That's the logic, but you can't say it like that, and you shouldn't do it that way either.
Hu Xiaofei, the chief strategist under the Prince of Pingxi and a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) of the twentieth year of the Zhenwu era of the Great Xin Dynasty, immediately stepped forward to advise the Prince of Pingxi, Mu Rongfu, upon hearing the announcement:
"Your Highness, in my humble opinion, it is too early for him to declare himself emperor, ascend the throne, and establish a new country!"
As he spoke, Hu Xiaofei stood up and faced Prince Pingxi, Mu Rongfu, without fear, and continued, "In my opinion, in this chaotic world, we should build high walls, collect ample grain, and delay declaring ourselves king, so as to remain invincible."
"Currently, whether it's the Xin Dynasty with its young emperor ascending the throne and the prime minister in power, or the Jin Prince's regime that launched a rebellion in Longcheng, leading to the death of the tyrant Zhao Gan;"
"The number of troops and the strength under his command are several times that of my Prince Pingxi's Mansion!"
"At this moment, if Your Highness insists on declaring yourself emperor, you will surely be attacked by all the wise men in the world. At present, the strength of the Prince of Pingxi's mansion is not enough to deal with the encirclement and suppression from all sides."
At this point, Hu Xiaofei turned to Mu Rongfu and said, "Therefore, I believe that Your Highness should not act rashly at this time. Building high walls, collecting ample grain, and delaying the declaration of kingship would be the best course of action."
"I hope Your Highness will reconsider before acting!"
After he finished speaking, the other advisors of the Prince's Palace knelt down and bowed, shouting in unison:
"I hope Your Highness will reconsider before acting!"
"Hu Xiaofei, you—"
For a moment, Mu Rongfu was speechless after being confronted by Hu Xiaofei's words.
After a long silence, he said, "That Prince Li Zongmin of Guangxin only has 80,000 troops under his command, yet he dares to ascend the throne and establish a new country in his fiefdom!"
"Why can't my 150,000 fierce warriors in rattan armor restore the national system of Nanzhao?"
"Furthermore, no matter how many troops the imperial court and Chen Huai'an have, as long as I concentrate my superior forces and amass them in the Anshunchang area, what do I have to fear from the enemy?"
Clearly, the ascension of Prince Guangxin, Li Zongmin, to the throne has dealt a heavy blow to Prince Pingxi, Mu Rongfu.
He had made up his mind that even if it meant going his own way, he would restore the Nanzhao Kingdom system.
Upon hearing this, Hu Xiaofei, a strategist in the Prince's mansion, argued forcefully, saying, "Your Highness, this matter is of great importance; how can it be generalized?"
"The Nanyue Kingdom is situated along the border and coast, with a strategically important location. It could advance to conquer the Central Plains or retreat to defend the sea. King Li Zongmin of Guangxin has made full preparations for ascending the throne!"
"On the other hand, Your Highness, the Nanzhao region only borders the border, not the coast!"
"Neither the imperial court nor Prince Chen Huai'an of Jin, after winning this power struggle, would ever allow the Nanzhao Kingdom to exist independently."
"What will Your Highness do then?"
"I don't care—"
Mu Rongfu waved his hand angrily and said, "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I absolutely cannot let it slip by. Restoring the national system of Nanzhao is not only my idea, but also the legacy of the late king."
"Do you mean to say that you, the retainers of the royal court who have received the favor and support of the late king, are going to go against his last wishes?"
At this point, Mu Rongfu drew his sword without hesitation and roared with an almost manic expression:
"I have stated beforehand that my mind is made up to ascend the throne and restore the Nanzhao Kingdom system. Anyone who does not comply shall commit suicide to atone for the sins of the late king!"
Clang!
After speaking, Mu Rongfu threw the sword in his hand to the ground and left the council hall of the Prince's Mansion without looking back.
Only the courtiers of the Prince's mansion, led by the strategist Hu Xiaofei, were left in the council hall, looking at each other in bewilderment.
......
