Chapter 108: Kindness
For several days in a row, Murong Yang would go to Murong Ying's bedroom to show up.

Perhaps it was because of the prince's moving filial piety that Murong Ying's health gradually improved.

Probably because the isolation between the inside and the outside was relatively successful, the epidemic did not spread into the army on a large scale. Only some of the emperor's guards, the Jinwu Guards, died of the disease, but due to timely isolation and prevention and control, there was no large-scale casualties.

This is also due to the medical treatment methods left by Emperor Xuan of Wei. People already knew to wear masks when facing patients infected with colds and plague.

And reduce contact, use distilled high-proof alcohol for disinfection and prevention, etc.

Ten days after arriving in Jiangdu, Murong Ying's health finally recovered. On the first day, he summoned General Duan Yihong, Li Shenfu, Shizhong Murong Hui, and Minister of War Wei Ying.

The next day, the first person summoned was Guangling Prefect Gao Zhixing.

"Your Highness, I, Gao Zhixing, the governor of Guangling, pay my respects to the sage and wish him long life and good health."

Gao Zhixing is over seven feet tall, in his forties, with a handsome appearance. He is dressed in a decent robe and has the demeanor of a famous scholar.

He was born in Bohai Gao family, was the cousin of General Zhendong Gao Huang, and had been the prince's companion since childhood, and was deeply trusted by Murong Ying. In the third year after Murong Ying ascended the throne, he was appointed as the governor of Guangling, and served in this position for eight or nine years.

It wasn't because he didn't do his job well that he didn't get promoted. On the contrary, it was because he did such a good job that Murong Yingcai never thought of replacing him.

Because Guangling is located at the intersection of the canal and the Yangtze River, all the money, grain, and cloth transported to the capital from Jiangdong start from Guangling. At the same time, Guangling is also an important salt-producing area, and the salt industry in Lianghuai also uses Guangling as a distribution center. Salt tax is an important source of income for the national treasury.

In other words, the person in this position holds half of Murong Ying's purse.

Gao Zhixing was good at governing the people and even managing finances, and the capture of Guangling by Chen Wang Murong Anguo was actually not a crime committed in battle. But at the same time, Gao Zhixing's lack of military knowledge was also an objective reason.

Therefore, Murong Ying also decided to change his position. "Zhi Xing, we haven't seen each other for a few years, right?"

Gao Zhixing fell to the ground and cried without raising his head, "Your Majesty, it is six years and two months. I have committed the crime of losing the land and have failed Your Majesty's grace. Please punish me."

Murong Ying sighed and said, "Zhi Xing, stand up. Feng Jin, please take a seat."

"I dare not sit down."

"I told you to sit down, but you're still so uncomfortable."

"Thank you, saint."

Gao Zhixing then stood up and looked up, and saw Murong Ying, whose face was still a little pale. Compared with the heroic figure a few years ago, he had lost a lot of weight. He sighed again and shed tears.

"The saint has lost a lot of weight."

Murong Ying felt much better when he saw his childhood study partner. Hearing the other's sigh, he immediately laughed and said, "Haha, it's also because of the hard work in the past six months. I first went to Bingzhou and almost didn't come back, thanks to my uncle and the various troops who came to support the king. Murong Xuan, the traitor, rebelled, so I went to Qingzhou. The matter in Qingzhou was not settled yet, so I went to Pengcheng again. I led people from Pengcheng to Langya and ran more than 400 miles in three days. If it weren't for my body being so weak, those guys could have been faster."

Gao Zhixing burst into tears upon hearing this, "It is because of our incompetence that the Saint has to endure this hardship."

Murong Ying waved his hand and said, "Alright, what does it have to do with you? You are a talent for being a prime minister, but I have left you in Guangling for so long. It is really hard for you. Come back with me this time. You will first be appointed as the Left Picker of Relics in the Ministry of Personnel and the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue. It is not appropriate to make you the prime minister directly."

Gao Zhixing wiped his tears with his sleeve and replied: "It is not difficult to serve the saint. I have received the great grace of the saint, how dare I not do my best until I die?"

Murong Ying smiled and shook his head: "I know your loyalty. You will have to rule the world for me in the future, so you must live well."

"Yes, saint."

After talking for a long time, Murong Ying coughed a few times and continued, "Zhi Xing, today there are only you and me, the king and the minister. I have something to ask you."

Quietly, Murong Ying changed "I" to "I", and Gao Zhixing naturally understood what the saint wanted to ask, which must be a very important matter.

So he quickly wiped his eyes, then looked up at Murong Ying. "I've done a lot of things wrong in the past few years. I was a little impatient and too ambitious. Is that right?"

