Hua Bolin walked in and found her elder sister waiting there. She thought she wanted to ask about the prince, so she immediately said, "The prince hasn't left yet."
"Is Madam Sun okay?"
Hua Bolin's smile faded. "I smashed the cup when I heard the news, but I haven't lost my composure since then. I even asked him to persuade the prince."
Hua Zhi was not surprised. Madam Sun was the only one supporting the Sun family in the capital. If she was not strong enough, she would not have survived until now. She was just holding on. Deep down, she must have been numb from the pain.
"Yingchun, go and tell Fourth Aunt tomorrow morning and ask her to go to the Sun family to help out. No matter if there is anything for her to get involved in or not, she has to be there."
"yes."
Hua Bolin was puzzled. "Is this to show the position of our Hua family? But General Sun died for his country, isn't that a merit?"
"You'll find out tomorrow."
Hua Bolin knew it the next day.
At the grand court meeting, the news of General Sun's death came like a bolt from the blue, shocking all the ministers. After learning the cause of his death, just as the prince had expected, some people could not wait to come out and convict General Sun. Of course, because General Sun was the prince's maternal grandfather, the crime was convicted in a very euphemistic way.
But the prince still felt his anger rising. He stood up and looked down at the court officials. "From what I hear, General Sun is not only undefeated, but also guilty?"
The court officials were all very perceptive people, and the whole hall was silent.
"Then please ask one of you to count his sins for me."
No one dared to respond.
The prince sneered, "Is it wrong to guard the border for twenty years? Is it wrong to be away from your wife and children? Or is it wrong to use your own money to supplement the food when the food cannot be delivered in time? Since they are all wrong, why not hand over the guarding of the pass to others?"
All the ministers knelt down together, "We dare not."
"I think you are very daring." However, within just a few days, the childishness on the prince's face disappeared completely. The prince now sitting on this high hall has gradually begun to have his own aura. Zhu Bowen, who was lying on the ground, suddenly realized that while they were still thinking about how to get along with the young prince as a subject, the prince had quietly passed the stage when he was most easily manipulated by court officials, and now, he has firmly sat in the court.
If Daqing can survive this disaster safely, it may be able to usher in a prosperous and wise ruler.
In the silence, Dingguo spoke openly, "Prince, calm down. The most important thing right now is to decide on a replacement commander to avoid any failure in guarding the pass."
The prince snorted and sat down again, saying indifferently, "What the Grand Master said makes sense. Do you have any suitable candidates?"
The generals looked at each other, and sweat appeared on their foreheads as they felt the possibility.
The civil officials' eyes quietly slid from one person to another, weighing who to push out to take on this hot potato.
"I am willing to go." A slightly deep voice suddenly sounded, and everyone looked up in surprise. This is...
The prince stared in amazement at the Crown Prince who came out. It was not like he had not thought about it before. When he found that there was no military general who could take over, he thought of the Crown Prince. He also thought that someone would push him forward. But he never thought that he would stand up himself when no one had spoken yet.
He is the regent, the crown prince, the commander of the Seven Stars, second only to the emperor and above everyone else. A son of a wealthy family cannot sit idle in the hall. He did not have to put himself in such a dangerous situation, but he stood up without being pushed. Many people even did not think of him for the time being.
Duke Dingguo was in a very complicated mood. Deep down, he was unwilling to let such a rare and capable person in the royal family take that position, but... there was no one available!
No one spoke in the huge palace for a long time, and even the breathing seemed to become lighter.
"Prince Regent, you..." The prince coughed lightly, "Have you thought it through?"
Gu Yanxi said something that made all the generals lose face, "Except for myself, I can't think of anyone else who can take over General Sun's position."
All the generals in the court felt embarrassed but relieved, and they all hoped that the prince would agree quickly. The prince had no choice but to nod. Both publicly and privately, there was no reason for him to disagree.
In the imperial study, the crown prince looked at the prince, whose expression never showed any emotion. He wanted to laugh but only pulled the corners of his mouth. "I am actually relieved. If someone else had gone, I would have been worried that I would have to immediately choose the next successor."
"Please, Your Majesty, dispatch troops to support us as soon as possible. I will set out in two days."
"Don't worry, my brother, I will give you my greatest support in the court."
Gu Yanxi believed this. He dared to take over this mess because he was confident that there would be no problem in his rear area. Looking at the map that had never been put away, he said, "The late emperor asked me and Duke Dingguo to assist in the administration because he had an internal and external plan. Duke Dingguo's loyalty is beyond doubt, but the prince must also remember that ambition is sometimes fostered by others. The prince must not commit this taboo."
"I understand. Master Taifu has already reminded me."
Gu Yanxi pondered over the title quietly and continued, "Although the late emperor said that the Grand Tutor cannot participate in politics, the Grand Tutor has the responsibility of teaching, so there are some things that cannot be considered as participating in politics."
"I understand. Brother Crown Prince, don't worry. I will definitely protect the Master."
It's hard to say who is protecting whom. Gu Yanxi, who knows Ah Zhi's temperament well, didn't say it out loud. She nodded and said, "If something happens in the capital, the prince needs to listen to the Grand Tutor. If others object, please think more about the Grand Tutor. From the time she came to power until now, although she has been injured, if you think about her affairs carefully, you will find that she can almost be said to have planned everything out. She has never been the loser in every game. Now she is under greater pressure and has more things to do. She will not act rashly, but once she moves, she must have noticed something. You should trust her more."
The prince listened carefully and responded very solemnly. He knew that this was a trust entrusted to him by his elder brother, the Crown Prince.
"There is another matter."
"Brother Prince, please speak."
"There may be something wrong with Prince Ling's Mansion."
The prince widened his eyes. Prince Ling’s Mansion
"This matter is still under investigation. The Grand Master will keep an eye on it. If it is confirmed, we will need to ask the Crown Prince to come forward, and this matter must have nothing to do with Azhi."
The prince knew the pros and cons and immediately nodded and said, "I know what to do, but is there anything else I can do?"
Gu Yanxi stood tall and bowed solemnly, "Please take good care of the tutor at all times, her body can't stand it anymore."
The prince stepped forward and helped the man up, "I promise you, I will do my best to protect you, Master."
"I thank you, Your Majesty."
"Brother Crown Prince, please don't embarrass me. You saved the country from disaster. If I refuse to take responsibility for this matter, I will be a bad person." The Crown Prince smiled bitterly, "Does the Master know about this?"
"She guessed it."
Yes, how could a smart man like the Grand Tutor not guess it? That's why she came to the palace at that time yesterday to beg for permission to go to the library in the old Hua family mansion. The prince didn't know how to face the Grand Tutor.
PS: Sorry, I have been revising the article until now, fortunately I have kept my promise.