I, a useless prince, started with the Xiang Yu template.

Li Wanqing looked at her father and bowed slightly.

"Thank you, Father."

"My father's statement today is not just about facilitating a business deal."

"It puts the entire Li family firmly behind the Qin Prince's Mansion."

From this day forward, the Li family and her husband will share both honor and disgrace; they will rise together in glory and fall together in misfortune.

"My daughter knows how heavy this courage and this gamble are."

"Among all the nobles in the court, none dared to support a prince on the frontier so unreservedly."

She knew everything in her heart.

The Li family is a top-tier military family in the current regime, wielding military power and extensive connections, with deep-rooted influence.

By simply remaining neutral, one can stand securely in the court and watch the princes fight amongst themselves.

But the father chose to take sides and become deeply involved.

They staked the future of the entire aristocratic family on Chu Yun.

Li Wu sat in his chair and spoke calmly.

You don't need to thank me.

"Your father doesn't simply love you, nor is he simply doing you a favor for the King of Qin."

"Dad, this is an investment."

"Invest in Chu Yun, invest in the Qin Prince's Mansion, invest in the future succession pattern of the Great Qian Dynasty."

He looked at his daughter, his gaze sharp.

"The current princes are vying for the throne, creating a turbulent and chaotic situation."

"But in Father's eyes, it was all just a frivolous farce."

"Only Chu Yun possesses soldiers, land, power, popular support, and the ruthlessness to kill."

"He is the only one who can truly hold onto that supreme position."

Upon hearing this, Li Wanqing immediately shook her head gently.

"Father, you must have misread it."

"My husband has never had any ambition to become the heir apparent, let alone the emperor."

"More than once, my husband chatted with my daughter."

He said that the shackles of imperial power were too heavy, and that emperors were lonely and isolated, confined to the deep palace for their entire lives, which was both boring and tiring.

"He only wanted to live a peaceful life, train soldiers to keep the people at peace, guard his territory, and live a carefree life."

"My husband has no desire whatsoever for that supreme throne."

"My father's investment may really be going to fail."

Her tone was sincere.

As her bedmate, she understood Chu Yun's state of mind best.

He is decisive and ruthless, but dislikes power struggles and infighting.

Li Wu simply smiled slowly.

"Silly daughter."

"Do you think that the throne is something you can sit on whenever you want, and not sit on whenever you don't want to?"

"Do you think a prince can choose his own fate?"

"Being born into royalty, one is not free to choose one's own path."

"Especially Chu Yun."

"He is not a lazy prince, nor a weak prince without troops or power."

"He held the land of Beiliang in his hands, wielding the power of life and death over this region."

"He alone had complete control over the military, political, financial, and civilian affairs of Northern Liang."

"Even if a person like that has no desires or wants, others will not tolerate him."

Li Wu leaned forward slightly, his tone becoming increasingly serious.

"Since ancient times, the imperial power has been most wary of the growing power of vassal kings."

"The art of imperial power emphasizes the absolute supremacy of one ruler."

There can only be one throne.

"No matter which prince ascends the throne in the future."

"The imperial court will absolutely not tolerate a Qin Prince's mansion that controls a region, commands a large army, enjoys popular support, and commands immense prestige!"

"No emperor could tolerate the existence of a state within a state."

"No emperor could tolerate a younger brother whose military achievements overshadowed his own and who held military power!"

"Chu Yun does not contend."

"The new emperor will also force him to fight."

"The new emperor will surely strip him of his power, take away his troops, and abolish his authority."

"In the end, they will either be imprisoned, executed, or framed for treason and their entire family will be wiped out."

"It's a matter of life and death."

"Do you think Chu Yun still holds onto that so-called detachment?"

"Is he waiting to die, or rising up to seize power?"

His words were a detailed analysis, hitting the nail on the head.

Not a single word was false; they were all the ironclad rules of the imperial court that had remained unchanged for millennia.

Li Wanqing was shocked.

She used to only see Chu Yun's true nature, but not the cruelty of imperial power.

At this moment, his father's words awakened him, and countless thoughts surged wildly.

She began to put herself in others' shoes.

