Chapter 77 Reactions from Both Countries
The shocking announcement at the Nanyue State Banquet was like a huge rock thrown into a lake, but the waves it stirred up in the Nanyue court were completely different from those in the Celestial Empire.
After the initial silence and uproar, the civil and military officials of Nanyue looked at each other, and as they exchanged glances, a strange, tacit understanding quickly formed.
Look at the face! Look at the face of the Celestial Prince!
This was the first sentence shouted in the hearts of all the Nanyue ministers.
Those ministers who had been able to see the emperor or at least seen Xiao Ziran's portrait over the years did not need any evidence. They were shocked just by the portraits and descriptions of the envoys that Liu Xiao had gradually sent back to Nanyue in recent years - they were too similar!
It's almost exactly the same appearance as Your Majesty's when he was young!
Especially the gleam between his eyebrows and the occasional unruly sharpness that is unique to the Nanyue royal family is no coincidence.
Thus, a conclusion was born, which was quickly reached a "consensus" among the government and the people of Nanyue:
Crown Prince Liu Xiao must be His Majesty's biological child who was left behind! What "imperial sister's son"?
That was merely the official statement made by His Majesty to give his beloved son a more honorable and reasonable status while avoiding directly angering the Emperor of Heaven!
As for why Emperor Liu Jin of the Qing Dynasty recognized this child and made him the crown prince?
The ministers of Nanyue imagined a shocking political deal and the emperor's love and hatred:
"It must be that when Your Majesty was young, he traveled to the Celestial Empire and had a fleeting affair with a woman, resulting in the birth of a prince. This was later discovered by the Celestial Emperor, Liu Jin...
Your Majesty is a man of great talent and strategy. He must have promised the Celestial Empire a huge reward that it was hard for them to refuse, or perhaps he held some powerful leverage over Liu Jin, forcing him to acknowledge the child and even make him the crown prince!
"Indeed! I heard that the Emperor of the Celestial Dynasty, Liu Jin, and our Majesty have a close relationship... Perhaps this matter was originally some kind of agreement between them? You see, the Emperor of the Celestial Dynasty has no other healthy children, only this son..."
"That's exactly right! Now that His Majesty has declared the Crown Prince as the heir, this must be the final step in the deal with the Emperor of the Celestial Empire! This means both countries will share a common sovereignty!"
The more the officials of Nanyue thought about it, the more reasonable it seemed to them, and they even began to get excited.
If His Royal Highness the Crown Prince could inherit both countries at the same time, wouldn't Nanyue have annexed the Celestial Empire without bloodshed?
What a great achievement! As for the purity of bloodline? That's something only the pedantic old ministers of the Celestial Empire care about!
For them, the emperor's bloodline was the blood of the Nanyue royal family, and that was enough! Even better!
As a result, the tone of the Nanyue court quickly changed from shock to a fanatical support and endorsement.
Memorials flew to the palace like snowflakes, all of which were congratulatory letters praising His Majesty for his "far-sightedness", "laying a lasting foundation for Nanyue", and "the reunion of father and son is God's blessing to Nanyue".
Almost no one has delved into the loopholes in the "imperial sister's son" theory. They would rather believe this more "perfect" version that is more in line with their interests and expectations.
Contrary to Nanyue’s speculation that “everyone was happy”, the imperial court of the Celestial Empire was completely plunged into great chaos, panic and collapse of faith.
In the Golden Throne Hall, the deathly silence was broken, and fierce debates and questionings erupted like a volcanic eruption.
The orthodox faction, led by several old ministers with white hair and beards who had served two dynasties, knelt on the ground, weeping and kowtowed:
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty, please think twice! This is absolutely unacceptable! Your Highness the Crown Prince is the heir apparent to the throne of the state, and heir to the Liu clan ancestral temple of the Celestial Empire! How can he inherit the throne of Nanyue?
This is a violation of human ethics and subverts the moral code! If this continues, the future Crown Prince... no, by then he will have become the Emperor of Nanyue. Where will our Celestial Empire stand? Is it really necessary to merge it with Nanyue?! We, your servants, would rather die than obey your edict!
"Your Majesty! The Crown Prince's life story holds such a hidden secret! We, your Majesty, implore you to clarify! Is His Royal Highness the Crown Prince... is he truly a Dragonborn?"
This question was extremely bold, almost questioning whether Liu Jin was cuckolded, and even touched Liu Jin's sore spot.
Another group of more pragmatic ministers were relatively calm, but worried:
"Your Majesty, even if what Emperor Nanyue said is true, and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince carries the blood of two countries, one country cannot have two masters!
