As a result, the court began to argue about who could be the eldest prince's tutor, and the argument has not yet reached a conclusion.
Ever since Chu You went to the palace to meet the emperor and Chu Yi three days ago, Chu You had thought about it and now the only condition that could make the emperor come forward to fulfill this marriage was to give in on this matter.
Chu You knew that if he did so, it would disrupt the current balance in the court and even damage the situation that his father had carefully planned for him when he was alive.
He had been thinking about this matter these days, but before he could think it through, he was caught off guard by what the Duke of England did today.
He can't wait any longer!
Chu You's heart tightened, his eyes were heavy, and he repeated in a firm tone: "I want Chu Yi to enter the court."
"..." After a brief shock, Yuan Zhe calmed down and understood in his heart: Chu You's action was most likely for the girl from the Gu family.
Yuan Zhe pursed his lips, turned the wine glass in his hand without commenting, and his expression revealed obvious disapproval.
Even though he was unhappy, his expression remained calm and composed.
The Yuan family is a prominent family that has existed for more than three hundred years. It ranks last among the four major families of Wang, Xie, Xiao, and Yuan. It was not until the last twenty years that the situation changed.
When the late emperor was alive, Empress Dowager Yuan and Prince Kang and his mother were favored. The late emperor strongly supported the Yuan family, which made the Yuan family have the momentum to suppress the other three major families.
Both Emperor Taizu and the current emperor intended to suppress the aristocratic families, so the aristocratic families including the Yuan family have united as one in recent years, placing their bets on Prince Kang and placing high hopes on him.
King Kang has half the blood of an aristocratic family, which they think is the most noble. Only when King Kang succeeds to the throne can their aristocratic families regain their strength and return to the glorious era of "holding the reins of power for a dynasty".
This time, Yuan Zhe came all the way from Yuzhou to the capital at the order of his father and grandfather, just to assist King Kang and help him move to a higher level.
Now they have finally suppressed the emperor. If King Kang takes the initiative to give in to the emperor for the sake of a woman or a little personal affection at this critical moment, wouldn't it ruin the current good situation! !
Even if Yuan Zhe didn't say anything, Chu You knew what he was thinking, and calmly said something shocking: "Chu Yi will not live long."
Yuan Zhe was startled again and asked, "What's going on?"
Chu You personally filled Yuan Zhe's glass with wine, and then continued, "Chu Yi was born prematurely, and has been weak and sickly since childhood, always bedridden. According to the news from Yue, his health has not improved in the past eight years in Yue. It's like he grew up in a medicine jar."
"After he returned home last month, my brother has summoned the imperial physician several times for him, and the bedroom is always filled with the aroma of medicine."
As he spoke, Chu You closed the window, blocking out the noise from the lobby downstairs, and the private room became much quieter.
Yuan Zhe listened while sipping his wine. His eyes were calm and he raised a question cautiously: "Your Highness, is the eldest prince pretending to be sick?"
"No." Chu You's lips curled up into a confident smile, his eyes sharp, and he whispered, "After Chu Yi returned to the capital, the Imperial Physician personally diagnosed his pulse and prescribed medicine for him, but the Imperial Physician had a heart attack a few days ago, so Imperial Physician Yan came to the palace to check Chu Yi's pulse five days ago."
"Imperial Physician Yan said that Chu Yi will not live long. He will most likely not live past his twenties... He might die even earlier than my brother."
When he said the last sentence, Chu You's smile deepened three points.
Chu You's slender fingers gently fiddled with the rim of the wine glass a few times, and his eyes darkened.
Yuan Zhe had also met the emperor three times since he came to the capital, and he had the same idea as Chu You. He thought for a while, then said solemnly: "Your Highness, this matter is of great importance. Can you confirm whether it is reliable?"
"Reliable." Chu You nodded slightly and narrowed his narrow eagle eyes.
What he didn't say was that he had something on the Yan family, which meant that he was holding the lives of everyone in their family in his hands. Imperial Doctor Yan would never dare to play tricks on him.
The private room became quiet.
Yuan Zhe drank in silence. After drinking two glasses in a row, he relaxed a little: "If that's the case, it's not impossible..."
Chu You was delighted when he heard this.
In this matter, he must get the support of the Yuan family and let the Yuan family intervene.
Chu You sorted out his thoughts and continued, "Cousin, the court is now divided into three parts: the aristocratic families, the nobles, and the poor. This balance has been maintained for decades, and although it seems stable, it can be broken at any time."
Just as Chu You said, the forces in the court now are mainly divided into aristocratic families, meritorious officials and powerful officials from humble families. The meritorious officials represented by the Fang family and the Li family hold military power. The ancestors of these people basically followed Emperor Taizu to conquer the world. They only obey Emperor Taizu. The current emperor was selected by Emperor Taizu himself, so most of them favor the current emperor and his son.
As for those powerful officials from humble backgrounds, they were all scholars, most of them from ordinary backgrounds, because Emperor Taizu vigorously promoted the imperial examination system, these talents were able to leap over the dragon gate and enter the court. These literati and scholars were full of Confucius and Mencius, and they emphasized the primogeniture system, which was extremely pedantic.
"The aristocratic families are currently in a stalemate with the poor families and the nobles, but this cannot last forever. Taking a step back will also let them know that I am tolerant."
In the past few years, due to the deliberate actions of the previous emperor, the status of aristocratic families such as the Yuan family continued to rise. However, this was a loss, and the interests of the poor and the nobles were damaged, and the aristocratic families that benefited were put on the opposite side of the poor and the nobles.
"Cousin, our father is gone, and now it is Chu Qi who sits on the throne. We can't keep on being in a stalemate with the nobles and the poor. Now is a great time to let Chu Yi enter the court." Chu You looked at Yuan Zhe, who was sitting across the table from him, without blinking.
The cousins' eyes met in mid-air, one strong and the other gentle.
Chu You did not hide the ambition in his eyes, like an extremely aggressive wild leopard.
Yuan Zhe had a blank expression at first, staring at Chu You quietly for a moment, and gradually, a little light appeared in his eyes.
As a king, King Kang must be strong and ambitious. If he just obeys orders, he will be just a docile sheep. How can he compete with the emperor for the world?
Moreover, as King Kang just said, now is indeed an opportunity, an opportunity to break the deadlock between him and the nobles and the common people.
After all, Chu Yi was a dying man, so he was not a big threat to them. They could even use this to do the emperor a favor and make King Kang happy.
(End of this chapter)
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