Why Not Establish a Constitutional Monarchy?

"It seems I really misunderstood Little Five," Xiao Lingpu sighed in the Prince of An's Residence.

He was at the forefront of the struggle for the throne, but ended up crippled. Xiao Lingyan, on the other hand, became the ultimate winner.

If it weren't for the fact that Xiao Lingyan had been paralyzed for so long without being cured, his mind would definitely be twisted, and he would think that everything was manipulated by Xiao Lingyan behind the scenes, and that he was just a fool rushing to the front and letting Xiao Lingyan step on a landmine.

Some time ago, as Xiao Lingyan recovered from his illness and became the universally recognized future crown prince of the Great Jin, this idea unconsciously popped into his mind again, and he couldn't get rid of it.

However, Xiao Lingyan was willing to give up being the crown prince rather than take a concubine for Zhao Ruxi. This indifference to fame and fortune, and his complete disregard for what they were fighting over, completely dispelled Xiao Lingpu's suspicions.

His younger brother never once considered seizing the throne; he remained pure and kind throughout.

Xiao Lingpu's retainers, Lu Fei and Liu Tingrun, were also speechless.

Could it be that Xiao Lingyan is planning a strategic retreat?

Given the current situation in the Great Jin, does Xiao Lingyan still need to play these tricks? Is it really necessary to pull this stunt while pushing away powerful figures like the Ministry of War who have actively courted him?

"Your Highness, why don't you try to persuade Prince of Qi?" Lu Fei said. "Tell him not to relinquish the throne for a woman, allowing the Sixth Prince to benefit. You almost risked your life for the throne, and so did Prince of Qi. In his eyes, is the throne really so insignificant?"

"Yes, yes, yes," Liu Tingrun echoed.

He understood Lu Fei's meaning. This way, he could test Xiao Lingyan's idea.

If Xiao Lingyan truly had no interest in the throne, it would be a good opportunity for their prince; if Xiao Lingyan did have an interest, it could also ignite the prince's fighting spirit, instead of leaving them completely fooled by Prince of Qi, as they are now.

Xiao Lingpu slowly nodded. "Alright."

That same day, he went to the Prince of Qi's Residence and told Xiao Lingyan what Lu Fei had said.

"Brother, do you really think being emperor is a good thing?" Xiao Lingyan looked at him like he was an idiot.

Then he counted on his fingers for Xiao Lingpu: "First of all, the emperor seems to be the most noble person in the world. But what's the result? For the sake of offspring, he has to serve all kinds of women like a stallion every day. To put it bluntly, we're no different from the women in brothels."

Xiao Lingpu: "..."

At first glance, this sounds really harsh, but upon closer reflection, it's actually quite true.

"Secondly, to be an emperor, one must rise earlier than the rooster and sleep later than the dog every day. One must worry about floods in the east and droughts in the west; one must worry about the people not having enough to eat and the powerful families levying exorbitant taxes."

"After that, we also have to prevent ministers from forming cliques and colluding with outsiders; not to mention ministers, we even have to be wary of our own wives and sons at all times. Just think about it, aren't the Crown Prince and the Third Prince always thinking of taking Father's life?"

"I dared not eat, not even a single bite of my favorite foods, for fear that someone would discover my preferences and poison me; I could not sleep well, having to change places every night to prevent assassination attempts. The palace was a complete prison. To avoid assassination, I was trapped there for life, unable to even leave the palace."

"Tell me, what's the point of a life like this?"

Seeing Xiao Lingpu's dumbfounded expression, Xiao Lingyan continued, "But being a prince who enjoys leisure is different. He can have the finest food and clothing, go wherever he wants, and sleep as long as he pleases. If he likes something, he can take concubines; if he doesn't, he can stay with his wife and live a peaceful life. What kind of life he lives is entirely up to him. This is the true meaning of a life of enjoyment."

"Is this... is this really true?" Xiao Lingpu was completely shattered.

From the moment he was born, the entire Cen Family and Noble Consort Cen placed high hopes on him. From a young age, he was taught to become the most outstanding prince, seize the throne, and become emperor. He spent his entire twenties striving to ascend the throne.

So when he suddenly became disabled, he was confused, in pain, and unwilling to accept it. He was completely unable to adapt to this peaceful and mundane life.

Now, after Xiao Lingyan said that, the beliefs that the Cen Family and Noble Consort Cen had instilled in him began to crumble.

"Isn't that right? Actually, brother, let me tell you, the Cen Family pushed you forward, desperately wanting you to become emperor, not for your sake, but for theirs. If you become emperor, you'll be the one suffering, while they'll reap the benefits. Think about it, think about it carefully, doesn't that make sense?"

Watching Xiao Lingpu leave the Prince of Qi's Residence in a daze, Xiao Lingyan smiled slightly and returned to the backyard.

"Pfft, don't you feel any guilt for fooling your second brother like that?" Zhao Ruxi laughed at him.

Xiao Lingyan shook his head, a look of deep emotion on his face. "Sometimes I really feel that my brothers are all pitiful. They spend their whole lives fighting and even paying with their lives for it, but in the end, it's all because of the selfishness of their maternal clans."

Zhao Ruxi glanced at him sideways. "Aren't you doing the stupid thing you're talking about right now?"

"So, Xiaoxi, I regret it. Really. I really didn't want to do this. It's pointless."

Xiao Lingyan thought that if Xiao Ge suddenly collapsed while his son was still young, wouldn't he be struggling in pain every day?

Life is short. He barely managed to travel back to ancient times and escape with his life. Why not enjoy it instead of toiling away his whole life?

"Do you really think so?" Zhao Ruxi asked.

"Really." Xiao Lingyan looked at Zhao Ruxi pitifully, "You know me, we're the same kind of people."

"If you truly have no desire for power, then you might as well establish a constitutional monarchy," Zhao Ruxi said.

Seeing Xiao Lingyan's wide eyes, Zhao Ruxi glared back at him. "What? You can't bear to part with it?"

"How could I be reluctant? I meant to say, my wife, you're so smart," Xiao Lingyan. "I didn't even think of that."

After thinking for a moment, he said, "But the resistance is quite great, isn't it? It's not like I can succeed just because I want to give up the throne."

"It's all about interests. Let's start with the Industrial Revolution. When a group of capitalists rises up and rivals the powerful families, we can definitely make this happen," Zhao Ruxi said.

She wasn't involved in politics and hadn't initially thought of this. Later, she suddenly remembered it and, after reviewing a lot of information on the subject through the system, discovered that the Great Jin wanted to change to a constitutional monarchy, which seemed reasonable.

If there are no conditions, then create them. Anyway, Xiao Ge is still healthy, and she and Xiao Lingyan have more than ten years to lay the groundwork.

"Look up whatever information you can find, and copy it down for me. If it works out, we can sit back and enjoy life instead of toiling like oxen."