Chapter 362: The Crown Prince Is Deposed
Chu Yi's face darkened.
He had accompanied this little rascal every single day while he was still in the womb, and held him in his arms daily after he was born.
It was only recently, due to his busy schedule and some neglect, that the little fellow had deliberately peed on him.
The little one had no idea he had done anything wrong, opening his mouth with only two teeth, giggling happily and incessantly.
The wet nurse hurriedly took Jue Ge'er away to change his diaper and clothes.
"Mother, I drew a portrait of Jue Ge'er," Chu Changsheng said, walking over with a painting. "Brother, take a look too. Is it nice?"
Chu Hongyu immediately replied, "Changsheng, you're amazing! This painting has the style of a master. If you sold it, it could probably fetch ten copper coins."
"You!" Chu Changsheng was exasperated. "Brother, are you praising me or mocking me?"
"Of course, I'm praising you. It's just that you shouldn't have drawn that little rascal Jue Ge'er," Chu Hongyu snorted. "If you had drawn me, selling it for ten thousand taels would be no problem."
That little guy didn't like him, his brother, at all.
Every time their mother or Changsheng kissed him, he would giggle happily.
But when it was his turn to kiss him, the little one would immediately put on a different face. Comparing people really is infuriating.
Yun Chu couldn't help but laugh.
With these three children, life was truly complete.
The day after the flower-viewing banquet ended, Chu Yi brought back news that the Emperor had fallen ill and hadn't even attended the morning court session.
"After experiencing such extreme emotional highs and lows, it's common for anyone to fall ill," Yun Chu said. "As long as the real Li Jingshu can recover, His Majesty should get better too."
Chu Yi shook his head. "The entire Imperial Hospital has examined her. There's no cure; they can only maintain brief periods of clarity."
It was precisely because Li Jingshu was incurable that the Emperor had flown into a rage in the palace, punished several imperial physicians, and made himself sick with anger.
The Emperor's illness lasted for nearly half a month.
When he returned to court, he had lost a significant amount of weight.
After the incident at the banquet, the Li family had been demoted. A whole family had vanished just like that.
The court officials were deeply concerned, fearing that the Emperor, in his desire to compensate his beloved, might make a foolish decision and appoint a madwoman as the Empress.
Thus, as soon as the court session began, the ministers stepped forward one after another.
"Your Majesty! A country cannot go a day without a ruler, and the inner court cannot go a day without an Empress. We implore Your Majesty to appoint a new Empress!"
"Please appoint a mother of the nation, Your Majesty!"
"Prince Pingxi is divinely brave and profoundly wise, all thanks to Consort Yin's efforts. This subject believes Consort Yin is worthy of being Empress!"
"This subject believes Consort Yun is dignified, generous, gentle, and virtuous, fully capable of being the mother of the nation!"
"..."
"Bang!"
The Emperor, seated at the highest position, slammed his hand heavily on the table.
His voice was icy cold. "This dynasty has one and only one Empress. The matter of appointing an Empress need not be mentioned again. Whoever dares to bring it up again, I will not hesitate to make an example of them!"
Everyone immediately fell silent.
Now that the Emperor was in high spirits, they had said their piece. If they insisted on forcing him to appoint an Empress, someone would surely pay the price.
Just as everyone quieted down, the Crown Prince, standing at the forefront of the civil and military officials, stepped forward with his head lowered.
"Father, your son has a matter to report!"
The Emperor rubbed his temples. "Granted!"
Over the past half-month, while the Emperor was ill, the Crown Prince had been overseeing state affairs.
The Crown Prince had also lost a great deal of weight.
From the day he was born, he had been the Crown Prince. The belief that he would ascend the throne one day was etched into his very bones.If the death of his mother had dealt a heavy blow to his spirit, then these past half-month of regency had shattered his convictions.
For the first time, he realized he was utterly unworthy of the Crown Prince's position.
All along, it had been the Empress who had supported him, handling all manner of affairs on his behalf. Now that he was left alone, it seemed he was incapable of anything.
Of course, there were capable men under his command—the Grand Tutor, Grand Preceptor, and Grand Guardian of the Crown Prince—each offering their own advice, but he did not know whose counsel to follow.
He was in turmoil.
He was at a loss.
He recalled the words of the third prince: the Empress had traded her own life for the Emperor's tolerance toward him.
He, too, wished to live well.
Not to live in constant fear and anxiety amidst such turmoil.
"Father!" The Crown Prince knelt, his robes sweeping the ground, his back straight. "Since Mother's passing, I have dreamed of her every night. She said she wished to see the vast and beautiful lands of Great Jin. I have been unfilial—I failed to honor her properly while she was alive, and so I wish to fulfill her lifelong wish! I have always been dull-witted—in literature, I am inferior to my second brother; in martial arts, I am no match for my third brother. In every aspect, I relied entirely on Mother's support... Now that she is gone, I have neither the will nor the ability to continue as the heir. I beg Father to depose me as Crown Prince!"
These words were like a drop of water falling into a pot of boiling oil, instantly causing an uproar.
"What? Did I hear correctly? The Crown Prince is requesting his own deposition?"
"The Crown Prince is both the eldest son and the legitimate heir. He has never committed any offense—how can he be deposed?"
"Your Highness, quickly tell His Majesty you misspoke!"
"Crown Prince...!"
The Crown Prince's faction broke into a cold sweat, frantic with anxiety.
Over the past few days of his regency, although minor issues had arisen, they were insignificant and had not led to any major disasters. With their watchful eyes, even if the Crown Prince were mediocre, it would not matter.
They never expected that the Crown Prince would publicly request the Emperor to depose him in front of all the civil and military officials.
Throughout the millennia of history, there had been instances of empresses requesting their own deposition, but never a crown prince. It was utterly absurd!
"Father, I believe the position of heir should be held by someone more capable," the Crown Prince knelt on the ground. "In any case, that person is not me. I beg Father to grant my wish, allowing me to travel throughout Great Jin with my wife and children to fulfill Mother's lifelong desire!"
The Emperor gently rubbed his fingers, remaining silent for a long while before speaking. "Are you certain? You must understand, an emperor's words are final. Once I depose you, there will be no turning back!"
The Crown Prince nodded. "I have thought it through. I beg Father to issue the decree!"
The Emperor gazed at him quietly.
This was his first son. On the day he was born, he had been named Crown Prince by decree and moved into the Eastern Palace.
Over time, the Emperor gradually realized that the Crown Prince was too mediocre—he was less studious than others, had no talent for martial arts, and excelled in nothing.
But the Crown Prince was the eldest son and the legitimate heir, and with the Empress planning for him, the Emperor had thought to wait patiently, believing that one day the Crown Prince would improve.
Yet, before the Crown Prince could mature, he now heard with his own ears the Crown Prince requesting his own deposition.
What great achievements could be expected from someone who had given up on himself?
The Emperor's eyes were filled with disappointment.
"By decree, from this moment onward, the Crown Prince is deposed. He is hereby enfeoffed as Ren Wang (Prince Ren) and granted a fiefdom. So it is decreed!"
"I thank Father! May Father live ten thousand years!"
The Crown Prince kowtowed three times, his forehead striking the ground.
In that moment, he suddenly felt liberated.
No longer would he need to fear being plotted against.No longer needing to worry about loved ones dying.
Nor having to scheme about how to frame brothers and comrades.
On the third day after being deposed, the Crown Prince took his wife, children, and concubines to his fiefdom.
Yun Chu admired the Crown Prince's decisiveness in making such a choice, for remaining in such a vortex would have led to an outcome not much better than his previous life.
The deposing of the Crown Prince became a hot topic of discussion among the common folk.
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