For the emperor

"When I left Beijing, the emperor once said a word to me." Duan De let go of the rein, and let the horse walk casually on the khaki plain.

"...Say what?" Duan Yu looked at his father, who had already turned gray at the temples, hesitated a little, and asked.He had a hunch that he didn't really want to hear the answer to that question.

Duan De, who was walking a few meters away, turned his head and smiled at him meaningfully: "The emperor said that the most regrettable thing in his life is to have a son like the eldest prince."

The fierce horse belonging to Duan Yu neighed.Duan Yu lowered his eyes, lightly opened the mane that was tightly held in his hand, and stroked the horse guiltily to show comfort.

Emperor Cang Jing didn't like his eldest son, this matter was known to all the nobles in Cang Kingdom, but Duan Yu never thought that a person's dislike for his son would be so strong.

In Duan Yu's eyes, Emperor Cang Jing is an emperor who can be admired and followed loyally, but he is a complete jerk father.

He remembered now that Cang Tiansu huddled in a corner of the carriage expressionlessly on the way from Beijing to the border, hugged his knees, and didn't say a word all day and all night. The half-human, half-ghost situation would give birth to embarrassment in his heart. Covered anger and pity.

Duan De shook his head at him: "I thought so too at the beginning, but after spending three or four years with the eldest prince at the border, I gradually understood what the emperor meant at the beginning."

Duan De didn't wait for Duan Yu's answer, and continued on his own: "Your father, the man I swear to be loyal to to the death, is a born king - so according to common sense, no matter what kind of son he has, in his heart, it shouldn't matter. things."

Duan Yu couldn't help but let out a cold snort.No matter what, he has always been quite critical of Emperor Cang Jing's way of treating his own flesh and blood.

Duan De sighed secretly, knowing that he could not change the opinion of this stubborn child with just a few words, so he did not dwell on this topic, but continued: "As early as 18 years ago, those of us The old minister is trying to persuade the emperor, wanting him to lead the whip, conscript troops to conquer the west, and establish the supreme cause of unifying the world."

Duan Yu was finally aroused a little interest.He no longer put on a face of resistance and non-cooperation, rode his horse and galloped forward a few steps, came to the position next to his father, and asked, "Then why didn't he do anything?"

No one doubted Emperor Cang Jing's ambition.The man's gestures and gestures were full of ambition and arrogance, which he couldn't hide and didn't bother to hide.

"The situation more than ten years ago is very different from now." Duan De pondered for a while, and finally decided to tell his son the truth.

"At that time, the emperor of Qi State was incompetent, and the present Crown Prince of Cheng State is just a baby waiting to be fed—and that young emperor who is proud and eager to try has always longed for a man who can stand shoulder to shoulder with him."

——So he gave up the best opportunity to rule the world, instead restrained himself, sat patiently on the high dragon chair, and waited for the new generation of kings to grow up step by step.

Duan Yu couldn't help but twitched the corner of his mouth.Now he is completely different from what Duan De thought.

Duan De will be amazed by Cang Jinglan's actions, so he will become more obedient and loyal in the following years.

But when Duan Yu knew it, he cursed in his heart: [-] soldiers in the Northwest endured the cold and suffered for years. Every year, an unknown number of wives and children were separated, died of severe cold, and suffered all kinds of torture.

Undoubtedly, today, 18 years later, Cang Jinglan's desire to unify the four countries does not only mean a sudden drop in success rate, but also represents the blood of countless soldiers and civilians, and bears the cry of countless wives and children.

And these are unacceptable to Duan Yu.Duan De has always said that he is indecisive and too benevolent for a woman. He has never gathered much confidence to refute this point since he was a child.

He snorted a few times in displeasure, and suddenly realized that the topic seemed to have been led in a strange direction unconsciously, and quickly said: "Then what's all this about Susu?" What kind of person is Emperor Cangjing? It's really not what he wants to care about.

