On the first day of May, the weather cleared up.
The air in the early morning still had a bit of coolness after the rain, but as soon as the sun came out, the heat of summer was instantly felt.
The morning proceedings had already begun for an hour.
King Chen stood in the palace, looking pale and haggard.
Yesterday Jiang Ying told him that Qian Qi had bewitched him and his mother and concubine in order to protect themselves. This news made him so frightened and angry that he almost stayed up all night.
Under extreme anxiety, King Chen sent people to Zhanwang's Mansion, Princess Princess' Mansion and Zhongyihou Mansion to secretly search for Qianqi's traces.
But which of these three mansions is not heavily guarded? The defense was as heavy as an iron barrel, and the spies couldn't get in at all.
If Qianqi really poisoned him, he wouldn't be able to live long even if he won the throne. Life and death were in the hands of that monster. Will he be able to sleep in the future?
What's more, if Qian Qi has been bribed by Rong Cang, his life is in the hands of the other party. In the future, he will be constrained everywhere, and he will not be Rong Cang's opponent.
King Chen thought about it all night last night. Maybe he should talk to Rong Cang. Even if he pays some price, he should change Qianqi back as soon as possible...
"I have something important to announce to you today." Emperor Mu sat on the dragon chair and looked around the hall, his eyes were heavy and his tone was calm and powerful. "My beloved ministers are worried about the country and the inheritance of the country, and have always advised me to make a decision as soon as possible. Crown Prince. I have considered it carefully and for a long time, and finally made up my mind today."
King Chen was shocked, slowly raised his head and looked forward, and slowly clenched his hands hanging by his sides.
Is your father going to establish a heirloom?
All the civil and military officials were also shocked, and they were all speculating on the candidate for the crown prince.
Emperor Mu said calmly: "In order to protect the eternal stability of the Chu Kingdom, I plan to make Rong Cang, the ninth son of the emperor, the crown prince. You should have no objections, right?"
There was a moment of silence in the palace.
All civil and military officials knelt down in unison, and the sound of worship penetrated the hall: "Long live my emperor, long live, long live! His Royal Highness, a thousand years old, a thousand years old, a thousand years old!"
King Chen had a stiff face. Hearing the sound of worship from all over the court, he turned his head in disbelief and looked at the ministers kneeling before and after him.
No one objects?
Are they all so supportive of Rong Cang becoming the crown prince?
What about the ministers who supported him in the past? Are all of them mute?
"Since none of you have objections, the matter has been settled." Emperor Mu turned around and ordered, "Yang Dexi, please send the Imperial Heavenly Supervisor to the Qinzheng Hall to hold a ceremony to establish the crown prince on an auspicious day."
"This slave obeys your orders."
Emperor Mu stood up and brushed his dragon robe: "Retreat from the court."
"Best regards, Your Majesty, long live my Emperor!"
Emperor Mu quickly turned and left.
Yang Dexi hurried down the palace steps, handed Rong Cang the imperial edict that he had drafted last night but had not had time to read out, and then hurriedly chased the emperor.
The prince's decree was announced quickly, and the emperor walked quickly, obviously not intending to hear any objection.
All civil and military officials stood up and congratulated Rong Cang one after another.
"Congratulations to the King of War... No, congratulations to His Highness the Crown Prince, congratulations to His Highness the Crown Prince!"
Uncle Xie Xiaoguo gracefully bowed and saluted: "His Royal Highness."
"I would like to extend my regards to His Highness the Crown Prince." Qi Jin came over and saluted gracefully, "Your Highness the Crown Prince is a thousand years old!"
The Seventh Prince and the Eighth Prince came over and saluted in the same way: "His Royal Highness, may you be blessed and safe."
Rong Cang looked at the people in front of him expressionlessly, his mouth slightly twitching, and his usually cold and indifferent face looked a little weird.
King Chen had a gloomy look on his face. He suppressed his unwillingness and gritted his teeth and said, "Congratulations to Ninth Brother on getting what he wanted."
"Prince Chen can no longer call you Ninth Brother." Qi Jin promptly reminded him, as if he was afraid that Prince Chen would not understand the rules of a monarch and his ministers, "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is the monarch, and His Highness King Chen is the minister. When we meet in the future, we must not only change the name of the Crown Prince, but also call him His Highness the Crown Prince." You must also perform the courtesy of a king and a minister."
King Chen tightened his lips and smiled stiffly: "The Prince of Qi has been at the border all year round, and he is quite proficient in the etiquette of monarchs and ministers."
"That's right." Qi Jin appreciated King Chen's resentment and unwillingness and smiled lazily, "King Chen is in the royal family, so naturally he knows more etiquette than a rough guy like me, so don't neglect it. "
Among the ministers who stood up slowly in the main hall, some originally wanted to come over to congratulate Rong Cang. However, seeing the somewhat tense atmosphere at this moment, they felt awe-inspiring.
Prince Qi was so brave, he dared to confront King Chen directly. As expected, the military power in the hands of Marquis Zhongyi was his greatest reliance, and even the prince could ignore him.
King Chen gritted his teeth, suppressed the anger in his heart, and looked at Rong Cang with a faint smile: "Brother, I would like to congratulate my ninth brother, but the position of prince may not be easy to sit on. I hope that my ninth brother can sit firmly. Just don’t fall down.”
After saying that, he turned around and walked away.
Rong Cang stared at his back expressionlessly, his eyes cold and deep, unable to distinguish between joy and anger.
The Seventh Prince frowned, his eyes falling on King Chen's back: "I'm afraid Brother Sixth Prince won't give up easily."
"What are you afraid of?" Qi Jin sneered, "Soldiers will stop us, and water will cover us. How can His Majesty the War King, who has the power of 400,000 soldiers and horses, be intimidated by him?"
This sentence seems to be a joke, but the hidden meaning is shocking.
Four hundred thousand soldiers and horses.
yes.
Rong Cang holds a total of 400,000 troops and horses in his hands. In addition to the 150,000 stationed at the border, he also has 150,000 elite troops in the capital camp. The other 100,000 are unknown to where the war king has placed them.
Not to mention that King Chen is now a defeated general. Even if he really has some overt and secret tricks, can he still be able to withstand that overwhelming army?
The meaning of Qi Shizi's words is already obvious. If the crown prince's position is in the hands of the King of War, it can only belong to the King of War. If everything goes well in the future, anything can be said.
If an accident occurs, the 150,000 troops stationed in the outer capital will not be a vegetarian, and will definitely protect the status of His Highness the Crown Prince to the death.
So even if the emperor wants to abolish Chu, is it not possible?
Qi Jin didn't care what the ministers thought, he just looked at Rong Cang: "The emperor summoned the Heavenly Supervisor to choose an auspicious day for the canonization. After the ceremony of canonizing the prince, he will officially move into the East Palace and arrange the staff and palace people of the East Palace. I think King Chen is very likely to start from an auspicious day."
As soon as the crown prince's enthronement ceremony was held, the situation was irreversible. King Chen was unwilling to do so. With no other way to stop it, he could only start from an auspicious day.
The Eighth Prince hesitated: "Brother Sixth Prince shouldn't be so bold, right?"
Even Qin Tianjian can be bribed. Does Qi Shizi think too highly of King Chen's ability and courage?
Qi Jin glanced at him and said to himself, you know nothing.
A person who dares to poison his own brother, do you expect him to have brains or humanity?
