sjar Chapter 601 Returning to the Southern Territory
Chapter 601 Returning to the Southern Territory
The Prince and Princess of Xuannan were about to set off back to the Southern Territory, and as expected, they received a large sum of rewards.
The emperor is now almost identical to his state before he was poisoned, and only a few people know that His Majesty is burning his last bit of life force.
Unleash your last potential and live like a normal person for a year.
The brighter this fire burns now, the more desolate it will be when it burns out.
The emperor personally escorted the Prince of Xuannan and his wife out of the palace, and once again emphasized that the Crown Prince of Xuannan should come to the capital to receive his title as soon as possible.
The couple readily agreed, as they were very familiar with this kind of hostage exchange scenario.
I never expected that even at this point, His Majesty's suspicions would still not be dispelled.
Perhaps the emperor had already planned the subsequent feigned poisoning from the day he summoned Prince Xuan to the capital.
I just didn't expect things to go wrong, and that a lazy bum ruined the whole plan.
But it doesn't matter, there's still a year, enough time to choose a qualified successor for the Great Zhou.
After all, even the youngest of the tenth princes is already twelve years old, so he is not without a successor.
As the carriages of Prince Xuan and his wife gradually disappeared into the distance, the emperor came to his senses, took the empress's hand, and they returned to the palace together.
After the Prince of Xuannan and his wife left the capital, the emperor returned to his palace, but suddenly felt dizzy.
The personal eunuch rushed forward to support him, asking worriedly, "Your Majesty, shall we summon the imperial physician?"
The emperor waved his hand, forcing himself to say, "It's alright, don't tell the Empress and the Empress Dowager about such a trivial matter."
On the official road, the personal guards of the Prince of Xuannan's mansion met up with the carriages of the Prince of Xuannan and his wife.
The princess leaned against the soft cushions of the carriage and said softly, "Since His Majesty is so suspicious, we must make plans as soon as possible."
Prince Xuan Nan nodded: "You mean your son's journey to the capital is fraught with danger?"
The Prince of Xuannan had only one son, born to his wife. He valued his only son highly and raised him himself.
The Crown Prince of Xuan Nan is also a promising young man, skilled in both literature and military strategy, and is certainly a capable general.
"His life is not in danger, but he may not be able to cope with his situation after entering the capital."
Princess Xuan Nan was referring to the attempts by various forces to win over and erode her son. She worried that her son was too young and that she wouldn't be able to constantly remind him when he was older, and that he might be led astray.
"What does Your Highness think about bringing Xi'er to the capital with you?"
Zhao Yunxi is the couple's daughter. She has not yet been granted the title of princess and is a few years younger than the heir of the Prince of Xuannan.
"Your Highness's idea is to get them to wipe us out in one fell swoop? Humph, sons are important, but we can't sacrifice our daughters!"
Of course, the Prince of Xuan Nan refused to admit that he favored sons over daughters. He just felt that his daughter was smarter and more like his princess. With his daughter by his side, the safety level would be greatly improved, and at least she would not be deceived.
"Well, let's not talk about it for now. Let the children discuss it when we get back to the Southern Border. Maybe Xi'er will want to come to the capital for a visit?"
Mu'er was born in the capital, and he already had memories when we left. But Xi'er has never set foot in the capital, which is a pity, isn't it?
The Prince of Xuannan changed his wording, which made it easier for the Princess of Xuannan to accept.
"Then let's go back and talk about it. Let's ask the child for their own opinion. No one is allowed to guide or force them."
"Of course, no one can force my child to do something they don't want to do, not even us!"
The Prince of Xuannan immediately expressed his opinion, fearing that if he hesitated even a second, the Princess Consort would be angry.
next day
Inside the Imperial Study, the seven princes stood in a row.
The fourth prince, Zhao Hongsheng, and the fifth prince, Zhao Hongjing, stood at the very front.
The sixth and seventh princes stood behind the fifth prince, while the eighth, ninth, and tenth princes stood behind the fourth prince.
It's not about taking sides, but they can't line up in a row either, because then the people at the back would be too far from the emperor.
There's a proper order of seniority, so there's nothing wrong with standing like this.
However, the second prince was still not on the list. The emperor loved his legitimate son dearly, but he had to remove him from the list of candidates for succession early on.
"The imperial examinations are about to begin, and many candidates will soon gather in the capital. You are all grown up now, and it's time for you to do something for the court and for the Great Zhou Dynasty."
“Father, no matter how old we are, we are still fledglings under your wings. However, we do want to share your burdens and do not want you to overwork and harm your health.”
The Fifth Prince is now always able to seize every opportunity to show off, which is quite different from before.
The emperor glanced at his son, who had always been rather unremarkable; he had really changed a lot in the last year or two.
Especially after the eldest prince and the third prince got into trouble one after another, he, the fifth son, became the most active.
Emperor Zhao Yong turned his head and glanced at the fourth prince, Zhao Hongsheng. The boy had become much more composed and was not as impulsive as before.
However... recently they have become extremely close to the Tong family, as if they want to settle down in the Tong family, and their own mansion is almost becoming a decoration.
The sixth and seventh brothers are still inseparable, just like always. They are not twins, but they are like twins, as if they cannot live without each other.
The eighth prince has grown quite a bit taller, and his physique is the strongest among all the princes. I heard that he has recently had two more martial arts instructors replaced, as the former ones are no longer able to defeat him.
The ninth prince was well-mannered by Consort Liu and was the most like the second prince among all the princes.
But how could a prince born out of wedlock be raised like a legitimate son? Was Consort Liu really as serene and unassuming as she appeared to be?
The tenth prince's maternal family is not the most powerful aristocratic family, but it is one of the few maternal families of princes who controls military power. In private, has he been instilled with the idea of seizing the throne?
The emperor looked at his seven princes before him, remaining silent for a long time, his thoughts unknown.
The seven people standing below did not dare to interrupt their father, who seemed to be in a daze, and could only wait.
The most embarrassed person was the Fifth Prince, since it was after he said those words that his father started to stare blankly.
Did I say something wrong? That shouldn't be the case.
Just as the Fifth Prince was feeling uneasy, the Emperor finally spoke: "For this year's imperial examination, I will assign each of you to be responsible for a portion of the affairs."
Fourth brother, you are in charge of maintaining order in Jingzhong. Make sure there is no chaos in the capital caused by the influx of candidates rushing to take the imperial examinations.
"Fifth brother, go and assist in supervising the examination room discipline. Make sure no cheating occurs."
The Fifth Prince Zhao Hongjing was overjoyed, feeling that this was a great opportunity to showcase his abilities, far better than maintaining order or anything like that. He could also take the opportunity to build connections and find some promising individuals to bring under his wing.
The emperor then assigned tasks to the other princes, who readily accepted their orders.
After the princes had left, the emperor rubbed his temples, and his personal eunuch said softly, "Your Majesty, you are not fully recovered yet, so please do not overwork yourself."
The emperor smiled bitterly and said, "My days are numbered. I have no choice but to find a suitable successor for the Great Zhou within this year."
However, it's really hard to tell which one is truly capable of being of great use right now...