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Chapter 997: Taiji Palace Nominates a New Crown Prince Again (Part )

Officials above the fifth rank entered the Taiji Hall one by one, but the dozens of officials in scarlet robes standing on the platform outside the entrance were a little surprised. They had clearly entered the hall last time, and although they stood at the edge of the door farthest from the hall, they were still considered to have stepped over the threshold.

Today, he and others were actually squeezed out of the door.

He stood on tiptoe and looked inside carefully. The people standing in front were the same group from three days ago. In the hall in front, a large number of official hats were piled up in front of him. It was obvious that there were more officials in the hall than three days ago.

Looking at the crowd again, some royal relatives and retired ministers who usually don't take care of things also showed up.

It seems that those old guys are here to join in the fun.

Changsun Wuji, who was standing above the civil officials, looked at Prince of Jin Li Zhi who was standing among the crowd of princes not far away and sighed inwardly. Why didn't Prince of Jin listen to advice?

Forget it, considering that we know each other and the Queen's request, I will be the first to recommend the crown prince. If the ministers agree with me as they did three days ago, I can settle the matter before the Prince of Jin makes a move, which is considered to be the most righteous thing I can do.

Cen Wenben, who was standing next to him, felt worried when he saw Prince Wu Li Ke, who was several steps away from Prince Jin.

Three days ago in the palace, Cen Wenben stabbed the King of Wei in the back. Li Ke already knew Cen Wenben's good intentions. Shortly after the court was dismissed, he went to Cen Wenben's house in person, kowtowed to apologize, and acknowledged him as his father-in-law on the spot.

Although Cen Wenben was moved, he still advised Li Ke to give up the idea of ​​competing for the throne.

Unexpectedly, Li Ke was stubborn and self-willed, thinking that Hou Junji's move would anger Li Shimin, which would backfire and cause Changsun to lose his qualification to be the crown prince.

The current situation is very good. The emperor killed the King of Wei, Hou Junji killed the King of Jin, and finally the emperor killed Hou Junji again, which also crushed the eldest grandson. Three of the four candidates who were interested in the throne were eliminated.

Am I not the only one left?
Cen Wenben could not persuade him no matter what he said, so he had to take a step back and go to the palace to test the situation. Later, when he heard the order from Empress Changsun, he knew that the situation was hopeless and the succession of the crown prince was unstoppable.

But at this time, Li Ke had become a crazy, red-eyed gambler like Li Zhi, who would not give up until he lost his last chip.

Cen Wenben had no choice but to make up his mind to save the King of Wu at all costs in order to repay Concubine Yang for her kindness.

Among the princes, there was another person who was extremely excited, and that was Prince of Qi Li You. In his opinion, the competition among the princes for the throne had already made his father angry enough, and now several of the most popular legitimate descendants, Prince of Wei was imprisoned, Prince of Jin was rejected, and the eldest grandson had offended his father to death.

There is only one Prince of Wu, Li Ke, left, and we are all illegitimate sons. Since you, the Prince of Wu, can compete for it, why can't I, the Prince of Qi, compete for it?

What if my father likes me and passes the throne to me?
In addition, at the very end of the kings stood a well-mannered young man who looked only fifteen or sixteen years old. He had a sturdy appearance, thick eyebrows and big eyes. His eyes were clear and he had a simple and honest look on his face. It was obvious that he was a simple-minded child.

From his features, one could tell that this person was Li Yan and Haitang's child, the eldest grandson Li Xiang.

Wang De saw that the time was almost up, so he stood at the front of the altar, mustered up all his strength, and shouted, "The Emperor has arrived!"

"Long live my emperor, long live, long live!"

All the officials knelt to welcome the emperor's arrival. The deafening roar was like thunder that resounded through the palace and then reflected off the surrounding walls and roof. The sound waves kept echoing over the heads of the ministers, making people feel awe-inspiring and solemn. A sense of divine power arose in their hearts.

Li Shimin walked towards the dragon throne, and he looked much more energetic than at the court meeting three days ago.

Not to mention the ministers around him, even Li Shimin felt a little suspicious. When he was trying hard to push Prince Jin to the throne, the pressure in his heart was extremely heavy. With so many worries in his mind, even his body felt unable to bear it.

Even standing on the stage I felt shaky and powerless.

After the ministers forced him to abdicate, he completely stopped thinking about it and felt relaxed. His originally weak body recovered after two days of rest.

What Li Shimin didn't know was that the crown prince had not been decided, the future of the country was unknown, and he had to fight a tough battle with his ministers. All the burdens were on him, and he felt like a heavy burden was coming, and he felt breathless just thinking about it.

Now Li Shimin mistakenly thought that Empress Zhangsun and other officials had sidelined him, and at the same time, the responsibility that followed him like a shadow was also handed over. As the saying goes, "no official position brings lightness", the country has been under the pressure of Li Shimin for the past 20 years, and he is indeed very tired.

Now being a 'puppet', I feel comfortable all over.

Li Shimin, sitting on the dragon throne, looked at the officials who were bowing to him, and thought to himself, there seems to be nothing wrong with being a puppet? He is still majestic and still the emperor, but he doesn't have to worry about government affairs anymore. In the past, others relied on themselves.

Now it was my turn to rely on others, and this feeling was quite good.

All the officials bowed in thanks. Before everyone stood up, Li Shimin said majestically: "Today's court meeting will only discuss one matter, which is to select a new crown prince. I issued an imperial decree the day before yesterday. Today, in front of all the officials, you can speak freely. I will follow the public opinion."