This matter concerns the foundation of our nation. If we are not careful, it could spark conflict between the two countries, or even the beginning of war! Your Majesty, please consult with Emperor Nanyue immediately and revoke your order!"
"I second the motion! Furthermore, Emperor Nanyue's actions were not discussed with our nation beforehand. This is clearly an attempt to forcibly tie our crown prince to Nanyue's chariot. His intentions are despicable! Your Majesty, do not yield!"
Some officials who were quick-witted and good at adapting to the situation were also shocked, but they had already started to secretly calculate:
If the prince could really inherit the two countries, wouldn’t that mean... the Celestial Empire would become a vassal of Nanyue?
Or... an unprecedented united empire?
If you take a stand now, you may become a successful follower of the dragon and become extremely rich in the future!
But they didn't dare to say anything for the time being, and just nervously watched the reactions of the emperor and the prince.
Prince Liu Xiao, who was pushed to the forefront of the storm, felt cold all over as he stood at the foot of the imperial steps, as if he had fallen into an ice cave.
He could feel countless gazes behind him, some of them were shocked, some were suspicious, some were angry, and there was a very small chance of sympathy.
His previous cognition was completely overturned.
Isn’t he the emperor’s son?
Is he the son of Princess Nanyue?
The Nanyue Emperor Xiao Ziran, who cared for him so much and even "overstepped the line", was his uncle?
And my father already knew all this?
He looked at Liu Jin sitting on the throne, his eyes filled with confusion, pain, and a sense of deception. He wished his father would deny it, even if it was just to lie to him.
Liu Jin felt his gaze and felt very complicated.
He took a deep breath, ignored the noisy ministers below, and looked at Liu Xiao calmly. His voice was full of unquestionable majesty, but also contained a hint of soothing that only Liu Xiao could understand.
"Xiao'er, come to me."
Liu Xiao followed his instructions, walked up the imperial steps step by step, and stood beside Liu Jin's dragon throne.
This action itself sends a strong signal - the emperor still recognizes and maintains the status of the prince.
Liu Jin then turned his gaze back to the agitated ministers below. His voice was not loud, but it instantly suppressed all the noise:
These two words, carrying the absolute pressure of an emperor, made the hall quiet again.
"Crown Prince Liu Xiao is my son and the heir apparent to the Celestial Empire. This has always been the case, is the case now, and will never change in the future!"
Liu Jin was decisive and set the tone first, temporarily appeasing the doubts of some ministers about "whether the prince is a dragon seed."
But he did not directly refute Xiao Ziran's statement about bloodline.
"As for the imperial edict of Emperor Nanyue,"
Liu Jin paused, his eyes scanning the crowd sharply.
"This matter concerns two countries and is extremely complex. It is not for you to speculate! I will personally negotiate with the Emperor of Nanyue. In the meantime, if anyone dares to use this as an excuse to stir up trouble, criticize the Crown Prince, and disrupt the government, do not blame me for being ruthless!"
His words were cold, carrying a bloody threat that sent a chill down the spines of all the ministers, who recalled the emperor's iron-blooded ascension to the throne. Suddenly, many of the veteran ministers who still wanted to offer advice were silenced.
But everyone knows that this is only a temporary suppression.
The seeds of doubt have been planted, and the storm is far from over.
After the court session, all kinds of speculation and discussion will surely spread in a more intense manner behind the scenes.
The news spread quickly from the government to the world as if it had wings, triggering unprecedented heated discussions among the people of both countries.
Among the people in China, the reaction was more of shock and a sense of absurdity of watching the fun.
"What? Our Crown Prince is actually the son of Princess Nanyue? What the hell is going on here?"
"I told you! I've always felt that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince doesn't look like our Majesty. So here's the reason!"
"Tsk tsk, your circle is so chaotic! Doesn't this mean that our future emperor is actually... from Nanyue?"
"What are you afraid of? His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was raised by our Majesty, studied our sage books, and handles the affairs of our Celestial Empire. His heart is definitely on our side!"
"That's hard to say! Blood is thicker than water! When he becomes emperor in Nanyue, will he still remember the kindness of our Celestial Empire?"
All kinds of bizarre speculations and interpretations began to emerge.
In teahouses and taverns, storytellers even made up stories overnight such as "The Mistake Between Dragon and Phoenix", "Two Emperors Fighting for Their Son", and "Secret Romance in the Deep Palace: Love, Hate and Passion Across National Boundaries".
