The ministers begged me to ascend the throne

Everything that happened during the trade conference, big and small, was reported back to the capital, shocking the ministers in the DPRK and China.

Most of the ministers in the court looked down upon Zhao Yao, His Highness the King of Han, even though the King of Han had done a lot to benefit the country and the country over the years.

For more than ten years, the ministers in the DPRK were not unaware of Zhao Yao's talent, but they chose to turn a blind eye. It is clear that the things Zhao Yao made benefited the country and the people, but the ministers felt that it was useless.

In fact, the ministers did not really think that the things made by His Highness the King of Han were useless, but that the things he made were useless to them. To be precise, it doesn't please them.

Zhao Yao, His Highness the King of Han's background is indeed poor among the princes, but he is not the worst. Compared with him, His Highness King Wei's background is the worst.

Although His Highness the King of Wei took advantage of the deposed prince and received the support of the deposed prince's old subordinates, when the deposed prince was still a prominent prince, many ministers secretly supported him.

To the ministers, the prince's origin was not that important. Even if the status of the prince's biological mother is low, the prince has a noble status and is qualified to compete for the throne. This is the most important thing to them. If they support the prince, they will have a chance to gain the merit of following the dragon.

A prince whose mother's family has weak power is easier to control than a prince who has a respected mother's family. A prince whose mother's family is powerful does not need the support of other ministers. As long as he has the support of his mother's family, he has a high chance of taking that position. The prince whose mother's clan is weak needs the support of his ministers the most. He could only rely on ministers to get into that position.

The former subordinates of the deposed crown prince are now fully supporting His Highness King Wei, not just because His Highness the Prince of Wei used to be the one who deposed the crown prince, but mainly because His Highness the King of Wei does not have the support of his mother's family.

Over the years, King Wei had disguised himself very well, making the old people of the deposed prince think that he was indispensable to them, making them think that he was easy to control. Because of this, the old men of the deposed prince tried their best to help King Wei.

With King Wei's ability, he does not need the support of the deposed prince's old people, but he clearly needs the support of the deposed prince's old people. Because of this, he could "justifiably" participate in the heir apparent.

The weak power of the mother clan is a reason for the ministers to support him, but if the prince does not please the ministers, the ministers will not take the initiative to support him. There are so many princes, why should the ministers support a prince who does not bribe them.

The ministers took a big risk by lining up to support the prince in advance. They can't support it with their wealth and life without any benefit at all.

While the emperor was still alive, the ministers supported the prince's fight for the throne for their own benefit. Although King Wei had the worst background among the princes, he gave many benefits to the ministers who supported him.

Although His Highness King Wei comes from a poor background, he is not short of money. The people of the Southern Wei Dynasty were very good at making money and gave the King of Wei a steady stream of money. The king of Wei used the money to bribe ministers.

The benefits that ministers want to obtain are nothing more than money and power. Although the King of Wei could not give the ministers the huge rights they wanted for the time being, he could give them the money they wanted.

The salaries of officials in the Great Zhou Dynasty were not large, but they were not very high either. Among the ministers, only the three ministers and nine ministers had a higher salary. The others could only support themselves and their families, but it was impossible to get rich.

No one is dissatisfied with having too much money. Officials are not satisfied with their salaries and want more money. Over the years, the ministers who supported King Wei received a lot of money from King Wei, and their lives became easier.

Now that they have money, they will be able to gain power when King Wei sits on the throne in the future. By that time, they will have money and power.

As for His Highness the King of Han, his background is clearly better than that of the King of Wei, and his wealth is no less than that of the King of Wei, but he is not willing to spend money to please and win them over, which is really annoying.

Although His Highness the King of Han's mother's family is weak in power, the Liang family is a wealthy businessman in Yangzhou and has been in business for several generations. The Liang family has a rich family fortune. In addition, His Highness the King of Han also made money himself, but he never gave gifts or invited ministers to dinner.

Many ministers in the court wanted to support Zhao Yao, especially after seeing that he made a lot of money from glass after he went to Lingnan, they wanted to support him even more. They secretly expressed their sympathy to His Highness the King of Han, but His Highness the King of Han pretended not to know anything. Since His Highness the King of Han disdains their support, they will not put their hot face on their cold butt.

There were still some ministers waiting for Zhao Yao to take the initiative to win over them, but in the end His Highness the King of Han did nothing. Seeing that His Highness the King of Han was so ignorant, the ministers in the court naturally disliked him even more.

In the hearts of the ministers, Zhao Yao, His Royal Highness the King of Han, is an extremely stupid person and is hopeless.

Last year, many ministers in the DPRK were gloating over the fact that Zhao Yao was "demoted" to Lingnan by the emperor, feeling that he deserved it. In addition to gloating about his misfortune, the ministers also believed that Zhao Yao would not be able to make a name for himself in Lingnan, and they were waiting to see his success.

When Zhao Yao wanted to hold a trade conference in Marsh Mansion, many ministers in the court were opposed to it. They also said that the King of Han was not well-intentioned in holding a trade conference, and some even said that he would collude with foreign nations. However, the emperor paid no attention to them.

