Chapter 724 A Dream of Youth 256
Taking leave isn't something that can be done so quickly; I need two days to properly hand over my work.
After asking for leave from Dean Jiang, Xie Ning took her medicine box to check Yan Xi's pulse. She also asked Yan Xi to keep an eye on the female official election, as she was afraid Yan Xi wouldn't have time for it.
I need to go to the Ministry of Personnel to ask for leave later.
"You can rest assured." Yan Xi was very concerned about this matter and naturally wouldn't let anything go wrong.
Xie Ning carefully noted down Yan Xi's pulse, then asked without looking up, "I heard His Majesty wants to establish a crown prince?"
"Hmm." Yan Xi leaned back on the couch, while the palace servants kept a safe distance.
"It was the Empress Dowager who made the request, and then the court officials also made the request. My father also had this idea. Anyway, once the Crown Prince is decided, it can stabilize the hearts of the people in the court and the country."
This crown prince is naturally Yan Xi's younger brother, even though he is still young.
Xie Ning listened to the drizzle outside the window, but her mood didn't improve much. "The matter of establishing an heir will inevitably cause a lot of trouble. I won't be here then, so you have to be careful."
After all, there is more than one prince now.
Yan Xi looked at Xie Ning's profile and asked softly, "A Ning, how is Father's health...?"
"What do you mean by that?"
Yan Xi tilted her head. "A'Ning, if Father's health is quite good, don't you find it strange that he would bring up the matter of establishing an heir at this time?"
"Wasn't it the Empress Dowager and the court officials who submitted the memorial? Besides, there have been such examples throughout history. Setting an heir early will put the people below at ease." Xie Ning didn't find it strange.
"That's not how it is. The emperors of the Great Zhou Dynasty all died young, and it was difficult for any of them to live long. They would only designate a crown prince before they died because the princes were also in poor health and prone to dying young. If the crown prince died young, things would easily get chaotic."
Moreover, the young princes are all too young to show their talents, and I'm afraid... my younger brother will become a target.
After all, they are siblings. Even in the royal family, Yan Xi cared for her younger brother and naturally did not want him to become a pawn in power struggles.
"If the Emperor had not first expressed his intention to establish an heir, the Empress Dowager and the court officials would not have brought up the matter at this time."
Xie Ning sat up straight. "But what if His Majesty's health is truly failing?"
Although he had been taking care of himself, the emperor's constitution was already weak, and he was also working himself to the bone every day, so it was unlikely that he would live a long life.
Thinking of this possibility, Yan Xi's breathing became heavier, and she frowned, feeling worried. She did not want the emperor to be in trouble at this time, not only because of the father-daughter relationship, but also because she was still inexperienced.
Whether the emperor above her was her father or her brother made a big difference.
Her father would support and tolerate some of her requests, but her younger brother would definitely not, not to mention that he is still young. If he were to ascend the throne, it would likely be her grandmother and mother who would act as regents.
Her actions will be more difficult because she knows very well what kind of people her mother and grandmother are; they are both national mothers in the truest sense.
"If only you could go and take Father's pulse," Yan Xi muttered. Unfortunately, Xie Ning was going back to his hometown, so it wasn't her turn to take his pulse.
Xie Ning is not worried about this. "Since there are already speculations, then we should make more preparations. Opportunities are always reserved for those who are prepared."
Yan Xi laughed and tossed a pillow to Xie Ning, "You make it sound so simple."
She had none of the following: money, power, or military force; she could only choose to lie low.
Xie Ning put down the pillow in her hand, raised her hand to pour Yan Xi a glass of fruit drink, and drank with her. "So we have to be more patient. Don't rush. Right now, you are just a princess who wants to share the burden of the Emperor, aren't you?"
At worst, I'll just shift my burdens from relieving my father's to relieving your grandmother and mother's.
As for the young prince in the empress's palace, he is still too young, and once he ascends the throne, he will only be a puppet.
Following the light rain, the Xie family finally boarded the boat on the morning of the second day. Since they had chartered the boat themselves, they didn't need to stop along the way except for necessary supplies.
Moreover, because of Xie Wangzhi's official position, the boats he chartered were the best available on the market, and they were faster than ordinary official boats. In just half a month, they arrived at the Quanzhou dock.
The atmosphere on the boat was not good. The younger generation did not have any affection for the old woman, but Grandpa Xie, as her biological son, was different.
As the youngest son, he was quite spoiled when he was young. His mother was not good to his wife, but she was very good to him and would secretly subsidize him from childhood to adulthood.
Of course, the eldest son of the Xie family was also quite pampered.
The second child, who is always in the middle, is often overlooked.
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