Ministers Begging Me to Ascend the Throne-Chapter 1076 - 121: Prince Wei Spits Blood in Rage
The Emperor instructed Prince Chu not to hurry to court, but to rest at home for several days, considering his journey had been extremely arduous.
Prince Chu did not refuse the opportunity to rest this time and obediently followed the Emperor’s arrangements, planning to recuperate at home for several days. He specifically announced that he did not wish to be disturbed by anyone during his rest period. Regardless of who came to see him, he would not meet them.
Ministers who supported Prince Chu went to pay him a visit, only to find themselves turned away.
Others saw Prince Chu shut himself away, refusing to see anyone, and they grew more puzzled, secretly wondering: What is Prince Chu up to?
They knew that Prince Chu visited the Emperor the day he returned to the capital and had a lengthy conversation with his Majesty in the Imperial Study. If there weren’t important matters, Prince Chu wouldn’t have talked to the Emperor for such a long time.
The ministers initially thought that upon Prince Chu’s return, the court would be thrown into chaos, but surprisingly, nothing happened.
It has been three or four days since Prince Chu returned, yet the Emperor has had no reaction, and the court remains calm—this... this development isn’t right. Prince Chu was dispatched by the Emperor to the Northern territory under the pretense of disaster relief, but with Prince Chu’s capabilities, he couldn’t have returned without uncovering something. Furthermore, Prince Chu’s return from the North was delayed by over twenty days. During this period, it’s impossible that Prince Chu didn’t accomplish something.
Several years ago, when the Emperor sent Prince Chu to Peng City to investigate the theft of copper, not only did Prince Chu find the whereabouts of the stolen copper, he also obtained conclusive evidence that the former Crown Prince and former Duke were stealing copper to forge weapons. This time, Prince Chu’s trip to the North couldn’t possibly leave him empty-handed.
Prince Chu must have discovered something, yet the Emperor remains "unmoved"; could it be that the Emperor is biding his time for a grand plan?
Knowing the Emperor’s character, it’s possible he truly is holding back for something big. If that is indeed the case, the future may see earth-shaking events.
Back to the topic, what significant event is prompting the Emperor to restrain himself?
The civil and military officials suddenly recalled the Yangzhou Family from many years ago. Back then, to eradicate those aristocratic families in Yangzhou, the Emperor tolerated them for many years, turning a blind eye to their activities. Once the layout succeeded, the Emperor wiped them out completely, leaving none alive. Nowadays, there are no aristocratic families in Yangzhou.
Could it be that the situation in the North mirrors that of Yangzhou?
If the Emperor is holding back, is it also to catch them all in one sweep later?
There are no aristocratic families in the North; the most influential are those in the Northern Border Camp and Prince Han in Youzhou. And of course, the Xiongnu.
Could they really have guessed correctly, that there’s collusion between the Northern Border Camp or Prince Han and the Xiongnu?
Prince Han wouldn’t dare, especially with the precedent set by Prince Chen. If Prince Han were bold enough to collude with the Xiongnu, he would think he had nine lives.
It couldn’t be Prince Han, so it must be the Northern Border Camp.
The Northern Border Camp is the Emperor’s trusted army; where would they find the audacity to collude with the Xiongnu and betray the Emperor?
It seems that General Deng falling ill recently was a true conspiracy.
Isn’t it said that General Deng’s son poisoned him? So it should be General Deng’s son colluding with the Xiongnu. But during this time, the Emperor did not issue orders to severely punish General Deng’s son. Could it be that it’s not General Deng’s son?
The Emperor first dispatched General Chu to stabilize the Northern Border Camp, then sent Prince Dai to the camp. After that, Prince Chu went to the North.
If both General Chu and Prince Dai couldn’t uncover anything, Prince Chu certainly would have discovered something. After all, Prince Chu even located the copper hidden away by the former Crown Prince and former Duke. How could he not find anything in the Northern Border Camp?
If someone in the Northern Border Camp indeed colluded with the Xiongnu, it wouldn’t be a catastrophic event; with the Emperor’s temperament, he wouldn’t remain indifferent. Even if the Northern Border Camp did rebel, they wouldn’t be a match for the four Great Generals, and the Emperor has no reason to fear them. What exactly transpired in the North that could make the Emperor hold back?
The ministers racked their brains but couldn’t fathom what happened in the North.
Driven by insatiable curiosity about the North, some went to probe Prime Minister He and Grandmaster Liu, only to encounter obstacles unsurprisingly.
If anyone in the court is the most tight-lipped, it must be Prime Minister He and Grandmaster Liu. No matter what happens, they won’t let any information leak. Trying to learn anything from them is truly harder than climbing to the heavens.
The civil and military officials only wish that when the situation in the North is finally exposed, the Emperor won’t be too angry, lest they also suffer the consequences.
