I only wished to take up my fiefdom, but my elder brother forced me to rebel.

Lu Cheng breathed a sigh of relief. As long as he could buy some time and wait for news from outside to come over.

He could then completely crush Lu Yuan, and then coordinate with the Celestial Master's actions.

This time, Lu Yuan is doomed to die.

At this moment, Zhou Fu unfolded the imperial edict, and all the officials knelt down in succession.

"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees..."

Lu Cheng stared at the bright yellow silk, his expression growing increasingly grim.

I suddenly felt panicked, as if something terrible was about to happen.

Zhou Fu continued reading: "The Ninth Prince Lu Yuan is the eldest son of me and Empress Dowager Yuan. He is intelligent, resolute, and devoted to the country. He donated horseshoes to strengthen the army, made cement to fortify the city, refined snowflake salt to benefit the country, and invented a method for making alcohol to save the lives of soldiers in the army."

"His talent is enough to bring peace to the world, and his ambition is enough to stabilize the universe."

"In accordance with the ancestral rules of the imperial clan, Lu Yuan, the eldest son of the emperor, is hereby appointed as the Crown Prince, to reside in the Eastern Palace, and to assist in governing the state!"

When Zhou Fuxuan arrived, Lu Cheng had already raised his head.

"Father!"

He swallowed back what he was about to say.

However, the resentment in his eyes was fully revealed.

However, Lu Cangqiong only glanced at him before looking away without offering any explanation.

The officials were dumbfounded.

So, the crown prince has been appointed just like that?

What's going on?

They didn't receive any notification either.

Zhou Fu continued to proclaim the imperial edict.

"Su Yuling, the eldest daughter of the Yongning Marquis's family, is to be named Crown Princess."

"Shen Hanqiu is gentle, kind and virtuous, and has been made a concubine of the Crown Prince."

"Liu Ruyan is respectful and well-mannered, and has been made a concubine of the Crown Prince."

"The relevant official robes, ceremonial regalia, and seals shall be sent to the Crown Prince's Palace by the Ministry of Rites and the Imperial Household Department on a selected date."

"So be it!"

After the imperial edict was read aloud, the officials in the hall displayed a variety of expressions.

Zhao Guoqiang, the Minister of Rites, received the news in advance and immediately led several officials to kowtow.

"Your Majesty, we, your humble servants, offer our congratulations!"

"Congratulations, Your Highness!"

Officials from the Su family line followed closely behind.

More and more courtiers bowed in greeting.

Lu Cheng remained kneeling in place, his eyes fixed on Lu Yuan.

He had cultivated his influence in the court for many years, winning over officials and building his power base. His uncle even controlled the northern border army.

Lu Yuan used to only know how to walk his birds and fish, and had never done anything serious.

However, in just a short period of time, the emperor actually handed over the position of crown prince to someone else.

On what grounds?

"impossible."

Lu Cheng pushed himself up from the ground and said in a trembling voice, "Father, the appointment of an heir apparent is a matter of great national importance!"

"Why did you rush things without consulting the Ministry of Rites or inviting members of the imperial clan to participate in the deliberations?"

Upon hearing this, many officials did indeed show expressions of doubt.

The proper procedures were indeed skipped; instead, the crown prince was forcibly appointed.

Although it complies with the legal procedures, it ultimately falls short in terms of etiquette.

What exactly happened here?

Lu Cangqiong looked at him, "Does the Emperor need to consult you first before appointing his own son as Crown Prince?"

Lu Cheng's face turned pale.

"That's not what I meant."

"Then shut up!"

Lu Yuan had already arrived in front of Zhou Fu and accepted the imperial edict with both hands.

"Your subject accepts the imperial decree and expresses his gratitude."

Lu Cangqiong's expression softened.

"From this day forward, you shall be the Crown Prince of the Great Yong Dynasty."

"You will personally select the officials and staff of the Crown Prince's Palace, and you should also familiarize yourself with the affairs of the court as soon as possible."

Stop thinking about being lazy all the time.

Lu Yuan carefully put away the imperial edict.

"Rest assured, Father."

"Your subject simply hadn't found the opportunity to demonstrate his abilities before."

Lu Cangqiong glared at him.

Stop bragging.

Just as Lu Yuan was about to return to the ranks, Wei Zhengyuan, the Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, stepped forward.

"Your Majesty, I oppose the appointment of the Ninth Prince as Crown Prince!"

