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墨書 Inktalez
“Liulang, Liulang!”
Hearing someone call his name, Ye Kai looked up in confusion, nearly startled by the strange expressions on everyone's faces.
Fortunately, he had weathered many storms and quickly regained his composure. He glanced at Li Shimin, who was seated at the head of the table, and casually asked, “What’s the matter, Elder Brother?!”
In response to his question, Li Shimin smiled warmly and handed a memorial to the eunuch beside him. “Let Liulang take a look and help Elder Brother with some ideas!”
Ye Kai took the memorial from the San Shui Eunuch with a puzzled expression. After just a glance, he found himself even more confused; he couldn’t make sense of it at all!
The lengthy text filled with archaic language left him utterly bewildered.
Suddenly, he spotted a line mentioning the Li Family’s everlasting dynasty and couldn’t help but chuckle. The phrase reminded him of Eastern Beauty, and despite feeling a bit guilty towards Li Shimin, his laughter turned rather lewd.
Although he didn’t fully understand the preceding content, he did grasp one thing: the so-called aristocratic families held too much power and posed a significant threat.
“Liulang, what are you laughing about?” Li Shimin asked curiously.
“What do you all think about rebellion?” Ye Kai blurted out without thinking, posing a question that no one within the Tang Empire would dare to ask, let alone in front of Emperor Li Shimin himself. Even Li Yuan, who was present in the Hall of Offerings, would never have voiced such a query.
Yet Ye Kai asked it anyway.
Li Shimin was momentarily stunned.
The founding fathers present were equally taken aback, their faces reflecting shock as they stared at him.
Coming from the modern world and having traveled through many dimensions, Ye Kai had encountered all sorts of people. Although most of the time he had divine assistance in his plans, he had also studied rebellion extensively.
Throughout history, countless thrones have been seized through rebellion, and this is an undeniable fact.
"Elder Brother, let me say this: whenever someone wants to rebel, there are always underlying factors, but ultimately, it boils down to just one."
As Ye Kai spoke boldly, Li Er snapped back to attention, his eyes shining as he stared directly at him. He was eager to know how his Sixth Brother viewed the matter of rebellion.
The others also caught on, all appearing intensely focused.
Though they had no idea what the Sixth Prince, who had little interest in political schemes, currently thought as Prince Qin, his simple words stirred something within them.
Ye Kai poured himself another glass of Peach Blossom Wine and leisurely continued, "To put it simply, a country exists because of its people. The grassroots—ordinary citizens—don’t care about cultivators or spells; what they truly care about is their basic needs."
"So hunger is the first concern, and life is the second. Yet within these two, it is actually 'life' that is crucial. When there’s a chance to survive, who would rebel?!"
"Next, we have the so-called noble families. If they want to rebel, they cannot bypass the grassroots—ordinary citizens. With their support, they can gather their own Bloodline's Dragon's Vein Stake, ignite their lineage, and seek protection."
"Moreover, ambition needs a platform. It’s like setting a fire; if you burn dry grass, it will surely ignite into a great blaze. But what if it’s a wet meadow? Elder Brother, our Li Family also rose through rebellion; doesn’t this principle hold true?"
Li Er listened calmly to Ye Kai's analysis and nodded thoughtfully. "Indeed. From the very first moment I laid eyes on Yang Guang, I wanted to eliminate him."
After saying this, Li Er showed no embarrassment; instead, he smiled proudly. The others joined in with amused expressions, especially Cheng the Old Demon and Wei Chi Heitan, who laughed the loudest.
However, after their laughter subsided and they pondered for a moment, they nodded in agreement with slightly serious expressions. Li Er continued, "Liulang is right. If Elder Brother had set that fire on a wet meadow, it would have been akin to seeking death."
Upon hearing this, Ye Kai chuckled again and took another sip of Peach Blossom Wine before asking with a grin, "Honestly now, Elder Brother, are you afraid of anyone rebelling?"
Li Er paused for a moment before bursting into laughter. "Hahaha! Elder Brother has fought in hundreds of battles; the last thing he fears is the chaos of war. Of course, there are indeed some who are being unruly lately—our own Li clan members!"
"Ha ha ha..." Ye Kai exchanged a glance with Li Er, both bursting into laughter.
Ye Kai picked up the wine jug and walked over to the dragon throne. He examined it critically, then patted the seat and grimaced, saying, "This hard chair is so uncomfortable that even if it were given to me, I would refuse it."
The officials present were taken aback by his boldness, but Li Er continued to chuckle at him. Ye Kai rolled his eyes dramatically and quoted a well-worn phrase, saying lightly, "As the saying goes, 'Water can carry a boat; it can also capsize it!' And 'He who wins the hearts of the people wins the throne.' What do you think, Elder Brother?"
