This morning at court assembly, although the ministers did not quarrel like yesterday, they still argued over whether to promote Prince Dai. However, today was somewhat different from yesterday.
Yesterday at the morning court assembly, the ministers supporting Prince Dai's promotion were only those from his faction. But today, many more ministers supported his promotion. To be precise, except for those from the Crown Prince's faction who opposed it, everyone else approved Prince Dai's promotion.
The promotion of Prince Dai was not beneficial for the Crown Prince, but for other princes, it was a good thing. The promotion of a prince not only elevates his status but also increases his entourage's specifications, such as more fiefs and guards.
Today at the court, almost everyone was in favor of promoting Prince Dai. The Emperor was not surprised by such development.
The Emperor allowed the ministers to argue, yet remained silent on agreeing or disagreeing with Prince Dai's promotion.
Today, as the ministers did not quarrel as they did yesterday, the Emperor found it rather boring and left abruptly. Seeing this, Sun Kui quickly called, "Court adjourned."
After the ministers respectfully saw the Emperor off, they surrounded Prime Minister He.
"Prime Minister He, what do you think the Emperor means?"
"Prime Minister He, regarding the matter of Prince Dai's promotion, please state your position."
"Prime Minister He, do you support Prince Dai's promotion or not?"
"Prime Minister He, now that all ministers at court support Prince Dai's promotion, what is your opinion?"
"Prime Minister He..."
Prime Minister He, unable to leave, had no choice but to say, "Gentlemen, the matter of promoting Prince Dai is not something I can influence."
"Prime Minister He, as the Prime Minister, your opinion is very important."
"The Emperor has always valued you and listens to your advice. If you support Prince Dai's promotion, the Emperor will surely agree."
Prime Minister He waved his hand and smiled, "Whether or not Prince Dai is promoted, the Emperor has it clear in his mind."
"In your opinion, does the Emperor agree or not agree?"
Prime Minister He confidently smiled and said, "I dare not speculate on the Emperor's will." After speaking, he turned and walked away.
"Prime Minister He..."
Despite being in his fifties or sixties, Prime Minister He was in good health and walked quickly. Soon, his figure was out of sight.
Prime Minister He hurried onto the carriage parked at the palace gate and urged the driver to leave quickly. Upon returning home, he ordered the gate shut and repeatedly instructed that no one be admitted.
Over the past two days, due to the matter of Prince Dai's promotion, many visited him, greatly troubling him.
When the ministers could not get any information from Prime Minister He, they turned their attention to another person—Grandmaster Liu.
Confronted by inquiries from the ministers, Grandmaster Liu, with a cold face, impatiently stated he did not know and asked not to be bothered.
As both Prime Minister He and Grandmaster Liu were tight-lipped, providing no information, the ministers turned their attention to the Emperor's trusted confidants.
The confidants were not the eunuchs by the Emperor's side but were military officers who accompanied the Emperor in battles—Song Dekang and Shen Hu.
Song Dekang and Shen Hu were not only the Emperor's favored generals but also had a familial connection to him. However, these two men were solely loyal to the Emperor and did not support any prince. Inquiring about Prince Dai's promotion from them was indeed a misguided notion.
Many ministers, knowing they would not get useful information from Song Dekang and Shen Hu, still wanted to try. The two were also much troubled, ensuring their households kept the doors shut and admitted no one.
In Marquis Xuanping's Mansion, important ministers supporting Prince Dai gathered to continue discussing how to get the Emperor to agree to Prince Dai's promotion.
"Marquis, at today's morning court, except for the Crown Prince's faction opposing Prince Dai's promotion, everyone else supported it, yet the Emperor still hasn't taken a stance. Is the Emperor in agreement or not?"
"The Emperor has always favored Prince Dai and used him heavily. This time, Prince Dai has made significant contributions by pacifying Liangzhou, so logically speaking, our suggestion to promote him should align with the Emperor's intentions. Why, then, is the Emperor delaying his approval?"
"I believe the Emperor does want to agree to Prince Dai's promotion, but he's taking the Crown Prince into consideration, therefore hesitating to agree immediately."
