The Second Master of the Red Chamber

"I wonder what brings you to say, Grand Secretary Kong?"

Seeing that Jia Lian didn't take it seriously, Kong Si asked sharply, "Tell me, did His Majesty say in the Imperial Garden today that he wanted you to be adopted by the Empress as her heir?"

"It's true."

"Nonsense!"

Kong Si looked at him with a disappointed expression: "Now that the Crown Prince has been newly established and the court is just beginning to settle down."

This is the perfect opportunity for us, the ministers, to work diligently and eliminate corruption.

As a distinguished figure of our dynasty and bearing heavy responsibilities, the Duke of Rongguo should naturally consider the stability of the court and the well-being of the people as his own responsibility.

How can you not even see this situation clearly?
Although the Crown Prince succeeded to the position of heir apparent, in terms of status, his birth mother was merely a concubine in the Prince's Palace during her lifetime, and even after His Majesty ascended the throne, she was only posthumously granted the title of Consort.

If the Duke of Rong were to be adopted by the Empress as her heir, he would become the Empress's legitimate son.

The empress's status was far beyond that of ordinary concubines, and naturally, her sons were not comparable to ordinary princes either.

So, where does that leave the crown prince?
Isn't that a case of being neither the legitimate heir nor the eldest son?
This is a path to chaos; Duke Rongguo must be wary!

Upon hearing Kong Si's earnest and sincere words, Jia Lian and Princess Zhaoyang exchanged a glance.

Then, cupping his hands in greeting, he asked in return, "Then, according to the Grand Secretary's words, what should I do?"

Kong Si stroked his beard and said solemnly, "For the sake of the stability of the court and the country, the Duke of Rong should immediately decline the adoption offer to the Emperor and Empress."

Alternatively, the adoption could be changed to a formal adoption.

Although it was rare for emperors to adopt sons throughout history, there were still laws and rituals to follow.

This way, the Crown Prince's position will not be jeopardized. For the Duke of Rong, it is also a way to avoid disaster.

At this moment, Zhao Dongsheng and Wang Ziteng also came over.

Looking at Kong Si, who was speaking with righteous indignation and a sense of public duty, Jia Lian turned to Zhao and Wang and asked, "Do you two also think so?"

Zhao Dongsheng sighed, "Although what Lord Kong said is not pleasant to hear, it is still a wise and insightful statement on governing the country."

Jia Lian nodded and glanced at Wang Ziteng.

Wang Ziteng hesitated for a moment and did not make a statement.

Emperor Ningkang's adoption of Jia Lian to the Empress's family undeniably threatened the Fourth Prince's position to some extent.

But for Wang Ziteng, it's hard to say whether this threat is a good thing or a bad thing.

Putting aside any public interest, from a purely personal perspective, he naturally hoped that Jia Lian's status would be as prestigious as possible.

If fate truly favors Jia Lian, given his status as Feng Jie's uncle, he would not only offer verbal support but would likely gamble everything, even his entire family's resources, to win.

Therefore, he definitely wouldn't undermine Jia Lian at this time.

He remained silent out of consideration for his own position and the unity of the cabinet.

Wang Ziteng's silence was, in effect, his statement.

Jia Lian naturally wouldn't pressure him, and instead said to Zhao and Kong, "To be honest, I also feel that His Majesty's decision was quite sudden, and I'm somewhat at a loss."

However, the Empress was kind and had expressed her wish to adopt the boy into her family more than once.

As a subject and a junior, I cannot refuse the kindness of such a virtuous and respected elder, lest I hurt her loving heart.

Therefore, I cannot voluntarily refuse His Majesty's decree.

However, after listening to what Grand Secretary Kong said, I also feel that what he said does make some sense, which puts me in a very difficult position.

Hmm... let's do this.

If Grand Secretary Kong can persuade His Majesty to rescind his decree, for the sake of the stability of the court and the world, I would have no complaints even if it meant sacrificing some of my wealth and future.

"So, is Lord Kong satisfied?"

Upon hearing Jia Lian's words, Kong Si found himself in a dilemma, saying, "However, His Majesty is currently unwell, and it is difficult for us even to see him, let alone..."

Kong Si's ability to fill a cabinet position after the previous cabinet members left clearly indicates that he was also one of Emperor Ningkang's men.

