The Prince looked at the Emperor and asked, "Father, if I know all this, will I be able to become a good emperor?"
The Emperor shook his head. "How could it be that simple? The learning involved runs too deep—deep enough for someone to study for an entire lifetime. And besides all this, there are other things you need to know."
"What else?" the Prince asked.
The Emperor smiled.
"I'll teach you something important. Being an emperor does not make you omnipotent, so sometimes you must borrow power and leverage the situation. If you can find a powerful patron, that would be even better," the Emperor said.
The Prince was somewhat puzzled. "Who could be an emperor's patron? The Chief Chancellor, the Six Ministries, generals, maternal relatives?"
The Emperor shook his head. "They are all subjects, and they will always be subjects. How could they be qualified to serve as an emperor's patron? There are very few people in the world who can become an emperor's patron. For instance, the Tang Dynasty once found Laozi as its patron."
The Emperor lovingly stroked his son's little face. "You are still too young. Your father fears you will be unable to face the storms outside, let alone all those demons and monsters. So your father must find you a patron—a sufficiently powerful patron."
"How powerful?" the Prince asked curiously.
"Heh heh, powerful enough to turn the tide even when the dynasty faces the threat of collapse," the Emperor said.
But after saying that, the Emperor fell silent for a while. I just don't know whether this can be done.
Chen Yan took the imperial edict and led people out of the city overnight toward Juyong Pass. The capital was a full hundred li from Juyong Pass, and traveling by night was difficult.