In the Emperor’s conception, Zhou Gu was indeed worth employing. He excelled both in literary talent and martial arts, and it did come as a surprise that he even managed to secure first place in this year’s examinations. Although he was tied for the first place, it was still an achievement given the many talented individuals who struggled to make it.
However, given Zhou Gu’s background, would the old duke and the eldest princess be willing to let him go?
Jibei is currently a dangerous place. If something were to happen to him there, the idea of them sending off their young to danger was a situation they wouldn’t be able to bear.
After all, a son isn’t like a grandson, especially considering Zhou Gu is the beloved grandson of the eldest princess, Sheng An.
"I am currently considering the candidates." Yan Huisheng said, "However, Su Rong met with me today, together with her brother Su Xingze. Su Xingze is willing to help share his father’s burdens and journey to Jibei."
The Emperor paused, "You mean Su Rong’s older brother? The one who tied for first place with Zhou Gu, Su Xingze?"
Yan Huisheng nodded.
The Emperor furrowed his brows, "He is a scholar, wouldn’t he rather enter the Hanlin Academy?"
Yan Huisheng shook his head, "He initially planned to enter the Hanlin Academy, but upon hearing such grave matters from Su Rong, he then decided to go to Jibei. After all, distinguishing oneself and sharing the burdens of the state can lead to quicker access to court politics than gaining seniority in the Hanlin Academy."
He added, "Though Su Xingze is a scholar, he has also practiced martial arts since childhood. His martial arts skills may not match Su Rong, but they surpass those of an average scholar. If you were to dispatch some people to assist him, he should be able to protect himself."
The emperor pondered, "The Inspector of Jiangzhou, Su Xu, only has this one son, right?"
Yan Huisheng nodded, "Yes."
The Emperor said, "It seems that Su Rong really cares about her adoptive parents and her brother. Does she agree?"
Yan Huisheng said, "She agrees. Not only does she agree, but she also wants to help alleviate your concerns before her departure to Nanchu. She has also decided to go to Jibei with Su Xingze."
The Emperor was somewhat surprised upon hearing this, "She also wants to go to Jibei?"
Yan Huisheng nodded.
The Emperor looked at Yan Huisheng, "What is her purpose?"
Yan Huisheng answered, "Resolving Daliang’s internal worries has benefits for her as well. After all, when she returns to Nanchu, Daliang will also be her backup."
The Emperor thought this was logical, but he still said, "But she will eventually be the ruler of Nanchu. If she participates too much in Daliang’s domestic politics..."
Yan Huisheng looked at him calmly, "Father, I trust her, just like you trusted Aunt Zhenmin years ago. After all, she is Aunt Zhenmin’s biological daughter, your niece, and my cousin."
The Emperor was suddenly lost for words.
After a moment of silence, the Emperor sighed, "Do you think Su Xingze and her are suitable candidates?"
Yan Huisheng nodded, "Currently, apart from them, there are no better candidates."
The Emperor asked, "What about Zhou Gu?"
Yan Huisheng responded with a counter-question, "Do you feel at ease letting the people from the Duke Residence meddle with the military power of the Pingxi General’s Residence in Jibei?"
The Emperor was stumped and left speechless. Of course, he was not at ease. However, Yan Huisheng’s direct questioning caught him off guard and touched on the suspicions he had been harboring about the Duke Residence. Agitated, he retorted, "I’m not at ease, so you are? The throne I’m sitting on will be passed on to you in time. Is it a good thing for a family to be endowed with too much military power and whose fame has been prominent for generations?"
Yan Huisheng did not answer whether he was at ease or not, but simply said: "If it were up to me, one either employs someone fully trusting them or should not employ them upon having suspicions."
The Emperor choked, angered for a moment, and then started to cough violently.
Yan Huisheng patted his back lightly again, but was waved off by the Emperor, "Are you deliberately angering me? Do you want to upset me to death, so you can take my position sooner?"
Yan Huisheng retracted his hand and said indifferently, "Your Majesty is overthinking. If I wanted to take your seat sooner, I would not have endured all these years. I would have acted back when you supported my elder brothers and suppressed me, favoring Marquis Nanping and the Pingxi General. I do not wish to be an unfilial descendant who commits regicide, so your Majesty can rest easy." 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎
The words were indeed unpleasant, and were rebellious. Anyone else would not dare to utter them, but Yan Huisheng now dared to do so.
