son, don't mess around

silence.

After Zhao Xiang stated his conditions, the room fell into a deathly silence.

no respond.

The atmosphere seemed to freeze to the extreme in an instant.

Zhao Xiang raised his eyes, his deep gaze falling on the Prince of Lin before him. There was no scrutiny, no coercion, only a calm and composed demeanor.

Lin Jiangnian also calmly looked at this highly respected old man. As a veteran of three dynasties, this Prime Minister Zhao had a very high reputation both in the court and among the common people.

He served as prime minister for decades, devoting almost his entire life to the court, which led to the glorious reign of the Great Ning Dynasty over the past few decades.

His contributions to the dynasty are self-evident, and future historical records will surely remember this pivotal figure, Zhao Xiang.

To be fair, Lin Jiangnian greatly admired and respected Prime Minister Zhao; he was indeed a loyal and capable minister.

In this world, there are not many people who can command the respect of that proud and arrogant Prince Lin, but Prime Minister Zhao is one of them.

Therefore, when Lin Jiangnian heard Zhao Xiang make his demands, he immediately realized that Zhao Xiang's demands must be related to the imperial court and the Prince of Lin's residence.

I just didn't expect that this Prime Minister Zhao would be so blunt.

"Cutting the feudal clan?"

Lin Jiang chuckled softly, still gazing at the white-haired old man before him, and asked, "Does Prime Minister Zhao think it's possible?"

"This is an inevitable trend."

Zhao Xiang said in a deep voice, "Even if things don't go as planned, if we want peace in the world and for the people of Da Ning to live and work in peace, reducing the power of the vassal states is imperative..."

"Even though there are many difficulties, this is the only way forward!"

Zhao Xiang's tone was firm; no one understood better than him the threat that a vassal king holding hundreds of thousands of troops posed to the court.

The Xu Prince's Mansion in the north is a vivid example.

The hidden dangers left over from the founding of the Great Ning Dynasty a century ago, which several emperors failed to eliminate, have finally erupted today.

But what worried Prime Minister Zhao most was not the Prince of Xu in the north. Rather, it was that, despite the court's months-long standoff with the Prince of Xu's rebel army and the heavy losses suffered, the Prince of Lin in the north remained inactive.

The Prince Lin's residence is now the greatest threat to the imperial court!

Regardless of the final outcome of this war—whether the imperial court suppresses the Xu Prince's rebellion or the Xu Prince's rebellion captures the capital—it will not be the ultimate winner!
The Prince of Lin in the south is now the key to truly determining the fate of the dynasty!

To be more precise, a single wrong decision by that Prince Lin could determine the future fate of all the people in the world.

"For Prime Minister Zhao, reducing the power of the princes is indeed imperative, but for the Prince of Lin's mansion, it may not be so."

Lin Jiangnian said, "My Lin family has painstakingly built up its fortune over more than ten years. Prime Minister Zhao thinks that by simply marrying your precious daughter to me, he can expect my Lin family to obediently hand over the business? Isn't that a bit too naive?"

"Even if I, the young master, agree, the hundreds of thousands of soldiers of the Prince of Lin's mansion will not agree."

This Prime Minister Zhao's conditions are a bit too far-fetched. He thinks he can get the Prince Lin's mansion to hand over military power just because of Zhao Xi?
How is this idea any different from the court's original plan to arrange a marriage between him and the eldest princess?

The difference is that the eldest princess is exceptionally intelligent and skilled in martial arts. If she marries into the Prince of Lin's mansion, she may have the opportunity to become an inside agent for the court.

But that Miss Zhao... she just offered herself up.

No matter how intelligent a woman is, she has no chance to resist under absolute power.

Zhao Xiang's gaze was profound: "I am well aware that reducing the power of the princes is indeed not a good thing for your Prince Lin's Mansion. But Your Highness should also be aware that if the Prince Lin's Mansion cannot reconcile with the court, it will inevitably end up in the same situation as the Prince Xu's Mansion in the future."

