Red Mansion: Bastards rule the roost

Chapter 741: Secret Establishment of a Crown Prince
Seeing that Sun Xuan's expedition was unsuccessful, Sun Ju laughed inwardly. How could his third brother, who did not understand his father's deeper meaning and just dealt with the matter at hand, get any good result?

Having learned a lesson, he bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I think this case reflects the three major shortcomings of the court."

Emperor Xifeng's eyes moved slightly, and he showed some interest, and asked, "Oh? What are the three disadvantages?"

Sun Ju was overjoyed when he saw this, but he suppressed his joy and said in a deep voice: "One is that the factional struggles in the court are getting worse. Some important officials are not only fighting in the court, but also turning their attention to the prince, not only fighting for the present, but also for the future;
The second reason is that the powerful ministers are too powerful to be removed. Judging from the situation in the court today, nearly half of the civil and military officials have not made a clear statement on this case. Their attitudes are ambiguous, and they seem to be in a wait-and-see attitude, and some seem to be refusing. It can be seen that Jia Cong's power is established;

The third is that there are signs of instability. Since my second brother has secretly colluded with important officials, how do we know that other princes and important officials in the court have not secretly given and colluded with each other? I think that such signs of shaking the foundation of the country should be thoroughly investigated to prevent similar things from happening again. "

Emperor Xifeng nodded and said, "What the fourth brother said makes sense. He can see the big picture from the small details and know the wind from the magpie's nest. That's good."

It was a rare occasion for Sun Ju to be praised by Emperor Xifeng. He was so excited that his arms trembled slightly. He bowed and said, "I am a humble person, and I am sorry for your praise."

Sun Xuan cursed inwardly, "You cunning boy, if I don't lead the way for you, you're nothing but a piece of shit."

Emperor Xifeng looked at the fifth son, Sun Wen, again.

Sun Wen remained calm and bowed, saying, "After reading the case of the demon book, I realized that my father is wise and unparalleled in history."

Sun Xuan and Sun Ju snickered. Lao Wu was too naive. He thought he could get away with it by just flattering others?

Emperor Xifeng glanced at him and said with a half-smile, "Where is Ming?"

Sun Wen said: "Although the kings of previous dynasties were wise, they only pierced the blood vessels, injected poison, and damaged the skin. Although they cured the disease, they also hurt the body.

The wise rulers of ancient times could predict the coming of autumn from a single leaf, and they could see the smallest problems and eliminate them before they sprouted. Although they were wise, they were not perfect.

"But Father is in deep meditation, he can see through everything, he can cure the disease before it even takes shape, this is extremely wise."

Emperor Xifeng smiled with satisfaction and pointed at Sun Wen and said, "Old Fifth, you are becoming more and more clever."

Sun Wen smiled and bowed humbly, and looked at the emperor. Smart people never need to explain what they say.

Sun Xuan and Sun Ju had no idea what the two men were up to. They just thought that the fifth brother was taking advantage of the situation to win the favor of their father, and they were very dissatisfied.

"Go, each of you take this as a warning, concentrate on studying and observing government affairs, and convey my intentions to other brothers." Emperor Xifeng waved his hand.

"Your son obeys your command." The three of them bowed and withdrew.

Emperor Xifeng took a deep look at the fifth son, Sun Wen, and felt very pleased, because among the three people's answers, only what he said was exactly what he wanted to say.

The third and fourth brothers had too superficial an understanding of the matter. They only talked about the case of the evil book and never thought of looking at the case from a higher perspective.

Therefore, he did not understand why he continued to make the best of a mistake and dealt with the second brother and Jia Cong. It was not for this mere evil book, but to prevent trouble before it happens. It was not to prevent the second brother, but to prevent the foreign relatives and nobles from becoming too powerful to control the government in the future.

Only Sun Wen understood this point, but he didn't point it out to show off his cleverness. This is a smart person. Emperor Xifeng smiled slightly and nodded.

Just when Emperor Xifeng thought he had a good plan and used the demon book case to weaken Jia Cong again, another "demon book" popped up from all over the city like mushrooms after a rain, as if mocking the "stupidity" of the court and the current emperor. Within a day or two, it swept through the restaurants and teahouses inside and outside the capital, and many court officials' homes were also sent letters at night. Taking advantage of the heat of the previous wave of demon book cases, it quickly stirred up the situation.

