Chapter 639: Should I Agree to Yuwen Hu?

Below the steps, Chen Yan, one hand clasped behind his back, stood as upright as a pine; his gaze, like a torch, fixed on Yuwen Yong on the Dragon Throne, his eyes swirling with unabashed amusement that seemed to pierce the heart, and he thought, "Yuwen Yong's slight expression—brow twitch, fingertip tapping—nine times out of ten means he's moved!"

A silent roll sounded in his throat, and his heart kept urging, "Agree quickly; then I can kill you without waiting for the elixir to take effect!"

Beside him, Yuwen Ze took in his own A Xiong's determined demeanor, furrowed his brows, and thought, "A Xiong was just now composed; why does his gaze now brim with anticipation?"

"Such eagerness doesn't look like the usual observing of court debates…"

Just as the thought shifted, a thunderous clang rang in his mind, his pupils snapped shut, a shiver raced up his spine, and a storm surged within, "Could it be… could this be a plot set by my father and A Xiong?!"

"The return to power is a sham; luring the Son of Heaven into the scheme is the real plan?!"

He clenched the hem of his court robe, his fingertips turning white.

He dared not show any change on his face, only lowering his eyes to hide the terror within.

At the front of the formation, Wei Shaokuan, clad in a purple official robe, his warrior's frame still imposing, stood with hands behind his back, studying the scene in the hall with keen interest, a teasing curve lifting his mouth, thinking, "Interesting—so very interesting!"

"In Yubi's years, such a tumultuous power drama is indeed rare!"

His gaze slowly shifted to Yuwen Hu's back, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes, and he thought, "Yuwen Xin, that nephew, truly has skill!"

"Step by step he camps, reality and illusion indistinguishable; no wonder he entrusted his orphanage to the Grand Preceptor before death…"

Recalling this, he brushed his short beard.

He assumed a composed spectator's pose, waiting calmly for the direction of this game.

In any case, for himself and the Wei clan of the Capital, it is all benefit, no harm…

On the other side, Feng Qi's brows knit into a knot, his eyes filled with a dense, unmelting worry, his fingertips absent‑mindedly rubbing the court tablet, muttering in his mind, "Something's wrong, far too wrong!"

"The Grand Preceptor exhausted himself last year, consolidating the Five Offices under the Celestial Office, truly achieving sole control of power; only then did the court's foundation become stable. How could he readily choose to abandon it?"

"Especially now, the Crown Prince has not fully taken over the forces; the father‑son transition is far from complete. Returning power now would be cutting off his own arm, wouldn't it?"

He looked at Yuwen Hu's back, full of confusion and anxiety, feeling the matter concealed a raging current, far from the surface simplicity.

After all, who would willingly relinquish power?

It fundamentally contradicts human nature!

Unless…

The other ministers in the hall each harbored different thoughts and schemes.

At that moment, time seemed to freeze, and the tangled hesitation surged like a tide, engulfing Yuwen Yong.

He repeatedly asked himself in his mind, "Should I agree to Yuwen Hu?"

"If I agree, it would be the long‑sought personal rule, but does this sudden return of power truly have no trap?"

"If I refuse, I miss a golden chance; waiting for another such opportunity, who knows when it will come!"

Amid his inner turmoil, a stirring voice suddenly rang in his mind, its words laced with beguiling power, each sentence piercing the deepest yearning: "If you agree to him, you will command alone; no one will dare to restrain you!"

"You could recruit talents widely, fill the hall! You could ready troops, strengthen Great Zhou!"

"You could lead the army eastward, destroy Qi and Pingliang, unify the world, achieving a timeless, unparalleled feat!"

These words struck like thunder cleaving chaos, like a blaze igniting ambition.

Yuwen Yong felt his emotions surge, a flood of heroic ambition swelling in his chest, his heart roiling with desire for supreme power and a fixation on unifying the lands.

His Adam's apple rolled, his gaze suddenly blazing; the earlier hesitation was largely swept away by this overwhelming ambition, and he murmured, "Indeed, destroy Qi and Pingliang, unify the world—that is what I must do!"

"And the first step to achieve all this is simply to agree to Yuwen Hu's return of power…"

He abruptly lifted his eyes, scanning Yuwen Hu, who knelt below to resign, and sweeping over the court's officials and generals with varied expressions.

Finally his gaze rested on the Dragon Throne's armrest he clutched, its carved dragon‑phoenix pattern seeming to proclaim imperial authority.

The hall's stagnant air, stirred by this sudden shift, subtly loosened; every eye instantly focused on the Dragon Throne, awaiting the young Son of Heaven's final decision.