The life stories of Liu Jin, Xiao Ziran and Liu Xiao are portrayed in a tortuous and lingering manner, which has attracted countless listeners. Although absurd, it also reflects the people's greatest confusion and interest in this matter - what kind of unknown imperial secrets are behind this?
Compared with the "melon-eating" mentality of the people in the Celestial Empire, the people of Nanyue are more excited and proud.
"Look! Our Majesty is so powerful! Even a prince living away from home can become the crown prince of the Celestial Empire!"
"That's great! From now on, the Celestial Empire and Nanyue will be one family! Maybe we won't have to fight anymore!"
"His Royal Highness the Crown Prince looks so much like Your Majesty! You can tell he's of true dragon blood!"
They almost unanimously believed that Liu Xiao was Xiao Ziran's biological son, and had beautiful fantasies about the possible "two countries sharing the same lord" situation in the future, believing that this was a symbol of Nanyue's strength.
However, both in the Celestial Empire and in Nanyue, some knowledgeable people and ordinary people felt deeply worried.
The two countries have very different systems, cultures and interests. A forced merger will only bring endless friction and chaos.
How can an emperor represent the interests of two countries that may be in competition or even hostile relations at the same time?
This seemingly beautiful vision may actually be the root of instability.
In this storm, the aristocracy of the Celestial Empire, especially the Anhou Mansion which had close ties with Crown Prince Liu Xiao, experienced the torment of ice and fire.
Previously, because Liu Zong had outstanding abilities, was deeply favored by the emperor, and had a close relationship with the prince, Liu Zong's Anhou Mansion was always crowded with people who came to curry favor with him. He was the hottest new upstart in the capital.
However, when the prince's life experience became a mystery, the situation of the Marquis An's Mansion suddenly became delicate and embarrassing.
Those nobles who were originally jealous of the Anhou Mansion's royal favor, or who disagreed with Liu Zong's political views, immediately revealed their gloating faces:
"Humph! I was wondering how Liu Zong, an adopted son, could climb so high! Turns out he must have clung to the right person! What a shame, now that person can't even protect himself!"
"That's right! He relies on his close relationship with the Crown Prince to ignore us! Now that the Crown Prince's identity is in doubt, let's see how long he can continue his arrogance!"
"I'm afraid the good days of the Marquis An's Mansion are over! We might even be implicated..."
For a time, the gate of Marquis An's Mansion was deserted, and the "friends" who used to be brothers avoided it, and some even fanned the flames in secret.
They tried to label Liu Zong as a "vassal of the Nanyue bloodline" or an "accomplice in confusing the bloodline of the Celestial Empire."
However, there were a few truly shrewd or far-sighted nobles who saw something deeper.
Emperor Liu Jin's clear attitude of defending the prince in the court, as well as the prince's unusually close relationship with Liu Zong, made them realize that it was too early to draw conclusions.
They chose to wait and see, and even secretly showed limited goodwill to the Anhou Mansion in case of emergency.
Liu Zong, who was in the eye of the storm, scoffed at this.
He doesn't care about the attitudes of those who curry favor with the powerful.
All his worries and anger were for just one person - Liu Xiao.
After leaving court, he rushed to the East Palace immediately.
Seeing Liu Xiao's distraught and pale appearance, his heart ached.
He dismissed his attendants, strode forward, and without saying a word, hugged Liu Xiao tightly in his arms.
"Xiao'er, don't be afraid."
His voice was deep and firm, with undeniable power.
"No matter whose son you are, you are my Xiao'er. Whoever dares to hurt you in this matter will be made to pay the price! If you want this kingdom, I will protect it for you! If you don't want it, I will take you away from this dangerous place!"
His words were domineering and direct, full of absolute protection.
At this moment, the etiquette between the monarch and his subjects, and the public opinion of the world, are not as important to him as the person in his arms.
Liu Xiao leaned on his solid chest, feeling the unreserved, even suffocating desire to protect him, and his cold heart finally regained a bit of warmth.
He reached out his hand and hugged Liu Zong back, his voice choked with sobs.
"Brother Brown... who am I?"
Liu Zong hugged him tighter and said firmly:
"You are Liu Xiao! You are the Crown Prince of the Celestial Empire! You are the one I, Liu Zong, will protect with my life! That's enough!"
Inside the East Palace, the two hugged each other tightly, as if all the wind and rain from the outside world could not invade between them.
However, the whole world was plunged into unprecedented shock and confusion because of an imperial edict from Emperor Nanyue.
The big chess game between Liu Jin and Xiao Ziran has just been revealed, and no one can predict where it will go in the future.
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