As soon as Li Shimin finished speaking, Cen Wenben stood up and said, "Your Majesty, the country depends on the eldest ruler. The Tang Dynasty is far from being able to maintain peace. In the north there is the powerful Turkic Khanate, and in the west there are the powerful Central Asian countries of Western Turkic, the Byzantine Empire, and India."

"The Tang Dynasty needs a crown prince who is as capable of both civil and military affairs as Your Majesty, and who can stand up to the will of Heaven, to lead the country and continue the glory of the Zhenguan Era. Therefore, I recommend the eldest son of the Emperor, Prince Wu Li Ke, as the crown prince."

Cen Wenben's words immediately caused an uproar in the court. All the ministers looked at Cen Wenben in surprise, with faces full of doubt.

The incident of officials forcing the emperor three days ago seemed to be happening right before my eyes. With such a huge momentum, although the officials were resisting the emperor, in a sense, they were also standing up for Hou Junji.

If the emperor had investigated the matter later, it goes without saying that he would have given up his intention to establish the grandson as the crown prince; but what happened later was that the emperor not only did not blame him, but instead rejected the Prince of Jin, whom he had favored, and nominated him again.

How could this divine will not be obvious?
The emperor accepted the request of all officials and prepared to establish the grandson as the crown prince. The so-called "following public opinion" was just a way for himself to save face. At this time, one or two ministers came out and exposed the matter and pushed the eldest grandson out.

With everyone seconding the motion, the matter was settled.

But Cen Wenben seemed to know nothing and insisted on recommending King Wu again. Isn't this seeking death?

The ministers all looked at him with disdain. This bastard, if everyone remembers correctly, you, Cen Wenben, also knelt down when you were asked to "recommend" him three days ago?
Before, the emperor promoted the Prince of Jin, and the ministers pushed forward the eldest grandson in the name of the promise they made, asking the emperor to fulfill it. Now the emperor has followed the advice and wants to appoint the eldest grandson, and you want to recommend the Prince of Wu. Isn't this obviously playing tricks on the emperor?

Even though the emperor is in poor health, has not much time left, and his prestige has been greatly reduced, he cannot be fooled by others.

Sure enough, Li Shimin, who was sitting on the dragon throne, suddenly looked gloomy. However, when he saw that it was Cen Wenben, he gritted his teeth and finally held back. After all, he had taken advantage of him three days ago, and he was resentful and wanted to vent, which was understandable.

"Lord Cen is loyal to the country. I understand your sincere heart. Do you have any other opinions?"

Cen Wenben was also bitter in his heart. He came out first just to take the blame and draw all the hatred to himself. As long as he came out, Li Ke's die-hard fans would no longer come out to recommend him.

If the future crown prince takes the blame on himself, he can save the King of Wu.

Some smart people like Fang Xuanling and Zhangsun Wuji understood Cen Wenben's intention after a little thought. They all admired Cen Wenben's good intentions and his hard work and dedication for the King of Wu.

All the ministers looked at Hou Junji. As the standard-bearer of the Eastern Palace faction, Hou Junji should stand up at this time and solemnly introduce his eldest grandson.

Unexpectedly, Hou Junji was as steady as an old dog, his eyes on his nose and his nose on his heart, without any intention of moving. Facing the gazes of Changsun Wuji and Fang Xuanling, he remained calm.

He knew that the protagonist today was not his little grandson at all, but the leader of the powerful empire in the north, the son-in-law who had been the crown prince of the Tang Dynasty for twenty years. His mission had been completed, and he was just waiting for the real king to descend from the sky.

Changsun Wuji took a look, thought for a moment, and a satisfied smile appeared on his face.

It seems that Hou Junji was very satisfied with the exchanges during the past few days. Is he giving the credit for being the first to initiate the initiative?
So without any hesitation, he said, "Your Majesty, the eldest grandson is diligent in study, respects teachers and respects morality, is vigorous and has inherited the legacy of the previous crown prince. I recommend that Your Majesty make the eldest grandson your heir to inherit the great achievements made by Your Majesty and my ministers during the Zhenguan period."

"Otherwise, if you have a son, why don't you establish a grandson?"

An official with a missing right arm stepped out from the back and said, "Although the eldest grandson is virtuous, he is of the third generation. The emperor has many adult princes but does not want to establish a young grandson. This is irrational. Therefore, I suggest that you choose one of the princes."

Zhao Gongcun's statement was recognized by many officials of the royal family in the court, which made the King of Jin slightly proud. After discussing yesterday, Li Zhi and Zhao Gongcun both agreed that they could learn from Hou Junji and use the power of others to defeat them, starting from this point to cause dissatisfaction among the princes.

Then, with the support of the crowd, he led the candidate to King Jin.

At this moment, seeing that many people agreed with his opinion, Zhao Gongcun hurriedly said: "Among all the princes, only the Prince of Jin has always been non-confrontational, humble and polite, loyal, filial, benevolent and righteous. I recommend the Prince of Jin as the new crown prince."

Zhao Gongcun's subsequent remarks caused many kings to frown. What do you mean by "Only Prince Jin is humble and loyal, while all of us brothers are extremely despicable?"
The ministers who originally wanted to join Zhao Gongcun in the topic were speechless for a moment, looking coldly without saying a word.

(End of this chapter)