Chapter 121 The First Chapter of Rebirth: Ministers Send Off the New Emperor...
The bitter fruit finally came to light when Emperor Hongren followed the clues and unearthed the fatal memorial from the very bottom of his desk.
He was furious.
"Insolence! If I were ever deceived, would I have to act according to your every whim?!"
Ever since his second son's affair with Consort Hua came to light, Emperor Hongren hated being deceived and manipulated.
Years ago, when he was weak, he had to swallow his pride and endure humiliation at the hands of his subjects; now he was experiencing the same bitterness again. Must he, as a father, also swallow his pride and endure humiliation when it comes to his son's affairs?!
The emperor's sudden rage resulted in countless heads rolling to the ground.
Blood stained the entrance to the vegetable market.
Some officials instinctively realized the impropriety of the situation; His Majesty's emotions were excessive, and the punishment was too severe and hasty. If things were to escalate now, and he later regretted it, how would the emperor, his ministers, and even fathers and sons conduct themselves in such a way?
They tried to dissuade the emperor out of loyalty and a desire to advise him, but this time, no matter who tried, it was no use.
"Well! So you're all siding with that bastard too?" Emperor Hongren's stern reprimand echoed throughout the hall, spittle flying onto the faces of the kneeling officials, who dared not move a muscle. Only the unnoticed Eunuch Fuman, hidden in the shadows of the hall, smiled even more broadly, a hint of smug, understated pleasure in his expression.
One after another, the dead were all people on that list. A very small number were those who had sided with the Crown Prince's faction, but most were truly corrupt officials who had colluded with him and were now raking in the profits by deceiving everyone in order to benefit the Yulin Prefecture river embankment.
Unfortunately, after the underhanded actions of 'some people,' Emperor Hongren was furious. He was convinced that the eldest prince had secretly contacted so many officials behind his back to seek personal gain and to collude with officials and foreign ministers. These were all targets of factionalism.
Goodness, the sixteen-year-old eldest prince would have been the crown prince decades ago, and in the previous dynasty he could have ascended the throne. What is he trying to do?!
When an aging emperor experiences deception for the first time by his young and vigorous son, the elderly are often driven to madness by the shock—he hears the sound of power slipping silently through his fingers.
Normally, Emperor Hongren would never misunderstand the words of his advisors, but at this moment, in a fit of rage, he berated them mercilessly.
His Majesty has resorted to such a reason; he must have been so enraged that he lost his temper. Which minister would dare to continue speaking out?
If I say another word, I'll be smeared with mud that I can't wash away!
...and then the matter fell into an eerie silence, with no one daring to offer any more advice.
The First Prince's residence.
"Your Highness! Those families have all sent messages, all pleading and crying..." The First Princess Consort said anxiously, but before she could finish, she was interrupted by the First Prince in a fit of rage: "Tell them to stop making a scene! The officials who went to petition have all been punished, what can I do?"
In just a few days, the First Prince had transformed from a refined and gentle man, whose every word and action exuded elegance, into someone who looked dejected, with bloodshot eyes and immense pressure. A layer of short stubble had grown on his chin, making him look quite unkempt. The First Prince had woken up this morning in a state of turmoil and hadn't bothered to groom himself.
"But they are still ours..." The Crown Princess thought of the family members who had helped her in the past, now all of them crying and pleading with her at her parents' home. Her sister-in-law also frowned and reluctantly went to the palace.
"Father is already very dissatisfied with us." The eldest prince took a deep breath to clear his head. He forced a gentle tone and turned to take his wife's hand. "We need to work together and not displease Father any further, understand?"
The Crown Princess could no longer manage a smile and could only reply, "...Yes."
She understood the reasoning, but she also knew that the Crown Prince's faction was truly doomed this time.
If the eldest prince, as the leader, coldly abandons all his followers when trouble comes, refusing to even utter a plea or make a gesture of supplication, who wouldn't feel disheartened? Who would dare to continue following him?
The Crown Princess thought of her family, which had been ravaged and reduced to almost nothing, and a chill began to seep into her bones. She felt a pang of sorrow and could only turn her head away to barely conceal her gaze.
"Stay calm, all we can do now is stay calm..." the eldest prince murmured, his gaze fixed, his teeth clenched, revealing a frantic determination as he repeatedly tried to convince himself.
This was also a consensus reached after he and his mother discussed it.
The Emperor didn't do anything openly, nor did he reprimand, scold, or punish him. Every day, he still had to go to the study, face that hateful third son's face, and listen to the tutors' lectures.
He has suffered heavy losses these times, his wings have been clipped, but he is not yet completely defeated. As long as he carefully humbles himself this time, weathers the storm, and sincerely begs for forgiveness—as long as his father doesn't despise him, as long as he doesn't truly despise him! He will still have a sliver of hope in the future.
Now the eldest prince no longer cares whether his father truly favors the third prince. He has lost his confidence and can only try to stabilize his precarious situation and avoid total defeat. He cannot see anything else for the time being.
A few more days passed.
The last batch of convicted officials have been brought in from other places and were executed swiftly at Caishikou today. Only the officials of all ranks involved in Yulin Prefecture have not yet been dealt with.
"..." Emperor Hongren felt a sense of relief, and his rationality slowly returned. He then considered the displacement of the people of Yulin Prefecture and the fact that the river embankment had been in disarray for many years and had not been repaired.
He immediately issued an imperial edict, ordering Shen Shuzhi to deal with the offending officials on the spot, as well as to handle matters such as flood control and compassion for the people, and the Ministry of Personnel to immediately appoint officials to fill the vacancies.
Emperor Hongren stared at Shen Shuzhi's memorial, which he had read countless times, his expression shifting between light and dark. After a long while, he asked, "Zhao Fuman, has anyone come to plead for leniency again these past few days?"
