Chapter 870 Seizure of Power and Injury
The words "prolong life" might not have been so alluring to Yuwen Yuan a few years earlier, but since ascending the throne, the feeling of having great power has indeed become increasingly addictive. Emperors throughout history have hoped to continue this feeling, which is why so many emperors sought immortality and even traveled overseas to find the elixir of immortality.
Yuwen Yuan didn't think much about the elixir of immortality, but he could think about prolonging life.
Moreover, after the Battle of Longmen, one of the two dukes died and the other was wounded. In particular, the one who died was Dong Bizheng, who had been with him since his youth. The departure of such a close friend and relative makes people feel the impermanence and fragility of life, and thus they yearn for their own long life.
He murmured, "To prolong life..."
Yuwen Qian continued, "Since Father Emperor ascended the throne, he has worked tirelessly day and night. Although the country is of utmost importance, Father Emperor's health is equally important."
As soon as he finished speaking, Yu Mingyue, who was sitting next to him, chimed in, "Yes, Father, the Crown Prince is often worried about your health, which is why he is so concerned about the new spring at Tangquan Palace."
Having said that, and with Yuwen Yuan also genuinely interested, he said, "I would also like to rest and take good care of myself."
On the other side, Yuwen Ye and Shang Ruyi exchanged a glance.
Before coming here, the two of them had already made a calculation in their minds. These days, the Crown Prince and Crown Princess had been too quiet, and the two sides had been too peaceful. Therefore, they expected what the other might say or do at this family banquet, and if necessary, they would naturally have to deal with it.
However, sending Yuwen Yuan to the Tangquan Palace to rest and recuperate—although they had vaguely sensed the other party's purpose, Yuwen Qian's words were all reasonable and heartfelt, especially his mention of Yuwen Yuan's health, which made it difficult to object.
Just as the two of them were hesitating, Yuwen Qian said, "Father, why don't you temporarily put aside state affairs and go to the Tangquan Palace to recuperate for a few days?"
Yuwen Yuan took a deep breath.
Although he was tempted, he did not immediately agree. Instead, he thought about it for a while before frowning and saying, "If I go to the Hot Spring Palace to recuperate, then who should I entrust with the affairs of state?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the entire Liangyi Hall fell silent.
Shang Ruyi's hand holding the chopsticks stiffened slightly, but she still calmly picked up some food and placed it on Yuwen Ye's plate. The two of them remained silent.
Yuwen Qian seemed to have anticipated this question, and said with a smile, "Tangquan Palace is not far from the capital. It can be reached in half a day at a fast pace. If anything happens, the news can be sent immediately. Father, you don't need to worry."
Yuwen Yuan said, "But we still need someone to manage everything."
As he spoke, his gaze shifted from the Crown Prince's face to the King of Qin's face, and then back to the Crown Prince's face.
Clearly, they have already made their choice.
Yuwen Ye suddenly smiled and said, "Actually, Father should also go and rest. Fortunately, there are quite a few important ministers in the court who can be entrusted with important tasks."
Upon hearing him mention "important minister," Yuwen Yuan nodded.
In fact, there were rules in every dynasty for when the emperor went on tours outside the palace. The government affairs left in the court were to be handled by someone, namely, a regent. The person chosen was either a trusted minister or a prince with ability and prestige.
The capable and trusted ministers around Yuwen Yuan were the few who had helped him ascend the throne.
Shen Shiyan, the Vice Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, or Pei Xu, the Grand Secretary of the Interior...
Just as these people were flashing through his mind, Yuwen Qian smiled and said, "It's not very interesting for Father to travel alone. Why not find some old friends to accompany him? Speaking of which, there are several ministers in the court who are not young anymore. If we could grant them hot springs, it would not only be a reward for these meritorious officials, but also a demonstration of Father's great benevolence."
Upon hearing this, Yuwen Yuan's expression slightly hardened.
Yuwen Qian's words were naturally reasonable, but what he was thinking of was the Duke of Shenwu, who was close to him in age and had once been the closest to him. Unfortunately, the dead cannot be brought back to life, and no matter how great the emperor's favor was, it would not fall on him.
Thinking about it this way, the slight bitterness in his heart turned into regret, and also overflowed with tenderness. He sighed softly and nodded, saying, "What you said makes sense. How about this, I will visit the Tangquan Palace in three days. Let the Duke of Wushan, the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, the Grand Secretary, and also that old man Ji Hong, come along. These people are all getting old, let them bring their relatives and come with me to enjoy some good fortune."
Yu Mingyue hurriedly stood up and kowtowed to Yuwen Yuan, saying, "Your subject thanks Your Majesty for His grace on behalf of your father!"
Yuwen Yuan waved his hand: "Get up quickly."
Seeing her bow, Shang Ruyi had no choice but to rise and say, "Your subject also thanks Your Majesty for your grace on behalf of your uncle."
After speaking, she hesitated and looked at Yuwen Yuan again: "But—"
At this point, she fully understood the significance of Yuwen Qian's actions. Although sending Yuwen Yuan to visit the Tangquan Palace for a few days was not far away and any news could be transmitted at any time, the court still needed someone to oversee the country. The candidates were nothing more than important ministers and princes. However, Yuwen Qian asked the emperor to bring several older important ministers with him, which left the candidates for important ministers all empty.
The only people I can entrust with this matter are him and Yuwen Ye!
As for the Crown Prince and the Prince of Qin, there's almost no need to choose. After all, the Crown Prince will inherit the throne in the future. Letting him oversee the country at this time is the first step for all Crown Princes to take over imperial power. With this step, it will be difficult for Yuwen Ye to rival him in the court.
So, Shen Wuzheng's guess was right; he did indeed seize power and injure people!
Although Shang Ruyi instinctively wanted to refuse this favor on Shen Shiyan's behalf—because if Shen Shiyan stayed, the responsibility of overseeing the country would most likely still fall on his shoulders—she couldn't bring herself to say it.
After all, this was a gift from the emperor, and judging from his expression, it was clear that this was not a gift between a ruler and his subject, but rather a gesture of affection between elders.
If they really refused, it would not only hurt Yuwen Yuan's feelings, but also make him wary of what they wanted to do!
But Yuwen Yuan had already heard her last two words: "But what?"
Shang Ruyi panicked. Although the cold wind was howling outside, her back was covered in cold sweat, almost soaking her clothes. Suddenly, a thought flashed through her mind, and she said in a deep voice, "But, if so many people go to Tangquan Palace at once, and it has just been renovated, I'm afraid it will be inconvenient and spoil Father Emperor's mood."
As she spoke, she glanced down at Yuwen Ye.
Yuwen Ye immediately said, "Yes, in my opinion, we need someone familiar with the Tangquan Palace to accompany us and make arrangements so that everything can be done properly and to live up to Father's expectations."
As he spoke, he raised his head and looked at Yuwen Qian opposite him: "Just now, my brother and sister-in-law said that when you went to Mount Hua, you stopped at Tangquan Palace. I suppose you must be very familiar with that place by now."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com