Our family has been rebelling for generations, and you've become the top scholar in the imperia

A few days later.

The people Qin Feng sent to the capital returned.

"Has the Crown Prince attended court?"

Upon hearing this news, Qin Feng got up and paced around the courtyard. To be honest, he had never seen the Crown Prince even once in all the time he had been in the capital.

I have heard of it, though.

He was kept in the Eastern Palace by the Emperor and was rarely allowed to come out.

As for the comments I've heard, they all say that this crown prince is a playboy, even worse than those noble playboys, and often does some unreliable things.

"The fact that the Crown Prince is able to attend court indicates that the Emperor is indeed ill. However, the situation is not yet so serious that it is out of control, and he may still be able to hold on for a while."

Qin Feng stroked his chin and murmured something under his breath.

No need to think about the next step.

If Zhou Zhengde really gets into trouble, the Great Zhou will inevitably be in chaos. If it weren't for this disaster, it wouldn't be so serious.

That's where the difficulty lies.

The year after the New Year is when food is most needed. If Zhou Zhengde can still handle state affairs at that time, it will not be a problem to transfer food from the south.

But these things are hard to predict.

"Any other news?"

Qin Feng then asked Liu Tu.

This guy was the first one who went to the capital with him, so gathering information wasn't difficult for him.

"Young Master, also, the Imperial Guards have been arresting people. Anyone who is secretly discussing it has been arrested."

"That's normal. News is scarce these days, and the palace doesn't want things to become a big deal. It's probably Eunuch Miao who ordered the arrest of some people to control the information. He did a good job. After all, rumors can spread like wildfire, and if too many people talk about it, it will get more and more outrageous. So, it's natural to control it."

Qin Feng nodded, not feeling that he had done anything wrong.

Controlling public opinion is essential, especially at this time.

otherwise.

If the people of the capital were to start discussing it, the consequences would be even more serious.

To put it bluntly, if this rumor gets out of hand, it might even lead to the loss of the crown prince. That's how outrageous rumors can be.

If one person says it, no one will believe it, but if a dozen people say it, then it becomes true.

"What about Grand Tutor Wang and his men? What is the Nanlin Party's response? If I'm not mistaken, the Emperor will probably issue some decrees to continue suppressing the Nanlin Party and replace some officials."

Qin Feng stroked his chin, pondered for a moment, and continued to inquire about the situation.

To this day, he still can't quite understand why Grand Tutor Wang secretly told him this news.

However, one thing is certain.

The Nanlin Party was powerful, and there were many corrupt officials within it. However, these guys wouldn't rebel. At least as long as Grand Tutor Wang and a few other senior officials were around, the entire Nanlin Party wouldn't do that.

The problem is, why are you telling me this news instead of rebelling?

You want me to rebel?

It shouldn't be that bad.

"It's strange, young master. Things in the court have been very strange lately. You're right, many officials from the Nanlin Party have been purged, dismissed from their posts, or sent out of the capital. However, the Nanlin Party hasn't reacted much. Grand Tutor Wang and a few others still attend court as usual, assisting the Crown Prince in familiarizing himself with the affairs of the court. They don't even bother to question these people."

Liu Tu said with a strange expression.

When he learned of this news, he was very confused.

In the past, according to the temperament of the Nanlin Party, if one official was dismissed, the other officials would step forward to help.

But now!

Surprisingly, they didn't care.

They didn't even ask.

"so……"

Qin Feng pinched the bridge of his nose and sat down in the chair.

He lowered his head, lost in thought.

Judging from this, the Nanlin Party is preparing to fully assist the Crown Prince and quickly familiarize himself with court affairs. The question is, can a playboy really be an effective advisor?

Fortunately, the cabinet still exists. What Zhou Zhengde has always wanted to do is to make some policies himself, instead of consulting with the cabinet.

Now it seems...

In fact, the existence of a cabinet is not a bad thing.

Of course, for an ambitious emperor like Zhou Zhengde, the cabinet was a constraint; there were things he clearly wanted to do, but he just couldn't get them done.

However... once the emperor becomes incompetent, the cabinet plays a crucial role, at least ensuring that the Great Zhou will not collapse in the short term, and can hold on for quite a while.

"By the way, the cabinet is currently selecting candidates for the Crown Prince."

"A talent show?"

Upon hearing this, Qin Feng chuckled.

Is it because they feel the older one isn't good enough, and they're trying to get pregnant with the younger one as soon as possible, already considering the worst-case scenario?

But is there really enough time?

"Young Master, what should we do? If the Emperor's health is truly failing, and the Crown Prince is a spoiled brat, I think..."

Liu Tu pursed her lips and said in a low voice.

What do you think?

Qin Feng turned his head and asked in a serious tone:

"You think this is our opportunity? Qin Prefecture is doing quite well now. We should continue to build up our strength so that when the Great Zhou falls into chaos, we can rise up in rebellion? Is that what you mean?"

"Well, it's just that the village has always wanted to do this, right? This is a rare opportunity."

"Rare my foot!"

Qin Feng cursed under his breath.

"The old guys in the village think that way because I've been ignoring them for so long. Now that I've successfully cleared my name, let me ask you, is it better to live a peaceful life here in Qinzhou Prefecture, marry a wife, have a few children, and have enough to eat and wear, or is it better to gather your forces and fight all year round? Think about it yourself."

Liu Tu scratched his head, not daring to answer the question.

"A bunch of old fogies, all this talk about, if we really win the war, who'll take the position? Should I take it, or should my dad? Is he even cut out for it? In the end, it'll be me!"

"We're doing this to protect ourselves. As for other things, we'll see how it goes and can't force anything. Besides... even a dog wouldn't do this kind of work, and you expect me to do it?"

"Did they ever calculate the average lifespan of an emperor? Less than forty-five, sleeping only two or three hours a day, how could they possibly live long?"

Qin Feng cursed under his breath for a while.

He took a deep breath, picked up his teacup, and gulped down a few mouthfuls.

He really didn't want to rebel unless absolutely necessary; he just wanted to hold onto Qinzhou Prefecture.

As for the chaos in other places, that has nothing to do with him.

However, he also understood that no matter who the Great Zhou Dynasty or whoever goes up in the future, they will not allow such a place to exist.

Very contradictory!

But rebellion is not that easy.

If we really did that, not to mention anything else, out of the several hundred people in the village, at most fifty would survive.

He might not even be fifty.

It's hard to say for sure.

"Grand Tutor Wang is a clever man, a real old fox. Telling me this news in advance was definitely intentional. Now, apart from the south and the border, Qin Prefecture is the only other prefecture that poses a threat."

Qin Feng put down his teacup and sighed deeply.

It would be better not to tell him this news at all, and wait until things get to that point before saying anything.

now……

Forcing someone to make a decision can be really unpleasant.

He pondered for a long time.

finally.

Qin Feng took a deep breath and whispered the instructions:

"Notify the men, not too many, about a hundred will do. They will depart first thing tomorrow morning, secretly heading to the capital!"

Upon hearing this...

Liu Tu's eyes widened suddenly. Going to the capital at this time?

"Young Master, isn't this too dangerous? Going to the capital at this time..."

"It's alright... I need to go to the capital myself to handle this matter. Go and make the arrangements as soon as possible, and don't ask any more questions."

Qin Feng waved his hand and said in a deep voice.