Chapter 223

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Protagonist:

Shen Yao

Qi Haochen would naturally not refuse such a matter; openly declaring his identity and status was also advantageous for the harmony and stability of the entire fiefdom.

After all, everyone who could attend this welcome banquet were Qi Chen's own people, and what they sought was future wealth and honor.

Qi Haochen's appearance guaranteed that Qi Chen had a successor, and it also gave this batch of people following behind Qi Chen a reassurance pill.

Otherwise everyone would have to worry at any time about the situation after Qi Chen left, so how could they have the mind to build the fiefdom.

"The fiefdom's situation is still not bad, Chen'er, how are you in the capital?"

In the front courtyard study, Qi Chen called Qi Haochen out, and the father and son chose to speak frankly.

Qi Haochen's age was already not small; in a few more years he would marry and start a family, and even the Emperor might bestow a marriage.

"Father King, your son is safe and sound in the capital in all respects; with Third Brother and them helping, there is no danger."

The children Shen Yao gave birth to each had their own abilities; previously during the Northern Border matter, Shen Cheng followed by Qi Chen's side and became famous in one battle, and now he has already entered the army and holds military power.

Although this military power is only a fiefdom appointment and can only count as Qi Chen's private troops, it is still an existence that others can only look up to but cannot reach.

You must know the entire fiefdom's area is not small; Shen Cheng is still young, and in the future even if he relies on accumulating seniority, he can still climb up step by step.

Compared to his biological father Wei Fan, who could only sell himself for a petty position, Shen Cheng and the others' treatment is simply incomparably better.

Shen Cheng's development is not bad; Shen Shi and the others who went to the capital with Qi Haochen have also all shown outstanding capability.

In Qi Chen's eyes, these are all his own son's natural assistants; there is no reason not to promote them.

"Chen'er, you must interact more with these several brothers and sisters of yours."

Existences of this kind of mutual help are far more stable than ordinary alliances.

Qi Haochen naturally understands this principle, laughing and teasing his biological father to help more; you must know that right now even his Fifth Sister's marriage still has no settlement.

Qi Chen: ……

Qi Chen rolled his eyes at Qi Haochen, "As for your Fifth Sister, your Mother Consort is worrying over it.

Besides, the people who have been following by your side still have to depend on the Emperor's intention."

Qi Haochen is now mainly stationed living in the capital; Qi Chen and Shen Yao cannot reach out their hands like before, and this is also the harm of being too entangled with imperial power.

Qi Haochen nodded, "Third Brother and Fourth Sister's marriages were the Imperial Uncle's hint; we had no choice but to carry them out.

Fortunately Third Brother and Fourth Sister's days are passing not badly; otherwise your son's heart would feel guilty."

It was entirely because of being implicated by him; since Qi Yingyue this half-sister passed away, Qi Haochen only has five half-siblings from the same mother left.

Not to mention ancient family concepts, even in modern society the saying 'a good hero needs three helpers' is popular.

Shen Shi and Shen Yun's marriages are overall still not bad; at least the Emperor did not randomly pair mandarin ducks.

Otherwise it would be like the situation in several other princely mansions; Qi Haochen shook his head helplessly, every day it's just like performing a play, you finish singing and I come on stage, a complete mess.

"As long as you can think it through yourself, these matters, when it comes down to it, are not things that can be avoided just because you feel guilty or not."

The Emperor is the master of the entire Qi State; his spoken words are even more golden mouth jade words.

"Arrange your own mindset properly; the Emperor will not target you without cause."

When it comes down to it, the Emperor raises so many princely mansion offspring in the capital because he himself has no sons under his knees.

No matter whose hands the Qi State's rivers and mountains fall into, the royal bloodline must not be allowed to decline.

The Emperor indulges Qi Haochen and them to struggle and strike at each other, which is screening personnel.

Qi Haochen…… Qi Chen glanced sideways, thinking in his heart the opportunity is very great.

Don't look at Qi Haochen's age being on the younger side among these people, but for royal clan descendants, age has never been a problem. Moreover just looking at the Emperor's physical condition, living a few more years is completely feasible.

For the sake of stability, they should increase Qi Haochen's competitive advantages in other aspects.

For example, the fiefdom

Another two days passed, and the welcome banquet was also held at the princely mansion.

Although only this batch of people from Changzhou Prefecture came over, Dongchang Prefecture, Guangping Prefecture, and even Quzhou Prefecture and the Northern Border, they can take the initiative to go over.

Anyway Qi Haochen's return is not truly for rest; Qi Chen taking him to walk around various places suits his intention perfectly.

Shen Yao reached out and poked Qi Haochen's little head, "You really don't mind the hardship."

Qi Chen had long had the idea of going out on inspection; it was just that due to the refugee problem, he had always kept it suppressed in his heart and never brought it up.

Now the refugee problem has already been properly settled, and it just so happens that Qi Haochen has returned from the capital; what else are we waiting for? We should just hurry out and declare sovereignty.