If I were the future new emperor.

Ascend to the supreme throne and overlook the world.

Below him was a vassal king who held considerable military power and whose prestige far surpassed that of the emperor.

Can she tolerate it?

The answer is, no.

No one could tolerate that.

Weakening the power of the princes, seizing their authority, and purging them.

It is the only ending.

The fact that the Prince of Qin's mansion had achieved such great merit that it threatened the emperor's position was its original sin.

It has nothing to do with loyalty, nothing to do with one's true intentions, and nothing to do with right or wrong.

It only concerns the absolute supremacy of imperial power.

Li Wanqing's mind was completely clear, and a chill crept up her back.

She had to admit that her father was right.

Chu Yun doesn't want to fight right now.

But the state of the world, the imperial court, and the imperial power will gradually force him to fight.

To not fight is to die.

When the nest is overturned, no egg remains intact.

When the Qin Prince's mansion was destroyed, she, the princess, and the Li family, her in-laws, were all buried with him.

Seeing her moved expression, he understood the situation.

Li Wu continued speaking, his tone extremely confident.

"It's good that you see things clearly."

"Chu Yun is young and pure of heart, and he dislikes power."

"But as time goes by and circumstances force him to confront his fate sooner or later."

"He may not want to sit on this throne, but in the end, he will have to."

"Father is now investing all his resources in the Qin Prince's Mansion."

"It's not a bet that he wants to be emperor."

"It's a gamble that he'll have to become emperor."

"The other princes are confined to the deep palace in the capital year after year."

"They only know how to form cliques, bicker, and scheme against each other; they have never been on the battlefield or governed a region."

"No military achievements, no popular support, no strong army, no foundation."

"They can't even subdue a single brick from Beiliang, how can they compare to Chu Yun?"

"They fought each other to the death in the capital, which seemed exciting, but in reality it was all in vain."

Li Wu then changed the subject.

"There's one more thing: you need to understand His Majesty's thoughts."

"The Northern Liang was independent in military and political affairs, financially autonomous, and its officials were appointed by themselves."

"Although it is called a regional military governor, it is in fact comparable to a country."

"This power far surpasses that of any prince in history."

"His Majesty is deliberately delegating power, deliberately cultivating talent, and deliberately honing his skills!"

"He's being groomed as the future successor of the Great Qian Dynasty, and is being used to build a solid foundation in the North!"

"The infighting in the capital is all but smoke and clouds."

"His Majesty has already decided on his heir apparent with a 70-80% certainty."

Li Wanqing was stunned.

She, residing in the royal palace, never saw through the intricate workings of the imperial court.

She only knew how powerful her husband was, but she didn't know that he was already the emperor's tacitly approved successor.

Li Wu looked at her and gave her earnest advice.

"So, you need to be sensible."

"You are the principal wife of the Prince of Qin and the legitimate daughter of the Li family."

"Don't just be a sheltered housewife."

"From now on, you will need to be more involved in and have more contact with the people in the Prince's Palace who are involved in political, commercial, and military affairs."

"Spend more time with military generals, familiarize yourself with court rules, and gain more control over the government."

"The future will be full of changes, and the struggle for imperial power will be bloody and cruel."

"Only by having a clear understanding of the situation and being fully aware of the facts can one succeed."

"No matter how the situation changes, you and the Qin Prince's Mansion will always remain invincible."

Li Wanqing bowed solemnly, her eyes resolute.

"Your daughter will remember your teachings."

"From now on, I will definitely manage the internal affairs of the Prince's Mansion, cultivate connections, assist my husband, and consolidate our foundation."

"No longer confined to the trivial matters of the inner quarters, but with a clear vision of the big picture, we will safeguard the future of the Qin Prince's Mansion."

"it is good."

Li Wu nodded slightly, a look of satisfaction on his face.

Li Wanqing did not linger and quietly took her leave.

"Father, it's late at night, so your daughter will go back to the courtyard to rest first."

"Go."

Li Wanqing turned around and quietly left the study.

The door slowly closed.

Isolate the lights from both inside and outside.

Inside the study, Li Wu watched his daughter's departing figure, a deep smile playing on his lips.