The Ming Dynasty's Five Hundred Years

Chapter 90 The Crown Prince's Throne
Li Qi struggled to get off the couch and knelt directly in front of Zhu Di. His face was pale but filled with utmost seriousness. "Your Majesty, for the sake of the future of the Ming Dynasty, please establish the eldest prince, Zhu Gaochi, as the crown prince!"

Even if Zhu Di and Xu Miaoyun were extremely intelligent, they could not have guessed that Li Qi was talking about this matter. After all, how many ministers in history would dare to take the initiative to talk to the emperor about this matter? No wonder Li Qi wanted Zhu Gaochi to leave.

Zhu Di's expression turned slightly cold. "Li Qi, do you know what you're saying? To intervene in the matter of choosing an heir without the emperor's knowledge is not something you would do!"

After he finished speaking, he saw Li Qi's pale face and his heart softened. "I am not blaming you too much. My eldest son is not simple. Even you, Li Jinghe, are willing to speak up for him. I don't know what benefits he promised you. I can give you anything, but you return it to him."

This could be considered a harsh criticism.

But Xu Miaoyun sensed something amiss: was the emperor vying with his own son for a subject?
Li Qi said sadly, "I am already nearing the end of my life, what else do I ask for? Just as Your Majesty said, is there anything Your Highness cannot give me?"
Even in terms of kinship, my wife is your younger sister and my son is your nephew, and our relationship is closer than that of the three princes.

Your Majesty is in the prime of life and has many, many years to go. There is no need for me to begin preparing for the next generation now.

Li Qi remained true to himself, always speaking these honest and sincere words, which was what Zhu Di appreciated most about him.

"I don't really blame you."

Zhu Di wanted to ease the tension.

Li Qi said something that made Zhu Di and the Empress unable to hold back: "If Your Majesty were to succeed to the throne as the eldest son of the legitimate wife, I would not have said these words today, nor would I have advised the eldest prince to be the crown prince."

"Li Jinghe! You..."

Zhu Di was so angry he was practically mad. If it weren't for the fact that he had legitimately ascended the throne, he would have been ready to kill someone.

"Your Majesty, habit is the rule, and the rule is a terrible force. The Ming Dynasty can have one emperor who is not in line of succession, but it absolutely cannot have two emperors who are not in line of succession in a row. This will cause unrest among the imperial family, and once the hearts of the people change, the consequences will be so great that no amount of subsequent remedies can get rid of them!"

Li Qi didn't mention Zhu Gaochi's personal abilities or character at all; instead, he offered advice from the perspective of the system.

“As long as the eldest prince does not have any major flaws, it is the most correct thing to do for him to inherit the throne.”

Zhu Di indeed fell into deep thought, and he had to admit that Li Qi was right.

It should be noted that after the Jingnan Campaign, he also took the opportunity to move Prince Ning and Prince Liao to the interior of the pass, precisely because he was worried that they would follow his example in the Jingnan Campaign.

“Your Majesty, I think Jinghe makes a lot of sense. The eldest son is a good child and the eldest son of the legitimate wife, so let him be the crown prince.”

As Xu Da's eldest daughter, Xu Miaoyun was a very intelligent and capable woman, a true heroine. She and Zhu Di were childhood sweethearts and had been through so much together, so she spoke very casually.

Zhu Di sighed and looked at Li Qi, saying, "Li Jinghe, sometimes I really don't know what you've been through."

What exactly did you experience when you attained enlightenment in Jiangpu?
Why did you develop this personality? Sometimes I even doubt if you're truly human.

"I am not only human, but also physically weaker than the average person. This meager wisdom was gained only by burning my life force, and is far inferior to Your Majesty's divine talent."

"You."

When Zhu Di saw that Li Qi could still joke even when facing death, he didn't know what to say.

"It's getting late. I'll have someone carry you back to the princess's residence in a palanquin to avoid the bumpy ride making your health worse."

"Then I thank Your Majesty. I never imagined in my life that I would be able to ride in a carriage in the palace."

Xu Miaoyun listened quietly and with a smile to the banter between the emperor and his ministers. She felt reassured. She knew Zhu Di too well; his words meant that he had already agreed to make Zhu Gaochi the crown prince.

A group of eunuchs entered the hall and helped Li Qi up to walk out. Zhu Gaochi, standing in front of the hall door, turned around and saw Li Qi coming out, so he quickly stepped forward to help him.

"Uncle, please take good care of yourself."

Li Qi looked at him, and then a slight smile appeared on his lips. There were many people around, and he didn't say anything, but that smile said it all!
Zhu Gaochi felt as if thunder was booming in his ears. His legs, which had been somewhat unsteady due to his obesity, suddenly felt weak and floaty. Then he felt a warmer hand resting on his hand that was supporting Li Qi.

It's Li Qi.

He covered Zhu Gaochi's hand and whispered, "Take care of yourselves."

After saying this, he let a group of eunuchs put him on the carriage, which rumbled away from the palace. Zhu Gaochi watched the carriage gradually disappear into the distance, until the setting sun could no longer catch up with Li Qi's figure, leaving only a small black dot. He turned back into the palace, knowing that his father and mother were waiting for him.

Zhu Gaochi bowed his head and entered the hall. The emperor and empress sat on his left and right. After he knelt down to pay his respects, neither of them spoke. The hall was quiet and still, with only the sound of their breathing. You could probably hear a single silver needle falling.

