Chapter 1222: Borrowing Seed

Liu Zheng naturally also knows Li Xuanya's ambition now...

One might ask, in this world, who does not have ambition?

Joseon can be considered the first constitutional monarchy in Asia, and by following the fast train of Longyan, it would be unrealistic for Li Xuanya not to have ambition.

Asia is very large.

The world is likewise very large.

Li Xuanya believes that compared to England and France, Joseon has a greater advantage.

Although Europeans were the first to carry out the Enlightenment, the governments of Europe are essentially just a group of robbers, with no cultural heritage to speak of at all.

And what about Joseon? Although not as glorious as Longyan, it is still a dynasty that has spanned a thousand years; as a vassal state of Longyan, they also possess a profound cultural heritage, and their national centripetal force and national cohesion are only stronger, not weaker.

Furthermore, they have a unique advantage, which is having Longyan as their backer.

Now, no matter how much Western European countries develop, there is still a considerable gap between their comprehensive national strength and Longyan's; Longyan is still the world's largest economy, and its trade volume accounts for forty percent of the world's total!

Even if they only do business with Longyan, they can still rank among the world's powerful nations!

Therefore, Joseon has a chance, and for the sake of the future of Joseon, these pedantic, conservative parasites must be cleared away!

But things are not that easy; Liu Zheng is right, the military power of the army is entirely in their hands, and if one wants to control it by force, the few thousand Duwei and the navy under her command are simply not enough to look at.

The topic of the Commander-in-Chief of the Entire Army will surely become a subject of contention in the parliament.

To make them give up military power...

It is almost impossible.

Therefore, effort must certainly be made.

But in the short term, it is still unrealistic for Li Xuanya to completely seize power.

To fulfill her aspirations, she must rely on Longyan, rely on Liu Zheng.

Initially, Li Xuanya felt that Liu Zheng would definitely help her, but looking at it now, Liu Zheng's every move can already affect the entire world.

He will absolutely not easily agree to this matter.

If she wants to make Liu Zheng help wholeheartedly, perhaps, the only way is to turn him into "one of her own."

To unify Joseon, one must rely on Longyan; to rely on Longyan, one must win over Liu Zheng!

Her relationship with Liu Zheng is just like the relationship between Joseon and Longyan; it is that of a monarch and a subject, and although there are some special feelings between the two, this is far from enough.

She needs to use something to tether Liu Zheng, to make him willingly help her.

At this moment, Li Xuanya...

Her mood is very complicated.

One reason is for the future of Joseon, and the second is for her own deep feelings for Liu Zheng.

He has already come...

Since he has already come...

Li Xuanya chats and exchanges pleasantries with the two while calculating in her heart.

A child!

Suddenly, a flash of inspiration strikes her mind.

What if she could have a child with Liu Zheng?

Once this thought emerged, Li Xuanya felt a burst of shame, followed by excitement.

She could no longer suppress the spread of this thought!

If she could bear a child for Liu Zheng, whether it be a son or a daughter—of course, a son would be best—then for the sake of the child, Liu Zheng would not reject her wish!

Even if the whole world is watching Liu Zheng, his helping Joseon would still be considered a justified cause!

What does it matter if there is a son?

In any case, Li Xuanya does not intend to marry in this life without Liu Zheng...

This thought becomes more and more fierce in her heart.

She even secretly clenches her fists.

Although doing this is somewhat unpresentable, for the sake of Joseon, she is willing to go all out.

Back then, to save Joseon, even if she had to submit to the dying monarch of Longyan,

she would not have cared, let alone Liu Zheng! She also truly likes Liu Zheng, and she truly hopes that the two can have a crystallization of their love.

Such a great talent for governing the country—if she could have a child of his, how could it be anything but excellent!

"What is Xuanya thinking about, to be so happy?"

Xie Chan chuckles when she sees Li Xuanya, who has suddenly become excited.

Just a moment ago, she had a look of frustration...

And now she is happy?

Liu Zheng, meanwhile, is smiling and continues talking about the issues of Immunity and the Commander-in-Chief of the Entire Army.

He believes that these two things are actually both possible to realize.

Why?

Because this is certainly not a benefit for Li Xuanya alone; it will also concern the next Prime Minister, the one after that, and all subsequent Prime Ministers.

If these people in Joseon are not stupid, they will all agree to this; it will just require a long period of maneuvering.

Li Xuanya gives a shy smile: "It's nothing, it's nothing..."

The idea of bearing his child is there, but implementing it is not so easy.

After all, Xie Chan has been by Liu Zheng's side the whole time.

It is not easy to handle Liu Zheng, so Li Xuanya can only start with Xie Chan first.

Of course, she will not use any despicable Method; she just wants to go and plead with Xie Chan.

She and Xie Chan could be considered companions in adversity, and the two had once called each other sisters; what was the harm in borrowing her man for a few days! Moreover, in the beginning, she had been gifted to Liu Zheng as a concubine, so this request was not actually unreasonable.

"Sister Chan, can we... talk alone?"

Li Xuanya asked.

Xie Chan was not interested in politics, so she had originally been a bystander watching the show; being suddenly called out by Li Xuanya, she was truly a bit surprised.

"Me?"

Xie Chan pointed at herself and asked in confusion.

"Mm."

Li Xuanya nodded, both shy and nervous.

