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

Chapter 900: Fishing Nets Are Not Weapons

Seeing him return, Li Che thought he had some important military and political matters to attend to, so he straightened his expression and asked, "What is it?"

Zhuge Zhe, however, showed a relaxed smile on his face and replied, "It's nothing serious. News has come from Fengtian that the two princes and the princess have set off under the protection of the Night Watch and are expected to arrive in the imperial capital in the next few days."

"I would like to ask Your Majesty whether it is necessary to send someone to meet us specifically to ensure everything is safe."

When Li Che heard this, he suddenly remembered the matter and his tense heartstrings relaxed.

Yeah, the kids are coming.

I originally came south from Fengtian to fight, and I was worried about my life, so I naturally couldn't take risks with my young children.

Later, the situation was slightly stabilized, and concubines such as Chang Ningxue had come to join them.

But considering that the imperial capital has just been established, the situation is still complicated. If anything changes, I am afraid we will be wiped out.

Therefore, he was not in a hurry to bring the children over, but just left Yan in Fengtian to take care of them.

Now, the southern front has been pushed far away, and the imperial capital has been restored to order after several months of reorganization. It is time to bring them back for a reunion.

After all, this imperial capital will be where they will live for a long time in the future, and they will not be able to return to Fengguo for a while.

Li Che nodded and ordered, "Well, I know about this matter. Find a general to go and provide support."

Although there are no organized rebel forces around the imperial capital, there are inevitably some scattered bandits or defeated soldiers roaming around, so it is always better to be careful.

"The minister obeys the order."

Zhuge Zhe agreed, but he did not leave immediately. Instead, he hesitated for a moment and continued, "Your Majesty, there is one more thing... Now that the new dynasty has been established, all civil and military officials have been rewarded according to their merits and granted titles."

"And the two princes and princess, as His Majesty's direct descendants, yet still hold no titles... isn't that a little inappropriate?"

When Li Che heard this, he immediately understood the subtext of Zhuge Zhe.

He couldn't help but point at Zhuge Zhe and cursed out loud with laughter: "You are so good, Ziyuan, why are you going through so much trouble to talk to me?"

"What's the point of conferring a title? What you really want to say is that I should establish the crown prince as soon as possible to ensure the stability of the country, right?"

Zhuge Zhe was not embarrassed when his thoughts were exposed. Instead, he smiled calmly and said, "Your Majesty is the wisest one."

Huo Duanxiao didn't say anything. With his personality, he was unwilling to get involved in matters like establishing a legitimate heir.

Li Che smiled and shook his head, then stopped smiling and fell into deep thought.

He understood Zhuge Zhe's concerns. For a newly established dynasty, establishing an heir was indeed an important part of stabilizing people's hearts.

But...he also had his own considerations.

First of all, he is only in his early twenties, in the prime of life and in good health, so it is highly likely that he will not die suddenly.

It is far from the time to think about your affairs after death, so there is no need to be so anxious.

Secondly, although the eldest son Li Cheng is intelligent and steady, and has shown a good demeanor at a young age, and has some potential to be a leader, he is still a child after all.

It may not be a good thing to place the heavy burden of being the crown prince on his young shoulders too early, attracting countless attention and even hostility.

He didn't want his children to repeat Li Chengqian's mistakes. A child who did not have a complete childhood would have an unhealthy mind.

In his opinion, it is not too late to wait until the children grow up or become adults to determine the crown prince based on their character and ability.

Moreover, maybe Li Cheng didn't want to inherit the throne at all.

Being the future emperor of Daqing may not be an easy job. The future Li Che will have to reduce both the aristocratic families and the imperial power.

Of course, Li Che also understood that Zhuge Zhe made this proposal entirely out of public interest, not to gain the credit of following the emperor.

After making up his mind, Li Che said, "Ziyuan, I understand your intentions, but the matter of appointing a crown prince concerns the fate of the country, so we shouldn't rush into it."

Seeing that Zhuge Zhe seemed to want to persuade him further, he raised his hand to stop him and continued, "How about this, let's not discuss the position of crown prince for now. Let's first confer titles on the children to silence the gossips."

Zhuge Zhe was not in a position to say much, so he could only bow and say, "I will follow your Majesty's orders."

He pondered for a moment before making a decision: "Confer the title of Duke of Liao on my eldest son, Li Cheng, the title of Princess of Ji, and the title of Duke of Chao on my eldest daughter, Li Yue."

Upon hearing this, Zhuge Zhe subconsciously responded with a "yes".

He then reacted, a look of astonishment on his face: "Your Majesty, only the title of Duke? This... According to the etiquette, the first title of a prince should at least be a prince..."

Li Che smiled and said, "Three little brats, who haven't done anything yet, what's the point of giving them such a high title?"

"One must take one step at a time, eat one bite at a time. The position of Duke is already prestigious. When they reach adulthood, understand the suffering of the people, and learn about their responsibilities, it won't be too late to crown them kings."

Emperor Qing likes to confer the title of prince on all his sons. What is the result?

Less than half of the ten sons are left.

Li Che didn't think that all his sons should become princes, and Daqing didn't have that much land to grant to vassal kings.

Since we want to reduce the power of the royal family, we must start with ourselves and not be so hypocritical.

