In Hulong Temple, the prince finished his morning prayer session and learned what happened in the morning. He frowned and went directly to the eighth prince's room without returning to his own room.
The eighth prince received the news earlier than the prince, but of course he pretended not to know in front of the prince.
As soon as the prince entered the eighth prince's house, he scolded the king for being hypocritical.
The eighth prince hurriedly asked what happened.
"This morning, the king interceded for Kong Taichang's family and begged his father to cancel the engagement between him and Kong Taichang's youngest daughter." The prince said with a sarcastic look on his face, "He hypocritically said that he was unwilling to force Kong Taichang's youngest daughter to marry He also said that he didn’t want to cause Kong Taichang’s family to be wronged because of him.”
The Eighth Prince pretended to be very surprised: "Did the King really say that?"
"Really, he also said that Kong Taichang was loyal, devoted himself to doing things for the court, and shouldered the important task of compiling history. Kong Taichang's heart should not be chilled by this marriage." When it came to the matter of the king, the always elegant and gentle prince seemed to have changed. When you meet someone, you become a little mean and a little ferocious. "He also said that he was a martial artist and was not worthy of the talented Miss Kong. He begged his father to let go of Kong Taichang's family. If Miss Kong wanted to return to the secular world, let her return to the secular world, and then ask the emperor to give her some relief. Give her a good marriage. If Miss Kong doesn’t want to return to secular life, let her continue to practice in Bodhi Temple and don’t disturb her again.”
"He also said that it was all his fault that he had ruined Miss Kong's reputation. If Miss Kong wanted to return to secular life, he would add a dowry to Miss Kong when she married in the future. If Miss Kong wanted to continue to work in Bodhi Temple When he becomes a monk and practices Buddhism, he will donate a sum of money to Bodhi Temple and repair it."
"Gu Ping has really underestimated him. I didn't expect him to be capable of acting." The prince said with a cold face, "Many ministers in the court praised his righteousness."
"This is not an idea that King Dai can come up with." The Eighth Prince smiled contemptuously, "It's not something that King Dai can think of."
The prince laughed and said: "How could King Dai have the brains to come up with this idea? It must have been the idea of Marquis Xuanping and others."
"I never thought that Marquis Xuanping would have a brain."
"Eighth brother, now is not the time to praise Marquis Ping." The prince said with some dissatisfaction, "Because of these words, the king has become a generous, benevolent and righteous prince in the mouths of ministers and people."
After the court came down, the news of the king's intercession for Kong Taichang's family spread throughout the capital. Of course, there must be someone contributing to this.
"During this period, King Dai has always been the object of everyone's jokes, which makes him lose face. The people are also laughing at him, a great hero who came back from Liangzhou. His reputation among the people has dropped a lot, but, "At this point, the prince paused for a moment, and then said with a gloomy expression, "Because of these words, his reputation among the people..."
The prince did not say any more, but his eyes were full of jealousy and distortion.
"Brother, I'm not praising Marquis Xuan Ping." The eighth prince smiled reassuringly at the prince, "Actually, the way to defeat King Dai's move is very simple."
After hearing this, the prince's eyes suddenly lit up and he asked hurriedly: "What can I do?"
The eighth prince did not answer the prince's question directly, but smiled meaningfully: "Brother, what do you think would happen if Miss Kong died?"
He added, "What if he commits suicide again."
The prince instantly understood what the eighth prince meant, and immediately raised his lips and smiled: "If Miss Kong committed suicide, everyone will think that it was the acting king who killed her."
"Actually, the best way is to let Miss Kong commit suicide in prison in shame a few days ago, but my father locked the whole family together, and there are people guarding them all the time, making it difficult to act." The Eighth Prince looked calm. He said, "If Miss Kong dies in prison, King Dai will be charged with forcing people to death for the rest of his life, but it's a pity that he can't do anything about it."
"You should have told me this method earlier." After hearing what the eighth prince had just said, the prince didn't think there was anything wrong with letting Miss Kong "commit suicide" in prison. "I'll let my uncle arrange this."
"Brother, Duke Zhen Guo must have thought of all the ways I can think of, but Duke Zhen Guo has not arranged for anyone to do this." The eighth prince said, "This shows that Duke Zhen Guo thinks this method is not good."
"What's wrong?" The prince thought this method was good.
"Brother, you will be suspected. Everyone will think that you sent someone to kill Miss Kong in order to frame the blame on the king." The eighth prince said, "Even if you didn't do it, everyone will think it was you. made."
After hearing this, the prince realized what he was saying. He nodded immediately and said, "You are right." After saying that, he thought of the method that the eighth prince had just proposed and felt that something was wrong. He frowned slightly and said, "But wait until father. Is it too late to let Kong Taichang’s family go and then let Miss Kong commit suicide?”
"late?"
"The king has interceded for Miss Kong, so it would be meaningless if something happens to Miss Kong. Besides, everyone will think that I did it." The prince had just lost his mind because of his anger, but now he had regained some sense and found that the eighth prince This advice is not good. "The King Dai and I are incompatible with each other. No matter if something happens to me or something happens to him, everyone will blame me or him."
The eighth prince did not expect that the prince would turn a corner. He said apologetically: "Brother is right, I didn't think carefully."
The prince did not blame the eighth prince, but comforted him: "You also want to help me."
"Then what are you going to do, brother?"
The prince said: "As long as uncle is here, you and I don't have to worry about it." He smiled, "You and I are both at Hulong Temple now. We can't do anything we want, so we should let uncle do it."
"With Duke Zhen's methods, he will definitely give King Dai and the others a big counterattack."
