In the mansion of Prime Minister He, Taishi Liu, Song Dekang, Chu Ying and others were drinking tea and chatting with Prime Minister He. The topic of the chat was naturally the sudden marriage decree from Emperor Zhou Wu in the morning.
This marriage decree not only caught Kong Taichang off guard, but also made He Xiang and the others confused.
Song Dekang was a rough man, drinking tea was like a cow chewing peonies. After he drank the tea in the tea cup, he put the tea cup on the table. Because it was pushed too hard, it made a "dong" sound.
"What do you think the emperor thinks? Why did he marry Lao Kong's youngest daughter to the king?"
Shen Hu frowned slightly and said, "Does the Emperor really want to depose the crown prince and make him the crown prince?"
Chu Ying said nonchalantly: "Whether the prince is abolished or he is established as king has nothing to do with us." Their allegiance is to the emperor, not to the prince or the king.
He Xiang and Taishi Liu didn't speak. The old god was drinking tea.
Seeing their leisurely looks, Song Dekang became a little anxious and asked hurriedly: "Xiang He, please say something."
He Xiang put down the tea cup in his hand and looked at Song Dekang helplessly: "What did you say?"
"Do you think the emperor is going to depose the prince and replace him with a king?" Song Dekang asked anxiously.
He asked instead: "What does this have to do with you?"
"Why does this have nothing to do with me?"
"Tell me what it has to do with you." He Xiang asked again.
"I..." Song Dekang was speechless as soon as he started speaking. He didn't know what to say for a while.
He Xiang looked at Song Dekang and said, "You don't want His Royal Highness to be deposed?"
Song Dekang did not hesitate this time, "Of course." He said with a complicated expression on his face, "His Royal Highness is the son of the late Queen after all."
When the late Queen was mentioned, the expressions of everyone present changed.
"For the sake of the late Queen, the Emperor will not depose His Highness the Crown Prince." He Xiang comforted Song Dekang and said, "Don't worry, the Emperor will not let His Highness the King of Dai replace His Highness the Crown Prince."
"Then why did the emperor marry the youngest daughter of the old Kong family to the king?" Although Song Dekang was a military commander, it did not mean that he was a man with strong limbs and a simple mind. He understood that the emperor gave Kong Taichang's youngest daughter a marriage to the king. King, what benefits will it bring to the king? "The old Kong family is very popular among those scholars. Isn't what the king lacks most the most is the support of scholars?"
He Xiang probably guessed the purpose of Emperor Zhou Wu's marriage decree, "The emperor must have his own plans."
"What are your plans to make His Highness the Crown Prince's situation more and more dangerous? To make His Highness the King of Dai become more and more arrogant?" Song Dekang said with some annoyance, "If the King of Dai really marries Lao Kong's youngest daughter, then the King of Dai will become even more arrogant." I don’t take His Highness the Crown Prince seriously anymore.”
Taishi Liu glanced at the angry Song Dekang and said calmly: "Without this marriage decree, the acting king would have even less regard for His Highness the Crown Prince."
Shen Hu asked: "Are we just going to watch like this?"
Taishi Liu glanced at Shen Hu, "What do you want to do? Want to help His Highness the Crown Prince?"
Shen Hu was stunned by Taishi Liu's words. He opened his mouth but couldn't say anything.
"Can't we help?" Song Dekang said, "For the sake of the late Queen, we should also help His Royal Highness."
As soon as he finished saying this, he received a warning look from He Xiang.
"I advise you not to do this. You should understand that the emperor does not want us to get involved in the matter between His Highness the Crown Prince and His Highness the King." He Xiang understood Song Dekang's desire to help His Highness the Crown Prince, but he did not agree with it, "You should It is clear that our allegiance is to the emperor, not to His Highness the Crown Prince."
"I know, I understand, but the late Queen was kind to us, so we can't just ignore her." Song Dekang is a man who values love and justice. At that time, he was away fighting with the emperor, and his wife at home had difficulty in giving birth. If the late empress had not asked the Xie family's miracle doctor to save his wife, his wife and the child in her belly would have died. Also, he was away fighting all year round and could not take care of the children at home. It was the late Queen who always took care of his mother and pregnant wife at home. Not only him, but also He Xiang and his family were taken care of by the late queen.
