Daily Intelligence System: Don't Kill Me, Honey!

Prince Lu responded, ”Indeed, I never expected that my virtuous nephew Kuo Kuo could produce such a thing.”

Wang Baobao shook his head and said, ”It’s not an option not to show it, who doesn’t know that Prince Lu never lets go of an eagle without seeing a rabbit.”

Prince Lu’s expression changed, but Wang Baobao continued to smile and asked, ”Does Uncle Lu think I’m wrong?”

Prince Lu felt a bit embarrassed, yet he dared not act against Wang Baobao.

Wang Baobao merely mocked him a little and dared not do anything to Prince Lu. At this point, Wang Baobao said, ”Uncle Lu, we are honest men who don’t speak in riddles. This time, the real culprit is the Prime Minister Tuotuo. It’s not the first or second time that he wants to cut down the vassals.”

”His last proposal to cut vassals was rejected by the Old Prince, and he was demoted and sent away from the capital. Later, when the Old Prince passed away, his remnants pulled him back up again.”

”And he was quite patient, staying quiet and enduring for ten years. When we all forgot his dangers, he reemerged, and this time, his plan was more meticulous, weakening our vassals’ power through the Zoroastrian Sect. My adoptive father was deceived by them.”

”It shows that his treacherous intentions are not dead, and he’s been scheming for a long time.”

Upon hearing this, Prince Lu looked at Wang Baobao and said, ”Indeed, Kuo Kuo seems ill-intentioned, but now he’s the Prime Minister of our Daqian, just below one man and above thousands, having received the Living Buddha’s approval, with half of the national fortune on him. The civil servants of the court are all on his side, and even the military officers align with him, not to mention that the Elephant Master is also on his side.”

”It’s not easy to topple him.”

Prince Lu shared his thoughts with Wang Baobao, who admitted that Prince Lu wasn’t wrong. Indeed, this time, Tuotuo is fully prepared.

At a time when he wielded power across the court and made a sudden assault, the entire vassal king group couldn’t react.

However.

”Uncle Lu says much, but the Emperor is unaware of this matter. Even if he wields power across the court, after all, this world is still ours, the Borjigit Clan’s. This world, on what basis does Tuotuo make a move against the sons of the Borjigit Clan?”

”His Majesty definitely won’t agree to this, he’s just temporarily deceived.”

Prince Lu said, ”But His Majesty has long since departed from managing world affairs, entrusting all the substantial matters to Tuotuo. Even if we have ten thousand ideas, it’s hard for His Majesty to accept them.”

At this moment, Wang Baobao raised the ”Eight Kings’ Biography” in his hand and said, ”Otherwise, why would I have this item?”

Prince Lu’s eyes lit up and he said, ”The ’Eight Kings’ Biography’ can indeed reach the Emperor’s ears, but Tuotuo has the support of the Living Buddha, as long as the Living Buddha backs him, the Emperor also might not dare to oppose the Living Buddha’s wishes.”

Wang Baobao replied, ”The Living Buddha is the Living Buddha of Daqian, not Tuotuo’s Living Buddha.”

”He values Tuotuo’s governance ability, but that doesn’t mean Tuotuo’s governance ability is irreplaceable. You know, there are quite a few people at court who are displeased with Tuotuo!”

Prince Lu, hearing this, paused in silence, then looked at Wang Baobao and said, ”You’re talking about Right Minister Hama!”

The Daqian Court is divided into Left and Right Ministers, with the Left Minister’s position slightly higher, equivalent to the Prime Minister, which is currently held by Tuotuo.

The other, Right Minister, is slightly weaker in power, acting as Vice Chancellor, executing the Prime Minister’s power when the Prime Minister is absent, and this Vice Chancellor is the Old Chancellor Hama.

Hama is a generation older than Tuotuo by twelve years, now sixty, belonging to the older generation.

Initially, if not for Tuotuo and his group of young radicals expanding too much, causing the conservative forces of the Old Chancellor Hama to become too passive, resulting in the loss of the Left Minister position!

For these reasons, Hama and his old faction look down upon Tuotuo’s radical group.

Furthermore, because Hama has good relations with all the vassal kings, he has always been a conservative pillar against cutting the vassals.

Therefore, when Wang Baobao mentioned Old Chancellor Hama, Prince Lu’s spirits lifted, thinking that this old fellow was quite decent and fair-minded.

Moreover, Hama is also the Emperor’s teacher and able to speak up. If the Old Chancellor were to intervene and say something, perhaps the Emperor would oppose cutting the vassals.

Prince Lu shared his thoughts, and Wang Baobao couldn’t help but laugh heartily, ”Hahaha, Uncle Lu, you’re too conservative. His Majesty has never agreed to cut the vassals!”

Prince Lu said, ”Then why does His Majesty employ Tuotuo heavily?”

Wang Baobao said, ”Do you remember whose man the Old Chancellor was?”

Prince Lu thought for a moment and said, ”He was the Empress Dowager’s cousin, an outsider... hiss...”

Prince Lu took a deep breath, having to admit his political sensitivity was very poor, a reason why he occupied such a rich place as Qilu Land yet achieved nothing. Indeed, if it weren’t for his incompetence, perhaps Lu Land being such a fertile place wouldn’t have been cheap for him.

If Qilu Land truly belonged to King Qi, with its fertility, it would have become influential long ago. This is also why King Qi Li Siqi is called King Qi but his fief is in the Northwest.

Old Chancellor Hama was originally the Empress Dowager’s cousin, a genuine outsider and also the Emperor’s teacher. After the Emperor ascended the throne, the Empress Dowager held power, with outsiders helping in the court. In such circumstances, how could the Emperor attain governance personally?

There was only one way: rely on the civil servants’ lineage, just like Grand Ancestor did, using the Prime Minister to balance the outsiders.

Thus, he utilized Tuotuo, who was rejected by the court, to gain discourse power in the court. And Tuotuo, indeed, was impressive, achieving victory multiple times in political struggles, eventually becoming the current Left Minister.