Chapter 236

"Naturally, they want to be Emperor."

"Then why do they want to be Emperor?"

"Why even ask? Of course, they want to hold power and wield the world's life and death in their own hands!"

"If the Emperor does not personally govern, and they reach the position of Grand Secretary of the Grand Council, they can hold the world's authority; would they still need to rebel and usurp?"

Su Qiao's words had barely fallen.

Zhu Yuanzhang immediately froze.

Indeed.

If the Emperor does not personally govern.

And remains merely a figurehead.

Then is there any need for a powerful minister to usurp the throne?

With nothing better to do, why would one have to bear the eternal infamy of being an Emperor in name only?

141, Zhu Qi: So you descendants just skipped right over me?

But soon Zhu Yuanzhang snapped back to his senses, staring at Su Qiao and demanding.

"Never personally govern? Why don't you just abolish the imperial throne and let our Zhu family descendants go home to farm?"

Su Qiao shrugged indifferently.

"Your Majesty, have you woken up? If every generation of the Zhu family must personally govern, sooner or later they will have to go home to farm."

A deathly silence filled the chat group.

Zhu Di's corner of the mouth twitched slightly.

He couldn't help but mutter.

"Still that familiar flavor."

Jiajing coughed awkwardly twice and said.

"Suddenly, I feel that punishing Zhang Juzheng by deducting six months of salary was a bit much."

Zhu Youjian looked at the various Emperors in the chat group with a speechless expression and whispered.

"Although the words are rough, the logic is not..."

Zhu Youjian was the Emperor who almost went home to farm!

No.

Zhu Youjian didn't even have the qualification to farm!

Su Qiao quietly observed Zhu Yuanzhang's face, which was gradually turning purple.

His face was just short of having the four characters "Fearless" written directly on it.

Zhu Yuanzhang stared fixedly at Su Qiao.

"Bang!" He slammed his hand onto the stone table.

"I just want to ask, do you have a way to make our Zhu family children study without such hardship?"

"You come straight out wanting to abolish the Son of Heaven's authority?"

Su Qiao shrugged and said.

"Your Majesty, may I ask, what generation character does the Great Ming Wanli Emperor belong to?"

Hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang couldn't help but freeze for a moment and casually replied.

"The generation character 'Yi'."

"The eighth generation already."

Su Qiao stared coldly at Zhu Yuanzhang and asked.

"Then, Your Majesty, even if Wanli had personally governed, how many years of national fortune could the Great Ming have had?"

Hearing this, all the Emperors in the chat group felt as if a lump of air was stuck in their chests.

But just as they wanted to refute.

They had to close their mouths.

"Eight generations and decline!"

"Over two hundred years!"

"Since the Qin, how many dynasties have surpassed three hundred years?"

"Even with wise ministers within and a wise ruler above, it cannot last for many years."

"Since you cannot hold onto it, why does Your Majesty desperately cling to this authority and refuse to let go?"

Zhu Yuanzhang was full of anger.

He held it back for a long while, but not a single word came out.

Because Old Zhu knew.

Su Qiao was right.

Zhu Yijun was Zhu Youjian's grandfather.

If he had not interfered, I fear it would not have taken long before Zhu Youjian faced the destruction of his country and family.

Su Qiao sat beside Old Zhu, casually picked up a teacup, and immediately poured a cup of tea.

Seeing Su Qiao's action.

Zhu Yuanzhang snorted and said.

"Count yourself a bit improved, kid; this is the first time I've eaten your Su Qiao's ch..."

Before Zhu Yuanzhang could snap back to his senses.

Su Qiao had already drunk the tea in the cup in one go on his own.

"Huh?"

Zhu Yuanzhang's weathered face went green, and he immediately snatched the teapot from Su Qiao's hand.

As if to vent his spite.

"Fine! If you won't pour for me, I'll pour it myself!"

Su Qiao watched the teapot in Zhu Yuanzhang's hands with a pang of heartache.

"Your Majesty…"

Zhu Yuanzhang glared viciously at Su Qiao and said,

"Heartache? Good, that's exactly what I want — to make you heartache!"

Having said that, Zhu Yuanzhang raised the teacup and drained it in one gulp, and only then did Su Qiao manage to utter the word that came after.

"…hot."

"Pfft! ~"

In the distance, Jiang Huan immediately rushed over at the head of a squad of Embroidered Uniform Guards.

"Your Majesty, are you all right?"

Zhu Yuanzhang gritted his teeth, glared at Su Qiao, and bellowed,

"You brat, are you trying to assassinate me?!"

"Are you trying to scald me to death?!"

The corner of Su Qiao's mouth twitched slightly.

He muttered softly,

"It wasn't me who poured the tea for you…"

Looking at the old man before him, Su Qiao couldn't help but add another line.

"Has Your Majesty ever considered a question?"

Zhu Yuanzhang stared at Su Qiao in puzzlement and asked,

"What question?"

"Have you ever wondered why the Bu Alliance on the steppe is often a scattered sand, yet there always appears a heroic lord who drives straight in, breaks through the passes, and raids our lands?"

Hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang could not help but be taken aback.

"Why?"

Su Qiao clicked his tongue and said,

"Because they don't follow the eldest legitimate son's inheritance — the position of steppe overlord goes to whoever is capable."

"Because of this, although the various steppe tribes have more chaos than order, whenever there is order, there is bound to be a lord of great ambition and vision."