Chapter 63: Crown Prince
The ministers were ashamed before, but when they heard that the emperor was going to promote the former prefect, they began to praise his merits one by one.
Emperor Rong said, "There are many good horses, but there are few good horse trainers. You are all too familiar with this saying. If the former prefect is a good horse, how should the wise king, who is a good horse trainer, be rewarded?"
When the ministers heard this, they realized that it was the idea of His Royal Highness Prince Rui. No wonder, how could the former prefect get so much money to buy the land of Xiaosheng Farm and encourage officials to cooperate?
Thinking of this, everyone looked at King Rui at the same time.
Prince Rui sat in the same position, still looking at the ground silently.
Emperor Rong, "I have three sons, but only Prince Rui cares about the people. Now that Xiaosheng Farm has successfully raised seedlings, Prince Rui has used his private fiefdom Jiangdong as a new pilot. I know that although you have a heart for the people, you lack the courage. Some officials seek personal gain while in office, some live out their days pretending to be deaf and dumb, and some plunder the people's wealth. Some even try to ally with the princes and engage in factional struggles."
As soon as these words came out, all the officials knelt down immediately, "I have failed the emperor's grace, and I will definitely remember the emperor's words and work for the people."
The ministers knelt down, and the standing King Jing and the Second Prince also knelt down without hesitation, "I am ashamed to live up to your expectations, father."
Emperor Rong, "The private farmers with too much land have always been a concern of the court. The court has made new policies but has been unable to produce results to convince these private farmers. Once the private farmers cause resentment among the people, it will be too late to regret. This is not only a concern of the court, but also of me. Now that Prince Rui is leading the way, with the former governor of Xiaosheng Farm, using Jiangdong as a pilot to stop the people from talking nonsense, this is a good sign for the new policy, and it is also a blessing from God for me, Chitian."
"Hereby appoints King Rui as the New Deal Reform Envoy, and he will bring along the Left Prime Minister and the six cabinet envoys to implement the New Deal. The land distribution system will be tried out nationwide, and the court will purchase the land from owners with excessive private land. Each person will be given one acre of land, and the land will be registered and grown into new japonica rice seedlings!"
Although the officials were kneeling, they could still feel the emperor's determination for the new policy. With Prince Rui as the vanguard and the left prime minister as the assistant, there was no need to worry about the success of the new policy. "Your Highness Prince Rui has a heart for the people and relieves Chitian's worries. This is Chitian's blessing. We, the ministers, are willing to follow His Highness, control the land of our subordinates, and contribute to the new policy."
Emperor Rong said, "Throughout the ages, the ancestors still praise those who set up monuments to record the events. Yuan Hongjiang, Wang Jian, and Wang Fu were the first group of promoters of the new policy, and they were also the pioneers. They should set up monuments together with King Rui. Only later generations will know that in the first year of the new policy, it was because of these people who worked for the people and the country that the people had fields and new rice."
All officials in high positions have one wish: either to be rewarded by the emperor and praised in history books, or to be recorded by the people and commemorate them on monuments.
But the effort required to obtain these two items is beyond the reach of ordinary people, so when Emperor Rong made this decision, everyone glanced at Prince Rui.
His Royal Highness Prince Rui had never revealed what he had done before. Even the previous reform of the Ministry of Works' wing was the first achievement for the Ministry of Works.
At this moment, all the officials felt respect in their hearts. Although he was disabled, he was still determined in his ambitions. He was not arrogant or impatient, and he did not pursue fame or wealth. If they really had to choose a crown prince, all the officials now had a candidate in their minds.
When Prince Rui was expelled from the court, Emperor Rong felt nothing but grief and regret.
Among his three sons, Prince Rui has the most potential to be a wise ruler. Now seeing him bow his head slightly and kowtow, and not completely refusing as before, Emperor Rong can only feel proud and gratified. So what if he has a disabled leg? A ruler should serve the people and make all officials submit.
The second and fourth sons couldn’t do it, but the third son did it.
The order of the new policy spread immediately in the imperial city after the court session. His Majesty issued a special decree that anyone who was good at farming could register with the government. When the new fields were divided and the seeds were distributed, these registered farmers would serve as supervisors.
After Emperor Rong left the court, he left behind three sons. The second prince had already turned pale when he heard the former prefect talk about Jiangzuo Xiao Yuan. Today, when he heard that his father wanted his third brother to be the implementer of the new policy, he lost his energy.
Emperor Rong saw his expression. After all, the second son did not do anything wrong. His only mistake was his desire to seize the throne. "Second son, come here."
Rong Bo put away his expression and took a few steps closer.
Emperor Rong handed him a memorial and said, "Take a look."
Rong Bo opened the memorial, "Xiao Yuan from Jiangzuo replaced Wang Jian in the autumn examination."
Just one sentence made Rong Bo kneel down. If he didn't know Wang Jian before, he could still make excuses. But now Wang Jian was the initiator of the new policy and the cultivator of the new rice seedlings. "Father, I am guilty..."
Emperor Rong said, "Although you confessed your crime quickly, you don't know where your crime lies. This Xiao Yuan is your cousin from your wife's family, and he is a well-known playboy. The Wenren family thought that since you married their legitimate daughter, and the third son is disabled and the fourth son is not yet mature, you are the only candidate for the crown prince."
"So he stirred up trouble in Jiangzuo, not only disrupting the Autumn Examination, but also privately bribing and coercing court officials. He also bought a large piece of farmland in Xiaosheng Farm and privately increased the land tax. Each of these things can make you lose your status as a prince."
"I used to think you were always dutiful and honest, but now it seems that you can't even stop and manage your own wife's family. How can you manage a country?"
"If you really were allowed to sit in that position, you know that the first thing you would do is to destroy the Wenren family. Otherwise, the whole world would be ruled by the Wenren family!"
Rong Bo looked ashen. He knew that Wen Renyuan married him for a purpose. His mother had also warned him before the marriage that he should marry a girl from an aristocratic family, although her status did not have to be too high. But he couldn't listen. Wen Renyuan's gentleness and elegance made him lose his soul.
Even though she and his father-in-law made various decisions that went against the imperial order, he turned a deaf ear to them because he had also thought about that position in his heart and even felt that the position was his.
Now it seems really ridiculous. He choked up and said, "Father, my wife's family has committed a heinous crime. I dare not protect them. I will leave it to you. I have been in the six ministries for some time and have done some things. Now that there is a new policy, I will voluntarily ask for your permission to go to my fiefdom and implement the new policy."
Emperor Rong pondered for a while. If Rong Bo showed any intention of rebellion today, he would indeed expel Rong Bo.
A king who lacks virtue and ability will be a pest to the country. Rong Bo is a good minister but not a good king. He cannot control his wife and family, so he certainly cannot control a country. Fortunately, he did not disappoint his own expectations and chose the path of a wise king.
"The Jiangzuo fiefdom has never been managed by any prince in any dynasty. Now it is given to you."
Rong Bo choked up, and after a long while he looked up at Emperor Rong, truly grateful, "Thank you, Father."
King Jing was shocked at this moment. What was his father doing...
"Old Four, come here too."
Rong Yu walked over with heavy steps, "Father, please speak."
"You are also twenty-two this year, and you are getting along well with the general's daughter you just married. I know what you are thinking, and it would be a lie to say that you don't want to be the emperor. But what father wants to tell you is that you are not suitable for that position."
King Jing's peach blossom eyes were deeply shocked. He knelt on the ground, unable to speak.
"What I said to your second brother is what I said to you. Your wife's family doesn't have that much courage, so this is why I kept them."
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