allendalepharm Chapter 129 Yang Ruyi: Son, look carefully, that's the throne!
Chapter 129 Yang Ruyi: Son, look carefully, that's the throne!
Only the emperor and his minister remained in the hall. Yang Guang waved away the attendants around him, looked at Lü Xiao, and spoke with a tone full of satisfaction:
"You have once again made an unparalleled contribution. Sitting in this position, I can't think of any reward that would be worthy of your achievement."
He will naturally reward you handsomely with money and jewels.
But for Lü Xiao, these things are probably not worth mentioning.
In terms of status, Lü Xiao was the son-in-law of the Sui Dynasty, a position of unparalleled nobility.
In terms of status, he was a king of equal rank, and in the entire Sui Dynasty, apart from him, Lü Xiao was the most respected.
Lu Xiao listened quietly without saying a word.
"Zilie, considering that your current fief is in Wuyuan, a desolate and remote place, how about I grant you Jiangnan instead?"
After pondering for a long time, Yang Guang finally thought of a fiefdom, and his eyes lit up.
The Jiangnan region is prosperous and wealthy, with abundant resources.
Compared to Wuyuan, this is far superior and befits Lü Xiao's status.
"Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty, but I am restless by nature, so Wuyuan is just fine."
Lu Xiao bowed and declined. How could he not know the profound meaning of the title "Shuo"—to guard the north and protect the peace of the Sui Dynasty's borders?
Moreover, Wuyuan is adjacent to the Eastern Turkic Khaganate, so if there is any war in the future, he can lead troops to fight and charge into battle at any time.
If I went to the gentle land of Jiangnan, I would have no place to use my talents, and I would be so frustrated that I would go crazy.
Upon hearing this, Yang Guang sighed softly, his face full of regret: "If you were a girl and Ruyi were a boy, your child would surely have inherited the throne and become a wise ruler of our Sui Dynasty."
He always kept the matter of succession in mind. Lü Xiao was brave, resourceful, calm and decisive.
Ruyi is gentle and intelligent. If the two were to switch places, it would be a match made in heaven, and the Sui Dynasty would have a reliable successor.
But since he was the grandson, he was ultimately not legitimate and could not inherit the throne.
"..."
Lu Xiao looked at Yang Guang, his eyes filled with astonishment.
Your Majesty must have had too much to drink, daring to say such things so casually.
On second thought, I couldn't help but feel a warmth in my heart.
Yang Guang treated him with utmost sincerity and without a trace of imperial suspicion.
Now that things have come to this, his continued possession of Japan's vast wealth seems rather distant.
"Your Majesty, I have something to present to you."
With a sudden thought, Lü Xiao took out a neatly folded map from his pocket and handed it to Yang Guang.
"Oh?"
Yang Guang immediately became interested, reached out and took the map, unfolded it, and saw that it marked the territory of Japan, which made him raise an eyebrow.
"So it's a map of Japan. Are you planning ahead, intending to lead an army to attack Japan in the future?"
He remembered that Lü Xiao had always been quite hostile towards Japan, and now that he had taken out this map, it seemed that he had planned it all along.
"It's not a plan; I have already taken over Japan."
Lu Xiao spoke in a calm tone, as if he had only done a trivial matter.
"What?"
Yang Guang was startled, nearly dropping the map in his hand, thinking he had misheard due to being drunk.
"What did you say? You've already taken over Japan?"
He thought back carefully and realized that although he and Lü Xiao had set off together on this eastern expedition, they had gone their separate ways.
He traveled by land to Liaodong, while Lü Xiao traveled by water.
Could it be that Lü Xiao also wiped out the Japanese on his way to Liaodong?
"Exactly." Lu Xiao nodded, pointed to several locations marked on the map, and continued.
"When I led my troops by water, I took the opportunity to conquer Japan. I was lucky enough to win and take over the entire country."
"I have discovered countless mineral veins in Japan, with gold and silver mines everywhere, from which countless gold and silver can be extracted."
