Chapter 294: Wanting to Have Your Cake and Eat It Too, Yet Forbidding Others to Speak

"Let's first discuss the matter of the deposed Crown Prince."

Right Chancellor Wu Dashou ventured a remark.

Left Chancellor Li Liangcheng glanced at him, his eyes brimming with suppressed fury and mockery.

"Does Chancellor Wu truly believe that, without the Crown Prince, Prince Jin could achieve his wishes?"

"Left Chancellor, don't slander me. At this point, since the Crown Prince himself petitioned to be deposed, how can we, as court ministers, turn a blind eye and let the situation remain deadlocked?"

"Absurd! The Emperor himself said he had no intention of deposing the Crown Prince—it's all a misunderstanding by the public."

The old Emperor: …

He just said it offhand—did you actually believe him?

Right Chancellor Wu Dashou felt deeply distressed; he couldn't openly expose the old Emperor's hypocrisy. Look at how this had been handled: troops had already been mobilized, even forced a coup to pressure court ministers into agreeing to depose the Crown Prince. Yet he still refused to admit it aloud, merely to deceive the world and preserve his pitiful dignity, avoiding harsher condemnation.

Sigh!

There's no such thing in this world as wanting to have your cake and eat it too, yet forbidding anyone to speak of it.

Wu Dashou cleared his throat and gazed at the old Emperor, who stood motionless, "Your Majesty, please clarify: do you intend to depose the Crown Prince?"

The old Emperor said nothing; Qiu Defu still clung to his legs.

Qiu Defu looked up, carefully observing the old Emperor's reaction—he hadn't yet reached the moment to let go. He must maintain this posture, giving the old Emperor a dignified way to retreat.

Thus, Qiu Defu spoke on the old Emperor's behalf: "His Majesty has never indicated such an intention. Yet… the Crown Prince has acted improperly. If he is not punished, it will be difficult to satisfy the people. His Majesty is deeply troubled. Remarkably, the Crown Prince himself has recognized his faults—though none expected he would petition to be deposed. This matter requires joint deliberation by the two Chancellors and other senior ministers to devise a solution, lest the capital remain in chaos. It is said many households have recently suffered raids—alas, as long as the capital remains unsettled, no one can rest easy!"

Shameless!

Left Chancellor Li Liangcheng nearly laughed in rage—these master and servant had abandoned even the most basic pretense of dignity. They twisted truth into falsehood, mobilized troops to threaten the city, revealed their true intent, yet still stubbornly denied any desire to depose the Crown Prince. They insisted on pinning the blame on court ministers while themselves swept clean of all responsibility.

It had shattered the record for shamelessness.

Never in history had an emperor been as base, as vile as Emperor Taixing. Simply mobilizing troops into the capital to depose the Crown Prince—surely unprecedented, never to be repeated, unique in the world.

Right Chancellor Wu Dashou cleared his throat, "Indeed, we must devise a solution, lest the capital remain in chaos."

"Your Majesty, issue an edict ordering the Divine Armory and Divine Precision Camp to withdraw their troops from the capital. Stationing soldiers here to wreak havoc damages the state's foundation, the court's roots, and the people's trust."

Left Chancellor Li Liangcheng pleaded sternly.

The old Emperor finally moved; Qiu Defu promptly released his legs and helped him toward the imperial throne.

"Since the New Year, I have been unable to sleep or eat, repeatedly awakened by nightmares. Mobilizing troops into the capital was solely for my personal safety—only with these soldiers present can I get a few peaceful nights. You all simply cannot bear to see me live comfortably. Rest assured, I will instruct these troops to behave. Chancellors, hurry and deliberate on the matter of deposing the Crown Prince. At this point, the matter cannot be delayed further. Whether the Crown Prince can continue to inherit the throne—everyone here knows the truth."

After speaking, the old Emperor sat down on the dragon throne. A cup of tea, perfectly warmed, was placed beside him. He lifted it, sipped slowly, and finally felt some relief.

"Does Your Majesty's decree intend to depose the Crown Prince?" asked Left Chancellor Li Liangcheng.

"No! I act for the sake of the realm and the people. If the Crown Prince is unfit to inherit the throne, how could I, because of father-son affection, neglect the empire? I urge all ministers to prioritize the realm above all else, and not let personal feelings blind you to make wrong judgments."

The old Emperor spoke grandly, refusing to bear the blame for deposing the Crown Prince. That blame must fall on the ministers—even though this was merely covering one's ears while stealing a bell. But the old Emperor delighted in it. He firmly believed his methods could minimize the impact of deposing the Crown Prince and keep himself utterly unscathed.

The Crown Prince is incompetent—depose him, and let it be.

If the ministers refuse to bear the blame, let the Crown Prince bear it instead.

An incompetent Crown Prince deserves the world's scorn. As Son of Heaven, I mobilized troops into the capital only because I was forced by the Crown Prince—not out of my own will.

Any damage or deaths from this affair must be laid at the Crown Prince's feet.

The Crown Prince is truly the perfect scapegoat.

Left Chancellor Li Liangcheng sighed inwardly; Right Chancellor Wu Dashou secretly rejoiced.

"Let the meeting begin!"

At this point, deposing the Crown Prince must be put on the agenda—no further delay. Though none wished to see this, the old Emperor had gone mad. If they did not comply, the stalemate would persist, the capital would never know peace, and more lives would be lost in the chaos.

The old Emperor nodded in satisfaction. Finally, progress had been made—his days of persistence had not been in vain.

Senior ministers entered the hall to deliberate on deposing the Crown Prince.

As soon as the words were spoken, the two Chancellors were immediately cursed at by the court, spittle flying straight to their faces.

The old Emperor watched from the sidelines, enjoying the show.

Had he not been clever, the court's spittle would have landed on his own face.

Why is deposing a Crown Prince so difficult? The stalemate has lasted nearly half a month, and most ministers still refuse to compromise—not even the threat of execution can frighten them. It's maddening.

Is the Crown Prince truly so beloved?

The more beloved he is, the more I must depose him. No one shall dare question me!

Inside the palace, a grand meeting was underway; order in the capital had slightly improved. Some troops withdrew from the city to camp outside, while others remained within to patrol and deter criminals.

The duties of the Five City Military Command had been entirely seized by these soldiers.

Some civilians dared to venture out to find work—no labor, no food; better to risk going out than starve. Seeing the troops did not harass them, more people emerged. The markets gradually regained life; streets filled with pedestrians.

Chen Guanlou and other jail officers gathered on the watchtower, debating whether to open the gates and restore order.

"The people are out already—looks like it's safe."

"But the troops are still in the city, and we've heard nothing from the palace. What if chaos breaks out again?"

"The neighboring Imperial Prison hasn't opened its gates either—we don't need to either."

"Why not seek instructions from the Ministry of Justice? Follow our superiors' orders."

"You know as well as I do—the Ministry of Justice is empty right now. Everyone's either hiding at home or petitioning in the palace."

"So—should we open the gates? Everyone state your position."

"Let's vote by raising hands—minority yields to majority?"

"Chen Jail Officer, do you support opening the gates?"