Looking at the ministers kneeling all over the floor, Emperor Tai’an’s face was dark as water as he asked flatly: “Why not?”
Not just “cannot,” but “absolutely must not.” Did this mean that even if the Crown Prince was utterly hopeless, even if he would undoubtedly ruin the ancestral legacy in the future, they still couldn’t live without this Crown Prince?
Listening to the officials’ pleas, Emperor Tai’an’s heart grew colder, and his resolve strengthened instead.
When had the Emperor become constrained by the Crown Prince, and for the sole reason that he had few heirs?
Emperor Tai’an felt both desolate and ridiculous. He said nothing, watching the officials’ reactions.
Compared to the ministers’ intense reactions, the princes were much calmer. For them, whoever became Crown Prince was the same—it couldn’t possibly be their own sons anyway. If they spoke too much, the Emperor might just record it in his little notebook.
“Third Brother, what do you think?” Emperor Tai’an suddenly asked Prince Ning.
Prince Ning’s scalp tightened. He instinctively stroked his beard: “Ahem, to be honest, what the Crown Prince did on the Dragon Boat Festival was indeed absurd. However, deposing the heir is a major matter concerning the stability of the state. Perhaps Your Majesty should reconsider?”
Hearing Prince Ning say this, many ministers nodded in agreement and cried out: “We implore Your Majesty to think thrice!”
Emperor Tai’an was too lazy to look at these people. His gaze fell on Prince Jing’s face: “What does Fifth Brother think?”
Prince Jing looked bewildered: “What is Your Majesty asking me?”
Emperor Tai’an drew a silent breath: “Asking your view on deposing the heir.”
Prince Jing understood: “Oh, Your Majesty is asking about this. Then younger brother has no particular view. Disciplining sons naturally falls to the parents.”
Emperor Tai’an nodded. Only then did he look at those ministers and say in a heavy voice: “Failing to teach one’s child is the father’s fault. The Crown Prince has lost his virtue. You lords all suggested I severely punish him. As his father, how can I continue to indulge him without limit? If I let this pass lightly and the Crown Prince doesn’t receive proper punishment, should he cause an even uglier incident in the future, wouldn’t that place me in an unrighteous position? I would fail my ancestors and the state, fail the common people, and fail you lords as well.”
The officials: “…” His Majesty was determined to dump the shit pot of advocating for deposing the heir on their heads?
“Your Majesty, please reconsider!”
Emperor Tai’an’s face showed an expression of pain. He let out a long sigh: “Lords, please don’t try to persuade me further. I know you are very dissatisfied with the Crown Prince’s actions in your hearts. You’re just being considerate of me as a father, unwilling to make things difficult for me…”
The officials all twitched the corners of their mouths in unison.
His Majesty was truly talking utter nonsense with his eyes wide open!
“My mind is made up. That’s settled then.” Emperor Tai’an stood up and walked away with heavy steps.
The officials looked at each other. Finally they surrounded the Minister of Rites who had been first to step forward: “Minister Chen, what are we to do now!”
Minister Chen’s old tears flowed freely: “As subjects we should ease our lord’s burdens. How can we place His Majesty in an unrighteous position?”
What else could they do? Even if they risked their lives to persuade His Majesty to change his mind today, news that His Majesty intended to depose the heir would certainly reach the Crown Prince’s ears. When the Crown Prince eventually succeeded to the throne, he would absolutely bear a grudge against those ministers who spoke ill of him—especially him, the first to step forward.
Things had come to this point. Even if they felt His Majesty’s decision to depose the Crown Prince was too hasty, they could only firmly follow His Majesty’s path, and even had to help His Majesty suppress dissenting voices.
They’d carelessly boarded a pirate ship without paying attention!
Thinking this, Minister Chen wept even harder.
The others also wanted to cry, but thinking of Minister Chen, the sacrificial bird who’d stuck his neck out, they felt slightly better.
Prince Jing practically flew back to his manor.
“What’s happened to the Prince? Why are you panting so?” Princess Jing asked, using a handkerchief to wipe the bayberry juice staining her fingertips.