"Fortunately, I have a good uncle." The prince was glad that he had a good uncle countless times, otherwise he, the crown prince, would have been replaced by the acting king.
"Brother, in a few days, the blessings will be over. What are you going to do next?"
The prince didn't quite understand what the eighth prince meant, and asked with confusion: "What do you mean?"
"Brother, as the late empress, you prayed for the Great Zhou Dynasty for forty-nine days, and you also used your own blood to copy Buddhist scriptures. You should let the people in the world know." The eighth prince said with a profound look.
"How to let the world know?" the prince asked.
"Sick." The Eighth Prince said, "Brother, you fell ill to pray for the late Queen and the Great Zhou Dynasty. The people will think that you are a filial child and a good prince who serves the country and the people. By then your reputation among the people will be certain." Will surpass the acting king."
When the prince heard this, he looked a little excited and said: "This is a good idea, why didn't I think of it?"
"Brother, your body is already weak. It's not surprising that you fell ill after praying for forty-nine days, and your father won't doubt it." The eighth prince said with a smile, "Father will still feel sorry for you."
The more the prince heard, the more he thought this was a good idea. He stood up and said, "Okay, let's do it!"
"Brother, you have worked hard these days. Take advantage of your illness to take a good rest." The Eighth Prince said with distressed eyes, "Brother, you have lost weight again during this time in Hulong Temple."
Lu Cong on the side echoed: "What the Eighth Prince said is that you have lost weight again, and you must make up for it when you return after the blessing."
"Okay, I listen to you. After you go back, take good care of yourself." The prince looked at the eighth prince with gentle eyes, "Eighth brother, you are still smart."
"Brother, it's not that I'm smart, but that you are too honest. You sincerely prayed for the late empress and Dazhou, and you have never thought of using this matter to plan something for yourself."
The prince really never thought about using prayer to gain a good reputation for himself, because he really wanted to pray for his mother. Also, he thinks this is what he should do.
"Brother, you are a pure and filial person, so you never think about these things." The Eighth Prince said with a smile, "But I am different. I hope that your filial piety and sincerity can be seen by the world, so that everyone can see your filial piety and sincerity." The people of the world know that their prince is a very good man."
The prince was stunned at first, then his eyes turned red, and his voice was choked with sobs as he said: "Eighth brother, you..."
"Brother, before the king came back from Liangzhou, he asked Xuanpinghou to publicize his illustrious military exploits in the capital, let the people know how many victorious battles he had fought for the Zhou Dynasty, and misled the king to compare you, the prince, to Da Zhou has paid a lot, but this is not the case." The Eighth Prince said seriously, "Although brother, you did not go to the battlefield to quell the chaos, but you have also done a lot for the people of Da Zhou."
"It was you who suggested to my father that the imperial court should allocate money to the Imperial College every year to subsidize and help students from poor families. You also personally spent money to buy many books, and deliberately hired people to copy them, and then gave these copies to the Imperial College. , so that Taixue students can borrow it.”
"Brother, it was you who suggested that my father provide food seeds for the poor people. It was also you who suggested..."
The eighth prince told the prince one by one the useful policies he had proposed for the court over the years, which moved the prince very much.
Although the prince is gentle and weak-tempered, he has indeed done some good things for the court and the people in the past few years. He is not a nerdy prince who only knows how to read, nor does he only do things that are beautiful on the surface, nor does he only do things that are unrealistic.
He generally would not make rash suggestions to Emperor Wu of Zhou. He made suggestions to Emperor Wu of Zhou only after investigation and inspection.
He will not deliberately propose policies that are good for them in order to please the ministers or dignitaries in the DPRK. The suggestions he put forward were all for the court and the people, and they were not mixed with his own selfishness.
"Brother, you have done a lot of good things for the people of the world, but they have forgotten." The eighth prince said unfairly to the prince, "Now they only know that the king has calmed a lot of chaos for the Great Zhou, which is unfair to you, eldest brother. Also, ministers only focus on your faults but forget your advantages."
"And the same goes for my father. Brother, you have done good things. My father rarely praises you. He thinks this is what you should do as the prince. But, brother, if you do something wrong, my father will blame you and think that this is what you should do." What you did was not good enough."
These words made the prince feel sour in his heart, his throat was blocked, the tip of his nose was sore, and his eyes were red.
"Eighth brother, you..." This has always been the grievance deep in the prince's heart. He has always known his responsibility as the prince, to think about the people and the court, to work hard to make the people live a good life, and to work hard to make Da Zhou better and better, so he has been working hard.
He also knew that some of the things he did were what he should do, but he also wanted to be recognized and praised by his father, ministers, and people. However, they take this as a matter of course and not worthy of praise. However, when he made the slightest mistake, the ministers would hold on to it, and his father would blame him for it.
Sometimes he thinks that just because he is the prince, he can't make any mistakes? But he is also a human being, and he also wants to be praised and tolerated. But, no.
He never told anyone about the grievances and pain in his heart. He didn't dare to say it, because he was afraid of being laughed at and then saying that he was not worthy of being the crown prince.
In the past, when his mother was around, he would tell her his grievances. She would never blame him like his father, but she would comfort him and encourage him.
Before his death, his mother once said something to him. She said he was a prince first and then a son. The prince is the crown prince of Zhou Dynasty and a minister of his father.
Although he always remembered his mother's words, sometimes he really couldn't do it, especially when he saw how easily the king received his father's praise.
Being a prince is a high-risk and hard-working profession, even harder than being an emperor!
Few princes in history succeeded in ascending the throne. Most of them died, and died very miserably.
It’s the last day of the month, keep asking for monthly votes!
(End of chapter)
