Dark Sand: My Players Are All Actors
Chapter 386 - 238 The Emperor Has Escaped! _2

Chapter 386: Chapter 238 The Emperor Has Escaped! _2

...

The court meeting this time ended in discord.

As Jin soldiers approached, the court still failed to discuss a definitive plan.

In the end, Emperor Yingzong of Qi reluctantly made a decision, decreeing that all town garrisons and elite troops rush to the capital to defend the emperor. As for the messy state of the capital’s defenses, he passed the entire problem to Li Boxi.

Chuge was unsure whether Emperor Yingzong made this decision due to his own analysis, given that the capital’s defense historically succeeded mainly because of Li Boxi’s efforts.

He hoped his words might have had some impact on the emperor and the ministers.

When leaving the court meeting, Chuge was about to ride back to his residence but was unexpectedly stopped by Li Boxi.

At this time, Li Boxi was already not young, but his stern eyes and aura did not seem befitting of a scholar. Additionally, his sturdy build and large fists gave an impression of a strong fighter.

"I have always thought that as the Imperial Censor, your greatest skill was understanding the emperor’s will, which is why you oftentimes advocate what’s just. However, I have had my reservations about you.

"However, your presentation in the court today changed my view. During these dangerous times of war, I hope you can put aside past prejudices and join me in defending the foundation of the Qi Dynasty."

Chuge quickly nodded, "Minister Li, rest assured, I will do my utmost!"

...

After returning home, Chuge ate dinner and then paced back and forth in his study.

He pondered why, after he spoke his mind, the emperor and the courtiers reacted in such a manner.

"The main issue lies in Li Boxi’s impression of me.

"It’s evident that after I spoke, Li Boxi’s attitude toward me changed. He said he previously disapproved of my ability to guess the emperor’s thoughts.

"Is this how my character is perceived...

"No wonder the emperor seemed somewhat disappointed in my words, and Tang Qin’s stares at me were also somewhat odd."

"Being adept at guessing the emperor’s intent" was definitely not a compliment.

Of course, for an official, understanding what the emperor is thinking at this time could greatly benefit one’s career.

However, it also means that such a person’s words are not from the heart but rather cater to the wishes of the emperor.

Why did the emperor ask Chuge to speak, and why did he have high expectations for what Chuge would say?

Because the character Chuge played, Li Hao, was known for being adept at understanding the emperor’s will, and the emperor eagerly wanted to hear something satisfactory from him.

Like... how to dump this mess onto someone else and slip away from the capital.

There might not be a right answer to this, but clearly, Chuge’s response was far from what the emperor had in mind.

If Chuge had known earlier that this was Li Hao’s character setting, perhaps he would have considered deceiving the emperor.

Chuge had already pondered the secret connection between Emperor Yingzong and Emperor Qihui.

Why was Emperor Yingzong disappointed with the ministers’ responses?

Actually, whether it was the pro-war Li Boxi or the pro-peace Tang Qin, their words in the grand hall were impeccable. Particularly Li Boxi, a highly talented and capable man, who could easily handle everything adequately if Emperor Yingzong decided to step back and leave it all to him.

But Emperor Yingzong was still not satisfied, why?

Ultimately, it was because most of these senior ministers were from his father Emperor Qihui’s faction.

Therefore, Emperor Yingzong inherently distrusted these people.

Especially toward Li Boxi.

In Emperor Yingzong’s view, his father had escaped to enjoy peace in the south, leaving Li Boxi unable to stop Emperor Qihui, yet forcing him to stay defending the vulnerable frontline in the capital. What kind of reasoning was that?

Clearly, in Li Boxi’s mind, the Supreme Emperor weighed more.

Perhaps Li Boxi indeed had the capability, but for Emperor Yingzong, such capability, prestige, and status ultimately made him uncomfortable.

At this perilous time of war, he reluctantly had to rely on Li Boxi and knew that negotiating peace was likely doomed to fail, so he handed over the entire capital’s defense to him.

But in the future, once the opportunity arose, Emperor Yingzong would surely try to promote his own people and find excuses to relegate these original cadres to lesser posts.

And Emperor Yingzong’s question to Chuge, who played Li Hao, clearly had some suggestive undertones.

If Chuge had given a response that particularly pleased Emperor Yingzong, he could have naturally promoted him, establishing a bridge of mutual trust between monarch and subject: We are our own people.

However, the problem was, building this trust meant Chuge had to follow Emperor Yingzong’s will, which would be detrimental to the capital’s defense.

In short, at this point, considering another possibility was temporarily not feasible.

Chuge decided to keep going and focus on assisting Li Gang in defending the capital, and only then would he be qualified to discuss other matters.

If the defense failed, then they could consider other solutions.

After reflecting, Chuge decided to speed up the flow of time, quickly move to the next court meeting, and seek an opportunity to organize the capital’s defenses together with Li Boxi.

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