After Li Xuanya nodded, she looked at Liu Zheng to the side, and Xie Chan also looked at Liu Zheng with a blank expression.

"Hahahaha, I'm going to relieve myself!"

Liu Zheng also knew that this was the sisters wanting to have a private chat, so he found an excuse and left the place.

For a moment, only the two women were left in the room; although they were sisters, the atmosphere at this moment was somewhat awkward.

"Xuanya, what is it that you had to send him away for?"

Xie Chan asked with a chuckle.

Coming to Joseon this time, she also clearly felt that this former little sister of hers had changed a lot and matured a great deal. The once simple-minded Li Xuanya had long since become a qualified politician.

Of course, this did not prove anything.

Whether a person is good or bad actually still depends on their essence.

If the essence is rotten, then they are truly rotten.

Therefore, in her heart, she still regarded Li Xuanya as a little sister.

"Sister Chan... I want to... ask you for a favor."

Li Xuanya lowered her head and asked cautiously.

"Between us sisters, why talk about favors? It's just that I might not be able to help with your favor," Xie Chan said with a self-deprecating smile.

In terms of politics, she was truly completely ignorant, which was why she had been completely uninterested in the Female Emperor position back then. Just thinking about governing an entire country made her head spin.

"Thump!"

Unexpectedly, Li Xuanya said nothing and stood up directly to kneel before Xie Chan.

"Ah, this..."

This kneeling stunned Xie Chan, who stood up along with her, looking surprised.

"Xuanya, get up quickly, what are you doing?"

Xie Chan wanted to help Li Xuanya up, but Li Xuanya insisted on kneeling.

"Sister Chan, this matter, you

must promise me."

Li Xuanya looked up, pleading with tears in her eyes.

"But I don't even know what you want me to help you with yet; you should at least tell me, right? Alright, get up first; as long as I can do it, I will definitely promise."

Xie Chan said helplessly.

"Is that true?"

Li Xuanya broke into a smile through her tears.

Xie Chan nodded with a smile.

Only then did Li Xuanya stand up, and the two sisters supported each other as they sat on the couch to the side.

"Sister Chan, do you know the feeling of being lonely and helpless?"

Li Xuanya said with a sense of sorrow.

"Loneliness..."

Xie Chan shook her head; although she also had a complicated background, she had never lacked fatherly or motherly love since she was small. Even if her parents were not around, she still had Liu Zheng by her side. For her, the future was bright, and she had never even considered the problem of loneliness.

"Staying in an empty house alone every day, with no one to accompany me and no one to speak my heart to, and having to think every day about how to face those old foxes in the court... I am truly tired."

Li Xuanya sighed.

"Since you're tired, you can choose to take a break. Politics was never our strength as women. I think you should support some people you trust to help you share the burden."

Xie Chan was not skilled in politics, but she understood this much.

Anyway, if she were to put herself in those shoes, she would rather be a monarch restricted by a Constitution; wouldn't she then be able to be a free spirit and play around as she pleased?

What is the point of being a monarch...

Every day when you wake up, it's endless memorials and government affairs.

Just thinking about it gives one a headache.

"Sister Chan... I would like to, but the current situation doesn't allow it... Previously, the Southerner Party supported me unconditionally, but after I took power, they also began to confront me. The current situation is a tripartite balance of power; I cannot retreat, and I cannot be soft..."

Li Xuanya shook her head miserably.

"Ah? Is it that complicated?"

Xie Chan also began to feel heartache.

Thinking about it, it was indeed under Li Xuanya's leadership that Joseon had gained a spirit of revival; if she were to resign, who would take over?

The old king?

He was weak-willed and indecisive; as soon as he encountered pressure from hardliners in the parties, he would likely give in.

Hand over power to the Westerner Party or the Southerner Party? Then the country would fall into a vicious cycle of power struggles again, and who knows, one day it might be occupied by Wa again.

With the country having to be propped up by a woman, thinking about it, Xie Chan felt quite sorry for her.

"I can endure hardship, and I can bear the loneliness, but what about afterwards? If I am no longer here and the hardliners continue to hold power, all the efforts of these years will have been in vain."

Perhaps because she was confiding in her sister, Li Xuanya also let go of her usual disguise and guard, and as she spoke, she was already on the verge of tears.

Li Xuanya's worries were not without reason; although the Li Dynasty had already implemented a Constitutional Monarchy, it had, after all, practiced a Feudal Absolute Monarchy for hundreds of years, and both the court and the public identified more with Absolute Monarchy deep in their hearts.

Even now, there were people behind her back who called her Empress.

Once her political rivals came to power, the history of the Li Dynasty would regress.

"I don't quite understand; by telling me all this, you want me to..."

After coaxing her for a long time, Xie Chan still couldn't quite understand.

"Sister Chan, Xuanya can afford to wait twenty years, thirty years, but I cannot afford to wait sixty years... Therefore, I want to have an heir."

Li Xuanya finally gathered her courage, looked straight into Xie Chan's eyes, and said.

"What?"

"Ah! That's no problem at all. You have reached the marriageable age; you can completely find a husband and have a child..." Xie Chan nodded, as she felt there was no problem.

But...

Li Xuanya stopped speaking; she just looked at Xie Chan like that, filled with guilt, shyness,

and a complex gaze.

Something was wrong.

Xie Chan suddenly raised her head: "You mean to..." Pop-ups are frequent recently, you can click to download to avoid pop-ups.