…

At the same time, in the imperial capital of Wu.

Inside the palace.

The old emperor sat on the dragon throne, but he kept coughing.

Because of the continuous coughing, his face turned dark red.

There was not much spirit left in his old eyes.

Obviously, it is a sign that time is running out.

Before today, there had not been a grand court meeting for half a year.

But today, he still came in person.

Below, all the officials, led by the female prime minister Xie Daoxun, lowered their heads, waiting for the old majesty to stop coughing.

After a long time, the old emperor finally calmed down, and the eunuch next to him immediately brought him a bowl of ginseng tea.

The old emperor did not reach out to take it. He just opened his mouth slightly and took a small sip. Only then did his breathing become more stable.

He took a few deep breaths, and the color on his face eased a little.

The old emperor's aged eyes swept over all the ministers.

"Today, there are two agendas for the grand court meeting."

"The first is a four-nation alliance to discuss the matter of attacking Gan."

"I have handed over full authority to the Prime Minister for this matter. You and I will make all the preparations."

"Not much, no more words."

"The second thing is to establish the Eastern Palace."

"Ever since the death of the previous crown prince, the throne of the Eastern Palace has been vacant."

"Now, my health is no longer as good as before."

"It's time to appoint a crown prince."

Hearing this, all the ministers were not surprised.

Not only that, but it also fell on several princes in some way.

Currently, there are three candidates for the crown prince.

They are the second prince Sun Li, the third prince Sun Tuo, the sixth prince Sun Xiu, and the ninth prince Sun Che.

"My Lords, I have many sons, but only four of them are capable of shouldering the heavy responsibility."

"The rest are all young."

"Which one of these four do you think can be promoted to the position of the Eastern Palace?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Prince Ying walked out immediately.

"Your Majesty, I think that the Third Prince Sun Tuo is a pure and filial person, kind and generous, and can be promoted to the position of the Eastern Palace!"

As soon as Prince Ying finished speaking, he was immediately echoed by many ministers.

"Your Majesty, Prince Ying is right. The Third Prince is more suitable for the position of Eastern Palace."

"I second this motion!"

“…”

At this time, an old minister with white hair and beard came out.

"Your Majesty, I think that the Second Prince Sun Li has a fair character, is both virtuous and talented, and is truly the right choice for the Crown Prince!"

As soon as the old minister finished speaking, he was echoed by a group of ministers.

Compared with those who support the third prince, not only are there not many, but they are even slightly more.

At this time, another important official stepped out and said, "Your Majesty, in my opinion, it is the Sixth Prince Sun Xiu who is extremely intelligent and is a good candidate for a future benevolent monarch."

"I hope Your Majesty will understand!"

After this person finished speaking, nearly half of the ministers immediately echoed him.

The number of supporters is almost the same as that of the second prince and the third prince combined.

The old emperor had no expression on his face. He just asked quietly, "Anything else?"

Everyone fell silent.

Only the ninth prince was left, and he didn't even have a single minister to support him.

The old emperor's gaze gradually fell on the leading female prime minister, Xie Daoxun.

"Prime Minister, what is your opinion?"

Immediately, everyone's eyes fell on the female prime minister Xie Daoxun.

Everyone understands that their opinions may also be important.

However, compared with Xie Daoxun, he is far behind.

Only Xie Daoxun's opinion will be truly considered by His Majesty.

Therefore, whether it is the second prince Sun Li or the third prince Sun Tuo.

Even the Sixth Prince Sun Xiu, who comes from a powerful family of his mother, has been seeking Xie Daoxun's support in recent times.

However, Xie Daoxun never expressed his support for any of the princes.

Seeing the old emperor asking, Xie Daoxun slowly took a few steps forward.

He bowed and said, "Your Majesty, the Lord of the Eastern Palace is related to the selection of the future crown prince."

"Only a prince with both talent and integrity can lead the Wu Kingdom to a higher level."

"Therefore, I have observed the several princes..."

Having said this, Xie Daoxun deliberately paused.

Several princes and court officials all widened their eyes, their hearts in their throats, and became extremely nervous.

After a while, Xie Daoxun continued, "I think that the Ninth Prince Sun Che is more suitable for the position of crown prince!"

As soon as these words were spoken, all the ministers were shocked.

Among the four princes standing in front, the youngest one, the ninth prince Sun Che, suddenly widened his eyes and looked at Xie Daoxun in disbelief.

He never thought that Prime Minister Xie Daoxun would eventually choose him.

Compared with the other three royal brothers, he has the least advantage.

The second elder brother, Sun Li, has been in the court for many years and has gained the support of many court officials.

The third elder brother, Sun Tuo, has also gradually emerged in the court. Especially in the past three years, he has been frequently entrusted with important tasks and has led diplomatic missions to visit other countries several times.

It can be said that he is gradually gaining momentum.

Moreover, he was often by the side of Prime Minister Xie Daoxun.

He is known as the person most likely to get the support of Prime Minister Xie Daoxun.

As for the sixth brother Sun Xiu, his mother's family is very powerful and he cannot compare with them.

It can be said that compared with the other three imperial brothers, he has no advantages.

My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It’s even more exciting later!