“Since the time of the sage king Cheng Tang, my great Shang has passed through twenty-nine generations of monarchs up to I. Although there have been occasional rises and falls, the nation has always remained as solid as a rock. Now, I inherits the Mandate of Heaven, governs the realm with benevolence, wins the world over with virtue, and all eight hundred feudal lords are sincerely convinced—how could there be talk of the country’s demise! How dare you, unfilial son, utter such alarming nonsense! I now punishes you to kneel here and reflect. If you still fail to repent, you will not be pardoned!”

　　John Adams struggled to catch his breath. After angrily rebuking Jessica Bolton, he seemed to lose interest and said to Ethan Smith and Ryan Smith, “You two may withdraw for now. Leave this rebellious son here to reflect. No one is allowed to plead for him.”

　　From the schadenfreude in the eyes of Ethan Smith and Ryan Smith, it was clear that John Adams’s last words were as good as wasted. The two exchanged a glance, saluted, and withdrew. John Adams shot Jessica Bolton a glare, swept his sleeve, and left the Zhaoxuan Hall directly.

　　As dusk deepened, the Zhaoxuan Hall was brightly lit with candles. Unknowingly, two hours had passed. Jessica Bolton was still kneeling on the ground, his expression very calm, seemingly not at all worried by John Adams’s rage. He simply circulated his battle soul technique in secret to ease the pain in his knees from kneeling.

　　“Rebellious son, do you know to repent?” At some point, John Adams’s voice suddenly came from behind.

　　As expected… Jessica Bolton secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but still stubbornly insisted, “Your son knows he has failed to live up to Father’s favor, but does not believe he was wrong.”

　　Strangely, this time John Adams did not erupt in anger, but instead snorted coldly and said, “Good rebellious son, you really refuse to repent! Since you are so insistent, I will hear your reasoning. If you cannot give a sound argument, I will drive you out of Meiyi and exile you overseas!”

　　Jessica Bolton could see that John Adams’s fierce appearance was only on the surface, and knew that his gamble had paid off. The corners of his mouth revealed a slight smile. Drawing on knowledge and perspectives from later generations, he spoke eloquently, laying out in detail the pros and cons of the feudal system. He also indirectly predicted the future fragmentation and downfall of the Zhou dynasty, and the chaotic wars of the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, and even mentioned the concept of centralized monarchy, which made John Adams’s heart race.

　　John Adams had always harbored misgivings about the major feudal lords and had wanted to reform, but had never heard such incisive and original insights. Many of the terms were completely new to him. His anger faded at once, and he personally stepped forward to help Jessica Bolton up, sighing, “Little Ethan and Little Ryan—one only knows to win people over with so-called ‘benevolence and virtue,’ the other is completely lacking in talent and has no idea that our dynasty is now beset by internal and external troubles, teetering in the wind and rain. They have truly disappointed I. Since the flourishing age of King Wu Ding, our great Shang has gradually declined in strength, while the various feudal lords have risen one after another and become increasingly difficult to control. During the reign of the late King Tai Ding, he was wary of the growing power of Xiqi and imprisoned and killed the then Marquis of the West, Ji Li (father of Ji Chang). Yet his son Ji Chang inherited his father’s ambition, and the power of Xiqi only grew stronger. To prevent Ji Chang from seeking revenge, I had no choice but to marry off his younger sister Tai Si to him to make peace—truly a shame for great Shang!”

　　“I had thought my son was only brave but lacking in wisdom, but today I see that you are both wise and courageous—truly a blessing for our great Shang!” John Adams looked at Jessica Bolton with satisfaction, his face showing joy. “But… according to your words, how should we resolve the problem of ‘local powers’ threatening the ‘central authority’?”

　　“We should strengthen the power of the Son of Heaven and adopt the policy I mentioned earlier—centralized authority with the Son of Heaven at the core. While continuously growing our own strength, we should gradually weaken the power of the feudal lords. When the time is right, we can then use military force to carry out reforms and establish an enterprise that will last for generations!”

　　“What a grand enterprise for the ages!” John Adams’s gaze burned as it fell on Jessica, and he suddenly asked, “If you were the Son of Heaven, what policies would you use to govern the country?”

　　“Your son is humbled…” Jessica Bolton’s heart pounded at these words, and he quickly knelt down and recited the bold words he had long prepared: “I would implement benevolent governance to educate the people, use might to awe the feudal lords, establish clear laws to govern the realm, and restore the flourishing age of our sage ancestor Cheng Tang!”

　　“To balance might and grace, to be both open and subtle—this is truly the way of an emperor.” John Adams’s eyes lit up, his expression gradually relaxing, as if a heavy burden had been lifted. He blurted out his praise: “My son, wise and brave, with deep foresight and vision for ten thousand miles, is truly the only choice for crown prince!”

　　Jessica Bolton felt as if a fateful event, after several twists and turns, had finally landed upon him, and he could not help but feel emotional. He had long resolved to face everything, so he showed not a trace of hesitation: “Thank you for Father’s great favor. Your son will certainly live up to expectations!”

　　“Good! Good! Good!” John Adams had resolved his greatest worry, and in great delight, laughed three times, then asked an “off-topic” question that caught Jessica Bolton off guard: “By the way, my son, I hear you wish to marry the daughter of the Huang family?”

　　“Well…” In fact, Jessica Bolton had never even met Miss Huang, and was momentarily stunned. But when he thought of Ethan Smith also pursuing her, he immediately replied, “Truly, nothing can be hidden from Father… Your son does indeed have this intention!”

　　—Miss Huang is destined to be my third wife. Ethan Smith, you hypocrite, don’t even think about it. Get lost!

　　“Old Huang Gun, the father of Miss Huang, has always supported your eldest brother. If you can marry her, the power of the Huang family will fall entirely to your side—a double gain!” John Adams stroked his long beard and smiled. “I might as well grant this happy union. Tomorrow, I shall issue an edict to bestow the marriage—how about that?”