When the trade conference was held, the ministers continued to apply eye drops to the emperor in front of him. The emperor didn't know their little thoughts and simply ignored them.

After the trade conference ended and they learned that Zhao Yao had made a lot of money, the ministers in the DPRK were not only surprised, but also jealous. They did not expect that His Highness the King of Han would successfully hold the trade conference.

More than half a year ago, when Zhao Yao was about to hold a trade conference, many people in the DPRK felt that he would not succeed, and they were even sure that he would make a fool of himself. Unexpectedly, Zhao Yao not only successfully held the event, but also made more money than the national treasury's tax revenue in a year.

The ministers did not want to believe that this was true, but it was the fact that they had to accept it. Through this trade conference, the ministers discovered that His Highness the King of Han's abilities were stronger than they imagined, especially his ability to make money.

The trade conference shocked the ministers of the DPRK and China with Zhao Yao's ability to make money, but the military parade shocked them with His Highness the King of Han's military training ability.

Zhao Yao's military parade shocked foreign countries, which the ministers of the DPRK and China did not expect. However, what they did not expect was the ambition of His Highness the King of Han.

According to many officials in the DPRK, Zhao Yao's main purpose of holding the military parade was not to frighten foreign countries, but to make foreign countries surrender to him. In their opinion, the main purpose of His Highness the Han Dynasty in holding the trade conference was not to make money, but to bribe foreign countries near Lingnan.

Now it seems that the King of Han Dynasty went to Lingnan with this idea in mind.

Yang Ling thought so too, but King Chu didn't think so.

"The tenth brother went to Lingnan not to bribe foreign countries like Annan and Johor." The King of Chu believed in Zhao Yao. "He went to Lingnan to avoid the right and wrong in the capital."

"Your Highness, is the purpose of His Highness the King of Han holding the trade conference really just to make money?"

King Chu nodded affirmatively: "It's really just to make money, to make foreign money."

Yang Ling listened but kept shaking his head: "I don't think so. I think His Highness the King of Han is trying to bribe those foreign countries."

King Chu raised his eyebrows and asked: "Sir, do you think that the tenth brother went to Lingnan specifically to win over those foreign countries and held a trade conference?"

Yang Ling nodded: "That's right."

The King of Chu asked again: "Sir, what do you think is the use of the tenth brother's bribery of those foreign countries? How can they help the tenth brother?" People from those foreign countries do not have any status in the court, and they cannot help the tenth brother win the direct heir. .

Yang Ling looked directly at King Chu and said, "They can help His Royal Highness raise private soldiers and forge weapons."

The King of Chu was about to retort, but was interrupted by Yang Ling: "Your Highness, Lingnan is far away from the capital, and foreign countries such as Annan and Johor are nearby. If His Highness the King of Han keeps private soldiers in these foreign countries, do you think the court will Did you find out?" "The tenth brother will not do this." King Chu said firmly, "The tenth brother will not rebel."

"Your Highness, when you both lose in the fight in the capital, His Highness the King of Han raises his troops to the capital, and we will be unable to resist." Yang Ling felt that Zhao Yao was making this idea, "By then, the King of Han will be able to seize the capital without any effort. Get to that seat.”

King Chu shook his head and said, "My tenth brother would not do that."

Seeing the facts before his eyes, His Royal Highness the King of Chu still believed in the King of Han so much, Yang Ling felt helpless: "Your Highness, do you really believe that His Highness the King of Han does not have any selfish motives in holding the trade conference and military parade?"

"My tenth brother once told me that he went to Lingnan and Marsh Mansion in order to build Marsh Mansion into the number one trade capital of the Zhou Dynasty, so that foreigners could come to do business in the Zhou Dynasty, and to make the business of the Zhou Dynasty the best. Go to foreign countries." King Chu continued, "In addition to making money, the most important thing is to bring good things from foreign countries to the Great Zhou Dynasty. The double-cropping and triple-cropping rice in Annan back then was introduced to Lingnan by my tenth brother. There are also spices from Annam, Johor and other countries that were introduced by Brother Shi.”

Yang Ling didn't know these things. This was the first time he heard about them.

"Is there still this?"

"Sir, it was the tenth brother who proposed to my father to sell tea, porcelain, silk and other items from Da Zhou to foreign countries." King Chu said with a smile, "In these years, I have only relied on selling tea, porcelain, silk and other items. The imperial court has made a lot of money. The Minister of Household Affairs has long regarded the tenth brother as the God of Wealth."

Yang Ling looked surprised: "I didn't expect that His Highness the King of Han proposed it."

"My tenth brother once told me that opening up the sea ban would make Dazhou a lot of money. Facts have proved that he was right." In terms of opening up the sea ban, the King of Chu thought that he was not as visionary and far-sighted as Zhao Yao. "The tenth brother said that the geographical location of Marsh Mansion is very advantageous. It is not only on the seaside, but also close to Annan and other countries. Building it into the first trading state capital of the Great Zhou Dynasty will bring a steady stream of money to the Great Zhou Dynasty. The trade conference was just held In a few days, the Marsh Mansion made more money than the national treasury’s tax revenue in a year.”

