jdhmnovel Chapter 687 The Fourth Prince Enters the Palace
Chapter 687 The Fourth Prince Enters the Palace
Minister Lin was certainly not trying to get to the bottom of things, since he knew that the news had been deliberately leaked by His Majesty.
This is just a way of teasing the ministers outside the palace.
Don't you think the law doesn't punish everyone?
Then we divide this "masses" into "people," making them all independent individuals. How can we then say that the law does not punish the masses?
"Alright, alright, why are you all so tense? I'm not here to interrogate a prisoner."
"It's truly improper for you all to be blocking the palace gates like this. Those who know better understand that you care about the future of the Great Zhou, but those who don't might think you're all staging a coup."
"Oh dear, Minister Lin, you wouldn't dare say that! We officials had absolutely no such intention!"
"Yes, yes, Your Excellency! We had absolutely no such intention!"
The crowd then voiced their opinions, fearing that Minister Lin, who held military power and was a confidant of the Emperor, might suddenly become ruthless and actually take action against them.
They were all civil officials, powerless to even kill a chicken; how could they possibly endure the treatment in the Ministry of War's prison?!
"If you don't have that thought, that's fine. But if you don't have that thought, why are you standing here like an idiot?"
Are you expecting His Majesty to provide you with lunch? Hurry home and warm up on your heated brick bed!
"With your old arms and legs all strained, my legs ache just looking at you!"
After hearing Minister Lin's words, everyone looked at each other, hesitant.
At this moment, an elderly minister in the crowd mustered his courage and said:
"Your Excellency, the matter of choosing an heir is of great importance. His Majesty has not yet issued a clear decree, and we are truly worried."
Minister Lin smiled, crossed his arms, and said, "His Majesty has his own reasons. What's the use of you people just waiting here?"
"It would be better to go back and think carefully about how to share His Majesty's burdens. Besides, the selection of an heir is not something that can be decided overnight; there's no use in rushing it."
After hearing what he said, everyone deduced something from the content of his words. It seemed that the imperial edict was completely fabricated.
Only after realizing this did everyone stop and bid farewell to Minister Lin.
Watching the crowd gradually disappear into the distance, Minister Lin's lips curled into a slight smile, and he thought to himself:
His Majesty's tactic of feinting and deception has indeed worked; these civil officials should behave themselves for a while longer.
He then straightened his clothes, turned around and walked out of the palace. He had finished dealing with the civil officials for the time being, and now he had to deal with the military officials.
By the time the Fourth Prince Zhao Hongsheng arrived at the palace gate, almost all the ministers had left.
A few who hadn't left weren't unwilling to go, but were waiting for their own carriages to come and pick them up.
Since they didn't know how long they would have to wait at first, several officials sent people back to get some food and drink. Anyway, they were in carriages outside the palace gates, so they weren't afraid of being seen.
Some were quick and got to the nearest station, while others were slow and got to the farthest. So, some adults hadn't yet seen their coachman return to pick them up.
The group stomped their feet from time to time to get blood back into their toes, which were already somewhat frozen.
What are you gentlemen doing here?
The fourth prince went straight to the point. These people didn't seem to be going to the palace to meet the emperor. They looked like they had been standing there for quite a while and were somewhat disheveled.
"Um, greetings, Your Highness the Fourth Prince. We are waiting for our own carriage. It's probably because the snow is too thick that the carriage is delayed on the road."
Oh? The Fourth Prince guessed that these people had probably just come from the palace and were on their way back to their residence.
"I see. Then I won't bother you any longer."
The fourth prince dismounted, showed his waist token to the guards, and went straight into the palace without the slightest hesitation.
"Oh my, it has to be the Fourth Prince, he's so brave."
"Judging from the Fourth Prince's appearance, it doesn't seem like it's about that matter. Could there be some misunderstanding?"
"The news has spread throughout the court. How could the Fourth Prince not know? Even if the Fourth Prince didn't know, wouldn't Minister Tong have informed his own grandson?"
"That's true. So the Fourth Prince just went straight into the palace like that? What will he say to His Majesty?"
"Alright, are you not cold enough? You're too scared to go into the palace, yet you're so curious."
"You talk as if you dare to enter the palace and meet the Emperor. Aren't we all the same? We were all turned away by Minister Lin with just a few words!"
"Do you think Minister Lin is pretending to be ignorant? I bet he knows the contents of the imperial edict, and he's just saying that to get rid of us."
"Alright, alright, are you still going to make a scene? Everyone here isn't stupid, are you the only smart one?"
Let's give each other a way out, and if we can back down, let's do it. Otherwise, are we just waiting to freeze to death at the palace gates? As Minister Lin said, it would be a forced abdication if not a coup!
"I can't talk to you anymore, my driver is here!"
"Hey! You talk and then run away, you think you're so smart, so smart, pshaw! You old codger!"
Finally, these people arrived one by one at their own carriage, and one by one, with their lips turning purple and trembling, they got into the carriage.
The fourth prince did not go to the imperial study after entering the palace, but instead went to the Empress Dowager's palace to pay his respects.
These days, he and the Eighth Prince are training in the garrison camp and rarely return to their own residences, living and eating almost the same time as the soldiers.
This move earned him considerable fame in the army, and at the same time strengthened his brotherhood with the Eighth Prince.
The two used to be nodding acquaintances, but now they have become the closest of brothers among all of them.
The Fourth Prince's visit to the palace this time was not actually about the imperial edict on establishing an heir, since he genuinely knew nothing about it.
The messenger sent by the Tong family just missed the Fourth Prince and arrived empty-handed.
When the Fourth Prince left the Kyoto garrison, the messenger from the Tong family was still on his way.
One rode a horse, the other rode a carriage, and they didn't even take the same route, so they perfectly missed each other.
The Fourth Prince's visit to the palace this time was purely because he heard that a member of the Ouyang family had gone missing, and it also involved the treasure map that the Tong family had given out as a prize at a previous poetry gathering.
Worried that this matter would involve his own family, and also worried that the Tong family and the Ouyang family would have a falling out, he made this trip for his maternal grandparents' family.
He certainly wouldn't rashly visit the Ouyang family to sever ties, but it would be appropriate to speak to his grandmother, the Empress Dowager.
After all, her grandmother was both a member of the Ouyang family and a member of the royal family, so no one was more appropriate than the Empress Dowager to inquire about it.
The Fourth Prince wanted to keep things under control and not wait until something happened to a member of the Ouyang family before dragging his maternal grandparents' family into the mess when it came time to hold people accountable.
It must be said that after a period of experience, the Fourth Prince Zhao Hongsheng has become more comprehensive and cautious in his thinking.
If Minister Tong knew, he would surely be very pleased.
"Your Majesty, the Fourth Prince is requesting an audience outside."
"Oh? Why has this child come to the palace at this time?"
"This old servant does not know, but judging from the Fourth Prince's appearance, he seems to have come straight to the palace from the military camp."
"Yes, it's freezing cold. Let him come in quickly and bring him a cup of hot tea to warm his hands."
"Yes~"