The boss of a foreign organization called the police, claiming that he was defrauded by me

Upon returning, Sun Zhengming immediately inquired about the king's health from the imperial physician.

"Royal Physician, what is the King's current health condition? Tell me the truth."

Sun Zhengming asked the imperial physician with a serious expression about the true condition of the king.

"The king's health suddenly deteriorated due to his overwork in state affairs. Even with medicine, he can only be kept alive and is beyond cure."

The imperial physician quickly and truthfully described the current physical condition of the Yan Kingdom's ruler.

Upon hearing this, Sun Zhengming frowned deeply; he truly hadn't expected such a thing to happen.

Sun Zhengming arrived at the king's sickbed with a heavy heart. Seeing the king's haggard appearance, he felt particularly distressed.

"Your Majesty, are you alright?"

Sun Zhengming didn't know what to say to the king, so he simply greeted him, his heart filled with complex emotions.

The King of Yan is very wise and works tirelessly for the country. It is no wonder that his health is so poor, which makes Sun Zhengming feel particularly distressed.

But things have come to this point, and even the imperial physicians are powerless to save him. With the king's days numbered, the Yan Kingdom will face certain challenges ahead.

"General Sun, you're finally back. I know my days are numbered, but there are still important things to do, the most important being the issue of succession."

When the King of Yan met Sun Zhengming, he was a little excited. He knew he had many things to entrust to Sun Zhengming.

"Your Majesty, what do you mean?"

Sun Zhengming knew that there could be no ambiguity in the matter of succession, so he prepared to seriously discuss it with the king.

Since the king's health condition could no longer be concealed, Sun Zhengming did not say anything more.

Now all that needs to be done is to carefully select a successor.

On the one hand, it is crucial to the stability of the Yan Kingdom; on the other hand, even if the king passes away, he can leave in peace.

“Crown Prince Kao Dong is too kind-hearted by nature and is probably not up to the task.”

"Wouldn't it be more suitable for my younger brother, Tonggao?"

The King of Yan was hesitant, unsure of which person to choose as his successor, so he seriously discussed it with Sun Zhengming.

Sun Zhengming naturally knew quite well about the king's two sons.

The Crown Prince was indeed too kind by nature and not very suitable to inherit the throne, but his younger brother Tonggao was somewhat ruthless and vicious and was determined to become the Crown Prince.

Sun Zhengming was somewhat troubled when he heard the king say this. He felt that neither of his two sons was quite suitable, but a successor had to be chosen.

"Your Majesty, this matter is of great importance. We should consider it carefully and not rush into anything. Your Majesty's health should be fine."

Sun Zhengming didn't know what to say, so he could only offer this kind of comfort.

"I know my own body better than anyone else. My days are numbered, so I must settle this matter. Otherwise, I will not rest in peace."

The King of Yan was very aware of his physical condition, and therefore he was somewhat impatient about the matter of succession.

However, Sun Zhengming's feelings were indeed very complicated, and he was unable to offer the king a reasonable suggestion.

"Your Majesty, allow me to go back and think about this matter again. Your Majesty should also consider it carefully. The matter of succession is not a trivial matter and should indeed be handled with extra caution."

Sun Zhengming could only talk to the king to this point. They both felt that they should think carefully and choose one of the two unsuitable candidates.

The king nodded. He was very weak and could barely stand after chatting with Sun Zhengming for a while.

Sun Zhengming temporarily left the king's room and returned to his own room, pacing back and forth with mixed feelings.

He had not expected things to happen so suddenly; the king's condition suddenly worsened, and the matter of finding a successor became urgent.

However, choosing an heir is a major problem, and there will be some regrets no matter what is chosen.

Sun Zhengming only hoped that Yan State could continue to develop normally in the future.

After much deliberation, the ruler of Yan Kingdom finally decided to pass the throne to his youngest son, Tonggao, and even prepared the edict.

“My youngest son is a man of deep thought and outstanding talent. He is a good candidate to be a ruler. I believe he will lead Yan Kingdom to a better future.”

The King of Yan thought to himself, but he never mentioned the contents of the edict to anyone, not even Sun Zhengming.

He felt that this matter was of great importance, and that revealing it in advance might lead to unforeseen changes.

After his death, he could make the edict public, and everything would be completed smoothly.

Sun Zhengming had been staying quietly in Yan Kingdom for some time, knowing that something big was about to happen, and waiting for the king's orders at any time.

The King of Yan's condition worsened daily; he coughed up blood repeatedly, and it was clear that his days were numbered.