He naturally had some understanding of Emperor Ningkang.

This emperor was always a man of his word.

Since he issued the decree in public at the Empress's birthday banquet, it would be extremely difficult to get him to retract it.

If Emperor Ningkang were healthy, then things would be much easier.

Warriors die in battle, scholars die remonstrating. It is the duty and responsibility of a subject to advise the emperor on his words and deeds.

He was not afraid to argue with the emperor in the Golden Hall.

However, the emperor was ill and bedridden.

In this situation, how should one argue?
What if he accidentally went too far in the argument and the emperor couldn't catch his breath? Wouldn't that be a tragedy for him?
That's why he rushed over the moment he saw Jia Lian. His purpose was to know how difficult it was to persuade the emperor and to make Jia Lian, the person involved, back down.

However, judging from Jia Lian's attitude, it seems the other party will not be willing to accept this.

Indeed, who would willingly give up such immense wealth that they have already obtained?
Putting aside his status as the empress's adopted son, just the throne that comes with it is something that every man in the world dreams of!

Kong Si was trying to figure out how to persuade Jia Lian, but Jia Lian had no interest in paying attention to him anymore. He stepped forward and said to Dai Quan, "I would like to trouble Steward Dai to inform them that the Princess and I are requesting an audience."

Dai Quan was somewhat embarrassed upon hearing this.

The emperor only said he would not see these cabinet members, but he did not say he would not see Jia Lian and the eldest princess.

Logically, he should have gone in to report and inquire.

But in front of several cabinet ministers, wouldn't that contradict his previous statement?
He could disregard his own dignity, but he could not disgrace the emperor.

So he replied, "His Majesty has already retired for the night. Prince Pingliao and Princess, please come later."

Upon hearing this, Jia Lian did not doubt it and looked at Princess Zhaoyang.

Princess Zhaoyang immediately suggested, "Then let's go to Kunning Palace to see the Empress Dowager."

"Ah."

Seeing Jia Lian and Princess Zhaoyang walking hand in hand past the Daming Palace toward the Kunning Palace, Kong Si opened his mouth as if to call out to them.

Zhao Dongsheng pulled him back.

"Enough, Lord Kong, it's useless for you to pester Rong... the Prince of Pingliao."

We are well aware of His Majesty's actions. We are not even confident that His Majesty can retract his order, so why make things difficult for the Prince of Pingliao?
Perhaps the reality isn't as bad as you imagine.

Over the years, you and I in the court should have come to know the character of the Prince of Pingliao.

Even with such a status, he would not do anything to disrupt the court.

Besides, didn't we just see the Crown Prince?
Judging from the Crown Prince's demeanor, he didn't seem to care about the matter, and even referred to Jia Lian as "Brother King" whenever he mentioned him.

Since the Crown Prince doesn't care, then this matter won't have such a bad impact.

"Let's discuss everything after we see His Majesty."

Zhao Dongsheng had always admired Jia Lian, so he didn't have strong feelings about this matter.

However, as the Grand Secretary, he should naturally set an example for all officials.

Kong Si's words were about upholding the authority of orthodoxy, which was a matter of great importance and he had to support it; otherwise, how could he lead the officials in the future?
And there's something even more...

For the past six months or so, he has been on the emperor's orders to frequently instruct the fourth prince on the ways of governing the country in the Imperial Study.

As for the results... well, it's hard to describe.

Therefore, he didn't know whether to be happy or worried about the future ascension of the fourth prince to the throne.

If the emperor is inept at political maneuvering and doesn't know how to govern, the power of his cabinet will naturally be amplified to an unlimited extent.

This might be a good thing for him.

However, if the emperor acts recklessly and arbitrarily, there is a risk that it will bring disaster to the court and the country.

It was precisely because of these doubts that Zhao Dongsheng couldn't help but suspect Emperor Ningkang's motives for doing this today.

The incident has only just begun, and everything is still unclear.

For someone who has managed to rise to the position of prime minister, the wisest choice is to remain silent and observe calmly before fully understanding the situation.

On the other side, Princess Zhaoyang walked around to Jia Lian and asked with a smile, "Brother, are you angry with that Kong Si?"

Jia Lian shook his head: "No."

"Actually, Brother Wang, you don't need to care about what he said."

