Chapter 346: No Interference in Government
After retiring from the court, Li Chengqian returned to Ganlu Hall, because he was a little upset by the ministers' request to establish a crown prince today.
"Everyone! The Queen and Prince Ning are asking for an audience!" An eunuch trotted in and bowed to report.
Li Chengqian was even more dissatisfied when he heard this. The Queen came to see him at this time and brought Li Jue with her. He didn't need to think about it to know what it was for.
He had just returned, and the Queen came right after him, saying that it had nothing to do with the establishment of a crown prince, and he didn't believe anything she said.
Li Chengqian didn't expect that a woman as gentle and graceful as the Queen would actually come to force him to abdicate for the position of crown prince, which naturally made him even more angry.
The ministers wanted to force him to establish a crown prince, so could it be that even his Queen would force him to establish a crown prince.
But on second thought, Li Chengqian was somewhat relieved. After all, the queen was not only a woman, but also a mother. It was understandable
for her to seek the position of crown prince for her son. As a mother seeking benefits for her son's future, he could naturally feel relieved, but Su was not only a mother, but also the queen of the Tang Dynasty. She should not only consider her son, but also take him, the emperor, into consideration.
"Let them in!" Li Chengqian said.
"Yes!" The eunuch took the order and retreated. He came to the outside of the hall and saluted the queen and Li Jue, saying, "Her Majesty, Your Highness Prince Ning! Everyone is invited."
"Don't worry, Jue'er, your mother is here. Besides, your father is not a man-eating monster, so don't be afraid." Looking at the hands trembling slightly beside him, Li Jue, who was a little scared, comforted him.
"I know!" Li Jue said.
"Let's go! The emperor has been waiting for a long time!" the queen said, and turned to the eunuch and said, "Thank you!"
The eunuch was immediately flattered! The queen's maid quietly gave the eunuch some money as a reward, and the eunuch immediately smiled and thanked her again and again.
"Your servant pays homage to the saint!" the queen saluted.
"Your son pays homage to the father!" Ning Wang Li Jue saluted to Li Chengqian.
"No need to be polite! Sit down!" Li Chengqian said.
"Thank you, the saint (father)!" The queen and Li Jue thanked and sat down aside.
"Are the queen and Ning Wang here this time to establish the crown prince?" Li Chengqian said, directly pointing out the purpose of their visit.
Li Jue looked a little flustered after hearing this, and the queen reached out and patted Li Jue, indicating that he didn't have to worry about anything because she was there.
All of this was seen by Li Chengqian, who was dissatisfied with Li Jue's cowardice and was even more unwilling to make him the crown prince. Instead, he was more willing to make Li Xiang the crown prince.
"Yes, I came here just for this matter..."
"Alright! You don't have to say anything. I have no plan to make a crown prince for the time being, and you don't have to think too much. I know when to make a crown prince. I'm tired, you all go back!"
Before Empress Su finished her words, she was interrupted by Li Chengqian and ordered to expel him. He didn't want to discuss the issue of making a crown prince with anyone now.
His unwillingness to mention it didn't mean that others didn't want to mention it. Empress Su came here to give an explanation for the matter of making a crown prince. At least, even if she didn't make a crown prince now, she had to make sure that her son would be the crown prince in the future.
"Your Majesty! Please forgive me for speaking frankly. The crown prince is the foundation of the country. If the foundation is established, the people's hearts will be at peace, and the country will be forever stable. Since the founding of the Tang Dynasty, there has never been a crown prince position that has been vacant for a long time."
"Your Majesty, please establish a crown prince according to the law for the sake of the Tang Dynasty, the foundation of our ancestors, and the stability of the people of the world!" Empress Su stopped talking and knelt down to Li Chengqian.
Li Chengqian was furious and roared: "The harem is not allowed to interfere in government affairs. How can you, a woman, say anything about the appointment of a crown prince? It is not your turn to tell me whether I will appoint a crown prince or not, and when I will appoint a crown prince."
"Get out of here, go back to Lizheng Palace. Without my permission, you are not allowed to leave even a step, and no one is allowed to approach Lizheng Palace even a step."
"Your Majesty! Even if I die today, I will..."
"If you dare to say anything again, go back to Lizheng Palace quickly, I will immediately issue an edict to let Prince Ning go to his fiefdom and never allow him to return to Chang'an." Li Chengqian roared and interrupted Empress Su.
"Your Majesty!" Empress Su collapsed on the ground. She was just here to seek benefits for her son. If her son really went to his fiefdom, he would never be able to come back.
Isn't it that she will never be the crown prince? Isn't it that she has harmed Li Jue? The more Empress Su thought about it, the more scared she became.
"Mother!" Li Jue rushed up and turned to Li Chengqian and knelt down, saying, "I beg you to forgive me, father. I would rather not be the crown prince. I only beg you to forgive me."
"Send the queen back to Lizheng Hall and let her reflect on her mistakes for a month. Prince Ning Li Jue will stay. I have something to say." Li Chengqian said.
"Yes!" The maid came forward to help Empress Su up and sent her back to Lizheng Hall. Empress Su let the maid help her along the way without making a fuss.
She was afraid that her fuss would cause Li Jue to stay away from her and she might never see him again in this life.
"Jue'er, do you want to be the crown prince?" Li Chengqian asked.
"Yes!" Li Jue blurted out without thinking.
"Why? Can you tell me? Is it because of power, or because the throne tempts you?" Li Chengqian asked.
"No, I do it for my mother, for my father, for myself, and for the people of the world! I admit that I have selfish motives, but I want to be the crown prince not only for my own selfish motives."
"In order to make my mother unhappy, my mother will be happy if I become the crown prince, and I also do it for my father, so that the ministers and the people of the world will not force my father." Li Jue said.
"You have selfish desires, so you want to be the crown prince, which is great! You say what many people want to say but dare not."
"Who in this world doesn't have selfish desires? Even I have selfish desires. People have seven emotions and six desires, and all kinds of greed will grow."
"Jue'er, if I tell you that I will not make you the crown prince, will you resent it?" Li Chengqian said.
"Yes!" Li Jue blurted out: "What exactly is wrong with me being unworthy of being the crown prince? I am unwilling to
do so!" "You told the truth! Do you know? It is not easy to be the crown prince. I have been the crown prince for more than 20 years, but I have been fighting openly and secretly with your fourth uncle for so many years."
"It's just a little bit away from being doomed. Although the crown prince seems to be infinitely glorious, it is an abyss that can't be seen, and it will swallow up many people who want to get involved in it." Li Chengqian said.
Li Jue said nothing. He didn't understand any of this. He only knew that he should fight for the position of crown prince!
No matter what the reason was, whether for himself or for others, he had to fight for it so that he would not have any regrets.
The crown prince, Li Jue has decided!
"You are already fourteen years old this year, right?" Li Chengqian asked.
Li Jue didn't understand why Li Chengqian suddenly asked about his age, but he still answered truthfully: "Yes, I am already fourteen years old."