Priceless: A widow with a baby asks the prince to marry again

The road outside Prince Kang's palace was blocked by officials in mourning and many common people kneeling, so several carriages had to stop at the corner outside the road.

The carriage door was opened by the servant boy. The white-haired old man looked at the scene in surprise and sighed uncontrollably.

The old man was the Grand Tutor. Some time ago, Tang Zang from the Imperial Astronomical Observatory said in the court that the south was auspicious and beneficial to Ziwei, which triggered the incident of moving the capital to the south of the Yangtze River.

Although the Grand Tutor held no real power, how could one of the Three Dukes, who was responsible for educating the imperial heir, not know how to govern a country? If the capital were located in the south, where the aristocratic families were entrenched, it would be disastrous for the long-term development of Great Xia!

He originally thought that with the assistance of all the wise civil and military officials in the court, the Eighth Prince was not a hopeless case, and that following the imperial edict of succession might be the right way... But he did not expect that with the old prime minister and the virtuous imperial concubine around, the Eighth Prince would not listen to anyone else's opinions at all!

The Imperial Tutor had repeatedly attempted to enter the palace and attend court to persuade the Eighth Prince to move the capital. Sadly, whereas he used to give lectures daily, he was now barred from the palace, unable to even see the Eighth Prince...

Finally, the decision to move the capital was made. On an auspicious day half a month ago, tens of thousands of officials, entourage, soldiers, etc., followed the eighth prince to the south of the Yangtze River.

The Grand Tutor was unwilling to follow him to Jiangnan, nor did he want to stay in the deserted capital, so he resigned from the Eighth Prince. His reasoning was that he wanted to read thousands of books and travel thousands of miles, and travel around the world for the rest of his life...

It was granted without a hitch, but the Grand Tutor felt even more pathetic. The Eighth Prince hadn't wanted him to stay in the court in the first place, simply because he didn't want to be branded as a teacher who bullied him. He just didn't have a good excuse...

The capital was located in the northeast of Daxia. When the capital was moved south, the Grand Tutor went west. Naturally, he heard the news that King Kang had returned safely to his fiefdom.

As the eldest of the princes, he had naturally received instruction from the Grand Tutor. However, unlike the other princes, the late Empress had arranged for many other tutors for him when he was in the palace, so he wasn't as familiar with them as the other princes...

Along the way, the Master was hesitant...

Now that Prince Duan has passed away early, there is no other choice except Prince Kang. Although there are many profit-seeking people around Prince Kang, he is talented and his way of employing people is much wiser than that of the Eighth Prince.

What he hesitated about was not whether King Kang was the best choice, but that he had no power. Even if he wanted to support King Kang as the king, it would not have much effect... He claimed to be well-educated, but now he was a useless person... The Taifu hesitated, but still came, just thinking of paying a visit and expressing his attitude.

The Grand Tutor, filled with frustration, walked outside Prince Kang's mansion and naturally recognized the people from the Ministry of Rites, who were dressed in mourning. Before he could ask any questions...

The Minister of Rites' eyes lit up, and he struggled to his feet with the help of others. As he stepped forward, he burst into tears and cried softly, "Grand Tutor! If you come to pay your respects to King Kang, I'm afraid you won't be able to see him. Now..."

The moving narrative was interspersed with many personal conjectures, but the Grand Tutor understood it...

The Grand Tutor was suddenly filled with mixed emotions. He was a Confucian scholar who believed in the Three Bonds and Five Constant Virtues of rulership and subjectivity, and fatherhood and sonship. Even though he couldn't understand why the imperial edict addressed the eighth prince, he was willing to follow the edict and respect the late emperor's wishes...

But in the end, he was extremely disappointed with the Eighth Prince, and ultimately had no choice but to abandon the principles he had originally believed in, just like the previous emperor had ascended the throne...

However, the Grand Tutor suddenly realized that King Kang was the one who was more trapped by the Three Bonds than anyone else! It was his father who wanted him dead, and it was the emperor who passed the throne to someone else!