The chief eunuch was cunning and shrewd. Emperor Hongren only asked one question, and Eunuch Fuman immediately understood the implied meaning. He bowed respectfully and replied, "The Third Prince came once, but not to plead for mercy. He came to offer his condolences to the people after hearing about the tragedy in Yulin."
Emperor Hongren immediately sneered: "Ha! What a cruel heart..."
This refers to the eldest prince who never came.
Everyone usually praises his eldest son for his benevolence and righteousness, his gentlemanly demeanor, and his kind and gentle nature as an elder brother. Since joining the cabinet, he has also been steady and reliable in his work, earning much praise.
Emperor Hongren watched coldly, with some consideration in his heart.
If his six sons prove unfit for the throne, it would be prudent to let his eldest son maintain the family business and become a stable and reliable ruler. However, his remaining princes were still young, and Emperor Hongren's thoughts were fleeting and had not been seriously considered.
And the result? A single setback revealed their true colors!
What gentlemanly conduct? What kind of benevolent nature? He's clearly nothing but a cold-blooded hypocrite!
To remain silent and utter not a word in a situation like this—to ruin a grand plan for the sake of a small act of forbearance—what is he enduring? What is he pleading for?! Is he afraid of his anger? Is he afraid of his complete rejection?
wild ambition!
Besides, if that brat dared to come and protect his people, even if it was just to express his request, he might actually think more highly of him!
Emperor Hongren was in a terrible mood and utterly disappointed.
On one hand, he loathed the eldest prince's wolfish ambitions. How could the eldest son harbor so many ulterior motives behind the scenes? Was he planning to seize power from him when he grew up? He wasn't unaware of these sensitive thoughts, and he could understand them after venting his frustrations. But on the other hand... Emperor Hongren was most disappointed that he had misjudged the prince.
If the eldest son is truly a ruthless character, then being defeated by him makes him a figure of some importance. But this cold-hearted, aloof, and ruthless fool who is oblivious to the suffering of the people and doesn't know how to please him, instead revealing his true intentions, is someone he would never hand over the throne to!
Emperor Hongren was so angry that he gasped for breath. Then, remembering that the army was still fighting, he issued an edict: "Send him to go and pray for the disaster victims. He shall return after a month of farming! Also, have the Imperial Clan Court confer an official title on the son of the Marquis of Beiming, allowing him to inherit the title without being demoted."
It wouldn't be right not to punish the eldest prince; only by lightly punishing him while appeasing the army could people truly believe that he had vented his anger and moved on from this matter.
But in reality, Emperor Hongren felt a lump in his throat. He did not act according to his usual habits because he had truly made up his mind that the throne could not be handed over to the eldest son. However, this point must not be revealed before he has chosen his successor.
We need to make that brat and everyone else believe that if he lies low for a few years, he might still have a chance to rise again...
"yes."
Eunuch Fu Man could tell that His Majesty still had questions, so he didn't move. He beckoned a young eunuch to deliver the message, while he himself remained rooted to the spot, bowing deeply.
After dealing with the matter of the eldest prince, Emperor Hongren remembered that his only remaining son was his third son.
Thinking of what Zhao Fuman had just said, Emperor Hongren's face remained indifferent, but there was no sign of satisfaction: "Before the Third Prince came here, did he visit his mother's palace?"
"As expected of His Majesty, you are truly insightful." Eunuch Fu Man complimented with a hint of delight.
Emperor Hongren let out a heavy sigh and fell silent, troubled.
He usually enjoyed listening to Zhao Fuman's sweet talk, which included boasting about everything, but he wasn't in the mood for it right now.
Speaking of the three sons, he's covered in bumps.
Just now, Zhao Fuman said that the Third Prince's words and actions clearly resonated with Emperor Hongren. He wanted to see if any of the princes were truly willing to work, or even just care about the people, instead of having their minds full of fighting, forming factions, and vying for favor.
But... were those actions and words of the Third Prince truly his own?!
That was clearly taught to him by Consort Rong!
She's fourteen or fifteen years old, already attending court and participating in political discussions, yet she's utterly hopeless, relying on her mother every day, and doesn't she have a single insight of her own?!
No, the Third Prince is outstanding in both writing policy essays and military affairs, and he can also excel in doing things, but he just doesn't get the key points!
With such a temperament, Emperor Hongren couldn't say for sure if he could be reformed in a short time. Giving him up with a heavy heart? Absolutely not. But choosing him as the crown prince? Emperor Hongren was afraid that after his death, the empress dowager would rule, or the maternal relatives would become too powerful, and one wrong move could lead to turmoil in the previous dynasty!
Emperor Hongren then thought of his second son, who had been timid and mediocre since childhood... and his second son's face.
He immediately changed his mind.
If it's the legitimate son...
Impulsive and dull-witted, his academic performance at the age of six lagged far behind his older brothers (excluding his second son)... The sixth prince had once been on whom he placed high hopes, and he could only console himself that the child was still young and his temperament was not yet settled. Now, having experienced the misjudgment of the eldest prince, Emperor Hongren had a question in his mind:
Is it really that her temperament is unpredictable?
Could it be that he has many children, but can only rely on his youngest son, the seventh prince?
Emperor Hongren racked his brains for a long time, but could only remember that the Seventh Prince's studies were better than the Second Prince's at that time. He was born to a palace maid and was eventually given to Consort Shun to raise. How old was he now? There was no news, so he would have to observe him for at least a few more years.
Emperor Hongren shook his head, and suddenly felt a splitting headache.
...After looking around, there wasn't a single one that was decent!
That night, the old emperor rested in the palace of beauties and worked diligently.
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Author's Note: (Emperor Hongren can no longer have children—)
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