Chapter 213 The Emperor is not far from death
The kneeling courtiers did not even need to exchange glances, but drove the car and said in unison: "We dare not!"
The emperor snorted and said, "Since you all asked me to think twice, I think you have some thoughts in your mind. I will give you a chance to speak up. Why do you think the Ninth Prince cannot be the crown prince? As long as your reasons can convince me, I can consider it again."
Upon hearing this, the Second Prince and the Fourth Prince glanced at the ministers who supported them.
They had made so much effort and finally waited for the eldest prince to be deposed, so how could they let Chi Hongyuan reap the benefits?
"Your Majesty, the Ninth Prince was not educated in the Imperial Academy since he was young, and he was sent to the battlefield from the cold palace after he came of age. Although he has made great contributions in the war, he is not a suitable candidate for the crown prince."
The official who spoke was very smart. He intended to make a fuss about Chi Hongyuan being the son of Concubine Rong, but he would not say it explicitly.
Back then, the Rong family was executed, how tragic it was. Speaking of this matter openly would be a slap in the face of the emperor, but just reminding the emperor of Chi Hongyuan's identity in a subtle way would have had just the right effect.
"Yes, Your Majesty, the Ninth Prince has never learned how to govern a country. The crown prince is the future king of Yue State, and is related to the future foundation of Yue State for a hundred years. The crown prince cannot be appointed so hastily."
The ministers were talking to each other, and the ministers from two different camps, who usually argued with each other until their faces turned red, were now speaking in unison and cooperating seamlessly.
If the emperor had not known that they each served their own masters, he would have really considered their words carefully.
If it were not for the purpose of establishing a crown prince, the emperor would not have known that the second and fourth princes had already won over many ministers at some point in time.
The emperor showed no sign of sadness or joy on the surface, but in fact he had already made up his mind to make Chi Hongyuan the crown prince.
"When the border was in danger, it was Grand Tutor Sun who recommended the Ninth Prince against all odds, and he accepted the order to go to the battle without hesitation. The fact that Grand Tutor Sun affirmed him shows that he has the talent to govern the country, and the fact that he resolutely went to the border shows that he is loyal to the country. After returning victorious, he paid his respects to me. In my opinion, the Ninth Prince's character and ability are enough to be the crown prince."
After the emperor finished speaking, he glanced at Li Dequan behind him. Li Dequan took out the imperial edict on the establishment of a crown prince that the emperor had already written and read it aloud in front of the hall.
"The Emperor, by the Will of Heaven, decrees..." Li Dequan's voice echoed in the hall, clearly reaching everyone's ears.
It was not until the last sentence, "The ninth prince Chi Hongyuan is specially appointed as the crown prince and granted the golden seal of the prince, I decree this," was spoken in a resounding voice that everyone's deep thoughts came to an end.
Chi Hongyuan stood at the end of the line of princes, holding the jade sceptre in a daze. He had not yet realized that the position of crown prince had actually been chosen for him.
"Father, have you really decided to make me the crown prince?" Chi Hongyuan hesitated and asked the emperor if it was true.
His hesitation and disbelief made him look a little silly. But the emperor just liked Chi Hongyuan's innocent appearance.
"I believe in your talent and character. After you become the crown prince, my son will assist me wholeheartedly. My son, why don't you step forward to receive my order!" The emperor's voice was still majestic, but he was obviously much gentler to Chi Hongyuan.
The second prince and the fourth prince, who had often plotted against each other in secret in order to compete for the throne, were so angry that their teeth were about to break.
Chi Hongyuan stepped forward solemnly holding the sceptre, kowtowed to the emperor in front of the hall, then stood up and said in a loud voice: "I kneel to receive the imperial edict and thank you for your grace! I will definitely assist you in fulfilling your duties as the crown prince."
Chi Hongyuan's eyes were slightly red and tears welled up in his eyes. He raised his hand high and took the imperial edict from Li Dequan.
After receiving the imperial edict, Chi Hongyuan bowed solemnly again to thank the emperor for his grace.
With his forehead resting on the cold floor of the hall and his hands tightly grasping the imperial edict made of silk, Chi Hongyuan secretly breathed a sigh of relief. The road to succession was long, but fortunately, he finally reached this step.
The emperor's decree appointing Chi Hongyuan as the crown prince was soon announced to the world and would soon spread throughout the Kingdom of Yue.
As soon as the imperial edict to appoint a crown prince was issued, Gu Siqing knew that the emperor's death was not far away.
Concubine Rong and Chi Hongyuan both hated the emperor very much. Now that Chi Hongyuan has become the crown prince, as long as the emperor dies, he will be the new ruler of Yue. How could this mother and son allow the emperor to die of old age?
"It's much faster than I thought." Gu Siqing looked at the yellowing leaves in the yard and felt that time passed so quickly. In the blink of an eye, autumn was approaching again.
"What?" Guihua peeled an orange for Gu Siqing and handed it to her, curious about what her master had just said.
Gu Siqing took the orange and broke it in half, then gave the other half to Guihua: "Your Majesty was hesitant about appointing a crown prince before, and I thought it would be delayed for a longer time."
Gu Siqing bit into a slice of orange, and the sweet juice spread in his mouth.
She spoke too fast, actually referring to the time when Chi Hongyuan became the crown prince.
At this time in her previous life, she had not yet been burned to death, and Chi Hongyuan had not yet achieved the position of crown prince. In this life, Chi Hongyuan's path to succession was much faster, and it was a bit like cutting the Gordian knot.
From this we can see that Chi Hongyuan's patience is limited and he doesn't want to wait any longer.
Seeing that Chi Hongyuan was getting closer and closer to the throne, it seemed that it was time for her to start planning her marriage.
"Miss, these are all invitations from various prefectures. Should we collect them and reject them as usual?"
Peanut came back from outside with a thick stack of invitations in his hand.
In the past, Gu Siqing would not even look at these invitations. Huasheng asked casually, planning to put the invitations away and reject these invitations as before.
Seeing the invitations, Gu Siqing's eyes lit up, and he stuffed all the oranges into his mouth and ate them, saying vaguely, "Bring them all here, let me take a look."
"Ah?" Peanut, who was walking to the other side, was a little unresponsive.
"Why are you standing there like an idiot? Come here quickly." Guihua glanced at Gu Siqing, went over and pulled Huasheng over.
Gu Siqing held the invitation in his arms, wiped his hands clean, then picked them up and looked at them one by one.
Most of the people who handed in the invitations were from famous noble families in the capital, but there were also some from humbler families. Gu Siqing looked through them carefully one by one, paying attention to the candidates whose qualifications suited him.
"No need to refuse. From now on, whenever an invitation is sent to me, I will attend the banquet after reading it, unless there is a special need to refuse." Gu Siqing stretched lazily. It was time for her to find a 'husband of her dreams'.
"Ah?" Peanut's brain was slow and she hadn't even digested what her master had said before.
The hustle and bustle in the capital is endless, and what is unexpected is that it is not only in Yue State that there is endless hustle and bustle.
In addition to her businesses in Yue, Gu Siqing also operates shops in other countries under her name, but her main business scope is in Yue. For businesses in other countries, Gu Siqing's management model is to hire a shopkeeper to take care of them, and she only needs to check the accounts and take a commission.
In order to prevent people from enriching themselves, the shop owners who manage shops in other countries are rotated every year.
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