After losing his most powerful supporter Xie Jin, the working crown prince Zhu Gaochi finally understood why those crown princes in history books committed suicidal rebellions.
You can obviously be patient and wait. The person on the throne will eventually grow old and die. Why can't you wait a little longer
Especially when he knew that his father was so powerful that he was invincible, he still fought for the imperial power like a moth to a flame.
For example, during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, Crown Prince Liu Ju had a mother, Empress Wei Zifu, who rose from a singer to an empress and was highly favored. However, Empress Wei finally assisted her son Liu Ju in a desperate struggle, but committed suicide after her defeat.
Doing something when you know it is impossible is not because of stupidity but because of desperation.
A middle-aged emperor, a crown prince who gradually gains influence in the court.
The emperor will live for a long time, and the crown prince is an invisible threat to the imperial power.
If the emperor wants to control the prince, then no matter what the prince does, it will be wrong. The emperor will easily over-interpret the prince's words and deeds and always feel that the prince wants to replace him.
The prince's competitors were as vigilant as vultures, always paying attention to his every move, attacking, framing, and slandering him.
Doesn’t the emperor know that most of those words are slanderous
Even though he knew it, he still chose to listen to slander and find fault with the prince and teach him a lesson.
No matter how cautious you are, even if you avoid a hundred traps, there is still a trap waiting for you ahead.
You will never be able to sleep peacefully and will suffer mental torture all the time.
Since young emperors would live long, this torture would continue for years until the princes could no longer bear it, were driven into despair, and made a last-ditch effort to rebel against their fathers.
Of course, the vast majority of them failed.
Taking history as a mirror, even though they knew that this road was a dead end, princes continued to take the same road.
The butt determines the head. Zhu Gaochi didn't understand why before, but now he understands. He deeply understands those princes who failed in rebellion and expresses sympathy.
For a moment, there were two villains fighting in the prince's mind:
Villain A: I don't want to do this anymore. It's impossible for me to work. I will never work in this life. I don't want to be a working prince. I want to be an idle prince. It's also good to go to the vassal state to feed birds. What? The vassal kings can't leave the vassal state or come to the capital without being summoned.
If you don't want to go out, then don't go out. If you don't want to go in, then don't go in. The current East Palace is just a gorgeous prison for me. I still have no freedom.
Brother Han, do you want to have a taste of being a crown prince? The East Palace welcomes you. My door is always open and I am waiting for you with open arms. After you come in, with your hot temper, I estimate that you will be punished by the emperor in three days and will cry and leave.
Villain B: Ahem, do you want to know about forcing abdication
Your father is now personally leading an expedition to the northern desert, and you are in the capital. The swords are merciless on the battlefield, and your father is fighting with the Tatars. You leak a little military intelligence, and kill with a borrowed knife, and use the Tatars to get rid of your father... Didn't your father say that the emperor guards the country's gates, and the king dies for the country.
If you seek benevolence, you will get benevolence. Just help your father. It will be good for him and for you too.
As soon as your father dies, you are the crown prince. After you ascend the throne, you will immediately send troops to avenge your father. Isn't the brother of the King of Han very good at fighting? Send him out and use war to consume his strength. Then you can reduce the power of the vassal states and your throne will be secure.
If you have the ability to govern the country, why work for others
The two villains kept lobbying in his mind, with one gaining strength while the other weakening. The prince felt like his brain was about to explode.
He stumbled to Rouyi Hall, where the coffin of Empress Renxiao was placed. Only by staying by his mother's side could he have a moment of peace.
As soon as he saw his mother's coffin, it was as if a bucket of cold water was poured over his head. The villain B who was trying to persuade people to "force the emperor to abdicate to find out more" was beheaded on the spot.
This is my mother and the emperor is my father. How could I possibly do such a thing as colluding with foreign enemies to murder my own father
The past is like smoke. Before he was twelve years old, he was also a child who was deeply loved by his father, the emperor and his mother. At that time, his mother was in good health and the delicate Princess Yan. He rode on his father's neck, pretending to be an ordinary passerby to watch the lantern festival and stroll on the street - at that time, his weight was still normal, otherwise Emperor Yongle would have suffered from cervical spondylosis long ago.
My parents have been childhood sweethearts and have a very good relationship. My mother likes watching plays, so my father hired a group of top dramatists of the Ming Dynasty in the Prince of Yan's Mansion to write play scripts.
As the eldest son, he naturally received the most attention and resources. Zen Master Daoyan, who was known as the emperor's teacher, gave him lectures, and thus began his political enlightenment - this was a treatment that the King of Han's younger brothers did not enjoy.
