The ministers begged me to ascend the throne

Chapter 584 Emperor Yong'an's Purpose
The fact that Emperor Yong'an was seriously ill could not be concealed. Moreover, Emperor Yong'an had no intention of hiding it from the world. After he fell ill, he immediately wrote a letter to Zhao Yao to return to the capital, and asked Prime Minister He and Grand Tutor Liu to temporarily handle state affairs.

After Zhao Yao returned to the capital, Emperor Yong'an immediately ordered Zhao Yao to regent and handle all state affairs.

The civil and military officials in the court were not surprised by Emperor Yong'an's arrangement. Now, the only prince who was healthy was His Royal Highness the Prince of Han. As for the Prince of Chu, the ministers knew that Emperor Yong'an would never let him return to the court. Moreover, His Royal Highness the Prince of Han was the most trusted brother of Emperor Yong'an.

Emperor Yong'an has been married for many years but has no children. After ascending the throne, he did not take concubines and has no children to date. Now, Emperor Yong'an is seriously ill and has asked His Royal Highness the Prince of Han to be the regent. Emperor Yong'an's purpose is obvious.

All the ministers in the court knew that His Royal Highness the Prince of Han would be the next emperor, so no one in the court opposed Zhao Yao's regent status.

It won’t be long before His Royal Highness the Prince of Han ascends the throne. If you oppose his regency at this time, you would be out of luck.

Although the ministers in the court did not object to Zhao Yao's regent handling state affairs, many officials doubted Zhao Yao's ability. After all, Zhao Yao had never had an outstanding performance in the court before.

Some ministers were dishonest and wanted to control Zhao Yao, but they didn't expect that their little tricks had already been seen through by Zhao Yao.

Although Zhao Yao's method of handling state affairs was not as extreme and cruel as that of Emperor Yong'an, it was also very sharp, which scared the officials into not daring to use tricks anymore.

Although Zhao Yao had been in the Swamp House, it did not mean that he did not know about the affairs of the court. Since Emperor Yong'an ascended the throne, Zhao Yao was worried and kept an eye on the developments in the capital. He knew everything that happened in the court, no matter whether it was a big thing or a small thing. Many ministers took advantage of Zhao Yao's being far away in Lingnan and not knowing about the affairs of the court, and played tricks under his nose, but they did not expect to kick a wall.

When he was in the Swamp House, although Zhao Yao did not attend court every day, nor did he review memorials every day, and even handed over all matters of the court to the cabinet, it did not mean that he knew nothing. Putting aside the source of his information, he could see everything from the memorials reviewed by the cabinet.

It would be impossible for the cabinet officials to manipulate government affairs and deceive Zhao Yao.

After becoming the regent, Zhao Yao looked at the memorials reviewed by Prime Minister He and Grand Tutor Liu, and was able to learn about the major and minor events that had taken place in the court during that time.

Those officials who thought Zhao Yao was easy to fool were frightened after seeing his methods. They became well behaved and dared not to do anything wrong again.

At first, Prime Minister He and Grand Tutor Liu were worried that Zhao Yao would not be able to handle government affairs as regent, but they did not expect that Zhao Yao could handle it with ease.

After seeing how Zhao Yao handled state affairs, Prime Minister He and Grand Tutor Liu felt relieved, and at the same time lamented that Zhao Yao was worthy of being chosen by the Supreme Emperor.

Prime Minister He, Grand Tutor Liu, and the Minister of Rites came out of the East Warm Pavilion of the Purple Palace. They were discussing the next year's imperial examination with Zhao Yao.

Emperor Yong'an exterminated the entire Li family, which hurt the hearts of students all over the world, resulting in fewer and fewer students taking the imperial examinations in recent years.

After Zhao Yao became regent, he decided to hold a special examination next year to test the provincial, metropolitan and palace examinations. According to regulations, the provincial, metropolitan and palace examinations are held every three years. Calculating the time, the provincial, metropolitan and palace examinations will be held the year after next. Zhao Yao saw that fewer and fewer students in the inland areas had participated in the imperial examinations in the past two years, so he decided to hold a special examination and move the provincial, metropolitan and palace examinations forward to next year.

