Chapter 371: Three New Brothers
Luoyang.

Nanyang Palace.

Since Liu Xie had no jurisdiction over his fiefdom, he simply settled in Luoyang, and all his guards, supporters, and servants were kept in the palace.

To be honest, when Liu Xie was emperor, the ranks were not as high as they are now.

Liu Bei became the commander of the palace guard. After Jin Mao ascended the throne, he did not want to give him another chance to be promoted, so he kept him in this position for the rest of his life.

That day, Liu Bei followed Liu Xie's instructions and went to the palace to wait.

After a while, two young men came from a distance.

"Brother, Father has already set the rules. I want to rely on my own abilities..."

Lu Xun raised his head and glanced at him, and Jin Lin shut up and dared not say anything more.

Lu Xun said helplessly: "Third brother, you are good in everything except being too pedantic. Big brother is right, you have been corrupted by those corrupt scholars over the years!"

As he spoke, Lu Xun said with some regret: "Your Majesty has so many talented people around him, but you don't like any of them. You just like to associate with corrupt scholars!"

"Ah~!"

Jin Lin opened his mouth, not knowing how to explain.

Jin Mao's cousin Jin Yun served as governor for two years, but he could not bear the heavy workload and resigned to return to Yangzhou to retire. Jin Mao then conferred him the title of Marquis of Shan and gave him Shan County, which was next to Wushang County, but the title was inherited for three generations without any merit.

Jin Lin has been training in Wushang County in recent years and is very close to Jin Yun. He has received most teachings from him. The corrupt scholar that Lu Xun mentioned is none other than Jin Yun.

How do you explain this?

"Liu Bei, the commander of the Nanyang Prince's guard, pays a visit to the eldest prince and Minister Lu."

Liu Bei appeared just in time and rescued Jin Lin.

"I am just a minister." Lu Xun waved his hands and said, "General Liu, please don't embarrass me. You can call me by my courtesy name."

Liu Bei smiled slightly upon hearing this, and said with a bow, "I have heard of Mr. Lu Boyan's name for a long time. He is a man of wisdom and strategy, and a great man of the time. How can a mere position of Shangshu Lang be able to fully display his talents? It is a great honor to meet you today."

Seeing this, Jin Lin secretly breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Liu Bei with gratitude. Then he turned to Lu Xun and said, "Brother Lu, Commander Liu is right. Your talent is extraordinary and you will achieve great things sooner or later. Today's incident may just be a misunderstanding. We should focus on the overall situation and don't take it too seriously."

Hearing this, Lu Xun nodded slightly, with a complex emotion flashing in his eyes, with both gratitude for Liu Bei's appreciation and helplessness about his current situation. He slowly said: "Brother Jin's words make sense. I will do my best to serve the court. However, although what happened today was a misunderstanding, it also reminded us that as a minister, we must be cautious in our words and deeds, so as not to cause worries to the master."

Liu Bei agreed and said, "Mr. Lu is right. As subjects, we should put state affairs first and always remember the word loyalty. As for today's incident, it is just a small disturbance. I believe that the eldest prince and Mr. Lu can put the overall situation first and put aside past grudges."

After that, Liu Bei looked at Jin Lin and said sincerely, "My Lord, I have seen that you have made great achievements in Wushang County in recent years. You are truly a pillar of our dynasty. If there is an opportunity, I hope Your Highness can support you and work together for the court."

Jin Lin felt a warm current in his heart when he heard this. He knew Liu Bei very well and was grateful for his encouragement and recognition. He replied solemnly: "Don't worry, Commander Liu. I will live up to your expectations and do my best to help the court solve its problems."

Liu Bei was delighted on the spot.

Unlike the silly Jin Lin, Lu Xun knew more about the affairs of the court and knew that Liu Bei had no hope of promotion, but he couldn't expose it to his face. He glanced at Jin Lin again and felt that the road ahead was difficult.

"He was very smart when he was a child, why did he become like this when he grew up?" Lu Xun was puzzled, but there was one thing: he had to inform Liu Xie about this matter.

After walking through the front yard, entrance hall, and central hall, the two finally saw Liu Xie in the backyard garden.

"Second brother, third brother are here!" Liu Xie happily stood up to greet them, holding one of them with one hand, and said, "Third brother is so mighty!"

Jin Lin is seven feet eight inches tall, three inches taller than Jin Mao, which means that the disciple is better than his master. Liu Xie said this because he hopes Jin Lin will have a bright future.

There are examples of the second generation surpassing the first generation, but it has not happened yet.

"Brother, please stop praising him." Lu Xun said with a sad face, "We haven't been with our third brother for these years, and you don't know what he has become."

Hearing this, Jin Lin lowered his head in shame.