What puzzled Sun Zhengming was that the king never mentioned the matter of succession to him again, perhaps the king had already made arrangements in his heart.

"General Sun, please find Yang Xia for me. I have something important to entrust to him. After I leave, there are so many things that I need to trouble Yang Xia with."

The King of Yan did not hide anything from Sun Zhengming. He earnestly hoped that Yan would continue to receive the support of the Great Zhou Dynasty after his death, a point that Sun Zhengming could understand.

On the other hand, the ruler of Yan felt that Yang Xia was ultimately a Yan citizen, and therefore more trustworthy than people from other countries.

The Great Zhou Dynasty is becoming increasingly powerful. If the Great Zhou Dynasty and the Yan Kingdom can maintain cooperation for generations to come, it would naturally be a very good thing for the Yan Kingdom.

Soon after, Yang Xia was invited over by Sun Zhengming.

Seeing the dying Yan Kingdom king on his sickbed, Yang Xia felt a pang of sadness.

"Yang Xia, after I leave, I hope that the Great Zhou Dynasty can continue to cooperate with the Yan Kingdom. I'm entrusting this to you."

The King of Yan spoke earnestly to Yang Xia, who nodded sadly, agreeing to the request.

"Your Majesty, rest assured, the Great Zhou Dynasty and the Yan Kingdom will always be one family and will live in harmony for generations to come."

Yang Xia quickly made a promise to the seriously ill King of Yan.

"Thank you. I knew I hadn't misjudged you. Hearing you say that, I can die without regrets."

The King of Yan managed a weak smile. He was barely breathing, but his heart was still concerned about the fate of Yan.

Hearing Yang Xia's promise, he felt much more at ease, knowing that Yan Kingdom would be able to develop steadily in the future.

With the help of the Great Zhou Dynasty, there shouldn't be any major problems in other aspects.

"Yang Xia, there's one more thing I'd like to ask you for help with."

After the Great Zhou Dynasty and the Yan Kingdom reached an agreement on maintaining cooperation, the Yan Kingdom's ruler intermittently instructed Yang Xia on other matters. After all, he knew he was about to pass away, and he had too many things he couldn't let go of. With his last breath, he made arrangements for all the issues he could think of.

Moreover, Yang Xia was indeed a trustworthy person to the ruler of Yan.

"Your Majesty, please tell me whatever you need to do. Don't be shy with me."

Upon seeing his appearance, Yang Xia felt extremely heavy-hearted and was willing to do everything in his power to help the King of Yan fulfill his last wish.

This king was wise throughout his life and had maintained a very good cooperative relationship with the Great Zhou Dynasty. He also trusted Yang Xia enough, so Yang Xia respected the king very much and was willing to do his best to fulfill the king's last wishes.

"Cough cough cough..."

"Yang Xia... I have decided to pass the throne to my youngest son... Tong Gao... I hope you can assist him in governing Yan Kingdom in the future, after all, he is young and impetuous, and he has not considered many aspects thoroughly."

The King of Yan hurriedly asked Yang Xia to assist his youngest son in managing Yan, as this was his biggest worry.

"Your Majesty, I understand."

Yang Xia readily agreed, saying that since the Great Zhou Dynasty and the Yan Kingdom were to continue their friendly cooperation, he would naturally do his best to assist Tonggao.

“My Crown Prince Kao Dong…is kind-hearted, but not very suitable to be a ruler. I also feel sorry for the Crown Prince…I hope you can comfort the Crown Prince and not let the issue of the throne cause discord between the two brothers.”

The King of Yan slowly and haltingly revealed all his wishes.

"Your Majesty, rest assured, I have remembered all these matters and will certainly do as you wish."

Yang Xia quickly agreed to all of his requests, and the King of Yan nodded in satisfaction, his eyes revealing endless gratitude towards Yang Xia.

After explaining these matters, the King of Yan breathed a long sigh of relief, finally able to leave with peace of mind.

The King of Yan explained all his concerns, and Yang Xia agreed to them all.

The King of Yan lay peacefully on his sickbed. Although he could pass away at any moment, he had no regrets and was completely at peace.

But he never dreamed that his youngest son, Tonggao, was chatting enthusiastically with Ram in the Nebula Kingdom.

“General Ram, our king doesn’t have much time left. He will likely pass the throne to Crown Prince Kao Dong. I am not willing to hand over the throne to someone else just like that.”

"Moreover, the Crown Prince is too simple-minded; to put it bluntly, he's a fool and doesn't deserve to be the ruler at all."

