Rongyao said, “You were the one who insisted on coming in the first place.”
Dantai Lin’s eyes instantly filled with tears. “Lin’er was wrong. Lin’er regrets it. Lin’er wants to sleep—wants to sleep!”
Rongyao tilted her head and asked her little brother, “Isn’t it nice here? Studying is wonderful.”
Dantai Lin drooped his head. “But Lin’er wants to sleep even more. Lin’er isn’t a good child.”
“Of course you are!” Seeing her brother’s pitiful expression, Rongyao took out a handkerchief and wiped his face. “The Grand Tutor scolded you just now, but you didn’t cry. You’ve already done very well. You were so brave—you deserve praise.”
Dantai Lin blinked his large, watery eyes. “Really?”
“Of course. If you can’t sleep well, you can ask Father and Mother to let you come at the hour of Chen. Your elder sister was the same when she was young. But you still have to study. Only by studying can you become wise and understand proper conduct, and avoid being deceived by others. Your elder sister doesn’t want to have a foolish little brother.”
Dantai Lin nodded vigorously and clenched his little fists. “Mm-hmm! Lin’er isn’t Elder Sister’s foolish little brother!”
Thus, the next day, the Sixth Prince, Dantai Lin, did not arrive at Wenchang Academy until the hour of Chen.
He had slept to his heart’s content, and he no longer dozed off during class. The Grand Tutor was much more satisfied and did not scold him, instead teaching him seriously.
At one point, he even praised the Sixth Prince for being clever and possessing a sharp mind.
Those words reached the Empress in Fengyi Palace.
The Empress’s expression darkened as she stared at the little palace maid. “Did the Grand Tutor say how the Sixth Prince compares to the Third Prince?”
The palace maid replied, “He made no comparison. Today, the Grand Tutor only praised the Sixth Prince.”
The Empress said coldly, “You may leave.”
“Yes!”
After the palace maid withdrew, the Empress closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Matron Fang, what do you think His Majesty means by this?”
Matron Fang answered uncertainly, “His Majesty surely meant nothing by it. Our Third Prince entered Wenchang Academy at the age of three. He even started a year earlier than the Fourth Prince.”
The Empress let out a cold laugh. “My son is the legitimate prince! All these years, I have endured humiliation and never quarreled with Noble Consort Cui. Yet Noble Consort Cui has become so impatient that she sent a mere three-year-old child to study alongside my son and compare himself with him! She relies on His Majesty’s favor and on having given birth to the clever Princess Fuxi, so she dares disregard me! Disregard the Third Prince!”
“Your Majesty, please calm down!” Matron Fang fell to her knees and spoke softly. “How could the Sixth Prince possibly compare with the Third Prince? Our Third Prince is the legitimate heir. If a Crown Prince is to be appointed, it should naturally be our Third Prince! The Second Prince’s birth mother is a criminal, the Fourth Prince is as stupid as a pig, and the Sixth Prince is not clever either. He has angered the Grand Tutor several times. His praise today is merely because he has benefited from Noble Consort Cui and Princess Fuxi.”
“If Your Majesty is worried that something might change in the future, you can have your father raise the matter of appointing a Crown Prince. Once our Third Prince is designated as Crown Prince, even Grand Princess Fuxi will have to lower her head before him.”
The Empress tapped lightly on the table. Then she looked up at Matron Fang. “Have the Third Prince come in.”
“Yes!”
Before long, Matron Fang brought the Third Prince inside.
The Empress took the Third Prince’s hand. “My son, did the Grand Tutor praise you today?”
The seven-year-old Third Prince lowered his head uneasily. “No.”
The Empress tightened her grip. “Then did you finish the lesson assigned by the Grand Tutor today?”
The Third Prince’s shoulders tensed. “I have not finished memorizing my book.”
The Empress’s face darkened, and she snapped angrily, “Why are you so useless? If you continue like this, your Sixth Brother will completely surpass you!”
The Third Prince said, “He won’t. Sixth Brother only likes to sleep. He hasn’t read as many books as I have.”
The Empress replied, “How old is he? How old are you? How can you compare yourself to such a young child? Besides, he has Princess Fuxi by his side! She is his own elder sister. Naturally, she will help Dantai Lin instead of you!”
The Third Prince’s eyes reddened, and he shrank back. “Elder Sister is also my sister.”
“How can you be so foolish?” the Empress scolded. “They are siblings born of the same mother! As for you, you have only yourself! You must work hard. You must surpass Dantai Lin, or he will steal your position as Crown Prince.”
