It feels really good to not have to worry about certain things, at least that's what Zhu Yunwen thought.

He and Zhao Qingzhu spent their days thinking about what to eat and where to have fun, and then they would cuddle together. This kind of simple life was indeed relaxing and comfortable, allowing Zhu Yunwen to find a long-lost sense of peace.

However, what he didn't know was that although the court seemed very stable at the moment, there were actually undercurrents surging beneath the surface.

With the death of the Crown Prince, who will be the heir to the Ming Dynasty and the future successor?

This concerns the future of the nation and the very foundation of the country, and is naturally a matter of utmost importance to the current imperial court.

The officials in the imperial court were all extremely worried about this problem.

In particular, several veteran officials held rather old-fashioned ideas and believed that the matter of a successor must be established as soon as possible.

Previously, Zhu Biao died, and because of this, the officials at the time were in an uproar.

Finally, after a long period of time, the situation stabilized when the crown prince Zhu Yunwen was chosen.

Now that the Crown Prince Zhu Yunwen has died, what should be done about this situation?

All that could be seen in the imperial court were the unpleasant expressions of the officials.

Some officials who were originally absolutely loyal to Zhu Yunwen's faction were very sensitive to this topic and didn't even want to mention it.

Because they still found it difficult to accept the news of Zhu Yunwen's death from beginning to end.

If Zhu Yunwen were still alive, things wouldn't be like this now. It's a pity that Zhu Yunwen has passed away.

Then they will have to face this situation and choose another successor.

Zhu Yuanzhang, sitting on the throne, looked somewhat haggard, watching the officials below chatting amongst themselves.

A very few officials, however, offered very subtle suggestions, suggesting that perhaps it might be worth considering Zhu Yunwen.

However, other officials quickly refuted this, because Zhu Yunwen had done too many wrong things, especially his previous alliance with the Eastern Island Kingdom and Goryeo to rebel against the Ming Dynasty, which could not be whitewashed.

So after those officials raised the topic and were refuted, no one dared to bring it up again.

Zhu Yunwen's loss of opportunity also meant that his grandsons had virtually no chance.

After all, logically speaking, only Zhu Yunwen and Zhu Yunwen had a chance to be grandsons.

Now, one is dead, and the other has committed a heinous crime and is imprisoned; neither has had a chance.

Therefore, the only option was to choose from among Zhu Yuanzhang's sons. Zhu Yuanzhang's eldest son, Zhu Biao, had already died, and his second son, Zhu Shuang, had also died.

The fourth son, Zhu Di, was also imprisoned for committing a serious offense, almost identical to Zhu Yunwen's, which involved treason.

It's obvious that it can't be whitewashed.

Then the third son, Zhu Gang, might be suitable. Unfortunately, Zhu Gang has a very bad reputation. Everyone knows that he is extremely irritable, and his ruthlessness and violence are second only to his second brother, Zhu Shuang, and even surpass him.

Back then, Zhu Biao held him back, and later Zhu Biao's son, Zhu Yunwen, also held him back.

Now, I'm afraid no one can control it.

At this moment, an elderly official slowly stepped forward and spoke:

"Your Majesty, the foundation of the nation is still uncertain. In my opinion, we must consider this carefully. Among the many princes, if we were to rank them in order, the third prince, Prince Jin, Zhu Gang, would be the most suitable."

Moreover, immediately after the incident, he submitted a memorial requesting to visit His Majesty in Nanjing, showing great concern for His Majesty's health. This demonstrates that he not only cares about the overall situation of the country but also about His Majesty's well-being.

From a strategic perspective, he is very composed; from a familial perspective, he is also quite filial. Therefore, I wonder what Your Majesty thinks?

Zhu Yuanzhang sighed slowly. He didn't say anything, nor did he know what to say.

His feelings were complicated at this moment. There was a time when he was like an emperor emeritus, who didn't have to worry about many things every day.

But now he has been dragged from heaven to hell. No one is able to govern the world for him anymore; instead, he has to worry about even more things on his own.

After the official below finished speaking, several other officials immediately stood up to refute him. The first was Zhang Shan, the Minister of Revenue, who solemnly stated:

"Your Excellency's words are somewhat biased. As everyone knows, Prince Zhu Gang of Jin has a volatile temper and ruthless methods. He has a very bad reputation in his fiefdom. In the past, the people have been full of complaints about him."

It was only after His Highness the Crown Prince restrained things that many things changed. Someone who can't even manage a single fiefdom, causing widespread resentment, would likely be a disaster to govern a country.

When the old official heard Zhang Shan's rebuttal, his face turned somewhat ugly, and he snorted, saying:

"Then tell me, who else can we choose now?"

Zhang Shan paused for a moment, then shook his head slightly and sighed. He thought to himself, how wonderful it would be if Zhu Yunwen were still alive.

pity……

Many other officials were also inexplicably saddened and remained silent. Seeing that everyone was silent, some officials knew that this could not continue.

Although the death of the Crown Prince was indeed hard to accept and a hurdle that many officials could not get over, what could they do if they could not get over it?

It has to pass eventually.

At this moment, Lan Yu slowly stepped forward and spoke:

"His Highness the Crown Prince is dead. We have no choice but to accept it. Now, some things still need to continue to operate normally."

Since everyone has brought this up, let me share my opinion.

Prince Zhu Gang of Jin is indeed somewhat unsuitable. His methods are too cruel, and at such a critical time, his desire to come to the capital is probably as clear as day.

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