Phi-Fic Chapter 451 Puppet and Regent?
Chapter 451 Puppet and Regent?
"The Fifth Prince!"
Qin Miaoxi's words had barely finished when they caused an uproar.
"Lord Xuanwu, you must be joking. The Fifth Prince has already been exiled. How can he inherit the throne?"
"He is a prince, why can't he?"
A nonchalant question silenced the doubters, and Qin Miaoxi glanced around before watching the figure gradually appear and disappear at the gate, a smile playing on her lips.
coming.
"But the Fifth Prince was a madman back then..."
The questioning abruptly ended, proving that the Madman was created by Emperor Meiji and the Fourth Prince, which indirectly cleared the Fifth Prince's name, and it seemed there was no reason to stop it.
Consort Shu's shrill cry pierced my ears, "No, why not my son? The Fifth Prince's birth mother was just a lowly palace maid. What virtue or ability does he have to ascend the throne?"
The eldest prince was equally indignant, "That's right, my fifth brother is uneducated. He was scolded by the Grand Tutor back then, and he doesn't know anything about the art of being an emperor. He is not fit to be the ruler of a country."
The courtiers looked at him, hesitant to speak. Was this eldest prince truly foolish or just pretending? This was the choice for the throne made by the Four Imperial Guards. Why hadn't the Empress spoken up in defense of the second prince?
Moreover, Consort Shu's family background wasn't much better than that of a palace maid, yet she had the nerve to look down on someone else's origins.
Xie Baiyan curled his lips with a half-smile, "Your Highness, would you like me to help you review why the Fifth Prince earned a reputation for being foolish?"
The eldest prince immediately fell silent, guiltily avoiding his gaze.
He recognized the Fifth Prince's talent earlier than anyone else; it was a terrifying intelligence. Despite his young age, he could remember everything the Grand Tutor explained and understand it by analogy.
This talent startled him and gave him a plan: since this boy has such quick wit, why not make use of him?
So he claimed the Fifth Prince's academic achievements as his own, and sure enough, he easily won the Grand Tutor's praise. It wasn't until the Fifth Prince was exiled by his father that he lost this useful tool.
"My son! What does he mean by that?" Consort Shu noticed his unusual expression and became even more agitated.
The eldest prince stubbornly insisted, "In short, he's not suitable, I don't agree."
Qin Miaoxi retorted without holding back, "Your opinion is unimportant, isn't it, Fifth Prince?"
Everyone looked toward the gate and saw the Fifth Prince standing outside the hall in a dark brocade robe, a warm smile on his lips.
"Gentlemen, how have you been?"
The crowd exchanged glances, then bowed respectfully to him in unison, saying, "Congratulations on the Fifth Prince's return to court."
The Fifth Prince walked past the crowd, his gaze sweeping over everyone inch by inch, until he stopped in front of the First Prince.
He said with a smile, "Elder Brother."
"What... what do you want to do?" The eldest prince was flustered and dared not look him in the eye.
The Fifth Prince leaned close to his ear and whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear, "I owe my current success to the guidance and support of my eldest brother."
Ignoring his increasingly unpleasant expression, the Fifth Prince stood before Qin Miaoxi and the other two, and respectfully performed a deep 90-degree bow.
"Thank you for saving my life, sir. I am willing to serve you."
The court officials had different expressions. Judging from the Fifth Prince's appearance, even if he ascended the throne, he would still obey the Four Imperial Guards. Could it be that their goal was to undermine the imperial power?
Qin Miaoxi offered a gesture of support, saying, "Fifth Prince, you're too kind. This matter has nothing to do with you."
The Fifth Prince did not speak, but his gaze toward her was deep and focused, filled with an indescribable tenderness.
Xie Baiyan and Xia Liqian exchanged a glance and immediately stepped between the two. "Fifth Prince, with Emperor Meiji's passing, the most urgent task is to quickly establish a stable foundation for the country to reassure the people."
