Chapter 368 Son, You Are Confused
"Who?" Zheng Shicheng was very alert and opened his eyes almost the moment Sheng Ze stood in front of his bed.
Sheng Ze raised his hand and took off half of the bronze mask on his face. "Master Zheng, how are you?"
"You are..." Zheng Shicheng stood up calmly and looked at Sheng Ze with sharp eyes.
Sheng Ze took a step back, letting the dim candlelight in the tent shine on his face.
Zheng Shicheng finally saw his face clearly, and his eyes suddenly widened, "Your Highness, Your Highness the Crown Prince!"
"Don't panic, sir. I didn't die in the fire." Sheng Ze said calmly.
Zheng Shicheng looked at him with such a complicated look that he forgot to ask him why he was here at this time.
Emperor Cheng of Jin had his eldest son in his middle age and made him the crown prince at birth.
But the little prince had been in poor health since he was born. In order to keep him alive, Emperor Cheng of Jin and the late queen reluctantly sent him to Xuanji Mountain to learn skills and strengthen his body from a hermit master.
At the beginning, the prince would return to the palace every year and stay there for two or three months to learn about state affairs from Emperor Cheng of Jin.
After the prince turned ten, he came home less and less often, but he would still stay in the palace for a period of time at least every three years.
If Emperor Cheng of Jin had only one son, such a life would not seem to be a bad thing. Unfortunately, before the crown prince was born, Emperor Cheng of Jin had another illegitimate son.
Emperor Cheng of Jin had two sons and three daughters in his lifetime, which was considered a small number of offspring compared to emperors of all dynasties.
Given the prince's situation, there were many "smart" ministers in the court who had already reached a tacit understanding in private before the prince appeared.
The current Taifu is a staunch supporter of the prince. A group of civil and military officials headed by him serve the prince as their leader; while the other faction follows the lead of Duke Jingguo and secretly supports the eldest prince Sheng Zhan.
The Zheng family has always been loyal ministers, or the so-called neutrals. They support no one and only support whoever sits on the throne.
Before tonight, Zheng Shicheng still felt regretful. Sheng Zhan's actions after ascending the throne made people feel that he was not suitable for this position. Did the Zheng family really want to be loyal to such a person?
Now that Shengze came to him on his own initiative, Zheng Shicheng had some vague guesses.
"I wonder why Your Highness is visiting me so late at night?" Zheng Shicheng calmed himself down and asked with a bow.
Sheng Ze didn't mince words. "Sir Zheng is a man of great talent who can govern a country. It would be a pity if he died in the civil strife of the Jin Dynasty. I ask you to go to northern Hubei. I will not let Sir Zheng's talent be buried in any struggle in the future."
Zheng Shicheng's eyes seemed to light up for a moment, but remembering the Zheng family's training, he refused. "Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness, but my family has been loyal to the emperor for generations. If I leave now, it would be considered desertion, and I will be cursed in history books. I beg Your Highness to forgive me."
"Lord Zheng, you are wrong," Sheng Ze raised his eyebrows slightly. "I believe Lord Zheng has guessed what my presence here means. As a key official of the Jin Dynasty, are you sure you want to be loyal to such a disloyal, unfilial, unkind, and unjust person?"
Zheng Shicheng was shocked and his breathing became faster. "But..."
"Son, you are confused!"
At this moment, Zheng Shicheng suddenly heard a familiar voice from the door of the tent. He looked up suddenly and said in surprise: "Mom, what are you doing?"
"Why did I give birth to someone as stubborn as you?" Madam Zheng walked forward with a look of dismay. "What's the situation now? You still want to be a loyal minister. If you really want to be a loyal minister, you have to be the one who holds the throne. Only then will it be worth it for our Zheng family to risk everything for you!"
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