"Neither the imperial court nor Prince Lin would want to see this happen."

Lin Jiangnian nodded and said calmly, "Prime Minister Zhao is right. If given a choice, the Prince Lin's Mansion would certainly not want to face the day when it comes to fighting the imperial court. The Prince Lin's Mansion also has no intention of rebelling."

"However, how to resolve the feud between the imperial court and the Prince of Lin's residence is not something I can decide."

If it were anyone else, Lin Jiangnian naturally wouldn't have said these things. But the old man before him was Zhao Xi's biological father and the current prime minister. There were some things Lin Jiangnian could say that were appropriate.

"If the imperial court wants to resolve the conflict by weakening the power of the princes, how can it expect the soldiers of my Prince Lin's Mansion to be convinced? Forcing it will only lead to an even greater bloodshed."

"Prime Minister Zhao should understand this principle better than I do, shouldn't he?"

"..."

silence.

The atmosphere in the room remained oppressive, and Lin Jiangnian's meaning was quite straightforward.

The path of weakening the power of regional military governors was destined to fail.

With the imperial court now weakened and the Prince Lin's mansion at its peak, there's no way they would agree to the terms of reducing the power of the princes. If Lin Jiangnian dared to agree to even half a word, Lin Hengzhong would punish him, and the loyal guards of the Prince Lin's mansion would tear him apart.

Zhao Xiang's gaze remained deep, his face devoid of much emotion. Lin Jiangnian's refusal was clearly within his expectations.

This veteran of three reigns was no fool; he naturally knew that the path of weakening the power of the regional military governors was not feasible. This was, of course, merely a test.

"If the power of the princes is not reduced, what does Your Highness think should be done?"

Zhao Xiang asked again in a deep voice.

Lin Jiangnian had already prepared a response to this question: "This matter is beyond my control."

"I am but a good-for-nothing playboy. I have no ability to resolve the grudges and conflicts between the royal family and the court."

"If Your Highness wishes to ask for a solution, you should discuss it with Prince Lin."

The feud between the imperial court and the Prince Lin's residence cannot be resolved with mere words. Currently, the Prince Lin's plans are being carried out secretly and meticulously. At this crucial moment, Lin Jiangnian naturally cannot reveal any information.

"Your Highness, why pretend?"

Zhao Xiang stared at him, his eyes sharp, as if he could see right through him: "Now that the Prince of Xu has rebelled, the world is in chaos. Your Highness's sudden trip to the capital, is it not at the behest of the Prince of Lin?"

"Prime Minister Zhao has misunderstood."

Lin Jiangnian immediately showed an embarrassed expression: "The reason I came to the capital this time is to find Miss Zhao."

"I plan to find an opportunity to propose marriage to Prime Minister Zhao and bring Miss Zhao back to the Prince's residence... As for other things, I haven't thought that much about it."

"..."

His shy and innocent boyish appearance stirred up anger in one's heart.

I really want to punch him.

Zhao Xiang said expressionlessly, "If you want to marry Xi'er, you must first agree to my conditions."

Lin Jiangnian sighed: "Prime Minister Zhao's conditions are a bit too demanding. Isn't he deliberately making things difficult for me?"

Zhao Xiang calmly said, "Reducing the power of the princes is indeed unrealistic, but the world is in chaos right now. Xu Hong has taken the Third Prince hostage and started a rebellion, eyeing the dynasty's territory with covetous intent. As subjects of the dynasty, does the Prince Lin's Mansion intend to sit idly by?"

What does Prime Minister Zhao mean by this?

Zhao Xiang said in a deep voice, "The late Emperor conferred the title of Prince upon the Lin family, who were not of the same surname, in order to safeguard the stability of the dynasty. Now that our Great Ning is in trouble, it is our duty to help the court." Hearing this, Lin Jiangnian sighed, "My Lin Prince's Mansion also wishes to help the court, but the court has not yet issued an edict. How can the Lin Prince's Mansion take action without authorization?"