Children and grandchildren have their own blessings, it’s okay if they are ordinary.

Zhuge Zhe knew that the emperor had made up his mind on this matter and it was useless to persuade him further.

Although I feel that this is not in line with the old system, after careful consideration, I also feel that Your Majesty's move is quite meaningful. At least it shows your attitude of not spoiling your children.

He could only bow and say, "Your Majesty has thought it through carefully. I will obey your command."

"Go ahead." Li Che waved his hand, "I still have a pile of memorials to review, alas..."

. . . . . .

Zhuge Zhe and Huo Duanxiao received the imperial edict and left the Yangxin Palace without further delay.

He passed through the numerous palace restrictions and headed towards the government office on the edge of the imperial city.

His Majesty is accompanied by four personal guards, Qiu Bai, Ying Bu, Hu Qiang and Qu Jinshan, who take turns on duty and are almost never by his side.

Hu Qiang and Qu Jinshan are on duty today, so they naturally cannot be withdrawn.

Ying Bu and Qiu Bai had just finished their shift and had been busy all night. They must have returned home to rest by now.

It is neither reasonable nor morally appropriate to disturb someone's sweet dream at this moment.

Fortunately, in this government office outside the imperial city, there are always several trusted generals of His Majesty stationed here to deal with sudden military emergencies.

At this moment, this is their target.

As the two men walked into the government office, they heard the crisp sound of chess pieces falling on the board.

When the curtain was lifted and the room was opened, Ma Zhong and Xue Wei were seen sitting opposite each other in front of a chessboard, fighting fiercely.

When they took a closer look, they both burst out laughing.

It was Go, yes, but it was Gomoku...

However, the Gobang invented by His Majesty is indeed interesting. Although the rules are simple, it is very easy to learn. Even civil servants like them will play it in their spare time.

Ma Zhong and Xue Wei were a little surprised to see Zhuge Zhe and Huo Duanxiao, two important officials, coming together. They quickly put down the chess pieces in their hands, stood up and greeted them with a smile.

"You two are rare guests!" Ma Zhong said in a loud voice, smiling and bowing, "But what are your Majesty's instructions?"

Zhuge Zhe didn't beat around the bush and spoke directly, "Indeed, the two princes and the princess will arrive in the imperial capital soon. His Majesty has ordered a capable general to meet them and ensure everything goes smoothly."

"Two generals, whoever you think is more convenient..."

Before he could finish his words, Xue Wei's eyes lit up and he rushed forward in one swift step: "I'll go! I'll go! Mr. Zhuge, leave this job to me, Old Xue. I guarantee I'll get it done perfectly!"

The calculations in his mind were clattering: This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

Today's prince may very well be the future crown prince, or even the emperor.

If you go to welcome the emperor now, you can make yourself familiar to the prince and princess in advance and leave a good impression.

The chance to be ranked in the heart of the future crown prince is much better than playing chess in the government office!

As Xue Wei spoke, he reached out to take the imperial edict from Zhuge Zhe's hand.

However, just as his fingertips were about to touch the imperial edict, something strange happened!

There was a slight "whoosh" sound, and a fishing net appeared from nowhere and covered Xue Wei from behind, trapping him completely inside.

But Ma Zhong grinned, revealing two rows of white teeth. He exerted force with his wrist, pulled the rope of the fishing net, and easily dragged Xue Wei back.

"Come back you!"

Xue Wei was caught in the fishing net, shocked and angry. He struggled to turn his head and yelled at Ma Zhong, "Ma Xiao! You bastard! This is a strategic location in the imperial city. Why... why are you still carrying this thing with you?!"

He pointed at the fishing net on his body and was so angry that he couldn't speak clearly.

Ma Zhong chuckled and walked forward nonchalantly. He took the imperial edict from the dazed Zhuge Zhe and shook it proudly.

"We're not allowed to bring weapons into the Imperial City, but there's no rule against bringing fishing nets. This thing isn't a sword or spear!"

"Alright, Lao Xue, I'll do this job for you. You can take a good rest here. I'll treat you to a drink later as an apology!"

After saying this, Ma Zhong ignored Xue Wei and clasped his fists towards Zhuge Zhe and Huo Duanxiao. "Two elders, I will obey your orders. I will gather the troops and set off immediately!"

Zhuge Zhe and the other two were at a loss for words, but they nodded. "Marquis Jiayou, please follow the main road. The prince is accompanied by a group of Fengguo officials, so it should be easy to find him."

"Okay." Ma Zhong turned around and strode out of the yamen.

Zhuge Zhe and Huo Duanxiao looked at each other, couldn't help but smile, and looked at Xue Zhen: "General Xue, we will take our leave first."

Xue Wei, struggling in the fishing net, looked embarrassed: "Ahem, ahem, take care, both of you."

Huo Duanxiao asked again, "General Xue, do you need us two to help you out?"

"No, no." Xue Wei said hurriedly, "How can a mere fishing net trap me?!"

The two looked at each other and walked away with a smile.

After everyone left, Xue Wei struggled for a long time but still couldn't get free from the entanglement of the fishing net.

Looking at the empty doorway, Xue Wei felt a little regretful.

"Ma Xiao, you bastard, what the hell is this crappy fishing net made of?!"