A few days later, the Fourth Prince felt it was better to settle the matter of the princesses' betrothal as soon as possible. So he expressed his opinion to the Third Prince and the Fifth Prince about the marriages of the three princesses by imperial decree, and they stopped mentioning the matter in court.
The Fourth Prince decided that he still needed to summon these three men, so he instructed Hongli to bring these three designated consorts into the palace to see what their abilities and character were like.
Li Jun and Gao Xiu were thrilled to hear that they would be entering the palace to meet the Emperor. All three knew they were destined to be chosen as imperial sons-in-law, hence the summons. Li Jun and Gao Xiu were overjoyed, but Ye Ci remained sullen.
Ye Ci was a brave and skilled warrior who fought on the battlefield, always dreaming of being summoned by the emperor for his military achievements. But now...
Hongli was ordered to bring the three men to the Hall of Mental Cultivation. It was the first time the three men had seen the Emperor so closely, and they were a little nervous.
After the three men bowed to the Fourth Master, they waited for him to ask them questions.
"Do the three of you know why I summoned you to the palace?" The Fourth Prince went straight to the point. The three of them only guessed that they were potential imperial sons-in-law and dared not speak rashly.
"I believe it's about choosing a consort for the princess!" Ye Ci stated his opinion. The Emperor smiled knowingly; so there was someone who dared to speak up.
"Since you know why you've come, I'm going to test you today. What do you think is the best way to bring peace and stability to the country?" The Fourth Prince wanted to see them and test their knowledge.
"I believe that the country is now stable and peaceful. As long as the people live a stable life and have enough to eat and wear, the country can be secure," Gao Xiu answered first, having just let Ye Ci steal the spotlight, and he wanted to salvage the situation.
"But there are starving people everywhere now. What do you think we should do?" The Fourth Prince was not satisfied with Gao Xiu's answer.
"Your Majesty, the court allocates funds to refugees in various regions every year, but most of this money is embezzled by local officials. The court can regularly send officials to thoroughly investigate the flow of these funds. If anyone is found to be embezzling, they will be executed as a warning to others, which can effectively prevent this phenomenon from happening." Gao Xiu was quite confident and satisfied with his answer.
The Fourth Prince also showed a look of satisfaction. Gao Xiu would surely be able to contribute to the court after taking up a position there. However, from his tone, the Fourth Prince sensed that Gao Xiu was an arrogant person, and wondered if he would get along with Qing An, who was quick-tempered.
Ye Ci responded from the perspective of the country's external situation, stating that only by resisting foreign aggression, strengthening defenses, and stabilizing the country can true peace and security be achieved.
Fourth Master thought that Ye Ci was a forthright and generous man, worthy of being the son of a general, and had the demeanor of leading troops into battle.
Li Jun's answer was the most conventional of the three. He was somewhat talented and had a mild temperament, but the court still needed more people with their own opinions.
After some investigation, the Fourth Master had gained a better understanding of the three men's character.
Fourth Master had a good impression of the three, finding them all capable. However… Qing Shun and Qing An's preferred partners didn't suit their personalities, so disputes and conflicts were inevitable after marriage. As for Gao Xiu and Qing An, both were impatient people, and perhaps…
The Fourth Prince had Su Peisheng deliver the resumes of two other people, which he examined carefully for a long time, showing how much he cared about the marriages of the three princesses. As he flipped through the register, his gaze fell upon Zhang Youwei's name…
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