Chapter 332 The Son Becomes Someone Else's

It was a turbulent time, and Prince Jing had a hunch that something bad was going to happen. When he entered the Yangxin Palace and saw Emperor Tai'an leaning sick on the bed, he felt even worse.

Fourth brother looks like he's dying. Could it be that he wants to be entrusted with the care of his son?

That shouldn't be entrusted to him, he has always been so low-key and non-confrontational.

Prince Jing was flustered, but he politely bowed and asked, "Is my royal brother feeling better?"

"Much better." Emperor Tai'an said with a pleasant expression, "Fifth brother, sit down and talk."

Liu Chuan immediately moved a small stool and placed it next to Prince Jing.

Prince Jing carefully sat on the small stool, feeling even more uneasy.

"Fifth brother and his family have been in Beijing for ten years now, right?"

Prince Jing laughed dryly: "Ten years."

"Time flies so fast." Emperor Tai'an showed a sigh on his face.

Prince Jing continued dryly, "That's right, ten years have passed in a flash."

It's over, it's over. Once you start reminiscing about the past, things will get serious.

Emperor Tai'an looked at Prince Jing with a gentle gaze: "When we were young, brothers were all together, so it didn't matter. I didn't expect that at this age, the one I get along with the most is my fifth brother."

Prince Jing could no longer sit still and quickly stood up to express his gratitude: "Your Majesty, I am deeply ashamed of your kindness."

"I'm speaking the truth."

Prince Jing: If I believe you, can you let me go?

Not only did Emperor Tai'an not let the man go, he also reached out and held Prince Jing's hand. At that moment, Prince Jing almost couldn't help but jump up and run away.

"Fifth brother and Shuo'er made great contributions in their journey north. I have never properly rewarded them, and I feel truly ashamed."

Prince Jing hurriedly said, "Royal brother, please don't say that. It is our father and son's duty to share your worries."

"Ahem." Emperor Tai'an coughed twice, looking very weak. "Fifth brother, you know that my illness hasn't improved. I haven't attended court for some time. Not only are government affairs piled up, but if things continue for too long, I'm afraid Northern Qi will start making moves again..."

"Yes, so my royal brother, take good care of yourself and get well soon."

"I'm getting old." Emperor Tai'an sighed. "The crown prince position is vacant again. Prince Ping's rebellion and coup are all caused by this. I think it's best to decide on the adoption of an heir as soon as possible."

Prince Jing's heart skipped a beat: "Don't we still have the little prince? By the time the little prince comes of age, you won't be seventy yet. I don't think it's necessary to adopt one from the royal family."

When Emperor Tai'an heard Prince Jing mention the little prince, his face darkened. When he heard the comfort that he was less than seventy years old, his face became even darker.

Prince Jing wisely shut his mouth.

After an awkward silence, Emperor Tai'an spoke: "The young prince was born weak, and I am uneasy about handing over the country to him. It would be better to choose a member of the royal family who is suitable in age, physique, character, and talent. He is the one who will be responsible for our Qi family's rule. What do you think, fifth brother?"

"My royal brother is right."

Emperor Tai'an gave the anxious Prince Jing a deep look and finally spoke out the words he had been preparing for for so long: "I think Shuo'er is very good. Let Shuo'er be the Crown Prince of the Great Zhou. This will be a reward for his great achievements."

"Royal brother, you absolutely cannot do this!" Prince Jing threw himself directly from the small stool to the ground.

Look at the fate of the three princes before and after. Is this a reward? This is clearly repaying kindness with hatred!

"What?" Emperor Tai'an's tone turned cold.

Prince Jing raised his head, not flinching at the emperor's displeased expression. "Shuo'er has no ambitions and isn't in good health. I don't think he's suitable. Would you mind reconsidering it?"

"I have my eyes on Shuo'er." Emperor Tai'an said lightly.

When Prince Jing saw that reasoning was of no use, he immediately wiped away his tears and said, "Royal brother, this is my only eldest son!"

Seeing someone of his age crying so easily, Emperor Tai'an was really hurt. He reminded her with a twitch in his eye: "Don't we still have Huan'er?"

Prince Jing paused, wiping away his tears: "Huan'er is the youngest son, and Shuo'er is my brother's eldest son!"

Emperor Tai'an became even angrier when he heard this.

He doesn't have a single decent son, but the fifth son has two!

"Adopt Shuo'er to me, and Huan'er will be the eldest son."

Prince Jing was shocked: "Royal brother, this can't be counted like this, right?"

Emperor Tai'an's face darkened. "I haven't finished yet. The choice of Shuo'er among so many royal sons was based on the deductions of the Imperial Master. Shuo'er has the destiny of an emperor. Oh, by the way, I remember there was a rumor that when Shuo'er was just born, there were strange signs in the sky—"

Prince Jing opened his mouth slightly, stunned.

Emperor Tai'an asked meaningfully, "Fifth brother, do you think it's appropriate to choose someone else?"

Prince Jing was startled and said hurriedly, "My royal brother is wise. Shuo'er is the right person for you."

If these words were to spread, the Jingwang Mansion would be in trouble if someone else became the crown prince. What emperor would tolerate a royal child with an imperial destiny being so active?

"Ahem, I'm not very energetic. I'll feel at ease knowing Shuo'er is around."

Prince Jing was in tears.

Fourth brother is relieved, but what about him?

He could have been living a leisurely life enjoying his grandchildren, and the affairs of the palace could have been handed over to his steady and reliable eldest son. However, the eldest son ended up belonging to someone else, and the youngest son, who only knew how to play with cats and dogs all day long, was going to inherit the family business. The thought of this made his life dark.

Prince Jing took a sedan chair back to Prince Jing's Mansion. When he arrived at the main courtyard, he still looked dazed.

"What's wrong with the prince? What does the emperor want to see you about?" Seeing Prince Jing's appearance, Princess Jing couldn't help but feel a little worried.

"Shuo'er has become someone else's..."

Princess Jing was stunned for a moment: "What nonsense is your Highness talking about?"

Prince Jing shed two lines of tears: "The emperor has chosen Shuo'er as his heir."

With a bang, the cup in Princess Jing's hand fell to the ground.

She raised her hand to support her forehead, and it took a while for her to recover. "Then...from now on, the palace can only be handed over to Huan'er?"

Prince Jing: That yellow-faced woman is bringing up all sorts of issues!

The couple accepted the fact and called their children over.

"Father, what's the matter that you called us here at this time?" Qi Huan asked curiously.

Something happened in the palace, so he could only stay at home and didn't get into any trouble.

Prince Jing looked at Qi Shuo with a complicated look in his eyes: "I called you here to tell you something. The emperor is planning to adopt Shuo'er as his heir."

"Brother?" Qi Huan and Qi Qiong looked at Qi Shuo in shock.

Lin Haoyi was stunned.

The emperor wants to adopt Ah Shuo, so wouldn’t Ah Shuo become the crown prince?

In other words, in the eleventh year of Tai'an in this life, the regent will be the crown prince... Qi Shuo while the emperor is recuperating.

This feels like a dream, an incredible dream.

Lin Hao quietly reached out and pinched Qi Shuo.

Qi Shuo was relatively calm after hearing this shocking news, but his face was distorted by the pinch.

Prince Jing was immediately moved.

Look how sad Shuo'er is!

He reached out and patted his eldest son's shoulder, sighing, "Father knows it's hard for you to accept this for the time being, but it's hard to disobey the king's order..."

Qi Shuo blinked and couldn't help but said, "If I understand correctly, Big Brother is going to be the crown prince, right? Isn't this a great thing?"

Why do the whole family have such strange expressions?