Long Live Money in Anime Crossover

Jiang Zhong also knelt on one knee and said, "All 17,000 Imperial Guards of the Chinese Empire are willing to swear to serve His Majesty the Emperor to the death."

Author's Note:

PS: First update. I was busy during the day and got home late tonight because of a family gathering. But according to the plan, there should be at least four updates today, one around midnight and two more after midnight.

180. I'm giving you my daughter, would you dare to accept?

Jiang Zhong expressed his loyalty, and Gao Hai followed suit without hesitation, saying, "Your Majesty, although Mo Mo's influence in commerce and military affairs is deeply entrenched, the civil service system of the Chinese Empire remains loyal to Your Majesty. As long as Your Majesty gives the order, the entire civil service of the Chinese Empire will surely stand firmly in support of Your Majesty."

It's not surprising at all that Gao Hai and Jiang Zhong pledged their loyalty, because the source of their power was the existence of the emperor, the existence of the Jiang family emperor, or even the old emperor.

With the old emperor present, no one would question the authority of Gao Hai, the eunuch prime minister, and Jiang Zhong, the head of the secret service, would not be bound by various laws and regulations, or even be punished.

Their rights, status, and even their lives were tied to the old emperor. If the old emperor were to step down from his throne, the two of them would certainly not have the status they have today.

It could even cost you your life.

Even if Mo Mo didn't kill them, Jiang Zhong and Gao Hai had offended countless people in the past five years while serving the old emperor in their positions.

Gao Hai had confiscated and executed countless powerful warlords and local nobles, and Jiang Zhong's men had accumulated countless lives. Therefore, hidden beneath the surface of the Chinese Empire's peace and prosperity, there must have been a considerable number of people who wanted their lives.

As long as the old emperor is alive, or even if he abdicates and dies of old age, Jiang Lihua, who succeeds him, will still be the representative of the emperor's authority in the Jiang family dynasty. In that case, Gao Hai and Jiang Zhong's positions will remain as stable as Mount Tai, and at least they will not be punished later.

Five years have passed since then, and Gao Hai has matured a lot. He no longer attacks or slanders Mo Mo based on personal preferences, and his current status and position make him disdain doing such things.

However, when it comes to one's own survival, unless one is a true idealist, who wouldn't use all their strength to fight and strive, and use every possible means?

"Alright, alright, you're all grown up, not young lads anymore. Why do you have to get so hot-blooded all the time?"

However, the emperor did not accept both of their declarations of loyalty.

"Your Majesty..."

"I know exactly what you're thinking. Aren't you just afraid that if Mo Mo becomes powerful in the future, and I'm no longer here, you won't have a way to survive?"

The old emperor could be so frank, but Gao Hai and Jiang Zhong dared not admit it so readily, admitting that they were already preparing for what would happen after the old emperor's death.

If you dare to admit it, wouldn't that be cursing the emperor to die?

However, although they dared not admit it, they did indeed do it.

As the two closest advisors to the old emperor, sharing his interests and fates, they were naturally well aware of the old emperor's situation.

Although the old emperor looked no different from five years ago, and even slightly overweight, they knew very well that his various health indicators were gradually and steadily declining.

It wasn't that Momo's treatment device was ineffective; rather, it was because the potential of the old emperor's body had been completely drained during the two or three decades that Geass had tormented him.

Although the medical device brought by Momo restored some of the surface features of his body, the limits of the human body determined the limits of the old emperor's life. His body is now aging at nearly twice the rate of an ordinary person, meaning that although his actual age was about fifty-five, his physical age is now about seventy-five or even older.

I'm afraid that in just two or three years, the Emperor's current superficial health will no longer be able to be maintained, and he will begin to age rapidly to the state he should be in.

All of this means that the old emperor's time is really running out, and Gao Hai and Jiang Zhong must also consider their future.

As for Gao Hai and Jiang Zhong's intentions, the old emperor, with his ability to judge people, had long been aware of them.

The old emperor glanced at the two of them and said, "This is just your concern, or you could say it's our concern, but ultimately it's just our concern and doesn't mean that Mo Mo really thinks that way."

"What is he thinking? What is he trying to achieve? I still don't understand, and neither do you. After thinking about it, it seems that he really is working hard for the rise of the Chinese Empire. But it seems that neither I nor you believe that Mo Mo is such a simple person."

Gao Hai took over the conversation, saying, "Your Majesty, please enlighten us on what we should do. Whatever Your Majesty commands, Gao Hai will obey."

"Your subject Jiang Zhong is the same."

The old emperor nodded and said, "This time, things have indeed gone wrong."

However, the old emperor still did not answer directly, but changed the subject, saying, "According to our agreement with Britannia, they should be capturing Karen alone, not my daughter Lihua. I don't know if this time, their intelligence was wrong, or if the person carrying out the plan came up with the idea on the spur of the moment."

“Your Majesty,” Gao Hai, clearly accustomed to the Emperor’s leaps of thought, immediately followed up, “Britania is not to be trusted. This plan itself has many flaws. If this plan fails, it will likely alert Momo to our wariness of him. Unless we kill Momo ourselves, it will only make the situation more complicated.”

