Do You Know?: I, the Little Cabinet Elder, Regent of the World

Zhao Zhen could no longer contain himself and slammed his hand on the imperial desk.

They're really pushing their luck!

Huang Jing was startled and knelt down, weeping as he said, "Your Majesty, may the descendants of Prince Yong prosper!"

"Shut up!" Zhao Zhen's face turned ashen as he looked at the Grand Secretaries of the Inner Cabinet.

Several Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet all showed slight changes in expression.

"His Majesty's birthday is approaching, and the ceremony of offering sacrifices to Heaven and praying for an heir is a solemn and grand event. In the past, when the Duke of Zhou established the rites, fasting and purification of the mind were required beforehand. Are you all going to disrupt His Majesty's important matter of purifying his mind by submitting this memorial?"

"I believe that the matter of the imperial heir is related to the foundation of the country. Since Your Majesty is celebrating your birthday and offering sacrifices to Heaven, it would be better to offer fewer remonstrances, lest Heaven feel that you are not sincere."

"Your Majesty's fasting and bathing demonstrates your sincerity, which has reached the heavens. If the court is in turmoil, it will resemble the people of Zheng arguing over the year's harvest."

Several senior officials successively stated: It wasn't me who did it!

"Dismiss the dynasty!"

A sharp sound rang out at just the right moment.

"May Your Majesty be well!"

"May Your Majesty be well!"

"May Your Majesty be well!"

The civil and military officials then left the stage one after another.

Jiang Zhao observed the entire scene and couldn't help but glance back thoughtfully.

It's unclear whether Huang Jing is backed by the Prince of Yan or the Prince of Yong.

In ancient times, due to the prevailing feudal superstitions, many people still believed in the practice of "marrying for good luck."

The fact that the emperor was going to celebrate his birthday and bring good fortune undoubtedly made many people who had already sided with the Prince of Yan and the Prince of Yong feel uneasy.

If they were to actually have a child, they would be destined to face retribution.

In recent years, the support for the Prince of Yan and the Prince of Yong has grown louder.

Once the emperor has his own child, in order to pave the way for his offspring, the Prince of Yan and the Prince of Yong will be purged without a doubt.

With the Prince of Yan and the Prince of Yong in trouble, how could their followers possibly have a good ending?

This naturally made some people anxious.

Some people hoped that the officials would select a candidate as soon as possible, thereby interrupting the wedding ceremony and breaking its auspicious effect.

Huang Jing, presumably instructed by someone, came out to offer his advice.

Jiang Zhao thought about it carefully for a while, then shook his head slightly.

Can't see clearly!

Many officials might think Huang Jing is a man of the Prince of Yong, and they are anxious, so they came to offer their advice.

However, Jiang Zhao was not entirely certain that the person behind the scenes was Prince Yong.

The struggle between the Prince of Yan and the Prince of Yong was incredibly complex; they probably used almost all of the Thirty-Six Stratagems.

Since it's complicated, we can't assume that Huang Jing is the Prince of Yong's man just because he said "Prince Yong is older".

What if it's a setup?

The main issue was the timing of Huang Jing's appearance.

It can't be called a coincidence, but at least the phrase "Prince Yong is older" is not a good thing for Prince Yong.

A dignified fifth-rank official, inexplicably a bit stupid?

It's hard to tell whether they're genuinely stupid or just pretending!

A small number of people may think that Huang Jing was a man of the Prince of Yan, and deliberately appeared out of turn to say "the Prince of Yong is older" to displease the emperor and thus frame the Prince of Yong.

Similarly, Jiang Zhao was not entirely sure if Huang Jing was one of the Prince of Yan's men.

We cannot conclude that he was a man of the King of Yan simply because of the inappropriate phrase "King Yong is older".

On the surface, the phrase "Prince Yong is older" offended the emperor but benefited Prince Yan.

But one must think long-term when making plans. Scholars are cunning; who knows if it's a scheme within a scheme?

The specific situation depends on Huang Jing's next move.

The days ahead are going to be interesting!

Oh dear, I'm going to have to write about political intrigue? My head is spinning!

Chapter 38 The Prince of Yan and the Prince of Yong

"Zhao'er."

Han Zhang, dressed in a purple robe, walked out of the main hall, accompanied by two people.

The man was over fifty years old, with a back as straight as a pine tree, graying temples, and dressed in a purple robe.

The man was nearly fifty years old, but did not look old, and wore a red robe of a fifth-rank official.

"Lord Wang, Lord Zhang," Jiang Zhao bowed respectfully.

The elderly man in the purple robe, standing tall like a pine tree, was none other than Wang Yaochen, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, who had once personally selected Jiang Zhao as the top scholar in the imperial examination.

That year, the official, who was nearly fifty years old and dressed in a red robe, was named Zhang Fangping. He had served as a Hanlin Academician and Left Vice Censor-in-Chief, among other positions. However, he was demoted for more than ten years due to the Qingli Reforms.

A few days ago, Han Zhang sought the help of Grand Chancellor Fu Bi, which allowed him to return to the capital as a fifth-rank official.

"Haha! No need for formalities." Zhang Fangping stepped forward to help Jiang Zhao up, his face full of admiration.

Who wouldn't like a polite and well-mannered top scholar?

They helped Jiang Zhao up, and the four of them walked slowly towards the outside of the palace.