The news of the opening of the imperial examination spread quickly throughout the Great Zhou. When scholars from all over the country heard that it was proposed by His Royal Highness the King of Han, they all decided to participate in the imperial examination next year.

On the other hand, the scholars and students who had fled to various prefectures in Lingnan learned that Emperor Yong'an was seriously ill, King Han was regent, and that a special examination would be held next year. So they packed their bags and returned to their hometowns to prepare to take part in the imperial examination next year.

Zhao Yao was originally very famous among the people and was deeply supported by the people. After Emperor Yong'an ascended the throne, Zhao Yao became even more prestigious among the people, and the people all hoped that he could become the emperor. Now that Emperor Yong'an is seriously ill and has no children, the people all know that His Royal Highness the Prince of Han will be the next emperor, which makes them very happy.

Although Emperor Yong'an did not do anything against the will of heaven or harm the people since he ascended the throne, his methods were too cruel. In addition, he set up the "Jinyiwei" to monitor various places, which made the people very afraid of him.

The people were afraid that Emperor Yong'an would bring disaster to them sooner or later. When they learned that Emperor Yong'an was seriously ill, they were glad in their hearts.

Emperor Yong'an didn't care what officials and people thought of him, nor did he care if he would be labeled a tyrant or a weak ruler in history books. He didn't regret anything he had done since he ascended the throne. Now that he knew that officials and people praised Zhao Yao for his kindness, he was not angry, but very happy.

Yu Hai felt indignant for Emperor Yong'an and felt aggrieved for him. He said a few bad words about Zhao Yao in front of Emperor Yong'an. He was first severely reprimanded by Emperor Yong'an, and then punished by him to kneel.

When Zhao Yao brought Sun Doudou and Tongxi over, he saw Yu Hai kneeling at the door and asked him what had happened.

Yu Hai didn't dare to tell the truth, so he said that he had angered Emperor Yong'an.

Sun Doudou glanced at Yu Hai's unconvinced look, and guessed that this guy must have said something bad about His Royal Highness the Prince of Han in front of the emperor. Sun Doudou had served Emperor Yong'an for several years, and had been with Yu Hai day and night for several years, so he had some understanding of Yu Hai's personality.

In the past few years, Yu Hai has often said bad things about His Royal Highness the Prince of Han in front of Emperor Yong'an. Fortunately, Emperor Yong'an never listened to him, otherwise Emperor Yong'an and His Royal Highness the Prince of Han would have become enemies due to his instigation.

Zhao Yao asked Yu Hai to get up, but Yu Hai didn't dare to get up.

Sun Doudou and Tongxi did not follow Zhao Yao into Emperor Yong'an's bedroom. They stood guard at the door and watched Yu Hai kneel as punishment.

Zhao Yao walked into the bedroom, and the strong smell of medicine mixed with the fragrance of agarwood hit his nose. Every time he smelled the bitter smell of medicine that could not be covered by the fragrance of agarwood, Zhao Yao's mood would unconsciously become heavy.

Emperor Yong'an looked better than before, but he was still very weak.

"Myna, how do you feel today?" Zhao Yao would visit Emperor Yong'an as soon as he finished his court every day and chat with him for a while. After the court today, he discussed with Prime Minister He and others about opening the special examination next year in the East Warm Pavilion, so he came to visit Emperor Yong'an a little late today.

"better."

"After a few days, when you feel better, I'll take you out to get some fresh air and some sunshine." Zhao Yao said, "It's not good for your health to stay in the house all the time."

"Okay, I'm bored staying in the room." Emperor Yong'an never asked about the affairs of the court. He believed that Zhao Yao could handle it well. He would not speak unless Zhao Yao took the initiative to ask. "Tenth brother, let the Grand Historian choose an auspicious day."

Zhao Yao, who was drinking tea, was slightly stunned when he heard this, and then asked with a puzzled look on his face: "What's the point of choosing an auspicious day?"