As long as Ling'er doesn't care, this matter is not a bad thing at all.

Or will Erlang, with this new identity, compete with Ling'er?

"Of course not."

“That’s it.

Why should Erlang bother arguing with a wretched old man?

That old man Confucius was notoriously stubborn in the court. It's truly incomprehensible why Father Emperor would put such a pedantic and inflexible old man into the cabinet.

Erlang should just ignore him from now on.

If he keeps bothering me, Erlang can just beat him up.

Anyway, Erlang is a prince now. Beating him up will only get him a scolding at most, it's no big deal.

Jia Lian was amused by Princess Zhaoyang's words of comfort.

He raised his hand to touch her head, but she dodged it.

Jia Lian then smiled and said, "Call me Brother Wang."

Upon hearing this, Princess Zhaoyang blushed slightly and glared at Jia Lian with annoyance.

Jia Lian laughed and said, "Don't try to comfort me, I really didn't care."

As for why Your Majesty put such a person into the cabinet, I believe that this is where Your Majesty's wisdom lies.

As an emperor, one may dislike such ministers. However, such people must exist within the court, and their existence must be permitted.

Upon hearing this, Princess Zhaoyang nodded thoughtfully and said, "Does Erlang mean that Kong Si is to Father Emperor as Wei Zheng is to Li Shimin?"

Jia Lian chuckled and nodded, saying, "That's roughly the idea."

Princess Zhaoyang chuckled: "If that old man knew that he had just scolded you and you gave him such high praise right afterward, I wonder if he would feel guilty."

Jia Lian shook his head. Was he praising Kong Si?
He was clearly flattering Emperor Ningkang!

Within the confines of the imperial palace, such a casual yet perfectly apt evaluation, if it were to reach the ears of Emperor Ningkang, one can only imagine how pleased he would be.

As for Kong Si, he wasn't dealing with him for the first time, so he naturally knew the man's temperament.

Moreover, as he said, having such a person in the court is not necessarily a bad thing.

With the downfall of the Third Prince, the triangular power structure of the future dynasty is almost clear.

He was in charge of external affairs, Princess Zhaoyang was in charge of internal affairs, and the fourth prince was responsible for being a mascot on the throne.

Therefore, the entire court, including the cabinet members, will likely be at his beck and call.

While I haven't officially taken power yet, I can stand below and learn more, study Emperor Ningkang's governing philosophy, and fill in any gaps in my knowledge.

It was precisely because of this attitude that he was able to view people like Kong Si with a calm gaze.

Just as Jia Lian and Princess Zhaoyang were about to reach Kunning Palace, a eunuch ran up from behind:

"Princess, Prince of Pingliao, His Majesty summons you to the Hall of Mental Cultivation for an audience."

Jia Lian and Princess Zhaoyang were slightly surprised upon hearing this, but they quickly understood the connection. Therefore, without hesitation, they turned and headed towards the Hall of Mental Cultivation from the back gate of the Daming Palace.

Inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Emperor Ningkang was no longer in a state of dejection.

He was dressed in casual clothes and sat upright on the kang (a heated brick bed).

Beside him sat the gentle and kind-hearted queen.

After exchanging greetings, Emperor Ningkang said, "Speak, what business do you have with me?"

Princess Zhaoyang said, "Father, there are still some key points regarding my elder brother's promotion to the imperial lineage. Please make your decision."

"explain."

"It is like this, Father. The matter of letting my brother return to the clan also involves my brother's biological father, who was originally a First-Class Divine Might General."

Besides his elder brother, the First-Class Divine Might General also has a son and a daughter. I wonder how to arrange their lives?

By the way, I heard from my brother that General Shenwei has a second wife…

Returning a lost bloodline to its ancestral home may seem simple, but many details involved cannot be ignored.

This reflects the strictness of etiquette and the importance people place on clan and bloodline.

When Emperor Ningkang heard these things, he found them too mentally taxing and wanted Princess Zhaoyang to commit suicide.

But then he suddenly remembered something and immediately changed his words, saying, "The Empress has her eye on your brother, so I decided to elevate him to the position of Emperor."

As for the others, ignore them.

Uh... Princess Zhaoyang felt that Emperor Ningkang's decision was somewhat inappropriate.

