strictlysupreme Chapter 393: Fighting for the throne seems like a dream!
Chapter 393: Fighting for the throne seems like a dream!
The Second Prince looked solemnly at the Crown Prince and said bitterly, "The fight for the throne is like a dream. It's time for me to wake up from this dream! Before, I couldn't understand why, no matter how well I did, the Emperor always favored my eldest brother. But today at the court meeting, I finally understood!"
"Big brother..."
The second brother sighed and asked, "Tell me, if the person standing behind me wasn't a noble family, would I have a chance?"
"This……"
The prince's smile was a little bitter.
He could see that his younger brother had given up fighting for the throne, but he was still unwilling in his heart!
Come to think of it, after fighting for something for so long, even if I gave it up, I still wanted to know in my heart what exactly made me inferior to him, the big brother.
The prince hesitated slightly, he didn't know how to start the question.
The second brother seemed to see his doubts and said, "Don't feel embarrassed, big brother. Just tell me the truth. I just want to know whether I lost to you in status or ability!"
The prince sighed softly, "Second brother, in fact, you don't even need to ask your eldest brother this question..."
"Uh……"
The second son was slightly stunned, then smiled bitterly and said, "Yes! My mother comes from an aristocratic family. Without her, there would be no me. My position is naturally on the side of the aristocratic family. Even if I don't want to, they will push me forward. I am asking too much!"
The prince nodded slightly: "Second brother, none of us can decide our own origins, but in my heart, you have always been my second brother, and this has never changed!"
"Heh... When Big Brother was demoted before, did you ever suspect that I was behind this?"
"Yes, but there is no evidence!"
The prince sighed deeply, "When I first arrived in Ningzhou, I felt lost, confused, and resentful... But now everything is fine. I don't want to dwell on the past anymore!"
"hehe!"
The second brother smiled bitterly and said, "Big brother is quite generous. He let such a big thing go so lightly. If I were in power at this moment, I would have already started to pursue him relentlessly. This is perhaps where I am inferior to Big Brother!"
"At today's court meeting, I finally understood! The so-called support from the noble families is nothing more than a desire for me to become an emperor who can bring them benefits and ensure the longevity of their families!"
"I can't clearly see Gu Jingzhi's new currency policy, and I don't know whether it will be good or bad for the future. But no matter what, the actions of the aristocratic families these days are tantamount to betrayal to our Great Xia!"
"A group of people who can disregard even the interests of the nation. Even if I ascend to the coveted supreme throne with their support, it won't be long before Daxia falls into chaos in my hands!"
"Many people secretly called me a foolish prince, but now it seems they were right..."
Seeing the second brother's melancholy expression, the prince felt a surge of sympathy: "Second brother! The fight for the throne is at the forefront. You and I are both caught in the center of this storm. It's normal to not see things clearly. In the final analysis, you are only wrong about the direction."
"Haha! Big brother, stop comforting me!"
The second brother laughed and said, "I won't fight anymore. I think being a free and easy prince is not bad either. It doesn't matter whether I'm a fool or not. What matters is that I'm a prince for life. Just based on this identity, I've surpassed everyone else!"
"I should be satisfied! At least I can stop now, so that we don't end up fighting against each other..."
"wrong!"
"Now I don't even seem to have this qualification!"
The second prince shook his head and smiled bitterly.
The prince opened his mouth, and finally let out a long sigh.
a long time!
The second brother stood up and said, "I came to see you today, and I got the answer I wanted. As the crown prince, you are busy with state affairs, so I won't bother you anymore!"
As he spoke, he turned around.
The prince suddenly shouted, "Second brother..."
The second brother paused slightly, but did not look back.
The prince looked at his back and said softly, "When will you leave the capital? I will see you off..."
"Haha, big brother will know when the time comes!"
The second brother smiled, then walked away from the pavilion that carried twenty years of brotherhood.
He did not look back, because he knew that as a member of the royal family, the best ending was to never see each other again in this life. This way, when he looked back, he could at least see into the distance and would not be completely exiled.
The prince didn't stay either.
Even though he was sure of victory, he did not show his kindness too much. He knew that only a prince who posed no threat could be a qualified brother!
……
Time passed more and more quickly. The defeat of the aristocratic families led to a power vacuum in the core of the court. Many local officials were transferred back to the capital with a transfer order. These were all the work of the prince and the cabinet!
Gu Jingzhi has been extremely low-key during this period. He has devoted all his energy to the issuance of new currency and the final layout of the family.
With his supervision, local banks sprang up like mushrooms, especially in the south... Almost all counties had completed their banking layout, and relying on the prosperous commerce and trade in the south, the new currency had gradually completed its encirclement of the entire north.
The books of Daxia were immediately spread throughout the entire south. For a time, the aristocratic families were in a panic!
However, the aristocratic families in the capital had been almost completely purged, and without the support of the central government, the local aristocratic officials did not dare to make any big moves.
Firstly, they were afraid that one day they would be thrown into jail. Secondly, with Dong Zhentang's cooperation, the local garrison spared no effort to protect the opening of the bank!
Daxia Books and Bank were like two sharp swords, piercing directly into the heart of the family.
One is constantly eroding the money they stored in the treasury, and the other is constantly cutting off their roots!
At the moment, aristocratic families still have the advantage. After all, the wealth and foundation accumulated over thousands of years cannot be broken overnight. However, the reason why aristocratic families are called aristocratic families is because they are good at long-term planning.
But in the long run, the last advantage of the aristocratic family will probably be eroded bit by bit.
Especially when it came to money, they wanted to resist, but they were powerless. Merchants from all over the country, waving the new Daxia currency... pounced on them like hungry wolves.
They were unwilling to just accept it.
If they don't want to admit it... the consequences will be even more serious. Because of the new currency law, if they don't follow the crowd, they may not even be able to keep their assets.
For them, watching others make money is more painful than having no money themselves. Seeing the gold and silver flowing out of the treasury every day, those families with a tradition of scholarship finally understood what economics is.
The happiest people are probably the scholars who took the imperial examinations this year and ordinary scholars.
Whether it is the establishment of Daxia Bank or the popularization of Daxia books, they are the ones who benefit the most. One reason is that there are a large number of vacancies in the court and local areas, which means that they don’t need to run for office this year and can be assigned a relatively decent official position.
And the other...
Not only can they read more cheap books, but they can also reduce their pressure on the imperial examinations through student loans.
Gu Jingzhi’s two actions… were deeply hated by the aristocratic families, but were fully supported by the common people.
It's unfair that a small number of people control most of the wealth! When a minimum level of fairness emerges, the minority will inevitably suffer the consequences.
The aristocratic family is like being caught in the vast ocean of people's war!