12dz Chapter 326: Establishing a Crown Prince
Chapter 326: Establishing a Crown Prince
Zhao Hui rushed to the capital during the Lantern Festival.
When Zhao Hengzhen heard the news, he was very happy and held a family dinner on the Lantern Festival.
The only one left in the imperial city at this time was the eighth prince Zhao Jing, who also attended the banquet.
"Father, the wars in Yan were frequent, and this delay lasted for a year. Seeing that you are in good health today, I feel a little relieved."
Zhao Hui sat at the bottom, closer to the emperor's desk, with a respectful smile on his face, and couldn't help but say some comforting words.
"It's good that Hui'er is back. Rest for a while this time, participate in government affairs every day, and take a good look at the current state of affairs in the Great Zhou."
When the people below heard what Zhao Hengzhen said, they couldn't help but feel a little disturbed.
Fan Xitong and *** also attended the banquet.
Although they already knew the emperor's thoughts, they couldn't help but think more after hearing what he said in person.
The last time the Princess of Yan gave birth, the Emperor intended to purchase property in the capital to give to Zhao Hui, and he also discussed with Fan Wenyuan the matter of making the Prince of Yan the crown prince.
"I didn't expect that the emperor would finally take action."
Fan Xitong pondered in his heart.
Queen Qin Xiangqian, who was standing aside, couldn't help feeling a little sad. Her son was originally fine. Although he was somewhat incompetent in handling the power in the court, if he had been law-abiding, he would not have been exiled for treason.
Although Zhao Jing wanted to compete for the throne at the instigation of the Lu family, he was unable to do so. In fact, he had long wanted to go to his fiefdom.
However, his mother and the Lu family insisted that he hold on.
He really couldn't bear this heavy burden. Now that Zhao Hui entered the court, he felt as if a huge burden had been lifted from his heart.
"Third brother, since you are here this time, you must help your father with some of the state affairs."
Zhao Jing pretended to raise his wine glass and toast Zhao Hui with a flattering smile on his face.
"Eighth brother has been by Father's side for these years, so he should be taking on the responsibility."
Zhao Hui had secretly investigated Zhao Jing and knew he didn't have the ability or ambition to do this. However, since the other party treated him with courtesy, Zhao Hui didn't mind forming a good relationship.
"Third brother, you're joking. My ability is not even one percent of yours. How can I possibly take on this important responsibility?"
Zhao Jing knew Zhao Hui's hypocrisy clearly, but he would not climb up the pole by following the lead.
"Alright, brothers should be respectful to each other, but there's no need to be too hypocritical."
Zhao Hengzhen couldn't stand the open and secret fighting between the two brothers below, so he interrupted their conversation with a word.
"Yes, father!" The two brothers quickly responded in unison.
The so-called family dinner is nothing more than a few people having a meal together and chatting, that's all.
The next day.
Chui Gong Hall!
The third prince Zhao Hui stood at the head of the civil officials.
When the ministers saw this, they all understood a little bit.
When Zhao Hui arrived in Beijing, Fan Wenyuan had already discussed the matter of appointing a crown prince with the Emperor. Now that the Third Prince was standing before the court, he knew it was time for him to speak out.
"Your Majesty, it has been a year since the previous Crown Prince was deposed. Now that Your Majesty is advancing in years, it is time to consider the appointment of a successor."
Fan Wenyuan walked out of the crowd and spoke respectfully.
Wei Rong, who was standing on the left, was shocked when he heard this and thought to himself, "Fan Wenyuan, you are so good! You mentioned this matter right after the Third Prince arrived. It really caught me off guard."
He originally wanted to wait for Zhao Heng to return to Chu, deal with the grain transport issue properly, and then return to Beijing to report, and then take this opportunity to propose the establishment of a crown prince.
Then, together with other court officials, they praised Zhao Heng and recommended the King of Chu as the crown prince.
Being caught off guard by Fan Wenyuan, he didn't know how to respond for a moment, and his heart was like a turbulent wave, fluctuating.
