hotmtlnovel Chapter 1941 One Person Against All
Chapter 1941 One Person Against All
Shu Ge Lao's defeat was predictable.
Zhou Shiyue came to court today, sacrificing his time for a good night's sleep, originally intending to sweep away a whole group of people.
"Knowing full well that the Emperor's illness requires complete rest, and that the imperial physicians have also said that he should not use his brain or overthink, Grand Secretary Shu still thinks that he should let the Emperor hear about, think about, and handle all the important matters, exhausting him to death!"
"Prince Jin!"
Grand Secretary Shu couldn't stand it any longer and sternly interrupted Zhou Shiyue.
"That's not what I meant. Does Your Highness have to smear this old minister?"
"Ah, what have I ever done?" Zhou Shiyue's nonchalant attitude made Grand Secretary Shu's teeth itch with envy.
"Isn't that what you meant? Then what did you mean?"
"What this old minister means is that the matter of the Crown Prince's succession can be discussed at length..."
"Ah, right, right, let's take our time and wait until there's a major event in the court. Then let some people stand up and say that the Emperor's decree doesn't count for the Crown Prince's word. Let's drag it out until things are completely rotten."
Zhou Shiyue interrupted him again, smiling contemptuously.
"Furthermore, if the Crown Prince's decisions infringe upon the interests of certain individuals, they will be given another opportunity to shirk responsibility, saying that the matter is of great importance and should be discussed after the Emperor recovers. Thus, the matter is dragged on and on, further damaging the court."
"Grand Secretary Shu, is this the reason you opposed the Crown Prince's ascension to the throne?"
Zhou Shiyue could rattle off charges one after another without pausing or pausing for breath.
Grand Secretary Shu was so angry that his face turned darker and darker, and he trembled all over, almost fainting.
How could the Prince of Jin say such a thing?
"This old minister had absolutely no such intention!"
"Then let me ask you, if the Crown Prince continues to only temporarily manage state affairs, is it possible that the things I just mentioned could happen?"
The crown prince and the emperor are completely different.
At the very least, the crown prince cannot issue an imperial edict.
Many matters of state require imperial edicts.
“Your Highness, actually His Highness the Crown Prince could also draft an imperial edict after making the decision, and then ask the Emperor to review it. This way, the Emperor wouldn’t be overworked; he would only need to speak…” another official stepped forward and said.
But before he could finish speaking, Zhou Shiyue spoke again.
"Oh? Can you guarantee that the Emperor will agree without even reading the contents of the imperial edict? Can you guarantee that the Emperor won't even have to ask what it is?"
Ah, this...
"If His Majesty wants to ask or see, then he'll have to think about it, right? If that's the case, then he'll be overthinking, worrying, and getting more tired. Oh, I see, you mean you want to outlive His Majesty!"
Thump.
The official then knelt down.
He didn't have the same strong heart as Grand Secretary Shu; when he heard Prince Jin repeatedly say things like "outlive the Emperor to death," his heart couldn't take it.
"I had no such intention!" he cried.
"That's strange. None of you meant it that way, but the words you said clearly indicated that purpose. Because you think that as long as the Emperor is alive, the Crown Prince cannot ascend the throne, doesn't that mean we have to wait until the Emperor passes away?"
Zhou Shiyue sighed and said, "Doesn't this mean advising the Crown Prince to wait a little longer, find a way to make the Emperor work harder, and then decide what to do next?"
The adults all knelt down immediately.
Do I need to give any other reasons?
The King of Jin's "vicious" charge made them shake their heads, almost to the point of losing their heads.
Grand Secretary Shu was still standing, but he was teetering on the verge of collapse.
He was starting to resent Prime Minister Shen. If Prime Minister Shen hadn't caused trouble and hadn't been imprisoned in the Dali Temple, those who had followed him wouldn't have hesitated to step forward.
With Prime Minister Shen here with him, there's no way he can argue with the Prince of Jin.
"You've all knelt down?"
Zhou Shiyue had no virtue of knowing when to stop, and he looked at the ministers again, "If that's not what you meant, you can make excuses."
*Pfft*
Lord Chen almost burst out laughing.
These people really don't know what kind of person the Prince of Jin is.
“Otherwise, let’s talk about other reasons for objection. Let’s put this aside for now,” Zhou Shiyue said.
He seemed easy to talk to, even somewhat friendly.
But now no one dares to think of him as someone who is genuinely easy to talk to.
The reason I had prepared was now too much for me to say.
They all knew in their hearts that the Prince of Jin would definitely have something to say in rebuttal.
If things go wrong, they might be charged with even more crimes.
"This matter is not something that the Emperor can decide..." someone said tremblingly.
The sound was like the buzzing of a mosquito.
However, the King of Jin heard about it.
The Prince of Jin's gaze swept over and landed on him.
"You must be Lord Tang?"
The Prince of Jin called him so precisely that it sent a shiver down the spine of Lord Tang. Wait, he'd spoken so softly, how could the Prince of Jin have heard him so clearly?
Moreover, his official rank was not high, only fifth grade. Why did the Prince of Jin recognize him? Shouldn't he feel honored?
While Lord Tang was in a state of utter confusion, Zhou Shiyue spoke up again.
"In fact, I can tell you clearly that my royal brother still wholeheartedly wants to serve the Great Zhou Dynasty and its people. He can't let go of this country and this court!"
Zhou Shiyue suddenly sighed.
His sigh made everyone's hearts jump again.
"More than anyone else, I hope that my royal brother is in good health and can work well for the benefit of the people. Also, with my royal brother on the throne, I am the youngest brother. With my royal brother protecting me, even if the sky falls, my royal brother will hold it up. I can't imagine how comfortable I am."
No one dared to look up.
Listen to this, listen to this, does the Prince of Jin even believe what he says?
"But with the Crown Prince ascending the throne, I will become the Emperor's uncle. Shouldn't I be a reliable elder and help look after the Great Zhou Dynasty? That would be too tiring."
Lord Chen's lips twitched.
"Therefore, I truly hope that my elder brother is well."
Zhou Shiyue sighed again, "But, no, my brother is ill now, isn't he? Didn't the imperial physicians say he can't worry? He needs to rest and recuperate for a few years."
He spread his hands, "Moreover, my brother has made a grave mistake. He has violated the ancestral precepts and betrayed the number one Xuanmen of that time. He has colluded with evil cultivators!"
Everyone's hearts skipped a beat again.
Did the Prince of Jin really dare to directly accuse the Emperor of a crime?
Zhou Shiyue was blunt: "Regarding this matter alone, Your Majesty should have requested to abdicate and issued an edict of self-reproach."
Both Grand Secretary Meng and the old Duke said at the same time, "That is indeed the case."
This is already a huge mistake on the part of the Emperor.
“Therefore, the Crown Prince’s ascension to the throne is perfectly legitimate. Your Majesty, he should have abdicated and apologized.” Zhou Shiyue’s smile faded. “His injuries were inflicted by the evil cultivator. That evil cultivator even tried to kill me. Did I say I would seek revenge on Your Majesty?”
"Alright, putting everything else aside, what other reasons do you have? Continue," Zhou Shiyue said again.