On the fifth day of the tenth month of the first year of the Lingwu reign of the Daxin calendar, King Li Zongmin of Guangxin ascended the throne in his fiefdom of Yangcheng and proclaimed himself emperor, establishing the state of Nanyue.
On the eighth day of the tenth month of the first year of the Lingwu era of the Daxin calendar, Prince Murong Fu of Pingxi ascended the throne in his fiefdom of Dali and proclaimed himself emperor, establishing the Nanzhao Kingdom!
When the news spread throughout the Daxin Dynasty that Guangxin King and Pingxi King, two of the eight kings of different surnames during the reign of Emperor Zhenwu, had declared themselves emperors in their respective territories, the entire court and the public were shocked.
boom!
When Qin Ruhui, the prime minister who was in place of the young emperor, received the memorials from the Prince of Guangxin and the Prince of Pingxi declaring themselves emperors, he was so angry that he overturned the table in front of him.
His usually composed face, which remained unfazed even in the face of a collapsing mountain, now revealed a rare expression of exasperation.
He roared, "You treacherous villains, deserving to be struck by lightning! The late emperor must have been blind to bestow such titles upon you as kings of different surnames!"
"At this time of internal strife in the dynasty, you, who are pillars of the dynasty and kings of different surnames, not only did not raise an army to defend the king, but also took the opportunity to ascend the throne and establish a new country."
"How is such a treasonous act any different from that of the traitorous minister Chen Huai'an?"
Qin Ruhui continued, "Guo Wei, as the Minister of Justice of the Great Xin Dynasty, I hereby order you to immediately draft an imperial edict to proclaim the crimes of the Prince of Guangxin and the Prince of Pingxi to the world!"
"Wang Xuefeng, I hereby order you to draft a new imperial edict in the voice of the young emperor, calling upon all the armies of the realm to come to the aid of the emperor. This is to not only kill the wolfish ambitions of the Prince of Guangxin and the Prince of Pingxi to become emperor, but also to deliver a fatal blow to the traitorous minister Chen Huai'an!"
"This land belongs not only to the Zhao family, but also to you and me. Everyone, do you understand?"
"Your humble servant obeys!"
A group of prime ministers, led by Wang Xuefeng, Minister of Revenue, and Guo Wei, Minister of Justice, stepped forward to express their stance.
Afterwards, they each went their separate ways, and the emperor drafted an imperial edict to proclaim to the world.
At the same time.
Inside the Kunning Palace in the capital city.
Empress Su Wan'er also learned of the news that Prince Guangxin and Prince Pingxi had ascended the throne as emperor.
However, Empress Su Wan'er did not react with the same fury and rage as Prime Minister Qin Ruhui upon learning the news.
On the contrary, a hint of smugness appeared on her stunningly beautiful face.
The chaos among the princes and the disintegration of the empire were exactly the situation Su Wan'er was happy to see.
The more chaotic the situation, the more advantageous it is for Su Wan'er, who holds the Imperial Seal of the State.
Ideally, these treacherous officials who covet the Zhao family's throne should fight to the death, after which Empress Su Wan'er, along with the young Emperor Zhao Lingwu, should step forward and reap the benefits.
This country can be allowed to continue to wreak havoc by these treacherous officials with their own ulterior motives.
But in the end, the one who can clean up the mess and unify the world is none other than Su Wan'er's son, Zhao Lingwu.
Fearing that the fire of the rebellion of the princes was not burning bright enough, Su Wan'er decided to add fuel to the fire.
She summoned her personal eunuch, Cai He, and whispered, "Cai He, I order you to personally go to Longcheng, the fiefdom of Prince Jin, and deliver this imperial edict bearing the Imperial Seal of the State to Prince Chen Huai'an, the heir apparent of Prince Jin!"
"Remember, this matter is of utmost importance; we must not allow any mistakes to occur!"
"If anything goes wrong, the entire family, including the nine generations of your relatives, will be executed!"
"Did you understand?"
"Your Majesty, I understand!"
As he spoke, Cai He took the secret imperial edict from Su Wan'er's hand!
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