It's windy!
Chang En quickly took out his cloak, but didn't know whether he should go forward.
Liu Zhao calmed down from his excitement and waved to Chang En when he saw this.
Chang En hurried forward, handed the cloak to Liu Zhao, and then hurriedly retreated.
Liu Zhao personally put the cloak on Emperor Wende and said, "It's windy, be careful not to catch a cold."
Emperor Wende smiled and said, "I don't remember you caring about others."
Liu Zhao felt wronged, "My son may appear cold on the outside but he's warm on the inside, and he always cares about others."
Emperor Wende sneered, "You are clearly cold-hearted and cold-faced. You never compromise in front of me."
Liu Zhao defended himself, "It's not that my son doesn't understand compromise, but I just think that if we fight for it, we might get a different result."
Emperor Wende laughed heartily. "That's the biggest difference between you and your other brothers. You know how to argue for your rights, while they fear me. Whenever I show dissatisfaction, even if they insist they're right, they don't have the courage to speak out."
"My son thought his brothers were all quite competitive."
Emperor Wende shook his head and smiled. "Power tastes wonderful. They crave it, but at the same time they fear it, so they hold their hands and feet. What about you? Why aren't you afraid?"
Liu Zhao said frankly, "My son has done nothing wrong, so of course I'm not afraid. He has argued for his own reasons several times, not for personal gain."
This is a bit shameless.
Emperor Wende did not expose Liu Zhao.
He hugged his cloak tighter.
The weather suddenly changed and it looked like it would rain.
"Father, are you going back to the palace? I will carry you down the mountain."
Hey!
Emperor Wende was very surprised.
Liu Zhao had already squatted down and made preparations.
Emperor Wende looked hesitant. Should he let Liu Zhao carry him down the mountain?
Being carried down the mountain was tantamount to publicly acknowledging the fact that he was physically aging.
Just because you know something in your heart doesn't mean you are willing to have others say it to your face.
If you refuse, it would be like covering your ears and stealing the bell.
Chang En was a little anxious. He stepped forward and whispered, "Your Majesty, I have arranged a sedan chair. If Your Majesty needs it, it can be brought up at any time."
Emperor Wende laughed heartily, "I am very afraid!"
After saying that, he simply lay on Liu Zhao's back.
Liu Zhao's body sank. "Father, I am about to move."
"Let's go down the mountain! Let's see if you have the strength to carry me down the mountain."
"I don't have anything else but a lot of strength."
“Very good!”
Liu Zhao carried Emperor Wende on his back and stood up.
The emperor, who I imagined to be quite heavy, felt light when he was carried on my back.
Liu Zhao's eyes darkened and he felt a little sad.
No matter how powerful a person is, he will grow old one day.
What will he look like when he is old?
Will he be like my father, old and frail, like an old man?
Thinking of that scene, Liu Zhao felt a panic in his heart.
He was totally unprepared for his old age.
He always believed that he, like Gu Jiu, remained young and strong.
"Am I too heavy? Can't you carry me?"
Liu Zhao shook his head repeatedly, "I was wondering, has your father ever betrayed me?"
Emperor Wende was speechless. "You have servants waiting on you at all times. I don't have the chance to carry you on my back."
Liu Zhao walked down the steps, smiling as he said, "I haven't carried Yu Ge'er and the others on my back, but I have held them in my arms."
"It's nice to be able to hold the baby."
"I think so too."
Chang En followed beside him, terrified, fearing that Prince Qin would stumble and throw Emperor Wende out.
He was so nervous that sweat broke out on his forehead and his whole body was soaked.
It was even more tiring than carrying Emperor Wende down the mountain himself.
He is really worried about it.
Is it easy for him to be a eunuch?
Why did His Royal Highness the Prince of Qin want to take his job!
Too bullying.
The stairs seemed to have no end, just like Chang En's ups and downs in mood.
When he finally walked up the last step, Chang En's heart finally fell from the height to the ground.
"Let this old slave carry you the rest of the way."
"No need, I can walk back by myself."
Emperor Wende got off Liu Zhao.
This was the first time that the father and son were so close, and they both felt a little strange.
Liu Zhao was the first to speak: "If Your Majesty has no other instructions, I will go and pay my respects to Your Majesty."
"Go! Tell your mother not to worry about you. When you have time, listen to some music, read some books, or read the newspaper."
"I will follow my father's instructions."
Liu Zhao watched Emperor Wende leave before turning around to pay his respects to Empress Pei.
After climbing the mountain, Emperor Wende was tired.
After returning to the bedroom, I soaked in the hot spring for a while and then took a nap.
I woke up in the afternoon and looked at the sky outside the window.
The sky was dark and the rain was falling endlessly.
"What time?"
"Your Majesty, it's 1:00 PM."
"It's so late."
Emperor Wende got up from the bed.
Chang En personally helped him wash and dress.
"Call all the ministers from the Council of State. I have important matters to attend to."
"I obey your command."
Chang En quickly ordered people to invite several bigwigs from the court.
I guess His Majesty has something important to do.
Lord Lu led a group of court officials to the bedroom.
Emperor Wende was already dressed neatly, and everything looked very formal.
Several court officials were a little surprised.
I’m afraid this is not a trivial matter today.
"Your Majesty!"
"Please give me a seat, my dear ministers."
After expressing their gratitude, several court officials took their seats.
Emperor Wende walked back and forth in the hall several times with his hands behind his back.
Finally, his eyes swept over the faces of each courtier.
"I am already past sixty and my health is failing. For the sake of the Great Zhou, I intend to appoint a crown prince."
The ministers were shocked!
"Your Majesty is in the prime of life..."
