Chapter 132 Prince Zhaochen and Shen Jingbai
Aside from being a little timid, Yan Zheng was otherwise flawless.
Yan Qi was the seventh child, seventeen years old, and had not yet been granted a title of king. He lived alone in the West Garden, studying diligently and making progress in his studies. His temperament and work were also commendable.
The other two princes are still young and will not be discussed for the time being.
Although the Ninth Prince was the Emperor's favorite because of his pleasing appearance and intelligence, he was too naive and lively. In addition, he was still young, so the Emperor would not consider grooming him as his successor—unless the Emperor was in good health, reluctant to relinquish power, and willing to wait for him to grow up.
However, the fact that Emperor Zhaode could allow Yan Cang to hold sole military power is enough to prove that he had no intention of passing the throne to the Ninth Prince, nor had he ever entertained such thoughts.
Consort Gu lowered her eyes and gently massaged his shoulders and neck.
Although they were all in the royal family and each had their own selfish motives, Consort Gu respected the Emperor from the bottom of her heart. The Emperor had no selfish motives in cultivating his successor; he considered the country and its people entirely. He was broad-minded, did not suspect anyone without reason, and was enlightened enough to tolerate his eldest son's homosexuality, his second son's occasional insolence, and his fourth son's great achievements that threatened the emperor's position.
Looking back on their journey from childhood to adulthood, Consort Gu witnessed half of this diligent emperor's life, and his actions and words were entirely worthy of the title of emperor.
Although there are occasional moments of indecisiveness, and sometimes some of the common human flaws—this is all normal, after all, we are not saints.
As an emperor, he was no less than any of his predecessors in the history of the Yong Dynasty.
Consort Gu remained silent for a moment, then slowly put her arm around his shoulder: "Your Majesty."
Emperor Zhaode turned to look at her and pulled her into his arms: "What's wrong?"
"Being able to enter the palace to serve the Emperor and give birth to Yan Cang and Jin Yue is the happiest thing in my life," Consort Gu said softly. "I never thought Yan Cang could ascend the throne. The eldest prince is calm and composed, has a broad mind, noble character, knows how to appoint people to their positions, and is skilled in both literature and martial arts. He is the best candidate for Emperor. I often think that if the eldest prince hadn't had problems with his love life, and if he had been the heir apparent, none of his brothers would have coveted the throne."
If the eldest son of the emperor had become the crown prince earlier, the princes of this generation, regardless of their number, would have been the most harmonious brothers in history.
"There are never 'what ifs' in this world." Emperor Zhaode's voice was calm. "Since he made that choice, it proves that the throne is not as important to him as that man surnamed Chen. He values personal feelings over the country and the people. He is not qualified to be the emperor."
Consort Gu said gently, "It may not be entirely because the fate of the country is more important than personal feelings. On the contrary, it is precisely because he is considering the overall situation that he is unwilling to accept the throne."
Emperor Zhaode remained silent, his brows and eyes shrouded in melancholy.
He finds it hard to feel good whenever he thinks about this.
"Your Majesty knows that this kind of relationship is rare. The most critical problem for two men together is that they cannot have children. With the abilities of Prince Chen and the young master of the Shen family, they can be the best ruler and minister. Shen Jingbai will be a very good minister. He is young but has the ability to manage his subordinates. He will have no problem assisting the emperor. However, the lack of children is a fatal problem."
"Although the next generation of the royal family can be adopted, whose offspring should be adopted? This will inevitably cause a dispute. Prince Chen must be considering the long term, so he simply handed over this responsibility to someone else."
Emperor Zhaode naturally understood this principle.
He just couldn't swallow that anger.
Even though Yan Cang was capable in every way and was no less capable than Prince Chen as emperor, he was still uncomfortable. It wasn't that he was uncomfortable about Yan Cang's ascension to the throne, but rather that the thought of Prince Chen filled him with a sense of unease.
Therefore, he has always been unwilling to meet Prince Chen.
He scoffed, "From the moment he fell for that guy surnamed Chen, the throne was never his. Who cares what he thinks?"
It's not just about having offspring.
Many of these are emotions that are not accepted by the world.
The emperor himself was a homosexual, which corrupted ethics and morals, and brought shame to the royal family. If it were just keeping a male concubine, it would be one thing, but he was serious about it.
The idea of not marrying or taking concubines, but insisting on staying with one person forever, can drive a person crazy with anger.
Emperor Zhaode became increasingly depressed as he thought about it.
Forget it, I don't want to think about it anymore.
The rest is up to Yan Cang to worry about.
...
The next few days were uneventful.
Yan Cang became busy with state affairs, traveling between the Six Ministries every day and dealing with various ministers. He gradually became familiar with state affairs, and Emperor Zhaode handed over almost all the power of regent to him.
As regent, he handled the affairs of the six ministries and even did the work of the prime minister. This meant he was so busy every day that he had to get up early and not return to the palace until after dark.
Sometimes when I got home too late, all I saw was Chu Yunjin's sleeping face.
The couple didn't even have time to exchange a single word.
Yan Cang endured for half a month, but could no longer bear it, and said directly to Emperor Zhaode, "Your subject would like to invite the eldest prince and Shen Jingbai to come out of seclusion."
Upon hearing this, Emperor Zhaode glared at him.
To leave the mountain?
They were imprisoned, not that they went into seclusion.
What mountain are we going to leave?
However, seeing that Yan Cang had been working like a spinning top these days, and was now visibly haggard and exhausted, Emperor Zhaode knew that a person's energy was limited and that one person could not be used as ten. Otherwise, Yan Cang might not even live to ascend the throne before he was ruined.
Emperor Zhaode remained silent for a moment, then instructed Xu Baozhong: "Summon Prince Chen and Shen Jingbai."
"Your servant obeys the decree."
The Prince Chen's residence had long since lifted the confinement, and even many of the guards who were watching over the residence had been removed.
Emperor Zhaode discussed matters with Yan Cang.
Half an hour later, the eunuch announced that His Highness Prince Chen and Young Master Shen had arrived.
Emperor Zhaode did not correct his way of addressing Prince Chen, and said calmly, "Let them in."
"yes."
A moment later, a man in a jet-black robe walked out of the palace gate. He was dignified and composed, tall and slender, with a sense of vicissitudes that came with the passage of time in his eyes and brows. He seemed to have a kind of indifference to fame and fortune, living in seclusion in the city.
Beside him stood a young man in a crescent-shaped white robe, with exceptionally handsome features, a slender figure, and a refined yet not weak appearance, exuding an elegant and otherworldly air.
Even being imprisoned in the Prince Chen's mansion for four years did not seem to wash away his free-spirited and unruly nature.
Yes, he appears to be a refined and gentle person, but his eyes and brows always reveal a hint of arrogance.
The mirror is white.
He has the appearance of a gentle and refined nobleman, but a rebellious and unruly temperament.
And hidden beneath this exterior is an extremely cunning and treacherous nature and ruthless methods.
He was born into the Grand Tutor's Mansion twenty-two years ago.
Four years ago, he single-handedly caused the once prestigious Shen family to lose face, becoming a scandal in the capital. He angered Grand Tutor Shen to the point of fainting three times and was punished by family discipline twice, almost losing half his life, yet he remained stubbornly silent.
In the end, Grand Tutor Shen had no choice but to retire and return to his hometown, leaving the capital with his entire family.
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