Chapter 265 Your Majesty, please calm down.

"I think that Lord Wang is not very suitable for the cabinet. Since he enjoys discussing state affairs so much, why not transfer him to the Senate?"

Yun Yichen's words sounded very polite at first glance, but in reality, every sentence contained a hidden danger.

A high-ranking fifth-rank cabinet minister, a trusted subordinate of the emperor, was directly demoted to the Senate.

The Senate has a proper head of the Senate. Even if Lord Wang were to be appointed as a principal, he would only be a fifth-rank official, which is clearly a demotion!

The most important thing wasn't rank, but rather the position within the cabinet—a position where no one would dare disrespect you, even if you worked until old age. Especially as you grew older and gained the emperor's trust, your treatment was in no way inferior to that of the ministers of the Six Ministries.

But if he were to actually go outside, a fifth-rank official position would really not be enough.

Amidst the ministers' sighs, the emperor spoke up: "I think the Grand Secretary is right. In that case, let's transfer Lord Wang to the Senate!"

Before Lord Wang could even react, he was already being carried out of the Hall of Diligent Governance.

"What is your opinion, Your Excellency, on the matter we just discussed?"

With the troublesome person gone, the emperor was able to continue the previous topic.

"Your Majesty, as the eldest son and grandson of the royal family, I believe that the Crown Prince is not as meticulous in his conduct as the Third Prince, nor as open-minded as the Fifth Prince. Even the Fourth Prince seems to be more humble than His Highness the Crown Prince. Your Majesty is currently in your prime, and there will certainly be other outstanding princes in the future. Entrusting the Great Zhou Dynasty to the Crown Prince is not a wise move."

Yun Yichen's words were far too direct and too hurtful compared to those of Lord Wang.

The emperor slammed his fist on the table and roared, "Yun Yichen, have I spoiled you too much?"

"Your humble servant dares not." Upon hearing this, Yun Yichen immediately knelt down, but his back remained ramrod straight, showing no awareness of having said the wrong thing.

Upon seeing this, the officials behind him also knelt down, saying, "Please calm your anger, Your Majesty."

The emperor's gaze swept over the crowd, but ultimately he did not intend to actually lash out.

In truth, Yun Yichen's words reflected his own thoughts. He had initially believed that since the Crown Prince was the eldest son, the succession should be based on the eldest son of the legitimate wife. However, after observing all his sons over the years, he realized that all of them were superior to the Crown Prince. Naturally, the Emperor wouldn't admit that he had chosen the wrong heir, so some things needed to be said by others.

"You also believe that the Crown Prince is incapable of shouldering the heavy responsibility?"

The emperor squinted at the ministers, the least of whom had been by his side for over a decade, so they could naturally understand his meaning.

"The Grand Secretary is right. The matter of the Crown Prince must indeed be considered carefully. However, it's not that His Highness the Crown Prince is bad. If His Highness can correct his mistakes and stop being obsessed with beautiful women, then the selection of the Crown Prince may not need to be considered for the time being."

The speaker was an elderly man with a white beard. Having experienced two struggles for the throne, he was more unwilling than anyone to see the crown prince be replaced.

The emperor fell silent upon hearing this. The crown prince was a son he had raised according to the emperor's wishes, and he naturally couldn't bear to abandon him. Perhaps he should indeed give the crown prince a chance to reform.

"No one present is allowed to divulge what happened today. As for the Crown Prince, give him a chance for now. If he remains unrepentant, then you will all have to get to work."

"Your humble servant will keep that in mind."

The matter of choosing a crown prince was originally under the jurisdiction of the cabinet, so the group readily agreed.

Outside the palace, Gu Jin was walking side by side with Minister Sun when he suddenly heard him say, "My lord, what do you think is the reason His Majesty spared them?"