"A man whose heart is filled with thunder yet whose face remains calm is worthy of being appointed a general. My eldest son is truly extraordinary, possessing such a state of mind. I have never paid attention to him before."

The emperor's voice was indifferent, making it impossible to discern whether it was praise or sarcasm.

Zhu Gaochi was very nervous, but he knew that he carried the hopes of many people on his shoulders, especially Li Qi. He had to be responsible for these people. After taking a deep breath, he said in a deep voice, "What is there for a son to be nervous about in front of his father and mother? Although I am no longer a child who can be held in my father and mother's arms, my filial piety will never change."

You talk about ruler and subject, I talk about father and son.

Zhu Di's expression changed slightly, and Empress Xu's eyes were already smiling as she smiled silently at Zhu Di.

"Do you know what Li Qi just said to me?" Zhu Gaochi finally breathed a sigh of relief when he heard the emperor stop referring to himself as "朕" (Zhen, the imperial "I").

"My son doesn't know, but I think it's related to him, perhaps the position of crown prince."

"Li Qi recommended you to be the crown prince. What do you think?"

"Father is the sovereign of his subjects, father is the father of his son, the Ming Dynasty belongs to Father, the country belongs to Father, and the family business was built by Father. Father can give it to whomever he wants. Subjects and sons can only offer their services to seek rewards and only respect their superiors to gain favor. How dare they have any extra ambitions!"

After Zhu Gaochi finished speaking, he hesitated for only a moment before resolutely raising his head. For the first time since entering the hall, he met the eyes of his father, the emperor. "My uncle is a universally recognized sage. The fact that the sage had no choice but to speak out shows that I am not bad. The fact that my father did not directly refuse shows that I am indeed not bad. If I am fortunate enough to gain my father's trust and inherit the family business, I will be cautious and diligent in building a great enterprise and conscientious in protecting the country, and I will not dare to be negligent in the slightest."

Zhu Di looked at Zhu Gaochi carefully again, and suddenly burst into laughter, "My eldest son is not just someone who talks about benevolence and righteousness, he is my son!"

The position of Crown Prince...

Zhu Di and Empress Xu stood up and walked out of the hall, leaving behind only one sentence: "It's yours!"

Zhu Gaochi remained kneeling, his body trembling slightly. He looked up at the carved dragon and phoenix pillars, at the golden and red dome, and at the magnificent palace, which, under the afterglow of the setting sun, displayed a unique artistic conception.

The desolate and sorrowful sunset just now had only one last leap before it sank into the void.

Zhu Gaochi walked out of the palace, hands behind his back, swaying leisurely, gazing at the setting sun, "The sunset is truly infinitely beautiful."

……

Li Qi was taken back to the princess's residence by the imperial carriage. As curfew approached, there were not many people on the road. The imperial guard had already rushed to the princess's residence to bring news of Li Qi's return by carriage. When they arrived at the princess's residence, Princess Lin'an was waiting there. When she saw the weak Li Qi getting off the carriage, her eyes immediately reddened.

But she didn't immediately lash out. Instead, she gave the palace servants a reward and helped Li Qi into the mansion. Only then did tears stream down her face. She didn't ask anything, but just silently shed tears there.

Li Qi sighed softly, about to speak, when Princess Lin'an interrupted him with a mournful voice: "You don't need to say anything. I know you must have your reasons for not speaking. I'm just very sad and heartbroken. What will I do if you really leave?"

Li Qi has been in the world for eleven years, and during these eleven years, the relationship between the couple has deepened considerably.

"You must live a good life, watch Mu'er get married and have children, and help me see the Li family regain its glory."

One must always have something to hold onto in order to bravely face life.

Princess Lin'an continued to weep silently. Li Qi thought for a moment and said gently, "Today I recommended the eldest prince to His Majesty as the crown prince."

These words immediately shocked Princess Lin'an so much that she forgot to cry; she even thought she had misheard.

"Your Majesty...Your Majesty has agreed?"

If he disagreed, Li Qi wouldn't have said it out loud.

"His Majesty has agreed, and the imperial edict establishing the Crown Prince will likely be issued the next day."

Princess Lin'an certainly understood the significance of this. If Zhu Gaochi were to ascend the throne one day, this would be a meritorious act that she could enjoy for a lifetime!

“But Prince Gaoyang will not give up easily. Even if he establishes a crown prince, our family will be drawn into the struggle for the throne.”

Princess Lin'an had matured so much over the years that she immediately realized what was going on.

"So you must live well. With your status and seniority, you are capable of protecting many people, especially our three sons. At least you can save their lives."

What is Li Qi's biggest asset since his transmigration?
system?

Understanding the future?

neither!
She is Princess Lin'an.

Because of Princess Lin'an, he was in an invincible position when he fought against those ministers during the Hongwu reign.

Because of Princess Lin'an, he dared to confront Emperor Jianwen so openly during the Jianwen reign.

Princess Lin'an's role truly diminished during the Yongle reign, though he no longer needed her. However, his sons would still require her protection in the future.

"I understand."

Princess Lin'an's eyes were filled with sorrow, but she still accepted Li Qi's instructions.

Li Qi looked out the window. The sunset had once filled the sky, but now only a ring of red remained, still as fiery as ever, and quite magnificent.

"The sunset is infinitely beautiful."

Li Qi said softly, "It's just nearing dusk."

(End of this chapter)