Do You Want to Be Emperor?

Having transmigrated to ancient times and assumed this identity, where even marriage carries risks, he really disliked this place.

He held Zhao Ruxi tightly, murmuring, "Can we go back?"

Zhao Ruxi remained silent.

Although she had tried to fool the system into taking them back to the modern era and turning back time to before their car accident, she knew it was extremely difficult and the chances were slim.

She couldn't talk about the system, and even if she could, she didn't want to tell Xiao Lingyan that they might go back. The greater the expectation, the greater the disappointment.

Living well and cherishing the present is what they should do.

They died in a car accident, but being able to travel back to ancient times together, love each other, and stay together for a lifetime is the greatest happiness. There's no need to be too greedy or ask for too much.

She steered the conversation back on track. "What are your plans regarding our marriage?"

Xiao Lingyan explained the steps that Xu Zhou had mentioned.

Zhao Ruxi nodded. "Let's do it this way. But I can't tell Master beforehand that we're in love. I can only pretend I don't know anything about it. I'll only agree when the Emperor brings it up with Master and Master asks me."

Kang Shilin and his three senior brothers had all been anxious and worried about her marriage. If they knew that she had known and fallen in love with Xiao Lingyan long ago, but had not told them anything, they would probably be very angry and heartbroken.

The older generation in the family is the same.

So she simply pretended not to know about the marriage. Anyway, this wasn't the only thing she had kept from them; there was no need to make everyone unhappy.

"Sigh, I've agreed to the marriage; I wonder how disappointed my master will be in me," she sighed.

Kang Shilin lived a long life and was a member of the imperial family. He had witnessed too many ways in which the royal family fought for power and profit, and he avoided royal conflicts whenever possible. He did not want his disciples to take sides, and naturally he did not want his youngest disciple to marry into the royal family and get involved in political disputes.

Xiao Lingyan sighed as well, "If he knew I had put you in danger, he'd probably want to tear me apart."

"There's nothing we can do about it. Since fate has made you a prince, let's face all the problems head-on, don't be cowards, just do it," Zhao Ruxi said.

Xiao Lingyan laughed.

What he liked most about Zhao Ruxi was that nothing could defeat her, no matter how difficult it was. Even if she lacked the strength, she would find a way to solve the problem bit by bit, never fearing difficulties and always full of fighting spirit.

"You'll stay in Nanyang from now on. Waves of people will come to deal with you. I'll send some more secret guards to accompany you, and you should have Mister Kumu ask the Emperor for some Imperial Guards as well. But no matter how many people surround you, you must be careful. Don't take any risks, and don't let your guard down just because you think you're good enough."

"Don't worry, I know."

"Furthermore..." Xiao Lingyan said, "Xu Zhou said that our sacrifice is too great, that we're just doing the work for someone else, and that Xiao Lingpu might even become suspicious of us after he ascends the throne. It's really not worth it. He's been urging me to fight for that position myself."

He looked at Zhao Ruxi: "What do you think?"

"I think he makes a lot of sense," Zhao Ruxi nodded.

When she had nothing to do, Zhao Ruxi had thought about this matter many times.

In her past life, she had read many novels and watched many TV dramas, so she knew what kind of people royalty were. After ascending the throne, they would become suspicious of their former brothers, and in the end, they would turn their backs on them and kill many of them.

She and Xiao Lingyan worked tirelessly, earning a fortune to help Xiao Lingpu fight for the throne, and even saved his life during a winter battle. If he were to become suspicious of Xiao Lingyan after ascending the throne and try to kill them, then she and Xiao Lingyan would be the most shameful transmigrators—not only would they fail to become winners in life, but they would also provide transmigrators with another way to die: a miserable death.

Furthermore, since she and Xiao Lingyan are both industrial designers, they will inevitably want to promote an industrial revolution in the Great Jin. However, if someone else were the emperor, they would never be allowed to do such things.

Putting aside the issue of whether their political ideologies align, if they were allowed to cause trouble and succeed, creating vast wealth and advancing social progress, wouldn't the emperor feel that their achievements overshadowed his own and secretly take their lives?

It's really unpleasant to have your fate in someone else's hands.

Xiao Lingyan was surprised that Zhao Ruxi would say such a thing.

He asked in surprise, "You want me to be emperor?"

Zhao Ruxi first patted his head and stroked his fur before saying, "Your father seems to be in good health right now. As long as he doesn't die an unnatural death, he can live for at least another ten years."

Many emperors had short lifespans for two reasons: firstly, they were overworked and exhausted by the affairs of state; secondly, they had to work hard every day as studs, which was also very arduous.

Although Xiao Ge is approaching fifty, he is willing to delegate power to his ministers in state affairs and is not overworked. For more than ten years, he had favored Consort Jin exclusively and was very restrained in matters of love and sex. He still looks very healthy and doesn't even seem to have many gray hairs.

"If we get married and have a son, and raise him to be in his twenties and capable of handling things independently, he can take over the affairs of state. If the emperor lives a long life, you won't even need to take office; the grandfather and grandson can pass the baton on without you having to worry about it. Even if reality isn't as wonderful as you imagine, you'll only have to work hard for a few years at most, and that'll be enough."

She stroked his hair again. "So I think this throne is still worth fighting for. Would you rather worry about your head all the time than work hard for a few years?"

Zhao Ruxi's words, Xiao Lingyan felt that working for a few years was acceptable. He wasn't a lazy person in modern times; his unwillingness to be an emperor stemmed purely from his lack of desire for power, and he also disliked the struggles for power and intrigue.

"Alright then, let's not work for others' benefit and let's fight for it ourselves," he said.

Zhao Ruxi stroked her chin. "That's true, but I think it's best if you do nothing for now. Inaction is the best policy. What do you think?"

Xiao Lingyan leaned in and gave Zhao Ruxi a deep kiss. "We're on the same page. I think so too."

Xiao Ge isn't a fool; he's still alive and well. Yet these people are constantly fighting and vying for his position. It's unpleasant for anyone, let alone someone as clear-headed and insightful as Xiao Ge, the supreme ruler.

It's clear from the fact that Xiao Ge has gradually grown fond of his son Xiao Lingyan and distanced himself from his original favorite, Xiao Lingheng, over the past two years that he prefers children who are unassuming, honest, and unassuming. The princes' constant antics will only lead to their own downfall.

Furthermore, since the Cen Family supports the older prince Xiao Lingpu, Xiao Lingyan's ambition for the throne will only lead to internal strife and make him a laughingstock for everyone.

Therefore, all they need to do is maintain an image of being harmless and detached from worldly desires, and protect Xiao Ge's life as the situation changes, allowing him to live longer. They don't need to do anything else; given time, the princes will bring about their own demise.

This is what is meant by "finding a bargain".