He ran his finger across the map, marking the locations of the mineral veins—treasure troves he had already thoroughly explored.
"Wait a moment, let me pause."
Yang Guang felt his head buzzing, so he quickly got up and went outside the palace. He stood in the biting cold wind for a while before he regained some clarity.
"What do these ✓, ×, ○, ☐ mean?"
He pointed to the markings on the map and asked in bewilderment, "These symbols look like scribbles, and they're completely baffling."
"Your Majesty, this is the mineral vein I marked. As the saying goes, we'll split it in half upon meeting, and I have already done so for Your Majesty."
Lü Xiao explained with a smile.
"✓ represents your subject, × represents Your Majesty, ○ represents Ruyi, and ☐ represents your unborn grandson or granddaughter."
"and then?"
Yang Guang was completely bewildered and still didn't understand.
"Then it will be one Your Majesty and one me."
"One Ruyi for me, and one for myself."
"One son for me, one for myself."
"Your Majesty, do you think my method of distribution is reasonable?"
Yang Guang stared at the map for a long time, carefully examining Lü Xiao's allocation method, but felt that something seemed a little off.
But if you count on your fingers, His Majesty, Ruyi, the children all have a share, and Lü Xiao also has a share.
It seems that no one was left out, and there is not a single fault to be found.
After a moment's thought, he nodded: "Hmm... reasonable, very reasonable."
"As long as it's reasonable."
Upon hearing this, Lü Xiao secretly breathed a sigh of relief, feeling as if a huge weight had been lifted from his heart.
This was something Yang Guang himself said was reasonable, and there was no further dispute about it afterward. He did not seize it by force.
The two men chatted for a long time in the palace, discussing the aftermath of the Goguryeo affair.
They talked about the route of their triumphant return to the capital, and then about mining in Japan; the more they talked, the more they clicked.
They didn't rest until late at night, sharing the same bed to sleep.
Lying on the couch, Yang Guang tossed and turned, feeling that something was amiss with the mineral vein allocation he had just witnessed.
After thinking it over and over, it suddenly dawned on me. I slapped the bed and felt a mix of laughter and tears.
You bastard Lü Xiao!
So after all that dividing it up, Lü Xiao's family ended up taking three portions.
This kid actually set a trap for him here!
But upon further reflection, Yang Guang felt relieved.
These gold and silver mines were all acquired by Lü Xiao. If it weren't for him, how could the Great Sui have such immense wealth?
Let alone dividing it into three parts, even giving it all to him wouldn't be excessive.
Moreover, Lü Xiao was a pillar of the Sui Dynasty.
Given his importance, Yang Guang would have been willing to give him half of the empire.
Meanwhile, in Luoyang, the eastern capital, inside the imperial palace.
"Greetings, Princess." The guard bowed respectfully as Yang Ruyi approached.
Yang Ruyi held a beautifully sculpted baby in her arms; it was her son with Lü Xiao.
She nodded slightly, lifted her foot, and stepped into the front hall with a composed gait.
The civil and military officials who were discussing matters inside the hall saw a woman carrying a child walk into the front hall, but none of them dared to utter a single complaint, or even breathe loudly.
This is because this woman is the most beloved daughter of the current emperor, Princess Ruyi.
She was also the wife of Lu Xiao, the God of War of the Sui Dynasty; no one dared to offend her.
"Auntie, why have you come again today?"
Yang You looked up and saw that it was Yang Ruyi, so he quickly stood up.
Ever since her aunt gave birth to Lü Xiao's child, she always loved to bring the child to the front hall.
He couldn't understand why she would come four or five times a day, and he just assumed that his aunt missed her grandfather who was far away in Liaodong.
"It's alright, you go about your business, your aunt just came to visit."
Yang Ruyi spoke softly, holding the child as she slowly paced around the hall.
Finally, her gaze fell on the very front of the main hall.
On that supreme dragon throne, symbolizing the imperial power of the Sui Dynasty.