Chapter 222 Establishing an Heir Apparent
Li Ye was speechless for a moment, opening his mouth but unable to utter a word for a long time. Finally, he could only stammer, "I am doing this for your own good, not wanting you to be condemned for all eternity! Throughout history, there has never been a precedent of a woman ascending the throne as emperor..."
"Then I'll be the first one!"
Li Yuanzhao interrupted him without hesitation.
Seeing her firm stance, Li Ye also lost his temper. "What if I am unwilling? Without my decree of succession, you will ultimately be illegitimate in your ascension to the throne. The people of the world will not submit to you, and your throne will be destined to be unstable!"
Upon hearing this, Li Yuanzhao suddenly smiled and asked, "Father, why do you think I would spare Li Yuanyou's life?"
Li Ye froze, instantly understanding her subtext.
She's threatening him!
If he doesn't hand over the edict of succession, they will kill Li Yuanyou!
He was trembling with rage, pointing his finger at her nose and shouting, "You unfilial child! That's your own brother! How could you want to kill him!"
Li Yuanzhao laughed even louder, "Father, have you forgotten? Isn't it only when an emperor is all alone and cut off from all his relatives that he can sit securely on the throne?"
"Didn't you kill your mother back then to secure your position? All of this is thanks to your personal teachings and guidance."
"Why are you now blaming me?"
Looking at the unyielding determination in Li Yuanzhao's eyes, Li Ye suddenly gave a self-deprecating smile.
Yes, how could Li Yuanzhao not be his daughter?
This deep-seated selfishness and cold-bloodedness, this ambition for power, are exactly like him.
But now she holds great power and commands a large army. She has even imprisoned him in this Ganlu Palace. What can he do about her?
Thinking of this, his voice softened, and his tone became somewhat pleading.
"What...what do you want me to do to spare your brother's life?"
Li Yuanzhao did not answer directly, but simply raised his hand.
Two eunuchs carried a table into the palace from outside and placed it in front of the emperor's bed.
Stacks of memorials were neatly piled on the desk.
“These are the memorials submitted by the court officials during your illness, Father Emperor,” Li Yuanzhao explained. “Your son dares not act on his own authority; I humbly request Your Majesty to make the decision.”
A hint of confusion surfaced in Li Ye's cloudy eyes.
Given that things have come to this point, why would Li Yuanzhao still let him handle state affairs?
But his deep-seated lust for power still made him force himself to lean closer to the table and pick up the top memorial with trembling hands.
Looking at his impatient appearance, Li Yuanzhao couldn't help but sneer inwardly.
Although the emperor was old and nearing death, he still refused to relinquish the power in his hands.
The first memorial was submitted by Pei Huaijin, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, on behalf of the young officials in the court, requesting the establishment of an heir apparent.
"His Majesty is unwell, and the Great Qi cannot be without an heir for even a day. Her Highness the Eldest Princess is both talented and virtuous, and is popular with the court and the people. We urge His Majesty to establish the Eldest Princess as Crown Prince as soon as possible to ensure the stability of the country."
After reading it, Li Ye was so angry that his hands were trembling, and he threw the memorial to the ground.
"These people! They can't wait for me to die!"
He picked up the second letter, panting heavily. It was a memorial from Du Cong, the Vice Censor-in-Chief, which was even more outspoken.
"Your Majesty's murder of his first wife and persecution of meritorious officials have already caused widespread resentment in the court and among the people, with rumors running rampant. In order to appease the people and consolidate the foundation of the nation, we urge Your Majesty to issue an edict of self-reproach to apologize to the world!"
Li Ye was so angry that his vision blurred, and he hurriedly picked up the next memorial to examine it.
But the more he flipped through the pages, the more horrified and angry he became.
From high-ranking officials like Prime Minister Su to local government officials, they either jointly petitioned to establish the eldest princess as heir apparent, or vehemently demanded that he admit his mistakes and apologize, all of which were treasonous.
