xymnovel Chapter 151 The Golden Chest Alliance
Chapter 151 The Golden Chest Alliance
Chapter 151 The Golden Chest Alliance (Part 5)
"Ze Ping, after this imperial examination, I plan to choose an opportune time to announce to the world that Zhao'er has been established as the crown prince."
In the Chui Gong Hall, Zhao Kuangyin spoke to Zhao Pu with unprecedented seriousness: "From now on, I will have Zhao'er accompany you to the Privy Council as its Deputy Chief. Zhao'er has never been involved in political affairs before, and the important task of educating him can only be entrusted to you, the Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince!"
The idea of making Zhao Dezhao the crown prince was something he had already conceived when he decided to expel Zhao Guangyi.
A country cannot be without a ruler for a day, and naturally it cannot be without a crown prince for a day either.
Zhao Guangyi's witchcraft incident made Zhao Kuangyin suddenly realize that if he did not establish a solid foundation for the country, other people with their own agendas would inevitably emerge in the court and stir up another power struggle for the throne.
Once a crown prince is appointed, things change.
With his and Zhao Pu's personal guidance and support, Zhao Dezhao's every step will only become more and more stable, and there will certainly be no second voice in the court!
That's why he summoned Zhao Pu and bluntly proposed his idea of making Zhao Dezhao the heir apparent.
Upon hearing this, Zhao Pu remained silent for a moment before saying, "Since an heir is to be established, His Majesty should bestow upon the Prince of Wugong the title of Prince of the First Rank and concurrently serve as the Prefect of Kaifeng, in accordance with the law."
Since the Five Dynasties period, the standard configuration for the crown prince has been a prince who also serves as the prefect of Kaifeng.
As for the Deputy Privy Councilor, although the Privy Council holds military and political power, and the Deputy Privy Councilor is the second-in-command of the military, he naturally holds a high position and great power, but his official status is still insufficient.
"Zhao'er once asked me a question—"
Zhao Kuangyin shook his head and said quietly, "He said that Zhu Youwen, Li Congrong, Shi Chonggui and others all ascended to the throne by virtue of the system of princes and prefects of the capital."
"But in the end, did they manage to hold onto their power?"
"What use is a throne to someone who can ascend but not hold onto it?"
Finally, he paused, then smiled and said, "I think he's absolutely right."
"In my opinion, there may be many reasons why the world has not been unified for so long, but none of them are the key. The key is—this world has not produced a figure like Emperor Gaozu of Han or Emperor Taizong of Tang!"
"When Emperor Gaozu was 48 years old, he was still engaging in petty theft, but seven years later, he ascended the throne as emperor, receiving the Mandate of Heaven, and established the Han Dynasty!"
"Emperor Taizong was the same. From assisting his father in raising an army in Taiyuan to pacifying the world, it only took him a short seven years, and he was even revered as the Heavenly Khan!"
"If these two were alive today, in this chaotic world, among so many heroes, who would dare not bow down and submit?"
As he spoke, Zhao Kuangyin also sighed with emotion.
He considered himself one of the most outstanding heroes among the many in this chaotic era, yet he still dared not compare himself to Emperor Taizong or Emperor Gaozu.
But a newborn calf is not afraid of a tiger, and there was one person who dared to do so.
"Zhao'er said he wanted to emulate Emperor Taizong of Tang and make the Song Dynasty far surpass the golden ages of the Han and Tang dynasties!"
"Your Majesty, do you think Prince Wugong can do it?" Zhao Pu asked expressionlessly.
"I don't know," Zhao Kuangyin smiled. "But Zhao'er is indeed a capable person, and as his father, I will naturally pave the way for him—"
"That's why I gave up the path of Prince and Prefect of the Capital and chose to trust Zhao'er this time."
"Since he wants to act tyrannically, then let him enter the Privy Council. Since he is unwilling to become a Prince and Prefect of the Capital, then let him earn the title of Prince with his own merits."
97
"If he truly possesses even a fraction of the charisma of the King of Qin, then what harm would it do to bestow upon him the title of 'King of Qin'?"
He looked at Zhao Pu again and said quietly, "While how far he goes is indeed up to him, as elders, how can we not lend a hand to our nephew?"
"What do you think, Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince?"
Zhao Kuangyin's voice was very gentle, just like always.
But Zhao Pu knew that these words were both an inquiry and an ultimatum!
If Zhao Dezhao is to be made crown prince, then among all the civil and military officials, the only one who could pose a threat to him, besides Zhao Guangyi, is Zhao Pu!
