"My lords, my sisters, I know that I may not be qualified to talk about the succession today, but there is really no other way. The emperor passed away suddenly and left no will. Although it is inappropriate to say this now that his body is still warm, since ancient times, a family cannot be without a master, and a country cannot be without a monarch. There are six princes in the harem now. His Royal Highness the Prince of Yan is ten years old, the second and third princes are both five years old, and the fourth, fifth, and sixth princes are three years old. Three years old is definitely not enough, after all, he is too young. Now, between His Royal Highness the Prince of Yan, the second prince, and the third prince, we must choose a crown prince with excellent character and who can bear the responsibility of the throne. After all, the monarch of a country should not be treated lightly."
Imperial Noble Consort Li finished speaking in one breath, and subconsciously glanced at her two sons who trembled every time they saw Zhou Beichen, and her heart suddenly felt empty.
There was silence for a while. No one spoke for a long, long time.
Prime Minister Li closed his eyes steadily and said nothing. This scene made Imperial Noble Consort Li feel a little embarrassed for a moment.
Thinking that her father had contacted many court officials in recent days, Imperial Noble Concubine Li coughed twice. Prime Minister Li opened his eyelids lightly, gave his daughter a look that reminded him to stay calm, and continued to close his eyes to rest.
Imperial Noble Consort Li: “…”
On the surface, he appeared calm, but deep down, he was already trembling with fear. "Dad, what are you doing? Why haven't any of your followers spoken out?"
Of course, Prime Minister Li didn't know. He was waiting for the people from the King of Qi to speak first so that he could stay out of it.
After he had tried to persuade the King of Qi for a long time without success, Prime Minister Li had already regarded the King of Qi as his mortal enemy.
The concubine next to her tensed up and stepped forward, intending to break the deadlock.
When Imperial Noble Consort Li saw Consort Shu walking slowly towards her, she felt that there was a layer of golden light covering her head, so she hurried over.
"Sister Shufei, look, what can we do about this? It's been so long, and no one has any opinion on this matter."
Concubine Shu patted her hands. The two of them didn't have much friendship on weekdays, but they were never on the same side. Both Concubine Li and Concubine Shu knew this. This time, they only got along well on the surface.
"My Lady Imperial Concubine, in my opinion, since there is no Empress in the Central Palace, the Imperial Concubine's position is equivalent to that of the Vice Empress. Therefore, the Second and Third Princes are naturally superior."
Imperial Noble Consort Li couldn't help but blink, feeling delighted. Unexpectedly, the Imperial Noble Consort Li's next words changed the subject, "But since ancient times, our country has always chosen the crown prince based on ability. After all, His Royal Highness the Prince of Yan is a few years older than the Second and Third Princes. He was brought up by the Emperor for so many years, so naturally he is superior. Now, I don't know how to choose."
Imperial Noble Consort Li: “…”
She couldn't help but roll her eyes. Why did you say so much just now? She thought that Concubine Shu had realized the situation and came to help her, but she didn't expect that she would directly trip her up. Now Imperial Noble Concubine Li couldn't stand Concubine Shu at all.
The virtuous concubine lowered her eyebrows, thinking about how to speak and force Prime Minister Li to return.
The ministers standing below were all high-ranking officials, and Zhou Beichen’s death was not a big deal for them.
Especially Tutor Du, he felt very uncomfortable. He had taught Zhou Beichen since he was a child, and watched him grow up and become an emperor. Now, how could he die at such a young age?
The old tutor held on tightly and prevented the tears from rolling down to the ground.
He has always looked down on Prime Minister Li. Now, if Noble Consort Li's son becomes the emperor, how can the people of the world be safe?
Tutor Du secretly vowed to push the second prince he taught, Zhou Zeyun, who was both talented and virtuous, to the throne.
Tutor Du had gray hair, and when he walked out of the crowd, his body stood straight, like a thousand-year-old pine tree.
"Your Highness, Imperial Concubine, I believe that since ancient times, rulers should be benevolent, balance power, and care about the people. Only then can they set an example for their subordinates and manage a dynasty well. His Highness the Prince of Yan was practically taught by the Emperor himself, with the assistance of this minister. Now, the Emperor has sent him to control the flood, which shows that he values him extremely. I believe that His Highness the Prince of Yan is the crown prince that the Emperor has been cultivating with all his heart. Therefore, His Highness the Prince of Yan's ascension to the throne is in accordance with Heaven's will."
Prime Minister Li suddenly opened his eyes wide, his expression looking somewhat ugly. Imperial Noble Consort Li spoke awkwardly with a fake smile.
"Your Excellency's words make sense, but selecting a crown prince is no joke. We must not just take your one-sided opinion. Moreover, the Prince of Yan is far away in the disaster area, and the Emperor has ordered him not to return unless he can handle the flood properly. Tell me, if the Prince of Yan truly wants to ascend the throne, how should he be ascended?"
After saying this, Imperial Noble Consort Li felt like finding a place to hide. She also wanted to push her two sons to the throne, but after thinking about it, she couldn't think of any special advantages of her two good sons. They were not even as good as a toe of Prince Yan.
Imperial Noble Consort Li was extremely upset.
The prime minister secretly signaled with his eyes, and many ministers came out to speak.
"The Imperial Noble Consort has been in charge of the harem for many years, holding the same position as the Vice Empress. Furthermore, although the two princes are young, they are intelligent and quick-witted, able to draw inferences from one instance. I believe that either the Second or Third Prince can succeed to the throne. Not to mention that Prince Yan's biological mother was once banished to the cold palace, in which respect she cannot compare to the Second and Third Princes."
The King of Qi thought to himself that this was not good. Just as he was about to speak, another sentence echoed him.
"Although some have confirmed that Concubine Hui and Concubine Xian are sisters, who can say for sure whether the story of them being lost and then found is true? Moreover, since Concubine Hui came out of the cold palace, the Emperor has been with her most of the time. She is truly seducing the Emperor. I believe that a prince born from such a woman is not worthy of ascending the throne, but is unlikely to be accepted into the upper class."
As soon as Zhou Beichen "died", and with Prime Minister Li's signal, the ministers spoke more freely, with the aim of criticizing Zhou Zeyun in every aspect, so that only the second or third prince could succeed to the throne.
"Yes, I second your opinion. The Second Prince has ascended the throne. If the mother has a bad character, how can we expect the child to have a good character?"
"I second the motion that the Second Prince ascend the throne."
"I second the motion..."
Seeing more and more ministers standing up, the King of Qi's eyes darkened and he also walked out of the crowd. His upper body was hidden in the shadows, and his expression was unclear, but his words were powerful.
"My lords, you say that the Prince of Yan has a bad character, but how do you know that a tiger father will have a dog son? So, in other words, you also think that my brother is a bad person?"
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