Gao Zhixing was shocked when he heard this, and opened his mouth but no sound came out. Murong Ying also raised her hand to signal him not to comfort her.

Then he continued, "When I was in Guangwu, I thought a lot. Dayan was clearly at its peak, why did the Turks dare to suddenly go south? I kept thinking about it for more than a month, until the arrows of the Turks fell not far away from me, I finally realized that something might have gone wrong with Dayan's rule. The day my uncle left, he told me that Emperor Xuan of Wei once said: Water can carry a boat, but it can also overturn it. Then I realized that I might have been wrong, but I dare not admit it. Zhixing, you grew up with me. In addition to being monarch and subject, we are also friends, so I only tell you these things."

"I seem to have done a lot in the past six months, but in fact I have only been paying for my reckless behavior in the past few years. I thought that after I came to my senses, the world would be able to return to its former glory, but who knew that I was infected with the plague in just a few days and almost went to see Emperor Wu and the former emperor."

"I was very scared. I was very scared during those days. I wasn't afraid of death, but I was afraid that I would not be able to face my ancestors after I died. The world was in such a state after I ruled it. I was in a trance during those days. I dreamed about Emperor Wu and the previous emperor. I dreamed that they scolded me for being an unfilial descendant and wanted to draw their swords to chop me. Hahaha."

"Fortunately, I survived. I may still have some time, but I have to make some preparations in case I suddenly... Great Yan cannot be left without successors. Our ancestors' world cannot be lost."

"The eldest prince, Prince Zheng, has a mediocre personality. I have never liked him, but I know that he is like this now because of me."

"The second son, Prince Liang, has too many thoughts and is even more conceited than I am. If the world is handed over to him, he will definitely go even further than I did in the past few years."

"As for the third brother, he is very smart and can listen to advice and win people's hearts, but he lacks perseverance and is easily swayed. He is not decisive enough. I am afraid he will not be able to handle this situation."

"The prince is very smart, but he is young and his mother's family is too weak to be a help. Besides, the older ones will not obey him and will seize his throne sooner or later."

"The other two sons are just young children. You can ignore them. Zhixing, if you want to establish an heir, who should you choose?"

Gao Zhixing was so surprised when he heard this. Normally, he would not give advice on such matters, but Murong Ying was so open with him, so he had to give a clear suggestion.

Gao Zhixing thought for a while and said, "The sage is now in the prime of his life, and the crown prince is the foundation of the country, so why worry?"

Upon hearing this, Murong Ying was silent for a while. He knew that Gao Zhixing had actually given the suggestion, "The crown prince is the foundation of the country."

But Murong Ying was worried that if he suddenly got seriously ill, like this time, and almost died of his ancestors, the prince was too old to be able to control his brothers, and if there was no help from his mother's family, then...
"The prince is young. I can't kill the eldest, the second, and the third, right?"

Only then did Gao Zhixing understand Murong Ying's concerns, and he was afraid that his sons would kill each other after his death.

"Sage, since ancient times, the eldest son has always been the first choice when choosing a successor. If the eldest son is young, the eldest son can be chosen as the heir."

"You mean the boss?"

Gao Zhixing knew that Murong Ying did not like his eldest son Murong Chao, but at the moment, the only one who met Murong Ying's requirements was this eldest son whom he had always looked down upon.

"Saint, although the eldest prince is mediocre and weak, he is kind and generous, and acts prudently."

"Kind and generous, and behaves prudently? Haha. You seem to have high hopes for him." Upon hearing this, Murong Ying's face showed a complicated smile, which included sarcasm, helplessness, necessity, and relief.

Because he remembered that on the 29th day of the twelfth lunar month before last, he took the princes and princesses to visit Prince Wei Murong Ding who was on his sickbed.

Before returning to the palace, the emperor's uncle Murong Ding also dismissed everyone and gave him some advice.

"Although Achao looks a little mediocre, he is filial, knows the rules, and knows when to advance and retreat. Saint, you have been too demanding of him over the years. Dayan has had three wise and capable rulers. For the next one, being mediocre is not necessarily a bad thing as long as he understands the way of benevolence."

At that time, Murong Ying thought that his uncle had been fighting for a lifetime and might be a little confused. Did the Great Yan conquer the world by virtue?

But after experiencing the Siege of Guangwu and a series of events that followed, and hearing the words of my close old friend today, I couldn't help but sigh in my heart.

Uncle, it seems that you are right.

To conquer the world, one must be wise and brave, and have great talent and strategy. But to govern the world, one must have some benevolence and generosity.

(End of this chapter)