Ministers Begging Me to Ascend the Throne

Chapter 763: Chapter 372: The Fate of Duke Zhen Country Mansion

He Lianfang’s house welcomed a new guest tonight.

Ever since He Lianfang agreed to support Zhao Yao, the emperor’s surveillance on him wasn’t as strict as before. Now, the emperor turned a blind eye to many things that He Lianfang did.

In the study, the two sat by the window, playing chess by the bright moonlight and candlelight.

Outside the window, the garden occasionally echoed with the sounds of cicadas and frogs, creating a lively atmosphere.

Sitting across from He Lianfang was a man with a full beard and disheveled hair. He looked somewhat weathered, but his eyes were sharp and bright.

The man’s posture was very indecorous, with bare feet, sitting cross-legged on the chair. He played chess with his right hand and scratched his foot with his left.

"It’s really cool and comfortable here," the man glanced at a basin of ice placed not far away, which made the sultry room considerably cooler.

After putting down a chess piece, He Lianfang also glanced at the ice and then slightly curled his lips into a smile.

Seeing He Lianfang smile, the man immediately teased, "Seeing this basin of ice, are you thinking of your little disciple?"

He Lianfang paid him no mind, sipping the tea placed by his side slowly.

Noticing the lack of response, the man continued, unfazed, "Your little disciple is something else. Just taking the ice, for instance, he figured out how to use saltpeter to make it, which isn’t something just anyone can think of."

"My disciple is naturally not an ordinary person," He Lianfang’s tone was filled with pride.

The man pointed at He Lianfang, mocking, "Look at that proud face of yours, tsk tsk tsk..."

He Lianfang snorted lightly before saying proudly, "Making ice with saltpeter is nothing to Xiao Shi."

"Among all the things your little disciple has made, using saltpeter to make ice really isn’t much," the man said, rubbing his chin with his left hand, "Being born with knowledge is extraordinary, but I’m curious about where these whimsical ideas in your little disciple’s mind come from?"

He then asked, "These things your little disciple has come up with are mostly unheard and unseen. Where did he gain such knowledge from?"

He Lianfang said meaningfully, "The future."

"The future?" The man thought for a moment, agreeing with He Lianfang, "Indeed, these things can’t come from the past, so they must come from the future. But how far into the future has he spoken to your little disciple about?"

He Lianfang said, "No."

The man looked surprised: "You haven’t asked him?"

He Lianfang threw a sideways glance at the surprised man and countered: "Why should I ask?"

"Aren’t you curious about future things?"

He Lianfang replied indifferently, "Not curious."

Upon hearing this, the man looked at him with disdain, "You’re really boring."

He Lianfang placed a piece, capturing three of the man’s pieces.

"Hey, do you have to be so ruthless?" The man hurriedly tried to save himself.

The man’s chess skills were decent enough, and he managed to recover.

"Your little disciple said there’s an endless gold mountain and silver mountain in Japan, is that true?"

He Lianfang did not answer the question but instead gave him a side-eye.

"Are the gold and silver mountains in Japan something your little disciple knows about from the future too?" The man toyed with a chess piece, "Aren’t the Japanese aware they have endless gold and silver mountains?"

He Lianfang found the man’s questions too silly and said disdainfully, "Did you leave your brain at home today?"

The man was stumped by He Lianfang’s response. After a daze, he said, "I have dealt with the Japanese at sea, and they are just a bunch of savages. I hear Japan is a small, impoverished, barren land, it’s really hard to imagine they have endless gold and silver mountains."

"There are many things you can’t imagine."

"If there really are endless gold and silver mountains, then we’d be rich," the man’s eyes glowed green, his face full of greed.

"Not only should you dig gold and silver mountains if you go to Japan, but you also need to control those savages."

Upon hearing this, the man grinned playfully and asked, "Do you want me to become the emperor of Japan?"

"If you want to be the emperor of Japan, that’s not impossible."

The man was startled by these words. He suddenly opened his eyes wide in disbelief: "You’re not joking with me, are you?"

"If you want to do it, then do it," He Lianfang’s tone was very casual, "Xiao Shi said that Japan must be under our control."