Do You Know?: Rule the World.

Chapter 48 (Please continue reading) The Prince of Yong and the Prince of Yan
"Your Majesty, would you please inform Lord Han and Lord Xue about this?"

"They are both loyal to Your Majesty, as the sun and the moon can attest."

"Although my words at the court meeting today were harsh and offended the emperor, I was worried about the country and the people in my heart." Haining looked up at Zhao Zhen with excitement in his eyes.

Zhao Zhen took a deep breath and shook his head repeatedly, with a look of helplessness between his brows.

"I know they are both loyal, but one of them has a strong character, and the other is straightforward and doesn't know how to be tactful."

"If they knew, they would force me to immediately appoint Han'er as the crown prince in front of all the civil and military officials at the next court meeting."

"Han'er has lived among the common people since he was young. He has no support from his family outside the family, nor any foundation as an official in the court. I am afraid that he will find it difficult to win the support of the people. If I ever..."

Before he finished speaking, Zhao Zhen's voice suddenly lowered, and his eyes were filled with deep worry.

"I'm afraid he won't be able to convince the public. The royal family has been eyeing him covetously for years. If they intend to make things difficult for him, how will he cope?"

Hearing this, Haining was shocked.

The words "axe sounds and candlelight" emerged in my mind, and beads of sweat appeared on my forehead.

"Hai Qing, you are over seventy years old this year, and Han Qing, Xue Qing and other old ministers are all old."

Zhao Zhen slowly stood up, a look of determination flashing in his eyes, "I will clear all obstacles for Han'er, so that he can sit on the throne with peace of mind!"

Haining's face was solemn. After he lowered his head to weigh the pros and cons, his voice trembled slightly.

"If the prince knew that Your Majesty was so worried about him, he would definitely be deeply saddened..."

Zhao Zhen waved his hand, "Don't mention it. After all, I owe him a lot."

"After I return to my ancestral home, I will make amends to him."

"It's getting late. Hai Qing, please go back and take good care of him in the Hanlin Academy for me."

Haining bowed deeply.

Just as he was about to leave Wenhua Hall, Yu Guangzhong suddenly caught a glimpse of Zhao Zhen's face, which showed a look of relief and anticipation that had not appeared in many years.

The night is dark and the moon is high in the sky.

In the main hall of Prince Yong’s Mansion, candlelight flickered.

After learning about today's court meeting, Prince Yong felt a little uneasy.

"Why are you not allowing the ministers to discuss the matter of adopting a crown prince? What exactly does the emperor want to do?"

Several ministers in the hall, including Liu Xingzhi, who clearly stood on the side of Prince Yong, frowned and looked solemn.

"Is any lady in the harem pregnant recently?" Prince Yong asked in a deep voice.

Liu Xingzhi shook his head repeatedly, "After the court meeting, I went to the Imperial Hospital to inquire, and there was no such thing."

"It's strange. The emperor summoned me a few days ago and personally told me: I have no biological son, so you should encourage him."

"Who do you think among the royal family, besides this prince and Prince Yan, is likely to become the crown prince?"

Liu Xingzhi exchanged a glance with his colleagues, then bowed and said, "Except for Prince Yan, who among the clan members isn't cowering like a cow?"

"Those who live closer to Bianjing don't even dare to leave their homes easily!"

"In my humble opinion, the emperor is probably very angry today because of those two old guys, Han Zhang and Xue Pu."

"After a few days, when the official's anger has subsided, he will definitely still be thinking about you, Your Highness."

Before Zhao Han appeared, Zhao Zhen did prefer Prince Yong over Prince Yan.

Otherwise, Prince Yong would not have been allowed to perform the ceremony of offering sacrifices to heaven. After all, apart from the emperor, only the crown prince could perform the ceremony.

"That's right, Your Highness, don't worry. Prince Yan is a nobody and has no legitimate reason!" A court official echoed.

Prince Yong raised his hand and stroked his beard, a hint of viciousness flashed in his eyes.

"Send some people to keep an eye on my brothers and nephews. If anyone shows signs of disobedience, they will be directly..."

Prince Yong stopped talking and tapped his fingers lightly on the table, making a dull sound.

At the same time, Prince Yan's Mansion.

Prince Yan was also in a state of anxiety. The two princes had been fighting openly and secretly for many years, and the situation had reached a point where they would fight to the death.