The hidden currents beneath the court had already surged to a climax, ready to raise a storm at a single command.

At that moment, Yuwen Yong's mind heard another calm, composed voice:

"But what if Yuwen Hu is testing you?"

Those words poured like icy water, instantly dousing the hot blood raging in his chest.

Reason, suppressed by desire, suddenly resurfaced, gripping his spirit again.

Yuwen Yong whispered to himself, "Yes! If this is Yuwen Hu's test, seeing whether I am eager to seize power or harbor hidden intentions, the fate awaiting me will be an endless calamity!"

"I would surely follow in Yuwen Yan's footsteps, die in disgrace, and that imperial ambition to destroy Qi and Pingliang would all become empty talk!"

At that moment, Yuwen Yong, seated on the Dragon Throne, broke out in cold sweat, inhaled sharply, his mind filled with lingering fear.

Even though it was mid‑June, scorching hot, his back still shivered with cold; the sweat soaked his inner garment, chilling his skin to the bone.

The fiery ambition just moments ago left no trace.

He quietly relaxed his grip on the armrest, the whitening of his knuckles fading, yet his face suppressed the tremor, settling into a solemn stillness.

The hall's silence had not yet lifted when, at the front of the ranks, Yuwen Heng, wearing a four‑claw python robe, suddenly stepped out of line.

He bowed deeply before Yuwen Yong on the Dragon Throne, performing the grand court bow, his voice steady and respectful: "Your Majesty, this old minister is now aged; in my youth I marched with the army, the battlefield's frost seeped into my bones, I am riddled with sores, and whenever damp cold comes it aches to the marrow, making it hard to bear heavy duties…"

When he finished, he raised his head and declared loudly, "Therefore, I earnestly request Your Majesty's permission to resign from the Grand Marshal post, return home to enjoy my twilight years, indulge in sweets and grandchildren, and end this waning life!"

His words rang out, and the already stagnant Tai Chi Hall rang with the sound of a dropped needle, the ministers erupted in a clamor.

Everyone knew Yuwen Heng, wielding military power, was Yuwen Hu's most solid arm.

Now, following his brother's resignation, this is not a mere resignation; clearly the two brothers move together, presenting the current Son of Heaven with a dilemma…

Below the steps, Chen Yan saw this, a faint curve lifting his mouth, his eyes even more amused, thinking, "They're raising the stakes!"

He again fixed his gaze on the young Son of Heaven on the Dragon Throne, anticipation nearly spilling from his eyes, his heart urging, "Yuwen Yong, you kid, hurry and agree!"

"I'm still waiting to slay another dragon!"

At that moment, Chen—who wished to become a dragon‑slayer, that epic‑level achievement—reached his peak…

Beside him, Yuwen Ze saw this, his doubts deepening, his fingertips gripping tighter, now firmly convinced, "Sure enough, this is a plot by father, second uncle, and A Xiong!"

"The return to power and resignation are merely façades; this is a test of the one on the Dragon Throne!"

Wei Shaokuan at the front of the formation raised an eyebrow, paused his whisker‑tugging gesture, and laughed inwardly: "These two brothers, the Grand Preceptor and Grand Tutor, are so in sync, singing and harmonizing, treating this court as a chessboard...."

His gaze swept over Yuwen Hu and Yuwen Heng, and a hint of understanding flashed in his eyes.

He still wore that watchful demeanor, waiting to see how this drama would end.

Pei Xun and Du Yaoguang exchanged a glance, the corners of their mouths lifting in an unspoken understanding.

The other court officials each harbored their own thoughts.

Yuwen Hu's group of officials grew increasingly solemn, murmuring, "What are the Grand Preceptor and Grand Tutor planning? Could they truly be relinquishing power and retiring?"

The neutral‑faction officials wore anxious expressions, fearing a sudden shift in the court's situation.

The young officials who had hoped for Your Majesty to take direct rule now restrained their expectations; they felt the situation was treacherous and dared not act on their thoughts.

Seated on the Dragon Throne, Yuwen Yong, at the instant Yuwen Heng's words fell, had already gathered all his emotions, his face hardening into an uncompromising solemnity, and almost blurted out, "No!"

His words rang out, shaking the hall and silencing the murmurs within.

He immediately rose, the hem of his dragon robe falling, his expression growing more dignified, his gaze sweeping over the two bowed figures below the steps, and he said gravely, "Grand Preceptor, Grand Tutor, you two are barely past forty, in the prime of your lives, precisely the time to devote yourselves to Great Zhou, to shine and labor; how could you retreat boldly now, when the court enjoys a brief peace and the borders are temporarily calm?"

"How could you abandon the realm and its people, ignoring the countless subjects?"