A larger vortex of succession was rapidly forming, and the huge pressure created by public opinion was quickly transmitted to the court, and it seemed that the issue of succession could not be avoided.

All the important officials in the court were walking on thin ice, fearing that the emperor would ask for their opinions. With Jia Cong's "previous experience", who would dare to express their opinions carelessly? For a time, the capital was full of twists and turns, and the atmosphere was unprecedentedly tense.

Jia Cong looked at the information in front of him and asked in confusion: "Sir, what do you think of this evil book?"

Pang Chao laughed and said, "The last evil book was written to deal with the Second Prince and you, but this time it is aimed at the First Prince, advocating that the legitimate son is not virtuous and the eldest son should be the heir, and praising the First Prince to the sky. What do the civil and military officials, scholars and common people think when they see this?"

"Sir, please enlighten me."

"This evil book, firstly, is to exonerate the Second Prince, implying that His Royal Highness the Prince may not be related to the evil book; secondly, it is to force the current emperor to make a decision. You dealt with the Second Prince last time with the evil book, so will you deal with the First Prince with this one?
If he is dealt with, there will definitely be a third and fourth evil book, which will "recommend" the other princes. By then, the emperor will be in a passive position and be completely led by the nose.

If all the princes are guilty, doesn't that mean the second prince is innocent?" Pang Chao said with a smile.

Jia Cong suddenly smiled and said, "This is what the teacher told me before, the method of overturning the inkstone to cover up the stain."

"That's right." Pang Chao said, "The person who wrote this evil book seems to want to not only muddy the waters and exonerate the Second Prince, but also to test the waters and find out the Emperor's true intentions to see who he really favors.

With a clear goal, we can find the right remedy. I guess if the emperor doesn't establish a crown prince to stabilize the country, more and more evil books will appear in the future."

Jia Cong nodded and said, "Sir, you hit the nail on the head. Who do you think is behind this?"

Pang Chao smiled and said, "The above is the first motive, which is good for both you and the Second Prince. Isn't it obvious that someone with this motive is about to emerge?"

Jia Cong hurriedly asked, "Sir, are you talking about the Queen?"

"And there is Uncle Chen." Pang Chao said.

Jia Cong thought for a moment and said, "What about the second possibility?"

“That’s much simpler. Perhaps a certain prince has secretly acted, or his supporters are paving the way for him and clearing away obstacles.

Eliminate the Second Prince first, then the First Prince. Wouldn't the chances of the remaining princes be greatly increased?"

Pang Chao said, "But these are just trivial tricks. As the ancients said, those who are righteous will have many supporters, while those who are unrighteous will have few.

If the prince wants to conquer the world, especially with so many brothers, he can never do that without help from the court.

You can't hide it. If you want to seize the throne quietly overnight, that's just wishful thinking. It's impossible.

If you want to win people's hearts, you have to make contacts. You just need to have people keep an eye on the residences of important officials and military nobles to see who visits them. Over time, the truth will become clear."

Jia Cong clapped his hands and smiled, "You are right, sir. The bigger the event, the harder it is to conceal. For example, in a war, the bigger the war, the sooner it will be discovered by the enemy. Because the matter is of great importance, it will involve the mobilization of countless resources and people. How can it be concealed?
It is absolutely impossible to conquer the world and do great things secretly. Judging from the intelligence currently held by Hydra and Jinyiwei, none of the princes have made any unusual moves, and no one has any intention of making a breakthrough. "

Pang Chao smiled and said, "Of course. As a prince, every move is being watched by others. Who dares to act rashly? Moreover, the emperor and the queen are not ordinary people. Who dares to be smart?

Even if they are ambitious, they need money and talented people to get things done.

There are many princes now. Apart from the eldest and second princes who have some supporters, which court officials would go to the other princes for support? The risk is too high and the potential benefits are too small. "

Jia Cong asked, "If this is the Queen's counterattack, what should Cong do?"

"Just wait and see what happens, and keep your mouth shut to see what the queen is up to," Pang Chao said.