Liu Xie looked at Lu Xun with a puzzled look on his face, secretly trying to guess the deep meaning of Lu Xun's words. He gently patted Jin Lin's shoulder to comfort him, then turned to Lu Xun and asked gently, "Oh? What has changed about the third brother that makes the second brother so worried? Tell me, and we will work together to find a way to help him."

Lu Xun sighed, his eyes filled with both blame and love. "Brother, you don't know that although Jin Lin has made progress in martial arts over the years, he has become more impatient and often acts without considering the consequences, relying only on brute force. I have advised him many times that he should be patient in order to achieve great things, but he never listened. Just now, he promised Liu Bei that he would help him. What do you think is going on?"

Liu Xie frowned when he heard this. He knew the importance of a steady temperament for a general. He pondered for a moment and said slowly, "Third brother, you must remember what my second brother said. It is good to be good at martial arts, but if you cannot control your own temperament, no matter how strong your martial arts are, it will be difficult to gain a foothold in troubled times. You must understand that a true warrior must not only have the courage to pull up a mountain, but also the determination to remain calm even if Mount Tai collapses in front of him."

Jin Lin's eyes turned red when he heard this. He bowed deeply and said sincerely, "I will remember your teachings, elder brother. It is true that I was too reckless. In the future, I will learn with an open mind and cultivate my character diligently to live up to the expectations of elder and second brothers."

Seeing this, Liu Xie nodded with satisfaction. He helped Jin Lin up and said earnestly, "It is a great virtue to admit one's mistakes and correct them. I believe you can overcome these difficulties and become the pride of our three brothers. From now on, I will help you grow together with your second brother."

Seeing this, Lu Xun also smiled with relief. He knew that although Jin Lin was impatient, he was not a bad person. As long as someone guided him, he would be able to succeed. He stepped forward, patted Jin Lin on the shoulder, and encouraged him: "Third brother, I am too anxious, please don't be offended"

"How could that be?" Jin Lin bowed again and said, "Second brother is doing this for my own good."

The three of them laughed and talked for a while, talking about their recent situations. Liu Xie mainly talked and Jin Lin listened. Later, Liu Xie asked questions and Jin Lin answered. It was not until the sky gradually darkened that the three brothers had dinner together, still not satisfied.

"Third brother, what are your plans for the future?"

Facing Liu Xie's question, Jin Lin answered without hesitation: "Of course, we should steadily pass the inspection period."

When these words came out, not only did Lu Xun change color, but even Liu Xie frowned and said, "Ten years of indifference? Third brother, third brother, do you know that one step faster than another?"

"As the eldest prince, you naturally have advantages, but now you are giving them away to others. Don't you really have any desire to become the emperor?"

"If that is the case, please tell me clearly, Third Brother, and we won't have to worry about it!"

Hearing this, Jin Lin panicked. He stood up quickly, gently pressed his hands on the edge of the table, looked earnestly at Liu Xie and Lu Xun, and said in a soft but firm voice: "My two brothers, you misunderstood me. Although I, Jin Lin, am the eldest prince, I have never regarded the throne as something in my pocket, and I dare not slack off in state affairs and people's livelihood. When I say to steadily pass the probation period, I don't mean to stagnate, but I want to use this time to deeply understand all aspects of the country's operation, from the grassroots to the court, from the people's livelihood to the safety of the border, and observe them all carefully."

"I know very well that as a crown prince, I must not only have the ambition to govern the country and bring peace to the world, but also have a deep people-oriented ideology and practical governance experience. This probation period is a precious time for me to hone myself and accumulate experience. I want to prove with practical actions that although I, Jin Lin, am not a person who is eager for quick success and instant benefits, I can stand up at the critical moment and take on the responsibility on my shoulders."

"As for the fight for the throne, I have always believed that a true leader should be chosen by the people, not by political intrigues. I would like to win the recognition of the people and court officials with my sincerity and ability, rather than relying solely on my identity and status. If I fail to become the emperor in the end, I will wholeheartedly assist the future monarch and work together for the prosperity of the country."

At this point, Jin Lin's eyes flashed with sincerity and determination. His tone softened with a warm smile: "You are my closest people and my most trusted brothers. I hope you can understand my ideas and support me in moving forward in my own way. The road ahead may be full of unknowns and challenges, but I believe that as long as we care about the country and the people, nothing is impossible."

Liu Xie and Lu Xun looked at each other and saw anger in each other's eyes. What was this silly boy thinking? Did he really think that the process for the second generation to come to power was the same as that for the first generation?
By then, not to mention that Jin Mao would not allow it, even those who had made great contributions to the founding of the dynasty would not allow Jin Lin to found the country again. That would be nonsense.

