The ministers begged me to ascend the throne

Chapter 540: The King of Chu Disappoints the Emperor

In the imperial study, the King of Chu was feeling sorry for Zhao Yao. He felt that Zhao Yao should not marry a peasant woman as his principal wife. If they had to let their brothers marry a peasant woman as their principal wife, they could marry her as a concubine.

The King of Chu believed that a woman of peasant origin was not qualified to be the prince's principal wife. Putting aside her family background, even if a prince's wife of peasant origin could read and write, could she play the piano, chess, calligraphy and painting? Could she treat people well? Could she understand the rules and etiquette of the royal family? Could she manage the prince's mansion...

Women of peasant origin are far inferior to women from aristocratic families and women from official families in terms of knowledge, experience and means.

The King of Chu still felt that the emperor was humiliating Zhao Yao by arranging a peasant girl to become the Princess of Han. He did not dare to question why the emperor treated Zhao Yao so harshly, but he could speak up for Zhao Yao.

He started from the time when Zhao Yao made stirrups when he was a child, and talked about many things that Zhao Yao had made, as well as the impact that these things had on the people and the country.

He also talked about what Zhao Yao did in Swamp House. Each of these things was very remarkable and completely changed the lives of the people in Swamp House. Not only that, Zhao Yao also brought Annan, Johor and other countries closer to the Great Zhou.

Sun Kui, who was waiting on the side, saw that the King of Chu was getting more and more excited, angry, and jealous, and he was worried for the King of Chu. He was really afraid that the King of Chu would angrily question the emperor why he treated His Royal Highness the King of Han in this way.

The emperor held his chin with his hands crossed, and listened to the words of the King of Chu attentively.

As the King of Chu spoke, he observed the Emperor's expression. He was angry, furious, and distressed when he saw that the Emperor had no reaction after hearing what he had said about Zhao Yao.

He really didn't understand why his father treated his tenth brother like this?
The tenth brother had been well-behaved and obedient since he was young. He had never done anything to anger his father, nor had he done anything to harm the world. However, he had never been loved or valued by his father since he was young.

Even though he was disliked by his father since he was young, the tenth brother never complained. He knew the responsibilities of a prince and always worked for the people.

The tenth brother went to Lingnan and never complained or complained to his father. With his own efforts, he completely changed the poor Swamp House, turning it from a remote and barren place into the most important port of the Great Zhou.

Over the past year, the tenth brother often sent gifts to the father. The tenth brother even put himself in danger for the peace of the Great Zhou. The tenth brother has done so many things over the years, what for? It was to make the father look at him straight in the eye, to get a word of praise from the father, but what did he get in the end? He was humiliated by the father.

Even though he was humiliated by his father, the tenth brother did not blame his father. He spoke well of his father and said that it was his responsibility as a prince.

Why would Father want to...

As the King of Chu spoke, he became angry and cried.

Sun Kui, who was standing by, was also moved to tears by the words of the King of Chu. He knew that the emperor was not really humiliating the King of Han, but when he heard the King of Chu complaining about the King of Han, he couldn't help feeling sad and indignant for His Royal Highness the King of Han.

When the emperor heard that the King of Chu had made him cry, he felt very sad.

He didn't expect that the usually cold-faced Old Four would actually cry, and he cried for that brat Xiao Shi.

The fourth brother's accusation seemed to be worse than the beast that was his father.

How did he let that stinky boy Xiao Shi marry a peasant girl as his princess? How did it become an unforgivable thing in the eyes of Lao Si? How did it become that he was abusing and humiliating Xiao Shi? !
In the eyes of the fourth brother, he, as the father, has been abusing his son, the tenth brother, since he was a child.

"Father, isn't my tenth brother your biological son?" The King of Chu, who had never lost his composure since he was a child, completely lost his composure at this moment. His eyes were red and filled with tears, and his expression was angry and sad. This was also the first time he was so rude in front of the emperor.

"Of course he is my biological son." The emperor, who was angrily questioned by the King of Chu, couldn't help but reflect on himself in his heart. Could it be that he pretended to dislike Xiao Shi too well on the surface all these years, making everyone think that he hated his son Xiao Shi?

Sun Kui on the side sighed silently in his heart: His Royal Highness the Prince of Chu really loves His Royal Highness the Prince of Han.

"Then why do you treat my tenth brother like this?" As a son, my tenth brother has no unfilial behavior. As a prince, my tenth brother has done a lot of things that benefit the country and the people. Whether as a son or as a minister, my tenth brother has done a good job.

The emperor asked expressionlessly, "Do you think I am humiliating Xiao Shi by letting him marry a woman from a peasant family as his princess?"

The King of Chu did not speak.

The emperor continued, "If I let Xiao Shi marry a woman from an aristocratic family or an official, wouldn't that be an insult to him?"

The King of Chu remained silent.

Not speaking is tantamount to consent.

The emperor was so angry at the King of Chu that he laughed: "Fourth Brother, I, the late emperor, and the late empress dowager are all farmers. As your father, am I also humiliating you?"

When the King of Chu heard this, his expression changed drastically and he immediately knelt down: "Your son dare not, your son has no such intention."

The emperor stood up and looked at the kneeling King of Chu with a cold gaze, and said in a stern tone: "Our Zhao family has been farmers for generations, and you actually look down on farmers. How could I have someone like you..." The emperor also knew that the King of Chu was speaking up for Zhao Yao, so he did not say anything harsh to him.