Zhao Guangyi was chosen because of his status as the emperor's younger brother.
As for Zhao Pu, it was because of his own abilities.
As Zhao Kuangyin's lord, whom Zhao Pu had followed for many years, how could he not know how much ruthlessness and viciousness was hidden beneath the expressionless face of the middle-aged man in front of him?
Therefore, he wanted to test Zhao Pu's intentions and use the title "Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince" to completely bind him to his son on the same warship!
Although he understood everything in his heart, Zhao Pu's face remained expressionless. He simply raised his head calmly, cupped his hands, and said, "Your subject obeys the decree."
Zhao Kuangyin immediately smiled.
Three simple words are enough.
He patted Zhao Pu on the shoulder, about to speak, when a maid from the Qingshou Palace rushed in, flustered: "Your Majesty! The Empress Dowager—the Empress Dowager has suddenly fallen seriously ill! Please—please Your Majesty and Minister Zhao go there immediately!"
"What?!"
Zhao Kuangyin's expression suddenly changed.
Zhao Pu frowned slightly.
He was aware that Empress Dowager Du's health had been poor lately, but he had privately consulted the imperial physicians, who said that unless there was any major shock, the Empress Dowager still had six months to live.
But why did she suddenly become so seriously ill today?
Why do they insist that I go there too?
But he had no time to think it through. Seeing that Zhao Kuangyin had already staggered out of the Chuigong Hall, he could only follow closely behind.
The two of them practically jogged along the bluestone bricks of the official road to the Qingshou Hall.
"Mother!"
Zhao Kuangyin pushed open the palace gate and rushed in. He immediately saw Empress Dowager Du lying on the bed, and his eyes instantly welled up with tears.
The Empress Dowager, who could barely get up to pay her respects in the morning, seemed too weak to even open her eyes when she saw me enter.
Overwhelmed with grief, Zhao Kuangyin knelt before the bed, tightly holding Empress Dowager Du's hand, tears streaming down his face.
Zhao Pu followed closely behind into the hall, casually glancing around the entire palace before suddenly stopping, his eyes sharpening.
He then quietly slipped out.
He thought for a moment, then casually beckoned to a maidservant waiting outside the Hall of Longevity: "Tell me, who has come to see the Empress Dowager today?"
The maidservant quickly lowered her head: "Reporting to Prime Minister Zhao: Only His Majesty and... and Empress Wang."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Pu nodded slightly without expression, then looked at Zhang Dejun, who had followed closely behind the emperor: "Take this maid away and cook her alive."
"This—" Zhang Dejun hesitated.
No matter what, this maid was a person from the palace, and in principle, Zhao Pu had no right to deal with her.
Zhao Pu naturally understood this as well, but simply said, "This is my intention, His Majesty's intention, and the Prince of Wugong's intention."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Dejun didn't hesitate any longer and immediately replied, "Yes!"
As he spoke, he called for the other eunuchs to come forward and drag the maid away.
Now he is the head of the Inner Palace Attendants Department, the head of all the palace attendants, and deeply trusted by Zhao Kuangyin, so he can naturally mobilize other attendants.
Upon seeing this, the maid's face suddenly turned terrified. She was about to cry out and beg for mercy when she saw Zhao Pu looking at her expressionlessly and saying softly, "Don't make a sound."
"If you dare utter a single word, I will kill you right now."
As he spoke, he reached out and calmly grabbed the maid's neck. Just as she was about to react, no sound came out of her throat.
Two eunuchs stepped forward and restrained her.
Zhao Pu began to apply slight pressure to the neck.
The maid's face slowly turned red, the feeling of death instantly overwhelmed her, and her pupils began to dilate rapidly before becoming unfocused.
"I'll ask you one more time, who came to see the Empress Dowager today?"
Suddenly, Zhao Pu loosened his grip slightly, giving the maid a chance to breathe.
"symbol----"
The maid uttered this single word in the time it took to take a breath.
Zhao Pu released his grip, and the maid collapsed to the ground, panting heavily.
"Your name is Zhang Dejun, right?"
Zhao Pu turned to Zhang Dejun and calmly said, "Go and inform the Prince of Wugong that something has happened at Qingshou Palace and he should come immediately."
He then looked at the other eunuchs: "Take all the maids outside the palace to the laundry department and await further instructions."
After doing all this, he walked into the hall with a blank expression.
Zhao Kuangyin and Empress Dowager Du, who were inside the palace, were completely unaware of what was happening outside.
>