"Moreover, given the current developments, Britannia's motives are unclear. I fear this is another trap, a trap aimed at our Chinese Empire."

The Emperor agreed with Gao Hai's statement, saying, "You're right. We don't know the specifics, but this time I did not think things through."

"But we can be at ease that Britannia would not dare to harm my daughter Lihua unless she goes mad. Otherwise, Britannia would have to endure the final madness of a dying emperor, carrying the anger and hatred of everyone in the Chinese Empire in his final moments."

“Unless that Britannian one is really out of his mind, he wouldn’t dare to do that.”

The old emperor's tone was calm, but the determination and will he revealed made Gao Hai and Jiang Zhong's hearts tighten.

Now, no one doubts the ambition of this aging emperor, even though all his ambitions have been rendered meaningless by the curse of Geass.

However, this does not mean that the aging emperor is powerless. He can still use his remaining time to create a raging fire, burning Britannia to the ground and causing both the Chinese Empire and Britannia to suffer heavy losses.

"Your Majesty, please calm your anger. I also believe that the Britannians would not dare to do such a thing. After all, this is within the Chinese Empire. They may have encountered a problem with their intelligence and had no other choice but to act this way. However, just to be on the safe side, I urge Your Majesty to inform Britannia and instruct them to be more careful with their men."

Jiang Zhong offered his opinion as the head of the secret service, and the Emperor nodded, saying, "In a little while, you can contact them for me and relay my message. Tell them that the army of our Chinese Empire can not only fight the EU, but also cross the sea to fight Japan at any time."

"If you don't want to start a full-scale war of annihilation against our Chinese Empire, then let Lihua return unharmed, not a single hair of hers should be missing."

"My minister obeys."

“Your Majesty,” Gao Hai continued, “then how should we handle this matter? If it’s not handled properly, it could cause chaos. Britannia has kidnapped our princess. If this matter really comes to light and public opinion is in uproar, our relationship with Britannia will truly be in turmoil.”

The old emperor smiled slightly and said, "Regarding this point... weren't you just worried that Mo Mo wasn't one of you, and that Mo Mo's ambitions were far greater, that he was after the entire Chinese Empire?"

Gao Hai and Jiang Zhong nodded and said in unison, "Please enlighten us, Your Majesty."

"Perhaps you don't know yet," the old emperor stroked his beard and said, "my youngest daughter, Lihua, has reached the age where she is beginning to understand the feelings of a young girl."

Gao Hai was taken aback, then felt a toothache. These things... he not only knew them, but he also didn't understand them!

Jiang Zhong also looked embarrassed. Despite his high position and power, and the fact that he was practically the King of Hell in many people's eyes, he was still single at nearly forty years old.

The old emperor blinked, then suddenly burst into hearty laughter, pointing at Gao Hai and Jiang Zhong repeatedly.

Gao Hai and Jiang Zhong could only wait helplessly for the emperor's laughter to end before saying, "Your Majesty must atone for your sins."

"Alright, whatever your crime is, it's my oversight."

"Gao Hai, if you have someone you fancy, it would be best to find a wife to share your life with, but you must get their consent. You can also adopt a few godchildren, so that you won't be lonely and helpless when you get old. Jiang Zhong, it's good that you are loyal to me, but it's time for you to settle down and start a family. If you don't have someone you like, I can arrange a good match for you."

Gao Hai and Jiang Zhong immediately thanked the Emperor, for the Emperor's intentions were good in the end.

"Your Majesty, according to what you've said, could it be that Princess Mo Mo..."

"Yes, after spending so much time together, and with Mo Mo being so outstanding, and Li Hua being this age, it's not surprising that she has such thoughts. If Li Hua hadn't been unable to hide her feelings and let me see through them, I probably would have been kept in the dark too."

"So, I've decided to leave this matter to Momo. Besides, Momo will definitely take action because of that girl named Karen."

The old emperor stroked his beard and said, "If Mo Mo is also interested in Li Hua, I can arrange for Li Hua to marry him. His children can also claim to be royalty as long as they change their surname to Jiang, and can inherit the throne and become the next masters of the Chinese Empire."

“No matter what ambitions or schemes Mo Mo may have, the greatest he could hope for is the whole world. And now, I can hand over the whole world to him without hesitation. I don’t believe he can remain unmoved.”

Author's Note:

PS: Second update. Thank you abyssnova for the 1500 points donation, thank you Fengyuchen-Xiejun for the 100 points donation, and thank you Youxueji, Qianruochenxi, Liujiu, o3oran, Uchiha Sasuke, Miaowu~, Youmingshang, Xiaotu, Yeyueye, abyssnova, and CV Hailanzhixin for the monthly ticket support!

There will be two more updates later, but please check back tomorrow morning; the time is not fixed...

181 I wish I could die again

The old emperor spoke with great confidence, but unfortunately, Gao Hai, standing to the side, was clearly unable to empathize with him; in fact, he felt even greater shock and resentment.