"I want to see you ascend the throne before I leave." Emperor Yong'an said with a smile, "Fortunately, you found a miracle doctor from the Western Regions, so that I can live one more month. This way, I can see you ascend the throne before I leave, and I will have no regrets in my heart."

Some time ago, the miraculous doctor from the Western Regions that Zhao Yao sent people to find came to the palace to take the pulse and treat Emperor Yong'an.

Zhao Yao originally thought that the divine doctor from the Western Regions could cure Emperor Yong'an, but the divine doctor from the Western Regions was not a Daluo immortal, and there was no way to cure Emperor Yong'an. The only thing they could do was to extend Emperor Yong'an's life, but they could only extend it by one month.

In order to let Emperor Yong'an live another month, the miracle doctors in the Western Regions tried their best, including forbidden techniques and drugs that were not passed on to other people in the Western Regions.

Emperor Yong'an's words made Zhao Yao silent.

"Tenth brother, you don't want me to leave with regrets, right?" Emperor Yong'an originally thought that he would not see Zhao Yao ascend the throne, but he did not expect that the miracle doctor from the Western Regions would let him live one more month. This extra month would allow him to see Zhao Yao ascend the throne, which made him very happy.

Zhao Yao could not accept the fact that Emperor Yong'an would not live long, even when the facts were before his eyes, he still resisted. But no matter how much he could not accept it, Emperor Yong'an would not live long.

"Myna, I..."

Emperor Yong'an knew what Zhao Yao wanted to say, so he raised his hand to interrupt him, and said pleadingly, "Tenth brother, please don't let me have any regrets."

Zhao Yao sighed inwardly, then nodded in agreement and said, "Okay, let the Grand Historian choose an auspicious day."

Emperor Yong'an called Sun Doudou in and asked him to call the Grand Historian.

A moment later, Sun Doudou came with the Grand Historian.

Emperor Yong'an ordered the Grand Historian to choose an auspicious day next month.

Although Emperor Yong'an did not specify what he wanted to do on the chosen auspicious day, the Grand Historian knew exactly what was going on and immediately followed the order to do it.

Emperor Yong'an said to Zhao Yao with a slightly apologetic look: "I'll let you ascend the throne simply for now. You can hold a grand coronation ceremony in the future."

Zhao Yao said helplessly, "Eighth brother, you know I don't care about these things." Then he sighed and said, "I never thought of becoming an emperor, but I didn't expect to become an emperor in the end." If it weren't for the poor health of the fourth brother, he would let the fourth brother ascend the throne. Unfortunately, the fourth brother's health was not good.

"Tenth brother, this is your responsibility, you can't escape it."

Zhao Yao raised his eyes and looked directly at Emperor Yong'an, "My dear brother, did you know that your health was not good a long time ago? That's why you were so anxious to eliminate the aristocratic families and disobedient officials after you ascended the throne?"

Emperor Yong'an was not surprised at all that Zhao Yao had guessed it. He did not deny it: "Yes, I knew I would not live for many years."

"No wonder you were so anxious after you ascended the throne, you..." Zhao Yao understood that everything Emperor Yong'an had done in the past few years was for him, and he felt both moved and guilty.

Emperor Yong'an said calmly, "Tenth brother, I have taken your throne, so I must do something for you."

When Zhao Yao heard this, his eyes widened suddenly, with an expression of disbelief on his face. After a while, he smiled bitterly and said, "My dear, have you read the secret decree?"

"I didn't read it. The secret decree is still intact behind the plaque." Emperor Yong'an did not open the secret decree.

Zhao Yao was surprised when he heard this and asked, "Then how did you know that?" Emperor Yong'an smiled and said, "Of course I saw it."

Zhao Yao thought that Emperor Yong'an might have a deal with the Emperor Retired, so he asked hurriedly, "My dear, what did you deal with Father?"

"As expected, you figured it out." Emperor Yong'an was a little surprised that Zhao Yao knew about the deal between him and the retired emperor, but he also expected it. "Father promised to let me be the emperor."