His position as Crown Prince was now almost guaranteed, and most of the officials in the court were leaning towards him.
He did not expect that his struggles from past years could be resolved merely by the arrival of Su Rong to the capital in just a few months. Of course, it was also due to her perfectly timed arrival and outstanding strategies.
The Emperor extended his finger to point at Yan Huisheng and did not speak for a while. After holding back for a long time, he finally spoke, "Then, it seems that I should thank you for your filial piety."
Yan Huisheng lowered his head, "I don’t want to bear an ill repute, and as the Emperor, I presume you don’t either. Only through fatherly kindness and filial piety can everyone win. Your Majesty must realize that I speak from the heart." He paused before reminding, "Despite the proficiency of the Imperial Doctor, it is still up to Your Majesty to take care of himself. If it’s a big issue, it’s worth getting angry. But for the most minor of things, it is not worth it."
The Emperor couldn’t help but laugh in frustration, withdrawing his hand, "You surely are my good son, leaving me speechless. You’ve outtalked me."
He snorted coldly, "I remember you used to be reticent and concise before. How come you have become so talkative now? I say one thing, and you retort thrice."
The former Crown Prince, Yan Huisheng, used to be cautious and sparse in his words, responding only once or twice when scolded by him, sometimes even remaining silent and not speaking at all. There were numerous times when he was yelled at, his face remnant calm with a single response, "If Your Majesty is dissatisfied with me, you can depose my position as Crown Prince." The Emperor would be so angry that he would throw ink stones at him, but of course would always miss, as Yan Huisheng would dodge. Others might not dare to dodge, but he would.
Both of them knew very well that he dare not depose his Crown Prince. Despite suppressing him all the time, and fearing the Duke’s Residence, Yan Huisheng never protested, but that didn’t mean he was idly standing by. If the Emperor dared to depose him, he would resist, even at the cost of causing political unrest, unless he was pushed to the extreme.
The Emperor took a deep breath, and thought about his overbearing behavior over the past years. It indeed was not justified. After this realization, he lost his temper and said to Yan Huisheng, "Well, arrange for the Palace Examination first. I will decide after meeting Su Xingze."
Yan Huisheng nodded his head.
The Emperor added, "As for the case of Imperial Concubine Zhen, now that you have met her and she has confessed truthfully, how do you think it should be handled? And what about Yan Li and Ning Yao."
"Both the Imperial Concubine Zhen and Crown Prince’s wife are pregnant, they are, after all, descendants of the Royal family, Your Majesty have to make a decision." Yan Huisheng did not express his thoughts, but reminded, "Your Majesty should think carefully before making a decision, but I need to remind Your Majesty that the case is still hanging, and many people are involved, so it is better to settle it sooner than later to avoid further complications."
The Emperor nodded, "I understand."
If it were in the past, in the Emperor’s opinion, these were just two women after all, he could grant them a cup of poisonous wine, and that would be the end of it. But these two women were different now. Imperial Concubine Zhen, whom he had adored over the years, was certainly infuriating, but he was still reluctant to kill her. After all, with her death, there would no longer be anyone who pleased him as she did. As for the wife of the Crown Prince, the child she was carrying could possibly be his first grandson. While he may not lack grandsons in the future, this one was, after all, his first.
He really had to think about it properly.
Yan Huisheng left the Hall of Mental Cultivation and glanced at the people waiting outside without a word, and walked straight out.
Seeing that the Emperor had no intention of summoning him, Yan Lin suddenly became anxious and shouted towards the hall, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty!"
Of course, the Emperor didn’t want to meet Yan Lin. After all, Yan Lin’s wife, Zhang Wan, is from the family of the Pingxi General - the daughter of Zhang Ping.
These years, if he hadn’t been muddleheaded enough to support the two Princes, constraining the Crown Prince, he wouldn’t have ended up favoring Zhang Ping and creating opportunities for him .
The eunuch tending to the Emperor came out and conveyed the Emperor’s will, "No need to shout, Second Prince, His Majesty is tired and needs rest. He will not see any of you Princes today, you may return!"
Fears of provocations arose and he warned, "His Majesty says if there is any more noise, you will be handled the same as the Crown Prince."
Yan Lin was shocked and immediately shut his mouth.
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