Chapter 10: The Butterfly Effect

However, Liu Qi merely cast a glance at Liu De, showing a slight concern for this second son, while his main focus remained on the Qi King Liu Jianglu, who was seated on his left.

Liu De slightly raised his head and saw the cheap old man sitting upright on the dragon throne. At this moment, he had changed into a formal outfit, wearing the imperial dragon robe and a crown adorned with tassels.

In this era, a person who can assist the vulnerable and show brotherly love will undoubtedly earn additional merit

Unfortunately, despite repeated probing over the past few days, King Qi has still not made a clear statement regarding his support for the court's efforts to reduce the power of the feudal lords. He has only spoken ambiguously, uttering some meaningless words about how the Great Emperor and the Late Emperor acted.

He took two steps forward and said: "King Qi!"

But after all, he is a monarch of a nation, not a vassal king like those raised like pigs during the Ming and Qing dynasties, but a true king with real power. Liu Jianglu reacted quickly and immediately stepped forward to bow, saying: "Your Majesty, what is your command?"

The emperor cursed inwardly: "Cunning!"

The four brothers walked to the center of the grand hall and bowed, saying: "We, your sons, pay our respects to Father Emperor, Mother Empress, and all esteemed relatives and uncles!"

Liu Rong! The emperor seated upon it stood up

Under the watchful eyes of the public, Liu De naturally established an image of caring for and protecting his younger brother

At this moment, everyone in the grand hall was seated in an orderly manner, each group sitting together according to their status

After approximately half a tea's time, a eunuch entered to convey the Emperor's command: "The Emperor commands the four princes to proceed to the main hall..."

Reluctant to part with the child, yet unable to ensnare the wolf, with such thoughts in mind, the Son of Heaven took two steps and finally made up his mind, saying: "I have long heard of the profound learning of the House of Qi; for this examination, why not have the King of Qi set the questions on my behalf!"

The son of the emperor is here! Liu Rong stepped forward, confidently bowing to both sides in greeting

Upon thinking of this, Liu De let out a quiet sigh

The royal princes of the imperial family sit on the right side, while the consorts and the young princes and princesses sit on the left side, followed closely by the members of the maternal family

Liu Qi deeply understood the significance of the State of Qi under King Qi

The four brothers quickly got up

Whoever is replaced, they will certainly feel discontented in their hearts

Thank you, Father Emperor ... ... Liu Yu, in his surprise, almost overcame his habit of eating too much.

In his heart, there remains only one term: the butterfly effect

As the crown prince, Liu Rong's advantages are too great. Liu De, barring any unforeseen circumstances, is likely to follow the same path as in his previous life, and in the end, Liu Rong will still be able to ascend to the position of crown prince

Liu De pat his shoulder and smiled at him

Therefore, at the moment Liu Jianglu was named, it was quite unexpected

Moreover, the Qi Wang lineage is still the bloodline of the eldest son of the Gao Emperor, which has significant implications, as it can be said that pulling one hair can move the whole body

While thinking, the four brothers slowly walked out of the rear hall and arrived in the main hall of the Xuanshi Palace

The intention in my heart has already changed

Fortunately, the cheap old man has always been fond of his stuttering son and did not blame him; instead, he spoke with a hint of compassion: "Liu Yu, I permit you not to answer verbally; just write it down!"

In the next moment, the powerful voice of the cheap old man came through: "Liu Rong, Liu De, Liu Yan, Liu Yu, the four princes are all beloved by me, and they are also the eldest among the princes. On the following day, they shall be conferred as kings to establish the state and its institutions, to protect the great Han dynasty above, and to ensure the peace of the common people below. As the poem says: 'Like gold and like tin, like jade and like walls.' It also states: 'If there are unworthy gentlemen, they shall never be forgotten.' Today, all the royal relatives are present, and I, following the precedent of Emperor Taizong and Emperor Xiaowen, will assess your achievements and political views!" It also states: 'If there are unworthy gentlemen, they shall never be forgotten.' Today, all the royal relatives are present, and I, following the precedent of Emperor Taizong and Emperor Xiaowen, will assess your achievements and political views!

