northernbook Chapter 128 Let me see what surprise the Crown Princess has prepared for everyone this time!
Chapter 128 Let me see what surprise the Crown Princess has prepared for everyone this time!
The punishment may sound mild, but everyone had a pretty good idea of what it was really like.
If King Ping is confined to his residence for a month, he will be unable to conduct the court examination at the end of the month, thus losing a once-in-three-years opportunity to recruit manpower.
The fact that Princess Ping was forbidden from entering the palace meant that Emperor Longyun had already rejected her. For a rejected princess, the future of her offspring would be greatly affected.
This can be considered a major blow to King Ping.
But on the surface, it was so light that no one could find fault with it, and there was no reason to plead for leniency.
Emperor Longyun was, after all, a shrewd and calculating emperor. His methods were beyond reproach, yet they struck at people's sore spots.
"Alright. This matter is settled." Emperor Longyun raised his hand, signaling Prince Ping to step back.
King Ping felt a chill in his heart and returned to his seat, dejected.
He felt bitter inside and lowered his head. His father still favored the crown prince. They were all his children, but these illegitimate sons seemed to have been given away as gifts, always lagging behind and receiving no special favor.
On what grounds? As for Crown Prince Hua Min, that's one thing; he's both the legitimate son and the eldest son. I could barely accept making him the crown prince.
But what is Lu Yuxi? He is the fifth prince, who usually doesn't show off. Why should he be able to surpass me, the de facto eldest son, and be named the crown prince by the emperor just because he was born to the Crown Prince?
Her mother's family background was not bad either, so why should she have to be subservient to others and become a concubine, and as a result, she could only grovel and be subservient to her younger brother who was a few years younger than her.
In the future, my children will also kneel before others, just like I have...
As these thoughts and resentments continued to repeat in his mind, King Ping's jealousy and indignation also rose steadily.
One day, he will trample the Empress and the Crown Prince under his feet and show his father that he is the most suitable person to take over the world!
Emperor Longyun was unaware of Prince Ping's thoughts, but he could guess most of them.
But Emperor Longyun didn't care and continued to lean on his desk, asking, "Is there anyone else who has something to report?"
Unfortunately, the officials, still reeling from the fierce struggle for the throne, naturally had no courage to take that step in the short term.
The Taiji Hall was eerily quiet for a moment.
After a long while, Lin Shiming twirled his cuffs, turned slightly back to look at Fang Shihai again, and gave him a look that said "make a move".
Fang Shihai understood and stepped forward, "Your Majesty, I have something to report!"
"Go ahead."
Having witnessed the every move of the crowd below, Emperor Longyun spoke with great interest. "Let me see what surprise the Crown Princess has prepared for everyone today by not coming out herself!"
Fang Shihai spoke calmly and unhurriedly.
"In my opinion, the matter just now can be attributed to the fact that His Highness the Crown Prince rarely appears in public and only holds the title of Crown Prince without being officially recognized. In reality, he is merely the posthumous son of the late Crown Prince, and his position is unstable, which is why he is 'overlooked' by others."
"In my opinion, to prevent this from happening again, we should establish a definite title for His Highness the Crown Prince."
"Oh," Emperor Longyun raised an eyebrow with considerable curiosity, "So what you mean, my dear minister, is—"
Fang Shihai spoke with a firm and resounding voice, "Your Majesty, I request that His Highness the Crown Prince be established!"
Emperor Longyun's pupils dilated in surprise, and he suddenly turned his gaze to Lin Shiming, who was "hidden" today.
Lin Shiming looked up and met Emperor Longyun's extremely shocked gaze, and smiled with exceptional composure.
This person has become smart; he will let his subordinates take the lead, remaining behind the scenes and sitting back and doing nothing, instead of taking action himself.
"You've made progress!" Emperor Longyun withdrew his gaze with great satisfaction.
The Taiji Hall exploded instantly, as if hot oil had been poured onto a fire.
The court officials, no longer afraid, began whispering amongst themselves, offering various opinions.
Prince Ping, having recovered from his earlier jealousy and resentment, was now even more shocked and enraged. He had originally intended to use the Empress Dowager to elevate the status of his unborn eldest son, but how had he ended up becoming a stepping stone for Lu Tingsong, an orphan with no parents?
You will lose a thousand to harm the enemy, but you will suffer ten thousand in damages!
No, this matter must not be allowed to succeed! Otherwise, the Crown Prince's position will be even more secure, and I will face even greater difficulties in the court. At that time, I will truly have no other option but to rebel.
Everyone has their own thoughts and plans.
Amidst the clamor of discussions and various gazes, Fang Shihai remained standing tall in the hall.
Regarding the appointment of the Crown Prince, Emperor Longyun had no other opinions besides feeling sorry for the cost.
He originally planned to wait until Lu Tingsong was a little older and get this done before he stepped down, so as to avoid any unforeseen problems and for it to be used against him by Lu Yuxi in the future.
The reason why it hasn't been mentioned until now, besides the factors analyzed by Lin Shiming, is simply that Emperor Longyun has been too busy to mention it in recent years.
Therefore, when Lin Shiming arranged for someone to bring up this matter, Emperor Longyun did not hesitate and had already agreed in his heart.
However, for the sake of the court officials, he still had to go through the proper procedures to avoid being accused of being stubborn and willful.
"Minister Fang, this matter is of great importance, and I am also finding it difficult to make a decision. Why don't you share your thoughts first, so we can all discuss it together?"
Those cunning and shrewd ministers understood these polite words. The fact that they neither expressed disagreement nor showed any anger or accusation already represented Emperor Longyun's meaning.
Fang Shihai naturally understood. He cooperated and continued speaking.
"Your Majesty remembers that before His Highness the Crown Prince's marriage, His Majesty entrusted His Highness the Crown Prince and His Highness the Crown Princess with his upbringing. More than two months have passed now, and I have heard that His Highness the Crown Prince and His Highness the Crown Princess have made remarkable progress under their tutelage."
"Furthermore, His Highness the Crown Prince is destined to have no heirs. Therefore, I request that the eldest grandson of the Emperor, Lu Tingsong, be established as the Crown Prince, so as to establish his status as soon as possible, rectify the foundation of the country, and avoid future calamities."
Emperor Longyun stroked his beard. "Hmm, that makes a lot of sense. What about the other ministers? What are your thoughts?"
We'll risk our lives for it.
Although Lin Shiming didn't come out today, who would dare risk offending him by offering advice? They're not asking for trouble.
While the ministers below were still exchanging glances, Xiao Feng slowly stepped forward and said, "I believe this matter is reasonable and justified. Establishing the title as soon as possible will put the minds of the people at ease. Your Majesty should approve Minister Fang's proposal and establish the eldest grandson of the Emperor as the Crown Prince."
Apart from the ministers from Prince Ping's faction, who quickly copied the answer when they saw that the Grand Prince Consort had come out, "We second that proposal!"
In the main hall, more than half of the people immediately knelt down.
Prince Ping clenched his fist and looked at Shen Lin beside him, signaling him to step in and stop it.
However, Shen Lin did not speak as instructed by the Prince of Ping, but instead shook his head slightly at him.
"Hahahaha!" Seeing that no one objected, Emperor Longyun laughed heartily, "Since none of you have any objections, then let's do it this way!"
"My eldest grandson has grown up and it is time for him to stand before the people. I hereby order the Ministry of Rites to draft an edict, which will be issued soon. The Imperial Astronomical Bureau shall also calculate an auspicious day for the investiture ceremony."
"From this moment on, everyone shall treat my eldest grandson with the same respect due to the Crown Prince!"
"The ministers obey the order."