"What does Zhao'er think?" Han Zhang asked, stroking his beard.

"I can't see clearly!" Jiang Zhao answered truthfully.

"If Huang Jing were someone from the Prince of Yong, it would be reasonable for him to step forward. But for him to step forward immediately after the Emperor spoke, and to directly recommend the Prince of Yong, is rather foolish."

"If it's someone from the Prince of Yan who came forward to frame us, that would be plausible, but who can be sure?"

“However, if you say he was simply trying to persuade the emperor to establish an heir, I would never believe it even if you killed me,” Jiang Zhao added, ruling out one possibility.

A childlike heart? You're kidding me.

Not everyone is like Hai Rui!

"Ha ha!"

"Makes sense!"

Wang Yaochen and Zhang Fangping both smiled, their eyes filled with admiration.

This habit of considering the big picture is truly commendable.

Jiang Zhao shook his head, somewhat doubtful: "I just don't know if this matter was also orchestrated by a certain Grand Secretary."

This matter involves three possible outcomes.

Firstly, this matter was not planned by any party.

Huang Jing was a simple, loyal and filial son who was concerned about the country and recommended the Prince of Yong. However, he never expected that things would backfire and anger the king.

Secondly, Huang Jing was a man of the Prince of Yong.

Huang Jing's untimely appearance will undoubtedly provoke the emperor's fury and disgust.

But once they calm down and think things through, they will definitely suspect that this is a scheme by the King of Yan.

After all, Huang Jing's method of "framing" was really not clever.

Huang Jing's statement, "The Prince of Yong is old and has many descendants," made the Prince of Yong an undeniable victim.

When the Prince of Yong defends himself before the Emperor, he will be both the mastermind and the victim.

If the plan goes well, Huang Jing will falsely accuse the Prince of Yan at a crucial moment, and the Prince of Yan will suffer a great loss.

Thirdly, Huang Jing was a man of the King of Yan.

If Huang Jing is a man of the Prince of Yan, then his coming out like this makes perfect sense. His inappropriate praise of the Prince of Yong is actually an attempt to damage the Prince of Yong's image in the emperor's eyes.

Besides, it's also possible that it was a scheme within a scheme set up by the King of Yan, but that's unlikely.

This matter is nothing more than to damage the impression of the Prince of Yan or the Prince of Yong in the emperor's mind. If a scheme within a scheme were set up, it would be too complicated and might have the opposite effect.

When making a plan, one must consider not only the sophistication of the scheme, but also the emperor's competence.

If the emperor is not very capable, he cannot set up a plan that is too sophisticated.

However, in this matter alone, regardless of the specific arrangements, it is highly likely that it was orchestrated by a certain senior official.

If the emperor wants to offer birthday greetings, it is certainly not a decision made on a whim; at least the night before, he must consult with the six Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet.

If it involves birthday celebrations, the Ministry of Rites must submit a memorial to inquire, and perhaps the person who knows about it is Han Zhang, the Minister of Rites.

But that's where it ends.

In the imperial court, most of the high-ranking officials in purple robes looked surprised, indicating that the matter had not yet spread.

If the Prince of Yan and the Prince of Yong were to take this opportunity to frame each other, someone would certainly need to deliver the message.

It's nothing more than some high-ranking official taking action!

Was this the work of the Grand Secretary?

Han Zhang and the other two frowned in unison.

I fear this might be Liu Hang's scheme.

These days, Liu Hang is showing signs of decline, and his defeat is already evident.

No matter how much they declined, they were still figures of high rank.

If the struggle between the Han and Liu factions were to become intertwined with the conflict between the two kings, things would get really chaotic.

"there is always a solution to a problem."

Before leaving the palace, Han Zhang did not have the habit of speaking much.

"Let's go eat!"

Prince Yong's Mansion.

After the third watch drum, the moon and stars were few.

The beautiful concubine danced lightly, while the Prince of Yong drank alone, his face full of smiles.

"Does Your Highness have any concerns about the political situation?" It was Princess Yong who spoke.

Seeing that Prince Yong did not rest even after the third watch of the night, and even had the leisure to watch the dance, she knew that her husband had something to be happy about.

So she came over carrying a bowl of Qibao Lei Cha (a type of tea).

"Regarding Huang Jing," the Prince of Yong said with a look of delight but also disdain, "that Huang Jing suddenly appeared and said that I am older and should inherit the throne."

"Haha!" Prince Yong laughed and waved his hand, "I don't know where that good-for-nothing Prince Yan got these fools."

That Huang Jing isn't one of his men!

In other words, Huang Jing is one of the Prince of Yan's men!

"Such a setup is too crude!" Prince Yong commented disdainfully.

"His Majesty intends to celebrate his birthday and bring good fortune, hoping that a prince will be born to inherit the throne."

Prince Yong stroked his beard and smiled confidently: "It would be better if Your Majesty's marriage to bring good fortune turned into a disaster, but how can you be so impatient?"

"His appearance at this moment is perfectly clear to the Emperor; how could he not see through such a clumsy attempt at framing him?"

"More trouble than good!" Prince Yong shook his head repeatedly: "Everyone says that Prince Yan is shrewd and capable, but I don't think so!"

As a dignified fifth-rank official, his political skills were certainly far inferior to those of Grand Secretaries, Ministers, and Vice Ministers.

But the timing of this appearance was really rather foolish!

The Prince of Yong was overjoyed.