"Good, good! 'Water can carry a boat; it can also capsize it!' 'He who wins the hearts of the people wins the throne!'"
Li Er suddenly stood up, his eyes shining brightly. "Liulang is indeed extraordinary! Elder Brother has long surpassed me. In my Li Family, aside from Liulang, there is no one else worthy of being called the number one talent."
"Ha ha ha... Prince Qin is truly talented; I humbly bow to you!" Wei Zheng was the first to step forward and salute.
Following him, Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, Li Jing, and Qin Qiong all simultaneously bowed in respect.
In an instant, a blue-white glow flickered around the civil officials, while the military generals radiated a sharp golden-white light.
"Then, how does Liulang think we should handle matters concerning the aristocracy?" Li Er asked, regaining his composure and smiling broadly.
Ye Kai wasn't quite sure what to do but knew that without experience as a representative, he couldn't offer any strategies. Having seen countless palace intrigue dramas where nearly every plot had been exhausted, he felt this was just a minor issue.
Li Er had just ascended to the throne; everything was still unstable. He only wanted to soothe tensions and could think of nothing but that.
However, someone had come out causing trouble, which not only irritated him but also ignited his anger. Imagine a decisive and rebellious Li Er—how could he possibly lack killing intent?
Unfortunately, he couldn't think of any 'poisonous schemes,' so he had no choice but to let everyone brainstorm together.
At that moment, Li Er disregarded any formalities between ruler and subject and directly pulled Ye Kai over, pressing him down onto the dragon throne and signaling for him to continue.
Ye Kai truly did not find anything special about the throne. At most, he felt a momentary daze when he sat down, but it was just that—one fleeting moment.
He shot an annoyed glare at Li Er, who had snatched his wine flask, and grumbled, "In great powers, division must follow unity, and unity must lead to division. The aristocracy is no exception. Even if they have existed for thousands of years, when a family grows to its limit, the distribution of benefits can never be equal. So, it's simple—just split the family!"
"Split the family?"
"Split the family?!"
"Split the family!!!"
Hiss!!!
The officials and military generals in the Celestial Pavilion gasped in shock simultaneously. They never expected it to be this simple, and they felt a chill run down their spines at the sight of His Highness's impatient expression.
"Ha!!! What a splendid idea to split the family!" Li Er clapped his hands vigorously, his eyes instantly glowing with a crimson light. He was eager to establish his authority through bloodshed.
However, Ye Kai suddenly spoke again in a leisurely manner, "Actually, there are other methods as well. You probably handle them better than I do. Of course, it's also quite simple; along with what I just said, it's just three words..."
As everyone’s eyes lit up with excitement, Ye Kai stretched lazily and muttered, "I've used my brain too much today; I'm tired." Then, as the crowd seemed ready to explode with frustration, he smiled slightly and added, "Remember, it's just three words: divide, entice!"
"The first step—'divide'—is about splitting the family and also about feudalism. It can temporarily appease this group of ingrates. Of course, with great families comes great wealth; some will inevitably gain more while others gain less. So..."
"At the same time, as more families emerge and one gains more, another can afford to lose a little... After all, our Li Family isn't exactly wealthy..."
"The second step—'entice'—is also quite simple. As the name suggests, it involves temptation. Whether it's fame, fortune, or beautiful women—or perhaps some technique manuals or divine weapons—anything that can win over those who feel dissatisfied or even resentful will do."
"This step isn't limited to just one family; you can entice other families as well. You can arrange for people to sow discord internally or have beautiful women whisper sweet nothings in their ears. You all know what to do..."
"The third step, which is 'to support,' since there are already so many noble families, let's support a few more and bring them out as pioneers. I don't believe they won't follow us wholeheartedly."
"Of course, this step can also be divided into several stages. For example, dissatisfaction from the collateral branches of certain noble families towards the legitimate heirs, or their great ambitions, are all excellent experimental materials..."
"..."
Ye Kai was getting more and more excited as he spoke, letting his thoughts flow freely, even venturing into some outrageous ideas.
The talk of exterminating entire families and punishing nine generations left Li Er dumbfounded, while the many civil officials and military generals present felt a chill in their hearts, their eyes filled with shock.
It was unclear how long he had been speaking when Ye Kai finally grew tired. He smacked his lips and snatched the wine jug from Li Er's hands, gulping down a few mouthfuls before sighing in satisfaction. "Alright, that's enough for today. I'm exhausted. You all can handle the rest. I'm leaving..."
Li Er stared blankly at this Sixth Brother, who had never liked schemes or intrigues, feeling a sense of relief for the first time.
Yes, relief.
Fortunately, Sixth Brother had never liked being constrained or restricted. If he were forced to sit in this position for too long, he would explode in less than three hours.
With that thought, he regained his composure, but suddenly an overwhelming and terrifying killing intent surged from him, shocking everyone present.
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