Urban Sims

After the church expedition ended and the coronation crown returned, in the remaining ten years, in addition to stabilizing the empire's political structure and situation, Zhou Ming focused most of his energy on the arrangements for his fifteen sons.

Zhou Ming is no longer sure which women gave birth to these fifteen sons. Seven or eight? I’m not sure, but the son is more valuable than the mother. Among these fifteen sons, excluding the sons of lower-status concubines, servants, and illegitimate sons, there are eight sons. Proper arrangements need to be made. Otherwise, if the arrangements are improper, It triggered a civil strife similar to a battle for the throne, and all his decades of hard work were in vain.

Even the game rating will be reduced a lot.

Opening the [World Map], Zhou Ming looked at the assets he owned.

In order to make a distinction, he took the Ural Snow Mountains as the boundary and called the continent to the west the "Old Continent" and the continent to the east the "New Continent".

On the Old Continent, his Gangduo Empire now controls an area of ​​approximately 10 million square kilometers (it’s not that it cannot continue to expand, but before the invention of wireless telegraphy, this was almost the management limit of an ancient empire). After proclaiming himself emperor, , there are nearly a hundred kingdoms surrounding it that are subject to submission (if you don’t surrender, you will be beaten), the combined area is tens of millions of square kilometers, these nearly a hundred kingdoms, just pick off a few kings, send tens of thousands of troops to escort them There shouldn't be much problem if a few sons with lower status become kings.

In the New World, after more than thirty years of development, Zhou Ming built more than ten cities, immigrated millions, and promulgated the "Homestead Law" to allow immigrants to freely enclosure. In this new continent with an area of ​​nearly 200 million square kilometers, he The new Gangduo Empire established only occupies a very small corner. Not to mention how much land it occupies, even the space where millions of immigrants frequently move does not exceed 5 million square kilometers.

Two continents, one new and one old empire, among eight sons, how to choose the two best heirs to inherit these two empires has become the most difficult problem for the elderly Zhou Ming.

Therefore, adhering to the principle of “easy things first, difficult things later”, Zhou Ming made the following arrangements:

First, the seven concubines, servants, and illegitimate sons were born. Zhou Ming selected a few kings who had no heirs from the nearly a hundred vassal kingdoms around the Gangduo Empire, and placed these seven sons in the Seven Kingdoms in the name of royal marriage. In each kingdom, each person will receive 1 million gold coins for development funds and 5,000 elite firearms guards. Once the king of these seven kingdoms dies, his seven sons will be able to take the throne (it’s okay to just want to take the throne, or let these kings die) position, or take away a glass of poisonous wine... How to operate it depends on how much these seven sons can use what they have learned from him over the years).

There is another episode here. The daughter of Zhou Ming and Snake Girl was born with a temperament of "who said women are inferior to men". She didn't like red clothes and preferred armed weapons. She fought with Zhou Ming for more than ten years and led her. The legion made great achievements in battle and gained a great reputation. After this daughter conquered a kingdom, Zhou Ming set a precedent in history and made her the queen of that kingdom.

Then, after Fanny’s one son, Alice’s three sons, Elena’s two sons, and Eugenie’s two sons (similar to the situation in the previous life, seeing Zhou Ming’s development momentum getting stronger and stronger, Helian, who was not willing to just be the king of a small country with only three territories, also sent this peerless beauty to Zhou Ming through some special channels at a mahjong court. The next step was natural.) Among them, Zhou Ming selected five A son with average qualifications or serious character flaws also found five kingdoms with stronger national power and larger land area from the nearly 100 small countries around the empire, letting them choose, and giving each of them 5 million gold coins for development. If the capital and 50,000 elite firearms corps cannot win the kingdom and lay a foundation, it can only be said that it is difficult to carve out rotten wood, so it is better to return to the country and become a rich man.

Well, except for that one...

There were only three sons left to arrange.

He roughly had a plan in mind. A few days later, Zhou Ming called his three sons together and said to them in front of a huge sand table: "Alan, George (Eugenie's son), you two can go to the Old World together." Choose a vassal kingdom with stronger national power and seal it, or you can go to the New World to encircle a large piece of land you want. Alexander, you can choose between the two Gangduo empires. I will make a decision based on the choice you make. Make reasonable arrangements.”

"Your Majesty, please give me a larger subordinate kingdom." Allen's words were not what Zhou Ming expected, because Alice had mentioned this to him recently, saying that her son Allen had a weak character and was not suitable for being the king of a small country. suitable.

"Your Majesty, I want to enclose a piece of land in the New World." George's answer surprised Zhou Ming. He glanced at his son and found that he did not mean to joke, and George was the only one among all his sons. He expressed that he wanted to develop in the New World.

"George, are you crazy? The New World is so dangerous. That devil's land is not suitable for human habitation at all. A plague can kill you." Alexander looked at his younger brother in surprise, feeling that something was wrong with his head, and then He said to Zhou Ming: "Your Majesty, my father, I want to inherit your legacy and carry forward the Burns family!"

Sure enough, this is the choice...

Zhou Ming had some regrets. He should have given his son a more low-key name, and he should not have told his wife Fanny stories about great emperors to make her happy. Now he looked at the proud, confident man in front of him. He was a little unsure about paying attention to his son who seemed to be born into a noble family.

