The ministers begged me to ascend the throne

Chapter 213 The Self-righteous Seventh Prince
The fourth prince first taught Zhao Yao to learn Li's characters for an hour, and then helped him review what he learned in Wende Hall this morning.

By the time Zhao Yao left Xingde Palace, it was already four quarters of Xu.

"Your Highness, you study so late every day, you might as well just live in the room of His Highness the Fourth Highness." Tong Xi walked in front of Zhao Yao with a lantern in hand, "I still don't think it's safe to walk at night."

"I think you are afraid." Zhao Yao bluntly pierced Tong Xi's little thoughts, "You are afraid of ghosts!"

As soon as he heard the word "ghost", Tong Xi's heart suddenly went numb, and he only felt that the wind blowing from him was sinister.

"Your Highness, stop talking..." He was really afraid of ghosts.

Zhao Yao looked at Tong Xi who was already scared with contempt, and laughed, "I told you, there are no ghosts in this world."

"Your Highness, I think there are ghosts in the world." Tong Xi looked around with frightened eyes on his beardless white face.He always felt that there was a coldness behind him, as if there was a ghost standing behind him.Also, too many people died in vain in the palace, and these people will definitely become ghosts after death.

"Even if there are ghosts, no one is afraid of ghosts." Zhao Yao raised his foot and kicked Tong Xi's ass, "Look at your timid and frightened appearance."

"Your Highness, this servant would rather face a human than a ghost." No matter how scary people are, they still exist.However, ghosts are different.No, stop thinking about ghosts, he has to talk about something else. "Your Highness, do you think His Highness Fourth and Eighth Highness will secretly win over Zheng Zhengshi?"

"No." Zhao Yao said with certainty, "Fourth brother and starling don't want to expose themselves for the time being."

"It's normal that His Highness the Eighth Prince hasn't been exposed, but His Highness the Fourth has been exposed long ago. There are many ministers in the court who support His Highness the Fourth." The Eighth Prince has been hiding behind His Highness the Crown Prince, and no one has discovered the Eighth Prince's ambition. He only thinks that the Eighth Prince is a poor little boy attached to His Highness the Crown Prince.He used to think so too.

If His Highness hadn't said that His Highness the Eighth Highness had ambitions to fight for the throne, he wouldn't have discovered it at all.In this world, I am afraid that only His Highness can see through the true face of the Eighth Highness.

"But fourth brother didn't pay attention, did he?" Zhao Yao kicked the stones while walking, "fourth brother only got close to his two cousins, and didn't have any contact with other ministers."

"Even though the fourth prince is not close to those ministers, those ministers still continue to support him." The fourth prince's reputation in the court is very good, and the ministers will praise him when they mention him.

"Fourth brother has the ambition to compete for that seat, but he won't expose it now." Zhao Yao picked up the stone with the toe of his boot, and the stone fell on the back of the boot obediently, then he stood on tiptoe, letting the back of the boot The stone jumped into the air, and he stretched out his feet to catch it. "Until the time is right, the fourth brother will keep a low profile and will not interact with ministers other than the Li family."

"Even though His Royal Highness does not interact with ministers other than the Li family, everyone knows that he wants to fight for that seat." Tong Xi murmured in his heart, His Royal Highness is deceiving himself and others by doing this, or is deceiving others.

"The fourth brother wants to fight for that seat, but the time has not come, unless the prince's brother loses to the king." Zhao Yao switched feet to catch the stone, "If the prince's brother didn't lose to the king, the fourth brother would have nothing to lose." I won’t do it, this is the reminder that the fourth brother gave to everyone.”

"Will the Fourth Highness really do this?" As long as the Crown Prince is around, can the Fourth Highness really not do anything?

Zhao Yao nodded slightly and said, "Well, as long as the prince's brother is still there, the fourth brother will never do anything, because this is a courtier and a duty that a younger brother should have."

"Your Highness, if His Highness the Crown Prince wins the acting king and secures the position of Crown Prince, will the Fourth Highness really not be able to do anything in the future?"

