over. Does that take money Maintaining those pre-positioned armies takes money, doesn't itOne could say that Li Chen's daily expenses are astronomical now.If it weren't for the fact that the construc...Chapter 729: The Crown Prince and the Emperor

Eight short words, yet they are earth-shattering and shockingly powerful.

Even Li Chen frowned.

Any person who utters this phrase would face the death penalty for treason, and their entire clan would be exterminated.

But under the eerie silence of this Xizheng Hall, it felt strangely appropriate.

Zhou Ping'an seemed not to care how outrageous his words were. He continued, "Now Your Highness has the advantage of location, people, and resources, what's missing is the right time. This right time is when the Emperor passes away. Your Highness will ascend the throne without any obstacles. Once he ascends the throne, with the power of a new emperor and the principle that 'one emperor, one minister', Zhao Xuanji can be eliminated in one fell swoop. Facing such a situation, Zhao Xuanji can only have one choice."

Li Chen coldly uttered a single word, "No."

Zhou Ping'an bowed his head and said, "Your Highness is wise."

“Zhao Xuanji is a true contemporary Machiavellian. In ancient China, during the Three Kingdoms period, Cao Cao was lauded as a statesman who could govern in peacetime and a warlord who thrived in chaos. Zhao Xuanji can be compared to Cao Cao of the Qin dynasty. His abilities, talents, and ambitions are comparable to those of the cunning warlords of yore. Therefore, he will certainly not surrender meekly. Rebellion is his only choice, and it is also an inevitable choice.”

"But at that time, the stars were aligned in Your Highness's favor. Zhao Xuanji's rebellion couldn't cause much of a stir."

“The most important thing is that Zhao Xuanji's cabinet, at its core, is just a group of bureaucrats. Their focus on factionalism within the government, forming cliques and engaging in backstabbing might be excellent skills they possess, but with Confucian thought as their guiding principle, how could scholars possibly succeed in a revolution”

"With Your Highness' iron-fisted methods and the full support of the military, suppressing all the riffraff should be a piece of cake."

"Just..."

Speaking of this, Zhou Ping'an paused for a moment.

Li Chen remained impassive and continued speaking.

"However, this palace does not wish for another Zhao family to emerge within the military."

This statement clearly shows they are afraid of the Su family.

Although Su Zhenting appears to have no reason or standing to oppose Li Chen at this moment, as the crown prince and future emperor, the ruler of this vast empire, Li Chen could not possibly place all his hopes on others.

Human hearts are treacherous. Su Zhen'ing might not become the next Zhao Xuanji, but the Su family could very well become the next Zhao family.

This sentence may seem like nonsense at first glance, but upon deeper reflection, it holds profound truth.

Once a group's power expands to a certain point, the interests driving the group can no longer be entirely determined by its leader.

Collective will, many times, can be swayed by the will of a leader.

The words Zhou Ping'an paused before were, obviously, this one.

He whispered, “The military has been suppressed for years. The generals have long been craving power. They now flock to the East Palace because they hope that once Your Highness ascends the throne, the military will be given more development and they can gain even more power, free from the constraints of civil officials.”

"But Your Highness, if you were the crown prince, there would be no need to go all out in courting the military and bolstering your own power."

But if Your Highness ascends the throne, then Your Highness must strike a balance. You need to keep the civil officials in check, but not eliminate them; you need to support the military, but not make it too powerful.

"Whether it's the power of government or military power, too much concentration is never a good thing."

"Within the realms of mountains and rivers, under heaven and above, only the emperor can hold supreme power."

"And Zhao Xuanji's emergence is precisely because the military has been neglected for too long. The current dynasty has emphasized civil over military for many years. Even if there was no Zhao Xuanji today, there would be future Zhang Xuanjis and Wang Xuanjis. Let this serve as a warning to Your Highness. Consider this carefully."Chapter 1694: Concealing the Heavens and Crossing the Sea