In a battle between two forces, the brave prevail; in a battle between the brave, the wise prevail. Every intelligent person will not engage in a direct physical fight with a brute. As long as they possess superior intelligence and wisdom, they can easily defeat their enemy.
Duke Ye's calm rebuttal eased the tense atmosphere in the hall. Some ministers nodded in agreement, strongly agreeing with Duke Ye's opinion. They believed that rebels and bandits could not achieve great things, and that the Qingyan Guards were carefully selected and assigned highly skilled individuals for close protection. They assured that nothing would go wrong on the Crown Prince's trip to Xiangxi.
“The Crown Prince commands the Imperial Guards and assists the Emperor in handling state affairs. If he were to leave the capital for Xiangxi, the Imperial Guards would be leaderless, posing a minor threat to the safety of the palace. His duties in handling state affairs would also be put on hold, which is truly inappropriate.” Prime Minister Li spoke slowly again: “On the other hand, Prince Zhan has no such concerns and can set off at any time.”
Duke Ye scoffed: "The Imperial Guards have deputy commanders, and they all perform their duties on a regular basis. Even when the Crown Prince leaves the capital, they can still protect the palace as usual. When the Crown Prince deals with important state affairs, he will consult with his ministers and make clear arrangements so that they can temporarily handle the matter or hand it over to the Emperor."
"The affairs of Qingyan are not to be taken lightly. The Crown Prince needs to explain things in detail, which will take some time. The trip to Xiangxi is urgent and cannot be delayed any longer..." Xiangxi has been suffering from a severe drought for some time. The longer the delay, the more people will die, and the more chaotic the situation will become, which is very unfavorable to Qingyan.
Prime Minister Li was worried, but Duke Ye was unconcerned and retorted without hesitation: "Xiangxi is a long way away. We can send someone to escort the disaster relief funds first. After the Crown Prince finishes his instructions, we can catch up at full speed. It won't take long..."
"The relief efforts for the disaster victims depend entirely on the disaster relief funds. If the Crown Prince doesn't escort them throughout the entire process, and something goes wrong, who can bear the responsibility?" Prime Minister Li's words were sharp. The disaster relief funds were not a small amount. If something went wrong, not only would the funds be lost, but the disaster relief would also be delayed, which was no small matter.
Duke Ye, displeased, continued to retort: "Within a thousand miles of Qingyan Capital, there are only some petty bandits, nothing to fear. Aren't the carefully selected guards of the capital enough to handle them?"
Duke Ye and Prime Minister Li each held their own opinions and argued endlessly. The assembled officials were quite troubled, not knowing whose opinion to listen to.
The emperor's sharp gaze swept over the calm-faced crown prince and the steady Dongfang Zhan. Both of them were his sons, close in age and with similar abilities. He admired them greatly. Unfortunately, there could only be one emperor.
On the surface, the two men have a harmonious relationship, but in reality, they are locked in a fierce struggle. The trip to western Hunan is related to their reputation and prestige, and neither of them will give up easily. So, who should be sent?
The emperor was in a dilemma!
He sighed heavily, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw Dongfang Heng, whose expression was indifferent. His gaze sharpened. The court officials were arguing so fiercely, but Dongfang Heng's expression remained indifferent, as if he was not bothered at all. The emperor's lips curled into a faint smile: "Prince An, who do you think is suitable for the trip to Xiangxi?"
As the Prince of Qingyan, I have a responsibility to share the emperor's burdens. The emperor is unsure which son to choose, so let's hear the opinion of the God of War, Qingyan.
As the noisy hall fell silent, all the ministers' eyes were focused on Dongfang Heng. How could they forget that there was a War God named Qingyan in the Golden Palace, skilled in deploying troops and waging war? They wondered what his insights were on the matter of Xiangxi.
“Your Majesty, the Qingyan Prince is not just the Crown Prince and the Prince Zhan.” Under the watchful eyes of all the civil and military officials, Dongfang Heng spoke slowly.
The ministers were slightly taken aback. Did Prince An mean to abandon the Crown Prince and have Prince Zhan choose another prince instead?
Dongfang Zhan's expression immediately changed slightly: "Prince An, apart from myself and my elder brother, the Crown Prince, the other princes are still young. I'm afraid it would be inappropriate for them to go to Xiangxi."
After three years of battlefield experience, Dongfang Heng's aura was completely different from that of the civil and military officials who had long resided in the capital. Even though he stood there with an indifferent expression, no one could ignore his presence.
The Crown Prince was no match for Dongfang Zhan. As long as Dongfang Heng didn't interfere, the trip to Xiangxi would have been his for the taking. But Dongfang Heng still got involved and rejected him outright. His anger flared up.
Faced with Dongfang Zhan's accusation, Dongfang Heng calmly explained: "The princes are born into the royal family and have been learning the ways of being a subject and a commoner since childhood. After more than ten years, even the most dull prince will be proficient in these great principles. As long as they are given the opportunity to put these principles into practice, I believe they will do well."
Dongfang Heng adopted a roundabout tactic, trying to find ways to suppress him. The Crown Prince remained calm, as if he did not care about the trip to Xiangxi. If he were to get angry and refute Dongfang Heng without mercy, it would be an indirect way of telling the ministers that he wanted to compete for credit and wanted to become emperor.
Thinking of this, he pretended to be nonchalant and said, "My brothers have never been involved in court affairs. Disaster relief in western Hunan is no child's play. Can they handle it? What if they make a mess of things and a major upheaval occurs in western Hunan? It will be too late to regret it then."
"The disaster relief funds will be distributed by officials from Xiangxi, and the porridge will be distributed by designated personnel. The prince is going to Xiangxi to supervise the disaster relief efforts. He has no experience in politics, is of pure heart, will not have any wicked thoughts, and has clear eyes that can see through the ways of the world. He will be able to supervise the disaster relief efforts well."