Zhao Yao suddenly raised his foot and kicked the stone into the pool beside him.After a bang, the stone sank completely into the pool.

"If the prince's brother finally wins the acting king, then the fourth brother will obediently become a vassal king."

"Why?" Tong Xi didn't quite believe Zhao Yao's words, "Don't fourth brother also want to grab that seat?"

"When did you see the fourth brother grab that seat?" Zhao Yao squinted at Tongxi, "Which eye did you see?"

Tong Xi was stunned by Zhao Yao's two questions, and didn't know how to answer them for a while.After a while, he said: "Your Highness, didn't you say that both His Highness Fourth and His Highness Eighth are secretly cultivating their power?"

"That's what I said, but it doesn't mean that the fourth brother did it to compete for that seat." Zhao Yao said with his arms folded, "The fourth brother is cultivating influence for him to go to the fief in two years, can't it? "

Listening to Zhao Yao's words, Tong Xi was silent for a while: "Your Highness, didn't you say that before?"

"What do you know, it's just in case."

"Just in case?" Tong Xi didn't understand, and asked with a blank face, "Your Highness, I don't understand what you mean."

Zhao Yao first raised his index finger and said, "First, fourth brother cultivates his power secretly, so that when he becomes an adult, he will be fully prepared when he goes to fief the land."

"Oh, that's right." Tong Xi asked, "What about the second one?"

Zhao Yao raised two fingers and continued: "The second is just in case. If at that time, the prince's brother loses to the king, then the fourth brother will officially compete for that seat. By then, the fourth brother will have With a certain level of strength, you have the confidence to compete with Dai Wang and the third brother."

Hearing this, Tong Xi finally understood, and suddenly said, "So that's how it is."

Zhao Yao raised his third finger again: "The third is for self-protection. I don't have the idea of ​​competing for that seat, am I also secretly cultivating my own power?"

"It seems so." Tong Xi didn't think of this.

"Whether you want to compete for that seat or not, you must have the ability to protect yourself, or you may be implicated or killed directly." Zhao Yao crossed his hands and held the back of his head, and said casually, " The prince is a high-risk occupation, if you are not careful, you will die! Without the ability to protect yourself, you don't know how you will die when the time comes."

"Your Highness said so." Tong Xi said, still not quite understanding the previous question, "Your Highness, why is His Highness the Crown Prince still alive, and the Fourth Highness doesn't grab that seat? The Third Prince doesn't care about that."

"It's very simple, the fourth brother is not a legitimate son, but a concubine."

"However, the Dai Wang and the third prince are also bastards, and they have been fighting for that seat." Tong Xi complained sharply, "It doesn't matter whether they are the concubine or the bastard."

"Others don't care, but the fourth brother will care, because the education he received since he was a child is the orthodox Confucian education, and Confucianism pays attention to the difference between the concubine and the concubine." Zhao Yao said seriously, "The Li family is a serious scholar. The family background has always believed in Confucianism. They are the same as the Confucian family, understand?"

Tong Xi nodded, and said: "Understood, but the servants still can't understand the thoughts of His Royal Highness."

"Everyone has their own principles, and this is the principle of the fourth brother." Zhao Yao said, "Actually, the prince brother is very kind, gentle, and well-read poetry. The most important thing is to have a benevolent heart. If he In the end, if he wins the acting king and secures the crown prince position, the fourth brother will put away his ambitions, be a good courtier and younger brother honestly, and manage his fiefdom well."

"But, didn't you say that His Royal Highness is too mild-tempered before? It's nothing..." Tong Xi thought about it and said, "Yes, I don't have my own opinions. There is another most important reason, that is, His Royal Highness is too gentle. I'm relying on Lord Zhen Guo."

"That's right, that's what I said, so the prince brother will not succeed in the end." Zhao Yao scratched his head and said, "Even if the prince brother wins the king, he will lose to the starling in the end."

"Your Highness, are you so sure that His Highness the Crown Prince will lose to His Highness the Eighth Prince?" Tong Xi said, "Duke Zhen is a smart man. He hasn't noticed the actions of the Eighth Prince now, but he will definitely find out in the future."

