Chapter 211 New Crown Prince Selection
How could a man who was so friendly and respectful to the prince go and harm him? Getting close to the prince was just one step in his plan.
But seeing Chi Hongrui breaking his leg and being deposed as crown prince today was not the result he wanted to see.
After Chi Hongrui was deposed, for the sake of the country's foundation, the emperor had to appoint a new crown prince as soon as possible.
Most of the officials of the previous dynasty had been divided into their own camps by the princes. After the crown prince was deposed, they all began to strongly recommend the princes they had secretly attached themselves to. Among them, the most people supported the second and fourth princes.
"Li Dequan, look at these people. It has only been a few days since the crown prince was deposed, and they are already eager to recommend a new candidate for the crown prince."
The emperor looked at the pile of memorials on the table and said coldly. Judging from the emperor's expression, he was obviously displeased. As a favorite of the emperor, Li Dequan naturally knew how to weigh his words.
"Your Majesty, calm down. The position of Crown Prince is vacant, which will easily cause instability in people's hearts. The court officials are also concerned about the country of Yue. The Second and Fourth Princes are indeed capable among the other princes. It's no wonder that the court officials are vying to recommend them."
After Li Dequan finished speaking, he lowered his head and waited for the emperor to speak again. When serving in front of the emperor, it is important to have good eyesight.
After answering, you need to wait for the master to speak again. Don't say ten sentences after the master says one sentence.
The emperor doesn't like to hear lies, so it's best to tell half the truth and half the lie while showing your sincerity.
Among His Majesty's several princes, apart from Chi Hongyuan, only these two princes are worth mentioning.
"You have a point. Among my children, the Second Prince and the Fourth Prince are relatively outstanding. I am unhappy for other reasons."
The emperor slapped the table lightly. Most of the memorials submitted to the table were recommending the second and fourth princes, and some advised the emperor not to depose the crown prince.
Li Dequan kept silent and listened. The imperial study was quiet. The emperor raised his eyes to look at him and snorted coldly.
"You are quite tactful. You know that speaking at this moment may easily offend me, so you are very careful with your words."
Li Dequan narrowed his eyes and smiled, "Your Majesty, this is embarrassing me. As a servant, how can I make irresponsible comments on the heir to the throne?"
The emperor frowned and stopped making things difficult for Li Dequan. He was depressed for other reasons.
"Li Dequan, what do you think of the Ninth Prince?" The emperor picked up a memorial, flipped through it, and threw it back on the table.
"The Ninth Prince was ordered to go to the border to make military achievements in times of crisis. He is a young talent and a loyal subject to Your Majesty."
Li Dequan would not praise any prince easily. These words were just copied from the world's evaluation of Chi Hongyuan.
The emperor leaned back on the dragon chair and pointed at the memorial on the table: "I also think that A Yuan is a good child with good character. As for his ability, even Grand Tutor Sun admires him. In the past year since returning to Beijing, A Yuan's performance has been excellent, right?"
He had already read all the memorials on the table, and none of them recommended Chi Hongyuan. How could the emperor not be puzzled?
"I feel that if we are to discuss the candidates suitable for the crown prince, A Yuan should be among them. How could A Yuan not be mentioned in the recommendation memorial?"
The emperor became more and more annoyed as he read the pile of memorials, so he simply asked Li Dequan to move them all away.
During the morning court session, there were a few court officials who recommended Chi Hongyuan, but among the memorials submitted, there was not a single one recommending him.
"Your Majesty, you don't need to worry about the ministers' memorials. Your Majesty is wise and I believe he will have the right decision in mind."
Li Dequan watched the emperor worry about the issue of appointing a crown prince these days, and as a servant serving him, he felt bad too.
The emperor pondered for a moment and waved his hand to let Li Dequan leave. He was the only one sitting alone in the huge imperial study, and it had been like this for all these years. The court officials who came in and out of the imperial study had changed several times, but he was the only one who remained.
It has been a year since Chi Hongyuan returned from the border. From this recommendation, it is not difficult to see that he has been low-key and has never formed a clique to win over court officials. If he were not the descendant of Concubine Rong...
The Ninth Prince’s residence.
Chi Hongyuan sat under the porch, looking gloomily at the falling rain.
"Your Highness, among the ministers who joined your camp earlier, only a few have come forward to recommend you as the crown prince according to your instructions. As for the memorials submitted to the emperor, no one recommended you in their memorials. Everything is moving forward according to your plan."
The servant who was replying spoke, and seeing that his master remained silent, he thought that something was not done well enough.
"Master, is there something that makes you unhappy?" While asking, the servant had already gone over what he had done in recent days in his mind.
"You have done a good job. Next, continue to do as I said before. You can leave now."
Chi Hongyuan's face showed no expression. Seeing this, the servant didn't want to continue to annoy him. Just as he was about to leave, his master stopped him and said, "Wait, go to the East Palace and ask His Highness how his leg is recovering. I'll go see him tomorrow."
After the attendants left, Chi Hongyuan stood in the corridor for a while before returning to the study.
The emperor didn't know that Chi Hongyuan not only won over many ministers, but also successfully gained their trust.
Long before Chi Hongrui was deposed, Chi Hongyuan had already warned the officials who had joined his camp that if the crown prince was deposed and a new one was appointed in the future, they should never recommend him at the beginning, and just nominate one or two others just for show.
If too many people recommended him, the emperor would be displeased. Especially since his mother was from the Rong family, the emperor would be suspicious.
In the initial stage of the fight for the throne, the best approach is to reduce your presence.
The crown prince was deposed, which was a great opportunity for other princes to come to the fore. They were just afraid that the emperor would decide on a new crown prince too early.
The more they pushed forward at this time, the more Chi Hongyuan would retreat and withdraw. If he did not move, it would attract more attention. Chi Hongyuan knew too well the suspicious character of his father. If there were only a few more people recommending him, he would be dissatisfied.
As autumn was approaching, rainy days became more frequent. Despite the rain, some court officials went to the imperial study to ask to see the emperor.
When they went to the emperor privately, no one was stupid enough to keep recommending a suitable crown prince. Instead, they changed their approach and advised the emperor in a serious manner to appoint a crown prince as soon as possible, which would be beneficial to the country and could also calm the people's hearts, and that there must be no delay.
After listening to one or two ministers' complaints, the emperor became annoyed and told Li Dequan that if another minister came, he should convey his intention directly: I will not see him. On the table, the prince's golden seal was placed on it. The emperor stared at the golden seal with a heavy look, and it was unknown what he was thinking.
"Your Majesty, Concubine Rong requests an audience." Li Dequan entered the hall to deliver the message, and immediately lowered his head when he saw the emperor staring at the prince's golden seal in deep thought.
When the emperor learned that it was Concubine Rong who wanted to see him, his expression eased a little, and a hint of interest flashed in his eyes. He said to Li Dequan, "Pass it on."
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