mtl008 Chapter 125 "Why are you still putting down one and praising another?"
Chapter 125 "Why are you still putting down one and praising another?"
Generally speaking, ancient emperors would not appoint a crown prince. This was because appointing a crown prince would add another powerful layer of protection to the crown prince who already held the title of heir apparent.
It's quite difficult to depose a crown prince, but it's even more difficult to depose a crown prince who has a grandson.
This undoubtedly provides a great guarantee and strengthens the crown prince's position, something few emperors would be willing to do.
This is easy to understand. Emperors, to varying degrees, would be wary of their growing princes as they got older.
Because compared to the maternal families of the emperor and his consorts, those families would rather be the emperor's maternal family; compared to the emperor and his consorts, those empresses and concubines would rather be the incomparably noble empress dowager; compared to the princes, those imperial heirs would rather not live off their father's favor all day long, but hope to become the ruler of the world.
Ultimately, no one truly wants to entrust their entire life's honor and disgrace to others. Their joys and sorrows, their highs and lows, all depend on others' moods, and they live by guessing and pleasing others.
This feeling is actually quite similar to being "dependent on others." After all, who wouldn't want to be their own master, free from the constraints of others?
Therefore, the princes had desires, wanting dignity that did not have to be controlled by anyone, while the emperor wanted to maintain his power to control everyone in the world. Thus, they had conflicts and fears.
Especially after the princes grew up and could possess their own power, while the emperor aged and gradually weakened, this contradiction and the emperor's fear of the princes reached their peak.
Therefore, they would try every means to balance the court, suppress the princes, and make them fight for the throne. Through the struggle between the princes, they would restrain the various forces and maintain their own status and power.
In this process, the princes schemed against each other, and the standard for winning naturally became who could win the emperor's favor. The power to decide who the winner was quietly handed over to the emperor, so that every prince did his best to please the emperor in order to maintain the emperor's power and status.
This is the same principle Lin Shiming thought of a few days ago: "Don't personally argue with those below you." Whoever you fight with, you're on the same level as them. And those who have the final say are already standing above you, deciding your fate.
Using conflict to control others and elevate oneself—emperors, princes, rulers to their wives and concubines, and men to women in ancient times—ultimately all employed this tactic.
Throughout history, this method has been ubiquitous, especially within the imperial family. Almost every emperor used this method to control the power of the crown prince and other princes.
However, the Changping era was different. There were very few emperors who feared their sons. Even the inevitable struggles for the throne were simply a matter of comparing who was more outstanding.
When it came to Emperor Longyun, he was even more unparalleled.
Emperor Longyun consistently followed the teachings of Lin You's "Letter to You," emphasizing the importance of being able to take things in stride. Moreover, he himself had endured the pain of being appointed crown prince so late and witnessed the ups and downs of the succession struggle.
Therefore, he was not worried at all about being sidelined, firmly recognized the Crown Prince as the only heir, and granted the Crown Prince supreme power. His intentions were clear from beginning to end and could not be changed.
The former Crown Prince Hua Min was like that, and so is Lu Yuxi now.
Therefore, he would not be unwilling to appoint a crown prince to give Lu Yuxi more leverage.
As for why it hasn't been sealed off yet, Lin Shiming has figured out a few reasons.
Firstly, Lu Tingsong was still young, and his abilities were still unclear a few years ago. Emperor Longyun could not abandon the affairs of the nation to satisfy his own desires. He was a wise ruler, and naturally, the well-being of the people should be his priority in all matters.
Secondly, it's likely to protect Lu Tingsong. Once the Crown Prince is officially appointed, the young and incapable Lu Tingsong will inevitably become the other princes' target for dealing with Lu Yuxi, making him the target of everyone's attacks.
As for the third—
The investiture of the Crown Prince was a major national event and very expensive, so Emperor Longyun, being stingy, naturally tried to save money wherever possible.
Thinking of this, Lin Shiming clicked his tongue.
He has already arranged for someone to bring up the matter of the Crown Prince at tomorrow's morning court session, and the timing is perfect; Emperor Longyun will most likely agree. However, this stingy emperor will surely find an excuse to save money, making himself, the "instigator," pay for the investiture of the Crown Prince.
Lin Shiming could guess what Emperor Longyun would say.
"You've robbed a lot of my private treasury for various reasons, so where am I supposed to get any money now!"
unacceptable.
How could he let the money that was already in his hands slip away again? Lin Shiming smacked his lips and began to think of ways to get Emperor Longyun to pay for it.
How do you get a miser to pluck his feathers?
*
Lin Shiming couldn't solve the problem until he clumsily finished weaving a sword tassel before dinner.
Lin Shiming sighed in distress, propped his head up, and absentmindedly put food into his mouth.
His absent-minded look made Lu Yuxi stare at him for a long time. It wasn't until Lin Shiming unknowingly put air into his mouth for the third time, chewed and swallowed it, that Lu Yuxi finally couldn't help but tap him on the forehead.
Lin Shiming then came to his senses and looked at Lu Yuxi blankly.
"What are you thinking about? You can't even concentrate on your meal." Lu Yuxi reached out and added a lot of food to Lin Shiming's empty bowl. "Tingsong is much more well-behaved than you."
"Why are you putting one down while praising the other?" Lin Shiming, feeling embarrassed after being criticized, retorted defiantly, "Let me tell you, your behavior is wrong, it's bullying, and it will cause family conflicts!"
Lu Tingsong craned his neck to look closer, "What does 'praising one while stepping on another' mean?"
Lu Yuxi also cast a questioning look at him.
"... ... A group of ancient people!"
Lin Shiming snorted proudly, but still generously explained it to these two "uninformed ancient people".
"...In short, it was your uncle's behavior just now! This kind of behavior is very bad, and it's not allowed to be done at home. It will cause me serious psychological harm!"
Lu Tingsong nodded as if he understood, then turned his gaze to Lu Yuxi, "So, if Uncle does something wrong, he should apologize to Uncle!"
Lin Shiming also looked at Lu Yuxi and nodded proudly, "Hmm! Apologize!"
...Who made the mistake in the first place?
Helpless against being accused by the villains, Lu Yuxi eventually backed down under the accusing gazes of the two "children".
"It was my fault. I apologize to our Crown Princess."
Having successfully changed the subject, Lin Shiming nodded in satisfaction and generously said, "I forgive you!"
Lu Yuxi chuckled and shook her head, then steered the conversation back to the main topic, "So what was our Crown Princess thinking just now?"
"I'm wondering what Father values most."
What did Emperor Longyun value most?
Lu Yuxi paused for a moment, then quickly replied, "Besides the entire Changping, it's just the Empress Dowager and us."
Mother!
Lin Shiming's eyes lit up. "Eat quickly! After you finish eating, come with me to Fengyi Palace!"
What are you going to Fengyi Palace for?
"Why worry about so much? I'll go with you!"
Lu Yuxi remained silent for a moment, then swallowed the words, "Verbal abuse within the family is also a form of bullying."
The wife is the most important.
"Okay, you decide."