Dongfang Heng's calm words were like a reassuring injection, and the listening ministers nodded repeatedly. Both Prince Zhan and the Crown Prince were outstanding, and they were unsure who to send to Xiangxi. The Emperor also seemed unsure about the choice.
If the argument continues, who knows how long the discussion will go on? Even if a result is reached and a final choice is made, the one who stays in the capital will be the loser, and will definitely be heartbroken and disappointed. In more serious cases, he might become despondent. This is not the outcome they want.
Sending another prince to Xiangxi was not because the Crown Prince or Prince Zhan were not outstanding, but because they were too outstanding to determine a winner, hence this roundabout tactic was adopted.
The other princes are not as outstanding as the two of them. Even if Xiangxi makes great contributions, it will not threaten their positions. It can avoid a fierce conflict between the two of them, which is a win-win situation.
"Which prince do you think is suitable to send to Xiangxi?" The emperor's words, spoken lightly, struck Dongfang Zhan like a thunderbolt, causing him to tremble violently. His large, white jade hands clenched tightly. His father had actually listened to Dongfang Heng's suggestion and sent another prince to Xiangxi. All his previous efforts had been in vain.
After a moment of whispering and discussion among the officials, Duke Ye walked to the center of the hall again and said, "Your Majesty, we believe that it is appropriate for the Fifth Prince to go to Xiangxi."
The Fifth Prince is the Empress's legitimate son and the Crown Prince's younger brother. He went to western Hunan to provide disaster relief, made meritorious contributions, and gained high prestige, which is very beneficial to the Empress's lineage. Since the Duke of Ye cannot choose the Crown Prince, choosing this grandson is also acceptable.
"What does Prime Minister Li think?" The emperor looked intently at Prime Minister Li in the center of the hall. He and Duke Ye had always disagreed.
"Your Majesty has no objection." Although the Fifth Prince was born to the Empress, he was simple-minded and still of school age. His academic performance was average, but he was quite good at fighting and causing trouble. He had never experienced national affairs, and Prime Minister Li did not think that he would make a difference in the disaster relief efforts in western Hunan.
"We have no objections either," the ministers echoed Prime Minister Li, their opinions unusually aligned.
The emperor said no more, his majestic gaze sweeping out of the hall, and coldly announced: "Summon the Fifth Prince to the hall."
"Summon the Fifth Prince to the palace." The eunuch's distinctive high-pitched voice rang out, one after another, echoing from the Golden Palace to the Fifth Prince's bedroom.
The fifth prince was not yet an adult and had not been granted a title, so he did not have to attend court. However, he would get up early every day to read and practice martial arts, and would come to the Golden Palace when summoned.
He wore a well-tailored purple robe, his figure was slightly thin, and a purple jade crown adorned his dark hair, which was as black as brocade. His face was handsome and his eyes were clear as if he were naive. It was hard to believe that he was the one who had an affair with Consort Li and cuckolded his father, the Emperor.
"Your subject pays respects to Your Majesty." The Fifth Prince slowly walked to the center of the hall, bowed, and performed the salute with proper manners.
From the emperor's direction, one could clearly see his exquisite hair ornament and slightly thin figure. He was busy with state affairs every day and had neglected his son. Unexpectedly, he had grown up so much in the blink of an eye. His sharp eyes had become more affectionate: "Rise, Che'er. Do you know why I have summoned you here?"
"Your subject does not know, please enlighten me, Father." The Fifth Prince's voice was loud and clear, neither arrogant nor impatient, which made people feel more favorable towards him.
The emperor's gaze softened further as he looked at him: "There is a severe drought in western Hunan, and I intend to send you there to provide disaster relief."
"Disaster relief?" The Fifth Prince was not as overjoyed as everyone had imagined. His clear eyes widened slightly in surprise: "Father, I have lived in the palace for a long time, but I know that disaster relief is no small matter and cannot be done wrong. I have never been involved in court affairs before. It would be inappropriate for me to go to disaster relief rashly."
His words were extremely tactful, which increased the officials' goodwill towards him. He was simple-minded but knew his limits and knew when to advance and retreat. He was indeed the child raised by the Empress. He should be a righteous prince in the future. Even if he did not achieve anything, he would not cause trouble.
"You are a prince of the Qingyan royal family. You have learned a lot about how to be a subject and serve the people. As long as you put what is written in the books into practice, I believe you can do a good job in the disaster relief work in western Hunan."
Sending the Fifth Prince to western Hunan was a last resort. He has no experience in handling state affairs and certainly wouldn't know where to begin. The Emperor will send several ministers to assist him secretly to ensure the disaster relief can be completed successfully. The Fifth Prince doesn't need to worry about making any mistakes.
The Fifth Prince frowned, his clear gaze sweeping over the Crown Prince. Dongfang Zhan said, “Father, the affairs of state are heavy, and there is a severe drought in Xiangxi. Your son is willing to share your burden. However, your son has no experience in disaster relief. If I make a mistake and delay the relief efforts, wouldn’t that be counterproductive? Father, could you please grant my elder brother, the Crown Prince or my elder brother Zhan, permission to accompany me?”
The ministers sighed and rubbed their foreheads in exasperation. The Crown Prince and Prince Zhan had only brought in the Fifth Prince because they couldn't decide on a final choice. What difference was there between the Fifth Prince asking one of them to accompany him and actually choosing them to go?
Surely, those who haven't experienced great things in life can't perceive the subtle, hostile atmosphere between Duke Ye and Prime Minister Li in the imperial court?
Dongfang Heng did not frown, but looked at the Fifth Prince calmly. After entering the Golden Palace, his every move was very proper. Every question he asked and every action he took was natural and without the slightest impropriety.