"What about the conditions?"

"The condition is that after I ascend the throne, I will eradicate all the aristocratic families."

Zhao Yao frowned slightly and asked, "Is there still a Li family?"

Emperor Yong'an shook his head and said, "Father did not ask me to eliminate the Li family, it was me who wanted to eliminate the Li family."

"My dear brother, you eliminated the Li family not because they are my fourth brother's maternal family, nor did you want to use them as an example to scare others, but because of me, right?"

Emperor Yong'an denied it, "It's not all for you, it's also for myself."

Zhao Yao naturally didn't believe what Emperor Yong'an said, "My dear, with your ability, you don't need to make a deal with your father and turn yourself into a knife in his hand." Zhao Yao had figured out a lot of things these days. He knew that everything Emperor Yong'an did after ascending the throne was to help him remove obstacles.

"Tenth brother, what I have done after ascending the throne, I would have done even if my father hadn't told me to do it." Emperor Yong'an said seriously, "I am doing this not only for you, but also for myself."

"Big brother and second brother..."

Emperor Yong'an generously admitted: "I did it all."

"My dear brother, there is really no need for you to be used by our father." At this moment, Zhao Yao felt very sorry for Emperor Yong'an and at the same time he resented the retired emperor.

"Tenth brother, if I hadn't made a deal with my father, he wouldn't have let me take your throne." Emperor Yong'an added, "You also know that my dream since I was a child is to become an emperor."

"With your ability..."

"Tenth brother, you underestimate our father. I am quite capable, but still inferior to him." Emperor Yong'an sighed, "Older people are more experienced." If Emperor Yong'an had not agreed to make the deal with the retired emperor, he would have died long ago and would not be alive today.

"This is so unfair to you." Zhao Yao felt unfair for Emperor Yong'an.

"There is no such thing as fairness in this world." Emperor Yong'an didn't care how the retired emperor treated him. "For me, as long as I can be the emperor, I can do anything. Besides, my father is not as cruel to me as you think."

"At this time, you are still speaking for him."

"Tenth brother, you should know that father is the emperor of Great Zhou first, and then our father." Emperor Yong'an did not hate the emperor emeritus. If he were the emperor emeritus, he would do the same. "Father first considers the Great Zhou and the people of Great Zhou, and then he can think about other things. He chose you to be the emperor not because you are his most beloved son, but because he values ​​your ability. Only by handing the Great Zhou to you can the people have a better life."

"If father was really emotional, he wouldn't let you be the emperor. But father is the emperor, he has to be responsible for the people of the world, so even if he knows you don't want to be the emperor, he can only force you to be the emperor."

Zhao Yao laughed at himself and said, "You two all think that I am suitable to be the emperor and believe that I can bring peace and prosperity to the Great Zhou. Who gave you the confidence?"

"You." Emperor Yong'an said sternly, "Tenth brother, don't underestimate yourself. You know your abilities better than us. Don't say you are useless just because you don't want to be emperor. If you really don't have any abilities, Swamp Prefecture would not have become the most prosperous and bustling prefecture in the Great Zhou."

Zhao Yao didn't say anything.

"Tenth brother, I know you want to live freely, but you are a prince, not an ordinary citizen. You can't live as you please."

Zhao Yao sighed quietly: "If I had known it would be like this, I should have become a real playboy."

"That's not you." Emperor Yong'an smiled and said, "You have cared about the people since you were young and have done so many things for them. The rest of us are fighting for power, but you are the only one who truly cares about whether the people live well. You have done so many things over the years, all just to make life easier for the people, so you are the most suitable person among us to be the emperor."

Emperor Yong'an's words left Zhao Yao unable to refute.

"If you don't care about the people, no matter how powerful you are, your father will not choose you." Emperor Yong'an added, "I know you have always thought that the fourth child is suitable to be the emperor, but you have overlooked one point."

Zhao Yao asked with a puzzled look on his face: "What did I overlook?"

