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

Chapter 657 The Emperor and the Queen Mother

Kyoto.

Deep within the Heiankyo Imperial Palace, inside the Emperor's bedroom, Seiryoden.

The scent of sandalwood curled up in the hall, but it couldn't dispel a heavy chill.

The ten-year-old Emperor Ninwa wore a slightly loose imperial robe and sat behind the desk with a tense face.

Because of the close blood relationship, the little face looks particularly ugly and awkward.

He subconsciously tried to purse his lips to cover his gapping front teeth, his upturned nose twitched slightly, and his one eye, one big and one small, tried to widen.

However, the more the little emperor tried to maintain his dignity, the more ridiculous he looked because of his panic.

I can only say that this little emperor is lucky, at least he has no missing limbs.

The power of bloodline taboo is extraordinary. Being born alive is a blessing.

Heavy footsteps were heard outside the palace, as if stepping on the drumbeat of the little emperor's heart.

The soldiers guarding on both sides of the palace gate immediately lowered their heads deeply upon hearing the sound, their eyes fixed on the floor beneath their feet, not daring to move even a little.

The owner of the footsteps seemed to carry an invisible pressure, which made the air in the entire Qingliang Palace freeze.

The next second, the palace door was silently opened and a figure appeared at the door.

This man was about forty years old, with an extremely strong build, and was over 1.6 meters tall!

He has a strong physique, broad shoulders and thick back, and wears a dark purple straight robe with a black feather pattern on the outside.

He had a carefully trimmed moustache, a tight jawline, a resolute face, and eyes as sharp as a hawk.

This person is none other than the real ruler of Japan today, Kaifu Munemasa.

Kaibu Munemasa walked steadily into the hall, his eyes swept over the group of Emperor's guards who were a head shorter than him, and then snorted:

"Everyone get out!"

The guards were so frightened that their faces turned pale. They didn't even say a word, and no one asked for orders from the little emperor. They just retreated one after another.

Kaibu Munezana then looked at the small figure on the throne who was so nervous that he almost shrank up, and a trace of imperceptible complex emotions flashed across his eyes.

He stopped a few steps in front of the emperor in accordance with the most standard etiquette of a subject.

Then he bowed deeply and said in a steady and powerful voice:

"Your Majesty, I, Kaibu Munemasa, pay my respects to your Majesty."

The little emperor tried hard to sit up straight and look more dignified, but the harder he tried, the more trembling his voice became.

"General... General, please excuse me."

Kaibu Munezane stood up straight and said straight to the point: "Your Majesty, urgent news from Kyushu."

"The main force of our navy was suddenly attacked and annihilated by the Fengguo navy in the waters of Tsushima. The naval commander, Kaifu Yoshihisa... died for his country."

"The Fengguo army has now landed on Tsushima Island and will soon invade the Kyushu mainland!"

"what?!"

The little emperor raised his head suddenly, and a moment of confusion appeared on his ugly little face, and then a flash of uncontrollable ecstasy crossed his face.

The joy was so obvious that he hurriedly lowered his head and tried to hide it with his wide sleeves.

Kaibe Yoshihisa is dead!

The most trusted minion of Kaibu Munemasa is dead!

Moreover, the Fengtian Army is attacking!

The little emperor couldn't understand what this meant, but he knew one thing: Kaifu Munemasa, the villain who imprisoned himself and his son, had failed!

He quickly put on a panicked expression, his voice tinged with tears, and asked anxiously:

"General...what should we do? The Fengtian Army is so fierce, our country...is in danger!"

However, even Li Lin couldn't hide such a clumsy performance.

How could he hide it from Kaibu Munemasa, a hero who had been immersed in the vortex of power for half his life?

Kaifu Munemasa looked at the little emperor pretending to be frightened, and a deep sadness welled up in his heart.

He was silent for a moment before he slowly spoke: "

Your Majesty, I have long said that the reason I... control the government is simply a temporary measure."

"The Fujiwara clan's relatives monopolized power, and treacherous ministers mingled in the court, leading to the decline of government order."

