At the court session the next morning, Zhou Shuren finally understood what the emperor wanted to say yesterday. The titles of the princes were decided. There was no King of Jin, the second prince was King of Qi, the third prince was King of Chu, the fourth prince was King of Liang, and Zhang Yang got nothing.
After the decree came down, the court fell silent. Without the Prince of Jin, the Crown Prince's position was more secure. However, the Fourth Prince didn't even get the four honorable titles of the King of Qin. The Fourth Prince's face changed color immediately.
Zhou Shuren was also a little surprised, because it was a little different from what he thought. Even the King of Qin was not there. He glanced at the Fourth Prince and then at Feng Huai who was in high spirits recently. Their faces were so ugly.
After the emperor finished speaking, he felt that there was nothing important today, so he got up and left. The prince did not join him today, but stayed behind instead.
Zhou Shuren was happy that the court was adjourned so early, but he saw that no one moved. When he looked up, he saw the crown prince walking towards the princes.
Zhou Shuren thought about it and didn't move, just listened with his ears perked up.
The prince felt completely relieved and congratulated with a smile on his face, "Congratulations, second brother, third brother, and fourth brother."
The Second Prince thought of his grandfather's words, and today's title was not difficult to accept. He was just still very disappointed and resentful in his heart. He was also a son, so why did his father only have eyes for the crown prince? Wasn't he good enough
The Second Prince wanted to ignore the Crown Prince, but in the court, with the ministers watching, he said stiffly, "Congratulations."
The third prince Zhang Jingshi was also unwilling, but he knew that he had the lowest chance of being crowned the King of Jin. Even though he had gone through a lot of trouble, he didn't feel too disappointed. After all, he had one of the several honorable titles. He looked at the fourth prince with interest. With the comparison, he felt much better. "Congratulations."
The Fourth Prince had the ugliest expression. He was the one who had the most support and he was also the most capable of making trouble. But in the end, he had made great contributions but he didn't even get the title of King of Qin. Looking at the gloating Third Prince, he and the Third Prince had become enemies because of the Qi family. He wanted to walk away without any generosity, but unfortunately he couldn't. He gritted his teeth and said, "It should be the younger brother who should congratulate the Crown Prince."
The prince showed surprise on his face, "Brother, I would like to thank my brothers for their support in the future."
Several princes glared at you, asking who said they would support you. It was obviously a mockery of you.
Who is the crown prince? The one with the thickest skin is the crown prince. In contrast to the anger in the eyes of the other princes, the crown prince raised his hand and patted his three younger brothers on the shoulders, "I appreciate your kindness. Don't worry, my gift will be delivered later."
Having said that, the prince walked away swiftly, his steps were particularly brisk.
Zhou Shuren curled the corners of his mouth. The prince won in terms of words. The prince was in a really good mood these days. Look at those angry princes, so pitiful.
All the ministers left the palace quickly. On the way out of the palace, the Minister of Personnel smiled very happily, "Congratulations, Lord Feng."
Everyone's eyes turned to Feng Huai. Everyone saw how arrogant Feng Huai had been during these days.
Feng Huai's face looked particularly ugly. He was not convinced. The Fourth Prince had obviously made great contributions, but he didn't dare to say it out loud. The Emperor would not be polite to him, so he could only swing his sleeves and walk away quickly.
The other officials, especially the neutral officials, looked particularly relaxed. The more stable the prince's position was, the more at ease they felt.
Some officials who have been trying to test the waters will also stop this time.
Zhou Shuren looked at the adults with unhappy expressions with sympathy in his eyes. They were jumping around so happily that the emperor even kept a record of it.
At the Zhou family, Zhulan listened to Mrs. Song reporting on the situation of several young men in the clan. Since they came to the capital, Zhou Shuren had not made any arrangements for them and let them wander around the capital on their own. This was a test for the clan members.
There are too many temptations in the capital, and only those with a strong mind can go further.
A few days ago, there were many rumors about Zhou Shuren, and several young men were studying with Changzhi in the mansion. Now that the rumors have spread, several young men go out every day.
Mother Song sent people to follow them. Several young men had contact with each other. It was no secret that members of the Zhou family had come to the capital. This also meant that the Zhou family wanted to take root in the capital with the help of Zhou Shuren.
The place that these young men go to most every day is the library, and they rarely go to teahouses.
Zhulan didn't prepare any silver for them, so they spent all the money they brought with them. "They don't have much silver left!"
Even if you don't travel around, the expenses in the capital are still very high. Meeting like-minded scholars and having tea together is also an expense.
Mrs. Song nodded, "Yes, there are many people who have invited them recently, and I feel embarrassed to take advantage of them. After paying a few times, I don't have much money left."
Zhulan was still a little disappointed. Her brain was not flexible. Reading was good, but the main thing was to have an active brain. What was the point of just reading? There were so many books in the Zhou family. She sent books back every year.
Zhu pressed his brows and said, "Let's take another look."
Zhulan then asked, "Is Dong feeling better? Forget it, I'll go and see her myself."
Mrs. Dong hoped that this baby would be a son. She was thinking too much and didn't get enough rest. Her belly kept getting bigger and bigger and she felt uncomfortable.
In the third room, as soon as Zhulan entered the room, she saw Dong making clothes. The colors looked like they were for boys. Well, Dong listened to what she said for a few days, but as the month went by, her comfort was of no use at all.
Mrs. Dong put down the clothes in her hand and said, "Mom, why are you here?"
"I came to see you. Seeing that you look good, I feel relieved."
Zhulan wanted to scare Dong, saying that thinking too much would be dangerous during childbirth, but she couldn't say it out loud, for she was afraid that Dong would think too much and something bad would happen.
Zhulan talked with Mrs. Dong for a while before leaving with Mrs. Song. The sun was shining brightly these days, the temperature was rising quickly, and the snow was melting. Zhulan looked at the scenery in the garden and said, "Several families have sons, so Mrs. Dong is under a lot of pressure."
Mrs. Song moved her mouth, and Zhulan saw it. "What do you want to say?"
Mrs. Song didn't dare to say anything, because her experience told her that the third wife might be pregnant with a girl, so she shook her head.
Zhulan really hoped that this baby would be a son, so that Dong wouldn't have to worry about it all the time. She was not an ancient person. In her eyes, daughters and sons were the same. But it was different for Dong, who was born and raised there.
In the Mansion of Marquis Yao, Yao Wenqi frowned, Zhang Yang didn't even get the title of king. Then he thought about it and relaxed his brow. Zhang Yang had no achievements at all. Even the fourth prince didn't get the title of King of Qin. So Zhang Yang's result was reasonable.
Then he thought, it would be good to be crowned a king, so as to divert the attention of the capital.
As for Zhang Yang, he also attended the court today. He felt like a joke as he got nothing and his brothers ignored him when talking to him!
At the Ninghou Mansion, Duke Ning was in a good mood. He took his two sons to watch an opera and drank two glasses of wine.
Where there is joy, there is also injustice.
The emperor returned to the palace, sent the prince away, and sat there without moving. Seeing this, Eunuch Liu felt anxious and scared. "Your Majesty?"
The emperor closed his eyes and thought of the dream again. The dream was too real. Even though he hadn't had it for a long time, it was still engraved in his mind. "Even if I decide the title, they will not be willing."
Even if they were threatened and hinted at with titles, the sons would not let go. The emperor wanted the imperial power and the country. He sighed deeply, his eyes filled with ruthlessness.