The shock stemmed from the Emperor's high regard for Momo. Clearly, the Emperor's attitude towards Momo was extremely cautious, which Gao Hai found difficult to understand, even bordering on incomprehensible.

After all, no matter how strong Momo is, even if he has strange abilities, he is still just a person. Can one person be stronger than a country?

It was obvious that he couldn't be stronger, a fact Gao Hai firmly believed in. Therefore, compared to his own strength, Gao Hai placed more faith in the power of the group. What he wanted to do was, as the leader of the group, control the power of the entire group and use it as his own.

Therefore, Gao Hai pursued power and status. He understood these principles even when he was a child, and he was willing to become a glorious eunuch and enter the Forbidden City to serve the royal family for these things.

Gao Hai has no regrets about all of this, because it was because of the decision he made at that time that he is now able to stand at the very top of the Chinese Empire, second only to the emperor and above all others.

As for Mo Mo, Gao Hai would never admit that he was subordinate to Mo Mo, after all, Gao Hai's official rank was much higher than Mo Mo's, and the two were at most equals.

However, the Emperor's words at the moment made Gao Hai have a slight doubt about his choice back then, just a slight doubt.

The Emperor's high regard for Mo Mo was self-evident. However, Gao Hai instinctively believed that this high regard was not only based on Mo Mo's talent, but more importantly, that Mo Mo was currently the most suitable choice the Emperor could find for Jiang Lihua.

Jiang Lihua will inevitably inherit the throne in the future, and no one can shake this. Otherwise, it will shake the foundation of the entire Chinese Empire's rule. Unless the entire country's system is completely reformed, a female emperor will appear in the Chinese Empire again in a few years.

Moreover, this female emperor was different from several powerful female emperors in history. Jiang Lihua was probably the weakest generation of the Jiang family in the entire history of the Chinese Empire, and also the weakest female emperor.

After all, if the old emperor died, then Jiang Lihua would be the only one left in the entire Jiang family dynasty. The burden placed on Jiang Lihua's shoulders was not merely to lead the Chinese Empire as its emperor and ensure its continued normal operation.

Jiang Lihua also bears the heavy responsibility of being a member of the Jiang family; she must ensure that the Jiang family bloodline does not die out. In fact, it could be said that if the Jiang family wants to continue to exist, Jiang Lihua needs to create a clan all by herself.

Well, one person cannot create a clan or have children; this is a scientific and natural law that cannot be violated. In this situation, Jiang Lihua needs someone to assist her, a man to help her complete the great task of creating a clan and bringing prosperity to the Jiang family.

So who is this person?

Anyway, it's not Gao Hai.

Right now, it's clear that the person the Emperor has chosen is Mo Mo. His talent, ability, strategy, and cunning are all top-notch. If there's one thing that makes the Emperor uncomfortable about Mo Mo, it's that the Emperor can't control this guy, and no one can understand what he's going to do.

This made the emperor very hesitant, because he couldn't determine whether someone was friend or foe, or whether they were on the same side. The unknown was the source of fear. The emperor couldn't understand Mo Mo's words at all, so how could he really entrust everything he had, including his beloved daughter, to Mo Mo?

Unfortunately, time waits for no one, and the emperor has no other choice at the moment.

The entire Chinese Empire could not do without Momo. Compared to the old emperor's daughter, Momo was now far more important to the empire. Therefore, she had become the final factor in making the old emperor make his decision.

The entire world belongs to the Jiang family, and even more so to Jiang Lihua in the future. However, Jiang Lihua alone cannot control so much; she needs help, even powerful help, strong enough to overshadow Jiang Lihua's own brilliance.

All the old emperor needed to guarantee was one thing: that the imperial family of the Chinese Empire would continue to bear the surname Chiang. That would be enough.

This is also the last obsession of the old emperor.

It was for this reason that the Emperor made this agreement with the Britannians. He wanted the Britannians to cause some trouble for Momo, so that the Emperor could take the opportunity to observe Momo's actions and thus better understand Momo, who had also been silent for five years.

This was the Emperor testing Mo Mo; he could wait no longer and had to make his move.

As for relations with Britannia, the Emperor has never trusted the other lion across the ocean. However, the current friendly relations between the two countries involve many aspects, and their economic interdependence is growing. Unless the other side is determined to start a war of annihilation, the Emperor believes that the other side will not act recklessly.

This is what the old emperor relies on.

If anything has happened that has surprised the emperor so far, it is that his beloved daughter has been implicated.

This caused a slight unease in the emperor's heart. Although he still had confidence, confidence and reality were not the same.

Do you have any objections to my actions?

The emperor asked a question, but Gao Hai and Jiang Zhong knew very well that the emperor was not asking for their opinions, but merely asking them to give their consent.

Despite the bitterness in Gao Hai and Jiang Zhong's hearts at the Emperor's attitude, they could still accept the prospect of Mo Mo becoming the future Emperor's husband and secretly wielding power, while they themselves would have no way to survive if Mo Mo actually seized power in the Chinese Empire.