The strange, speechless expression on Wen Renzheng’s face made Mr. Liu hesitate for a moment. Could it be that his idea was really too ridiculous?
“Old man, tell me the truth directly. Is the plan I just told you really inappropriate?”
Wen Renzheng's eyes flashed with a hint of hesitation. He thought silently for a while and shook his head gently.
“It’s not that it’s inappropriate. I’m mainly worried that the important ministers and elders in the court won’t be able to withstand such a big stimulation all of a sudden.
If you really irritate someone by then, it will not end well for you."
Liu Mingzhi raised his hand to rub the stubble on his chin, squinted his eyes and muttered for a long time before letting out a chuckle.
“Old man, you have underestimated the temperament of those old foxes in the court. Although they will be stimulated, they will certainly not be greatly stimulated.
At their status and age, what kind of weird things have they not seen? What kind of stormy scenes have they not experienced?
For old foxes like them, this kind of small scene is just a slightly heavier appetizer at best."
Wen Renzheng turned his head and looked at Mr. Liu who was smiling for a moment. There was a little light in his cloudy eyes, as if he understood something.
“It seems that you want to muddy the stagnant water in the court!
What? Is the situation in the court so quiet that even you feel scared?"
“The old man is the old man, and he immediately saw my true plan.
My dear, I do intend to muddy the somewhat silent water in the court. These old foxes are all waiting for me to appoint the crown prince and crown prince as soon as possible, so that I can arrange for the descendants below to be attached to them in the future.
I can understand their thoughts. People are not saints, and they will be selfish to some extent, but understanding is one thing, and we cannot just watch them do whatever they want.
Chaotang is the central hub for maintaining stability in the world, and officials in the two classes are naturally indispensable.
How to make good use of the two shifts of officials requires careful consideration.
Let me tell you something that will make you laugh, old man. No matter what the situation in the world is now or in the future, some trade-offs will be needed in the court.
Even I, a boy, am not exempt from vulgarity!
Now that the cabinet has been established for many years, the power in the hands of the chief minister of the cabinet is not small.
Mr. Xia Gongming is an upright and selfless person. I am very relieved to have him serve as the chief minister of the cabinet. However, he is so old this year that he will not be able to shoulder the important responsibility for many years.
In the past two years, he has asked me to retire and return to my hometown more than once, but I rejected him every time.
At present, Mr. Xia is indispensable for the maintenance of the court, so I can only shamelessly let him work for a few more years.
Although I feel a little sorry for Mr. Xia, I have no choice but to do it.
As for fear, there is none.
Little boy, I can intimidate all the people in the world with my own power, so that all people with ulterior motives dare not act rashly, so why should I be afraid of the officials in this small temple in the capital?
You say something a little arrogant in front of the old man. Looking at the world, if I just stamp my feet now, the whole world will still tremble.
Boy, I am an emperor who established a country by force. As long as Liu Mingzhi does not die from heaven, any conspiracy and conspiracy are just trivial in my opinion.
But what? Boy, I’m not afraid that the civil and military ministers in the court will cause trouble for me, but I have to take precautions in advance for my successors.
Although I have not appointed a crown prince yet, no matter which child inherits the throne in the future, I, the father, cannot leave them a mess for them to clean up, right?
Except for a few animals, there is no father or mother in the world who does not love their children. Although I am the king of a country under the dragon, I am also the father of many children!
As a father, it’s hard for me not to be selfish! At best, it’s just a difference between more and less, so I have to carefully consider the future of my children, right?
Old man, you are also a father and a grandfather, you should be able to understand my painstaking efforts, right?"
Wen Renzheng looked at Liu Mingzhi's helpless expression and nodded noncommittally.
“It is natural to understand that humans are not grass and trees, and how can they be ruthless.
Humans are human beings, after all, they are completely different from those clay and wood sculptures, and it is normal to have selfish motives."
“It’s good that the old man can understand. In fact, I have been thinking about these words for a long time. Today I can finally say them without any scruples, and my mood suddenly becomes brighter.
Nowadays, no one in the court, whether they are cabinet officials, officials from the Six Ministries, or officials from the Nine Ministers, is an old man in his fifties or sixties.
Compared to them, I am now in my prime, so I naturally don’t need to worry about what little tricks they will make for their own selfish interests.
On the contrary, I am happy to see that they will make some small moves for their own selfish interests.
Because in this way, I can not only select truly talented people to give them important tasks and stay to assist the new monarch, but I can also select some rotten wood for the new monarch who can establish his prestige in the future."
Wen Renzheng's brows suddenly condensed and he looked at Young Master Liu solemnly.
“The idea is certainly a good one, but there is one thing you cannot ignore, that is, once the deadwood clumps together, it is a force that cannot be ignored!”
“You can rest assured, old man, I will certainly not neglect this point. So not only are they waiting for me to establish the crown prince, but I am also waiting for them to take action.
They are so old that I still don’t agree with them retiring and returning to their hometowns. That’s why I can give them a fair chance to become wives and children. It depends on whether they can grasp it.
So, unless the water is muddied, they will not take any action.
Since they didn't move, I had no choice but to take the initiative.
After all, it’s better to have some things under control than to be unexpected, right?”
Wen Renzheng paused, and suddenly looked at the confident Young Master Liu with a complex expression, his lips pursed as if he wanted to say something.
“Old...Old man, why are you looking at me like this all of a sudden? Did I say something wrong?”
Wen Renzheng seemed to be lost in memories. He was silent for a long time with hazy eyes. He took off a jade pendant from his waist and rubbed it gently for a while.
“Boy, has anyone ever told you that you look a lot like Li Zheng now? It seems that Li Yanhe has a profound influence on you!”
Liu Mingzhi’s pupils suddenly shrank, and the complex meaning in his eyes as he looked at Wen Renzheng was self-evident.
"Yes... yes, old man, you are not the first person to say that this kid looks like my father. Lao Zhou, the film director... they all said these things before, saying that they saw the shadow of my father, Li Zheng, in me.
Am I really very similar to my father now?"
Wen Renzheng nodded solemnly, patted Liu Mingzhi's shoulder lightly a few times and continued walking forward.
“For a moment, it’s not an exaggeration to say that it was a vivid resemblance. Maybe you didn’t notice it yourself, but some people who were very close to Yan He in the past could easily see his shadow in you.”
Liu Mingzhi’s eyes flashed with heaviness, and he murmured softly.
“Is it lifelike?”
"Yes, some of your words and deeds are exactly the same as his, maybe...maybe..."
Liu Mingzhi hurriedly followed and asked: "Maybe what?"
“Perhaps you have never let go of the fact that you took over the Li family in your heart. Although you can’t see it on the outside and you don’t say it yourself, it doesn’t mean you haven’t.
It seems that Yanhe’s kindness to you in the past has left you with a lingering feeling of guilt toward him and the Li family that is difficult to disappear!”