"Well, that's easy. How do you think the emperor will respond?" Jia Cong asked.

Pang Chao pondered for a moment, shook his head, and said, "The Lord's heart is deep, like an abyss or an ocean, I can't guess it.

However, I speculate that the emperor will not follow public opinion and hastily appoint a crown prince, but will take some measures to quell the controversy."

Jia Cong asked curiously, "Why doesn't the emperor just appoint a crown prince? Wouldn't that eliminate the chance for evil words to gain a foothold?"

Pang Chao waved his hand and smiled, "On the one hand, this is to protect the crown prince. Think about it, if the emperor sets him up early, wouldn't he become a target for you and the queen to attack like crazy? Doesn't being a crown prince mean you can definitely become the emperor? Look, Prince Yi Zhong was plotted against by the emperor, right? So although the crown prince seems prominent, he is actually surrounded by dangers. Under the current situation, it is difficult for the princes to be safe, so the emperor will never promote a crown prince early."

Jia Cong nodded and said, "That makes sense. If someone else becomes the crown prince, I will definitely get rid of him. Only if the Second Prince or the Tenth Prince becomes the crown prince will it be beneficial to me."

Pang Chao smiled and said, "As for the other side, the emperor cannot let go of the imperial power and is afraid that it will be divided by the crown prince, so he will not decide on the crown prince so early."

Jia Cong was surprised and asked, "What does this mean? Can the Crown Prince challenge the Emperor?"

"The Crown Prince naturally dared not be disrespectful, but since he is the Crown Prince and lives in the Eastern Palace, he must set up a government office, train his own team, and become familiar with various government affairs. Otherwise, if he knows nothing, how can he take over the throne in the future? This is what should be done.

But in this way, the prince's authority will surely grow day by day. You all know the principle of favoring the new over the old when you visit a brothel. Who among the court officials is not a shrewd person?

They must make friends with the future emperor in advance so that he can rise to prominence in the future. Then they will naturally gather around the prince. Don't you think that in this way, the emperor will be sidelined?" Pang Chao said with a smile.

Jia Cong smiled and said, "That's right. For the emperor, losing power is more painful than killing him, especially for a wise ruler like the current emperor.

Only a fool would bring out a successor so early. Isn't this just making things difficult for yourself? With a young and cutting-edge successor, who would still listen to the old man? "

Pang Chao smiled and said, "That's one thing. The most worrying thing is, if the crown prince has grown up and suddenly can't wait to take the throne, wouldn't that be a big problem?"

Jia Cong said with a smile: "It would be like the case of deposing the crown prince is happening again. The emperor has been through this before, so we must be on guard."

“So for the current emperor, it is best to leave the crown prince’s position vacant at this time. However, public opinion is rampant and we cannot ignore it. Otherwise, where will the dignity of the court be?

After all, the crown prince is related to the foundation of the country, and it is not something shameful. If there is no explanation, I am afraid the world will not submit. "Pang Chao said.

"That's what sir said."

At this time, Emperor Xifeng also saw the information presented by Dai Quan. His face immediately became gloomy and his brows were tightly furrowed. He pondered the ins and outs of this second evil book.

"Can you find any clues?"

Dai Quan said tremblingly, "Your Majesty, I have ordered my men to do their best to trace the source, but this case seems to have been premeditated. Hundreds of evil books appeared out of thin air in the capital at the same time. Everyone from university scholars to peddlers and hawkers knew about it. It was too late to confiscate them. So far... so far, the source has not been found."

Emperor Xifeng's eyes flashed with coldness, and he asked, "What do you think of this case?"

Dai Quan bowed and said, "I think this case has nothing to do with the princes. It was framed by someone with ulterior motives."

“How come you see?”

"Because the princes and the people around them are the key surveillance targets of the East Factory, no abnormalities were found before and after this case, which is enough to conclude that it has nothing to do with the princes." Dai Quan said.

Emperor Xifeng said slowly: "Then who do you think it is related to?"

Dai Quan secretly glanced at Emperor Xifeng's expression and said cautiously, "I think Jia Shaobao is highly suspicious.