"I had no choice but to raise the army to 'pacify the rebellion', solely to eliminate the treacherous and corrupt officials and return power to Your Majesty. Heaven and earth can bear witness to my heart!"

"When Your Majesty reaches adulthood and his foundation is solid, I will retire and return power to you!"

He took a step forward, staring intently at the little emperor's ugly face, his tone becoming extremely heavy:

"However, now that we are facing a formidable enemy, this is not the time for internal strife."

"Fengguo is a powerful nation, and the Fengtian Army is a fierce and fierce army. They have not suffered a single defeat in years, and wherever they go, they leave a trail of devastation!"

"That Prince Feng, Li Che, is even more determined to devour us. He is a heroic ruler that is rarely seen in a thousand years!"

"If we allow their iron hooves to trample through Kyushu and reach Kyoto, our country of Japan will surely be destroyed, and by then..."

Kaibu Munemasa's voice was as cold as ice, and he looked coldly at the little emperor.

"Your Majesty, how do you think the Prince of Feng will treat the royal family? How will he treat your Majesty, the 'living god'? And how will he treat..."

He raised his eyelids and stared fiercely at the thick brocade curtains behind the throne.

The little emperor trembled all over and his face turned pale as paper in an instant.

The slight hint of joy just now disappeared, and now only the fear that penetrated deep into the bone marrow remained.

He subconsciously glanced back at the motionless curtain, and with trembling lips he echoed:

"General... General, you are absolutely right. The safety of Japan depends entirely on you. I will obey you in every way, in every way."

Kaifu Munemasa looked at the frightened look of the little emperor, and the last bit of hope in his heart was completely extinguished.

He led his army into the capital and expelled the treacherous ministers. He did so with the intention of rectifying the government and re-establishing imperial power, and he also had the ambition to eventually return power to the emperor.

But now it seems that this little emperor, who was born into incest and filth, raised by women, and has a cowardly mind, is simply unable to bear the fate of Japan.

Perhaps, the power of Japan really should not return to the hands of the royal family.

At least not until the tiger of Fengguo is expelled!

A huge feeling of sadness and powerlessness surged into Haibu Zongzhen's heart.

He sighed deeply again, this time filled with fatigue. "I'm glad your Majesty understands. I'm here to bid you farewell."

The little emperor was stunned: "Goodbye?"

"Yes." Kaibu Munemasa straightened his back. "The Fengtian Army has invaded on a large scale. Kyushu is in imminent danger."

"As a general, I have the responsibility to defend our territory. I will immediately lead my army south to Kyushu and fight a decisive battle with the Fengtian Army."

"We swear to keep the Fengtian Army's ferocious division out of our country!"

He paused, his eyes once again sweeping over the little emperor and the curtain behind him, his voice becoming deeper:

"Kyoto is the foundation of the country."

"I hope Your Majesty can stay at the center and keep the palace safe. Don't... cause any more trouble!"

The word "chaos" was emphasized very strongly, and the implicit threat was self-evident.

"No matter what happens in Kyoto, we will discuss everything after I defeat the powerful enemy and return to the court."

"Your Majesty, did you hear clearly?"

The little emperor's scalp tingled under his gaze, and he dared not move at all. He nodded repeatedly like a chicken pecking at rice:

"Listen... Listen carefully. We will follow the general's instructions, do our duty, and never cause any trouble!"

Kaifu Munemasa took a last deep look at the little emperor, then cast a meaningful glance behind the brocade curtain, as if he wanted to penetrate the barrier and see clearly the thoughts of the person behind the scenes.

In the end, without saying another word, he turned around and strode out of the Qingliang Palace.

"General... General, you must return victorious!"

The little emperor called out weakly. Kaibu Munezana paused slightly and softened his voice a little:

"Your Majesty, take care too."

The heavy footsteps sounded again and gradually faded away, leaving only deathly silence in the hall.

Not until the sound of footsteps completely disappeared deep into the palace did the little emperor suddenly jump up from the cold throne.

