readsfreenovel Chapter 290 The Art of Checks and Balances
Chapter 290 The Art of Checks and Balances
The court officials initially thought that sending Prince Yi to the position of Crown Prince at this time was a natural course of action, since it had always been the emperor's wish; otherwise, he would not have delayed sending Prince Yi to his fiefdom and instead kept him in the court to participate in government affairs.
They even went so far as to depose the crown prince, all to pave the way for Prince Yi.
Unexpectedly, the emperor did not do so in court. Instead, he claimed that the case of deposing the crown prince was not yet resolved and that the matter of succession would be discussed after the delegation was sent away.
This obviously caught the Prince of Yi off guard. After all, he was neither the eldest son nor the legitimate heir. Even though the trend was favorable, he was still not legitimate and his position as crown prince was just one step away from being forever out of reach.
You absolutely must sit in that seat!
So he continued to have his trusted officials mention it to the emperor from time to time, to have his mother whisper in his ear, and he also frequently made contributions in political affairs.
Shen Zi remained silent and did not speak among the group of senior officials.
As a result, the emperor began to visit Consort Zheng less often, and he became less obsessed with Taoist practices, instead spending most of his time on state affairs.
Furthermore, he ordered Prince Yi, who had been living in the palace, to leave the palace and move to the Prince's residence, and even entrusted the task of handling the tribute affairs to Li Rui.
"Father, I have never been exposed to these things before, and I'm afraid I've made a mistake." A look of worry appeared on Li Rui's usually bright face.
"What are you afraid of? With the Ministry of Rites and the Court of State Ceremonial assisting you, just ask Minister Shen if you don't understand anything." Emperor Cheng encouraged him, "You'll learn it after just one lesson."
"Father..." Li Rui whined and pleaded.
"You're not lacking in ability or courage, but you're just too lazy," Emperor Cheng said sternly. "You have to do it whether you want to or not."
“Father, it’s not that I don’t want to share your burdens, but I will be going to my fiefdom next year, and even if I learn these things, I won’t be able to handle them for you in the future.” Li Rui’s eyes darted around as he said, “Why don’t you start training people around you this year? I can assist you.”
"To be enfeoffed?" Emperor Cheng hesitated slightly before saying, "Yes, Rui'er has grown up too."
Li Rui then proceeded to continue speaking.
"There's no rush for him to take up his fief. It'll be fine after he comes of age," Emperor Cheng said with a smile, making his decision.
Li Rui looked surprised but was even more astonished. He was eighteen after the New Year, and his coming-of-age ceremony was at twenty, which meant he wouldn't be able to leave for the next two years.
Kyoto is a dangerous place, and he has no intention of staying there.
I do have those thoughts, but they are just wishful thinking; I'll just keep them in my heart.
“I’ve stayed here to help my father these past few years and have also learned to handle some affairs.”
Emperor Cheng's instructions chilled Li Rui to the bone. He knew that this would make him a thorn in the side of Prince Yi, and his father would not stand in the way of any open or covert attacks.
He was thus pushed out and joined the struggle for the throne. Did anyone believe him when he said he had no interest in the throne?
No matter how he tried to refuse, Emperor Cheng's mind was made up and could not be changed.
He had no choice but to accept this hot potato and silently left the main hall.
The news shocked the court and the public. The most surprised was Prince Yi. It was clear that his father was suppressing him and promoting Li Rui. This realization struck him like a thunderbolt, and his recent arrogance and conceit instantly disappeared.
After calming down, he realized how big a mistake he had made. His father was worried that he would seize power and wanted to find someone to share his power.
But if he does that, wouldn't all his previous efforts have been in vain?
The ministers gradually came to understand the situation. It was true that the emperor doted on Prince Yi, but he was more worried that someone might threaten his throne.
So they stopped rushing to take sides, became more cautious, and focused on doing their own thing until the situation became clearer.
Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.
"Sister, I don't understand. His Majesty has always wanted to make Prince Yi the Crown Prince, so why is he no longer doing so now?"
It was snowing outside that day. The two sisters and the maids were in the house with a charcoal brazier burning. Some were reading, some were doing needlework, while Shen Li and Shen Yue were eating the snacks on the table.
“The Prince of Yi is very powerful. Even before he has been made crown prince, he already commands a large following in the court and the harem. If you were His Majesty, could you sleep soundly with such a crown prince?” Shen Li said while eating chestnut pastry.
Shen Yue was deep in thought.
“Our Emperor is only interested in cultivating Tao and refining elixirs, and he is also suspicious and unwilling to relinquish power. He will inevitably use checks and balances to ensure that his position is secure,” Shen Li continued.
Shen Yue understood something: "So, did you know from the beginning that this would happen, which is why you advised Father not to say anything?"
“His Majesty will be even more nervous if there are no voices opposing the King of Chess at this time.” Shen Li thought of this and added, “It’s just a pity for Li Rui, who was forced to take on such a hot potato.”
Shen Yue felt complicated just listening to it, and shook her head, saying, "What's so good about that position? All that fighting and scrambling, isn't it exhausting?"
“Who says otherwise?” Shen Li looked at the snow scene outside, took a sip of hot tea to balance the sweetness of the pastries, and then washed her hands to look at Caiyun’s embroidery.
Caiyun is now an embroiderer in the mansion, and in principle she should not be allowed to enter the inner courtyard, but Shen Li arranged for her to live in his own courtyard, and let her come and sit when he has free time.
Caiyun, however, was always busy, even while chatting. At this moment, she was embroidering a new court dress pattern, since Shen Li had been promoted and the court dress needed to be redone.
Caiyun had no idea what good fortune she had to be able to work in such a mansion. She always did her job conscientiously and treated Shen Li with utmost respect.
"Sister Caiyun's embroidery is so beautiful." Shen Li said, resting her chin on her hand. "It would be a real pity if such skill were to go to waste. After the New Year, I will recommend you to the weaving workshop."
She knew that showcasing her superb skills at the weaving workshop was something Caiyun had always wanted to do.
Caiyun's first reaction upon hearing this was a sense of disappointment. Although she really wanted to go, she was now reluctant to leave.
"Thank you, sir," she whispered.
Seeing that the eldest sister looked somewhat dejected, Shen Li rolled her eyes and asked, "Are you reluctant to leave here?"
Caiyun nodded slightly.
“How could I bear to part with my sister? I think you can support yourself with embroidery anywhere, there’s no need to go to the royal weaving workshop, just stay here with me.”
Seeing that she was starting to waver, Shen Li immediately took her hand and said, "If Sister Caiyun leaves, I'll never be able to wear such beautiful clothes again. Please stay."
She was telling the truth. The weavers worked day and night, and there was probably a lot of infighting going on inside. Even if Caiyun was tough and had no one to rely on, she would be easily bullied there. How could she compare to her situation here?
She wouldn't even bring this up if she didn't want to respect the eldest sister's wishes.
Lianqiao, Shaoyao, and Shen Yue on the couch were somewhat incredulous at the sight, because Shen Li's tone afterward really sounded like a younger sister coaxing her older sister.
Shen Yue thought to herself, "I'm not even this delicate sometimes, am I? Where did my sister learn to be this charming?"
She was just talking about national affairs a moment ago, how could she switch gears so quickly?