Chapter 484

The Emperor was dead, but the successor to the throne had not been determined.

In the three hundred years of the nation, this was the first time such a situation had occurred.

If the successor were unique, all problems would be solved. Quickly, just ascend the throne and become Emperor; everything would return to the right track.

But the old Emperor was too capable of producing offspring; after weeding out a gang of unqualified princes, there was still a group of princes competing.

Anyone could be Emperor, and anyone had the ability to be Emperor.

The problem came: who would be this Emperor?

The Prince of Zhong?

The Prince of Zhong had already been deposed; why should it be him?

The Prince of Jin?

Is the Prince of Zhong dead? Since he's not dead, why the Prince of Jin?

The Prince of Yan?

If the Prince of Jin won't do, why the Prince of Yan?

To oppose someone, one could always find faults by picking bones from an egg. From background, from talent, from character, from reputation, from ability...

In the end, this thing was not one plus one equals two; it couldn't be quantified, it couldn't be standardized. A thousand people have a thousand faces. He says being humble and polite is the style of an enlightened monarch; you say being humble and polite is a lack of decisiveness. He says being stubborn and self-opinionated is a shortcoming and a misfortune for the nation; you say being stubborn and self-opinionated represents an emperor having decisiveness in doing things, not easily swayed by others, and having a firm will.

The public says the public is right, the mother-in-law says the mother-in-law is right.

Without standards, without quantification, it seemed everyone had the qualification to participate in the competition, yet who won and who lost depended entirely on the power behind them, not personal ability.

This was very fucked up.

Li Liangcheng didn't rush to express his stance, and Yu Zhaoan didn't rush to express his stance either.

This was just the first meeting to get a feel for things. Specifically determining who would be the successor would require more pulling and tugging later; it was definitely not something that could be decided in one meeting.

However, in private, Yu Zhaoan questioned Chen Guanfu why he didn't express his stance during the meeting.

"Didn't you say you wanted to restore legitimacy? You also said you represented the Hou Fu. May I ask, Young Master Chen, what exactly are you playing at?"

"Can my expressing my stance now settle the world? No! Instead, it would expose the Prince of Zhong's trump card too early. It's better to wait until the final vote before I express my stance."

"What makes you think the final decision will rely on voting to choose the successor?"

"This is obvious. Opinions are not unified, and every prince has supporters in the court, and Minister Li cannot decide with one word. What to do? Only public voting, relying on luck and popularity. Otherwise, any measure will be subject to questioning. Minister Li is a person who cherishes his feathers; he cannot leave a handle for others to criticize in such a major matter. If it were you, Minister Yu, you would certainly choose to decide by voting."

Yu Zhaoan couldn't refute this.

Yes.

If it were him, in the end, having no other choice, he would certainly use a secret ballot to decide the successor to the throne. No matter who was chosen, he wouldn't have to bear responsibility and could still leave behind a good reputation. No matter who became Emperor, in any case, for the first few years, he would still sit firmly in the position of Prime Minister. From many perspectives, this was the optimal solution.

Yu Zhaoan gritted his teeth and asked, "Would you truly vote for the Prince of Zhong?"

"One hundred percent will vote for the Prince of Zhong. Could it be that Minister Yu supports His Highness the Prince of Jin? That's right, you are fellow disciples..."

"Whether we are fellow disciples is not important, and whether we come from the Jixia Academy is even less important."

"Oh..." Chen Guanfu smiled knowingly. "Indeed, it's not very important. I heard some discussions saying that the reason the Emperor was in a coma after being injured, and eventually passed away, was because of the medicine offered by the Jixia Academy. If it weren't for the medicinal pills offered by the Jixia Academy that destroyed the Emperor's body, the Emperor wouldn't have..."

"A load of nonsense! The Emperor's passing was clearly the work of rebels. Next, I will urge the relevant departments to strictly investigate the sacrificial altar explosion case. No matter who is involved, I will not let them off." Yu Zhaoan was furious. Who exactly was harboring evil intentions, actually wanting to drag the Jixia Academy into this muddy water? What a vicious method.

"I understand Minister Yu's desire to clear the Jixia Academy of responsibility. However... this statement has already gained the support of some court officials. Once this matter comes to an end, someone will certainly take the lead to investigate the Jixia Academy severely and check those medicinal pills. My thought in saying this is that Minister Yu can choose to temporarily cut ties with the Jixia Academy; there's no need to be tied to the same boat."

"Chen Guanfu, you truly harbor evil intentions. You not only slander the Jixia Academy, you also want to splash dirty water on this official and ruin this official's reputation."

Chen Guanfu lowered his head and smiled, shaking his head casually to deny it. "Minister Yu can think whatever he wants; I just want to say that the storm is coming. The sacrificial altar explosion case won't be so easy to muddle through."

"What does this mean? You suspect this official? Presumptuous!" Yu Zhaoan was furious.

"If the Prince of Jin inherits the throne, shouldn't he suspect Minister Yu?" Chen Guanfu asked in return.

"In the end, you are still acting as a banner for the Prince of Zhong. Chen Guanfu, this official truly misjudged you; I didn't expect you to be a loyal official, planning wholeheartedly for His Highness the Prince of Zhong."

Is Chen Guanfu a loyal official?

Can a loyal official smuggle contraband weapons? Can he smuggle criminals of the imperial court?

He was simply wanting to fish in muddy waters, making this muddy water even more turbid. If Zhao Mingqiao was a stirrer of shit, then he was a child standing on the bank throwing firecrackers into the latrine to explode the shit, wanting to get everyone covered in filth. Only when everyone was smelly could he confuse the line of sight.

The two parted on bad terms. The 'alliance' appeared to have broken.

What was the Prince of Zhong doing at this time?

He was taking the lead in wailing at the mourning, crying heartbrokenly and in extreme pain. He perfectly played the role of a great filial son. Among the court officials, no one who saw him could accuse the Prince of Zhong of not doing well enough. On the contrary, he did quite well; his etiquette was without the slightest error, making all the officials of the Ministry of Rites very satisfied, and their favor for the Prince of Zhong climbed rapidly.

The other princes and princes were not willing to fall behind, playing the filial son—it wasn't as if they hadn't acted before. Wailing at the mourning was simple; a little ginger water smeared on the eyes would guarantee you cried until your eyes were red.

This performance of filial sons was truly moving to Heaven and Earth.

The old Emperor's life was worth it!

Zhao Mingqiao, this person, was not willing to be lonely. Once the wailing at the mourning ended, he began to act.

He didn't entangle himself in the succession to the throne; he knew clearly that with his status, he couldn't influence the outcome at all. He was nothing more than a stirrer of shit, being used by others.

He had been in the palace for these days and had already shown enough of himself; his reputation was well-known, and everyone knew him. Most importantly, he hadn't lost his head. It could be considered an over-fulfillment of the task.

Next, he shifted his focus to the sacrificial altar explosion case, wanting to seek justice for the deceased old Emperor.

Li Liangcheng:...

He looked at Zhao Mingqiao, who was swearing to seek justice for the old Emperor, and only two words echoed in his mind: Shameless!

He had never seen such a thick-skinned and shameless person; it was astonishing.

Before, he was still shouting slogans, demanding abdication, demanding the deposition of the Emperor, with an attitude of wanting to nail the old Emperor to the pillar of shame and exterminate him.

In the blink of an eye, he started acting hypocritically, wanting to investigate the sacrificial altar explosion case, saying something about seeking justice for the old Emperor, finding the mastermind of the explosion case, and paying tribute to the old Emperor's spirit in heaven.

If the old Emperor truly had a spirit, he would be the first to strike Zhao Mingqiao to death.