"Your Majesty, the Right Prime Minister is absolutely right. However, my Ministry of Rites should be involved in the matter of establishing a crown prince."
When Lu Yipeng saw Fan Wenyuan reporting this matter in the court, he immediately stepped forward to agree, hoping to seize the opportunity to participate.
The Ministry of Personnel has the responsibility to assess and recommend people. Zhao Zhiqiang obviously had no intention of speaking out, and Cui Mingyi seemed a little anxious when he saw this.
He looked at Zhao Zhiqiang and motioned him to come forward and express his suggestions.
Zhao Zhiqiang knew that all this was arranged in advance and it was just a formality. The emperor would naturally arrange for several departments to screen the candidates, and the Ministry of Personnel would inevitably be involved.
Therefore, when he saw Cui Mingyi's eyes, he still stood there motionless.
"What Lord Lu said makes sense. Let's put it this way: we will rank the achievements of the several princes over the years and hand them over to the Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of War, and the Imperial Academy for selection. Afterwards, I will discuss this with the left and right prime ministers, and the Ministry of Rites will then organize this matter."
"Huh?" All the civil and military officials were confused after hearing this. How could the Ministry of Rites be bypassed directly? In the past, the Ministry of Rites would be involved in all three ministries, but this time it was replaced by the Zongzheng Temple.
Some people have realized the mystery. The Lu family has been in trouble recently.
Upon hearing this, Guo Zixiu of the Ministry of War and Zhao Zhiqiang of the Ministry of Rites stepped out of their ranks and said, "I obey your orders!"
Officials of the Zongzheng Temple generally do not attend court. This is a department in charge of royal affairs, responsible for managing the genealogies of the royal family, clans, and relatives by marriage, and guarding the royal mausoleums and temples.
Therefore, the emperor had a deep meaning in letting this department participate in the selection of the crown prince. After all, the people in this department are all relatives of the emperor.
This move is like a fairy scattering flowers from heaven, and rain and dew are equally distributed.
The heads of the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Personnel will be won over by certain people in an instant.
The matter was settled just like that.
Wei Rong did not say a word in the court from beginning to end.
He already had a plan in mind.
Recovering the canal transportation in Chu will be a major event.
This alone gave the Ministry of Revenue the final say.
Three ministries are supervising this matter.
It is nothing more than considering military capabilities, local control, financial and tax payments, reputation, etc., and the second is personal ability.
Military capabilities cannot be explained in a few words. Suppressing bandits in the mainland is also a reflection of capabilities.
To govern a place, one must see whether the people live and work in peace and contentment, and whether agriculture and commerce under one's rule are prosperous and unobstructed.
With the first two items, financial and tax revenues will be steadily collected.
As for reputation and fame, it depends on whether any official comes forward to impeach him.
The so-called personal ability is even more of a mess.
The key is still the first two items.
The most stable area in recent years was the fiefdom of King Yue. There had been no disasters for many years, few banditry, and no wars. It can be said that his political achievements were mediocre.
In comparison, King Zhao Hui of Yan.
Zhao Heng dealt with the chaos caused by the grain transport gang and the salt gang, and also cleared out the water bandits, etc., making the Chu area appear harmonious on the surface. If the grain transport can be smoothly transferred to the court this time, it will be another remarkable achievement.
"Hmph! The Yan region is constantly at war, and the Lu family has brought countless disasters to both Yan and Dingzhou. How can he compare to Heng'er in just this one aspect?"
In the Left Prime Minister's Mansion, Wei Rong picked up the teacup and talked to himself.
After thinking about it, to be on the safe side, he summoned the steward of the mansion and whispered something in his ear.
The steward leaned forward to listen, nodded repeatedly, and then disappeared into the night.
Zhao Wei, who was confined in the royal villa, felt very depressed these days.
Except for meal times, there is almost no one to serve us.
That day, the person who delivered the meal looked unfamiliar. Upon closer inspection, I realized that he was from the Right Prime Minister's Mansion.