No matter who becomes the crown prince, the first thing he will do is to kill the other person.

Qiu Zheng, the tutor of the Prince of Yan, stood aside and whispered, "His Majesty is deep in thought; he probably still hopes that the concubines in the harem will give birth to a prince." The Prince of Yan's heir, Zhao Ce, raised his chin, snorted coldly, and said disdainfully, "A prince? An old man like him, still dreaming of the future!"

"Your Highness is right. Given the emperor's physical condition, this dream is doomed to be shattered."

"But in my humble opinion, the emperor will not appoint a crown prince until the last moment." Qiu Zheng said in a deep voice.

He and his younger brother Qiu Jing, who was the prefect of Kaifeng at the time, had placed all their lives and property on the shoulders of Prince Yan.

As long as Prince Yan ascends the throne in the future, his Qiu family will be the first noble family of the new dynasty and will enjoy endless wealth and glory!
"Most of the royal family members are mediocre and useless. Prince Yong may be the eldest son, but he is nothing but a fool."

"If this country falls into his hands, I'm afraid it will be in danger!"

Prince Yan sighed softly, and under the light of the candlelight, his already sinister face looked even more grim.

"Your Highness is right. For the sake of the Great Zhou, we must not let Prince Yong succeed."

Qiu Zheng stroked his beard and chuckled, with a flattering look in the corners of his eyes.

Zhao Cexiao clenched his fist and said, "We currently have people in the Five Cities Military Department and the Three Yamen. Even if the emperor wants to make Prince Yong the crown prince before his death, we have plenty of ways to deal with it."

Upon hearing this, Prince Yan looked at Zhao Cexiao with even greater reliance.

The idea of ​​forcing the emperor to abdicate has been lingering in the minds of the father and son for many years.

Over the years, they have spared no effort to place their trusted confidants in the imperial guards and build up their influence in the wing troops, just in case.

The next morning, Zhao Han arrived at the Hanlin Academy at the hour of Mao as usual.

After greeting his colleagues and just about to sit down, he saw Haining walk into the main hall.

"Greetings, Lord Hai." All the officials in the hall stood up and bowed.

Haining's eyes were calm as he looked around at everyone before finally settling on Zhao Han.

He smiled, his voice gentle as a spring breeze across Lugu Lake, "Is Mr. Zhao familiar with the affairs of the Imperial Academy?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the hall fell into silence, and the teacup in the hands of Wang Qun, a fourth-rank academician, clattered against the table.

Several colleagues cast sympathetic glances at Zhao Han.

They have worked with Mr. Hai for many years, but have never seen him show such a gentle side.

When something is abnormal, there must be something wrong. Everyone couldn't help but feel a little creepy and a chill down their spines.

"What did Editor Zhao do wrong that Lord Hai wants to scare him like this?"

"I don't know. Editor Zhao is very organized in handling official documents. He is much more serious than any of us. There is not a single mistake or omission in his actions."

"..."

Several officials who were arranging bookshelves not far away were whispering.

On the side was Yao Anshi, a sixth-rank Hanlin scholar who was nearly fifty years old and was responsible for drafting ordinary documents and handling daily official documents.

He sighed softly and said, "Master Hai, Editor Zhao has only been at the Imperial Academy for two days. Give him some more time. There's no need to be so harsh."

Haining turned a deaf ear to his words and only looked at Zhao Han with gentle eyes.

Zhao Han had no choice but to straighten his clothes and replied respectfully, "In reply to Lord Hai, I have a preliminary understanding of your words."

"Very good!"

"If you still have questions, you can always ask my colleagues for advice, or you can ask me."

After Haining finished speaking, he raised his hand and patted Zhao Han on the shoulder, and glanced at the half heart pendant hanging around his waist.

Seeing that it was a pair with the one the official was playing with yesterday, the smile on his face became even wider.

"Thank you, Lord Hai, for your inquiry. I will keep it in mind."

After listening to Zhao Han's answer, Haining nodded with satisfaction, and then walked straight to the side hall.

Everyone in the hall looked at each other and looked at Haining's back in disbelief.

"Congratulations, Editor Zhao, for catching the eye of Lord Hai."

"Editor Zhao has a bright future!"

"..."

(End of this chapter)