To be honest, Chen Huai'an wasn't very interested in the plan that Liu Xinwu, the Prince of Wuning, had come up with to silence public opinion.
True strength lies in the fact that one never needs to consider the opinions, words, or actions of others.
Besides, Chen Huai'an wasn't like Zhu Di, the Prince of Yan, who rose to the throne as a prince.
This new dynasty, ruled by the Zhao family, has absolutely nothing to do with Prince Chen Huai of Jin.
The reason he raised the banner of "Fengtian Jingnan" was simply to ease the psychological burden on his eight thousand soldiers of the Longcheng Polu Army regarding the matter of raising an army to rebel.
Now, Chen Huai'an commands a massive army of a million men, and has an additional 800,000 private soldiers who are absolutely loyal to him. How could he possibly care about how the world judges him, or how future historians will record how he obtained the throne?
However, seeing the eager expression on Prince Wu Ning's face, Chen Huai'an couldn't very well offend him in public, so he had no choice but to go along with it and say, "Please enlighten me, Uncle!"
Cough cough!
At this moment, Consort Xu Ruoyun, who was seated at the head of the banquet, coughed twice, then stood up and said to Yue Qiluo and Liu Shujun at the table, "Shujun, Qiluo, have you finished eating?"
"If you've finished eating, come with me for a walk in the back garden!"
Born into a family of former dukes and having served as the wife of the late King Chen Polu for over twenty years, Xu Ruoyun immediately prepared to send the others away when she heard her son and Prince Wu Ning, Liu Xinwu, discussing matters of state.
"Your Highness, I've finished eating!"
"I'm done eating!"
Yue Qiluo and Liu Shujun also tactfully put down their bowls and chopsticks, stood up and bowed to Chen Huai'an and Liu Xinwu, then took Xu Ruoyun's arms on either side, preparing to leave the table.
Only the carefree young prince Chen Longxiang, with his mouth still greasy, was gnawing on a chicken leg while tilting his head and saying, "Mother, I'm not full yet, you all go ahead!"
As he spoke, he smacked his lips and asked Liu Xinwu, "Your Highness, what plan do you have to help my brother ascend the throne? Tell me quickly, I want to hear it too, hehe!"
"Dragon and Elephant!"
Suddenly, a strong little hand grabbed Chen Longxiang’s prominent ear and lifted him off the chair.
Yue Qiluo smiled and said, "Longxiang, I have some dried beef jerky from the Western Regions. You'll definitely like it. Come on, let's go eat some beef jerky. It'll be as much as you want!"
"Sister-in-law, let go, it hurts, it hurts!"
Chen Longxiang grimaced in pain, but Yue Qiluo could only grab his ear and drag him out, while he cast pleading glances at his elder brother Chen Huai'an as they walked.
She muttered pitifully, "Brother, aren't you going to do anything about your sister-in-law?"
Cough cough!
Upon hearing this, Chen Huai'an, who had been pretending not to see it, had no choice but to cough twice to cover up his embarrassment.
After being called "sister-in-law" twice by Chen Longxiang, Yue Qiluo's fair and beautiful face finally flushed slightly, and the hand that was gripping Chen Longxiang's ear tightened its grip.
No one noticed that a strange look flashed across the eyes of Prince Wu Ning, Liu Xinwu, before he returned to his usual cheerful demeanor, like a real-life Maitreya Buddha.
After this little incident, the atmosphere on site became somewhat delicate.
But the conversation had to continue.
In the large room, only Chen Huai'an and Liu Xinwu, who were sitting next to each other at the table, remained.
At this moment, Liu Xinwu had no more reservations and spoke freely: "Nephew, although we, uncle and nephew, have never openly discussed your future ascension to the throne;
"You have never shown even the slightest thought of wanting to ascend the throne and become emperor!"
"but--"
After a pause, Liu Xinwu continued, "You and I, uncle and nephew, both understand that when your Dragon City army breaches Jinling City one day..."
"Even you, my dear nephew, who aspire to be a loyal and virtuous official of the Great Xin Dynasty, leaving your mark on history, should not covet the throne of the Zhao family, a widow and her orphanage."
"But what about your generals who have followed you through countless battles, those generals who, from the very beginning of your uprising in Longcheng, risked the lives and fortunes of their families and even their entire clans to join you in this rebellion;?"
"Who doesn't want to be a loyal minister who supports the emperor, and who doesn't want to be granted a title and have their family benefit from it?"
"Uncle Shi dares to assert that when the Longcheng army breaches Jinling City, the orphans and widows of the Zhao family of Daxin will mysteriously disappear from the imperial city."
At this point, Liu Xinwu smiled meaningfully.
He then poured himself a glass of wine, drank it all in one gulp, and continued, "Not to mention, the Great Xin Dynasty is currently undergoing a palace coup;"
"Whether it was Zhao Lingzhan, the son of the Prince of Fu, whom Prime Minister Qin Ruhui and his cronies supported;"
"It is still the newly appointed martial arts champion of the Great Xin Dynasty, Wu Sanjia, who supports the deposed emperor Zhao Lingwu;"
"In this palace coup, they could only become victims of the power struggle between powerful ministers and military generals."
"but--"
Liu Xinwu smiled confidently and said, "The current chaotic situation of the Great Xin Dynasty has given you, my nephew, a golden opportunity to ascend the throne and become emperor!"
Liu Xinwu's remarks incisively revealed the current state of affairs within the Longcheng army.
Chen Huai'an had heard his generals discuss when he would become emperor more than once, and some of the more meddlesome officers were even secretly discussing what titles they should be granted when the new dynasty was founded, based on their military achievements.
Hearing Liu Xinwu analyze the power struggles within the Great Xin Dynasty between the new and deposed emperors, and between civil and military officials, and how these struggles could create opportunities for him, he showed a hint of interest.
He poured Liu Xinwu a full glass of wine, then raised his glass to clink with the latter's, saying, "Uncle, let's drink and chat, cheers!"
"cheers!"
Liu Xinwu drank another cup of wine, and then, emboldened by the alcohol, said, "Nephew, think about it. The southern regions controlled by the Great Xin Dynasty are constantly at war, and the people are already suffering terribly."
"Looking at the northern regions under your rule, my nephew, the taxes for the common people have been halved for ten years, and the taxes for military families have been completely waived for five years, so as to allow the people to rest and develop to the greatest extent possible."
"A comparison between the North and the South clearly shows the difference in quality!"
"As the saying goes, those who follow the right path will find many supporters, while those who stray from it will find few. If my nephew wishes to rightfully ascend the throne, he must follow the will of Heaven and the hearts of the people."
Liu Xinwu continued, "Now, my nephew, you enjoy the support of the people in the north, while the Great Xin Dynasty has lost all popular support in the south."
"Therefore, Shi Shu's plan is..."
At this point, Liu Xinwu deliberately closed the distance between himself and Chen Huai'an, and whispered something in his ear.
Chen Huai'an's expression gradually relaxed, his brows furrowing slightly.
Until, a knowing smile appeared on his face.
"Brilliant, absolutely brilliant!"
Chen Huai'an couldn't help but give a thumbs up and praise, "Uncle, this plan is truly brilliant!"
"In that case, we'll leave this matter entirely to Uncle Shi!"
"I'd be happy to oblige!"
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