"In the heart of the fourth son, the people are not the first, but the scholars are the first." Emperor Yong'an mentioned the King of Chu, his expression was calm, "If the fourth son ascends the throne, the Li family will be the most powerful foreign relatives, and the literati will control the entire court. In the future, the literati will become the aristocratic families. Do you understand?"

Zhao Yao didn't think deeply about this aspect.

"My grandfather and father were both born as farmers. When they founded the Great Zhou, they wanted the people to live a stable life and not be oppressed by the noble families and scholars." This is why Emperor Yong'an insisted on getting rid of the Li family. "This is why my father did not choose the fourth son."

"I understand." His father's thoughts were correct. He didn't think too much about it because he didn't want to be the emperor and only wanted his fourth brother to ascend the throne.

"Tenth brother, don't blame father for forcing you to become emperor. Father has no other choice."

"Alas..." What else could Zhao Yao say at this point? Besides, no one else could be the emperor except him. He had to do it. "My dear, since you have a deal with the emperor, why did you poison him and make him suffer a stroke and become paralyzed?"

Emperor Yong'an was not surprised that Zhao Yao knew that he was the one who poisoned the emperor. He said calmly, "If my father had not had a stroke and was paralyzed, I would not be able to be the emperor for the time being."

"Didn't the emperor promise you?"

"Father has promised me, but what if he changes his mind in the future?" Although Emperor Yong'an did not hate the emperor, he did not trust him. The emperor's words were indeed binding, but the emperor could change his mind at any time. "Besides, my body can't hold out for a few more years. I can't wait any longer. I can only poison Father to cause a stroke and paralysis, so that I can ascend the throne immediately."

"Aren't you afraid that something might happen to your father?"

"The poison I gave you will not kill your father. As for whether he can recover, that depends on his luck." Emperor Yong'an poisoned the retired emperor without thinking that he could recover. For him, as long as the retired emperor did not die, it didn't matter if he was paralyzed forever.

Hearing what Emperor Yong'an said, Zhao Yao knew that Emperor Yong'an still had some resentment towards the retired emperor.

"Then do you know that the emperor is going to take advantage of your opponent's trick?"

"If Father hadn't taken advantage of the situation, I wouldn't have succeeded." Emperor Yong'an knew what the emperor was thinking. "Father took advantage of the situation not to help me, but for you."

Zhao Yao sneered, "He miscalculated and underestimated the relationship between you and me."

"I have finally gotten my revenge, and my father has suffered. When he recovers, don't blame him."

After Zhao Yao chatted with Emperor Yong'an for a while, he went to the Cining Palace to pay his respects to the Empress Dowager and the Emperor Retired. Unexpectedly, Concubine Dowager Ying was also there.

When Concubine Ying saw Zhao Yao coming, she stood up and said goodbye.

Zhao Yao still had a pile of memorials to review, so he didn't stay in the Cining Palace for long. As soon as he walked out of the Cining Palace, he saw Concubine Ying waiting for him at the door, which made him a little confused.

When Concubine Ying saw Zhao Yao coming out, she hurried forward and bowed slightly: "Your Highness the Prince of Han."

Zhao Yao quickly returned the greeting: "Concubine Ying." He was not the emperor yet, and Concubine Ying was his elder, so he had to pay respect to her.

"Your Highness, I have something to ask you."

"Princess, please speak."

Concubine Ying said directly: "I want to guard the imperial tomb."

Zhao Yao felt that he must have heard it wrongly, "Teacher, what did you just say?"

Concubine Ying bowed solemnly to Zhao Yao and said, "Your Highness, please allow me to guard the imperial mausoleum."

Zhao Yao heard it clearly this time, and his face was filled with astonishment, "You want to guard the imperial mausoleum? Why?" Is Concubine Dowager Ying crazy? She actually offered to guard the imperial mausoleum on her own initiative.

Concubine Ying looked at Zhao Yao pleadingly. She wanted to say something, but she hesitated to say it.

Zhao Yao immediately understood who Concubine Ying was going to guard the imperial mausoleum for, and was shocked.