"It's not serious yet." He Xiang said, "If His Highness the Crown Prince is really desperate, we will naturally not leave him alone."
"What do you mean?" Song Dekang didn't understand what Xiang Xiang meant. "Isn't it serious that the emperor gave Lao Kong's youngest daughter in marriage to the king?"
Taishi Liu said: "It's not serious."
Song Dekang and Shen Hu were both stunned, with surprised and confused looks on their faces: "Isn't this serious?"
Taishi Liu hummed and said, "This is nothing."
"Isn't this nothing?"
"Since ancient times, it has been difficult to be the crown prince." He Xiang said meaningfully, "His Royal Highness is too benevolent and needs to be tempered."
Song Dekang and Shen Hu didn't understand and asked blankly: "What do you mean?"
He Xiangyan said: "It means you don't have to worry about it, just do what you need to do."
Song Dekang asked worriedly: "Do we really not have to worry?"
"We don't need to worry about this matter." He Xiang raised an intriguing smile on his lips, "If we need help with this small matter, then His Royal Highness will be somewhat useless."
When Song Dekang heard what Xiang He said, he seemed to understand. However, if He Xiang said there was no need for them to worry, then he wouldn't worry about it.
Taishi Liu said: "Don't worry about this matter."
Shen Hu nodded and said, "Okay."
Song Dekang said: "Okay, then we don't care." Just like what He Xiang said, if His Highness the Crown Prince is really cornered by His Highness the King of Dai, he doesn't have to worry when the time comes. He Xiang and Taishi Liu will help His Highness the Crown Prince.
Shen Hu and Song Dekang had something else to do, so they drank tea in Prime Minister He's Mansion for a while and then left. Master Liu did not leave in a hurry and continued to drink tea with He Xiang. chat.
They first talked about the rebellion in Yangzhou, and then about the affairs in Shu. At the end of the conversation, the conversation returned to the marriage. However, what they were talking about was not about helping His Highness the Crown Prince, but about what Duke Zhen and Kong Taichang would do.
The reason why He Xiang and Taishi Liu were not worried about this marriage was mainly because they knew that Kong Taichang would try his best to sabotage the marriage. Of course, there is also Zhen Guogong.
"What will happen if the emperor loses his temper?" Taishi Liu said suddenly, "At that time, the situation in the court will become turbulent."
"The emperor has a sense of discretion and will not let the situation get out of his control."
"The acting king is extremely ambitious, and the third prince and the others are watching him with eager eyes. I hope that the emperor will not let him off the hook." Once he lets off the throne, the Great Zhou Dynasty will become dangerous.
"Don't you understand the emperor's methods?" He Xiang picked up the teapot and poured a cup of tea for Taishi Liu himself. "Besides, His Royal Highness really needs training."
Taishi Liu picked up the tea cup and said instead of drinking the tea in a hurry: "If the final result is not what the emperor wants, what will happen to the emperor?"
"That is the emperor's concern. We ministers only need to obey orders."
Taishi Liu smiled slightly: "Yes."
The two stopped talking about this and started talking about this year's spring plowing.
At this time, the harem became very "lively" because of the marriage, and the concubines, eunuchs, and maids were all discussing this matter.
Liang Zhaoyi and Yu Meiren naturally heard about this incident and were shocked by it.
"Is your Majesty going to make the king the crown prince?"
"His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is going to be deposed?"
Liang Zhaoyi doesn't think so. "It's not that simple," she said.
"What do you mean, sister?"
Liang Zhaoyi shook her head at Poppy and the others: "This matter shouldn't be our concern, don't talk about it anymore."
Poppy and Pan Cairen nodded knowingly: "Sister is right, it has nothing to do with us."
Liang Zhaoyi ordered the people in Kunde Hall not to talk about this matter again. Anyone who still talks about this will be severely punished.
In the Zhaoyang Palace, when Queen Xie heard about this, she smiled very happily at first, and then her face became as gloomy as water.
She was happy that the emperor was finally deposing the prince. What makes him unhappy is that the emperor values the king so highly.
Although Queen Xie had always hoped that the prince would fight the prince, and even more so that the prince would replace the prince, when that day came, she was filled with jealousy and unwillingness because the prince was the son of Concubine Rong.