“His Majesty is going to depose the Crown Prince!” Prince Jing, eager to share with someone, spoke this sentence and finally felt relieved.
Then he watched with satisfaction as Princess Jing’s hand jerked, knocking a bayberry from the glass dish beside her.
The fresh bayberry fell from the table edge and rolled to Prince Jing’s feet.
Princess Jing hadn’t yet recovered from her shock: “The Prince isn’t joking, is he?”
Prince Jing kicked away the bayberry at his feet and said with a chuckle: “Would I dare joke about such a thing? His Majesty summoned me to the palace today precisely to discuss this matter.”
Princess Jing’s expression changed slightly: “The Prince didn’t say anything he shouldn’t have, did he?”
Prince Jing waved his hand: “No, I’m not as foolish as Minister Chen.”
Ah, Minister Chen was truly an honest man.
“His Majesty only has two sons. If the Crown Prince is deposed, wouldn’t Prince Wei—”
Prince Jing remained perfectly at ease: “Princess needn’t think so much. They’re all His Majesty’s sons anyway—to us there’s no difference. However, the Crown Prince’s affair does remind me that we can’t relax our discipline of our sons.”
He turned to order a maid to summon the Heir and Second Young Master. Before long, Qi Shuo and Qi Huan arrived one after another.
“What did Shuo’er do today?”
“I read in the garden for a while.”
The garden…
Prince Jing cleared his throat lightly: “It’s getting hotter and hotter. How nice it would be to read in the study—be careful of getting heatstroke outside.”
Fortunately the eldest son was fairly reliable, at most scaling his wife’s family’s wall.
Thinking this, Prince Jing didn’t say more. He glared at Qi Huan: “When you have nothing to do, stay home and read more. Go out less. If I find out you’ve been to unsavory places, I’ll break your legs!”
“Your son understands.” Qi Huan responded with practiced ease, completely bewildered in his heart.
Had Father discovered his secret trips to the Jinshui River?
“Alright, you may go.” Having warned his sons, Prince Jing waved to dismiss them.
The two brothers walked out. Qi Huan felt utterly baffled: “Elder Brother, has Father been stimulated by something?”
Qi Shuo glanced toward the Imperial City: “I heard Father just returned from the palace.”
Qi Huan said “Oh,” no longer surprised.
Just as he only got scolded when facing Father, Father faced the same treatment before His Majesty.
“Elder Brother, I’m going out.”
Qi Shuo’s face remained calm: “Second Brother should visit the Jinshui River less often.”
Qi Huan stumbled and quickly left.
The next day at morning court, when the edict deposing the Crown Prince was issued, it shocked the entire court.
Announced alongside the edict was the disposition of the Dou family: Dou San was sentenced to exile, and Dou Qisheng, for failing to properly supervise his clan members, was directly stripped of office and title.
The Crown Prince’s secondary consort’s natal family had wanted to jump up and down a bit, but seeing the Late Empress’s natal family meet such an end, they immediately became as docile as quails.
The storm over deposing the heir actually passed just like that, calm and quiet.
Of course, the Crown Prince himself, learning he’d been deposed, was anything but calm: “I want to see Father Emperor! I want to see Father Emperor!”
Palace attendants desperately blocked the deposed Crown Prince from barging in, pleading earnestly: “Right now His Majesty is still angry. Please wait until His Majesty’s anger has subsided before coming.”
“Get lost! What thing are you to dare block me!” The deposed Crown Prince kicked out.
The palace attendant who was kicked back several steps turned pale, but didn’t dare talk back.
Though the Crown Prince had been deposed, he still held the title “Prince Liang,” which showed His Majesty still had feelings for the Crown Prince and hadn’t truly treated him as if this son no longer existed.
Just then Liu Chuan emerged and said to the palace attendants blocking the deposed Crown Prince: “His Majesty says to let Prince Liang enter.”
The several palace attendants withdrew to the side upon hearing this, letting the deposed Crown Prince charge inside.