"Mother Consort, compared to hardship, your son is more afraid that in the future he will regret in his heart."

Who doesn't want that position? Not to speak of far ones; like those princely mansions where heirs take turns sitting, clearly knowing the danger yet still continuing to send people to the capital — isn't that precisely the idea they are playing at.

"Your son has seen much in the capital these years, and understands that Mother Consort and Father King's conduct is not easy."

So he must win the Imperial Uncle's favor even more, and secure this heir selection.

"Silly child, you are Mother Consort's own flesh and blood; for you to toil, Mother Consort is willing.

Since you want to go, then go with your Father King to take a look," Shen Yao naturally would not go out; with a big family and great business, there must be one person staying behind to guard.

Qi Haochen stayed in Changzhou Prefecture for only a few days, then packed his luggage and left with Qi Chen.

The father and son brought a large entourage and traveled straight along the official road outside Changzhou Prefecture.

First heading to Dongchang Prefecture, staying in Dongchang Prefecture for half a month then changing route to Guangping Prefecture, entering Quzhou Prefecture from Guangping Prefecture, passing by the northern border for a short stopover on the return, and finally returning to Changzhou Prefecture.

With this whole set of process and route completed, Qi Haochen had already turned from a white dough ball into a black dough ball.

Under the scorching hot sun, looking again at her son revealing a mouthful of white teeth, Shen Yao's heart ached terribly.

Wandering outside for over two months, wasn't it agreed to return as soon as possible.

Qi Chen:...

The complained-about Qi Chen rubbed his nose awkwardly; plans never outpace changes, and all sorts of accidents had cropped up on the road, all of which had to be properly handled before they could leave.

Accidents were indeed unpredictable, but judging by the results, Qi Chen was even more satisfied with Qi Haochen, thinking to himself that his son was born for that position.

Shen Yao:...

Shen Yao didn't know how to respond; after this trip back, Qi Haochen was fine, but Qi Chen seemed muddled and confused, his head not entirely clear.

Later, from Shen Shi's account, Shen Yao learned the real reason for Qi Chen's change in attitude was Qi Haochen, which made Shen Yao even more reassured.

Sure enough, with only this one son, Qi Chen had to plan well for his own flesh and blood no matter what.

After staying at home for another half month, Qi Haochen chose an auspicious day for travel and, with a grand entourage, returned to Jingcheng, which he had been away from for several months.

As a relative, Shen Yao had long grown accustomed to the frequent partings of these past few years.

Standing in the courtyard to see the other off into the distance, Shen Yao picked up the account book delivered earlier and carefully went over the numbers on it.

Soon, in a few more years, the goal they had set would be achieved.

The System was also surprised; without realizing it, it seemed more than half of the natural disasters had already passed.

It had thought it would be a story of eating bitterness, suffering, and farming, but instead the Host had turned it into a tale of power struggles, palace intrigue, and infrastructure development.

"Host, we will surely be able to accomplish a great deal when we enter a palace intrigue world in the future."

The System felt the Host was highly malleable; hadn't it just uncovered new advantages for her—all shining points that would help complete missions in the future?

"If there's an opportunity, we must definitely choose a more proactive plan."

Compared to relying on others, Shen Yao preferred relying on herself; unfortunately, her identity was limited, so in some mission worlds she had no choice but to compromise and lower her head, but that did not mean Shen Yao was someone who liked to act that way.

Smiling, she told the System she could continue selecting the next mission world.

"Nowadays, the world's background has shifted from fleeing natural disasters toward post-disaster reconstruction; the territories around Changzhou Prefecture are stable, making it a preferred choice for many commoners."

Nowadays, the population of Changzhou Prefecture had increased year after year, and the value created had doubled.

Even though handling account books was tiring on ordinary days, looking at the glittering income, Shen Yao felt she could still persist.

Sure enough, running a career was comforting, especially when feeling a sense of achievement; Shen Yao even wanted someone to deliver two more account books.

Since coming to this world until today, Shen Yao had safely lived through more than ten years.

Qi Haochen had grown from an ignorant infant into a young boy; though the boy's shoulders were tender, they could already bear the responsibility of the entire fiefdom and even Qi State.

Shen Yao and Qi Chen's domain here was developing better and better, and Qi Haochen's confidence in Jingcheng was growing increasingly mature.

After the several heirs of the Qin Wang Fu who had competed with him successively fell from power, Qi Haochen had no more opponents on the surface—truly a cause for joy and congratulations.

"Where does the joy come from? Who is being congratulated?"

Qi Haochen sat in a chair, smiling as he greeted Shen Shi and the others to sit down and rest.

"On the surface, our situation seems most advantageous, but in reality it is merely a stalling tactic."

"Before everything is completely settled, none of us can be too reassured."

Guard against the ten thousand, fear the one chance.

