Ci Jinzhi

Chapter 425 Rejection

Emperor Xingyuan looked down at the ministers kneeling on the ground, feeling irritable.

 But he knew that what the ministers asked for was not too much. After experiencing the chaos of him falling into the water and disappearing, he was not so urgent. Civil and military officials also needed a prince to stabilize people's hearts.

After a long time, Emperor Xingyuan said: "I will consider it carefully."

 “Your Majesty is wise.” The cry was louder this time.

After returning to the Palace of Qianqing, Emperor Xingyuan had no intention of dealing with political affairs and sat silently thinking about the requests of the officials.

He is fifty years old this year and is still very strong physically. Mentally, he always feels that he is still a high-spirited young man. But in the eyes of his ministers, it was time for the emperor to choose his successor when he reached the age of knowing his destiny.

The eldest prince is twenty-one years old. He is older and has a gentle temperament. Once there is a need for him to take over, the turmoil caused by the change of throne will be minimal.

 The third prince is thirteen years old, smart and cheerful, and is still early in his life.

As for the fourth prince, fifth prince, and sixth prince, they are younger, at least they are not in his consideration now.

Emperor Xingyuan knew that the concept of "no direct descendants" was deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, and the candidate for the crown prince in the hearts of all officials must be the eldest prince Xiu Wang.

 But his determination to establish King Xiu as the crown prince was not so firm.

 In another ten years, the third prince will be twenty-three years old and King Xiu will be thirty-one.

 In another twenty years, the third prince will be thirty-three years old and King Xiu will be forty-one.

Which one is more suitable depends not only on the age of the two sons, but also on his life span.

There is one more thing he has to consider, that is Ayou.

This country was built by him, but Xinxin’s help was also indispensable. But Ayou is a daughter. She is capable, courageous, and kind-hearted, but no matter how many excellent qualities she has, she is destined to miss the position of crown prince.

Emperor Xingyuan felt that he owed his wife and daughter, so he took Xin You into consideration when choosing the prince.

 Which of King Xiu or the third prince will be kind to Ayou and take care of Ayou for the rest of his life?

Ayou saved the third son. Judging from this accident, the third prince, mother and son are very grateful to Ayou. King Xiu also begged for love for Ayou, which was regarded as a role played by an elder brother.

Emperor Xingyuan compared King Xiu and the third prince in his mind and found it difficult to make a choice.

From the reaction of Emperor Xingyuan, the officials guessed that the emperor was going to establish a prince. As for which prince he would establish, it was difficult to predict.

The third prince lives in the palace and cannot get close to him even if he wants to. I know where Prince Xiu’s residence is, but I don’t dare to go there.

　　　When courtiers have personal relations with princes, no emperor would be unfaithful to them. And their emperor chops off the heads of his ministers without blinking an eye, who dares to touch this bad luck.

 Private discussions among colleagues and friends are fine.

"The King of Shows must be His Highness the King of Shows! There is a direct descendant, but there is no direct descendant. This is a rule that has been passed down."

“But our emperor is the founder of the country, so maybe he doesn’t intend to abide by the previous rules?”

“You mean the third prince also has a chance?”

 “Otherwise, why are you hesitating today?”

“But the third prince is still young—”

 “I am also in my prime now.”

The man sitting opposite him was about the same age as Emperor Xingyuan. He pinched his skinny arms and thought that it was just the emperor who was particularly strong, not everyone else.

 The hearts of the ministers were floating, and there was an undercurrent in the palace. At this time, the New Deal and the opening of the sea were all forgotten, and everyone's attention was focused on the matter of establishing a reserve bank.

Emperor Xingyuan was relaxing in the garden when Xinyou came to the palace to ask for an audience.

His first reaction was that he felt guilty. He cleared his throat and ordered the palace servants to bring Xin You.

 “I have met your Majesty.”

 In early winter, the gardens of the palace are still green, with large groups of flowers in full bloom.

 The tall girl has a calm temperament, not like a delicate flower, but like a green bamboo. Emperor Xingyuan was in a trance for a moment, and sighed in his heart: It would be great if Ayou were a man. He wouldn't have to worry about establishing a heir, and Ayou wouldn't have to be wronged.

When Emperor Xingyuan wanted to come, Xin You came to the palace to see him. He must have heard about the establishment of a crown prince. He still remembered what A You asked him if he could be the crown prince.

I came here to "discuss the explanation".

"No need to be polite." Emperor Xingyuan coughed, "Is there anything wrong with you?"

"There is something I want to tell your Majesty."

"Well..." Emperor Xingyuan pointed to the pavilion not far away, "Let's go there and talk."

Stepping into the pavilion, Emperor Xingyuan stood with his hands behind his hands and showed a gentle smile to Xin You: "What do you want to say?"

“That day, His Majesty mentioned that he planned to send envoys to visit overseas countries again. I requested to be one of the envoys to go overseas.”

Xin You chose this time intentionally.

To storage, this person will never consider her, but maybe there will be some apologies, so her request is easy to achieve.

Emperor Xingyuan was greatly surprised: "You want to go to sea?"

"yes."

Emperor Xingyuan shook his head: "Ayou, I can't agree."

Xinyou raised his eyes and looked at the emperor who was close at hand.

 “Why doesn’t your Majesty agree?” she asked.

“The sea area is vast and the risks are unpredictable, so I am not at ease.”

 I am both worried about Ayou’s safety, and also worried that she will never come back.

“Daxia has sent envoys to sea many times, and there has never been any accidents. I went to Guangfu to inspect the shipyard before, and our shipbuilding skills are very outstanding—”

Emperor Xingyuan interrupted Xin You: "We are not afraid of ten thousand, just in case."

Xinyou looked at him.

 They have similar eyebrows and similar stubbornness.

So she understood that he just didn't want to let her go.

 At this moment, she felt deeply depressed.

The New Deal was promoted and the sea restrictions were loosened. She did everything she wanted to do, but she was trapped in the cage of the capital.

 At the moment, within the scope he has set, he still values ​​her, but what about the future? Whether she can live a comfortable life depends on King Xiu or the third prince?

It’s bad enough that her biological father controls her fate, but what about someone else controlling her life and death?

 Having been taught by her mother since she was a child, she never felt that she was inferior to men. It's the same now. She doesn't resent being born a daughter, she's just angry about the unfair world.

Emperor Xingyuan felt the girl's anger from her heavy eyes, and put his hand to his lips and coughed: "Besides, you are nineteen, you can't be in your twenties and still not leave the court, right? I looked at the Marquis of Changle It's quite stable. It's rare that you like me again. How about I give you a marriage after I finish my busy work for a while..."

Xinyou listened quietly and pursed her lips tightly.

 This is to allow her to be with He Qingxiao in exchange for her giving up her freedom.

As long as she nods her head, she can openly hold the hand of her sweetheart and live together in the capital, a beautiful place like this.

 Such a temptation, she couldn't help but be tempted. But when I think about the freedom I have lost, I am not willing to accept it.

Emperor Xingyuan took Xinyou's silence as acquiescence and laughed.

Originally, he didn't intend to object anymore, but he didn't expect that he could use this to dispel Ayou's idea of ​​going overseas.

 “Ayou, come with me for a walk.” Emperor Xingyuan thought that the father and daughter had reached a tacit understanding about going to sea, so he was going to ask Xinyou what he thought of King Xiu and the third prince.