The grand court assembly of the Qing Dynasty was unusually lively.
The ministers occasionally whispered among themselves, their eyes all fixed on a certain spot at the front.
Jiang Yeli knew these people were watching him, and he didn't want to come.
I'm so sleepy.
Jiang Yeli couldn't help but yawn again.
He caught a glimpse of someone familiar out of the corner of his eye and rushed over.
"Grandpa Zhou, I'm so sleepy. Let me sleep for a while." She then hugged Zhou Bowen's leg.
Snore... I'm asleep.
Zhou Bowen reached out to hug her, but Jiang Yeli was so chubby and heavy that he couldn't lift her.
She let him sleep hugging her legs, to make the child more comfortable. She then had a eunuch fetch a blanket to place under Jiang Yeli's bottom.
I can't let my grandson catch a cold.
An outsider asked, "Whose child is this, running into the grand court assembly?"
Those who knew him said, "This is no child; he is the newly appointed Earl of Su Yan."
"Has something happened to Lord Jiang?"
"No. Lord Jiang no longer wants to be a count. He has passed the title to his son and taken his wife back to Jiangcheng."
"Won't the stepson cause trouble if you give it to your own son?" someone asked.
"Making a fuss won't do any good. Whoever worked hard for the earldom should pass it on to their stepson instead of their own son."
"I heard it was because the stepson didn't want it."
"That's all just talk for outsiders. Would you refuse an earldom if it were offered to you?"
"Definitely. That's an earldom, a meteoric rise!"
"Lord Jiang is really generous, giving it to his youngest son after seven years?" Some of them are already 70 years old, yet they are still reluctant to pass on their titles to their sons.
Without the title, one is no longer the head of the family.
No one listens when you speak.
“Lord Jiang doesn’t care about these things. He hasn’t even married his wife yet, but he’s already given all the shops he owns to his stepson.”
"Lord Jiang is so generous." That's what he said on the surface, but what he really thought was: Jiang Mingzhe is really stupid.
"The Emperor has arrived!"
The eunuch's shrill voice came from outside.
The ministers returned to their respective positions.
Jiang Yeli was shaken but did not wake up.
"Mother, let me sleep a little longer, I'm sleepy~" Jiang Yeli's voice was very clear in the quiet morning assembly.
The emperor looked at Zhou Bowen, who was holding the child.
"Your Majesty, this is the newly appointed Earl of Suyan—Jiang Yeli," Zhou Bowen introduced.
The emperor recalled Jiang Mingzhe's previous resignation.
They really know how to enjoy a leisurely life.
Looking at her sons standing below, she wondered when she could finally rest.
The grand assembly first reported some unimportant matters.
Next comes the important matter of succession.
The emperor is getting old, and the princes are growing up; it's time to appoint a crown prince.
Each prince had supporters.
The fight for the crown prince position has created a huge uproar.
Jiang Yeli woke up at this time, listening to the incessant noise that sounded like a vegetable market.
"They're all good. If we can't choose, we'll draw lots and see who has the best luck."
The child's distinctive voice silenced everyone in the hall.
The emperor looked at Jiang Yeli.
"Lord Su Yan, tell me your thoughts."
Jiang Yeli looked around, wondering who she was talking about.
Zhou Bowen lowered his voice to remind Jiang Yeli, "I'm asking you."
"Ask me?"
"I'm asking you, Lord Su Yan, about the selection of the crown prince." Zhou Bowen said, giving Jiang Yeli a meaningful look, signaling her not to say anything out of turn.
Jiang Yeli straightened up and bowed to the emperor.
"Your Majesty, I am still a child, and I will listen to you adults."
"I'd like to hear your opinion? Speak freely." The emperor wouldn't let Jiang Yeli off the hook, demanding that he give his reasons.
"You asked me to say this?" Jiang Yeli confirmed.
"You can say whatever you want, as I have told you to."
"Okay, I'll talk." Jiang Yeli straightened his clothes and hummed in a grown-up manner.
"What's so great about fighting for the throne? There's no time to rest all year round." Jiang Yeli's words left everyone in the court dumbfounded.
The court officials: ...Is this something we should say?
The emperor smiled. "The Earl of Su Yan is right. Continue."
Encouraged, Jiang Yeli got excited and told everything he had heard from his three older brothers.
"Being an emperor, the supreme ruler, who can decide life and death with a single word, sounds enviable. But, in reality, the emperor has to attend court every day, review memorials, and still bestow his favors upon the harem."
Simply put, it meant getting up as early as the rooster and going to bed later than the dog every day, and having to regularly go to the backyard to sow seeds. There couldn't be any enjoyment whatsoever. Even the slightest indulgence would be impeached by the censors for disregarding the interests of the nation.
Whenever a disaster or calamity befalls the world, an imperial edict of self-reproach is issued, admitting that one has made a mistake.
But what's wrong with that? If God doesn't send rain, it's God being unreasonable. What does it have to do with the Emperor?
...
In short, it's difficult to be a wise ruler. A foolish ruler may have an easy life, but will be infamous for eternity after death. Jiang Yeli concluded with this last sentence.
Her little face was full of questions: Why did she have to take on this arduous task of being the emperor? Shouldn't she have tried to find a way to avoid it?
As people in the court listened to Jiang Yeli's words, some laughed at him, saying he was just a child who didn't understand anything.
However, some people think that Jiang Yeli's words are very good.
The emperor looked at Jiang Yeli and laughed, "Well said. That's what I thought when I was young. My brothers were all fighting for the throne, but I didn't want to. I just wanted to go out and travel, see beautiful scenery, taste delicious food, and meet beautiful women."
The emperor sighed as he finished speaking, “My brothers fought so fiercely that some died and others were injured.”
I was the only one alive and well, and of the right age, who was forced to inherit the throne.
From then on, I didn't get a single day of rest. I was exhausted morning and night, and I couldn't even find peace and quiet when I wanted to be alone.
The emperor looked at his six sons as he finished speaking.
It's not that he didn't want to establish a crown prince, nor that he didn't want to pass the throne to someone else.
Rather, it was because all six of his sons had flaws.
The eldest son was extremely jealous and wouldn't allow anyone to be better than him.
The second son is suspicious by nature and always suspects that others want to harm him or target him.
The third son was reckless and impulsive, and would beat people at the slightest disagreement. Almost none of the palace maids and eunuchs around him escaped injury.
The fourth son was gentle and studious, and was highly regarded by the civil officials. However, he disliked the rudeness of military officers and looked down on them.
The fifth son is quite good in every way, but he doesn't like women.
The sixth son is good in every way. The only problem is that he's fallen out with Jiang Mingzhe. He's obsessed with money; in his eyes, everything can be measured in money. If something isn't right, it's because he hasn't been given enough money.
Six sons, with obvious shortcomings.
No matter how the emperor chooses, he can't find one he can trust.
When the emperor pointed out their shortcomings in front of all the officials, apart from the fifth and sixth princes, the four princes above them all looked rather unhappy.
At the same time, they were alarmed that the emperor truly knew everything about their situation.
They were also worried that their previous underhanded actions might have been discovered.
The court fell silent again, and those who had previously taken sides were now even more so.
They had no idea that the emperor knew so much.
“Before, I was worried about having no successor. But after seeing the Earl of Su Yan, I had an idea. If I can't establish a crown prince, I'll establish a grandson of the crown prince.”
If the son is no longer capable, then raise the grandson.
The emperor's words severed the path to heaven for six princes, but also gave them hope.
If you can't do it yourself, make your son do it.
The grand selection of imperial concubines has begun.
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