"I think too that the Emperor is putting on a bit of a show. In a few days, he will definitely agree to promote Prince Dai."
"Perhaps when Prince Dai triumphantly returns to the capital, the Emperor will bestow the promotion."
"Marquis, we must keep a watchful eye on Duke Zhen."
Marquis Xuanping slightly furrowed his brows and said, "The matter of Prince Dai's promotion cannot be delayed until he returns to the capital; it must be settled before he comes back."
"Marquis, are you suggesting..."
Meanwhile, at Duke Zhen's Mansion, important ministers supporting the Crown Prince also gathered to discuss opposing Prince Dai's promotion.
"Duke, now that all the ministers at court support Prince Dai's promotion, what can be done?"
"Once the Emperor agrees to the promotion, Prince Dai will surely surpass the Crown Prince."
"Prince Dai has always been illustrious in battle. If promoted, his arrogance will only grow, further disregarding the Crown Prince."
"Duke, this matter must be resolved before Prince Dai returns to the capital. Otherwise, once he's back, there will be no room for negotiation."
"The Emperor's unclear attitude is not beneficial for us."
"The Emperor is usually decisive and ruthless, yet in this matter of Prince Dai's promotion, he remains silent. I suspect the Emperor also intends to promote Prince Dai."
"Could the Emperor be waiting for Prince Dai's return to bestow the promotion that day?"
"It's not impossible."
"Duke, we must ensure the Emperor gives up the notion of promoting Prince Dai before he returns to the capital."
Compared to the anxious and worried ministers, Duke Zhen appeared very calm and composed: "I will never allow Prince Dai's promotion."
"Duke, do you have a solution?"
In the East Palace, the Grand Tutor was giving a lecture to the Crown Prince, who clearly seemed a bit distracted.
The Grand Tutor, aware of what had transpired during the morning court, understood why the Crown Prince was distracted, "Your Highness..."
The Crown Prince did not hear the Grand Tutor call him.
Only after being called several times did the Crown Prince return to his senses.
The Crown Prince, with an apologetic face, hurriedly stood and apologized to the Grand Tutor, "Sir, I apologize for my distraction."
The Grand Tutor gestured for the Crown Prince to sit down and kindly said, "Your Highness, especially at this time, you mustn't lose your composure."
"What do you mean, sir?"
"Your Highness, always remember your identity." The Grand Tutor spoke to the Crown Prince with a profound look, "You are the Crown Prince of Great Zhou; no matter what happens, your identity will not change!"
The Crown Prince did not quite grasp the Grand Tutor's words, appearing puzzled, "Sir, I naturally remember my identity."
"Since that's the case, Your Highness needn't worry." The Grand Tutor reiterated, "Especially now, Your Highness must remain steady!"
The Crown Prince nodded understandingly yet unsurely, "I'll follow your guidance, sir."
The Grand Tutor smiled kindly, "Then let us continue."
"Yes, sir." The Crown Prince dared not get distracted again and attentively listened to the Grand Tutor's explanation.
In the Imperial Study of Chengguang Hall, the Emperor threw down the memorials he was holding. The sound startled Sun Kui, who was waiting on the side.
"Your Majesty, what's the matter?" Sun Kui hurriedly picked up the memorial dropped on the ground by the Emperor.
The Emperor, with a stern face, cursed, "A bunch of useless people."
When Sun Kui picked up the memorial, he inadvertently saw its contents, revealing it concerned the rebels in Yangzhou.
"Your Majesty, please calm down. Angering yourself is not worth it." He quickly signaled to a eunuch standing nearby, who promptly brought over a cup of hot tea.
Sun Kui took the tea from the eunuch and respectfully offered it to the Emperor, "Your Majesty, have a sip of tea to cool off."
The Emperor took the tea and drank it in large gulps without concern for manners. After finishing, his anger lessened somewhat, although his expression remained grim.
"Your Majesty, if you're dissatisfied with the affairs in Yangzhou, appointing someone else to handle it could be a solution, rather than vexing yourself."
"Summon Liu Tongwen, Song Dekang, and Shen Hu." The affairs in Yangzhou cannot be delayed any longer. Further delay could lead to change.