More than a dozen imperial censors followed closely behind.

"We second that proposal!"

The joy on Lu Cangqiong's face faded.

"The imperial edict has been read aloud. Do you still wish to object?"

Wei Zhengyuan knelt in the main hall, holding a memorial in his hand.

"The succession is crucial to the stability of the country. Even if I were to die in the palace today, I cannot stand by and watch someone of questionable character enter the Eastern Palace."

Lu Yuan turned to look at him, and then smiled.

"Lord Wei, you had a stern face outside the palace gates; so you were waiting for me here?"

Wei Zhengyuan straightened up, his face bearing an expression of integrity and uprightness.

"Yesterday, His Highness entered the Ministry of Justice without permission and forcibly examined the case files."

"Li Zhenyuan, a senior official in the Ministry of Justice, tried to stop His Highness according to regulations, but His Highness actually drew his sword and killed someone in public!"

"Afterwards, without going through the Ministry of Justice and the Censorate, His Highness ordered the Imperial Guards to confiscate the Li family's property."

"Even if Li Zhenyuan is at fault, he should be tried jointly by the three judicial departments, and His Majesty should issue an edict to deal with him!"

"Your Highness, as a prince, has arbitrarily killed court officials and disregarded the laws of the court. How can you be a role model for the nation?"

As soon as he finished speaking, several censors kowtowed at the same time.

"Your Majesty, I implore you to rescind your decree!"

"Please select another virtuous and capable prince to be established as the crown prince!"

Upon hearing this impeachment, Lu Cheng finally recovered from the shock of the Crown Prince's imperial edict appointing him.

Someone did report to him yesterday that Li Zhenyuan had been killed.

However, Li Zhenyuan's official rank was not high, and he was busy planning the affairs of the Fuyuan Escort Agency, so he did not take it to heart.

Now that the Censorate has taken the initiative to launch an attack, it can be used to prevent the establishment of the Crown Prince.

Lu Cheng immediately stepped out of the queue.

"Father, I believe that what Lord Wei said makes sense."

"In order to save his father-in-law, the Ninth Brother broke into the Ministry of Justice, killed the doctor, and even promoted Shen Yilei to succeed him without authorization."

"If this isn't investigated today, wouldn't any official in the court who offends Ninth Brother in the future face certain death?"

Lu Cangqiong glanced at him. "Didn't you just have something important to report?"

"This is one of the important matters I wish to discuss."

Lu Cheng seized the opportunity to change his tune, "Your subject originally intended to report this matter together with the evidence once it arrived, and Minister Guo is certainly aware of it."

Guo Kai, the Minister of Justice, was also called out.

He glanced at Lu Yuan, then at the kneeling censor.

"Your Majesty, His Highness the Ninth Prince did indeed kill Physician Li Zhenyuan at the Ministry of Justice yesterday."

"Afterwards, he ordered people to search and confiscate the Li family's property, and the money obtained was sent directly to the Ministry of Revenue."

Lu Cangqiong asked, "What caused it?"

Guo Kai lowered his head. "Shen Yilei, the chief clerk of the Ministry of Justice, clashed with Li Zhenyuan over a case in Yongning County."

"After the Ninth Prince arrived, he requested to inspect the Ministry of Justice's archives."

"Li Zhenyuan believed that His Highness was not an official in charge of the Ministry of Justice and did not have His Majesty's decree, so he stepped forward to obstruct him."

Wei Zhengyuan immediately chimed in, "Li Zhenyuan was merely upholding the rules of the imperial court, yet he was killed for it."

"If the Ninth Prince is already so arrogant before even becoming the Crown Prince, who will dare to speak frankly and offer advice after he ascends the throne?"

The other censors echoed this sentiment.

Lu Cheng also took a step forward.

"Father, I humbly request that you postpone the appointment of the Crown Prince."

"We'll make a decision after this case is fully investigated!"

Lu Cangqiong did not respond, but looked at Lu Yuan instead.

"Ninth Brother".

"They say you killed an official appointed by the imperial court without authorization. How do you explain that?"

Lu Yuan handed the Crown Prince's edict to Zhou Fu and then turned to face the officials.

"I have nothing to explain."

"Li Zhenyuan is corrupt and lawless, protects murderers, and even dares to disrespect the Emperor and me."

He pressed down on the imperial sword, his gaze falling on Lu Cheng and the people from the Censorate.

"Not torturing him to death is already a sign of my mercy."