"Furthermore, the world has a deep misunderstanding of my Prince Lin's Mansion. If my Prince Lin's Mansion sends troops without authorization, and is misunderstood by those with ulterior motives, and they take my Prince Lin's Mansion as a rebel, what should we do then?"

Lin Jiangnian's concerns are not without merit.

The struggle between the imperial court and the Xu Prince's Mansion will not be something the Lin Prince's Mansion will simply watch from the sidelines. However, if they want to intervene, they will have to wait until the time is right.

The time is not right now.

Firstly, Li Piaomiao, who had just joined the front-line army, had not yet gained military authority and credibility. Secondly, the imperial court was not yet in chaos enough, and the situation was not yet at a critical juncture.

Furthermore, the preparations of the Prince of Lin's residence were insufficient. The journey from Linzhou to Xuzhou was long, and the supply of provisions along the way was a major problem.

Before the Jiangnan region is pacified, everything else is just empty talk.

However, before Lin Jiangnian left Jiangnan, Dongfang Guanshan and Wu Yue, generals under Prince Lin, had already arrived in Chujiang City. At the same time, the troops of Prince Lin's mansion also arrived one after another.

The troubles in Jiangnan will only be resolved in time.

Furthermore, it lacks a legitimate reason to act!
Without the imperial court's permission, the Prince Lin's residence could mobilize troops without authorization; that would be treason.

As for why the imperial court has not yet granted permission, the reason is quite simple... they are worried that the Prince Lin's residence might rebel.

The journey from Linzhou to Xuzhou inevitably passes through Zhongzhou, where the capital is located. What does this mean?
This means that if the Prince Lin's forces want to quell the rebellion, the imperial court must allow them to enter the capital. Once the Prince Lin's army easily breaks through the imperial court's frontline defenses, it can easily threaten the safety of the capital.

If the Prince's residence harbors rebellious intentions, it would undoubtedly be like inviting a wolf into the house.

This is why, even now, despite the imperial court's continuous mobilization of troops from various regions to quell the rebellion, it has consistently and deliberately ignored the Prince Lin's residence.

Furthermore, the imperial court secretly mobilized local troops to guard the Prince Lin's residence closely, and any movement within the residence was monitored by the court.

In the eyes of the imperial court, the Prince Lin's mansion was a more dangerous beast than the Prince Xu's mansion; if used improperly, it would inevitably backfire.

Zhao Xiang said in a deep voice, "Now that the court is in trouble, the Prince Lin's Mansion should send troops to assist the court in suppressing the rebellion."

Lin Jiangnian countered, "Is this Prime Minister Zhao's intention, or His Majesty's?"

"It is the Prime Minister's will, and it is also His Majesty's will."

Zhao Xiang said, "The Xu Prince's Mansion harbors wolfish ambitions and has raised an army to rebel against the court, posing a great threat and plunging the people of the world into war and suffering. The Lin Prince's Mansion should send troops to defend the emperor."

What mischief is that old man up to now?

Do they really dare to send troops from the Prince of Lin's residence?
“There is no problem with the Prince Lin’s mansion sending troops. As long as His Majesty’s decree arrives, the Prince Lin’s mansion will definitely cooperate fully to send troops to suppress the Xu Prince’s rebel army.”

Lin Jiangnian nodded in agreement, stating that as long as the imperial court dared to issue an imperial edict, the Prince Lin's residence would dare to send troops.

Once they have a legitimate reason to attack, the Prince Lin's residence will have no more worries.

"but……"

Zhao Xiang slowly raised his head, his gaze fixed on Lin Jiangnian: "You can send troops from the Prince's residence, but there are conditions."

Sure enough, old Deng had a plan.

"Now that the Xu Prince's Mansion has rebelled, the people of the world are in a state of panic, fearing that something else will happen. Your Lin Prince's Mansion has a strong army and is now the greatest threat to the court."

"If we send troops now, it will surely cause speculation and unrest among the people, and even lead to chaos throughout the land..."