It was because of the guidance of Zen Master Daoyan that Zhu Gaochi was able to deal with various suspicions on behalf of the Prince of Yan's Palace during his life as a hostage in the capital.
After he turned twelve, he went to the capital as a hostage and his life became difficult and he was under tremendous pressure. But before he was twelve, he had a harmonious family and was loved by his parents. He had a perfect childhood.
Unfortunate people spend their entire lives healing their childhood, like Muchun.
Lucky people are healed by their childhood throughout their lives, such as the prince.
The prince copied scriptures for Queen Renxiao in Rouyi Hall, suppressing his inner resentment and turmoil.
Be patient and don't do it, or you will die.
Just regard this as a test from my father. Xie Jin's demotion to Jiaozhi is only the beginning. In the future, more ministers close to the Eastern Palace will be excluded by the forces of the King of Han and will be suspected by my father.
However, humans are not plants. If people can always remain rational and become Ninja Turtles, why are there princes in every dynasty who cannot control themselves
The word "patience" is easier said than done.
The prince was so excited that he was always distracted while copying the scriptures. If he made a mistake, he would throw it into the wastebasket and copy it again. He copied for the whole afternoon but didn't finish copying a single sentence. Instead, the wastebasket was piled up with papers.
The prince felt palpitations, dizziness, and blurred vision. The small regular script characters seemed to be sprinkled with water, and the handwriting slowly blurred, as if a circle of black fuzz had grown on them.
Even the hand holding the pen began to tremble. I knew that my diabetes had come back. When my stomach was empty for a while, I felt like I was losing both qi and blood and had no strength at all.
This damn body!
The prince was just about to order someone to bring him something to eat when a man came in with a food box and put out a plate of water chestnut flour cake. This was specially made for the prince by the kitchen, with less sugar and oil, and of course, it didn't taste good.
Delicious food is not healthy, and healthy food is not delicious. However, life is important.
It's not that the Shangshi Bureau was stingy and only wanted to send one plate of dim sum. It was for the sake of the prince. No matter how much more was sent, the prince could only eat a limited amount. He would feel uncomfortable if he could only look at it but not eat it. It would be better to send less, so that the prince could take it away immediately after taking a few bites, so that he wouldn't be jealous.
The prince swallowed three pieces like he was taking medicine and drank some water. With food in his stomach, he felt a little better.
His eyes began to focus and his vision became clearer, and the prince then realized that the person who delivered the meal was actually Hu Shanwei.
The prince wiped the powder from the corners of his mouth and said, "Why is it that Consort Hu came to see me off in person? Please take a seat, Consort."
It is impossible that Concubine Hu came to Rouyi Palace for no reason. She must have something to say.
Hu Shanwei sat on the armchair, "The Crown Prince must be missing Empress Renxiao. When I went to the palace for the third time, Empress Renxiao had a deep talk with me and told me about her affairs after her death. What Empress Renxiao is most worried about is the Crown Prince and the King of Han."
When Queen Renxiao was mentioned, the Crown Prince, who was on the verge of collapse, felt a lump in his throat and almost burst into tears. Who isn't a baby? Mother, I feel so miserable, and I can't say anything.
A child without a mother is like a weed. If my mother were still alive, how could I have been driven crazy by my second brother and father!
Indeed, if Empress Renxiao were still alive, Emperor Yongle would have led the army in person. With the powerful Empress Renxiao in charge of the capital and the Crown Prince as regent, Emperor Yongle would not have needed the Prince of Han to supervise the Crown Prince. He could have led the army in person with confidence.
Hu Shanwei was a man of her word, and she remembered Empress Renxiao's last words clearly.
"I am not greedy for wealth and honor in this world, but I am worried that my brothers will kill each other. I know that I am putting Concubine Hu in a difficult position. If possible, please do your best to avoid tragedy..."
Xie Jin had a secret meeting with the prince. Hu Shanwei, who had served in the palace for many years, understood that this was a trap. The eunuch who delivered the message did not have the courage to frame the court ministers. The root of the problem was with the Left Vice-Chief Censor Liu Guan. Liu Guan deliberately asked the eunuch to call Xie Jin over, but he himself made an excuse of having a stomachache and went to change clothes, causing Xie Jin to enter by mistake.
As a second-rank minister and the second-in-command of the Censorate, why did Liu Guan frame Xie Jin
It must be the King of Han who is interfering.
The thing that Queen Inhyo was most worried about finally happened.