Liu Yan

Even so, Liu Yu's complexion was not very good, and his hands began to tremble

The fact that King Liu of Qi personally came to Chang'an to mourn indicates that he still harbors some inclination towards the court, making him a figure that can be courted.

The minister, seated on the left, Liu Jianglu, suddenly heard the emperor call his name and quickly stood up

Emperor Liu Qi took a few steps and glanced again at King Liu Jianglu, who had a demeanor of observing the nose with his eyes and the heart with his nose. He understood that if he followed the original plan to test some knowledge and asked a few inconsequential questions, it might not be enough to impress him

Liu De

Also thinking of that bit of incense and devotion, coupled with being squeezed by the Prime Minister and the General in the country, Liu Jianglu had no choice but to rush to Chang'an to attend the funeral

Liu De was also taken aback

Of course! Liu De subtly gestured towards Liu Rong's back and said, "Did you not see the appearance of the elder brother?"

Is that so? Liu Yan could not bring himself to believe it

Your servant is here

However, the throne inexplicably fell upon Liu Heng, the then Prince of Dai, for reasons that remain equally mysterious: "The Qi royal family, the four-horse chariot, is indeed a villain."

Why is it that I am the one who bleeds and sweats, while others sit on the dragon throne and dominate the world

Liu Yu

To speak from the heart, Liu Jianglu is actually quite dissatisfied with the current emperor sitting on the dragon throne

Clearly, there is a fear that the power of the Qi royal family is too strong to control, claiming that the maternal uncle of the Qi king at that time was a villain, just like the Zhu and Lü families

The son of the subject is here! Liu De also stepped forward, cupping his hands and insisting on his stance.

The child... the child minister is here! Liu Yu might have been too nervous, nearly stumbling and almost falling. Fortunately, Liu De reacted quickly, promptly grabbing his sleeve and steadying him, preventing him from embarrassing himself.

Looking at Liu Rong's silhouette, Liu De turned back to glance at his two visibly anxious younger brothers and comforted them, saying: "Don't be nervous, Father Emperor probably won't ask you anything!"

Therefore, Emperor Liu Qi conceived such an idea—to let the King of Qi witness the capabilities of the royal descendants, in order to reassure him, which might yield remarkable results

In fact, Liu Jianglu's visit to Chang'an this time is primarily due to the numerous favors and care he received from Empress Dowager Bo in the past. Now that the Empress Dowager has passed away, if he does not come, he will undoubtedly be criticized by others.

To this end, Liu Qi did not hesitate to cheat and secretly alerted Liu Rong in advance

At this point, Liu De felt that it was necessary to accelerate the pace of communication and coordination with Empress Bo

It is no exaggeration to say that as long as the State of Qi maintains neutrality, it can effectively restrain the various states of Jiaodong, Jiaoxi, and Jinan, preventing them from daring to risk their own homes being destroyed by deploying all their main forces.

Liu Rongang was the first to walk out, holding his head high and with an air of arrogance

As soon as the Son of Heaven spoke these words, the ease and contentment on Liu Rong's face instantly vanished

In that year, the feudal lords and ministers jointly eliminated the Zhu family, and the Qi royal lineage played a significant role in this effort

It is not that the late Emperor and the late Empress Dowager were particularly fond of the Liu family of Jianglu, as they granted them generous rewards multiple times; otherwise, the State of Qi would have revolted long ago

Even Liu Qi, the emperor who originally did not pay much attention to Liu De, could not help but take a closer look at Liu De upon witnessing this scene.

Liu Rong has always been a person lacking in confidence; this was true in his past life and remains unchanged in this life. Therefore, his confident demeanor as he steps out must be attributed to his father providing him with an unfair advantage.