453: Chapter 453 Imperial Edict

Emperor Hong, who was actually the true Prince of Nanling, Li Sixun.

He had almost forgotten how many years it had been since anyone had called him by his real name!

After a while, Emperor Hong revealed a bitter smile:

"Ancestor... when did you find out my true identity?"

"Does it matter?"

Lin Xiao, imitating Li Wei's voice and tone, said indifferently: "As long as your surname is Li, you are all my descendants."

Emperor Hong was shocked, disbelievingly saying: "Ancestor, are you really..."

"Indeed. I am Li Wei, the Founding Emperor of Great Gan."

Emperor Hong gasped. In fact, after returning to the palace, he had gone to check the portraits of the late emperors.

Upon seeing the portrait of the Founding Emperor, he had felt they looked very similar, but he hadn't dared to be certain.

Now, hearing "Li Wei" admit it, his whole body was trembling.

"Ancestor, can you really not take me with you?"

Lin Xiao said impatiently: "If you still wish to preserve Great Gan, draft an abdication edict as soon as possible. Otherwise, when Lin Xiao enters the capital, no one will be able to stop him."

Emperor Hong's expression shifted for a long time before he sighed deeply: "Ancestor is absolutely right. Only my elder brother has any hope of stopping Lin Xiao's wolfish ambition."

"It's just that, back then, after he and General Mu Tiexin worked together to seize the throne, he felt being the Emperor was too restrictive. He insisted on swapping identities with me; he didn't want to be the Emperor."

"Now that Great Gan is teetering on the brink of collapse, I'm afraid he..."

Lin Xiao frowned slightly. So, the one General Mu Tiexin supported back then was the Prince of Nanling!?

No wonder. He had been puzzled as to how General Mu Tiexin could have looked favorably upon this kind of person.

So they had swapped places!

It was unexpected, yet it made sense.

Now it was easier to understand why this guy had tried to wipe out the Mu Family.

General Mu Tiexin definitely hadn't treated him as the real Emperor, so this guy had felt inferior and harbored resentment!

Furthermore, since General Mu Tiexin knew his true identity, he could even less afford to let him live!

"You don't need to worry about these things. With me here, everything will be arranged."

Lin Xiao said in an arrogant tone: "The fortune of Great Gan is not yet exhausted. If you want to take revenge on Lin Xiao, do as I say."

The moment Emperor Hong thought of Lin Xiao, his mind filled with rage, and he didn't hesitate any longer.

"Ancestor, I will listen to you!"

"Good! This is what a descendant of the Li Family should be!"

The next morning.

In the study of the Zhenbei Princes Mansion.

Prime Minister Yang Gengzhong, who had been wandering around the Northern Region to gain some experience, was called back.

When Lin Xiao handed an abdication edict to the old man, the old man's face was filled with shock!

"This... this is actually the handwriting of that incompetent ruler!?"

Prime Minister Yang Gengzhong said incredulously: "Your Highness, how did you manage this!?"

Lin Xiao smiled: "Don't ask about that. I'll just ask you this: with this edict, can the Prince of Nanling ascend the throne?"

Prime Minister Yang Gengzhong pondered for a moment before nodding: "Yes. Not to mention that he is actually Li Sihong, even if he were just the Prince of Nanling, he could still ascend the throne!"

"However... Your Highness, why don't you take the throne yourself?"

As soon as the words left his mouth, Prime Minister Yang Gengzhong slapped himself!

"I am truly foolish. Even if Your Highness does not become the Emperor, the world currently holds the Prince of Zhenbei in the highest regard. Why does Your Highness need an incompetent ruler to abdicate, thereby giving him a reputation for virtue?"

Prime Minister Yang Gengzhong smiled: "I suppose Your Highness wants to let all the parasites of the world emerge, pull them out by the roots, and then unify the empire?"

Lin Xiao thought to himself that he was truly an old fox, and he did not deny it.

"Indeed. If I were to become the Emperor now, even if Nanling, Baiyue, and the Eastern Region submitted, it would only be a pretense, and the future troubles would be endless."

"Whether they rebel themselves or incite the common people, it will cause innocent casualties and leave behind pretexts, which is exactly what they want."

Lin Xiao was not worried about his own martial strength, but he needed a just cause.

Lin Xiao said: "Instead of that, it is better to let the Prince of Nanling become the Emperor legitimately first, and see how he deals with the Prince of East Sea and the Prince of Wu."

"If the world is peaceful and the people live in contentment, then it doesn't matter if I don't become the Emperor. If he cannot achieve that..."

"Heh... I am still young; waiting a few more years is fine."

Lin Xiao was really not in a hurry to become the Emperor; after all, becoming the Emperor was not his ultimate goal.

He wanted to wait for the large-scale cultivation of potatoes, wanted to solve the famine for more people, and wanted to get the administration of the grasslands on the right track.

Furthermore, if he didn't resolve the Heavenly Palace, he would be constrained at every turn as Emperor. If the common people were implicated, he would not be at peace.

Prime Minister Yang Gengzhong looked full of admiration: "Your Highness, you are young, yet you are able to prioritize the common people of the world. It makes this old man ashamed!"

He was completely convinced. The Empress choosing to relinquish the throne was the right decision. This man would be a wise ruler of his generation.

"Chancellor Yang, don't be in such a hurry to praise me."

Lin Xiao smiled: "This abdication is not that simple; after all, there is still a Crown Prince in the capital."

"That Crown Prince Li Chenghao is just a fool. Your Highness need not worry," Prime Minister Yang Gengzhong said with disdain.

"He is indeed a fool, but even a fool... has his uses," Lin Xiao said, implying something.

Prime Minister Yang Gengzhong was, after all, an old fox. He quickly reacted and laughed: "I understand. Your Highness is absolutely right. I will absolutely not bring out this abdication edict until the critical moment. After all, 'Heaven has made us, and we must have our uses'!"

Seeing this, Lin Xiao nodded with satisfaction. Talking to a smart person was just so easy.

"The Emperor was traveling incognito and unfortunately fell ill and passed away on the road. Chancellor Yang, escort His Majesty's body... back to the capital."

"I will respectfully obey your command!"

Three days later.

The capital received news from Prime Minister Yang Gengzhong.

Emperor Hong had passed away, and his body was on the way back!

For a time, the entire Great Gan was shocked, and all sorts of rumors flew about.

Although various clues pointed to a possible connection with the Prince of Zhenbei, no one would truly make an enemy of the Prince of Zhenbei for the sake of a dead Emperor Hong.

On the contrary, the moment the news was received in the palace, Crown Prince Li Chenghao rushed to summon the ministers, intending to inherit the throne.

After all, a country cannot be without a ruler for a single day. He couldn't wait for the body to be returned to the capital!

However, most high-ranking officials and nobles were more concerned about what Lin Xiao, the Prince of Zhenbei, would do.

As it turned out, unexpectedly, the Northern Daily published a eulogy from the Prince of Zhenbei regarding the passing of Emperor Hong, expressing his condolences.

Subsequently, the Zhenbei Princes Mansion even released news that the Prince was worried about the people on the borders of the Yan Region and was leading troops to assist the Border Army!

Regarding the succession of the throne in the capital, the Prince of Zhenbei had absolutely no intention of participating!

For a time, praises for the Prince of Zhenbei from all over the land fell like snowflakes. This was a true "loyal subject"!

Anyone who dared to say that Emperor Hong's death was related to the Prince of Zhenbei would even be beaten in the streets!

Meanwhile.

Dressed in light clothing, having crossed mountains and ridges and traveled with the wind for two days, Lin Xiao finally arrived at Qizhou.