Hu Shanwei had to step in and comfort the prince.
Hu Shanwei said, "When I first met His Royal Highness, it was when Empress Xiaoci was bestowing the book "The Instructions of Consorts of the Zhao and Song Dynasties" to the royal family. I went to the Prince of Yan's mansion to bestow the book. His Royal Highness was only three years old at the time. After I and Empress Renxiao finished talking about the book, Empress Renxiao immediately changed into men's clothes and took me to the suburbs to catch gamblers. She tied Duke Dingguo to the back of a horse and dragged him, and even pretended to cut off Duke Dingguo's fingers. Duke Dingguo was so scared that he never dared to gamble again."
Xu Zengshou, Duke of Dingguo, is the second uncle of the crown prince. When the crown prince and four others were held hostage in the capital, the second uncle Xu Zengshou married Mu Chun's elder sister, Mu, but Mu died early and had no children. Xu Zengshou treated his four nephews as his own children, and the second uncle was the only relative they could hide under his wings and get a moment's respite.
Unfortunately, Xu Zengshou died in the darkest hour before dawn. When Emperor Yongle and Prince of Han were about to attack the capital, he was killed by a sword from Emperor Jianwen.
Speaking of Xu Zengshou, the prince could no longer hold back his tears, and his tears fell on the Buddhist scriptures. "Second uncle... Second uncle is very good to us. Second uncle was the most unruly playboy in the capital back then, and it was the Queen Mother, the eldest sister, who stepped in to teach him a lesson. This time was the most severe one."
Hu Shanwei handed over the handkerchief, "When Empress Renxiao rode a horse to catch the gambler and teach Duke Dingguo a lesson, she was still pregnant with Prince Han. Prince Han was born on New Year's Eve of that year. Upon hearing the good news from Prince Yan's Mansion, Emperor Gaozu and Empress Xiaoci were overjoyed. I still remember that year, the fireworks did not stop until dawn, and Emperor Gaozu gave him the name 'Xu'."
Prince of Han, Zhu Gaoxu, was born with auspiciousness and joy, he was simply the chosen one by God.
This younger brother was quite cute when he was young, but when he grew up... Thinking of the King of Han, the prince stopped crying.
The prince's eyes were red, and he felt very aggrieved. He said, "I know that my mother wants us brothers and sisters to live in harmony. We are all brothers and sisters from the same mother, but my brothers and sisters are grown up and have their own ideas. I can only control my brothers and sisters, but I can't control others."
Princess Yongcheng and Princess Ancheng stood on the side of Prince of Han Zhu Gaoxu. When the crown prince had a limp and was unable to walk and was surrounded by enemies, they wrote to Emperor Yongle, "asking the crown prince to take a rest", which was a euphemism for deposing the crown prince. How could the crown prince not be disheartened
Hu Shanwei sighed, "The King of Han has a straightforward personality, and the two princesses prefer the second brother. I can understand the conflict between the siblings. But Prince, don't forget, when they had complaints about you, who stood up firmly and clearly supported you? It was the Emperor."
The prince choked: "Yes, but who has forced me into a dilemma, where no matter how careful I am, I will always make mistakes? It was also the emperor.
Of course, given the prince's character, he didn't dare to say what was in his heart.
He dared to complain about his brothers and sisters in front of Hu Shanwei, but he didn't dare to say anything about Emperor Yongle.
Hu Shanwei knew why the prince was silent, and that was why she came to comfort him.
Hu Shanwei said: "Empress Renxiao once told me that the prince is kind, tolerant and broad-minded. No matter how his brothers and sisters treat him, he will choose to tolerate and forgive them. So Empress Renxiao firmly supports your highness to be the prince. Because as long as the prince is there, these brothers and sisters will survive in the future. This is a selfish desire as a mother."
It’s hard to say if the King of Han were to become the crown prince.
Judging from the way the King of Han drove Xie Jin away, he is definitely a ruthless character. If the King of Han comes to power, I'm afraid that everyone in the East Palace will not survive.
I will deal with anyone who engages in palace fighting, and I will deal with anyone who competes for the throne. No one is allowed to cause any trouble.
If the Queen Inhyo's last wish to save the lives of all her children is to be fulfilled, stabilizing the Eastern Palace and protecting the Crown Prince is the only feasible way.
