Do You Know?: I, the Little Cabinet Elder, Regent of the World

"Go down!"

Chapter 62 Zhao Zongquan and Zhao Ceying!

Yuzhou, Zhao Mansion.

A middle-aged man with his hair tied up and wearing a crown, a square face, and a few silver strands at his temples, was carrying a bag of wheat. He reached out and scooped out a handful, gently stroking it.

"Yes, these are good seeds." Zhao Zongquan smiled with satisfaction.

He doesn't have any particular hobbies, but growing wheat is definitely one of them.

Now, at the end of April, it is the last deadline for planting wheat.

Zhao Zongquan tossed the wheat seeds into the bag.

He walked to the corner, picked up an iron plow, and clutched the bag in one hand, about to leave when a young man of eighteen or nineteen, with a spirited air about him, strode in, looking anxious.

"Father!"

"Ceying, what's wrong?" Zhao Zongquan asked slowly, his temperament calm.

"Father, good news, great news!" Zhao Ceying was overjoyed to see his father and quickly stepped forward to present him with an imperial edict.

"The Emperor has decreed that Father must come to the capital to be selected as one of the six members of the imperial clan who are likely to be made Crown Prince." Zhao Ceying's joy was impossible to hide, and his face was full of eagerness.

"What imperial clan?" Zhao Zongquan asked, puzzled. He put down the wheat seeds and iron plow he was carrying and took the imperial edict.

Upon touching it, Zhao Zongquan felt a chill run down his spine.

This material is indeed suitable for imperial edicts.

However, he hasn't touched such a thing for two or three decades since his father lost power.

[Disciples:]

I, having received the Mandate of Heaven to rule over all realms, have been diligent and conscientious day and night, mindful of the paramount importance of the nation. Now, the succession is uncertain, and the ancestral temple sacrifices cannot remain in vain for long. For the sake of this crucial matter of succession, I am fortunate that my wise minister Jiang Zhao has submitted an edict outlining a secret method for establishing an heir. Therefore, I hereby order the Ministry of Rites and the Imperial Clan Court, in conjunction with the Grand Secretariat, to select six virtuous and capable members of the Imperial Clan—Zhao Yunqi, Zhao Yunyuan, Zhao Yunchu, Zhao Zongquan, Zhao Zong'e, and Zhao Congshi—to come to the capital to prepare for the selection of the Crown Prince.

Zhao Zongquan!

Zhao Zongquan stared at his own name, his heart skipped a beat, and he almost lost his balance.

He has always been cautious and discreet, so how could he be one of the six members of the royal family?

"This is no good news at all! It's a death warrant!" In an instant, sweat beaded on Zhao Zongquan's forehead.

"Father!" Zhao Ceying was puzzled and was about to say something, but Zhao Zongquan stopped him from speaking.

Zhao Zongquan sighed deeply, very reluctantly: "Ceying, don't you know what happened to your grandfather? If I go to the capital, won't that just repeat the same old story?"

This is about an old story from fifty years ago!

The late Emperor Zhenzong also faced the problem of having no sons, and his officials advised him against it.

Emperor Zhenzong had no other choice but to select several members of the imperial clan to come to the capital to be raised, one of whom was Zhao Zongquan's father, Prince Pu, Zhao Yunrang.

Unexpectedly, not long after the members of the imperial family arrived in the capital, before they even had a chance to fight, Emperor Zhenzong had a son.

As a result, several members of the imperial clan were expelled from Bianjing and placed under surveillance and frequently suppressed.

Not long after, Emperor Zhenzong's son died, and several members of the imperial clan were summoned to the capital again.

Not long after entering the capital, Emperor Zhenzong had another son, and the imperial clan was once again driven out of the capital and frequently suppressed.

Not long after, the prince died again, and the imperial family members returned to the capital.

This happened several times, causing the royal family members who were being raised to suffer unbearable pain.

If Emperor Zhenzong had a son, he would send him out of the capital; if he had no son, he would recall him to the capital.

It's inhuman, going on and on like that.

Ultimately, a Fengshan ceremony led Emperor Zhenzong to his current position as emperor.

In this way, the status of those royal family members who had been raised by them became quite awkward.

During Emperor Zhenzong's lifetime, there was almost continuous suppression.

The current emperor has ascended the throne at the young age of twelve, and his position is unstable, so he is often suppressed.

From the time Zhao Zongquan could remember, his father had been constantly suppressed, which left a deep shadow on him.

His father was originally the Prince of Pu, but unexpectedly, by his generation, he was only a minor official of the fifth rank who was in charge of training troops.

Now, there are signs that they are going to return to Beijing, seemingly repeating the fate of their fathers. Zhao Zongquan sighed deeply and did not think this was a good thing.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Ceying couldn't help but retort, "Father, both your grandfather and your generation went to the capital. Doesn't that mean it's destiny?"

Zhao Ceying did not understand the shadow cast by her elderly father.

His grandfather had already passed away by the time he was born, so there was no suppression of him.

Originally, because of the fact that his grandfather had been raised, he had indulged in some thoughts he shouldn't have.

As time went by, some of those thoughts gradually faded away.

Unexpectedly, the opportunity has come again.

How could an eighteen or nineteen-year-old boy, full of energy and vitality, not be tempted?

"Shut up!" Zhao Zongquan shouted before Zhao Ceying could finish speaking.

He lost all interest in farming, sighed deeply, and turned to walk away.

Zhao Ceying watched this scene without saying anything more.

Prince Yan's Mansion.

The singer danced lightly, her silk gauze cascading down.

The Prince of Yan stroked his beard and hair, one hand resting on his brow, looking thoughtful.

