Hearing this, Shang Chaozong was somewhat puzzled. He did not know what Lan Ruoting meant. How could they miss such a fine opportunity to seize control of the Yan Kingdom?
Had he not trusted him, he might have been unable to stop himself from wondering which side Lan Ruoting truly stood on.
Niu Youdao was also somewhat surprised. He gave an oh and said, "Mr. Lan surely did not say this without reason. I wonder what advice you have for me?"
"I would not dare!" Lan Ruoting cupped his hands and bowed to him, then turned to Shang Chaozong and cupped his hands. "Prince, as Daoist Master said, a great war is imminent. If Your Highness ascends the throne as emperor now, the tide will lift all boats. How can the officials under Your Highness go without promotion? Could those under Your Highness possibly acknowledge men from other factions as their superiors? How could Your Highness' officers and soldiers accept that willingly? And if promotions are granted now, what will the other factions of the Yan Kingdom think? How are they to decide who rises and who falls?"
"How can everyone be satisfied? If people cannot be satisfied now, with war at hand, trouble is bound to arise and the enemy can easily exploit the opportunity!"
"Prince, if you proclaim yourself emperor now, how will the old and new factions be kneaded together? That will inevitably become a major problem! Once people pay lip service while secretly defying orders, with obstacles cropping up at every turn, it will be detrimental to the war effort!"
"At present, whether you ascend the throne or call yourself emperor is not the key. The key lies in grasping the power of the Yan Kingdom."
"This subordinate believes that Your Highness should not proclaim yourself