Chapter 292: Family, Country, and the World on One Shoulder
Jiang Wan looked at this scoundrel and knew that he was absolutely sincere. The throne was indeed a good thing for some people, but it was not necessarily so for the two of them. There would be a lot of trouble later.
"So what do you want to do?"
Hearing the tone of voice that seemed to suggest compromise, Li Chengxiu was instantly shocked. Touched, he approached his wife and hesitantly offered a suggestion.
"...How about, how about I pretend to be sick tomorrow? I can take some time to deal with the current situation, and then I can take you away?"
"You dare!"
Before Jiang Wan could give a thumbs up to this clever move, an angry scolding came from outside the house.
"Li Laosi, you bastard, I fought so hard to get this, and now it's right in your hand, yet you still don't want it?
If you dare to run away, I will break your legs, do you believe it?!"
After finally arguing with the ministers and agreeing on the process, His Royal Highness Prince An came all the way over to try to coax his brother, but he just stood at the door and heard his fourth brother barking frantically.
The man finally couldn't help but break down his defense. He leaned against the door of the palace, breathing heavily, pointing at the jerk in the room with shaking fingers and cursing.
"You bastard, you haven't been beaten enough since you were little! If I had known that you would become less and less of a good-for-nothing as you grew up, I wouldn't have stopped my father and mother from beating you when you were little!
You are such a useless thing, you just give up and run away when you encounter such a small problem? You are not worthy of being my son! I, I…"
He turned around and looked around, but couldn't find anything that suited his needs. Poor Li Lao Da, he had always been dignified and polite, and he had never beaten Li Lao Si like his father, so it was inevitable that he was not very proficient in the business for a while.
He was already in poor health and the more he thought about it, the more aggrieved and angry he became. He looked very pitiful as he shivered against the door, which scared Li Laowu who was following him.
"Brother, please don't take Fourth Brother seriously! He has a mouth just as bad as mine, and he just talks nonsense.
This is such an important occasion, he definitely can't run away! Big brother, calm down, we still have to rely on you to take charge of the situation tomorrow, we can't let ourselves get angry! Calm down, calm down..."
Jiang Wan glared at her husband, and the couple quickly stood up and welcomed the obviously angry older brother into the house. After serving him tea and apologizing, they finally calmed down the frustration that had been choking Li Yuanxiu.
Looking at his fourth brother and his wife, Boss Li tried to persuade them earnestly.
"Fourth Brother, I know that you've always preferred martial arts to literature, so it's really hard for me to lock you up in the palace. But brother, you know that this is a different time, don't you?
If the third brother were still here, if the second brother was really capable, if I myself was not a sickly person, if the fifth brother had the means to suppress the evil spirits inside and outside the court, the eldest brother would not hold you hostage.
But there is no one left in our Li family. Do you know that? Cough... cough cough..."
He spoke in a hurry and inevitably choked. Li Yuanxiu coughed continuously. Li Chengxiu and Li Jingxiu hurriedly continued to serve him tea to help him breathe.
"Brother, I know. Don't worry, drink some water and calm down. I really know!"
Li Chengxiu's reluctance was no match for the difficult situation he faced. Many emotions surged and struggled in his eyes, but in the end, he had no choice but to compromise.
Li Yuanxiu ignored his fourth brother, but just raised his eyes to look at his fourth brother's wife standing aside.
He was waiting for Jiang Wan to nod and make a promise.
Seriously speaking, among so many children in the family, the one who has the most like their father's personality is actually the fourth child.
The person who could be Li Changhuai's master at the time was Qiao Yunshu.
The person who can be Li Chengxiu's master now is Jiang Wan.
"Fourth brother's wife, the country is more important!"
Looking at Li Yuanxiu, whose eyes were filled with expectation or even pleading, Jiang Wan couldn't help but recall the first time he saw the Li brothers in Maocheng.
How high-spirited and ambitious was the eldest son of the Li family back then? How handsome and elegant was the third son of the Li family back then? Not to mention the second and fifth sons of the Li family back then, even the fourth son of the Li family was so foolish that it made people laugh and cry.
Time flies and things and people change.
She finally sighed.
"Brother, Li Chengxiu isn't being hypocritical. He knows his own limitations. Being an emperor is easy, but being a good emperor is not.
This country was won by our fathers at the risk of their lives, through mountains of swords and seas of fire. You and I both know how difficult it is to keep and defend this country.
You and your third brother were both raised according to the standards of the eldest son, but Li Chengxiu was not! Forget about those lofty imperial schemes. He might not even be able to fully understand the most ordinary memorials! "
He looked at Li Laosi who was squatting silently beside Li Lao Da. His worries and panics that were difficult to express out loud could only be expressed by Jiang Wan, his wife.
"There's a saying in this world called 'Qi Da Fei Ou', which doesn't just apply to marriage, but also to the current situation.
The throne was indeed a good thing, and logically speaking, no ordinary person should be able to refuse it. However, although Li Chengxiu was not very smart, he knew his own limitations and felt that he was not capable enough.
He was afraid that he would not be able to keep the throne after taking it. He was afraid that he would let his parents, brothers, people, and ancestors down.
The whole room was very quiet, with only the helpless voice of Princess Qi lingering in everyone's ears.
Li Jingxiu looked at his fourth sister-in-law, then at his eldest brother who was frowning, and finally at his fourth brother who looked miserable. He was inappropriately thankful in his heart, thank goodness, thank goodness, thank goodness he is the fifth child, and there is still the fourth child above him!
He and his fourth brother were both equally useless. If it weren't for Li Laosi, the one who was so worried that he couldn't even breathe properly would be him, Li Laowu!
"Old Four, are you scared?"
After a moment's silence in the room, Li Yuanxiu turned to look at his brother, and Li Chengxiu raised his head honestly.
“I’m scared.
From childhood to adulthood, no matter what happens, my brother has always been at the forefront. When I see you two fighting, I am just worried about who will win in the end.
But I never dared to imagine that one day such a big job would be thrown at me.
Brother, I don’t know what to do.”
It is not difficult to hear the confusion and fear in his voice.
"I know what you said is right, and the current situation does not allow me not to stand up and take the lead.
But what if I can’t bear it?
No one has ever told me that Li Chengxiu would become the emperor in the future!
You have to shoulder the responsibility of your family, your country and the world.
Brother, I’m afraid I can’t carry this burden.”
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