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

Chapter 772 Father and Son, Lord and Minister (2)

Li Lin, who was standing by, suddenly looked up and looked at Emperor Qing in disbelief.

My heart was beating so fast it almost jumped out of my chest.

What is the emperor saying?

What do you mean by starting over?

Daqing? My father was actually telling the Sixth Prince to completely tear down the Daqing empire he had worked so hard to build and start all over again?

Father is... instigating Sixth Brother... to rebel? Rebelling against his own kingdom?!

He subconsciously looked at Li Che beside him and found that even Lao Liu, who always remained calm and composed in the face of a crisis, had completely lost his composure at this moment.

Even though Li Che was determined, he was still shaken by Emperor Qing's plan.

The corners of his mouth twitched slightly uncontrollably, and a tragic scene of mountains of corpses, seas of blood, and smoke everywhere suddenly emerged in his mind.

Emperor Qing spoke lightly, his lips touching each other.

Just a few dozen words, but tens of millions of people sacrificed their lives for these two things!

A chill rushed to his head, and he couldn't help but blurt out:

"If you do that... a lot of people will die!"

"Countless people will lose their families and their lives because of this civil war. The peace you, Father, have fought for for over a decade will be wiped out!"

Memories of his past life flooded into his mind, and Li Che remembered a violent theory he had once heard:

Real military generals are often not warlike, but civil officials are more likely to be warlike.

Because the generals had personally experienced the cruelty of the battlefield and knew that behind every victory were mountains of corpses and countless broken families, they were more cautious.

However, some civil officials only regard war as a game on the chessboard and a tool to achieve political goals, so they often start wars.

Regardless of whether this view is biased, Li Che's own experience is real:

As Feng State's territory expanded and he experienced more and more fierce battles, his deep-seated fear of war grew day by day.

Every decision to make a war means bearing the weight of thousands of lives, a feeling so heavy that it is suffocating.

Moreover, according to Emperor Qing's idea, this will no longer be a battle of external expansion or a battle for national survival, but an outright civil war!

It was a fratricidal fight between Fengguo and Daqing, and every drop of blood shed was the blood of the Chinese people.

Li Che felt a chill in his heart, and he even began to regret whether the British Empire he had described to Emperor Qing was too tempting.

To the point of inspiring a founding emperor's ultimate ambition beyond common sense.

I seem to have greatly underestimated how extreme the obsession of a heroic leader can be.

In order to realize his imagined glorious era, he even sacrificed the dynasty he had established with his own hands.

Sensing Li Che's superficial resistance, Emperor Qing did not get angry, but became even calmer.

He adjusted his sitting posture slightly and spoke softly:

"When I was in Chaoyang City, I visited your wounded soldiers' camp to study battlefield rescue techniques. I witnessed firsthand how your military doctors handled the rotten flesh of a seriously injured soldier."

"He must ruthlessly remove the rotting flesh, even if it means cutting away some intact flesh, and even amputating the wounded's limbs just in case."

"If you allow the poison to remain due to a moment of impatience, it will rot deep into your bones, ultimately endangering your life and beyond remedy."

“Governing a country…is similar to this, or even more severe.”

Li Che's eyes fixed, as if he had thought of something, and he looked up at Emperor Qing.

Emperor Qing nodded slightly and continued, "The aristocratic families annexed land, concealed the population, manipulated government, and treated the people like tenants and private property."

"This evil is deeply rooted and has become an incurable disease that has plagued dynasties throughout history. They compete with the country and the people for profit, and it cannot be resolved by moderate reforms. Sooner or later, it will erupt. It's just a matter of time."

"In time, when all the fertile lands in the world are owned by the powerful and wealthy, and the common people have no place to live, and the greedy mouths of the powerful and wealthy are still unable to be satisfied, even greater war and turmoil will surely befall Daqing again."

"You have never personally experienced the catastrophe that swept across the world at the end of the previous dynasty, so you don't know what it's like to live in a truly chaotic world."

"Human life is as cheap as grass. People exchange their children for food and their bodies for love. This is not just a lie in history books."

Emperor Qing's voice was cold, his eyes devoid of emotion, only filled with extremely rational calculations:

"Indeed, what I want you to do is like scraping a bone to cure poison. It will inevitably cause severe pain, sacrifice, and even massive casualties."

"But you must understand that if we don't do this, countless people will continue to suffer and die under the oppression of the aristocratic families in the future, or be wiped out in even greater turmoil."

"People...will always die."

His gaze was as if it were real and pressed down on Li Che: "The difference is, what can their death bring to you, to me, and to the people of China?"

"If we let this go unchecked, a hundred years from now, the people will suffer to death under the exploitation of the aristocratic families."

"What we get in return is nothing but a devastated country that is irreversible, terminally ill, and ultimately falls apart."

"And if you sacrifice yourself in the heroic act of eradicating the aristocratic families, what you will gain in return is a powerful nation that will be cleansed of its deep-rooted ills, glorious for eternity, and usher in unprecedented prosperity!"