"This does not mean that His Highness the King of Han has no selfish motives."

"In the opinion of you and others, sir, the tenth brother did all this with ulterior motives. But in my opinion, the tenth brother simply wanted the people of Lingnan to live a good life and wanted Dazhou to make foreign money."

Yang Ling felt that King Chu's words were too naive, and he looked at King Chu in disbelief.

When the King of Chu saw Yang Ling looking at him with disbelief, he laughed and said, "Sir, don't you believe that my tenth brother has the heart to serve the country and the people?"

Yang Ling said nothing.

"Sir, you should know that my tenth brother made a lot of good things that benefited the country and the people before going to Lingnan."

Yang Ling said: "I know this."

"If the tenth brother had the intention to seize the direct descendant, he could use the things he made to build momentum for himself, but he didn't do anything." King Chu said again, "Sir, you should also know that the tenth brother has a high reputation among the people. Fame.”

"I know."

"Then have you ever discovered what my tenth brother has done by taking advantage of people's hearts?"

Yang Ling was speechless when he asked this question, because he found that His Highness the King of Han did not take advantage of the people's support for his own benefit.

"Sir, the tenth brother's grandfather's family is a well-known wealthy businessman in Yangzhou. Although he is not as rich as the country, the Liang family has a lot of wealth. Have you ever found out that the tenth brother used the Liang family's money to bribe officials?"

"Last year, the tenth brother made glass. Apart from giving it to my father and our royal brothers, he did not give it to any ministers." King Chu continued, "You should know that many ministers secretly asked the tenth brother to buy glass. In fact, I just wanted to show my kindness to the tenth brother, but the tenth brother acted like he didn’t know anything.”

"If the tenth brother really wants to seize the legitimate son, he can use glass to win over people's hearts. But, have you ever seen him do this?"

"Don't talk about glass, let's talk about the soap a few years ago. After the tenth brother made it, he immediately handed it over to the father. If he had the intention of seizing the legitimate son, he could use the soap to bribe many ministers, but he didn't do it .”

"By the way, there is also new salt. He made new salt as soon as he arrived at Marsh Mansion last year. If he had the intention of seizing the heir, he would never hand over the new salt method to the court. The reason why he made new salt The purpose of handing it over to the imperial court is to stabilize the price of salt so that people can eat good salt."

"He made fertilizer in order to make the fields fertile and give the people more harvests. He made paper and printing in order to make books affordable for students all over the world."

As the King of Chu spoke, a look of pride appeared on his face: "The tenth brother has done so many things, none of them are for himself, but all for the people. Sir, do you still think that the tenth brother has no heart?" Do you have the heart to serve the country and the people?”

Yang Ling was unable to refute what King Chu said.

"Sir, you and the ministers all think that we princes do everything for a purpose, just to fight for the throne, not really for the people, right?"

Yang Ling: "Your Highness, as a prince, it is impossible not to have the desire to seize the throne."

"The tenth brother did not. Everything he did was for the people, not for himself." The King of Chu did not blame Yang Ling for thinking about Zhao Yao so much. He said this to let Yang Ling know that Zhao Yao really had no intention of seizing the legitimate son. "My tenth brother once said that as a prince, you should do something for the people. This is the prince's responsibility, and I think so too. I had no idea of ​​competing for the throne at the beginning. I just managed Liangzhou well and let Liangzhou's people The people have enough to eat and are warmly clothed.”

Yang Ling knew that the King of Chu did not have the intention to seize the throne when he was in Liangzhou, and he felt sorry for this for a long time.

"Sir, you believed that I didn't have the intention to seize the legitimate son, why don't you believe the tenth brother now?" The reason why the King of Chu later had the desire to seize the legitimate son was because he was very disappointed by what the deposed prince did. In the hands of the deposed prince, the people will not live a good life. "Sir, you clearly know what the tenth brother did before. Why do you choose to turn a blind eye like those ministers?"

Yang Ling was ashamed by King Chu's words. He stood up and saluted King Chu.

"Your Highness, I was wrong." Yes, he clearly knew that His Highness the King of Han had done so many good things for the people, but he ignored it. "It's my villain's heart that can judge the gentleman's belly."

"Sir, my tenth brother has been a sincere person since he was a child."

"Your Highness is right." Yang Ling felt more and more ashamed, "I misunderstood His Highness the King of Han." He would never doubt His Highness the King of Han's intention to seize the throne again.

"Your Highness, King Dai and King Jing, as well as the ministers of the court, will not think that His Highness the King of Han has no ambition to seize the throne."

"It doesn't matter what they think."

"Your Highness, His Highness the King of Han has made so much money by holding trade conferences, do you think those people will be indifferent?" Yang Ling reminded King Chu, "The glass made by His Highness the King of Han last year made King Dai and King Jing unable to sit still. Trade The General Assembly not only makes more money than glass, but also bribes those foreign countries. It is impossible for them to do nothing on behalf of the king."

When the King of Chu heard this, he said coldly: "I know what they want to do next, and I won't let them succeed." He would never let those people hurt the tenth brother, let alone hinder the tenth brother.