The Glory After Rebirth [重生之尊荣]

Chapter 301- 303

Chapter 301: A Rivalry for the Heirship to the Throne

The emperor personally escorted the Crown Prince's coffin to the imperial mausoleum. He had lost a lot of weight from the grief over the Crown Prince's death, and his temper was becoming increasingly erratic. There had been several occasions when he'd had a courtier flogged to death at a court meeting. Currently, all courtiers didn't dare speak during court meetings unless spoken to by the emperor.

Maybe because of the previous relations between the Gu family and the Crown Prince, the emperor seemed to be on even better terms with people of the Gu family after the Crown Prince's death. The Jiang family, however, didn't have such luck. The King Duan had several times suggested a couple of members of the Jiang family be reinstated, but the emperor had not only rejected the suggestion but also reprimanded the King Duan.

Also, the couple of courtiers that had been flogged to death were the King Duan's followers.

It was now widely rumored in the capital city that the King Yu would probably become the next crown prince, because the King Yu had gained the Gu family's support, and most importantly, the emperor had complimented the King Yu in front of all courtiers several times.

After returning home, the King Duan had several servants beaten to death in succession to vent his anger. "This goddamn Zhou Mingyi! It turns out I underestimated him previously!"

"What should we do now, Your Highness? Judging from His Majesty's attitude towards the King Yu, it seems that... he really has the intention of designating him as crown prince."

"A state cannot survive a single leaderless day. Our country is in a situation where a crown prince must be selected. Without a crown prince, both the political and the social stability is in jeopardy. His Majesty would definitely anoint someone as his heir within the next half a year. Your Highness, there's no time to loose. We've brought down a crown prince. We cannot afford to let anyone other than you become the new heir!"

"Of course I know that, but what would you have me do? The Gu family are dominating every court meeting. I tried several times to have my father reinstate the Jiang family but he refused to listen."

...

The King Yu secretly contacted Yuwen Tong once again, inviting him to meet him. This time Yuwen Tong declined.

"Yuwen Tong actually thinks he's still the marshal having the whole North-western Army at his command? His Majesty is just in too deep grief to deal with him. Otherwise he wouldn't be living such a peaceful life."

Clearly, the King Yu was displeased, a rather sulky look on his face. "Never mind. Yuwen Tong has always been like this. Whether he's on our side or not no longer matters. Currently we have something more important to attend to."

"Your Highness, we need to make hay while the sun shines, take advantage of this opportunity and have His Majesty appoint you as crown prince. Otherwise new problems might crop up."

"That's true. We should tender our memorials to the throne tomorrow."

The King Yu was both privately excited and worried. "But although my father has praised me several times lately, he never expressed any intentions of making me his heir. Wouldn't we be rushing into things if we do that so soon?"

"Your Highness, His Majesty's praise is a hint big enough. I think he's made his take on this issue quite clear."

The King Yu was swayed. "Still, I should consult with Prime Minister Gu about this matter first."

The next day. At the court meeting.

For the first time, some courtiers suggested that the emperor anoint a crown prince. Directly or indirectly, they all expressed their great regard for the King Yu's abilities, making it very evident that they wanted the emperor to designate the King Yu as crown prince.