Chapter 2272: Chapter 1962: Do You Have Any Thoughts About That Position?
After hearing the terms given by Emperor Zhou, Prince Zhen Nan’s gaze fell upon Lu Chen in the great hall. If the Royal Family can truly return the territory and hand the Deceit Suppression Bureau to the Zhen Nan Prince Manor,
then Lu Chen should be much safer. At the very least, the Royal Family certainly does not wish for anything to happen to Lu Chen.
If anything were to happen to Lu Chen, the Zhen Nan Prince Manor might take extreme actions to retaliate against the Royal Family. If they were to release those strange evils imprisoned in the Demon Suppression Tower, Dazhou’s demise would be near.
Of course, while the Royal Family doesn’t want anything to happen to Lu Chen, other dynasties will certainly try every possible way to eliminate Lu Chen and frame the Great Zhou Royal Family. In this way, the Zhen Nan Prince Manor and the Great Zhou Royal Family would completely fall out, and other dynasties or forces could easily destroy Dazhou.
Therefore, the Empress Dowager and the ministers in court are very likely to oppose these terms.
Prince Zhen Nan withdrew his gaze from Lu Chen and then looked at Emperor Zhou with a smile, saying, "Your Majesty, the court these days seems not to be under your command anymore. Even if you wish for the Zhen Nan Prince Manor to take charge of the Deceit Suppression Bureau, the Empress Dowager is unlikely to agree."
Once the Zhen Nan Prince Manor controls the Deceit Suppression Bureau, the Great Zhou Royal Family would lose leverage over them. More importantly, currently, the Zhen Nan Prince Manor is allied with the Great Zhou Royal Family. Handing the Deceit Suppression Bureau to the Zhen Nan Prince Manor is akin to giving Emperor Zhou, the Puppet Emperor, a card to counterbalance the Empress Dowager’s faction. It’s unlikely that the Empress Dowager would easily let the Deceit Suppression Bureau go.
Upon hearing Prince Zhen Nan’s words, Emperor Zhou calmly picked up the teacup and took a sip.
At this moment, Emperor Zhou already felt relaxed inside. Prince Zhen Nan’s words indicated agreement to his terms; now, the only issue was fulfilling those promised terms.
The Empress Dowager’s agreement won’t be easy to secure. However, Emperor Zhou believes Pei Shuhua isn’t foolish. If the Zhen Nan Prince Manor doesn’t wish to oppose the strange evils actively, the Empress Dowager’s faction will have to confront them instead.
If the Empress Dowager’s faction suffers severe losses in the confrontation, it will be only a matter of time before she loses control over the court.
After another sip of tea, Emperor Zhou said plainly, "I will discuss matters with her slowly once I return. I trust she understands the pros and cons."
Prince Zhen Nan replied, "If Your Majesty can persuade the Empress Dowager, then this old minister will dedicate everything for Dazhou."
Emperor Zhou put down the teacup and stood up, saying, "In that case, I shall take my leave. I believe a Holy Decree will soon be sent to the Zhen Nan Prince Manor."
As Emperor Zhou stood, both Prince Zhen Nan and Lu Chen quickly stood up, bowing simultaneously while saying, "Farewell, Your Majesty!"
Emperor Zhou said no more and directly left the great hall. Watching his departure, a sharp gleam flashed in Prince Zhen Nan’s eyes. If the Zhen Nan Prince Manor could gain control of the Deceit Suppression Bureau, further advancement might not be impossible.
Of course, that’s up to Lu Chen. It depends on whether Lu Chen is willing.
Once Emperor Zhou disappeared from sight, Prince Zhen Nan turned to Lu Chen and asked, "Chen’er, do you think the Empress Dowager will agree to the two terms proposed by Emperor Zhou?"
Lu Chen replied, "It’s hard to say. If the Zhen Nan Prince Manor gains control of the Deceit Suppression Bureau, it equates to Emperor Zhou possessing two cards to challenge the Empress Dowager. She might not agree so easily."
"However, even if she doesn’t agree now, with the commotion caused by those five Earth Realm Strange, she will eventually comply."
Currently, she doesn’t agree because those five Earth Realm Strange, though they have broken through the Sealing, have not caused major incidents or directly harmed the interests of the Empress Dowager’s faction yet.
Prince Zhen Nan seriously asked, "Chen’er, do you have any thoughts on that position?"
Hearing this question, Lu Chen was not surprised. If the Royal Family truly returns the territory to Prince Zhen Nan and allows the Zhen Nan Prince Manor to control the Deceit Suppression Bureau, then the Zhen Nan Prince Manor will be fully capable of competing with the Royal Family. At that time, seeking to overthrow the Great Zhou Royal Family’s rule wouldn’t be impossible.
Lu Chen smiled and replied, "Father, if I were to say I’m not interested in that position at all, would you believe me?"
Prince Zhen Nan was slightly taken aback by Lu Chen’s answer, he thought Lu Chen was so eager to become stronger due to having ambitions.
Lu Chen continued, "As long as I possess absolute strength, I will have the power of that position even without sitting in it."
"Rather than focusing on how to ascend to that position, I prefer to spend all my time becoming stronger, strong enough to have the power to wipe out this world with a flick of my finger."
Hearing Lu Chen’s words, Prince Zhen Nan was again stunned, realizing his son had such grand aspirations.
Power to obliterate the world with a flick of his finger? What Realm must one reach for that?
For a moment, Prince Zhen Nan thought of his Princess Consort again, feeling sentimental. No wonder he is the child of such a woman.
This ambition, this boldness, is beyond what any mortal can possess.
Coming back to his senses, Prince Zhen Nan showed a slightly benevolent smile on his face, "You are much like your mother. It appears you have inherited all her legacies."
"Unfortunately, I won’t live to see that day... cough, cough, cough..."
Saying this, Prince Zhen Nan began coughing violently, with the backlash of spiritual evil on his body worsening.
Lu Chen hurriedly came to Prince Zhen Nan’s side, quickly raising his hand to hold Prince Zhen Nan’s withered right hand, actively absorbing the Black Evil from his body.
After a while, Prince Zhen Nan’s complexion improved significantly. Prince Zhen Nan continued, "You’re right. As long as you have absolute strength, you will have the power of that position even without sitting in it. But, Chen’er, have you ever thought that if you ascend to that position, you’ll gain more resources to help you grow stronger more quickly?"
In his heart, Prince Zhen Nan still hoped Lu Chen could overthrow the Great Zhou Royal Family. With Dazhou’s suppression over the years, both he and the Zhen Nan Prince Manor’s powerhouses were completely disillusioned with the Royal Family. If he weren’t in poor health, compounded by having only Lu Chen as his heir, he would have rebelled long ago.
Understanding Prince Zhen Nan’s sentiments, Lu Chen said to him, "Father, now is not the time, it’s too early to talk about this. If there comes a day they destroy themselves, I won’t mind casually dealing with that inconvenience."
Hearing Lu Chen’s words, a smile returned to Prince Zhen Nan’s face, "With your words, I can rest easy."
"In fact, the Taizu had similar thoughts. He focused solely on improving his strength and didn’t want to compete, which led to the Zhen Nan Prince Manor being oppressed after his passing, leading to the current situation."
"Chen’er, you may disregard that position, but you must ensure no hidden troubles are left for your descendants."
"Even if the Royal Family hands the Deceit Suppression Bureau to the Zhen Nan Prince Manor, they will not completely abandon their schemes, considering the Zhen Nan Prince Manor always holds a share of Dragon Qi."
Lu Chen said, "I understand, Father."