"Zhen Guogong is smart and scheming, but he is not as good as myna." Zhao Yao pointed to his head, "Myna is a very smart person. The most important thing is that myna can endure things that ordinary people can't bear." There is another reason, the prince brother believes in the starling, don't forget that the starling almost died to save the prince brother before."

"The most important reason is that the prince's brother is soft-hearted. Even if he knows the true face of the starling later, he will not kill the starling. As long as the starling does not die, he can make a comeback at any time." Zhao Yao continued, "Gentle and soft-hearted It is the biggest shortcoming of the prince. If the prince really takes that seat in the future, it will not be a good thing for Dazhou and the people."

Tong Xi said: "Your servant knows that kindness does not command soldiers."

Zhao Yao chuckled and said, "That's almost what it means, but the king of a country is more decisive than the commander of an army."

"His Royal Highness is a good man." His Royal Highness would never beat and scold eunuchs and maids at will.He remembered that once when he was looking for His Highness, he accidentally bumped into His Highness the Crown Prince.His Royal Highness was not only not angry, but also asked him what happened with concern.

"He's a good man, but he won't be a king." Zhao Yao curled his lips and said reluctantly, "A person like Stinky Father Huang is a good emperor who is responsible for the country and the people."

Looking at Zhao Yao's awkward appearance, Tong Xi suppressed a smile and said, "Your Highness, do you think the Fourth Highness will be like the emperor? The slaves don't look like the fourth highness is a decisive person."

"Then you underestimate the fourth brother. The city and means of the fourth brother are very good, but all of these are hidden under his expressionless face." Zhao Yao pinched his chin and said, "Like the fourth brother Such a person who can't figure out his mind will make the ministers fear."

"The cold look of the Fourth Highness is indeed scary, making people afraid to approach." Tong Xi asked again, "What about the Eighth Highness?"

"Myna is more ruthless than anyone else. In the future, myna will kill a lot of people in order to gain power." Zhao Yao said, his face became heavy, "If the prince's brother finally wins the acting king, then myna will definitely be forced to death in the future Brother Prince, then he will kill the third brother and the others, leaving no one behind."

Tong Xi was frightened by Zhao Yao's words.He asked with a look of horror: "Your Highness, will His Highness Eighth also kill you?"

"Mynah probably won't kill me, but everyone else will die except me." Zhao Yao sighed lightly and said, "It's no accident, the fourth brother and mynah will compete for that seat in the end."

"Your Highness, the Third Prince and the others can't do it. There is still the Seventh Prince." Tong Xi said, "If His Royal Highness loses, there will be the Seventh Prince. He is also the son of the eldest son. The Duke of Zhenguo will definitely support the Seventh Prince."

"When it's Brother Seven's turn, do you think Duke Zhen is still alive?" Zhao Yao asked again, "Do you think Duke Zhen's mansion is still the same as before?"

If the crown prince loses to the Dai Wang in the end, then no matter whether it is the Duke of Zhen Guo or the Duke of Zhen Guo's mansion, there will be no good end.

"Perhaps the seventh brother had an accident before the prince's elder brother."

"Why is this?"

"Because the Seventh Brother is restless." To be honest, among the brothers, the one he hates the most is not the Ninth Brother who used to bully him, but the arrogant Seventh Brother. "As you said, Seventh Brother is also a legitimate son, so he is unwilling. Don't you see that Seventh Brother doesn't take all of us seriously. In his eyes, he is the most noble, while we are all of low status. His concubine, even the elder brother of the prince, he looks down on."

"His Royal Highness is the eldest son, why should the Seventh Prince look down on His Royal Highness?"

"It's very simple, because the first empress is the concubine's daughter of the Duke of Zhen's mansion, not the first daughter." Seventh Brother always felt that he hid himself very well, but his eyes had already exposed his true thoughts, otherwise why would Ninth Brother Always against him. "And Seventh Brother is too self-righteous, he always thinks he is the smartest among us, but in fact he is the stupidest among us, he is not even as good as Ninth Brother."

