Chapter 139 Making things difficult
Shang Zhanbai looked at the chair next to his father proudly. He did not attend the ceremony of offering sacrifices to heaven because he had something to do yesterday.
I heard about the incident at Longshou Mountain later. Today was the first time that my Third Brother went to court, in order to suppress those snipes.
Then he ran to his father and used his eloquence to successfully ask for a chair for his third brother.
“……………………”Shang Zhanchen didn’t say anything.
I looked at Lao Wu, then at the chair, and knew without hesitation that he was the one who did it.
Before he could say anything, the emperor walked in, looked at the chair next to the dragon throne, and then looked at Shang Zhanchen.
"Chen'er, come and sit."
Bai'er came to see me yesterday and said that Chen'er had fought too hard yesterday and felt a little exhausted. I thought he had just recovered from a serious illness.
Only then did I think of putting a chair next to him so that he could sit down and discuss matters with everyone and also rest.
After all, the country will be handed over to him in the future, so there is nothing wrong with him sitting next to me.
However, all this was indeed quite surprising in the eyes of everyone, even though everyone knew that the prince would inherit the throne.
But the emperor's behavior today clearly showed everyone how much he favors the prince.
"Thank you, father." Shang Zhanchen saluted respectfully to the emperor.
He slowly walked up the steps and sat down beside the emperor. There was no emotion on his angular face, and it was impossible to guess what he was thinking.
The emperor looked very pleased.
"……………………"
A monarch of a country should be unmoved by praise or criticism, and should not show his joy or anger on his face.
“……………………”Everyone looked at each other.
Look at the princes sitting next to the emperor, they look at each other.
The emperor loves the prince very much, even though the Shang Dynasty will be handed over to the prince in the future.
But there was never a time when the Crown Prince sat next to the Emperor to discuss matters, so those who were open-minded did not think anything of it.
However, some people were unhappy, especially Shang Zhanfei.
In the past few years, he could be said to have been like a fish in water in the court. The court officials flattered him, and the right prime minister took charge of all matters. He had long regarded himself as the master here.
But seeing Shang Zhanchen sitting next to his father at this moment, he had to admit that he was the prince and the successor to the Shang Kingdom.
He was the prince his father loved the most, not himself. At this moment, he felt like a joke standing there.
But Shang Zhanbai was very happy, especially when he saw Shang Zhanfei's face which was darker than the bottom of a pot, he felt so happy.
The reason why I was too lazy to go to court these years was that I didn't want to see his smug face.
This time the third prince has fully recovered, so there is no chance for him to jump around.
Next, each department began to report on its affairs, and every time an issue was discussed, the emperor would seek Shang Zhanchen's opinion.
And Shang Zhanchen can always clearly point out the crux of the problem and provide effective solutions.
Moreover, he did not take credit for himself, and every time he finished speaking, he would throw the question back to the emperor and let the emperor make the decision.
This not only made the emperor very satisfied, but even the old ministers in the hall cast approving glances at him.
The prince is not only calm and measured, but also methodical in solving problems. This is what a crown prince should be like.
Even He Yuan had to admit in his heart that the prince was indeed capable of taking on the important task with his talents.
Compared with him, the Second Prince is far inferior, but despite this, he has to help the Second Prince find things.
After all, he was his own child. No matter what, he could not let the prince take away his son's throne.
Thinking of this, a calculating look flashed in his eyes. He took a step forward and bowed to the emperor.
"Prince, the Qinchuan Kingdom has been harassing our border people over the past few years, and there have been tens of thousands of casualties.
A few days ago, General Wei led his men to encircle and suppress the Qin bandits, and lost more than a thousand people. Now the soldiers are short of medical care and medicine.
In addition, the army is short of food. General Wei has submitted several petitions. I hope Your Majesty will make the final decision."
He Yuan secretly glanced at Shang Zhanchen again. Although there had been no major wars on the Lingnan border in recent years.
However, small battles continued and the Qin army often invaded to harass the court, which was also a problem that had always been a headache for the court.
Since the prince is so capable, he would like to hear how this problem that has been a headache for everyone was solved.
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone present suddenly quieted down. They were all cunning and treacherous guys.
Naturally, everyone could see that the Right Prime Minister was deliberately making things difficult for the Crown Prince, and this matter had become a difficult problem.
It has not been resolved for so many years, and I don't think the prince will have a good solution.
Everyone was watching the prince silently, and some were curious and wanted to hear what the prince had to say.
There were also those who gloated over other people's misfortunes, and they were obviously members of He Yuan's party.
Just as everyone's eyes were on the prince, Shang Zhanchen's unhurried voice came down.
“Although I have seldom attended court in recent years, I know a thing or two about this matter, and there are only two ways to resolve it.
One plan was to march south, defeat the Qinchuan army, and force them to sign a peace agreement, guaranteeing non-aggression in the future.
But right now, our Great Shang Kingdom is weak, so this is obviously not a wise move. So the only option left is the second one.
Just send someone to find out the specific situation and then deal with it as appropriate." Shang Zhanchen finished speaking and looked at the emperor again.
“Father, as the crown prince of the Great Shang Kingdom, I should shoulder the responsibility of protecting the people. Now that I have recovered, I beg you to allow me to go to the Lingnan border.
We will make a decision after the on-site inspection.”
Shang Zhanchen looked very serious. If his health had not allowed it in recent years, he would have gone to the Lingnan border to investigate long ago.
Why does the Qinchuan army often invade our border? Now that he has recovered, he must go on this trip.
"Your Majesty, no!" Shen Ze stepped forward and bowed to the emperor and Shang Zhanchen.
"Your Majesty, although the Crown Prince has recovered from his illness, he still needs to be well cared for for a while.
The conditions at the Lingnan border are harsh, and it is not suitable for the prince to go there in person."
"Yes, Father, I also think that what Minister Shen said is right. Third brother has just recovered and is not suitable for running around."
Shang Zhanbai also stepped forward and bowed respectfully to the emperor.
Although the poison in the Third Prince's body has now been cured, he has just recovered after all, not to mention how difficult the conditions in Lingnan are.
Besides, he had just returned to the court and should have won back the hearts of the people. It was really not appropriate for him to run so far.
"Yes, Chen'er, you have just recovered, so why not send someone to find out." The emperor looked at Shang Zhanchen.
He also felt that what Zuo Xiang and Bai'er said was right. It was really inappropriate for Chen'er to go to such a difficult place just when his body had just recovered.
But before Shang Zhanchen could speak, He Yuan expressed a different opinion.
“Your Majesty, I think what the Crown Prince said makes sense. Lingnan’s problems have not been resolved over the years.
If the Crown Prince goes to investigate personally, with his ability, I believe he will be able to resolve the Lingnan issue thoroughly."
As He Yuan spoke, he winked at his confidant behind him.
More than a dozen court officials came forward and bowed respectfully to the emperor.
"Your Majesty, what the Right Prime Minister said is absolutely right. I second your opinion!