Chapter 982

Two more days have passed in the blink of an eye.

For the past two days, the Sixth Prince and his wife have not moved around, but have stayed in the Sifang Pavilion.

I heard that the Sixth Prince was furious. If it weren't for the Princess Consort stopping him, there might have been bloodshed at the Sifang Pavilion.

After two more days of quiet, the Sixth Prince personally went to the palace and presented the Emperor with a letter of state.

One copy of the letter of state had already been sent when they arrived, and this copy indicates that Southern Chu will send a princess to marry into the Southern Chu state.

The emperor was somewhat surprised by this.

What was unexpected was not the outcome, but that the sixth prince would so quickly submit such a letter of state.

The imperial edict was still spread out on the dragon desk. The emperor's gaze swept over it and finally landed on the sixth prince.

The emperor had long known about the sixth prince of Southern Chu. Huo Yue wrote to say that the sixth prince was very difficult to deal with and a rare genius.

When they first met, the Sixth Prince, though in a foreign land, still carried an air of arrogance. It was not obvious and could easily be overlooked if one did not look closely.

But in just a few days, his arrogance vanished.

Perhaps, he has become better at concealing it.

"The Fifth Princess of Great Chu is gentle, intelligent and kind. If she comes to Great Zhou, she will surely be able to maintain the stability of both countries. I wonder what Your Majesty thinks?"

"Since His Highness the Sixth Prince has said so, that is naturally excellent," the Emperor said. "Our Fourth Prince is also a gentle person and has no principal wife. I believe he will get along well with the Fifth Princess in the future."

As long as she is a legitimate princess, not some member of the royal family, that is enough to show their sincerity.

With a few words from the two of them, the fates of two complete strangers were decided.

Having finished discussing the important matters, the Sixth Prince threw off his robes and knelt down immediately: "I have another matter I would like to ask Your Majesty for assistance with."

"oh?"

"The situation in Southern Chu is currently chaotic. I have failed in my duties and will face difficulties upon my return. Therefore, I would like to ask Your Majesty for assistance in helping me ascend the throne."

After saying that, the sixth prince pressed his forehead to the ground.

The emperor raised an eyebrow and looked intently at the sixth prince.

This boy's ambition is truly immense.

Seeing that the regent's position is unstable, he now actually wants to go further and become emperor?

The emperor's eyes held an undisguised scrutiny. Now that the sixth prince needed his help, he bowed his head to the ground, allowing the emperor's condescending gaze to examine him.

After a long pause, the emperor finally spoke: "This matter is of great importance. What will our Great Zhou gain by supporting you?"

"Like other vassal states, Chu will offer tribute to the Great Zhou every year. If I ascend the throne, I will promote the opening of border trade to safeguard long-term stability."

Open up trade.

This resonated with the emperor.

However, the emperor did not make any promises to him in person, but simply told him to go back.

As the sixth prince left the palace, his steps remained steady, but his hands, hidden in his sleeves, were clenched into fists.

Upon returning to the Sifang Pavilion and seeing his princess consort waiting for him, the sixth prince finally relaxed.

"What did His Majesty of the Great Zhou say?"

The Sixth Prince chuckled: "We've already shown weakness, so naturally he agreed."

The princess breathed a sigh of relief: "Then... what about supporting His Highness's ascension to the throne?"

"There are no results yet," the Sixth Prince said, "but in my opinion, there's a good chance it will be fine."

It is indeed a bit difficult to help him ascend the throne, but compared to the peace and stability of the border regions, this difficulty is still a bit less.

"Then let's wait for news."

The sixth prince sighed.

These past two days, he has been constantly battling with himself, and whenever he relaxes, he feels extremely tired.

"I'll rest for a while."

The princess nodded: "I will stay by Your Highness's side."

——

Meanwhile, in the imperial study, the ministers sat in one room.

They held differing opinions. Some said they should seize this opportunity to quickly support the sixth prince to ascend the throne, so that they could completely control Southern Chu. Others said the sixth prince was not simple, and if they really put him on the throne, his first act would probably be to fight back. In short, they argued fiercely.

The emperor summoned them, intending to get their advice, but now they've caused him a headache with all the noise, and there's still no result.

As darkness fell, the emperor sighed and dismissed them, keeping only Huo Yue and Huo Shu behind, and also summoning Chen Zongwen into the palace.