Prince Kang was seriously injured in the attack, but it was not his body that was injured, but his heart. Now Prince Kang firmly believes that the late emperor wanted to kill him to pave the way for the eighth prince.

When the heart is trapped, the body is trapped in a palace.

While the Grand Tutor was filled with worry, the masters and distinguished guests in the palace also received the news of the Grand Tutor's visit. Princess Kang was under house arrest, and two concubines took her place, but they were still waiting to meet the guests at the second ceremonial gate in the palace.

The Minister of Personnel and the Minister of Revenue went out of Prince Kang's palace to welcome him. After all, regardless of whether he had real power or not, the Grand Tutor was one of the three officials known as the Emperor's teachers, and in name his position was higher than theirs.

"Grandmaster, let's go to the palace first and discuss it later." The Minister of Personnel simply ignored the Ministry of Rites. He knew that Prince Kang disliked grandstanding and had been watching from the sidelines. But who knew his own daughter would jump out and get into trouble first? This made him even more dissatisfied with the Minister of Rites!

The Minister of Revenue standing by did not say much. He had followed King Kang for many years and could more or less understand his thoughts. The Ministry of Rites' move seemed clever, but it had misplaced the positions of the monarch and his subjects.

The Minister of Rites was not bothered by their indifference at this point. He had been kneeling for days, his goal of getting Prince Kang out had become a kind of stubbornness! Now that the Grand Tutor had arrived, this might be his best opportunity!

With a look of genuine urgency on his face, the Minister of Rites grabbed the Grand Tutor's arm and said urgently, "Grand Tutor! I remember you were shocked when you saw the imperial decree that day! Did you see any clues?!"

Everyone was stunned. It was true that the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Revenue did not approve of the Ministry of Rites' approach, but if the Grand Tutor, one of the Three Dukes, could deny the authenticity of the imperial edict, perhaps King Kang's knot in his heart could be untied!

Even if they couldn't, the fact that the imperial edict was written for the eighth prince was the righteousness they lacked! Although the land of Daxia adhered to the principle of primogeniture, the father was still respected. If the late emperor passed the throne to the eighth prince, then even if he was the eldest son, it would not be considered orthodox and would be criticized!

After a brief silence, the three ministers suddenly became united! Surrounding the Grand Tutor, they began to lobby, listing the unreasonable reasons for passing the throne to the Eighth Prince...

The Imperial Tutor's face was filled with bitterness. How could he not understand? They were hoping that he would say that the imperial edict was doubtful and false! How could the Imperial Tutor not hope that the imperial edict was false...

But who among the high-ranking officials and nobles in the court at that time stood up and said it was fake?! He wasn't the only one among the Three Dukes! The Grand Tutor and the Grand Guardian had also confirmed it! If he flatly denied it, not only would he be cursed for going back on his word, but it would also be difficult to convince people!

This is asking him to gamble his entire life's reputation!

However, if Daxia falls into the hands of the Eighth Prince, it will be in imminent danger. How can his reputation be compared with the rise and fall of an entire country?

There was a struggle between heaven and man in my mind, and in my ears I could hear the three ministers constantly urging and instigating...

"There are doubts about the imperial edict!" The Grand Tutor finally cried out in sorrow, and he didn't know when he was already in tears!

"That day, I felt suspicious about the imperial decree of succession, but I dared not voice it. Only after seeing the Eighth Prince ruin the foundation of Great Xia did I finally realize my mistake! I am ashamed of the late emperor! I am ashamed of the great expectations placed on me by Taizu!"

When the three ministers heard the Taifu's questioning of the imperial edict, they immediately showed joy on their faces!

Then, the Grand Tutor suddenly pushed aside the people beside him and shouted shrilly: "I will die to atone for my sins!"

The incident happened suddenly, and the Minister of Revenue instinctively wanted to stop it, but was stopped by the Minister of Rites. If the Grand Tutor was willing to die as a warning, how could King Kang ignore it?!

The Grand Tutor crashed headfirst into the stone lions at the gate of Prince Kang's mansion!

