The Crown Prince nodded silently and raised his hand to instruct Ah Heng to go and do it.
Those who served the Crown Prince and the Emperor were all shrewd and astute. Their most important principle for surviving in the palace was: not to gossip.
Once you see the situation, you'll know what to do.
The crown prince and the emperor fell silent again.
The crown prince was lost in thought, his mind filled with his mother. He was already old enough to remember things when she left, and although so many years had passed, his memories of his mother were clearer than those of his two younger sisters.
In his memory, his mother was the virtuous wife and loving mother in the eyes of the world.
He was the eldest son, and both his parents were exceptionally strict with his upbringing. When he made a serious mistake as a child, his mother would whip him severely with a small rattan cane, but after whipping him, she would also tenderly apply medicine to his wounds.
In my memory, even when my mother was angry, she never spoke harshly to anyone and always maintained the dignity she had as the wife of King Yu.
As for what his father had just said, the Crown Prince didn't even dare to think about it.
“Ah Sheng…”
The emperor suddenly summoned him…
The crown prince snapped out of his daze, somewhat stunned, as his father hadn't called him that in a long time.
It seems that after he was made crown prince, he was never called that again.
He composed himself and quickly asked, "Father... what are your orders?"
Seeing his reaction, the emperor felt a tightness in his chest. He exhaled, raised his hand and patted the crown prince's shoulder, saying slowly, "Don't be nervous, and don't overthink it. Asheng, you are my eldest son, someone I have carefully nurtured. I am the emperor, that's true, but I am also your father. You don't need to be so reserved."
The crown prince lowered his head, concealing the emotions in his eyes, and replied, "Yes, Father..."
Seeing his expression, the emperor knew that his words were in vain.
In fact, the emperor could understand the crown prince's current feelings.
After all, the emperor had ordered the news of Rong Yang's marriage to be suppressed so that the crown prince would not know. Later, when Rong Yang secretly returned to Nanyang City, the emperor ordered him to be confined to his quarters so that he could not personally send his sister off on her journey. The emperor knew that the crown prince would resent him.
There was nothing we could do; if we hadn't ordered the prince to stay at home, no one could guarantee what he would have done.
As emperor, he could not take risks. At this critical juncture, he had to ensure that the crown prince would not give the court officials any leverage to put him in a passive position.
A marriage alliance was a major event, and he had no other choice.
Suppressing the bitterness in his heart, the emperor began to get down to business, "Just now in the main hall, they said that A-Ning followed the northern garrison into the camp. A-Sheng, what do you think?"
How do you see it?
Just watch it normally...
The Crown Prince replied expressionlessly, “Father, A-Ning has such a deep connection with the Northern Garrison. General Wang, who sent Yang'er to the banks of the Muyang River, was A-Ning’s right-hand man before. They have a very close relationship.”
Your subject thinks that it's perfectly normal for A-Ning to take the time to chat with her old comrades and catch up after a rare trip to the North.
"But as you said, A Ning has a deep connection with the Northern Garrison. During her time in the North, A Ning devoted a lot of energy to reforming military affairs and officialdom. However, her ideas were too advanced and radical. After the new prefect took office, fearing pressure from all sides, he overturned them all and followed the old rules."
It's better that she doesn't know; once she finds out, given A-Ning's personality, she won't let it go easily.
The emperor was aware of what was happening in the north, but the north was too far away and the situation in the court was too chaotic, so he had no time to pay attention to it and simply gave up.
The crown prince lowered his head and fiddled with the ring on his hand, not immediately replying to the emperor.
After a while, he raised his head and said, "Father... I have something to say, but I don't know if I should..."
The emperor looked at him and said, "Speak!"
The Crown Prince straightened up and said, "If the Southern Dynasty wants to avoid being constrained by the Great Jing and the surrounding states in the future, a strong military is fundamental."
However, the long-standing emphasis on civil officials over military officials resulted in military officers having little status. For example, the governor of a prefecture was usually appointed by a civil official and in charge of the prefecture's military and political affairs.
However, most of the civil officials in the Southern Dynasties did not know how to use or train troops, but they were able to give orders blindly while riding on the backs of military generals.
The battlefield is ever-changing, but generals can only execute pre-determined battle plans.
If a military commander does not do this, even if he wins the battle, he will still be subject to the censure of the supervising officer.
This is one of the reasons why we suffered repeated defeats at the very beginning of our war with the Great Jing.
The crown prince stopped speaking at this point, and the emperor looked at him, gesturing for him to continue.
Crown Prince Hu bowed solemnly and said, “Your subject believes that the military and political power of a prefecture should not be decided by the prefect alone. The voice in the military must be returned to the hands of the military generals, and then the civil and military officials will check and balance each other. This may be a good method.”
The emperor raised an eyebrow. "So you're thinking of reforming things?"
“Father…The Southern Dynasty has long suffered from deep-seated problems. If no adjustments are made, the consequences will be unimaginable.”
"But reforms can be radical and involve the interests of all parties, making this a very difficult path."
"No destruction, no construction..." The crown prince looked at the emperor with a firm gaze. "Father, no matter how difficult the road is, once you take the first step, you can grope your way forward."
As you walk, the road becomes clear.
All reforms require a catalyst.
Your Majesty believes that the North is currently an opportunity.
A Ning's influence in the North is unmatched by ordinary people.
She knew that the situation in the North wouldn't end easily and that they would stubbornly try to do something. So, she thought it best if her father granted A-Ning authority so that she could do what she wanted without worry.
That's how the first step on this path was taken.
The emperor didn't react for a moment. He frowned and thought carefully before asking, "You mean, let A'Ning take full charge of the affairs in the North?"
"Yes, Father..."
"But A Ning is, after all, a woman. In the past hundred years of the Southern Dynasty, there has been no precedent for women to participate in politics!"
“No…”, the Crown Prince shook his head, “A Ning is not only a woman, but also the daughter of the Emperor, the noble Princess Ningding. Behind her is the imperial power that no one can defy, and she is the backbone of the people and soldiers of the North.”
Although she is a woman, her willpower is stronger than most men's. Perhaps no one else could have done this, but A Ning could.
And because she was a woman, the court officials would be less vigilant, making it much easier for A Ning to do this than for others.
Therefore…whether from the perspective of status or personal ability, A Ning is the most suitable.
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