Li Ye's face grew increasingly dark, and veins bulged on his forehead.
Finally, he could no longer hold back and abruptly swept his hand, overturning all the memorials on the table to the ground.
"They've rebelled! They've all rebelled! I am the emperor! What wrong have I done? How dare they be so insolent!"
He had barely finished speaking when he suddenly began to cough violently.
He looked like he was about to cough himself to death, and a trace of blood even spilled from the corner of his mouth, dripping onto the bright yellow brocade quilt.
Li Yuanzhao, however, sat calmly to the side, slowly adding fuel to the fire.
“Father, these are the heartfelt words of our court officials. Didn’t you often admonish me to win people over with virtue and to listen to all sides? Why are you so angry now?”
Li Ye's eyes widened suddenly, his withered finger pointing at her: "It was you...you're the one who made them do this, right?!"
Li Yuanzhao's eyes were filled with innocence. "Father, you are wronging me. This is simply the will of the people and the expectation of all. How could I possibly manipulate the court officials?"
Seeing her like this, Li Ye felt as if all his strength had been drained away, and leaned heavily back onto the soft pillow.
At that moment, he suddenly realized that he no longer had the leverage to negotiate with Li Yuanzhao.
Military power slipped from her grasp, court officials defected, and even Li Yuanyou's life was in her hands.
He has lost this power struggle utterly!
Even though his heart was filled with countless grievances, and even though his imperial dignity was crushed to pieces on the ground, he was helpless.
A deep-seated sense of despair and hopelessness slowly overwhelmed the emperor who had once ruled the Great Qi for decades.
After a long while, he finally spoke slowly, “Que Nu… all that happened before was because your father was blinded by greed and misled. I’ve wronged you… You, you mustn’t resent your father.”
Upon hearing this, Li Yuanzhao smiled faintly, "Father, between you and me, father and daughter, has there ever been any discord?"
Upon hearing this, Li Ye reached out and took her hand, his voice trembling, "Yes... there's no grudge, never..."
"I will issue an edict immediately, appointing you as Crown Prince. Moreover, on the fifteenth day of the first month, I will hold an abdication ceremony in front of the entire world, formally passing the throne to you."
The appointment of the Crown Prince was within Li Yuanzhao's expectations; it was the result she had wanted.
But the second half of the sentence, "the abdication ceremony," made her pupils shrink slightly, and a hint of change finally appeared on her calm face.
Li Ye's tone was tinged with sorrow, "Que Nu, although I have wronged your mother, I was foolish back then and made an unforgivable mistake, but in these nineteen years, I have never mistreated you in the slightest."
"I know that my days are numbered, and my body cannot hold on much longer."
He coughed twice, his hands thin and cold, tightly gripping hers.
"My last wish before I die is to see you ascend the throne and rightfully rule the Great Qi Empire, and then choose several virtuous husbands and beautiful concubines to accompany you. That way, even when I close my eyes, I can rest in peace."
He spoke with great emotion, his eyes slightly red, and his voice choked with sobs, perfectly portraying a dying father worried about his daughter.
Li Yuanzhao pondered to himself.
Her original plan was to have Xiao Lingdang administer the medicine "at the right time" after her father had publicly held the ceremony to confer the title of Crown Prince, so that he would die from "serious illness".
This way, she can directly succeed to the throne.
But now, he has actually taken the initiative to abdicate, which carries even more weight than a will to inherit the throne.
Holding the abdication ceremony in front of the whole world is tantamount to him personally branding the word "legitimate" onto himself.
Even if those dormant opposition forces are unwilling, they have no reason to launch an attack.
This "going with the flow" seems to make her succession to the throne even more legitimate and indisputable.
Moreover, there are only ten days left until the Lantern Festival; she wouldn't be so impatient as to not even wait those ten days.
Thinking of this, Li Yuanzhao slowly said, "Then your subject... thanks Father Emperor for granting your wish."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com