The avenue outside Prince Kang's mansion erupted in a commotion! The ministers then rushed forward, all helping the Grand Tutor to his feet!

It seemed that the force just now was not enough. The tutor was still conscious, but his forehead was broken and blood was oozing out!

The old man's appearance made the people around him feel distressed. Knowing that he was also a highly respected minister, they believed the rumors of the past few days even more firmly!

"I have no face to live!" The Taifu recovered a little and struggled to hit again!

The desired effect had been achieved; it would be disastrous if the Grand Tutor died here now. The Minister of Revenue immediately consoled him, saying, "We are guilty too! Back then, we were intimidated by the Prime Minister's tyranny and failed to stand firm against him!"

"Now the affairs of the world are in the hands of King Kang. Even if we want to atone for our sins, we should personally apologize to King Kang!" Although the Minister of Personnel did not approve of the Ministry of Rites' approach, the general trend had already arrived. If King Kang could be released, it would naturally be a good thing!

With such a big event, the news must naturally be passed on to King Kang.

The beauty said nothing as she handed the booklet to the man who was sitting in a daze among the broken jade.

The man, disturbed, couldn't help but feel annoyed, but when he saw the beauty's timid expression, he calmed down again. The beauty couldn't speak, so she just did what she wanted. It was his own order...

His eyes fell on the booklet again, and annoyance appeared in his eyes again, but he sighed softly, took the booklet with his big hands, and opened it...

Seeing the concise information, his pretty eyes were suddenly filled with many complex emotions: surprise, helplessness... but the underlying tone was pain.

Outside the gate of Prince Kang's Mansion, there were even more people.

Recently, more and more people have been coming here every day, kneeling and begging along with the high officials. King Kang has ruled this place for nearly ten years, and most of the people live and work in peace and contentment. If someone is to become emperor, they naturally hope it will be the King Kang they know, not a strange prince with a long history of bad deeds!

Now, the onlookers heard the respected old minister shout, "The imperial edict is questionable," and then rammed his head into the stone lions! The people immediately believed the rumors they had heard the past few days! The imperial edict was fake! Prince Kang was the legitimate king!

"We can't let the evildoers succeed!"

"Prince Kang should be the emperor!"

"Of course he is! Prince Kang is the eldest son, and he has won both Northern Expeditions. He is both virtuous and talented, and he should have been made Crown Prince long ago!"

The faint clamor made the person who was walking slowly pause, and his pretty face became dazed again...

The ministers outside the palace gate surrounded the Grand Tutor who was slumped on the ground, and continued to sing in unison to build momentum for King Kang, while also keeping an eye on the inside of the gate.

When that figure, with disheveled hair, dressed only in a white tunic, and filled with dejection and frustration, appeared, everyone was stunned for a moment, and the whole place fell silent...

The Minister of Rites immediately knelt on the ground and cried out in a mournful voice, "Your Highness, please accept my condolences! Now that the 100-day mourning period for the late Emperor has passed, please cheer up!"

The appearance of Prince Kang in disheveled clothes inevitably made people feel that he was not very decent, but the Minister of Rites attributed this image to the fact that he was observing mourning. Even though the mourning clothes they were wearing were obviously different from Prince Kang's inner clothes, who would have exposed it at the scene?

Even King Kang's mocking and scolding voice, "Heh...my condolences...", was ignored by everyone.

The young and tired eyes passed directly over the Minister of Rites who was kneeling in the front, and slowly walked towards the Grand Tutor who was sitting on the ground with blood on his forehead.

The ministers of the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Revenue who were surrounding them on both sides consciously stepped aside and waited quietly on the left and right.

The Grand Tutor came back to his senses and looked at the younger face that resembled the late emperor. The shame in his heart suddenly subsided. For the sake of the Great Xia, what would it matter if he became a clown?

After thinking about it, the Grand Tutor struggled to sit up and pleaded, "Your Highness! This is my fault! Although I saw doubts about the imperial decree that day, I saw that the Grand Tutor was firm..."

"Master, there is no need for this."

