Chapter 661: Alliance (1)

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

“Nephew, you flatter me. It was also Kang Wang who was willing to accept the remonstrance. He understood it himself.”

Xiao Shoufu smiled politely, feeling that it was all thanks to his persuasion.

He picked up the teacup and looked at the tea leaves floating in the tea. He smelled the tea fragrance and couldn’t help but think back to that day.

That day, he caught a cold and complained of illness to recuperate at home. Kang Wang personally came to visit.

At that time, Xiao Shoufu knew that Kang Wang was definitely here to lower his head and express goodwill to him and the aristocratic families.

Since Kang Wang had taken this important step, Xiao Shoufu took the opportunity to give Kang Wang a way out and persuade him nicely. With history as an example, he experienced several dynasties of prosperity and endless glory from the aristocratic families. He talked about the bloodstorm that alternated between dynasties and the miserable outcomes of the royal descendants who failed to snatch the throne in the previous dynasty.

In the past five to six hundred years, the aristocratic families and the royal family had been playing games in various forms. The aristocratic families wouldn’t be destroyed in the change of royal power, but once Kang Wang was defeated, the outcome would either be death or imprisonment.

Xiao Shoufu asked Kang Wang at that time, “Your Highness, are you really willing to let others dictate your fate?”

At that moment, Kang Wang was silent for a long time. In the end, he only reminded Xiao Shoufu to recuperate well and said that the royal court still had to rely on him.

From those few words, Xiao Shoufu had already acutely noticed that Kang Wang had indeed wavered.

They had been cold to Kang Wang for so long. In the end, it wasn’t in vain.

The smile on Xiao Shoufu’s lips deepened. He added politely, “It’s also thanks to my talented nephew for his involvement in facilitating this with Kang Wang.”

“Don’t mention it.” Yuan Zhe smiled with a humble smile. His attitude of respecting the old was appropriate.

Pei Wenrui and Wang Kangyin exchanged looks.

Among the people present, Yuan Zhe was the youngest, representing the Yuan family.

The Yuan family was the mother of the empress dowager and the uncle of Kang Wang. Their status was different from other aristocratic families, and they were the bridge between the aristocratic families and the Kang Wang.

It was obvious that once Kang Wang ascended, the Yuan family would naturally benefit the most. The Yuan family would naturally stand on Kang Wang’s side.

Pei Wenrui sighed softly and rubbed the bridge of his nose between his eyes with his fingers. He said slowly, “Young people have to fall before they know what real power is.”

He didn’t name anyone, nor did he say that the “young people” referred to Chu You or Yuan Zhe.

The few people in the hall smiled in an unspoken mutual understanding and sipped their tea elegantly.

To put it bluntly, Kang Wang’s life was really too smooth-sailing. When the previous Emperor was alive, he had always had the previous Emperor protecting him.

Even if the previous Emperor died, in the first half a year after ascending the throne, the ministers were still not very optimistic about whether this Emperor could sit steadily on the dragon throne today. At that time, everyone thought that the Eldest Prince couldn’t return safely from the State of Yue, and they felt that with his weak and sickly dragon body today, he probably wouldn’t be able to last more than a few years.

Unexpectedly, ever since the Eldest Prince returned to the country, the court had undergone a complete change.

After this incident, Kang Wang should know how much he was now. Without the protection of the previous Emperor, the Empress Dowager, and the aristocratic family, he was unable to compete with the Eldest Prince at all.

Yuan Zhe cupped his hands politely at Pei Wenrui. “It’s been hard on you these days, Lord Pei.”

During this period of time, the Ministry of Rites had been as busy as a spinning top in order to choose a successor. As the minister of the Ministry of Rites, Pei Wenrui was naturally quite tired, but he had no choice but to do his best. Only in this way could he pressure Kang Wang to make a choice.

In the hall, the fragrance of tea curled up and mixed with the faint incense.

The atmosphere looked calm and peaceful, but there were actually undercurrents.

Xiao Shoufu blew on the tea soup and took a few sips of tea. He looked like he was tasting tea, but he was actually observing the reactions of the people in the hall. Every move he made carried a little high up in the air unique to the descendants of aristocratic families.

Xiao Shoufu smiled smugly and tried to smooth things over with appropriate words. “Speaking of which, Kang Wang is just young and frivolous. The bloodline of an aristocratic family flows in his body, so he understands the severity.”

Kang Wang was already crowned. Many people present had long been fathers at his age. How could he be considered young? However, since Xiao Shoufu had said so, the others wouldn’t continue to pester Kang Wang about marrying Li Yunrong.

After a pause, Xiao Shoufu said again, “Kang Wang indeed did a beautiful job this time and was sufficiently sincere.”

On the day Kang Wang came to visit, he told Xiao Shoufu about the agreement he had secretly made with Baili Yin, including the marriage alliance between the two countries.

The two of them chatted for a full four hours. Xiao Shoufu explained their family’s expectations for Kang Wang, while Kang Wang vented his concerns and his determination to bet everything..