Duan De gave him a meaningful look, and then heaved a long sigh: "I always thought that among the two eldest sons of the emperor, although the second prince lacks the arrogance to swallow the sun and the moon, he is good at appointing talents, and he is also good at appointing talents. If you can accept advice with an open mind, you will definitely be a very good and wise emperor in the future."

After hearing this, Duan Yu unconsciously recalled the scene from three years ago.He had only met Cang Tianci a few times, and his impression was really not deep, and he probably forgot all about it.

Only the last time, on the day before leaving Beijing, under Cang Tiansu's piercingly cold gaze, the proud son of Cang Kingdom, with veins on his forehead, his face was about to bleed, bit his lower lip, and wept silently.

Duan Yu has a special liking for this scene that he ran into by accident. He recalled this scene countless times, and every time he would turn his head to look at Cang Tiansu who was sitting not far away.

Even if he saw it with his own eyes, Duan Yu has never been able to really connect the quiet and well-behaved boy in front of him with the hysterical, sharp-tongued and crazy-looking cub back then.

Duan De didn't seem to notice his distraction, but continued following his own train of thought: "However, in the past few years, I have gradually seen vigorous ambition and amazing perseverance from the First Prince. The natural quality of the emperor. Given time, he will definitely become a remarkable man."

"I guess, Cang Tiansu is really chosen by Emperor Cang Jing, the only person who is qualified to stand alongside him on the top of the world." Duan De's eyes sparkled.

He could imagine how much Cangjing Emperor longed, one day, to be able to sit on one side of the battlefield, look at his evenly matched opponent on the opposite side, and use all living beings and the ups and downs of the dynasty as bets to play a chess game that will control the world for thousands of years.

——However, if this person chooses to be his son, the two cannot stand on complete opposites, let go of all concerns, and fight wits and courage, which will definitely drive Cang Jing, who has been waiting for many years, crazy.

Duan Yu was silent for a long time after listening, and then said in a low voice: "Then... If this is the case, what about the matter of Nanny Susu three years ago?"

Not only did the emperor not dislike the elder son, but he also gave him unimaginably high expectations. It was really hard for him to believe this rhetoric that subverted his usual cognition.

"Li Mi is a strange woman," Duan De laughed, "she is mine——and an old acquaintance in all the emperor's old departments. There are many things in this woman that ordinary women don't have. And the emperor has seen this, That's why I deliberately didn't prevent the empress from framing Concubine Yong, but chose to entrust her eldest son to her."

"A few years later, when the emperor saw his eldest son, Li Mi undoubtedly gave him a big surprise. She completed the task several times better than he imagined." Duan De said here, and finally grew up. He let out a long sigh of relief.

Duan Yu sneered: "So, the emperor's logic is that those who are really guilty are enjoying themselves in the East Palace, and those who are meritorious should be sent to the guillotine?"

Duan De was silent, and said after a long time: "However, Li Mi made a fatal mistake, she made the eldest prince rely too much on her."

Judging from the feedback from the palace, after Emperor Cang Jing had no choice but to let go of the idea of ​​playing games, he was actually using the method of cultivating the crown prince to spare no effort to teach Cang Tiansu.

The emperor with such a plan in mind would naturally not tolerate the existence of such a weakness in the heir of the Cang Kingdom who has no ability to protect himself.

Duan De speculated that as early as the eight-year-old Cang Tiansu drew his sword for the concubine son of Li Mi's minister of rites, Cang Jinglan had murderous intentions for Li Mi while determining the successor.

Duan Yu watched helplessly as his father's right hand became like a knife, and lightly scratched his left shoulder.

Duan De explained to him: "When your left side is poisoned, if you want to stop the poison from spreading, you can only cut off your left arm - it may be painful for a short time, but in the end, you can save your life."

Duan Yu didn't answer.He raised the whip in his hand high, lashed the horse's back heavily, and rushed into the distance.The cold wind from the northwest was blowing on his face, which felt like a knife-like pain.

Father, you don't understand.

You didn't cut off Susu's left hand, but you forcibly cut his stomach open and tore his heart out of his chest.

Blood dripping.

Compared with the poison on the arm, this is the real fatal injury.