"Prince Rong, you may have sat in the wrong seat," said Fang Zhonglian, the left prime minister, who was the first to step out. He looked at Prince Rong, who was sitting on the throne, with a gloomy face, and pointed at the armchair next to the dragon chair, and said in a deep voice, "This is the seat that you, Prince Rong, should sit in."
Ever since His Majesty fell ill, Prince Rong has been running the government on behalf of the Crown Prince. He sits on this armchair every day to attend the morning court.
"Thank you for your reminder, Prime Minister Zuo." Zhong Mingzheng pursed his lips and said slowly while looking at Ling Shian. "Come on, take the chair away. It won't be needed from now on anyway."
"Yes. I obey your command." Ling Shian came over and lifted up the armchair, then walked down the stairs in two or three steps. Under the surprised and puzzled eyes of everyone, Ling Shian walked through the hall. Then he threw the armchair outside the hall with a "bang", and clapped his hands. Under the gaze of everyone, he strode back and stood beside Zhong Mingzheng again.
"Prince Rong, what do you mean?" Fang Zhonglian said with trembling lips.
"What do you mean?" Zhong Mingzheng leaned forward and looked at Fang Zhonglian's ugly face with interest. He said calmly, "Useless things should be discarded decisively. I remember that in the past, in the upper study, the left prime minister personally taught us princes this. Why? The left prime minister doesn't remember it now? Is it because he is old and confused?"
"Even though I am old, I still know what is the code of conduct!" Fang Zhonglian pointed at Zhong Mingzheng with his withered and skinny finger, and shouted angrily, "Prince Rong, what right do you have to sit on the throne? His Majesty is in good health, how can you dare to sit on the throne? Even if His Majesty dies, you should be the crown prince designated by His Majesty to aspire for the throne. His Majesty has never chosen you as the crown prince, so what right do you have to sit on the throne? What's more, His Majesty is in good health now, and you can't wait to sit on the throne. Aren't you cursing His Majesty?"
"I cannot afford the serious crime of cursing the dragon's body as the Left Prime Minister said, and I must remember my duty as a subject and a prince, so I naturally dare not sit on this dragon throne easily," Zhong Mingzheng said slowly, patting the handle of the chair gently and sighing, "If it weren't for my father's approval, how could I have such courage?"
For a moment, everyone in the hall was startled, and then they began to whisper to each other.
"What does Prince Rong mean by this? Could it be that His Majesty has given his approval for him to sit on the throne?"
"Impossible! His Majesty is not stupid, how can the throne be made casually?"
"Isn't this obvious? His Majesty intended Prince Rong to be the Crown Prince, but now that His Majesty is in poor health and old, he has the intention to abdicate."
"Really? But I don't think His Majesty is someone who would give up power easily!"
"Yes, even if His Majesty wants to abdicate, Prince Rong cannot sit on the throne so rashly before his rank!"
"Yes! The Left Prime Minister is right. If he sits on the throne so eagerly, isn't he cursing the Emperor's death?"
…
Zhong Mingzheng looked at the chattering ministers below, his eyes swept across their excited and frightened faces, and finally landed on the face of the right prime minister Zhao Changrong. Zhao Changrong nodded in understanding, then took a step forward and stood side by side with Fang Zhonglian, then bowed and said: "If His Majesty has any instructions, please let us know, so that we can rest assured."
Zhong Mingzheng glanced at Eunuch Xi who had been standing respectfully beside him. Eunuch Xi bowed deeply to him and then took two steps forward. Facing the ministers who were looking at him, he was so nervous that he had difficulty breathing. This was a position he had never stood in before. This was the position where his master Zhao Ruhai had always stood. Now, he finally stood in this position, replacing his master who had been poisoned to death by Crane's Beak Red and thrown into a mass grave just an hour ago...
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