"Che'er, you are the king of a country, the future ruler of the world!"

"Your mercy should not be limited to the compassion in the corner of your heart, but should be focused on the achievements that will last for thousands of years!"

"To accomplish extraordinary things, you must have extraordinary people and extraordinary methods!"

Li Che frowned and stared at the calm emperor in front of him.

He wanted to refute, but found that words were so pale and powerless at this moment.

Perhaps this is the bitter fruit that must be swallowed on the road to the pinnacle of supreme power.

Is there any perfect method in the world?

Every generation has a mission that must be accomplished.

In the eyes of a powerful ruler like Emperor Qing, he can be used as bait for the grand ultimate goal.

Everyone in this era can naturally become a chip on the chessboard, ready to sacrifice for the great cause at any time.

"Moreover," Emperor Qing's tone slowed down slightly, as if to give Li Che a glimmer of hope, "this battle may not be as uncontrollable as you imagine."

He slowly raised his skinny hand and waved it lightly towards the back hall.

A figure responded to the situation, holding a huge map respectfully in his hand.

Li Che looked closely and found that the person coming was Huang Jin.

Li Lin, who was standing by, breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing this. "Huang Daban! You're here! I thought you'd already been chopped into pieces by Old Seven!"

Huang Jin looked haggard and his eyes were bloodshot.

Obviously, he also went through a lot of suffering during this period.

He could only force a smile, his voice dry, "Your Highness, Prince Lao Yan is worried about me. I am lucky to be alive."

Then, he solemnly saluted Li Che and Li Lin, then carefully placed the map in his arms on the ground and slowly spread it out.

It is a detailed map that marks the dangerous mountains and rivers of Daqing and the distribution of counties.

Emperor Qing wanted to lean forward and give Li Che more clear instructions.

However, just as he straightened his back, he couldn't help but frown, let out a very light groan, and his movements obviously froze for a moment.

Huang Jin looked anxious and subconsciously wanted to step forward to support.

But Emperor Qing stopped him with a gesture.

He took a deep breath and finally managed to sit up straight, but his brows were furrowed even tighter.

Li Che took it all in, and the gloom in his heart grew heavier.

What is the physical condition of Emperor Qing? It seems that he is not as relaxed as he appears, otherwise he would not be so eager to take such a risky move.

I'm afraid he has really reached the end of his rope and is using his last bit of energy to plan all this.

Just as Li Che was about to ask, Emperor Qing had already placed his bony fingers firmly on the map:

"Look carefully, the enemy you are facing is not the entire Daqing."

"First, the four northern counties have been governed by you two brothers for many years, and they are as solid as a rock. The powerful clans there have either been annihilated by you or have surrendered. The remaining small clans have also witnessed the might of the Fengtian Army's cavalry and will not dare to act rashly. You can issue an order to settle the matter."

"As for the Northwestern Frontier Army, they will never oppose you. Their commander, Ma Jing, is my absolute confidant. My secret decree has already been passed on. He will be one of your most steadfast supporters, able to watch over the western front for you and stabilize the overall situation."

"Look again, in the former territories of the three kingdoms of Qin, Jin, and Chu, although the kings of Qin, Jin, and Chu have been weakened by me, the key military and political positions in those territories are all held by my former ministers. I have already made preparations, and most of them will be loyal to you, or at least remain neutral and wait and see."

"As for other states and counties..."

Emperor Qing's gaze swept across Jiangnan, Southeast, Central Plains and other places.

"With your illustrious reputation as 'General Tiance' and the Fengtian Army's battle-hardened prowess, who would dare to resist you to the death? Unless the local officials are deeply connected to the aristocratic families, how many would dare to fight you to the death? You are simply playing with the wind to protect your life and property."

"What you really need to completely eradicate is the core area where the aristocratic families have been operating for the longest time!"

As Emperor Qing's fingertips moved across the map, Li Che clearly saw that on the vast territory of the empire, more than half of the areas were marked with red ink as being fightable, controllable, or even already controlled.

Thinking back to Emperor Qing’s previous actions, everything suddenly made sense.

Emperor Qing has been quietly making such a big move on his sickbed over the years, just to pave the way for himself!

Even though Li Che was not the real Sixth Prince, he couldn't help but be moved by this love.

Finally, Emperor Qing's fingers stopped at several areas circled with thick red ink.

He raised his head, his eyes as cold as ice:

"As for these aristocratic families... Che'er, you must remember that when facing them, you have no choice but to kill them!"

"Pull it up by the roots, leaving nothing behind!"

"You must not be soft-hearted towards any force that dares to attach itself to, pledge allegiance to, or even secretly support the noble families in their fight against you, no matter how they disguise themselves or how they plead for mercy."

"If we want to completely eliminate this behemoth of the aristocratic family, the only way is to completely destroy it!"

"Perhaps after this, historians will inevitably label you a 'tyrant' and 'cruel'."

"But this is the only way to cleanse the accumulated evils! I... hope you can shoulder this eternal infamy!