Ministers Begging Me to Ascend the Throne

Chapter 1009: Chapter 90: Prince Han’s Ambition (Part 3)

Yang Ling was unaware of these matters; this was the first time he had heard of them.

"Is there such a thing?"

"Sir, it was our tenth brother who initially proposed to our father to sell the tea, porcelain, silk, and other goods of the Great Zhou to foreign countries," Prince Chu said with a smile. "Over the years, just by selling tea, porcelain, and silk, the court has earned a lot of money. The Minister of Revenue has long regarded our tenth brother as the God of Wealth."

Yang Ling looked surprised, "I didn’t expect it was Prince Han’s idea."

"Our tenth brother once told me that opening the maritime ban would make the Great Zhou a lot of money, and the facts have proven him right." Regarding the opening of the maritime ban, Prince Chu admitted he didn’t have the foresight of Zhao Yao. "Our tenth brother said Swamp Prefecture’s geographical location is very advantageous; not only is it by the sea, but it is also close to countries like Annan. Turning it into the first trade prefecture of the Great Zhou would bring endless wealth to our nation. In just a few days of the trade conference, it made Swamp Prefecture earn more than a year’s tax revenue of the national treasury."

"This doesn’t mean Prince Han has no personal motives."

"To you and others, it seems our tenth brother had ulterior motives, but to me, he merely wishes for the people of Lingnan to live well and wants the Great Zhou to earn money from foreign lands."

Yang Ling thought Prince Chu’s words were too naive, and he gazed at Prince Chu in disbelief.

Seeing Yang Ling’s incredulous expression, Prince Chu chuckled, "Sir, do you not believe our tenth brother has the heart for the country and the people?"

Yang Ling said nothing.

"Sir, you should know that before our tenth brother went to Lingnan, he made many good things that benefited the nation and the people."

Yang Ling replied, "I know this."

"If our tenth brother had the desire to compete for the throne, he could have used those things he created to build his own momentum, but he did nothing of the sort," Prince Chu continued, "Sir, you should also know that our tenth brother has a high reputation among the people."

"I know."

"Have you ever noticed our tenth brother using public sentiment for his personal gain?"

This question left Yang Ling speechless because he realized that Prince Han indeed had not used public sentiment for his benefit.

"Sir, our tenth brother’s maternal family are famous merchants in Yangzhou. They may not have wealth enough to rival the nation, but the Liang family’s resources aren’t small. Have you ever seen our tenth brother use the Liang family’s wealth to bribe officials?"

"Last year, our tenth brother created glass. Apart from giving it to our father and several elder brothers, he didn’t give it to any ministers," Prince Chu continued, "You must know that many ministers sought our tenth brother in private to buy glass as a gesture of goodwill, but our tenth brother pretended not to notice."

"If our tenth brother truly had intentions for the throne, he could have used glass to win over people. But have you seen him do that?"

"Not to mention glass, let’s talk about the soap made a few years ago. After our tenth brother made it, he immediately turned it over to our father. If he had ambitions for the throne, he could have used soap to sway many ministers, but he didn’t."

"And there’s also the new salt. Last year, as soon as he arrived in Swamp Prefecture, he made new salt. If he had designs on the throne, he wouldn’t have submitted the formula to the court. He submitted it to stabilize the salt price so that everyone could have good salt."

"He made fertilizer to make the fields more fertile, so the people could have better harvests. He made paper and developed printing technology, so scholars could afford books."

As Prince Chu spoke, he couldn’t help but reveal a proud expression: "Our tenth brother has done all these things, not a single one for himself, all for the people. Sir, do you still believe our tenth brother doesn’t have a heart for the country and its people?"

Yang Ling was rendered speechless by Prince Chu’s words.

"Sir, you and the ministers all think that everything we princes do is with an agenda, with the purpose of vying for the throne, not truly for the people, correct?"

Yang Ling: "Your Highness, as a Prince, it’s impossible not to have the ambition for the throne."

"Our tenth brother doesn’t; everything he does is for the people, not himself." Prince Chu didn’t blame Yang Ling for thinking that way about Zhao Yao; his purpose was to let Yang Ling know that Zhao Yao truly didn’t have designs on the throne. "Our tenth brother once said that as a prince, he should do something for the people, and that is the responsibility of a prince. That’s also what I believe. Initially, I didn’t have ambitions for the throne either; I only managed Liangzhou well, ensuring the people there had enough to eat and wear."

Yang Ling knew that back when Prince Chu was in Liangzhou, he indeed had no ambitions for the throne. He had regretted that for quite some time back then.

"Sir, you believed that I had no aspirations for the throne, why don’t you believe our tenth brother now?" The reason Prince Chu later harbored ambitions for the throne was because the actions of the abolished Crown Prince deeply disappointed him; he felt that handing over the Great Zhou to the abolished Crown Prince would not lead to better lives for the people. "You knew perfectly well what our tenth brother had done before, so why did you choose to ignore it like those ministers?"

Yang Ling was shamed by Prince Chu’s questioning. He stood up and bowed to Prince Chu.

"Your Highness, I was wrong." Indeed, he knew very well that Prince Han had done so many good things for the common people, yet he ignored them. "I was judging a gentleman with a petty man’s heart."

"Sir, our tenth brother has been an honest person since he was young."

"Your Highness speaks the truth," said Yang Ling, becoming more ashamed, "I misunderstood Prince Han." He resolved never to suspect Prince Han of coveting the throne again.

"Your Highness, Prince Dai and Prince Jing, as well as ministers in court, will not believe that Prince Han has no ambition for the throne."

"Their opinions don’t matter."

"Your Highness, Prince Han’s trade conference earned so much money; do you think those people will stand idly by?" Yang Ling warned Prince Chu, "Last year, the glass Prince Han developed made Prince Dai and Prince Jing uneasy. The trade conference not only made more money than glass but also gained the favor of foreign countries; Prince Dai and others won’t just sit back and do nothing."

Hearing this, Prince Chu’s face turned cold, and he said, "I know what they plan to do next, and I won’t let them succeed." He would never let those people harm his tenth brother, nor would he allow them to interfere with him.