Tonggao, ambitious and eager, told Ram about what was about to happen in Yan Kingdom, and did not hide his thoughts. It was clear that he wanted to sit on the throne.

"Yes, a ruler should be as wise as the Second Prince. I am willing to support the Second Prince."

Upon hearing this, Ram realized that Tonggao was an ambitious fellow, but one who could be used by him, so he went along with what he was saying.

"So I plan to wait until the old king dies, then find an opportunity to kill Crown Prince Kao Dong, or simply poison him into becoming an idiot, so that I can rightfully sit on the throne."

Tonggao chuckled and revealed his entire plan.

He came to the Nebula Kingdom hoping to get Ram's help, as this was a major event in the struggle for the throne, and he might even lose his own life if he didn't handle it well.

Of course, he wanted to find a backer, so he came to the Nebula Kingdom, hoping to make it his supporter so that he could smoothly carry out these evil plans.

"The Second Prince is indeed intelligent. Our Xingyun Kingdom is willing to be your strong support."

"However, I hope that after the Second Prince becomes the ruler of Yan Kingdom, he will maintain close cooperation with our Xingyun Kingdom."

Ram was extremely cunning and naturally wouldn't let this opportunity pass. He wanted to have a good talk with Tonggao and firmly control the Yan Kingdom.

Long ago, the Nebula Kingdom hated the cooperation between the Yan Kingdom and the Great Zhou Dynasty the most.

Now that the old king is about to die, it would be wonderful for them if the new king could lead the Yan Kingdom to cooperate with the Xingyun Kingdom.

"General Ram, rest assured, as long as you provide your full support in this matter, we will become very good allies with the Nebula Kingdom."

"I guarantee that Yan Kingdom and Xingyun Kingdom will be friendly for generations to come, and I will give Xingyun Kingdom the greatest benefits."

In order to successfully become the king, Tonggao quickly made repeated promises to Ramu that he would bring more benefits to the Xingyun Kingdom.

“Great! I never thought we would become allies so soon. Nothing could be more exciting.”

"I promise to be the Second Prince's strongest supporter, and I will follow the Second Prince's orders in everything I do from now on."

Lamu kept making promises, which filled Tonggao with gratitude.

It seems I've found the right person. Now that I have a strong support system, I have nothing to fear.

They can fight for the throne without fear of retaliation or resistance from others.

In times of chaos, whoever has the most power naturally calls the shots.

The struggle for the throne was common throughout history, and Tong Gao felt that his plan was perfect and that he would soon seize the throne. A smug smile immediately appeared on his face.

"Second Prince, after we become allies, I hope we can work together to deal with the Great Zhou Dynasty. Don't forget your promise."

"And don't forget our agreement just because the Great Zhou Dynasty and the Yan Kingdom were allies before. One shouldn't kick away the ladder after crossing it."

Ram quickly stated his request: once they became allies, they would naturally work together to deal with the Great Zhou Dynasty.

Only in this way can we firmly grasp the Yan Kingdom in our hands.

If that time really comes, and we unite with the Yan Kingdom to destroy the Great Zhou Dynasty, then in the end, we might even take the Yan Kingdom for ourselves.

The Nebula Kingdom has always been ambitious and never satisfied with the status quo. Now that Tonggao has presented such a good opportunity to them, Ramu is naturally going to make good use of it.

“General Ram, I always keep my word. Once I become the ruler of Yan, these things will be no problem at all.”

Tong Gao agreed very readily. He would stop at nothing to get him to the throne, which was part of his cunning.

Sun Zhengming had already learned of Tong Gao's character, but the old king's wishes could not be disobeyed, and they, as subjects, could only obey orders.

At the crucial moment, the fox's tail was finally revealed, and it actually went to the Nebula Kingdom to reach such an alliance with the cunning Ram.

After the two settled the matter, both were very satisfied and just waited for the old king to pass away.

Tong Gao believed his arrangements were flawless. With the Xingyun Kingdom backing him up, he could return home with peace of mind and wait to inherit the throne.

He never felt he had done anything wrong, always believing that he was the most suitable person to be the ruler, and that everything he did was for the future of the Chinese nation.

But secrets never stay hidden forever, and Tong Gao's actions were eventually discovered by his subordinates. They felt that such a person was unfit to be a ruler, so they hurriedly reported the matter to the old king.

"Your Majesty, I overheard that the Second Prince is colluding with Ram of the Nebula Kingdom to plot for the throne. If Your Majesty passes the throne to the Crown Prince, they will target him, even poisoning him to make him an idiot." (End of Chapter)