What if a crazy person really jumps out? Similar precedents had happened before.

Qi Haochen didn't understand what champagne or not-champagne was, but he felt he shouldn't let down his guard at the end; having come ninety-nine steps, if he truly fell at the last step, he would certainly be angry.

Shen Shi raised an eyebrow, not expecting his own younger brother to think this way, though it was very much in line with his understanding of Qi Haochen.

"Most importantly, we still have to see what the Emperor arranges," because for some matters, the decision-maker was simply not them.

Like this war without smoke, is the one who truly stands out the winner? The Emperor had never clearly stated this, and their belief was merely an unwritten rule from years of conduct.

If the Emperor declared this rule void, Qi Haochen would have nothing to say.

After all, this couldn't be achieved by arguing reason; victory and defeat rested entirely on the Emperor's whim.

Qi Haochen toyed with the teacup in his hand. "Third Brother, what do you think the Emperor means?"

Shen Shi touched his chin. "As far as I know, the Emperor acts with integrity and shouldn't delay for too long."

Regardless of who this person is—and it will almost certainly be Qi Haochen—the Emperor will settle on a choice and cultivate them wholeheartedly, just as he did with some strategies when his own sons had not yet run into trouble.

But these are only his own speculations; Shen Shi is not a worm in the Emperor's belly and cannot guarantee every word he says is true.

What if the Emperor suddenly pulls a great reversal? It's not impossible.

After all, he is the Emperor, the master of Qi State who says one thing and means it without question, capable of doing anything.

Qi Haochen sighed. "I only hope Royal Uncle doesn't delay too long on this matter."

He can afford to wait, but others cannot; one day later, more innocent people might be injured or killed because of it.

Qi Haochen felt everyone was family, and there was no need to fight to the death.

Be more dignified; settle this matter as soon as possible—it's good for everyone.

Unfortunately, Qi Haochen thought well, but if the Emperor truly acted as he wished, he wouldn't be the Emperor, nor the master of the land and rivers.

The final decree did not appoint Qi Haochen as heir to imperial power, but instead used Qi Haochen as an excuse to divide several fiefdoms for Qi Chen.

Qi Haochen:...

Qi Chen, upon receiving the news:...

Father and son were both utterly bewildered, especially when Qi Haochen saw his originally dejected opponents rubbing their hands together again—he was shocked.

Was the Emperor trying to make them strike ruthlessly at each other, fighting to the death?

"Perhaps not only that; the Emperor may have considered that too many imperial relatives hold fiefdoms, which is disadvantageous for the New Emperor's management."

"Right now, replacing the investiture that should have gone to Chen'er with fiefdoms for princes to manage means gradually taking them back."

Since this also counts as keeping the wealth within the family, Qi Haochen and Qi Chen, father and son, are as one; the fiefdoms handed to Qi Chen will become important capital for Qi Haochen's struggle for power.

Originally, Qi State's political power structure had some flaws; once fiefdoms were scattered out, they couldn't be taken back, and theoretically the land controlled by the imperial family would keep shrinking.

Now the Emperor wants to gradually reform, not leaving trouble for the future? Shen Yao speculated in her heart about the deeper meanings behind the Emperor's move.

"I just fear the Emperor thinks even more deeply; Chen'er has been in Jingcheng for many years, but in the end is merely a chess piece held in the Emperor's hand."

A pawn has no right to choose; no matter what, one must obey the Emperor's arrangements.

She suddenly felt a bit disheartened; Qi Chen was not unhappy that his fiefdom was increasing again, but all of this was exchanged for his son's future, and Qi Chen felt thoroughly uncomfortable in his heart no matter how he thought about it.

Shen Yao smiled; soothing Qi Chen with words was not yet the worst of times.

Another round of struggle was coming, but they were also no longer in their former situation; since the Emperor did not want to establish an heir so quickly, they would just make a move to force the issue.

Pulling Qi Chen along and talking this way and that for a long while, Qi Chen's desolate gaze grew brighter and brighter, and in the end he even let out a string of hearty laughter.

"Madam, thanks to you."

Qi Chen felt that marrying Yao'er was truly the blessing of immortals; if not for coincidentally meeting at the right time, where would he have today's worries? He would likely only be able to spend his days in lonely misery, and the Qin Wang Fu's rich foundation accumulated over several decades would ultimately have to be returned to the Guo Ku.

"Wangye, you and I are husband and wife as one; this concubine can have today thanks to Wangye's regard."

Without Qi Chen, Shen Yao would most likely have married someone else, but she would not necessarily have lived as comfortably as she does today.

Different choices bring different results; Shen Yao did not dwell on those missed opportunities, she only wanted the road she walked to proceed smoothly and gain what she wished for.

"It will. With the two of us of one mind and working together, we will surely protect Chen'er's safety."

Backhand clasping Shen Yao's both hands, Qi Chen's expression was confident, and he returned to his former appearance.