Tong Xi agreed with Zhao Yao's words very much, nodded repeatedly and said, "That's right, the Seventh Prince always looks at people with his nostrils."

"It's fine if Seventh Brother has always been so arrogant and arrogant, but he still has to pretend..." Zhao Yao couldn't find the right words to describe it for a while, "The gentle and approachable appearance, as if this is his charity Same."

"Your Highness, what you said is too true." That's right, that's what he hates His Highness the most.

"In terms of reading, the seventh brother is not as good as the fourth brother. In terms of riding and archery, the seventh brother is the worst. In terms of city calculations, he thinks he is very good, but he is actually the worst." Zhao Yao said very sharply, "Seventh brother There is nothing that can be obtained except the identity of the son-in-law."

"Although the empress is the daughter of the Duke of Zhen, she is the heir after all, so Brother Seven's status as a son is really not as good as that of the prince. Why do you say he is proud?" Actually, in the palace, people are stupid. It's nothing, but thinking you're smart is worse than being stupid.

"Who knows."

"Just wait and see, among our brothers, the one who had the accident first was not the prince or the acting king, but the seventh brother." Zhao Yao said very firmly, "And the seventh brother killed himself." With Seventh Brother like this, he still wants to fish in troubled waters and reap the benefits of the fisherman. It's really wishful thinking.

At this time, Xingde Palace, in the fourth prince's room.

The fourth prince has finished his bath and is sitting at the table reading a book.

Wei Mian brought a new lamp, which was much brighter.

"Your Highness, the empress asked you to go to dinner, she must have something to tell you, is it not good that you didn't go?"

The fourth prince looked at the book with both eyes, and said without raising his head: "Mother and concubine came to me only because of Zheng Rang's affairs."

"Your Majesty should have asked you to win over Zheng Zhengshi secretly."

The fourth prince turned a page of the book and said in a flat tone: "I will not win over Zheng Rang, nor will I let the Li family get close to Zheng Rang."

"Your Highness, Zheng Taiwei is behind Zheng Zhengshi. If Zheng Zhengshi can be used by you, then..."

The fourth prince interrupted Wei Mian: "I won't subdue him."

"Your Highness, why is this? You clearly know the role of Zheng Zhengshi?" The crown prince, Dai Wang, and the third prince will definitely try their best to bribe Zheng Zhengshi.

"It's because I know he's important that I won't get close to him." The fourth prince said indifferently, "At least it's not suitable now." It's hard to say in the future.

"It's not suitable now, when is it suitable?"

The fourth prince did not answer.

Seeing that the fourth prince didn't speak any more, Wei Mian didn't dare to disturb his reading any more, and retreated quietly.

When is it appropriate?
It depends on God's will.

The fourth prince had already greeted his two cousins ​​during the day, telling the Li family not to think about Zheng Taiwei's three sons, let alone approach or win over Zheng Taiwei's three sons. son.

The three brothers Zheng Rang, who were missed by everyone, were chatting in the study at this time.

Today, Zheng Qian did not enter the palace like his two elder brothers, but went to Taixue to participate in the assessment.It took him half a day to complete the one-day assessment, and he passed it perfectly.

Starting tomorrow, he will go to the Imperial College to study.However, he didn't want to go because he didn't think there was anyone smarter than him in Taixue.

Zheng Rang and Zheng Cheng asked him where he learned about it, and he said he learned it through the examination of Taixue.

The assessment of Taixue was too easy for him.He really doubted that anyone would fail such a simple test.

If you pass such a simple assessment when you enter Taixue, then none of the students in Taixue are smart people.Also, the master of Taixue has no skills.

"Little brother, don't judge all the students based on the Taixue assessment." Zheng Rang said, "There must be many smart people in the Taixue."

Zheng Qian glanced at his two elder brothers: "Eldest brother, second brother, you said yesterday that I can't get into Taixue."

Zheng Rang and Zheng Cheng smiled awkwardly: "We deliberately provoke you."