“You are the legitimate son. The position of Crown Prince must be yours! It must be yours!”
The Third Prince seemed frightened. His body trembled slightly.
The Empress embraced him. “Tomorrow, Mother will have the ministers submit a memorial requesting that you be appointed Crown Prince. You are the legitimate son, and the only proper candidate for Crown Prince. Once you become Crown Prince, everyone except your Father and the various consorts will have to bow to you. Even Princess Fuxi will have to bow to you.”
The Third Prince said nothing. His face had gone deathly pale as he sat motionless in his mother’s arms.
The next day, in the Golden Hall, a minister petitioned the Emperor to appoint a Crown Prince.
“Your Majesty, please appoint a Crown Prince at once! Only when the Eastern Palace has a master can the realm be at peace!”
Dantai Ji frowned slightly and looked toward the man who had spoken.
“I am still in the prime of my life. There is no need to rush the appointment of a Crown Prince.”
A minister holding a tablet of office stepped forward.
“It is precisely because Your Majesty is still in the prime of life and the princes are young that a Crown Prince should be appointed now. This will establish the distinctions between high and low and prevent chaos and calamity in the future.”
Immediately afterward, another minister called out, “Appointing a Crown Prince early will also teach the other princes and young masters to understand their places and establish the authority of the heir apparent.”
Dantai Ji cast a sharp glance over the ministers who had spoken. “Then tell me—which prince should be appointed heir?”
The hall fell silent for a moment before one minister spoke first.
“Naturally, it should be the legitimate son born to Your Majesty and the Empress. Though the Third Prince is young, he is intelligent, quick-witted, kindhearted, and benevolent. He is the only suitable candidate for Crown Prince!”
“Indeed. The legitimate son should be made heir, and the eldest should be favored. As the legitimate son, the Third Prince is the obvious choice if Your Majesty is to appoint a Crown Prince.”
“The princes are all still young. We should wait a few more years,” the Emperor declared in a tone that brooked no argument.
One minister knelt, intending to continue, but the Emperor simply rose and left the Golden Hall.
The matter was left unresolved.
However, this was only the beginning.
The next day, another group of ministers petitioned the Emperor to appoint a Crown Prince.
The Emperor brushed the matter aside and ignored them.
On the third day, ministers once again requested that the Emperor appoint a Crown Prince.
Then came the fourth day, the fifth…
It was not until the sixth day that the Emperor flew into a rage and reprimanded several of the officials who had repeatedly petitioned him.
Unexpectedly, even the Grand Chancellor joined them in requesting that the Emperor appoint a Crown Prince.
The Emperor’s face was full of anger as he demanded, “Even the Grand Chancellor intends to force me to appoint a Crown Prince?”
The Grand Chancellor replied, “If Your Majesty refuses to appoint one today, the vermin in the court will continue to stir restlessly. They will endlessly speculate about Your Majesty’s intentions and throw the government into chaos.”
The Emperor closed his eyes, then opened them again. He looked calmly at the Grand Chancellor. “Grand Chancellor, whom do you believe I should appoint?”
The Grand Chancellor replied, “The Third Prince is the legitimate son of the Empress. Appointing him Crown Prince would be the obvious choice. Your Majesty has four sons and two daughters. Though they are all still young, they should learn the distinctions between legitimate and secondary birth from an early age. Only then will they develop proper respect for the heir apparent.”
The Minister of Revenue stepped forward and knelt. “This old subject respectfully requests that Your Majesty appoint a Crown Prince!”
“Please appoint an heir, Your Majesty. Only then can the empire remain stable.”
More and more ministers followed, kneeling and urging the Emperor to appoint a Crown Prince as soon as possible.
Cui Yeping also knelt with the others. Just moments earlier, those ministers had been casting meaningful glances in his direction. During the previous few days, many officials had discreetly sounded him out about the matter of appointing a Crown Prince, but he could only pretend not to hear them.
If he did not kneel now, people might think that the Cui family was coveting the imperial throne.
His grandson was still young and lazy by nature. He had no intention of risking his old life for the boy.
These people did nothing but indulge in wild speculations and slander his family.
Dantai Ji’s face darkened as his gaze swept over the officials kneeling throughout the hall. His hands clenched into fists, and his eyes were filled with icy menace.
Just then, the Grand Secretary raised his head and spoke again. “Your Majesty! Do you know that the Wenchang Academy is now in complete disorder, with no distinction between rank and status? Everyone there treats Grand Princess Fuxi as their highest authority. If this continues, how can it possibly be tolerated?”