The King of Chu turned pale and apologized quickly, "Father, I didn't mean that. I just felt that..." "Get out!" The emperor was too lazy to say anything more to the King of Chu and told him to get out.

The King of Chu wanted to say something else but was interrupted by Sun Kui.

Sun Kui politely asked him to leave, "Your Highness the King of Chu, please leave first."

"Father, please calm down. I will take my leave now."

Sun Kui escorted the King of Chu out of the imperial study. "Your Highness, King of Chu, please forgive me for being so nosy. I know you feel sorry for the King of Han, but marrying a woman of peasant origin as your princess does not mean to humiliate the King of Han. You also know that the late emperor and the emperor were both peasants. When the late emperor was alive, he always emphasized that the Zhao family was born from peasants and will always be peasants. We must not forget our peasant roots."

He added: "The emperor asked His Royal Highness the King of Han to marry a peasant princess because he values ​​the King of Han. The emperor has not ignored or forgotten what His Royal Highness the King of Han has done for the people of Da Zhou over the years. Among so many princes, only His Royal Highness the King of Han is the most suitable to marry a peasant princess."

After hearing what Sun Kui said, the King of Chu looked ashamed.

"Your Highness, the words you just said denied the origins of the late emperor and the emperor, which is why the emperor is so angry." Sun Kui understood the King of Chu's indignation for His Highness the King of Han, but what His Highness said, alas... "Your Highness, the emperor values ​​you. Anyone can say those words just now, but you can't."

"I..." The King of Chu was speechless after what Sun Kui said.

"Your Highness, Prince Chu, please go back first and come back to apologize to the Emperor tomorrow."

"Thank you, Eunuch Sun." The King of Chu thanked Sun Kui sincerely.

Sun Kui didn't dare to accept the King of Chu's thank you gift. He turned away and said, "Your Highness, you are too polite."

"Tomorrow, I will come to my father to apologize."

"Your Highness the Prince of Chu, please take care."

After seeing off the King of Chu, Sun Kui returned to the imperial study. He secretly glanced at the emperor and saw that the emperor's face was no longer angry and gloomy, so he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"Your Majesty, I feel that His Royal Highness the Prince of Chu really has no other intentions. He is just feeling sorry for His Royal Highness the Prince of Han."

"Xiao Shi himself is not wronged, but he is the one who is wronged for Xiao Shi."

"Your Highness the Prince of Chu does not understand your painstaking efforts." Sun Kui said, "Your Highness the Prince of Han knows your good intentions."

"Alas..." The emperor suddenly sighed, a look of disappointment on his face, "Not only the fourth brother, but everyone thinks that I am insulting Xiao Shi by marrying a peasant girl to Xiao Shi."

If Sun Kui didn't know the emperor's intentions, he would have thought the same as everyone else.

"Your Majesty, everyone thinks that His Royal Highness the King of Han is a prince and has a noble status, while a peasant girl has a low status and is not worthy of His Royal Highness the King of Han."

"It's not that peasant girls are of low status, it's that peasants are of low status." The emperor sneered, "Everyone in this world looks down on peasants and thinks that peasants are of low status, even the peasants themselves think so."

"Your Majesty, this is the prejudice of the world."

"Old Four really disappoints me." The emperor could understand that the King of Chu felt sorry for Zhao Yao, but he could not accept that the King of Chu looked down on farmers. "Old Four looks down on farmers just like everyone else. This is the biggest difference between him and Little Ten. In Little Ten's heart, farmers are not lowly. On the contrary, farmers are very important. He made a lot of farming tools since he was a child, so that farmers can farm better and have enough food to eat. But Old Four and his friends never took farmers seriously."

"His Royal Highness the Prince of Han is different from other princes." In the eyes of His Royal Highness the Prince of Han, whether it is peasants or eunuchs like them who did not follow him, they are all the same, there is no distinction between high and low. His Royal Highness the Prince of Han treats everyone as human beings, while others do not treat their eunuchs and peasants as human beings. "His Royal Highness the Prince of Han has always cared about the people of the world since he was a child."

"Yes, although this brat is unwilling to be the emperor, he always has the Great Zhou and its people in his heart." The emperor said proudly.

"In this respect, His Royal Highness the King of Han is very similar to you." Sun Kui patted the dragon's butt a little, "Like father, like son."

"Compared to me, the brat is still far behind. However, compared to the others, the brat is really good." After the emperor finished speaking, he thought of what the King of Chu had just said, and a look of disappointment appeared on his face again. "From the fourth brother, we can see that those scholars and those scholarly families are essentially the same as the aristocratic families who look down on peasants. They all think they are of extraordinary origin and act high and mighty."

"The emperor said so."

"They all think that this world belongs to the aristocratic families and the literati." At this point, the emperor showed a sarcastic look on his face, "But in my opinion, this world belongs to the people. Without the people, they are nothing."

"Your Majesty is wise."

"I was right not to choose the fourth son." The emperor has always admired the King of Chu and has always valued this son, but the words of the King of Chu just now made him very disappointed. "If I hand over the country of the Great Zhou to the fourth son, the world will be the world of the scholar-officials in the future." In the beginning, the late emperor finally agreed to become emperor for the sake of tens of millions of peasants, not for the aristocratic families or the scholar-officials.