Chapter 384: Do You Have Money?
He didn’t want to return, nor did he ever think of ascending to that position, because he harbored a deep aversion to the Imperial Palace. However, being a man, there were many things he had to take on, and being already in the midst of it, he had no way to extricate himself.
He had no ambition, but he had a conscience.
He couldn’t let those who shared fortunes and hardships with him suffer because of him. They faced life and death together, and if they were implicated because of him in the end, he would never forgive himself no matter where he went.
Moreover, he had promised to be her Brother Qiao for life and to protect her to the best of his ability for a lifetime.
Perhaps she didn’t need his protection, but if he only avoided responsibility, what could he bring to her?
Su Xingqiao was not an indecisive person. Even though he didn’t want to sit in that position, he still had to accept the suggestion in the absence of a more suitable candidate. Because for him, it was indeed very important.
After some contemplation, Su Xingqiao finally spoke, "If it comes to a point where there’s no choice, I accept your suggestion. If a more suitable candidate emerges in the future, I’ll step down. I promise you, before everything is settled, I’ll stay in the Capital City."
Han Jing actually knew that doing so was somewhat selfish of her, but there truly was no better solution now. She said with some guilt, "I’m very sorry, Brother Qiao, I’ve put you in a difficult position."
Su Xingqiao shook his head, "Being in the Royal Family, no one has control over their own fate. You’re right, even if I don’t consider myself, how could I allow my brothers in the Northern Land, who have followed me for years, to be implicated because of me? The Crown Prince already sees me as a rival, how could he let my wings remain unbroken? It’s me who has been deceiving myself, thinking all of this had nothing to do with me. I have you to thank for waking me up, or else in the end, I might have regretted it for the rest of my life."
He had little influence in the court, but in the Northern Land, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say it was his domain. The peace of the Northern Land was achieved by him and his brothers together, and all those people were loyal to him. With a new emperor ascending, especially if the Crown Prince ascended, how could they possibly tolerate them?
He had no brotherly affection with the Crown Prince, but he did know the Crown Prince’s character. On the surface, he appeared as a gentleman praised by all, but in reality, he was very wary of others, narrow-minded, and suspicious. Jing’er was right; once he ascends, the first thing he’ll do is eradicate dissent.
"The Crown Prince now has the support of some court officials, and he has a strong ally in Prince An, so the situation is quite severe for us. However, Brother Qiao, you have military power in the Northern Land. Although my mother is not involved in politics, she helped the Emperor secure the throne back then, and many still trust her. The Han Family seems to have intentions of aligning with us, so when I return home tomorrow, I’ll discuss it with my mother. Since we’re going to do it, we must succeed." Han Jing was not simply daydreaming; seizing the throne was no easy task. But now, they had military power, and as for support from the court, on one hand, her mother could take action, and on the other, couldn’t they be persuaded?
Han Jing’s eyes sparkled as she looked at Su Yu, "Do you have money? To gain support from court officials, you certainly need to show some sincerity, don’t you agree?"
Su Yu glanced around at everyone and calmly uttered a single word, "Yes."