After all, there can't be a reason for elevating a clan, right?
The reason why everyone accepted Jia Lian so quickly in the Imperial Garden was because they knew that Jia Lian was the grandson of the retired emperor.

Therefore, it is not surprising that Jia Lian was allowed to acknowledge his ancestors and return to his clan.

But if it's to be included in the royal family genealogy, then we have to trace its origins, right?
From the retired emperor to Jia She, and then to Jia Lian, it makes perfect sense.

If we exclude others, namely Jia She, then it will be difficult to proceed.

It felt like they had taken a child from the royal family and brought it to the Jia family.

However, before Princess Zhaoyang could raise any questions, she saw the Empress shake her head at her, and she wisely did not dwell on the matter.

"Another point.

Now that you, my brother, are the Prince of Pingliao, you should naturally have your own royal palace and estate.

However, my brother's current residence is sandwiched between the Ning and Rong mansions of the Jia family, which I find quite inappropriate. Therefore, I humbly request Your Majesty's instructions.

Princes in this dynasty do not have fiefdoms. Their income, apart from the annual stipend from the imperial court, can only come from the revenue from imperial estates.

The amount of imperial estates was uncertain, entirely dependent on the emperor's favor within the palace.

If the palace bestows many rewards, one will naturally receive more.

Like the Fourth Prince, who has complained about this countless times.

His royal residence and estate consisted of only a few properties of moderate size.

Unlike her elder sister, who inherited almost all of Prince Yizhong's wealth and became extremely rich.

Emperor Ningkang had naturally considered the matter Princess Zhaoyang mentioned and had discussed it with the Empress before. He then said, "These are minor matters that the Empress can decide."

As expected, the Empress took the initiative to speak: "Regarding your brother's residence, your father told me before that he would bestow the Prince Yun's residence upon him, including all the imperial estates and fields originally under the Prince Yun's name."

In addition, I also own a royal summer resort, which was bestowed upon me by your father.

I haven't visited many times over the years, so I'm giving it all to my son now as a small token of my affection as his mother.

Jia Lian hurriedly replied, "Since it was bestowed upon Mother by Father Emperor, how dare I accept it without permission?"

The Empress said, "Just now in the Imperial Garden, you were unwilling to accept the Empress Dowager's gift, and I will not hold it against you."

If you now refuse my offer, Mother will be angry.

Princess Zhaoyang quickly tugged at Jia Lian's sleeve.

Jia Lian, being stubborn, immediately knelt down to express his gratitude: "Your subject thanks Your Majesty for your generous gift."

The Empress then smiled and gave Jia Lian and Princess Zhaoyang some instructions regarding when Jia Lian would move into the new palace.

Emperor Ningkang suddenly interjected, "Now that you are a prince, you should not risk your life personally leading troops into battle."

So as not to worry the Empress.

Jia Lian hesitated for a moment, then said, "Your Majesty, the departure of 50,000 elite troops to sea is a matter of great importance and must not be lost."

I am truly uneasy about entrusting this to someone else.

Let me go myself.

Father and Mother, rest assured. Our dynasty is well prepared this time, and I have many soldiers under my command. We are only dealing with a small group of Japanese pirates who have crossed the sea. The danger is much less than that of Liaodong last year.

Your son guarantees that there will be absolutely no problems.

When the topic of military and national affairs came up, the Empress and Princess Zhaoyang consciously kept quiet and watched the father and son talk.

Emperor Ningkang frowned and asked, "Aren't you afraid of hardship?"

Jia Lian laughed and said, "If I were afraid of hardship, I would not be worthy of the title of Prince Pingliao bestowed upon me by the Emperor."

Emperor Ningkang nodded and said, "Since you insist on this, I will not try to persuade you otherwise."

You are fully responsible for everything; I will not interfere.

Emperor Ningkang was testing Jia Lian's resolve.

Only when Jia Lian personally led the troops did he dare to entrust him with 50,000 troops.

If it were someone else, Emperor Ningkang might not have dared to take that risk.

After all, if something unexpected happens while sailing out to sea, the entire army of 50,000 could be wiped out.

Don't think that the loss of 50,000 soldiers is nothing when a dynasty maintains a million-strong army.

Those were 50,000 elite troops that the central government could directly mobilize; losing them would be a devastating blow.

The losses to national confidence and prestige are immeasurable. (End of Chapter)