Old Deng went on and on, and Lin Jiangnian had already guessed what was going on.

"So, what does Prime Minister Zhao mean?"

Zhao Xiang calmly looked at Lin Jiangnian in front of him and slowly said, "The troops of the Prince of Lin's mansion must be handed over to the control and command of the imperial court, obey the imperial court's orders, and assist in suppressing the Xu Prince's rebellion."

"..."

Well, they're after the military power of the Prince of Lin's mansion after all!
Once the Prince Lin's Mansion hands over military power to the imperial court, will it be able to take it back?

Ultimately, they were after the military power of the Prince of Lin's residence.

This old man is really good at getting something for nothing; he wants both!

Lin Jiangnian laughed in exasperation: "Does Prime Minister Zhao think this is possible?"

"My Prince Lin's Mansion sent troops to assist the imperial court in suppressing the rebellion, and now I have to hand over military power? What benefits will my Prince Lin's Mansion gain?"

"So many soldiers from my Prince's Palace traveled thousands of miles to fight for the court and risk their lives to quell the rebellion. In the end, what did they gain?"

"Prime Minister Zhao, don't bring up the idea of ​​defending the country, or that everyone has a responsibility. That's what your regular army should do. My soldiers in the Prince's Mansion haven't eaten a single grain of rice from your court all these years!"

Despite Lin Jiangnian's sarcastic remarks, Prime Minister Zhao remained calm. He raised his eyes and looked intently at Lin Jiangnian: "These are my conditions, and also the court's intention. If your Prince Lin's residence agrees, the court will not mention the matter of reducing the power of the princes again in the future."

"The title of Prince Lin will be hereditary and will not be replaced. The court will no longer interfere. This matter ends here."

Upon hearing this, Lin Jiangnian's eyes narrowed sharply. "Is this your idea, or the imperial court's?"

Zhao Xiang calmly replied, "My meaning is the same as the meaning of the imperial court."

That's a bit arrogant.

However, upon considering the power that Prime Minister Zhao now wielded in the court, he suddenly realized something.

He certainly has the ability to do so.

However, Lin Jiangnian scoffed, "That sounds nice, but once I hand over military power, what will happen then is up to you people in the imperial court."

To quell the rebellion of Prince Xu's Mansion, Prince Lin's Mansion would inevitably have to send elite troops north. Although Prince Lin's Mansion could not possibly send all its elite troops, even so, losing this part of the military power would certainly have a great impact on Prince Lin's Mansion.

Once the rebellion in the north is quelled, the imperial court will be at the height of its prestige. If it suddenly changes its mind and turns its attention to the Prince of Lin's residence, what will happen to the Prince of Lin's residence, which will be severely weakened?
Clearly, Lin Jiangnian was not willing to accept the pie in the sky that Zhao Xiang was offering.

Zhao Xiang said in a deep voice, "I am willing to use my decades of reputation as proof that as long as the Prince Lin's Mansion is willing to cooperate, I guarantee that the court will never reduce the power of the princes again, and I will absolutely ensure that your Prince Lin's Mansion will be safe and sound."

"This young master naturally trusts Chancellor Zhao, but..."

Lin Jiangnian shook his head: "Some things are not as simple as Prime Minister Zhao thinks. Prime Minister Zhao may be willing, but others may not be. I, the young master, cannot gamble with so many lives against Prime Minister Zhao!"

"Furthermore, even if Prime Minister Zhao's words carry weight, what happens after he passes away? How will the court deal with my Prince Lin's residence then?"

"You think Zhao Xiang's reputation alone can wipe out all the hard work my Prince Lin's family has done over the years? The people of my Prince Lin's family have never been the kind to surrender so easily!"

silence!

In the oppressive atmosphere of the room, Zhao Xiang gazed intently at the outstanding young man in his line of sight.

"So, what does His Highness mean?"

"Relinquishing military power and disarming regional military commanders is out of the question!"

"..." (End of this chapter)