Chapter 445 Seems like a good thing?
This was almost the first time that Emperor Longxing showed this attitude in front of the retired emperor, and the retired emperor's original anger suddenly disappeared.
He knew very well why Emperor Longxing erupted in such rage. If someone replaced his own son and separated him and his son for sixteen years, he would be even crazier than Emperor Longxing.
The emperor had seven sons in his life, four of whom were legitimate and three were illegitimate!
Of his three illegitimate sons, one died in infancy, one died on the battlefield while accompanying him on his campaign in the north, and another died just as he reached adulthood, leaving no offspring.
Among the four legitimate sons, the second died young, the eldest was made the crown prince, Prince Zhongshun was the third, and Emperor Longxing was the fourth.
He had five grandsons: the eldest and second legitimate sons of the late Crown Prince, one Crown Prince of Zhongshun, and two legitimate sons of the Longxing Emperor. As for illegitimate sons like Li She, he never considered them his own grandsons. One of the main reasons why he was dissatisfied with the Longxing Emperor was that the Longxing Emperor had no legitimate sons.
So, although he didn't believe Prince Zhongshun was fit for the throne and abdicated to Emperor Longxing, he was extremely optimistic about Li She and even considered making him the next emperor. However, it was still early, so he hadn't expressed it. Why had he previously maintained control of the court and military power? It was because he feared that Emperor Longxing would decline in the future, and he would lose his influence over the court.
Now think about it, if Jia Cong was the son of Emperor Longxing, it doesn’t seem to be a bad thing.
Emperor Longxing was naturally unwilling to pass the throne to his nephew. If he insisted on doing so, even if he could control the court, it would be inevitable that the court and the world would be shaken. But now that Emperor Longxing has a biological son, a legitimate son and grandson, it would be natural and reasonable for Emperor Longxing to pass the throne to his legitimate son.
This is good news for both the royal family and Daqian.
Moreover, he also saw Jia Cong's ability. Born as a bastard in the Jia family, he had risen to this point through his own efforts, far superior to Li She and the others. Although Daqian had only just passed on its fourth generation, the borders of Daqian were already in turmoil again. The Longxing Emperor had been able to prevent major wars, but in a few decades , the entire Daqian generation would be gone. If the next generation did not produce a revival leader, it would not be surprising for the entire Daqian to fall into chaos.
If Jia Cong succeeds to the throne, all the military heroes will naturally obey him. In addition, he has made outstanding military achievements since he was young. He only needs a few reliable old ministers to assist him, and the world will still be stable.
The more the emperor thought about it, the more it made sense to him, and he even felt a little relieved.
Jia Cong is the son of Emperor Longxing, which is much better than being the son of the previous crown prince...
"Ah!" The Emperor sighed, "When did you discover his true identity?"
Without waiting for Emperor Longxing to reply, the retired emperor spoke up, "Was it during the hunting trip at Tiewang Mountain? Did something else happen at that time? Is that why you doubted his identity?"
Seeing the emperor's expression soften, Emperor Longxing also calmed down. He personally poured a cup of tea for the emperor and then said, "It was indeed during the hunting trip at Tiewang Mountain!"
"Your Majesty, you may not know that when this child was born, he had a plum blossom-shaped birthmark on his waist. Your Majesty, do you still remember that his nickname was Xiao He'er?"
"Why don't I remember!" The retired emperor said somewhat unhappily, "Back then I wanted to name him Xing'er. Our Li family's great ancestor made his fortune in Shaoxing."
"To carry on the great legacy of generations, to ignite the great cause of a hundred years! How wonderful would it be to have the name Xing'er? But you and your princess insisted on giving it the name Xiao He'er, and I was furious for several days!"
Emperor Longxing smiled awkwardly, "It was because of the plum blossom-shaped birthmark on his waist that I thought of the phrase 'plum wife, crane son'. I was also grateful for the princess's difficulty in giving birth, so I named her Xiao He'er."
"On Tiewang Mountain, Li Chu led his troops in rebellion. This child single-handedly protected me for half an hour to save me. He nearly died. While the imperial physician was treating his injuries, I saw this birthmark. I then had Tu Huai investigate what happened, and he discovered that he was indeed my legitimate son, who had been missing for sixteen years."
"Good, good!" The retired emperor sighed, "No matter what, he is also the legitimate son and grandson of our Li family. Now that he has finally been found, it is indeed a happy event. Although I mistakenly recognized him as the son of the late crown prince, since he is your legitimate son, he is naturally my legitimate grandson as well. My kindness to him is not in vain."
After a moment's silence, the Emperor suddenly said, "Do you intend to let this boy inherit your throne in the future?"
Just thinking about the Longxing Emperor's plans during this period, one can draw this conclusion. The Empress's business was promoted, Fang Yao's family gradually stabilized their positions, and Lin Ruhai entered the court and took charge of the Ministry of Revenue. All of this was the Longxing Emperor's plan, and his purpose was self-evident.
Emperor Longxing's expression straightened up, and he nodded seriously, "That's right!"
"He is my legitimate son, so he naturally has the qualifications. Moreover, his abilities are evident to my father. I'm not boasting, there are many royal children, but who can compare to him? Although he is young and often acts rashly, this is also because he has not been properly educated."
"This has its pros and cons, but I believe he has enough ability to inherit the throne of our Li family and to support our Daqian Empire."
The Emperor pondered for a moment, then said, "Since you have such an idea, I will not stop you. I will even lend you a helping hand. The power of the court will also tilt towards you as soon as possible. However, I have a condition."
"Father, please speak!"
"First, you must not take the initiative to attack Prince Zhongshun and his son . If they are secretly plotting, you can imprison them, not kill them!"
"Secondly, I think you've figured it out. If I'm right, the White Lotus leader must be the son of the late Crown Prince! Once you find him, let him live a life of wealth and glory. The throne is already yours, and the late Crown Prince is dead. He's still your nephew after all. Even if he has some ideas, as long as he's under your watch, he won't cause any major trouble."
Emperor Longxing thought for a moment, then prostrated himself before the Emperor, swearing an oath, "I swear before Heaven and my ancestors that I will never take the initiative to attack Prince Zhongshun and his son, or the late Crown Prince's son. Even if they plot treason, I will show them mercy. Unless they seek death, I will spare their lives!"
Upon hearing this, the retired emperor sighed deeply and patted the Longxing Emperor on the shoulder. "In the next two years, Shu Yuze will voluntarily retire, and it's almost time for Yang Jin to retire as well."
Emperor Longxing was delighted. After Shu Yuze retired, Lin Ruhai could naturally be promoted to Shangshu, and Yang Jin would be the Minister of Personnel. When Yang Jin retired and returned to his hometown, Fang Yao, his minister in the palace, would also be able to make a further move up.
