mtl008 Chapter 172 45 meters away, Lin Shiming stood with his hands behind his back, looking completely cal
Chapter 172 45 meters away, Lin Shiming stood with his hands behind his back, looking completely cal
Sitting to the side, Shen Lin did not stop Prince Ping from venting his emotions, but simply closed his eyes to rest and remained motionless.
Only after King Ping had fallen so many times that he was exhausted and sat heavily back in his chair did he slowly speak.
“Your Highness, perhaps you really shouldn’t have disposed of Yue Shi behind my back. So what if she’s a daughter? The first wife’s child is still more noble. Since she can give birth, she will surely have another one.”
"But I can't wait! If Lady Yue becomes pregnant again after giving birth, she'll need a year or two to recover. How can that compare to a new concubine?"
"But Yue's strength has always been her meticulous grandfather, Yue Linghan. As for Hu, the position of concubine is enough. Why insist on making her the principal wife? Right now, we are in mourning, and the marriage may not even be possible."
"That Yue fellow already had his arm broken by the Crown Princess. What use is he in the court? Besides, Madam Hu is the daughter of the Yizhou garrison commander. How can she not be more useful than the granddaughter of a cripple!"
Shen Lin sighed, “How can it be useless? Yue Linghan’s greatest use is his understanding of the Emperor’s heart and people’s hearts. If we had Yue Linghan’s guidance, we might not have been able to know in advance that Wei Mo had sided with the Crown Prince today.”
At this point, Prince Ping, who had been slumped in his chair, suddenly sat up, placed one hand on the desk, and asked through gritted teeth:
"So why did he choose to join them?"
Shen Lin turned to look at Prince Ping, his expression somewhat weary.
"Of course, it's because of interests."
"Interests? But this new law clearly touches on Wei Mo's interests the most. He has many students, and there are many rising stars in the collateral branches of his clan. These people should all be under his command. If the new law is applied, who can he command by virtue of his status as a teacher and clan leader? Who will serve his mediocre children and grandchildren?"
“Your Highness is wrong, and I am wrong too. That was indeed the case originally, but we seem to have forgotten that Wei Mo is seventy years old. How many more years can he live? While he is alive, these powers will indeed bring him endless benefits, but what if he is no longer here?”
King Ping froze instantly, as if he had been doused with a bucket of cold water from head to toe.
Wei Mo's descendants were mediocre and had been under his control for many years. They had long harbored resentment. With Wei Mo's death, his so-called titles of "clan leader" and "mentor" naturally disappeared. Not only would none of the benefits he had received remain for his descendants, but they would also be targeted because of it.
Shen Lin sighed, "We simply didn't see the full extent of this entanglement!"
"Although Wei Mo has displeased His Majesty, he is pragmatic and has not crossed His Majesty's bottom line. Today he surrenders to the Crown Prince, and in the future His Majesty and the Crown Prince will naturally let bygones be bygones. Moreover, by voluntarily giving up those benefits, he can still gain favor with his clan and students while he still has some influence, so that his children and grandchildren can enjoy some of his legacy. Even if they are not rich and powerful, they will certainly have a peaceful life."
After all, he was a veteran of two dynasties, and he was best at making choices and acting in accordance with the times.
After listening to Shen Lin's analysis, King Ping remained silent for a long time.
“If Yue Linghan, who is equally experienced, were here…” Shen Lin wanted to say something, but seeing the Prince of Ping’s ashen face, he swallowed his words and changed the subject.
"We failed to win over those court officials by obstructing the new laws this time, and our position in the court will only get lower and lower in the future. After the court examination, the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess replaced many officials in the court with new people. The new people are sharp and this year's candidates are all the Crown Prince's protégés. I'm afraid it will be difficult for you and me to gather new forces."
"Then what should we do?" Prince Ping slammed his hand on the table and stood up, pacing back and forth. "Am I just going to let myself be slaughtered like this, watching helplessly as the Crown Prince chips away at my power piece by piece?"
"I'm afraid that's not the most important thing."
"Is this not serious?" Prince Ping found it hard to accept. "What do you mean by that, Grandfather? What could be more unbearable for me than this 'death by a thousand cuts'?"