"My eldest brother and I both believe that you can pass the exam." It is not surprising that the younger brother was admitted to the Taixue, but it would be strange if the younger brother failed to pass the exam.

"Whether the students of Taixue are smart or not, little brother, you have to go in and see for yourself." Zheng Rang was really afraid that Zheng Qian would not go to Taixue to study willfully, so he tried his best to persuade Zheng Qian, "Since you have passed the examination of Taixue, you can be honest and honest. Bright, and justifiably challenged all the students in Taixue."

"After you have challenged the students of the Taixue and feel that the students of the Taixue are not good enough, then you can challenge the master." Zheng Cheng said, "I heard that there are many gentlemen with profound knowledge and high morals in the Taixue."

"If the students of the Taixue are not good, then the master of the Taixue is definitely not good." Zheng Qian said blankly, "A smart gentleman will not teach stupid students." He did not have any hope for the master of the Taixue.

"Then you have to go and see for yourself." Zheng Rang said decisively, "Go to Taixue to study obediently tomorrow."

Although Zheng Qian was reluctant, he still obediently listened to his elder brother's words.

"By the way, when you go to Taixue to study tomorrow, you must conceal your identity. Don't tell others that you are Zheng Taiwei's youngest son, otherwise there will be many people curry favor with you and will annoy you to death." Zheng Rang knew My younger brother doesn't like to be pestered or irritated by others.If you bore him to the core, he might do something bad.

"Brother, don't worry, I will never admit that I am Zheng Xilin's youngest son." When he came to the capital, he didn't plan to rely on his father's reputation to act.Besides, his father is not as smart as him, so he doesn't need to rely on his father.

Zheng Cheng joked: "Even if my younger brother says that he is Zheng Taiwei's son, no one will believe it." Their father is humble, at least in front of outsiders, he acts low-key and is indifferent to fame and fortune.And their younger brother's temperament is too arrogant, and he does things very arrogantly, which is the complete opposite of his father.

Zheng Rang agreed: "Yes."

Zheng Qian felt that the two elder brothers were mocking him, and there was evidence.However, he didn't care.

"I'm not like my father!" He didn't think there was anything to be proud of being like his father.

The three brothers chatted for a while, and then went back to their respective yards to rest.

The next day, the three brothers got up early and had breakfast at home together.

Zheng Cheng saw that Zheng Rang was carrying a food box, which contained some food from their hometown.

"Brother, you really bring it."

"The Tenth Highness has repeatedly told me not to forget to bring it. If I don't bring it, the Tenth Highness will definitely be disappointed." Zheng Rang didn't want to see the disappointed look on the Tenth Highness's face.Although he only spoke a few words with His Highness the Tenth Prince yesterday, he liked the smile on His Highness's face very much.

"I would like to meet the Tenth Highness and ask him how he made the stirrups, but unfortunately I didn't see them yesterday." Zheng Cheng's tone was full of regret.

Zheng Qian interjected at this moment: "The Tenth Prince is a smart man."

Zheng asked them to hear Zheng Qian praise others as smart people for the first time.You must know that even their father is not a smart person in the eyes of the younger brother.

"Little brother, what did you say?" Zheng Rang asked incredulously, "You actually said that His Royal Highness is a smart man?"

"Little brother, this is the first time I've heard you say someone is a smart person." Zheng Cheng also had a look of disbelief, "You haven't even met the Tenth Highness, how do you know that the Tenth Highness is smart?"

"How can a person who can turn two iron rings into stirrups be an idiot." Even he didn't think that the iron rings could have this function. "Don't you know the function of stirrups?"

Zheng Cheng smiled and said, "It's because I know that, that's why I want to ask His Highness the Tenth Highness."

Zheng Rang said with a smile: "Then you come to Lanyuan Pavilion to have lunch with me at noon, and then you will be able to meet the Tenth Highness."

"Okay, I'll come to have lunch with you at noon."

Although Zheng Qian said just now that the tenth prince is a smart person, he is not interested in the tenth prince.Besides, he didn't think the Tenth Prince was smarter than him.

　There is one more tonight.

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(End of this chapter)