Because that person, in his insinuation, also made the same choice.

Who is more suitable?

The different experiences of the two people growing up were playing in their minds, comparing their ways of dealing with the world and their inner personalities, and then comparing their respective achievements in the creation of the empire...

But for the long-term peace, prosperity and stability of the empire, a choice must be made between simplicity and nobility, maturity and frivolity, virtuousness and mediocrity, being down-to-earth and reaching the sky in one step.

Three days later.

A piece of news that shocked the imperial capital, shocked the empire, and shocked the entire nation came out from the palace.

His Majesty Emperor Edward announced that the eldest son of the emperor, Otto, would be crown prince, and the fourth prince, Alexander, would be the emperor of the new Gangduo Empire, and asked him to go to the new empire as soon as possible to take over the throne.

Soon, Queen Fanny and the fourth prince Alexander came to the emperor and asked sternly: "Why did you make such a stupid and absurd decision? Alexander is your eldest son! How can you put that A noble crown on the head of a humble bastard?"

The fourth prince, Alexander, with red eyes, his chest heaving violently, pointed at the emperor with gritted teeth and said: "Your Majesty, you pass the position of prince to that despicable illegitimate son, I don't accept it!"

Zhou Ming had no choice but to persuade him: "Alexander, the New World is not developed enough, but that land is wider than the Old World, has richer resources, and is an indigenous kingdom that is easier to conquer. As long as we overcome the plague and Disease, sooner or later the New World will become a golden land far more valuable than the Old World. It is a land full of hope!" Zhou Ming didn't know how many times he had said this to describe the New World, but among all the wives, concubines and children, it seemed that Only Eugenie, who was good at competing for favor and good at listening, listened.

"I don't want that hellish place! Your Majesty, please take back your order immediately and pass on the title of Crown Prince to the person who should pass it on!" There are many people who are enjoying themselves and struggling. Compared with the prosperity of the old continent, A powerful empire, that sparsely populated and barbaric land in the New World to the east, where a single plague could take away more than half of the population, was indeed not attractive at all.

Therefore, after saying such harsh words, within two days, Zhou Ming received a report from the minister that the fourth prince Alexander led a dozen or so highly skilled assassins to assassinate Prince Otto on the street as he was returning to the crown prince's palace. If the city defense team had not been in time, When they arrived, Prince Otto, who had been chased all the way, was probably about to be hacked to death.

"You bastard! I'll destroy you!"

Zhou Ming was furious and immediately asked the guards to arrest Alexander. After scolding him, he was demoted from the imperial capital the next day and exiled to a remote place in the south, where he suffered a lot. Two years later , he was entrusted to a small and remote country. He was not given any initial development funds or a fire protection team, and was left to fend for himself.

At this time, the vacant position of emperor of the New Gangduo Empire could only be passed on to his son George, who had the idea of ​​exploring the New World.

After Otto, the eldest son of the emperor, officially became the crown prince, in the following years, with his resolute work style, superb political skills, and ruthless ability to attack political opponents, with Zhou Ming's tacit support, he quickly embarked on a career He has become the front desk of the empire and controls most of the rights that no one can question.

Watching Otto manage the empire better and better, continue to implement the reforms he initiated, step up training of the army, prepare to launch foreign wars, and consolidate his power... Every step he takes is like a qualified king. Zhou is relieved. Ming also gave up all his power and abdicated the throne to him, and spent the rest of his two years peacefully in a manor with beautiful scenery near the big lake.

On this day, despite the busy government affairs, Zhou Ming still took some time to visit him. Sitting in a wheelchair, Zhou Ming was in a good mood. He looked at the setting sun on the horizon and rarely said to the powerful emperor beside him:

"You must hate me very much in your heart, right? Hate me for why you are different from other sons, hate me for caring so much for other sons, but don't show any disdain to you, and hate me for giving other sons the best nurturing environment. At the age of 18, I snatched them from their mother's hands, kept them by my side and taught them personally, leaving you alone... Sometimes you will also wonder whether you are my son..."

"How could you not be my son?"

Zhou Ming sighed and said: "From the first time I saw you, I knew that you are different, different from all the children, so I will not give you any preferential treatment, nor will I teach you anything, because you You don’t need to teach me. Your growth experiences have already taught you how you should treat the world and the people around you? So I also gave you three opportunities. These opportunities were all grasped by you, but you When you were the proudest, I knocked you down three times, but now, you seem to have gained some strength..."

The voice weakened and said: "Child, take good care of this empire, don't stand still, inherit my legacy, expand the territory, and become a greater emperor than me..."

Listening to these words, Emperor Otto, who always had a majestic face that could not be offended, and whose gaze made people tremble with fear, his body was shaking violently, and many scenes suddenly appeared in his memory, including those when he was sleeping soundly. There is a scene of someone secretly covering him with a blanket; there is a scene of the man hiding at the door when he was seriously ill, accidentally showing his boots; there is a scene of the man holding his grandchildren and being very happy after he gave birth to children...

When there was no more sound, I turned around and saw that he was lying peacefully on the wheelchair, without any breath.

"dad!"

With a shout, hot tears burst out from the eyes of this emperor who had almost never shed tears in his life...

I finally finished writing this story. I was so moved. I wonder if I can write anything as touching in the future...