After giving up being the wife of a powerful official, Ling Yunlu became a concubine

After the crown prince was deposed, calls began to be heard in the court to make the second prince the crown prince.

The incident involving the crown prince was quite a blow to the emperor, and he looked several years older.

Coupled with the cold, the emperor looked weak as he sat on the dragon throne.

"Your Majesty, establishing a crown prince is the foundation of the country. Please think twice!" The Minister of War spoke bluntly.

"Your Majesty, I second the motion!" The speaker was the Grand Secretary of the Cabinet.

"We second the motion!" More ministers came forward.

The emperor looked majestically at the civil and military officials below him.

Many of them were the people who supported him in taking office in the first place, and now, they are starting to support his son.

Is this the fate of being alone?

He suppressed the itch in his throat and spoke slowly.

"Then which of my princes do you think can be made the crown prince?"

"The Second Prince is both brave and resourceful, and has much of the demeanor that Your Majesty had in his past."

"This old minister also recommends the Second Prince!"

"Your servants also recommend the Second Prince!"

There are those who agree, there are those who oppose, and of course, there are also those who are neutral.

"The fourth prince is very talented and is capable of taking on important tasks."

"Old minister seconded the proposal!"

The emperor leaned back on the throne and asked, "Why don't you speak, Prime Minister?"

The left prime minister stepped out of the line and said, "I, an old minister, have always been loyal to the emperor."

The Minister of Rites also stood up and said, "I, your Majesty, swear to be loyal to you till death!"

Suddenly, the ministers who had been arguing looked as if they wanted to kill the two men.

The ministers with quick minds immediately knelt down and said, "I swear to be loyal to Your Majesty until death!"

Now, all the ministers knelt down.

"If you have something to report, please come forward. If not, please dismiss the court!" Eunuch An nodded from the side.

After everyone had left, the emperor could no longer bear the itch in his throat and started coughing vigorously.

"Your Majesty, I'll call Doctor Li over." Eunuch An hurried to the door.

"Come back!" the emperor gasped.

"Help me lie down." The emperor didn't want anyone to know about his illness.

Eunuch An also understood the emperor's difficulties.

The ministers in the court were already clamoring for the appointment of a crown prince. If news of the emperor's illness were to be revealed, there would probably be a big incident in the palace!

"But your majesty, you must also take care of yourself!"

Eunuch An has been a close follower of the emperor since he was a child. He has watched the emperor walk step by step to where he is today and knows how difficult it is for the emperor.

"Xiao Anzi, do you think I should appoint a crown prince?"

The emperor, lying on the dragon couch, felt weak for a moment.

"Your Majesty is still young! In my opinion, the whole world belongs to your Majesty. If your Majesty wants to appoint a crown prince, then do so. If you don't want to, then don't do so!"

The emperor smiled once, which was rare for him. "You only know how to say things that make me happy."

For a long while, Eunuch An thought that the emperor had fallen asleep. When he was about to close the door and leave, he heard the emperor say something.

"If only~~ it was the Queen's child!"

The voice was very soft, and if it weren't for his sharp ears, he probably wouldn't have heard what was said.

Eunuch An closed the door quietly and stood guard at the door himself.

He didn't hear clearly who the emperor was talking about just now, but he didn't want to guess.

As a eunuch beside the emperor, you have to be deaf and blind in order to live longer.

When the emperor woke up, he felt much better.

He drank the medicine handed to him by Eunuch An and began to deal with the memorials on the dragon case.

The more he looked, the more his brows furrowed. Most of the memorials were either about floods or wars on the border.

There has been plenty of rainfall this year. Since the beginning of spring, there have been several heavy rains in Beijing.

As a result, floods occurred in the southern parts of the country and people began to die in many places.

The enemy troops at the border have invaded repeatedly, and because of the rain, the supply of food and fodder has been insufficient. The battle at the border has been going on for half a year. Both the soldiers at the front and the silver in the treasury are in urgent need.

The money earned from the sale of the test booklets circulated in the national treasury and then flowed to the military camp.

The largest expense of war is the manufacture of weapons.

Whether it is the purchase of raw materials or the later forging, a large amount of silver is required.

Silver, silver, and more silver!

The emperor couldn't help but smile bitterly. He was probably the poorest emperor in history, right?

He thought of the money he had borrowed from Concubine Hua last time, and also of the advice given by the Minister of War in the court today.

Could it be that he really had no choice but to compromise?

"Xiao Anzi, the Second Prince is here to see you."

"Call the fourth, fifth and sixth sons!" the emperor sighed.

When the emperor summoned him, Xiao Minshen hurried into the palace.

When he arrived, he found that the others had already arrived.

"There is a flood in the south, and the battle at the border has been going on for a long time. I want to hear your opinions."

After the emperor finished speaking, he looked at his sons below.

The second prince Xiao Minchen took a step forward and said, "Father, I am willing to lead the troops in person."

The Sixth Prince Xiao Mingji also stepped forward and said, "I am willing to assist my second brother and be responsible for the food supply in the rear."

The fourth prince also stepped forward, not wanting to be outdone: "Your son is also willing to lead the troops in person."

Xiao Minshen stood aside thinking.

"Old Five, what about you?" the emperor called out his name.

"Father, I have been weak and sickly since I was young. I am afraid that leading troops to fight would bring shame to the royal family. I am willing to share your worries. I will go to the south to control the flood."

As soon as he finished speaking, a trace of contempt flashed in the second prince's eyes.

There was even more eagerness in the fourth prince's eyes.

None of this escaped the emperor's eyes.

"Xiao Minchen, Xiao Minlie, listen to my order. I order the two of you, one to be the commander-in-chief and the other to be the deputy commander-in-chief, to set out for the border tomorrow."

"Xiao Mingji, Xiao Mingshen, listen to my orders. One of you will be responsible for the food and grass in the rear, and the other will be responsible for dealing with the flood."

The four of them accepted the order, and the others hurried out of the palace.

Xiao Minshen took a turn and returned to the Golden Palace.

"Old Five, why are you back? Is there something wrong?"

"Father, I want to ask you for someone." Xiao Minshen stated his request.

"Who?"

"The new number one scholar, Han Yang."

The emperor put down the memorial in his hand, and a gleam of light flashed in his eyes.

"Oh? How come I don't know that he is studying water diseases?"

"In reply to your father's words, I once heard from the concubine that Han Yang had helped the local area to control floods before."

"That girl from the Shen family? Is she familiar with the new number one scholar?"

A rare gossip about the emperor.

"The wife of the newly crowned number one scholar and his concubine are close friends."

The emperor nodded, "I agree."

When Shen Yunjin heard that Xiao Minshen was going to the south to control the flood, he even became worried.

She hurriedly asked Jinzhi to pack clothes for the King of Qi, "Yuzhi, go find Linglong and come over."

Xiao Minshen felt warm in his heart when he saw Shen Yunjin who was busy all the time.

In the past, he faced all the swordplay alone.

Now, no matter where he is or when he is, he knows that there are people waiting for him to come home.

This feeling made him realize that he was needed and trusted by others.

He walked over and hugged Shen Yunjin, resting his chin on her shoulder.