A cold yet gentle voice interrupted the Taifu's prepared words. A thin hand reached out, helping the Taifu to sit up straight, while also kneeling beside him, not caring at all that this was a busy street on weekdays.

He silently swallowed the words he had prepared. The Imperial Tutor was filled with emotion. Prince Kang's behavior showed respect for his teacher... but in the imperial family, the relationship between teacher and student was not like that of ordinary families. They were teacher and student, but the emperor and his subjects were in front. If there was to be a formality, it was the Imperial Tutor who would perform the formality...

"Taifu, can you tell me what I'm missing?"

Filled with bewildered questions, the Grand Tutor suddenly realized that King Kang was trapped in endless confusion and had come out to see him precisely because he viewed him as a mentor who could unravel his doubts...

The Grand Tutor understood, yet felt ashamed. He didn't know why the late emperor had acted this way... Was he going to say the imperial edict was false? But the fact that Prince Kang was asking this meant he was convinced it was true. How could he possibly reverse what Prince Kang believed?

The Grand Tutor was full of thoughts and did not speak. King Kang remained silent, waiting for an answer.

"I don't know."

This frank answer seemed to be within King Kang's expectations. He was indifferent and disappointed, and his beautiful eyes gradually lost their focus again...

"Your Highness, I have spent my entire life studying and reading countless historical books and allusions, but there are still countless classics that I have not been able to understand..."

The Grand Tutor sighed in grief, held King Kang's open hand with both hands, and read out the words word by word: "I heard that the Second Emperor is a young son and should not be enthroned. The one who should be enthroned is Prince Fusu!"

Chu Shikun was stunned for a moment. He had certainly learned this classic from the Records of the Grand Historian...

"I am puzzled. Was Fusu really sent abroad to lead the troops because of his repeated admonitions? I have thought about it over and over again, but I still don't understand why the Emperor of Qin enthroned the youngest son."

The Grand Tutor's expression grew increasingly agitated as he spoke the classics. He also stood up from his kneeling position and said earnestly, "But there is one thing that all future generations will know!"

"Qin is dead!"

Her delicate eyes widened slightly, as if she had seen another thorn forest from the maze...

"The past is a lesson for the future!"

"Emperor Taizu of Xia endured humiliation for ten years, sleeping on straw and tasting bitterness before establishing the foundation of the Great Xia Empire! The late emperor lived in seclusion, attending to numerous state affairs, which is why we have this peaceful and prosperous era!"

"As the eldest son, Your Highness should take it as your responsibility to protect the ancestral foundation!"

Seeing that Prince Kang was still struggling, the Grand Tutor became anxious and knelt down, taking a step back and bowing his head to the ground: "The Emperor's family is not an ordinary family! Your Highness should not be bound by the common sense of ordinary people!"

"Country comes before family, country comes before family!"

"Your Majesty, I beg you to take care of the lives of the people! Take responsibility for the fate of the nation! Stand up and support the Great Xia!"

Seeing the Grand Tutor kowtow solemnly, the ministers on the side immediately took advantage of the situation and knelt down to kowtow! They all kowtowed solemnly three times and bowed nine times!

"Your Majesty, we beg you to support the Great Xia country!" the ministers shouted!

When the boss salutes, the subordinate officials will naturally follow!

"Your Majesty, we beg you to support the Great Xia State!" all the officials shouted!

The people outside have long been convinced that King Kang will be the best emperor these days, and they knelt down one after another when they saw this!

"Support Daxia!"

"Summer!"

"Daxia!!!"

Thousands of officials and civilians had never rehearsed before, and their shouts were chaotic and mixed at first, but gradually, they became unified. Thousands of voices merged into one, shouting "Daxia" in a deafening voice!

Chu Shikun had heard the roar of thousands of troops before, but he had never felt as shocked as he did now...

It was as if... he was no longer a human being made of flesh and blood, but a statue, being chiseled and carved by kneeling people, cut and chopped by shouts, into the shape everyone desired...

Lifted to the platform by thousands of hands...