asked.
Qi Chengming thought to himself: Who knows if you'll be using people while simultaneously distrusting them?
"In short, I saw that the private currencies around us were in a chaotic state, so I contacted Wang's Money Shop. I ordered them to unify the private currencies in this small area so that everyone's lives would be better." Qi Chengming remembered his initial plan. "Therefore, Wang's Money Shop can only expand to a few areas at most. If it expands further, the people will not have a good life."
"I am the Son of Heaven, so I will issue an edict to officially recognize the certificates throughout the country. Isn't that enough?" Emperor Hongren said matter-of-factly.
“Father, the important thing is… whether the ration coupons can enable the people to live a good life.” Qi Chengming explained carefully, which was the reason why the people trusted the ration coupons and the Wang family currency. “In other words… it’s only feasible if it’s at the expense of the public for personal gain.”
Qi Chengming's words circled around his lips, but he changed "The government's credibility is utterly rotten, and the people will no longer believe anything you issue" to the more self-deprecating and euphemistic "profiting at the expense of the public."
That's the logic, and now that things have come to this point, if Emperor Hongren doesn't show him any self-awareness, he'll risk Emperor Hongren's anger by saying everything.
Emperor Hongren: "..."
The old emperor fell silent for a moment.
His years of pampered life hadn't completely clouded his judgment.
Qi Chengming persisted, trying to dissuade him: "If you really want to implement rationing nationwide, it's not impossible..."
Emperor Hongren suddenly leaned forward and gripped the armrests of the dragon throne tightly with both hands.
“But then… with the ticket, we wouldn’t be able to barely compete with the achievements of the Wang family of Taiyuan. At that time, Father Emperor will probably have to choose another one to support.” Qi Chengming gradually straightened his knees, his words sincere, his face innocent and earnest, showing a heart full of concern for the emperor.
That's why he insisted on finding a sucker to take the bait and become cannon fodder.
Old Deng's thorn in the side must be someone else, and only through comparison can he distinguish between what is important and what is not, and who is the real treasure.
Emperor Hongren's face turned ugly. He slumped back onto his dragon throne, his silence growing even longer: "..."
The situation before us is clearer than ever before.
He could stubbornly continue to pressure the Crown Prince to hand over the warrants, hoping to challenge the Wang family of Taiyuan. But if that failed, who else could he support? Whose legacy could he trust more than the prince's private empire?
It's impossible to let the Wang family of Taiyuan become the only dominant family. Are we going to support other powerful families to fight against them? What about the legacy we've built up over time?
Emperor Hongren thought and thought, but this was a huge mess that he couldn't solve, giving him a splitting headache.
When Qi Chengming heard silence on the throne, his knees ached from kneeling, even though he had had Shi Shuang sew up a thicker layer of fabric earlier. He lowered his head and subtly shifted his position.
Come on, old man, you're destined to be disappointed. Take your time to weigh the pros and cons carefully, take your time, think it over... and then give me your answer.
Qi Chengming had been on guard against Emperor Hongren's reckless actions.
From the moment he returned to the capital, Emperor Hongren intended for him to hand over the ticket system. Even though he explained in detail that it would only become worthless like the old silver notes, Emperor Hongren did not give up the idea. Qi Chengming then realized that the "ticket system" he cherished was nothing to Emperor Hongren.
It might have some value, but that's an attitude of appreciating something from a superior position, not the attitude one would have towards their only lifeline. The emperor has seen countless treasures; he'll pick one up, play with it if he thinks it's somewhat useful, and abandon it once it's broken. After all, the emperor always has more options.
He thought about it with such confidence.
Even if the rationing system truly deteriorated over time, Emperor Hongren would simply abandon it without hesitation, helplessly watching Dingguo head towards its demise, filled with anxiety and despair. The gap between the two eras was stark; the old emperor simply didn't understand how precious the rationing system was at this critical juncture.
So how exactly do we prevent Emperor Hongren from acting recklessly?
The Wang clan of Taiyuan is coming on strong, and it's uncertain whether the Crown Prince's currency system will prevail. However—if it's lost, it's impossible to support someone else with a reliable currency. What if they end up with absolutely no safe currency left? Will they drag the entire Dingguo down with them?
One is a bloodsucking worm that feeds on you relentlessly, and you'll resort to violence if necessary. The other is your own foundation, terminally ill and unable to discern when or how it will eventually crumble.
Emperor Hongren is old.