"Get out if you're talking nonsense." Emperor Wende angrily rebuked the flattering courtiers.
For a moment, no one dared to speak.
Finally, it was Lord Lu who stood up and asked, "Your Majesty, have you made up your mind?"
"Exactly!"
Lord Lu asked again, "Which prince does Your Majesty prefer to inherit the throne?"
Emperor Wende's gaze swept across the faces of each courtier once again. "I haven't made a decision yet. I'd like to hear your opinions first."
The court officials looked at each other in bewilderment.
Does Your Majesty really want to hear their opinions, or is he just testing the waters?
Emperor Wende knew exactly what his ministers were thinking. "Just say whatever you want. Even if you're wrong, it doesn't matter. I'll forgive him."
The ministers still hesitated.
Emperor Wende simply called out, "Lord Lu, which prince do you have your eye on?"
Lord Lu pondered for a moment, "Your Majesty, I believe that His Royal Highness the Prince of Qin is worthy of being the crown prince."
Emperor Wende did not comment and continued to call out names.
Some people supported Liu Zhao, some supported the fourth prince Liu Yi, and some supported the second prince Liu Ping.
After listening to the opinions of each courtier, Emperor Wende asked, "Who among the princes is the most capable?"
"In terms of ability to perform duties, I believe the Second Prince is the best."
"I disagree. In terms of bravery and martial prowess, who can compare to His Royal Highness the Prince of Qin?"
"The King of Qin is only worthy of praise for his bravery and martial prowess."
"Ridiculous! Are you all blind? The Prince of Qin served in the Ministry of War and the Secretariat, and his performance was remarkable. How could he be inferior to the Second Prince?"
"But His Royal Highness the Second Prince..."
"Don't create trouble. His Royal Highness the Prince of Qin is the eldest son of the legitimate wife. If the eldest son has no obvious faults and has made great contributions, bypassing the eldest son and appointing a bastard as the crown prince is a strategy that will bring disaster to the country and the people. Your Majesty, please execute Lord Hu."
"Mr. Chen, you are clearly seeking revenge for your own personal gain. You are the traitor who is bringing disaster to the country and the people."
"No matter how everyone argues, based on the theory of legitimate and illegitimate children, the Fourth Prince is more qualified to be appointed Crown Prince than the Second Prince. Since the Fourth Prince is a legitimate son, his ability to handle affairs is obvious to all."
"I oppose the appointment of the Fourth Prince as Crown Prince."
Lord Lu stepped forward and spoke righteously, "The Fourth Prince's harem is in turmoil, and he has many illegitimate sons. If he were the crown prince, it's conceivable that there would be strife within the harem, leading to factional strife within the court. His Highness the Prince of Qin is different. His three sons are all legitimate and born of the same mother. This largely eliminates harem strife and minimizes factional strife. Furthermore, the Princess of Qin is more qualified than Madam Yi to become Empress and lead the harem."
"This is all one-sided. The Fourth Prince is also the legitimate son..."
"But he's not the eldest son. Isn't the eldest son more qualified than the legitimate son? Moreover, His Royal Highness the Prince of Qin has military merits. With his military achievements, if he were a military commander, he would be eligible for a title of nobility."
"How can one become crown prince simply by relying on bravery and military prowess?"
"Of course, the position of crown prince cannot be achieved solely through bravery, but a crown prince without bravery is definitely not a qualified crown prince. Obviously, His Royal Highness the Prince of Qin is the most qualified candidate for crown prince."
Lord Lu firmly supports Liu Zhao.
Just as Gu Jiu requested at the beginning, please stand firmly on Liu Zhao's side when necessary.
At this moment, Lord Lu is being loyal and fulfilling his promise.
He was Emperor Wende's trusted advisor. Others could not see Emperor Wende's intentions, but he could see them clearly.
He knew that Emperor Wende already had the answer in his heart, but he just needed to express it through the mouth of his ministers.
Lord Lu is willing to be the mouthpiece.
So he argued with reason, pressed forward step by step, and never gave in.
"Your Majesty, please sentence Lu Da to death. He is clearly attempting to form a clique for personal gain, colluding with both insiders and outsiders, and has ill intentions."
"It's clearly you who has bad intentions! His Highness the Fourth Prince has given you so many benefits that you've gone to such lengths to speak for him."
"Absurd! I am loyal to my country and have the best interests of the Great Zhou Dynasty at heart."
"You are clearly acting out of selfish interests. Your Majesty, I beg you to execute Lord Liu."
"Mr. Lu, I have no grudge against you, so please stop making random accusations."
"Is Lord Liu panicking? If you have nothing to hide, why are you panicking?"
"Your Majesty, I am wronged!"
"Enough! Shut up! Lord Lu and Lord Chen, please stay. The rest of you, please leave."
As soon as Emperor Wende spoke, the several bigwigs who were not named immediately knew that the situation was hopeless.
Everyone looked at each other, dejected and frustrated.
His Royal Highness the Prince of Qin actually won so easily and simply.
Compared with the fierce struggles for the throne during the reigns of several other previous emperors, which involved fighting and even forcing the emperor to abdicate, this is so fucking unbelievable.
No one died!
No rebellion!
No one used a knife!
No one is forcing the emperor to abdicate!
There is nothing, but the position of crown prince is decided.
This, this, this...
How can it be so simple?
How embarrassing it is for the ministers to do this.
There's a feeling of being useless.
So sad.
I feel like my heart is broken into pieces.
This generation of court officials must be the most unsuccessful ones.
Without the bloody struggle for the throne, there would be no right to be recorded in history books.
Oh, oh, oh!
Let them find a place to heal.
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