He paused, stepped forward half a pace, his eyes blazing, his tone imbued with undeniable earnestness and emphasis: "Now Qi State watches hungrily, the court still needs senior ministers to sit in command; Great Zhou needs you, and I especially need you both to assist, to together guard this splendid land!"

"Please, both of you, withdraw your resignation!"

These words rang like a thunderclap, both preserving the face of the Yuwen Hu brothers and making clear the refusal to relent.

At the same time, it avoided the trap of probing and displayed the emperor's benevolent resolve to retain his senior ministers.

Below the steps, Yuwen Hu and Yuwen Heng each held profound depths in their eyes, no one could discern the truth within.

Their gazes flashed together for an instant, a tacit understanding inscrutable to others, then each withdrew it in a heartbeat.

Immediately after, Yuwen Hu bowed again, his posture now appearing more fatigued than before, his words even more earnest: "Your Majesty's kindness moves us deeply; the two of us, old servants, are grateful to the core of our beings, yet time spares no one. Lately our vigor is truly waning, handling state affairs often feels beyond our strength; we are indeed willing but powerless!"

Yuwen Heng instantly nodded in agreement, his voice hoarse with a hint of illness, as if truly plagued by pain: "Indeed, Your Majesty, old wounds constantly trouble me, making it difficult to command the Grand Marshal's troops, fearing I might jeopardize military affairs."

Having spoken, he and Yuwen Hu bowed deeply once more, their posture humble, their tone exceedingly earnest: "We still hope Your Majesty will have mercy on our frail bodies and grant our request!"

The two remained bowed, the hall's air solidifying again, all eyes converging on the youthful emperor atop the Dragon Throne.

Yuwen Yong stared intensely at the two bowed Yuwen Hu and Yuwen Heng below, his gaze deep as a abyss; after a brief pause, he spoke, his tone modulated, each word striking the ground: "Brothers, the governance of an emperor does not rely solely on one's wisdom; it truly depends on the support of trusted aides!"

He inhaled deeply, his chest rising with imperial bearing, his voice growing ever more sincere, and proclaimed throughout the Tai Chi Hall: "The realm is still unsettled, border passes still smolder with beacon fire; Qi State's Gao clan watches hungrily, Jiangnan's Xiao Liang still resists royal transformation; in these times and circumstances, how can we lack seasoned ministers to help the young sovereign and stabilize the four corners?"

Upon hearing this, Yuwen Hu still bowed his head, his face unmoved, only the fingers at his side subtly curled, a faint, barely perceptible glint flashing in his eyes.

He simply listened in silence, as if wholly immersed in the emperor's words.

Below the steps, Chen Yan's complexion changed abruptly; the amusement and anticipation in his eyes vanished, replaced by a weighty expression, his eyes narrowed like a hawk, fixed steadfastly on the youthful emperor on the Dragon Throne.

The resolute determination he had just felt was now replaced by a hint of astonishment; inwardly he thought that Yuwen Yong was steadier than he had expected.

Yuwen Yong raised his hand, his fingertip steadily pointing at the two below, his voice rich with feeling, his tone full of earnest respect and reliance: "Grand Preceptor, Grand Tutor, your virtue has long been eminent, admired by court and populace alike; who among the officials does not revere you, and who among the countless subjects does not feel gratitude?"

"If you were to suddenly shed your heavy responsibilities and retreat to private quarters, I would lose the pillars I rely on, the ministers would lack a guiding head, and the court would inevitably fall into turmoil!"

His tone suddenly shifted, gaining a solemn gravity, each word striking the heart: "Moreover, Taizu's edict still stands, earnestly entrusting the realm to you both with the heavy duty of assisting governance; how could you defy the late emperor's command and indulge in personal leisure?"

"I still hope, brothers, that you place Great Zhou's realm above all, think of the countless subjects, and withdraw your resignation!"

Having finished, Yuwen Yong unexpectedly bowed slightly before the Dragon Throne, clasping his fists in salute to the two below, his posture full of solemnity.

It combined imperial dignity with the younger's respect for his elders.

In the eyes of all officials, this act further highlighted his benevolence, wisdom, and concern for the greater picture.

Feng Qi, Yuwen Yong's close aide, felt a surge of joy, seized the moment to set the rhythm, stepped out of line, bowed before the throne and shouted loudly: "Your Majesty is sagacious!"

He let out a long sigh of relief, the anxiety that had lodged in his throat finally settling.

Earlier he truly feared that Your Majesty, blinded by ambition, might impulsively accept the two's resignations.

Now, Your Majesty's response both preserves the situation and fully satisfies reason; it is truly comprehensive.