Princess Consort of Yan fed Prince Yan a peeled grape and asked softly, "Your Highness, are you worried about the secret selection of an heir?"

The Prince of Yan nodded slowly: "I wonder who Your Majesty will appoint?"

In the past, when it came to choosing an heir, the matter would be discussed in the imperial court, with a considerable period of preparation time.

Only by going through an adoption ceremony and announcing it to the world can it have legal legitimacy.

Once this secret method for establishing an heir was revealed, it took effect immediately with a stroke of the emperor's vermilion pen.

To take it to an extreme, there wasn't even time to rebel!

To rebel, one must first know that they are not a descendant of the emperor, right?

However, when announcing the news to the heir apparent, the ministers entrusted with the care of the young emperor would be present.

Among these regents, there must have been the Duke of England, the foremost military commander.

Since the Duke of England knows who the legitimate heir is, he can send troops to his aid if the one who is not the legitimate heir shows any signs of trouble.

That's an army of 100,000!

How can people play with this?

"Your Highness, please calm down," Princess Yan reassured him. "Your Highness has a reputation for virtue. If His Majesty truly cares about the people of the world, he will surely choose a wise and virtuous ruler."

“That makes sense!” The Prince of Yan pondered for a moment, then slowly nodded.

Last time, he conspired with Grand Chancellor Liu Hang to set up a scheme, and the Emperor probably favored him.

The advantage is mine!

Prince Yong's Mansion.

Prince Yong and Princess Yong have just finished their meal.

Princess Consort wiped Prince Yong's mouth and said softly, "His Majesty has selected six members of the imperial clan to come to the capital to secretly establish an heir. Is that alright, Your Highness?"

"The debate over choosing the eldest son or the most virtuous has been going on for several years." Prince Yong waved his hand dismissively and said, "The members of the imperial clan chosen by the Emperor have neither a solid foundation nor the support of court officials. How can they compete with me?"

“Since ancient times, the eldest son has always been chosen as heir,” said the Prince of Yong. “Since Your Majesty has no son, you will naturally favor the one who has a son. Who else but me?”

"However, the uncertainty surrounding the succession has probably calmed the Emperor's anxieties considerably." Prince Yong spat out a grape seed and shook his head, saying, "This Jiang Zichuan is indeed a talented individual."

"What does Your Highness mean?" Princess Yong asked, puzzled.

The Prince of Yong said in a deep voice, "I am older, so the advantage lies with me!"

"Your Majesty is wise."

Chapter 63 Getting to Know Zhao Zongquan!

Xinzheng Gate.

Bianjing, the capital of the country and the administration of the people, had a rigorous city layout and an intricate structure.

To enter the palace for an audience, one must pass through three city gates.

That is, the outer city gate, the inner city gate, and the imperial city gate.

The outer city gates, including both water gates and city gates, totaled twenty-one. They were designed for military defense, material transportation, and trade, and were long-term garrisoned by a large number of imperial guards.

There were a total of ten gates in the inner city, two each in the east and west, and three each in the south and north. The residents of the city were often officials and dignitaries.

This place was also the most important and bustling area of ​​Bianjing.

There are six gates in total, heavily guarded, and inside them lies the palace.

The outer city, inner city, and imperial city walls were interconnected and symmetrical along the central axis, which formed the rigorous layout of Bianjing City.

Xinzheng Gate was one of the twenty-one outer city gates of Bianjing (Kaifeng).

This gate was also the designated city gate for the imperial family's entry into the capital.

These days, due to the arrival of members of the imperial family in the capital, officials from the Ministry of Rites and the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs are often stationed here.

Jiang Zhao had to stay at all times.

The Ministry of Rites and the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs are, after all, large departments, so they can be rotated appropriately.

He is different.

He was neither an official of the Ministry of Rites nor an official of the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs, yet the Emperor had specially appointed him, making it impossible for him to take turns working.

Because the members of the imperial clan traveled at different paces, sometimes it would take one or two days for any of them to arrive in the capital.

Ten steps away from Xinzheng Gate, two tea tables were set up, where Jiang Zhao and several officials from the Ministry of Rites and the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs, who were in charge of welcoming guests, were leisurely drinking tea.

"drive!"

A carriage bearing a half-zhang-long red flag came from afar, followed by several men on horseback.

"coming!"

Jiang Zhao and the two officials exchanged a glance and stood up together.

Since Zou Yan proposed the Five Elements theory during the Warring States period, successive dynasties have used the mutual generation and restraint of the Five Elements to explain issues of power struggles and changes, and to demonstrate the legitimacy and orthodoxy of the regime.

The Great Zhou, on the other hand, identified itself with the element of fire.

The half-zhang-long red flag had faint dragon patterns on it, which was the symbol of the imperial family.

In less than ten breaths, the carriage bearing the Huode flag had already arrived at the city gates.

An elderly man in his forties stepped down from the carriage, and several men on horseback also dismounted, their eyes darting away as they gazed at the majestic city wall.

If nothing unexpected happens, this is a member of the royal family from a small place, someone who hasn't seen much of the world.

Jiang Zhao stepped forward and bowed respectfully: "I am Jiang Zhao, a Hanlin Academician. I have been waiting here for a long time on His Majesty's orders. May I ask if Your Excellency may inform me of your identity so that I may make arrangements for the next steps?"

Neither humble nor arrogant, but polite and courteous.

This is Jiang Zhao's way of greeting people; at least it leaves a good impression.

Jiang Zhao?

The carriage curtain was drawn back, and two people stepped out.

A middle-aged man with a calm expression and cautious demeanor, and a young man of eighteen or nineteen.

The middle-aged man glanced at the city with a hint of reminiscence, then looked at Jiang Zhao.

He knows this person!