Chapter 292 Caught by the Prince
"Is the child still alive?" the little devil asked curiously.
The prince nodded, looked at the young boy in front of him, and said tolerantly: "He is still alive. And... he is living a good life. However, Luo Jingfeng already knows of his existence and has been looking for him for a long time. He should be able to find him soon."
"Ah?" Zong Jincheng scratched his head and said, "Then we must not let Luo Jingfeng find him, otherwise that traitor will definitely rebel and harm Your Highness and the Emperor."
The prince chuckled and shook his head, saying, "It's impossible to stop them. My mother's family has long been gone, and the military power in the court is controlled by Luo Jingfeng. Whether I succeed to the throne or not, we can't defeat the Luo family."
There was always a hint of sadness between his brows, but he often smiled calmly, as if he had let it go a long time ago.
Zong Jincheng also started to worry: "I can't stop it... I can't stop it... Then what should I do, Your Highness, how can I help you? I don't want Luo Jingfeng to hurt you. Luo Jingfeng is a big traitor. If he supports the little prince to usurp the throne, then he will have the final say in the court. He can kill whomever he wants and embezzle as much as he wants. The court and the people will be in great danger."
He even began to trace the root of the problem, complaining, "It's all the fault of Concubine Shu. If she hadn't secretly given birth to a little prince, she wouldn't have died, and she wouldn't have brought such a big crisis to the court."
When the prince heard him talk about his mother, his brows knitted together subconsciously, and he tried to explain: "Luo Shu originally wanted to secretly send the child away to be an ordinary person, but I happened to see him."
"Your Highness released the child?" Zong Jincheng asked in surprise.
The prince did not answer the question, but asked: "If it was you who discovered it, how would you deal with it?"
Zong Jincheng said without hesitation: "Kill him."
"Although it is cruel to treat a child like this, if this child leads to a turmoil in the imperial power and the rule of the imperial relatives, the disaster caused will be more serious. The court will suffer, the people will suffer, and countless lives will be sacrificed. We should not be merciful just because he is a child, otherwise there will be endless troubles."
Some of these ideas were taught to him by history books, some by the Master, and some by the Crown Prince, but they all boil down to one idea: to exchange the smallest sacrifice for the greatest value. This is a truth that both the monarch and the minister should understand.
The little devil's voice was rational and emotionless. It was difficult for a child of his age to empathize with Luo Shu's motherly love, and all he could think about in his mind were the rules and regulations he had learned.
After a long while, the prince chuckled and said, "Well, you are right. The people are more important."
He was fifteen years old at the time, and he didn't think as deeply as a ten-year-old boy today. Although they were both taught the art of being an emperor since childhood, he learned much less than Jin Cheng.
Perhaps this is the best outcome.
He was not fit to sit in that seat.
After the little devil finished speaking, he was still thinking about how to break the impasse. Suddenly, he looked up and shouted, "Oh, right! Your Highness said before that the person Luo Jingfeng cares about the most is Luo Shu, so will he also love that child? If that child can be loyal to Your Highness, will he be able to bring down the Luo family?"
The prince smiled and shook his head.
Zong Jincheng uttered an exasperated sigh and curled his lips.
The prince explained: "He is a child, he can't do it, especially since he is not yet an adult. However, if he can distinguish right from wrong and not be controlled by the Luo family, he can also reduce some of the crises brought by the Luo family."
Zong Jincheng was spirited again: "So he is the one who broke the impasse, right? Your Highness, where is he? Call him to our key class, I will teach him to be a good person. My mother is amazing, we will definitely bring him up with good family background, so that Luo Jingfeng will not be able to harm him!"
The prince smiled and did not respond. Instead, he rubbed his head and taught him, "When this child returns to Luo Jingfeng in the future, remember to hide your incompetence and don't let Luo Jingfeng see your abnormality too early, so as to avoid him becoming wary and making it difficult for him to act in the future."
Zong Jincheng nodded quickly: "Okay, if I meet him in the future, I will definitely convey it to His Highness!"
The prince continued, "Also, if you want to overthrow the Luo family, you must wait until you have the ability to challenge them. Military power, the support of the ruling party, and the people's hearts are all indispensable."
Zong Jincheng was still nodding frantically: "I've got it. I've got it all!"
"Hmm..." The prince let out a long sigh. He lay down on the rocking chair tiredly and closed his eyes. After a long while, he said quietly, "Jincheng, go and recite the Liyun Datong Chapter. Read as you write. I want to listen."
"Oh, okay." Zong Jincheng looked around and sat on a chair in the study. He picked up a bright yellow pen, dipped it in ink and wrote on the paper, reciting slowly but clearly:
"When the great way is practiced, the world is shared by all. The wise and capable are selected, trustworthiness is emphasized, and harmony is cultivated. Therefore, people not only love their own relatives, but also their own children. The old can have a good end of life, the strong can be used, and the young can grow up..."
The childish voice echoed in the palace, and the prince's thoughts were gradually pulled away, returning to that rainy night that he would never forget.
Ten years ago, Crown Prince Chu Heng was only fifteen years old.
At that time, he was the eldest son of the emperor, his biological mother was the empress, and he was personally taught by his father to govern the country since he was a child. He was good at both civil and military affairs, and he was a decent person who was dedicated to the people. Therefore, he became the candidate for the crown prince in everyone's mind.
Recently, the emperor has clearly stated that he intends to make him the crown prince. At this time, Huaishui got the news that Concubine Shu had secretly given birth to a son.
He was shocked and quickly led people into Shu Fei's bedroom.
It was not for personal gain, nor was it for the purpose of seizing the throne, but because of Shu Fei's special status. The Luo brothers could not have a nephew who was a prince, otherwise he and his mother's family would be the first to die, followed by his father. And later, it would also trigger a struggle between the imperial power and the relatives of the emperor.
Summer rainy days are always hot and muggy. The lightning flashing across the sky illuminates Luo Shu's beautiful but pale face, as well as a room full of palace maids and eunuchs lying unconscious on the ground.
Luo Shu had just given birth and had no strength left in her body. When she saw Chu Heng and his men breaking in, she knew that everything was over.
Luo Shu's heart collapsed. She struggled and fell off the bed. She grabbed Chu Heng's clothes and begged bitterly: "Your Highness, please, please let him go. I have no intention of competing for favor, nor do I want the child to take the throne. I just want to be like an ordinary woman, with a child, a clean child. Please let us go, my brother and the others don't know, I promise to send the child out of the palace, and never let anyone find out his identity in my lifetime, please, please, please..."
Luo Shu begged him while kowtowing on the ground.
Empress Shu Fei has been the favorite in the harem for many years. She has always been noble and beautiful, and has never been so humble. But now, in order to save the life of this child, she can no longer care about anything.