With his short legs, he stumbled towards the brocade curtain behind the throne like a frightened rabbit.

"Queen Mother, Queen Mother!"

He pulled open the curtain with a crying voice.

Behind the curtain, a beautiful woman in gorgeous single-piece clothing sat upright on a brocade cushion.

This woman was the Queen Mother Fujiwara, who gave birth to a son with Emperor Shirakawa and later became powerful.

She looked to be no more than thirty years old, with skin as white as snow, features as picturesque as a painting, and a graceful and elegant temperament with a hint of charm that penetrated deep into her bones.

At this moment, Queen Mother Fujiwara did not show much panic on her face, but was unusually calm.

"Why panic!"

Queen Mother Fujiwara frowned and scolded in a low voice: "You are the Emperor of Japan and the lord of all people. The sky has not fallen yet!"

"But...but the Fengtian Army is here!" The little emperor was so anxious that he was incoherent. "That traitor Kaifu Munemasa...has also left. Mother, I...we..."

Queen Mother Fujiwara elegantly picked up the teacup beside her, gently skimmed off the foam, and took a sip.

Then a hint of joy flashed in his eyes, and he spoke slowly: "The arrival of the Fengtian Army must be a bad thing?"

"what?"

The little emperor was stunned and looked at his mother in confusion.

Queen Dowager Fujiwara put down her teacup, a calculating look flashing in her beautiful eyes. "Think about it carefully. Prince Feng Li Che is a vassal prince of Daqing, and what kind of country is Daqing?"

"That is the Celestial Empire, a nation of propriety, which prides itself on being the center of the world. When it comes to small vassal states like us, it has always emphasized 'appeasement towards distant people.'"

"As long as we pay tribute and submit, we will be treated with great kindness and will not be easily exterminated."

"Why did the Fengtian Army start such a big fight this time? It must be that the reckless Haibu Zongzhen was ignorant of his own limitations and somehow provoked the enemy, thus bringing about this catastrophic disaster!"

She paused, looking at her son's confused expression, and lowered her voice: "Maybe... this is our chance!"

"Chance?"

The little emperor tried hard to open his eyes wide, but his other eye also widened, making the difference in the size of his eye even more obvious.

"Yes!" Queen Fujiwara's eyes flashed, "We can try to contact that Prince Feng and express our feelings to him."

"Tell him that we, mother and son, are the legitimate rulers of Japan. It was traitors like Kaifu Munemasa who usurped power and brought chaos to the country, leading to the war between our two countries!"

"Then ask him to help us, to help Your Majesty eliminate the traitors like Haibu Zongzhen, and help you truly grasp the imperial power and firmly sit on the throne!"

The little emperor's eyes lit up when he heard this, but then he became worried:

"But, King Feng...will he listen to us? Will he help us?"

"Humph, you don't understand Daqing. The Confucianism they advocate places the greatest emphasis on status."

Queen Fujiwara's lips curled up into a confident smile.

"As a vassal king of Daqing, King Feng must consider himself an orthodox Confucianist. And what Confucianism hates most is rebellion and usurpation of power."

"Kamibe Munemasa raised an army to expel the Fujiwara clan and seized control of government. In the eyes of Confucianism, isn't this the height of treason and rebellion?"

"We offer our services to the king as his mentor, and ask him to support the orthodoxy of Japan. This is a good opportunity to demonstrate his benevolence and righteousness."

"How could he refuse?"

She stood up, walked to the window, looked at the bleak autumn scenery in the courtyard, and spoke with a hint of coldness in her voice:

"The only question is... what price can we offer to convince His Royal Highness the Prince of Feng that we, mother and son, are valuable?"

Queen Mother Fujiwara looked back at her ugly and naive son one last time, a determined smile on her face:

"Don't worry. For your Majesty, no matter how high the price, your mother will be willing to pay."

"In a few days, I will personally leave the capital, sail around the sea to the Kyushu Fengjun location, and meet His Royal Highness the Prince of Feng!"