He has a stubborn character, and relying on his great merits and favor from the emperor, he has always been unwilling to suffer losses. Now that his title has been demoted and his weapons and armor have been taken away, he will definitely not submit. It is not impossible for him to create a demon book to confuse people, and with his power, it will be easy for him to pull off this case."

He had a grudge against Jia Cong, so he was the first one to be brought out.

Emperor Xifeng smiled coldly. If that were true, it would be self-destruction. He asked, "Anything else?"

Dai Quan knelt down and kowtowed, saying, "Your Majesty, I dare not say anything."

"explain."

"Yes. I dare to guess that maybe the King's uncle was unhappy that the Second Prince was punished, so...he took revenge. With the background of the Yingchuan Chen family, it would not be difficult to accomplish this." Dai Quan stammered.

Emperor Xifeng nodded slowly. This was consistent with what he thought, but there was still half a sentence that Dai Quan did not dare to say. Since Uncle Chen was mentioned, how could the Queen stay out of it?
Yin opened his mouth and said, "Summon all the Grand Secretaries, civil and military officials above the third rank, and all the princes to see the Emperor at the Qianqing Palace."

"I obey your order." Dai Quan's heart trembled. The Qianqing Palace was not used at ordinary times. Could it be that the emperor was going to announce the candidate for the crown prince?
An hour later, everyone arrived and stood in silence in the Qianqing Palace waiting.

After a while, Emperor Xifeng walked out slowly from the back hall and walked up the imperial steps step by step.

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you and wish you the best of health."

"My son, I would like to send my regards to my father."

Emperor Xifeng raised his hand slightly and said, "Everyone, get up. I summoned you here for only one thing. Another evil book has appeared in the capital. Do you know about it?"

"Understood." Everyone dared not to refuse and bowed hurriedly.

Emperor Xifeng nodded and said, "Since I ascended the throne, I have wanted to train the princes more so that those with talent can stand out, so I have been hesitant to decide on the title of Crown Prince.

Now it seems a little naive. It is precisely because the crown prince has not been decided that people in the court and the public are paying close attention to this, so some people have taken the opportunity to repeatedly forge evil books, spread evil words to confuse the people, alienate the emperor and his ministers, and stir up trouble between fathers and sons, making people's hearts uneasy and the government unstable. "

Duan Zhun bowed and said, "Your Majesty is right. We are incompetent and cannot help the emperor. We deserve death."

"We are willing to die." The ministers bowed their heads and pleaded guilty. They were all extremely excited. It seemed that the emperor was going to appoint a crown prince?
Emperor Xifeng waved his hand and said, "This is my fault, and has nothing to do with you, my dear ministers. I summoned you here today for this matter. I have already made up my mind about the choice of the crown prince."

Everyone held their breath and concentrated, no one dared to speak, let alone ask questions, they just stood there with their hands clasped.

"However, it is not advisable to announce it at this moment, lest it arouse the jealousy of the bad guys and stir up disputes, causing unrest in the capital."

Emperor Xifeng said as he pulled out a folded bright yellow paper from his sleeve and said slowly, "I have written the edict of succession on paper. If you cannot bear to speak it out one day, you can take a look at it together and act according to my order."

"Your Majesty." All the ministers knelt down hurriedly, looking sad, as if Emperor Xifeng was about to die.

Emperor Xifeng smiled and said, "My dear ministers, there is no need to do this. Who doesn't die?

I have never thought about immortality. I just want to do more for my country and the people when I am reborn.

If you are still in the court in the future, you should assist the new emperor as you have assisted me."

"I obey your order." Everyone kowtowed hurriedly.

Emperor Xifeng looked at the princes again and said, "You must not harbor other intentions, be jealous of others' talents, or even covet the sacred artifacts and plot to seize the throne.

If this is true, it will not only go against my will, but also damage the brotherhood, and everyone can kill him. Do you understand?"

"Your Highness understands. You should obey Father's will without any second thoughts. Otherwise, you will be abandoned by both Heaven and Earth." The princes expressed their opinions immediately.

Emperor Xifeng nodded and said, "In that case, I feel relieved." Then he glanced at Dai Quan.

Dai Quan hurriedly carried the jade box up and placed it on the imperial desk.

(End of this chapter)