Moreover, Jin Lin had a Buddhist mentality. How could this not make Lu Xun and Liu Xie angry? They both gave everything to help Jin Lin, but this idiot said it was the same whether they had it or not?
Gan!
"Third brother, do you mean you don't want to be the crown prince anymore?"

Liu Xie glared at Jin Lin dangerously. Jin Lin lost his previous high spirits and asked uncertainly, "What do you think, brother?"

"What?" Liu Xie slammed the table and stood up, saying angrily: "When you become the crown prince in the future, will you ask me whether you want to be the emperor? When you become the emperor in the future, will you ask me how to make the country prosperous?"

There was one more thing Liu Xie didn't say. Whether he was the crown prince or the emperor, that was Jin Lin's business. The two of them could only help him ascend to the throne, but they could not interfere with the decision. Otherwise, Jin Mao would never let such a person sit on the throne.

Jin Lin was also angry and shouted, "My mother wants to control me! My master wants to control me! My uncle wants to control me too! Now even you are controlling me!"

"Can't I decide my own life?"

"You!" Liu Xie was intimidating without even getting angry. He had been the emperor for some years, but Jin Lin showed no weakness and glared at him.

Lu Xun hurriedly came out to smooth things over: “Brother, please sit down first, and you too, third brother!”

"Hmph!" Jin Lin sat back in his original seat indignantly and turned his head away.

Liu Xie refused to sit down and stood.

Lu Xun sighed and said, "Third brother, I was a little hasty in what I said, but my intention was right. You should either not fight for the position of crown prince, or you should fight to the end!"

"One general's success is the result of the sacrifice of thousands of men. The fight for the throne is even more intense. This is not just a game!"

Seeing that Jin Lin was somewhat relaxed, Lu Xun took the opportunity to ask, "Has Third Brother ever killed anyone?"

"No."

Lu Xun shook his head and sighed: “No wonder you have such naive ideas.”

"You know, your three brothers are all ready to fight, waiting for the coming-of-age ceremony to be sent down to a different place to fight for the throne!"

Jin Lin hesitated to speak.

Lu Xun struck while the iron was hot and said, "Especially the Fourth Prince, he is extremely intelligent and has some of the style of your Majesty in his early years. Many people in the court are optimistic about him. Now he has the support of the Xie family in Yangzhou. It will only be five years. I believe he will catch up with you soon."

"At that time, whether to fight or not will not depend on you, but on him!"

"Impossible!" Jin Lin stood up suddenly, his eyes flashing with determination and disbelief. "Although my fourth brother is smart, he has a gentle temperament and has never been aggressive. How could he suddenly have such an idea? What's more, my father..."

"Jin Lin, you are too naive." Lu Xun interrupted him, his tone was both accusatory and helpless, "In the imperial family, where is there any pure family affection? In the face of interests, family affection is often the most fragile bond. Your fourth brother may be gentle by nature, but who can guarantee that he will not be tempted by the power around him and influenced by those who are eager to cling to the imperial power? Moreover, the Xie family is deeply rooted in Yangzhou and has great power. Since they have chosen the fourth prince, they will naturally spare no effort to help him ascend to the throne."

"As for your majesty, he may have his own considerations for the succession to the throne, but more often than not, he needs to observe the balance in the court and the game between various forces to make a decision. And you, as the eldest son, if you cannot show enough strength and skill, how can you guarantee that you can ascend to the throne of the East Palace?"

Jin Lin's face turned pale. He had never been so deeply aware of the cruelty and complexity of the imperial power. He sat down slowly, clenched his hands into fists, and dug his nails deep into his palms, as if to suppress the shock and anxiety in his heart.

"I...what should I do?" Jin Lin's voice was low and hoarse, revealing unprecedented confusion and helplessness.

Seeing this, Lu Xun's eyes flashed with satisfaction. He knew that the real test had just begun. "First, you must recognize the situation and understand your strengths and weaknesses. Secondly, you need to cultivate your own power. Whether it is ministers in the court or local generals, you must have people available. Furthermore, you must learn to scheme and know how to gradually demonstrate your talents and determination without causing the resentment of His Majesty. Finally, and most importantly, you must always be vigilant and not take any potential threats lightly."

Jin Lin was silent for a long time, and finally nodded slowly, his eyes rekindled with fighting spirit. "I understand, second brother, thank you for reminding me of all this. From now on, I will no longer run away. I will use my own hands to protect everything I want to protect."

Lu Xun and Liu Xie smiled at each other. As long as Jin Lin made up his mind, they would do their best to help Jin Lin, correct his shortcomings and develop his strengths until he ascended the throne, so as to live up to their efforts and hard work.

(End of this chapter)