novelkee Chapter 536 He Can't Afford to Gamble
Chapter 536 He Can't Afford to Gamble
Inside the Taiji Hall, only Emperor Jing'an and Eunuch Cao remained.
When Eunuch Cao heard Emperor Jing'an questioning Prince Yu, he was somewhat surprised.
After all, Emperor Jing'an had personally raised and educated the Third Prince, clearly grooming him as his successor. Now, by questioning Prince Yu, could it be that he was considering making Prince Yu the Crown Prince?
Emperor Jing'an noticed Eunuch Cao's doubts and did not hide anything: "Prince Yu is the most capable and courageous of my sons. If he has truly changed his ways and has become benevolent, it would be most suitable to hand over the Great Zhou to him. Perhaps, under his leadership, the Great Zhou can rise to a new level."
"Unfortunately, Prince Yu lacked benevolence and tolerance, had no distinction between good and evil, and was extremely ambitious."
"An ambitious emperor is not a bad thing. When the country is strong, he will surely expand his territory, establish a prosperous dynasty, and all nations will come to pay tribute. No one will dare to invade my Great Zhou."
"But when the nation's strength is insufficient to support an emperor's ambition, and that emperor lacks benevolence, he may resort to tyranny and abuse of punishment in order to achieve his ambitions. The people will not only be exploited by the emperor, but will also suffer the pain of war."
"Given the current situation of the Great Zhou Dynasty, the priority is to maintain the stability of the state, which requires a benevolent ruler. If the Great Zhou Dynasty were in a period of chaos, Prince Yu would be the most suitable candidate."
At this point, Emperor Jing'an said helplessly, "I do not seek a strong and prosperous Great Zhou, but only a stable country, and that the people may have enough to eat and wear and live in peace and contentment."
“Your Majesty, you harbor prejudice against Prince Yu. Even his fairest answer will be criticized.” Eunuch Cao offered his opinion on the matter of Emperor Jing’an questioning Prince Yu about hunting: “Prince Yu is a meticulous person. How could he not know the purpose of your questioning? He is clear-headed and can give you an answer that satisfies him.”
"But he didn't do that. Instead, he gave an impeccable and most fair answer. Perhaps, he also felt wronged in the hunting incident back then."
"After all, every year during the hunt, the person who kills the most prey is rewarded. If someone suddenly does something different from the others, breaks the rules, and wins, the winner will inevitably feel a little resentful."
"If you bring up this old matter again, Prince Yu may be using it to tell you about the unfairness you've done."
Emperor Jing'an fell into deep thought. Was it really his prejudice against Prince Yu that was at play?
When Prince Yu was first tested on his methods of governing the country, he cleverly responded with his own strategies for governing the country.
When he questioned him again, Prince Yu immediately understood his thoughts, knowing that what he really wanted to hear was Prince Yu's own views on governing the country.
Given Prince Yu's cunning and shrewdness, he could naturally give him an answer that would satisfy him.
But Prince Yu did not do that. Could it be that, as Eunuch Cao said, Prince Yu was taking the opportunity to express his grievances to him?
Standing beside Emperor Jing'an, Eunuch Cao poured him a cup of tea: "Those who value rules will be checked and balanced by the rules, which is not necessarily a bad thing."
“If a person without benevolence and cruel by nature were to become the rule-maker, the world would be in chaos.” Emperor Jing’an was a conservative emperor, so he did not expect his descendants to achieve great things, but only to preserve the ancestral foundation and prevent the Great Zhou from being led to its demise: “I cannot gamble.”
Emperor Jing'an rested his hands on the dragon throne, his fingers tracing the intricate patterns engraved on the armrests inch by inch, recalling Yi Zhen's words: "Brother, the Great Zhou's empire was protected by our mother and maternal grandfather. You must safeguard the Great Zhou's century-old foundation."
He did not disappoint Yi Zhen's expectations and protected the Zhou dynasty.
Rather than entrusting the country to an uncertain factor, why not choose a virtuous and upright successor from the very beginning?
The Northern Qi dynasty is about to fall into Zhao Yi's hands.
There will be no war between the two countries in the next twenty years.
The third son is more suitable than Prince Yu.
With his current physical condition, he could remain in power for another ten years.
These ten years were enough for him to pave the way for his third son.
"Your Majesty is wise; I was overthinking it."
Eunuch Cao did not interfere with Emperor Jing'an's decision on establishing a crown prince; he merely expressed his understanding. Even if Emperor Jing'an still chose the third prince as crown prince, he could still consider Prince Yu's future situation based on Eunuch Cao's words today.
Perhaps Prince Yu understood Emperor Jing'an's good intentions and would not raise an army to rebel.
Emperor Jing'an waved his hand: "You may leave. I need to be alone for a while."
"Yes." Eunuch Cao left the Taiji Hall.
Emperor Jing'an picked up a letter written by Zhao Yi, and as if remembering something, summoned his secret guard: "Keep an eye on Yanxiang Palace."
"Yes." The guard left.
-
Prince Yu came out of Taiji Hall and was about to leave the palace when he was invited to Yanxiang Palace by a palace maid sent by Consort Ling.
When he arrived at Yanxiang Palace, he saw Consort Ling waiting for him at the palace gate.
Prince Yu bowed to Consort Ling and said, "May Your Majesty enjoy boundless blessings."
"My son, there's no need for such formalities." Consort Ling recalled the perilous journey Prince Yu had taken, feeling both heartache and lingering fear, worried that something might have happened to him. She took Prince Yu's arm, carefully examined him, and only after confirming that he was alright did she feel relieved: "I haven't seen you for several months, and you've lost a lot of weight. I've had a palace maid prepare a soup for you to nourish your body."
Prince Yu frowned slightly, subtly avoiding Consort Ling's hand: "Mother, there's no need for such a fuss."
"It's just a bowl of soup, how can it be considered 'making a big fuss'?" Consort Ling's hand fell to the void, and she naturally took out a handkerchief, dismissed the servants around her, and lowered her voice: "Jing'er, you just went to see your father, what did he say?"