Emperor Jianxi first talked to a few cabinet ministers to test the waters, but he found that none of the three dukes, six ministries and the prime minister agreed.
Emperor Jianxi was a little confused. The crown prince had been deposed, and he didn't have many sons to begin with, and now there are only a few left. Zhao Xi was the legitimate son of the empress, and was better than Zhao Cong in all aspects. Why were they stopping him?
Emperor Jianxi looked at Shangguan Shu expectantly, thinking that Shangguan Shu would say something he would like to hear, but he was the one who opposed it the most!
Shangguan Shu said that the third prince had no experience or resume, and had not received any education as a crown prince since childhood. Not to mention anything else, could he recognize all the civil and military officials?
What's more, we still don't know what his character is like.
All the ministers in the cabinet echoed the idea. It was not that they were all bribed by Shangguan Shu, but that they really had this idea. As old ministers, they always relied on their seniority to think more and have more responsibilities.
Emperor Jianxi did not get angry with these old ministers, but reprimanded and punished Shangguan Shu.
Nothing else matters.
No matter how much the civil officials opposed, they would still have no ears. However, Shangguan Shu was a military general, a powerful general with great achievements and great prestige, and he actually held the military power in his hands.
If Ruo Xier wants to secure the throne and go to jail, she must have the support of Shangguan Shu.
Shangguan Shu was a smart and decent man who knew his limits. Although his achievements surpassed his master's, he never did anything out of line. Shangguan Shu was also a man he had looked up to since he was a child, and he liked him very much, so he was unwilling to touch him unless it was too much.
Shangguan Shu knelt down and confessed his crime, as respectful as ever.
Emperor Jianxi thought, Shangguan Shu has always been loyal, and now he is like this, could it be that he has other thoughts, is he still supporting Zhao Cong?
Emperor Jianxi quickly rejected this idea, saying that Runzhi would not be so stupid.
So, you listened to King Liang's instigation and wanted to support King Liang?
Emperor Jianxi quickly rejected this idea. One was Prince Liang who scolded his child for being ugly, and the other was Cheng Qian's biological brother. He would naturally not choose Prince Liang.
Why is that?
As Emperor Jianxi thought about it, he calmed down a little and began to feel that what they said made sense. Although Xi'er was intelligent, he had only been in officialdom for a short time. Pushing him to the position of crown prince would not convince the people, and he had not cultivated his own power. Forcibly enthroning him would be tantamount to making Zhao Xi a target of public criticism. If he lost his reputation and royal prestige during this period, it would be even more difficult to regain them.
After careful consideration, Emperor Jianxi agreed and named Zhao Xi the Prince of Ding, with the intention of pacifying the world and bringing peace to the four seas.
The former Crown Prince's Mansion was changed to Prince Ding's Mansion. It can be said that Zhao Xi has already sat halfway on the throne of the Crown Prince.
No, his whole butt was sitting on it, but Shangguan Shu pushed half of it down.
After the discussion, Emperor Jianxi dismissed the others and left Shangguan Shu alone, hinting that he should support Zhao Xi. However, Shangguan Shu lifted his robe, knelt, and asked, "Your Majesty, I would like to ask your Majesty what your views are on the Great Chu State Policy of 'Equal Rights for the Chu People'?"
Emperor Jianxi frowned. Although this was proposed by Hyomin, he naturally agreed with it.
"'Equal Rights for the People of Chu' simply means that all men, women, young and old in the Great Chu enjoy equal rights from birth."
"If that's the case, why doesn't Your Majesty treat the princess and the prince equally?"
How could Emperor Jianxi not understand what Shangguan Shu meant? He only had one daughter, Cheng Qian. Could it be that Shangguan Shu felt that Cheng Qian was wronged and that Shangguan Shu had treated her harshly?
The wrinkles between Emperor Jianxi's brows grew deeper. Shangguan Runzhi, this young boy, was talking nonsense. Everyone in the world knew that he loved Cheng Qian the most. If he didn't treat them equally, then he favored Cheng Qian!
