Chapter 558 Forcing the Crown Prince to Be Established
The commander of the Imperial Guards was right, but the emperor believed that the child born to that man would not remain unknown because of his circumstances.
"This is my last hope, no matter what. Go find it!"
The emperor did not deny the claim of the commander of the Imperial Guards, but even if there was only a one in a thousand chance, he would find the child.
Now he knows better than anyone how difficult it is to have another son, but having witnessed Lu Youming's understanding of Lu Yuanbin's "cruelty," how could he possibly feel at ease passing the throne to Lu Yuanbin?
If Lu Tianhua could repent and reform, it wouldn't be impossible for him to be reinstated as crown prince. However, after leaving the court, Lu Tianhua not only failed to make progress but also showed signs of becoming increasingly pleasure-seeking.
Although the Empress often summoned him to the palace to admonish and encourage him, the child seemed to be bewitched. At first, he was somewhat willing, but in the last half month, he started saying that he was very satisfied with his current life and did not want to compete with his brothers anymore.
The Empress naturally couldn't help but scold Lu Tianhua again, but Lu Tianhua was unmoved by her words and instead made the Empress even angrier.
After learning about these things, the emperor, even though unwilling, had to give up the idea.
What's the point of forcing a son who has no ambition to improve himself to succeed?
The commander of the Imperial Guards was naturally aware of the emperor's current situation. Looking at the monarch he had protected for decades, he silently withdrew.
Two days later, the emperor went to court as usual.
The ministers first reported on the situation from their respective regions, and the emperor then finalized all the arrangements. Everything proceeded according to plan, but this day was destined to be anything but peaceful.
When everything was settled, and the emperor asked if there were any further matters, an old minister stepped forward.
"Your Majesty, I have a matter to discuss!"
The old minister was not of high rank, but he was a veteran of two dynasties and had always had a deep relationship with the Sun family. The emperor immediately narrowed his eyes.
"Lord Tan, please speak freely."
As a veteran of two dynasties, the emperor had no choice but to give him face.
Having received permission, Lord Tan walked into the hall and bowed to the emperor, saying, "Your Majesty is in the prime of life, but the position of Crown Prince remains vacant. I urge Your Majesty to establish an heir as soon as possible to ensure the stability of the country."
Sure enough, the emperor was wondering if the old man would say such a thing, but as soon as he opened his mouth, he revealed his own thoughts.
Yun Yichen stood aside, and upon hearing Lord Tan's words, he subtly glanced at Lu Yuanbin's face.
The latter's expression remained unchanged, but the smugness emanating from his bones did not escape Yun Yichen's eyes.
It seems the Third Prince can't wait any longer!
"Lord Tan is right, but the princes are all lacking in experience. Let's discuss the matter of the crown prince later."
The emperor directly rejected Lord Tan's proposal, but how could the other party let it go so easily?
"Your Majesty, this old minister dares to speak. It is understandable that Your Majesty is saddened by the sudden misfortune of the Third Prince. However, among the adult princes, the First Prince has been adopted by another family, the Fourth Prince is ill, and only the Fifth Prince is healthy and capable of shouldering this heavy responsibility. I hope Your Highness will make a decision as soon as possible."
Previously, it was mentioned vaguely, but now it's been brought up directly, which clearly means they're no longer going to hide it.
Upon hearing Lord Tan's words, the emperor was enraged. He was a powerful and influential figure with many sons, yet in the end, none of them were fit to be crown prince.
"The Fifth Prince is only eighteen years old. The position of Crown Prince is related to the fate of the country. How can he bear the responsibility?"
The emperor's anger surged, and his words carried a hint of rage.
Knowing that his words had angered the emperor, Lord Tan hesitated whether to speak again. But at that moment, an unexpected person stepped forward.
“Your Majesty, I think what Lord Tan said is correct. Although the Fifth Prince is still young, he was only ten years old when the First Prince was chosen as the Crown Prince. The position of Crown Prince is only for the stability of the country, and now the Fifth Prince is indeed the only one in the court who can take on this role.”
After the speaker finished speaking, he respectfully bowed to the emperor, and for a moment the hall fell silent.
The reason was none other than that the person speaking up for Lu Yuanbin was none other than Minister Liu.
It should be noted that the Liu family was originally part of the Third Prince's faction. The Third Prince's downfall was the biggest blow to the Liu family. However, the fact that the Liu family stood up for Lu Yuanbin at this time suggests that Lu Yuanbin has secretly won over the Liu family.
Everyone thought this way, and the emperor naturally thought so too. Otherwise, there would be absolutely no reason for Minister Liu to stand up and speak up for Lu Yuanbin.
Most importantly, once Minister Liu said this, even the emperor would find no reason to refuse.
You say the Fifth Prince is too young to be the Crown Prince, but Lu Tianhua is only ten years old to be the Crown Prince. If someone is ten and can't be the Emperor at eighteen, then it would be biased to oppose it.
However, the emperor did not want Lu Yuanbin to become the crown prince. He had not wanted to before, and now that Minister Liu had interfered, he wanted to even less.
Yun Yichen saw the emperor's expression, a smile playing on his lips, and finally stepped forward.
"Your Majesty, I believe Minister Liu's words are reasonable. Establishing the Fifth Prince as the Crown Prince is the popular choice. However, the Fifth Prince is indeed a bit too young. Perhaps Your Majesty should allow the Fifth Prince to serve as the Crown Prince for a period of time to observe his abilities?"
Yun Yichen knew it was impossible for Lu Yuanbin to become the crown prince, and besides, wasn't that person already preparing to enter the court?
If there's a good show to watch, is this really Yun Yichen?
“What Minister Yun says is quite right. In that case, let the Fifth Prince take over the Crown Prince’s duties.”
The emperor had originally intended to refuse under immense pressure, but Yun Yichen gave him a way out, so there was no reason for him not to accept it.
As they exited the main hall, Gu Jin approached them and said, "Yichen, you were too reckless today. You ruined the Fifth Prince's plans, and I'm afraid he'll try to trip you up!"
When the court session ended, Gu Jin looked into Lu Yuanbin's eyes as if he wanted to devour Yun Yichen whole.
"Father-in-law, there is no need to worry. Even if I hadn't said those words, His Majesty would not have actually agreed to the matter of establishing an heir. I was just giving His Majesty a way out."
"That being said, I can't help but worry when I think of the Third Prince."
A few years ago, Gu Jin would have also obstructed the emperor from establishing an heir. But the older he gets, the more people he cares about, and the more cautious he becomes in his words and actions.
It wasn't that Gu Jin had become cowardly, but rather that he was afraid that if he wasn't careful, his two children would be exposed, leading to his death.
It doesn't matter what he does at his age, but the children are still young. How can he watch them commit crimes?
"Father, I think Yichen did a good job. Minister Liu's behavior today was unusual. Did he really want to help the Fifth Prince? I'm afraid not!"
Gu Renjie approved of Yun Yichen's actions. Regardless of what those people were thinking or whether the Fifth Prince would hold a grudge against Yun Yichen, as long as the Emperor protected Yun Yichen, they had nothing to fear.
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