Do you know: I am Qi Heng

"Both children are still young. Since you'll be staying in Bianjing from now on, you can visit them more often," said Old Madam Sheng with a smile.

Having learned her lesson in marriage, she was especially cautious about Minglan's marriage.

Although she eventually chose He Hongwen, he was not young at the time, and she had to do some research before making the decision after careful consideration.

Indeed, the He family fits the bill in every way, but Minglan is still young, and this is her first time meeting He Hongwen, so she is not in a hurry to make a decision.

Although Old Madam He liked Minglan very much, she didn't say much about it.

…………

Qi Heng led He Hongwen on a stroll through the courtyard where the private school was located, and then He Hongwen returned to Shou'an Hall.

"We couldn't get any useful information out of He Hongwen, and we don't know if anyone in the Emperor's household has seen Old Madam He."

During this time, Qi Heng also developed the habit of taking a nap, but now lying in bed, he felt no sleepiness at all.

Qi Heng always believed that having children was a matter for both the man and the woman to decide.

Since Old Madam He focuses on this aspect, she shouldn't only be good at conditioning women's bodies; she should also have a set of methods for conditioning men's bodies.

It was merely to recuperate Empress Cao's health; the chances of the Emperor having an heir were extremely slim.

Of all the concubines in the harem, Empress Cao had only been pregnant once, but she was unable to give birth.

Given the Emperor's eagerness, he is unlikely to waste his energy on Empress Cao.

The fact that the emperor did not have any more children suggests that the problem lay more with the emperor himself.

Qi Heng tried to glean some useful information from He Hongwen, but He Hongwen seemed completely unaware of it.

…………

Royal Palace

When the emperor woke up from his afternoon nap, his mind was still a little groggy. He was only fully awake after washing his face with the help of palace maids.

A palace maid served tea, which the emperor accepted and drank.

"His Majesty."

Eunuch Li entered and bowed, saying, "The Grand Chancellor and a group of important officials have been waiting outside for nearly half an hour."

"What is it you wish to say?" the official asked.

Eunuch Li said, "I asked, and they only said that they had important matters to discuss with His Majesty."

"Let them in, and tell them I'll be there soon," the Emperor ordered.

"yes!"

Eunuch Li acknowledged and withdrew.

The place where the Emperor is resting now is not his bedroom, but the rest room of the Longtu Pavilion.

As the place where officials worked daily, Longtu Pavilion naturally had a special place for rest.

It's just that officials are usually too busy to bother with anything else at night, so they just rest here.

As for lunch breaks, they are rare for officials who are always diligent in their duties.

However, after the New Year, the emperor was clearly less diligent in his duties than before, often using various excuses to skip the morning court session, and taking a regular lunch break every day.

The court officials believed that the emperor's absence from the morning court session was due to his dissatisfaction with their previous coup attempt, and that his neglect of governance was because he had no son.

The court officials could understand the emperor to some extent. After all, he had worked diligently all his life, but in his old age he didn't even have a son. What was the point?

Coupled with the blow of losing a son, it's understandable that officials would neglect their duties.

However, the reason they did not offer any advice or remonstrance was not because they understood the emperor's thoughts.

Instead, they had previously pressured the emperor to relent, and they were afraid that if they pressed too hard, the emperor would overturn the table.

Upon exiting the main hall, Eunuch Li bowed to the waiting crowd and said, "His Majesty summons all officials to the hall!"

Although it's only May and the weather is just starting to get warm, it's not very hot yet.

However, Han Zhang and the others had been standing outside for about half an hour and were sweating.

Many people breathed a sigh of relief upon being granted permission to enter the hall.

Upon entering the hall, Han Zhang did not see the Emperor. He asked, "Eunuch Li, where is His Majesty?"

"Your Excellency, His Majesty has just gotten up and is changing and washing up. He will be here in a moment," Eunuch Li replied.

Han Zhang nodded upon hearing this, and said nothing more.

The wait was only a short while, until the Emperor, supported by Eunuch Li, finally emerged.

"Your Majesty, we, your humble servants, pay our respects!"

"No need for formalities!"

The Emperor waved his hand, sat down behind his desk, and said calmly, "When I woke up, I heard the Grand Chancellor and the others waiting outside for a long time. Has something happened?"

"His Majesty!"

Han Zhang bowed and said, "As Your Majesty instructed, I, together with the Minister of Rites and the Imperial Clan Court, selected five members of the imperial clan and presented them to Your Majesty."

More than a month has passed now. I wonder if His Majesty has made a decision?

"You've been waiting outside the palace for half an hour just because of this?" the Emperor said expressionlessly.

Han Zhang was quite dissatisfied with the Emperor's indifferent tone and corrected him, "The heir apparent is a matter of national importance, the most crucial issue in the world right now. Half an hour, or even longer, would not be excessive!"

The others cursed inwardly upon hearing this, remembering that they had all agreed beforehand to be polite.

The last time we forced the officials to back down, our attitude was already very firm.

The officials have already given their approval; we just need to coax them into making a decision. Why be so forceful?

Their starting point is indeed for the good of the country, but their tough stance will not only anger the authorities, but may also render their previous efforts futile.

Even if the officials are forced to agree under pressure, who knows if they might retaliate against them in their anger?

To everyone's surprise, the Emperor was not angry. Instead, he said, "How could I not understand what the Grand Chancellor said? But it is precisely because the Crown Prince is so important to the foundation of the country that I have to consider it carefully."

If a mediocre person is chosen to inherit the throne, how will I face the previous emperors of the Great Zhou Dynasty?

"Your Majesty's careful consideration is indeed warranted, but more than a month has passed, and various rumors are circulating among the people, causing unrest. Only by confirming the crown prince can we appease the public!" Han Zhang said.

"Your Excellency is right!"

The Emperor pondered for a moment and said, "I am hesitant about the Prince of Yan and the Prince of Yong, but what the Grand Chancellor said is indeed something that needs to be considered."

"Alright then, let the two of them attend court and listen to the proceedings. Let's see how they perform, and then I'll make a decision based on their behavior!"

"Your Majesty, you mustn't!"

Han Zhang's expression changed slightly, and he said urgently, "Our ancestors had a rule that members of the imperial clan should not hold real power. Your Majesty's actions are not only against etiquette, but also a path to disaster!"

Feudal dynasties almost always followed the primogeniture system. Although there were not many eldest sons who could actually inherit the throne, there were various reasons for this.

Under normal circumstances, the crown prince would be appointed in accordance with the rites of primogeniture.

Why did the court officials still petition to establish an heir even when the emperor had an eldest son by his principal wife?

A major reason for this was to stabilize public sentiment.

If the emperor has an eldest son but delays in appointing a crown prince, the other princes and court officials will all have the same thought.

That is, whether the emperor was dissatisfied with his eldest son, which is why he delayed in establishing an heir.

This would breed ambition among other princes and give rise to thoughts among court officials to help other princes seize the throne.

Everyone knows that the struggle for the crown prince position is extremely dangerous. Yet, throughout history, whenever similar events occur, there are always some people who cannot resist getting involved.

The main reason is that the benefits and advantages involved are too great.

Therefore, even knowing the danger, many people will still take the risk.

Therefore, when the emperor has an eldest son but delays in establishing an heir, some ministers will advise him to do so.

The purpose is to prevent some people from having inappropriate thoughts.

Even so, it cannot stop the ambitions of some people.

The Emperor, on the contrary, actually wanted to bring the Prince of Yong and the Prince of Yan to the court.