However... since he feels that Cheng Qian has been wronged, then maybe there are things that he, as his father, cannot see, so let him speak first!
Emperor Jianxi lowered his voice, "What do you mean?"
Having said that, Shangguan Shu no longer intends to hide it.
In fact, this is just a piece of window paper. Before it is broken, the emperor will definitely not think about it, not even think about it, let alone do it? But once it is broken, even if he is furious, it will always leave a shadow in the emperor's heart.
Shangguan Shu's voice rolled slightly, and he spoke in a clear voice, "I think that if Your Majesty treats everyone equally, why didn't you give the princess more consideration when appointing the heir and crown prince?"
As Shangguan Shu finished speaking, it was like thunder breaking through the sky. Emperor Jianxi looked at him in astonishment and said subconsciously, "Nonsense!"
"Since ancient times, how could a woman seize the throne? Runzhi, you have the talent to rule the world. Haven't you heard of the saying 'hen crows at dawn?'" He said solemnly, "Such treasonous and rebellious words violate social order. You must never mention them again!"
Shangguan Shu was neither humble nor arrogant. "I have heard of hens crowing at dawn, and I have also heard of Queen Dowager Xuan of Qin competing for supremacy in the Spring and Autumn Annals. I have also heard of Empress Lü and Empress Deng's reputation for virtuous governance. It is clear that women are no less capable than men."
Emperor Jianxi narrowed his eyes and murmured, "Oh... No wonder, no wonder Cheng Qian has been trying to interfere in state affairs recently..."
Emperor Jianxi sneered and asked, "Did Cheng Qian tell you this?"
"Your Majesty, that is not what the princess meant. Your Majesty understands the princess's temperament. I am the princess's abandoned husband. How could she tell me these things? Moreover, the princess knows what the emperor wants. She deeply remembers the love between father and daughter, brother and sister, and will never go against the emperor's wishes."
"I've been working with the princess lately, and I feel her talent is no less than any man in the world. Furthermore, her endurance and perseverance are unmatched by any man in the world."
Emperor Jianxi was so angry that he laughed. He knew the advantages of Cheng Qian. Why did he use Shangguan Shu, an "abandoned husband", to praise his daughter?
"Since you're speaking for Cheng Qian, let me ask you this: just now you said that Xi'er being made the Crown Prince wouldn't be enough to win the trust of the world and the respect of the officials. So, is Cheng Qian, a woman, enough?"
"Men are superior to women, and the husband is the head of the wife. This has been a principle for thousands of years. Was it established by me? It's the eternal and unchanging way of heaven! I could certainly include Cheng Qian in the list of heirs, but would anyone obey? Would all the men in the world allow a woman to ascend the throne? Three years after I ascended the throne, I held an imperial examination and selected a woman as the top scorer. Simply because she was a woman, scholars all over the world criticized her, questioning her knowledge and ability, and even suspected that I had a feud with her. If a top scorer is like this, how would you treat her as the emperor? Do you want her to be a king with an empty crown? Or do you want the world to regard me, who appointed her, as a tyrant, and think that I treat state affairs as a joke?"
For the first time, Shangguan Shu was left speechless.
Emperor Jianxi stood up upon seeing this, waved his hand at him, and said, "Your idea is very good, but don't mention it next time."
Shangguan Shu refused to give up and said before leaving, "Then Your Majesty should give the princess a chance to prove herself..."
Emperor Jianxi interrupted with a cold face, "Pass on my decree. Shangguan Shu's words offended me. He is demoted one level and will temporarily serve as Grand Tutor."
Shangguan Shu was demoted.
All the officials speculated why Emperor Jianxi demoted his favorite minister. The old ministers in the cabinet connected the cause and effect and came to the conclusion that Emperor Jianxi wanted to appoint Prince Ding as the crown prince, but was obstructed by Shangguan Shu. Perhaps when Shangguan Shu was left alone for a conversation, he said something that the emperor didn't want to hear, so he was demoted.
The old ministers felt sorry and sympathetic towards Shangguan Shu, but also felt a sense of empathy.
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