Chapter 274 is fairly satisfactory.
The emperor leaned back in his wide chair, his eyes closed, looking somewhat dejected.
Just moments ago, he was filled with a sense of pride he hadn't felt in years because of Jiang Yu's words "a prosperous and strong nation." But after examining his three sons, that pride was almost completely extinguished.
He had eight sons; even if one died and another became incompetent, he still had six. He had never imagined that one day he would be troubled by the lack of a suitable heir. Six sons—if half of them were outstanding, he could choose the best among the three princes.
Therefore, he ruthlessly excluded the sixth prince, placing him in charge of the Embroidered Uniform Guard to block his path to the throne. Without hesitation, he also used the eighth prince as a scapegoat to silence the court officials who wanted him to establish a crown prince.
But now he has tested three sons. One is destined to be a tyrant, one is overly cautious and lacks initiative, and one is reckless and brainless. Three of his seven sons are unsuitable; who knows what the next three will be like?
At that moment, he unknowingly included the sixth prince in his list of heirs.
The imperial study was quiet, with the faint scent of sandalwood rising from the incense burner and filling the room...
Zhao Fuquan looked at the emperor's furrowed brows and couldn't help but worry. Although the emperor was in good health, he was, after all, at the age of fifty, unlike a young man in his twenties or thirties.
He was about to give the emperor a massage when the Fifth Prince appeared at the door of the Imperial Study. He walked to the emperor's side and whispered, "Your Majesty, the Fifth Prince has arrived."
The emperor opened his eyes and sat up straight. "Let him in."
Zhao Fuquan walked to the door and said, "Your Highness, please come in."
The Fifth Prince nodded, entered the imperial study, and gracefully bowed to the Emperor. The Emperor waved for him to sit, then looked at him in silence. This son was handsome, and usually did things to his liking; the Emperor's hopes were rekindled, hoping this son would not disappoint him.
"Do you know why I summoned you here?" the emperor asked.
The Fifth Prince nodded. "I heard that Father Emperor summoned the Duke of Chu and several ministers, presumably because of the Duke of Chu's reform of the money exchange."
Since the Fifth Prince had guessed that the Emperor summoned him because of the Duke of Chu's reform of the money exchange, he had naturally considered the matter. Therefore, he answered without hesitation:
"The money shops are vital to the foundation of the imperial court and the livelihood of the people. If the money shops are in chaos, the country will also be unstable. The Duke of Chu's reform of the money shops, putting them under the control of the imperial court, is very wise."
The emperor felt much better after hearing his words and asked, "After the reform, the court will have more circulating silver. How should it be used rationally?"
The Fifth Prince frowned and remained silent. The Emperor knew he was thinking, so he didn't disturb him and just sat there waiting for his answer. After a while, the Emperor heard him say, "Your Majesty, I have no prior experience with the Ministry of Revenue and the banks, and I am unsure how to use them properly. However, I believe that the silver should be used where it is needed, and it should not be wasted or embezzled."
The emperor was somewhat disappointed with his answer, but this was still the best performance among the sons he had examined. He gave a faint "hmm," and the fifth prince immediately realized the emperor was dissatisfied with his answer, so he added:
"The Duke of Chu is a woman who is just as capable as any man. The Emperor's high regard for the Duke of Chu is truly a testament to his discerning eye and skillful use of talent. The matter of reforming the money shops was proposed and implemented by the Duke of Chu, and she should have a follow-up plan."
In other words, although I don't have a better strategy, I just need to make good use of people.
The emperor listened to his words, remained silent for a moment, and then nodded. Indeed, an important aspect of being a ruler is knowing how to recognize and appoint capable people. He felt he had done this very well. But to become a wise ruler, simply knowing how to use people without having the ability himself is not enough.
He was silent for a moment, then said, "Okay, you can go back now."
"Yes, Your Majesty, I take my leave." The Fifth Prince rose, bowed, and departed.
His expression remained calm, but he was inwardly very anxious. He felt that his answer might not satisfy the emperor, but it was the safest option. However, he truly had no better ideas.
He walked calmly out of the palace, but his expression turned serious once he got into his sedan chair. No prince didn't want to be emperor, and he was no exception.
Just then, a servant's voice came from outside, "Your Highness, someone from the manor just came to report that the Prime Minister has invited you to a gathering at the Prime Minister's residence."
These words made the Fifth Prince sit up straight, and after a while he leaned against the sedan chair wall, his eyes involuntarily narrowing. The Prime Minister and the old Duke of Chu were not on good terms. Although the two seemed to have no major grudges on the surface, the Prime Minister's wife came from the Xie family.
The Xie family can be said to have brought down the current Duke of Chu. He simply doesn't believe that there are no internal conflicts between the Xie family and the Duke of Chu's mansion. It's just that there are some things that both families are keeping from each other.
Since the Prime Minister is the son-in-law of the Xie family, does the Prime Minister really have no conflict with the Duke of Chu's mansion?
He didn't believe it; in fact, he felt the conflict between the two families might be very serious. Right now, the Duke of Chu was reforming the money exchange system. If he succeeded, even without a promotion, her status would rise considerably.
The Duke of Chu, who was clearly in the limelight, had overshadowed the Prime Minister! So what did the Prime Minister mean by inviting him to a gathering at this time?
The Fifth Prince clenched his fist and thought for a while, then let out a long sigh and said, "Send someone to the Prime Minister's residence and tell him that I am unwell and should not see anyone."
When the Emperor was deciding on the Crown Prince, the Prime Minister vehemently opposed it, not wanting the Eighth Prince to become the Crown Prince. Needless to say, the Prime Minister was on the Eighth Prince's side. At this time, if he were to get close to the Prime Minister, he would be shielding the Crown Prince from disaster. He wasn't going to be that fool.
Leaning against the sedan chair wall, he relaxed his body and murmured, "I have the patience to wait."
.........
In the imperial study, the emperor was testing the seventh prince with the same question.
"Your Majesty, I believe that the Duke of Chu should not merely allow the court to invest in those banks, but should directly take them over," the Seventh Prince said confidently. "It is safest for the banks to be completely under Your Majesty's control. In the future, it will be cheaper for Your Majesty to use silver."
The emperor frowned. "How do we collect those money shops?"
Seventh Prince: "Take it directly, or confiscate the property of those who refuse."
The emperor frowned even more deeply. "A country has its laws, and a family has its rules. Even as the emperor, I cannot rob the people."
Hearing the anger in the emperor's voice, the seventh prince thought to himself, "Isn't investing now just robbery?" But he rose with a look of fear and apologized, "It was my recklessness."
The emperor waved his hand, "You may return."
The seventh prince bowed again and withdrew. Suddenly, the emperor felt a terrible headache and pressed his hand to his forehead. Zhao Fuquan went over to massage his head, but dared not speak.
The emperor closed his eyes, thinking about the performance of his sons, and felt increasingly agitated.
"Alright, stop pressing. Go see Prince Xuan'an."
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