We have fought to the Arctic Circle, and you want me to inherit the throne?

Chapter 955 Li Che's Reply

The capital city, Xuanzheng Hall.

Li Che held the letter from Rongcheng with a playful smile on his face.

He looked at Lin Qingyuan, who was standing to the side, and handed him the letter: "Wei Xun demands the title of King of Shu before he will surrender. Should I agree to his demands?"

Lin Qingyuan was flattered; the emperor personally delivered the letter, a privilege usually reserved for trusted ministers.

Fortunately, after spending these past few days together, Lin Qingyuan had become familiar with His Majesty's personality and knew that he did not concern himself with such trivial matters.

He then respectfully accepted the letter and quickly glanced through it.

After reading it, he replied without hesitation, "Your Majesty, I believe we cannot agree!"

"Not only should we not agree, but Your Majesty should also issue an edict to severely reprimand him!"

Li Che asked, "Tell me about it."

"Royal power concerns the very foundation of the nation and is the very source of His Majesty's authority. How can it be used for trade? Wei Xun's audacity in making such an unreasonable request is itself a grave crime of usurpation!"

"His Majesty agreed to this. When the enemies of Daqing surrender in the future, they will all bring up this matter again. Shouldn't they all be awarded a royal title?"

A hint of a smile flashed in Li Che's eyes, but he deliberately guided the conversation, saying, "Oh? If I agree to his request, Shu will submit to me without bloodshed."

"Tens of thousands of soldiers on the front lines were able to return home, and the people of Sichuan were spared from the ravages of war, allowing them to recuperate and rebuild their lives sooner. Isn't this exactly what the sages meant by the merit of stopping war?"

Lin Qingyuan shook his head, his eyes clear, and replied, "Your Majesty, this is false merit, a case of drinking poison to quench thirst!"

"If he is made King of Shu, the Shu region will nominally return to the court, but in reality it will become an independent entity, tantamount to separatism."

"Your Majesty has lost control over the appointment and removal of officials, the collection of taxes, and the mobilization of troops in Shu. How is this any different from losing the ancestral territory?"

"Even if one gains temporary peace, it sows the seeds of division and leaves endless troubles. This is absolutely not the act of a wise ruler!"

Hearing Lin Qingyuan use such a bold phrase as 'not the act of a wise ruler,' Huai En's eyelids twitched.

Goodness, this third-ranked scholar really dares to speak his mind.

Even the most loyal and respected ministers dared not utter such blatant criticisms before His Majesty.

In contrast, Li Che, upon hearing these bold words, was not angry at all; instead, his eyes showed even more admiration.

Lin Qingyuan was a man of profound learning and dared to speak his mind, which was why Li Che kept him by his side.

If an emperor reigns for too long, he will inevitably stop hearing the truth, which is something Li Che did not want to see.

He needed a bold person like Lin Qingyuan to remind him that no matter what achievements he made, he was ultimately just a mortal.

Humans, however, are prone to making mistakes.

Li Che clapped his hands and laughed, "Excellent! Absolutely excellent!"

He gently placed the letter back on his desk, tapping the paper with his finger: "This Wei Xun... he's quite a talent. He's testing me."

Lin Qingyuan was slightly taken aback, then suddenly realized: "His Majesty means... he doesn't really want the throne, but wants to see whether Your Majesty cares more about the empty title of unifying the world, or values ​​actual control over Shu?"

“That is exactly right.” Li Che nodded approvingly. “I have reviewed this man’s life and political achievements, and he is not a power-hungry person.”

Interestingly, the Wei family also has a long-standing personal feud with the late Emperor...

After saying this, Li Che told Lin Qingyuan the whole story of how Emperor Qing had tricked and killed Wei Xun's father.

This secret concerns the late emperor's reputation, and Li Che's willingness to tell it so frankly demonstrates his trust in Lin Qingyuan.

After recounting the past, Li Che looked intently at Lin Qingyuan and asked, "In your opinion, did my late father violate morality in what he did back then?"

This was an extremely pointed question. Lin Qingyuan pondered for a moment, but did not evade it. He replied frankly, "In my opinion, what the late emperor abandoned was morality and empty fame, but pursued a more long-term goal."

"While this extraordinary act left a stain of treachery, it also demoralized the Shu army and prevented greater casualties from a prolonged war."

"The process of unifying the country was accelerated, and countless soldiers and civilians were able to save their lives. The late emperor sacrificed his personal reputation to ensure the early stability of the country and the world. There was morality even in his treacherous schemes."

Upon hearing this, Li Che laughed heartily: "If the late emperor were alive, he would surely like you!"

He stood up, paced around the hall, and sighed again, "This Wei Xun is quite good. He has a blood feud with his father's killer, yet he can put aside his personal grudges and consider the overall situation of Shu."

Thinking of this, Li Che's penchant for collecting talent kicked in again.

"I really want him to serve in the court. If he's willing to come, I'll give him a high-ranking official position of the third rank!"

Immediately, Li Che made up his mind and said to Lin Qingyuan, "You will be the one to write the reply to Wei Xun."

"Tell him for me: The throne of Shu is absolutely impossible!"

"Not only will I not agree to his conditions, but I will also not allow him and Luo Yueniang to remain in Shu. After surrendering, they must move their entire family to the capital!"

Li Che smiled and said, "A capable minister who can govern the country and bring peace to the nation, and a brave and skilled female general, should be making a name for themselves in the court. What future do they have if they stay at home?"

"Your subject obeys the decree!" Lin Qingyuan bowed and accepted the order.

He then immediately walked to the side and, without any restraint, knelt down on the ground.

He took the paper and pen from Huai En's hand, pondered for a moment, and then began to write furiously.

A minor official like him would naturally not have a designated seat in the Xuanzheng Hall.

Seeing this, Li Che frowned slightly and instructed Huai En beside him, "Go and move a seat for Prosecutor Lin. This seat will remain here from now on; there's no need to remove it."

Upon hearing this, Huai En was startled and quickly agreed. He then personally brought over a brocade stool and gently placed it beside Lin Qingyuan.

Lin Qingyuan was writing at a crucial point when he felt a movement beside him and quickly stopped writing: "Your Majesty, I thank you for your great kindness!"

Li Che smiled and waved his hand: "Focus on writing yours."

Huai En stepped aside with his hands down, and the way he looked at Lin Qingyuan was completely different.

He originally thought that His Majesty valued Zhang Qian, the top scholar from a humble background, the most, and had some intention to check and balance this third-place scholar who seemed to be even more talented.

Now it seems I was completely wrong.

What an extraordinary favor it is for a newly appointed official to have a private seat in the Emperor's palace!

Perhaps His Majesty has someone else in mind.

Although Lin Qingyuan was aloof and unrestrained, he couldn't help but feel a warm current welling up in his heart when he felt Li Che's heartfelt thoughtfulness.

He sat down again, and when he picked up his pen once more, his brushstrokes were imbued with a sense of exhilaration.

His inspiration flowed ever more freely, and a brilliant and heartfelt reply gradually took shape under his pen.

However, things in this world often go awry, with plans failing to keep up with changes.

When the messenger finally delivered the letter to Chengdu after a long journey, he found the entire city draped in white mourning clothes.

Wei Xun did not receive the answer he had tentatively proposed.

Just days before the messenger arrived, this official who had been supporting the people of Shu had passed away suddenly, his life nearing its end.