"Gentlemen, do any of you have any objections?"
The ministers, who were usually so eloquent, kept their mouths shut, none daring to be the first to speak out.
"Since there's no one..."
"I disagree." The Empress walked slowly to the three men, turning her head to look at the Fifth Prince with disdain. "The succession to the throne has always been based on the eldest son of the legitimate wife. With his lowly birth and insignificant talent, does he even deserve it?"
"Does Your Majesty mean... to establish the Second Prince as Emperor?"
“That’s right, the Second Prince is the rightful heir in the palace, and the throne can only be his.”
Qin Miaoxi gave her a deep look, "I wonder if Her Majesty the Empress has inquired about the Second Prince's opinion?"
"The matter of establishing an emperor concerns the very foundation of the nation; how can he, alone, have the final say?" The empress spoke with a pointed remark, her sharp eyes filled with warning.
Their gazes met in the air; the Empress's gaze was firm and sharp.
“That’s right. The Second Prince is the legitimate son. Since His Majesty has not designated an heir, then the legitimate son should inherit.”
"We are willing to support the Second Prince in ascending the throne as Emperor."
The Empress's faction immediately took sides. Judging from the Imperial Guard's demeanor, they didn't seem to insist on choosing the Fifth Prince; they still had a chance to win.
The eldest prince roared in resentment, "I am the eldest son! Do you intend to violate royal regulations?"
However, his words were subconsciously ignored by everyone. The Second Prince had the Empress's support and was considered the legitimate heir, while the Fifth Prince had the support of the Four Imperial Guards and was considered the rightful heir. What did he have?
However, Qin Miaoxi seemed to dislike his noise, saying, "It seems the Crown Prince has forgotten what he himself has done."
The eldest prince's face turned from pale to ashen. "Lord Xuanwu, I was only following orders. Everything was done at my father's behest! You cannot hold a grudge against me for this."
"The most important quality of a ruler is to make decisions independently. You only follow the crowd and have no opinions of your own. You are not worthy of the position of the supreme ruler."
"you……"
Qin Miaoxi gave the guards a look, and they immediately took the eldest prince and Consort Shu away.
The court was not familiar with the Fifth Prince, and very few people spoke up for him, so the voices calling for the Second Prince to be established immediately resounded throughout the hall.
"Why does Your Excellency hesitate?" the Empress spoke up at the opportune moment, pressing forward with piercing eyes. "Could it be that what everyone says is true—what you want is not a wise ruler at all, but a puppet to be manipulated at will, a regent to facilitate your absolute power? Is such behavior not a disgrace to the late Emperor?"
These words carried immense weight, almost a direct denunciation: if they insisted on supporting the Fifth Prince, they would be treacherous officials harboring evil intentions and plotting to seize power, their wolfish ambitions blatantly obvious!
Qin Miaoxi looked at the Fifth Prince. His expression remained unchanged, and he did not show anger despite the crowd's rebuttals, but his gaze...
She frowned and looked away, then suddenly smiled and chuckled, "Your Majesty is joking. In that case, let's choose the Second Prince..."
"I disagree." A hoarse voice interrupted her. The Second Prince appeared before everyone, his face as pale as paper, as if he were about to die at any moment.
Upon seeing this, the Empress immediately stepped forward to support the person and said with heartache, "Why have you come? Your mother will arrange everything for you."
"Quickly help His Highness back to rest. If His Highness's health is compromised, I will hold you all accountable."
The second prince grabbed the empress tightly, saying, "Mother, don't force me."
The Empress's heart trembled slightly at the sound of his cry of "Mother," and when she looked into his bloodshot eyes, her heart ached.
"Second Prince, here's your medicine."
Qin Miaoxi handed him the medicine bottle, but this action was interpreted by the Empress as her using medicine to threaten her son.
The Empress laughed in fury, "Very well, so the Four Imperial Guards are such cowardly opportunists."