Hu Shanwei spoke so frankly, and as a palace lady for three dynasties, the prince was not stupid. If he didn't win over Hu Shanwei now, when would he wait
The prince stopped pretending and said frankly, "To be honest with Consort Hu, I am trembling with fear now. I am disabled and cannot walk well. I feel dizzy when I am full and I also feel dizzy when I am hungry. I don't know when I will faint and never wake up again. My father didn't mind my son's ugliness and didn't abolish me. But now, no matter what I do, it is wrong. I can't defend myself. I am in a dilemma. Sometimes I really feel like I can't hold on any longer."
The prince finally told the truth, and Hu Shanwei also said frankly, "Your Highness is the regent, and you are trying your best. But your Highness, can you never make mistakes or have flaws?"
The prince shook his head, "No, I have done my utmost to be careful, but there are still people who take advantage of loopholes. Lord Jie was demoted to Jiaozhi just like that."
Hu Shanwei said: "Xie Jin is just the beginning. There will be a hundred or a thousand Xie Jins in the future. All those who are close to the Eastern Palace will be demoted and suspected by the emperor. Your Highness should be mentally prepared."
The prince's eyes dimmed.
Hu Shanwei consoled him, "During the Hongwu Dynasty, almost all the wealthy and powerful families in the capital were killed by the four major cases. Compared with the methods used by Emperor Gaozu, the emperor is already merciful."
"Your Highness may be confused. Before your leg became lame, the Emperor was clearly your greatest supporter and patron. Why did the Emperor's attitude towards you change after your Highness became regent?"
"Your Highness, the conflict between you and the King of Han was never the main conflict. On the surface, it was the dispute between the Eastern Palace and the King of Han that led to Xie Jin's demotion. But in fact, it was a problem of trust between you and the emperor."
"Because Your Highness holds at least half of the imperial power. The Emperor is personally on a campaign, far away from the capital, so Your Highness is facing a crisis of the Emperor's trust in you."
This touched the heart of the Crown Prince, who hurriedly asked, "From the perspective of Concubine Hu, how can I convince my father that I have no ulterior motives and just want to be a good regent?"
Actually, there is no such thing. Just now, there was a villain in my heart who was crazy about "forcing the emperor to abdicate and learn more about it." The supreme imperial power makes people crazy and reckless.
Hu Shanwei said: "It's useless even if you take out your heart. You can't prove your innocence. You need someone's help."
"Who?" The prince was delighted. "I will invite him out even if I have to visit him three times."
Hu Shanwei said: "King of Han."
The prince couldn't believe his ears, "The King of Han... will help me?"
Hu Shanwei's expression was serious, not joking at all, "Yes, the King of Han is the only one who can help you."
"Your Highness is just too nervous and too cautious. He has been acting as regent for more than a month before he revealed a flaw. This was the result of the King of Han's efforts. No one is perfect. Once the King of Han reports this, the Emperor will believe him and think that Xie Jin is meeting with Your Highness privately."
"But if the Prince of Han reports to you every day that your Highness has done something wrong, has a bad personal ethics, neglects his duties, etc., the Emperor will in turn suspect the Prince of Han."
Hu Shanwei stressed the point, "Your Highness, the relationship between the king and the crown prince is inherently antagonistic. A king can never fully trust the crown prince. Your Highness, don't waste your energy. You don't need the emperor to trust you much, you just need the emperor to doubt the King of Han."
"Your Highness, please be bold and expose your flaws. Keep those informants in the East Palace. Do not drive them away. In order to win the favor of the King of Han, they will certainly exaggerate and make up all kinds of nonsense to slander the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince should ignore them and do not make excuses. Let them say whatever they want. The more the better. The more dirty water they throw on the Crown Prince through the King of Han, the more stable his position will be."
"The King of Han looks at the Crown Prince through a magnifying glass, but he doesn't know that the Emperor also looks at the King of Han through a magnifying glass."
The author has something to say: The college entrance examination is over, I will continue to send out 100 red envelopes tonight to celebrate~ Thank you to the little angels who cast the tyrant votes or irrigated the nutrient solution for me~
Thanks to the little angels who cast [mines]: 1 old classmate Yao Lan;
Thanks to the little angel who irrigated [nutrient solution]:
45 bottles of Heavy Rain, 32 bottles of Baisuier, 30 bottles of Yijianxieyue, 20 bottles of Absolut, Ajiu, 34575319, 19 bottles of Mengshuai, 10 bottles of Pitaojun, Taoliyan, Canboo, Nansun, 3 bottles of Xixi in the Book Chase, 2 bottles of Natiao Xiaoxiaoyu, 1 bottle of Xiaomiao Sanqian, Maitreya, and Cut Long Hair.
Thank you very much for your support, I will continue to work hard!