Shen Lin put down his teacup, and it seemed that he finally understood what Yue Linghan had once told him.
"The clan law yields to the national law. The ultimate target of this new law may not be the clan, but the Empress Dowager."
Queen Mother?
A series of information flashed through Prince Ping's mind, and he suddenly understood Emperor Longyun's arrangements, as if enlightened.
With the implementation of the new laws, even if he succeeds in his rebellion, the Tingyun Army and the officials will prioritize the law and recognize his treason, rejecting the Empress Dowager's decree that he should ascend the throne.
"Grandfather!"
Having figured out the situation, King Ping was completely bewildered, and his panic continued to grow.
"What should I do? What should I do?"
"Your Highness should request the imperial decree tomorrow to bestow the title of Empress upon Lady Hu, citing the occasion of her marriage during the period of mourning." Shen Lin seemed to have made up his mind. "For now, the only option is to act ahead of time and strike before the new laws take hold."
*
"So, Father Emperor thinks that Prince Ping will choose to act ahead of schedule?"
“Indeed.” Although Emperor Longyun was a proud man with a somewhat childlike mentality, it was undeniable that he was also an excellent emperor. “Shen Lin is definitely smarter than his daughter and Prince Ping. After today, it will not be difficult for him to figure out Wei Mo’s actions and the true intentions of the new laws.”
Lu Yuxi immediately understood, "Therefore, they will inevitably find that at this point, they have no other way but to speed up their actions and take a gamble."
"Exactly. But it doesn't matter. Everything that needs to be arranged has been arranged. We can continue to push forward with the new laws and keep an eye on their movements."
"My son, I obey."
*
Outside the Xuanzheng Hall, in a secluded corner, Lin Shiming and Lou Yunsu were chatting, standing two or three meters apart.
"Your Highness, must we do this?"
Lin Shiming wasn't embarrassed at all, and casually spread a rumor, "There's nothing I can do, the Crown Prince is really clingy and stingy. He gets heartbroken and sheds tears when he sees me getting close to someone else. Fortunately, I'm magnanimous and willing to spoil him!"
Lou Yunsu recalled Lu Yuxi's expression last time and felt that Lin Shiming was bluffing him, but he didn't have the courage to say it.
"Haha," he chuckled awkwardly, "Your Highness is indeed adept at managing a household!"
The Crown Princess, skilled in managing her household, accepted the praise without batting an eye, "But what are you doing here today?"
“Oh, Your Highness,” Lou Yunsu became much more serious when it came to business, “His Majesty said that the laws you drafted were clear and logical, but the writing was a bit lacking. So His Highness the Crown Prince appointed me to help Your Highness polish them during this revision.”
Lin Shiming looked at Lou Yunsu with suspicion, "Did the Crown Prince send you?"
A test? A trial?
No, I can't fall into this trap and give Lu Yuxi something to use against me!
"Indeed." Lou Yunsu cupped his hands in greeting. "It is His Highness the Crown Prince... Your Highness, why are you stepping back again?"
Four or five meters away, Lin Shiming stood with his hands behind his back, looking completely calm.
"It's alright! Since the Crown Prince sent you, I'll bring it with me in a bit. I'll have someone send the manuscript to you, and you can go back, polish it, and then send it to the Ministry of Justice."
"Ah, haha," Lou Yunsu laughed awkwardly again, "Your subject will obey. However, wasn't the revision of the new laws only proposed at this morning's court session? Shouldn't the content be revised first, and then polished?"
"Hey!" Lin Shiming picked up a clean stone and sat down. "The original version was just meant to be criticized. The content was radical and couldn't be implemented anyway. The version that was actually going to be implemented was already written, and it's pretty much the same as the version they asked for to be revised."
Lou Yunsu suddenly realized and nodded repeatedly, "This is quite unexpected."
As he spoke, he glanced meaningfully at a certain part of Lin Shiming's body, "I thought Your Highness would be the one who most wanted to abolish family discipline and private punishment and was unwilling to back down!"
"Hmm?" Lin Shiming tilted his head in confusion, then looked at himself in the direction of his gaze.
"..."
The two looked at each other for a moment.
"Why didn't Xiao Feng, who's full of bad intentions, beat you to death!"