Even if he were pushed to the brink, he wouldn't dare choose the ancestral legacy. Instead, he might very well retaliate against the established families...
Time passed by, second by second.
The two people in the side hall, one kneeling and one sitting, seemed to have a clear distinction between superior and inferior, but Qi Chengming was not in a hurry at all. He waited patiently and even had a flash of inspiration to turn on the surveillance camera so that he could openly and legitimately watch Emperor Hongren's reaction through the camera's perspective.
The old emperor on the dragon throne shifted his expression, struggled repeatedly, and finally only dejection remained.
He was forced to confront the powerful families head-on, and he steeled himself and did it.
But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't afford to gamble again and deal with the mess that followed. Just thinking about it gave him a splitting headache... Oh well. Everyone still needed the silver notes, and Dingguo could hold out until his death; let that kid worry about it.
Emperor Hongren snapped out of his daze and raised his hand with a gentle expression: "Why is the Crown Prince still kneeling on the ground? Get up, get up quickly."
His face hardened, and he pretended to scold lightly: "You are now the crown prince of a country. I forgot to tell you to get up. Do you think anyone would force you to bow? Don't do something so foolish!"
Seeing that the atmosphere had eased and the old emperor had stopped mentioning the ticket system, Qi Chengming glanced to the side and smoothly picked up the thread, sincerely refuting, "Father, you are mistaken. The Great Ding Dynasty values filial piety, and we are now before our ancestors. What is wrong with your son kneeling and listening to your instructions?"
"..." Emperor Hongren was momentarily speechless, vaguely suspecting that the Crown Prince was secretly mocking him, but after thinking about it more carefully, he realized that he was becoming more and more suspicious.
But since we've come this far, he waved his hand dismissively: "Go, light some incense before you leave."
Qi Chengming got his wish and went over after responding.
"Wait." Emperor Hongren thought for a moment, then stopped the Crown Prince. He walked to the door and summoned Zhao Fuman to fetch a bundle of sacrificial incense made from a thousand-year-old agarwood and ambergris from the storeroom.
A subtle unease lingered in his heart, and he needed to speak with his ancestors before the Crown Prince offered incense. The Great Ding Dynasty governed with filial piety in mind; no matter how capable the Crown Prince was, he was still his son.
Qi Chengming innocently stepped aside and waited patiently, watching as Emperor Hongren finished offering incense, and an expensive scent filled the side hall.
He obediently followed along, burning incense for a while, and was kept under close watch by Emperor Hongren the whole time. He didn't do anything, and then left the palace and went back.
Once they were on the carriage...
Qi Chengming slowly pulled a black object from under his sleeve, silently raising the corners of his mouth: "..."
He thought today wasn't the right time, but thanks to Emperor Hongren's sudden outburst, he actually got a chance to change the battery. He'll charge the pinhole camera when he gets back.
The next two days were still calm.
Qi Chengming knew that although he seemed to have escaped the palace unscathed, he might actually be under close surveillance by Emperor Hongren. So he obediently did nothing but stay at home and concentrate on his studies. Coincidentally, his study companions also returned, and they obediently joined together in their arduous training under Grand Scholar Mu.
Emperor Hongren wouldn't immediately believe his one-sided account; he would likely need to observe further...
Just observing.
His plan was already in place, and his people didn't need to communicate with him anymore; they each had their own considerations.
...
This observation, whether Emperor Hongren summoned his ministers to the palace to inquire indirectly or sent secret agents to gather information, always yielded the same result: "It is not advisable to rashly bring the vouchers to the capital for use; it would be a complete waste of effort."
The high-ranking officials spoke tactfully, but the meaning in their eyes—"Actually, Your Majesty can't handle this"—was very clear. This broke Emperor Hongren's defenses, and he became furious and embarrassed. What could he do after his anger subsided?
He had no choice but to truly give up and let go.
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Author's Note: The previous Emperor Hongren (who did as he pleased): By ticket? Sounds alright, I'll use it.
Qi Chengming (pleading earnestly): Father, you mustn't!
Ministers: This seems to be a new method? If Your Majesty wants to use it, let's give it a try. It can't get any worse.
Qi Chengming (wailing): It'll only get worse if I use it!!
Emperor Hongren and his ministers: Oh, it really doesn't work.
Qi Chengming: …………
(We still have to turn the tide)
Ministers: You can do it like this?! (Suddenly a whole new world opens up to them)
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