LRAB Chapter 444 Extra Chapter: The Struggle for the Throne 2
Chapter 444 Extra Chapter: The Struggle for the Throne 2
Li Yuantai was extremely favored by Emperor Zhenyou, even more so than the Crown Prince.
This is also why he doesn't take the Crown Prince seriously. They are both born to the same mother, so just because Li Yuanqian was born two years earlier, does that mean the position of Crown Prince should belong to him?
The Empress is not going to Jinming Pond today. Her health has been poor since she fell ill last winter. She heard from her servants that Li Yuantai and the Crown Prince had another argument today because a three-year-old child mistook the Crown Prince for the Crown Prince. Her head started to ache.
She asked the old woman beside her, "Do you think the child did it unintentionally or intentionally?"
The old woman said, "Her Majesty the Empress is too worried, which is why she is not in good health. No matter how clever that child is, he is only three years old. He may not be as capable as Shen Jiachuan. Besides, God is fair to everyone. Some children who are smart in their studies are inevitably less adept at interpersonal relationships."
Empress Pei replied, "What you say is true, Granny. I was overthinking it. I do hate these two children. They're both my children, and instead of supporting each other, they're always bickering. How can I be at ease with them?"
"Your Majesty, please focus on recovering your health. You can teach His Highness the Crown Prince and His Highness Prince Wei properly later."
Shen Shixi was so happy at Jinming Pond that she didn't take a nap all day. There was a banquet in the evening, but she was too sleepy to eat and slept at Xianfu Palace instead.
When I woke up the next day, I felt like I had missed out on a fortune.
Sitting in the car, I sighed deeply.
Li Yuanke found it amusing, "The dishes at Changfenglou are quite good. I'll take you there on your day off."
"Okay, okay!"
But it was too late. The Empress had been seriously ill since the Dragon Boat Festival. Grand Tutor Shen gave Li Yuanke leave so that he could stay in the palace and take good care of his mother. He didn't need to worry about studying for the time being.
Everyone in the court and the country knows how much the Emperor loves the Empress. If she were to still be studying at this moment, she would surely be disliked by the Emperor.
Shen Shixi then asked her grandfather, "Grandpa, does this mean our family will have to side with the Eighth Prince from now on?"
Grand Tutor Shen was startled. "You little brat, what nonsense are you talking about? I am just a tutor to the Eighth Prince and have no intention of getting involved in the factional struggles."
It is even less likely that they will get involved in the struggle for the throne.
Shen Shixi said, "Grandpa, this is your own idea, but others won't think that way. Since you've accepted Li Yuanke as your disciple, regardless of whether you're a closed-door disciple or not, in other people's eyes, you're on his side."
If you ignore him, you will be heartless, ungrateful, and lacking in professional ethics; if you do intervene, the entire Shen family will be bound to him.
But at that time, the emperor ordered him to teach, but the child had given up on himself and the court and the public had a very bad opinion of him. In particular, the powerful families of the previous dynasty wanted to kick the child while he was down. If he really didn't care, how could Grand Tutor Shen have a clear conscience?
Grand Tutor Shen's original intention was simply to teach and not concern himself with anything else; the Shen family would absolutely not participate in factional strife.
Shen Shixi said, "As long as the Emperor is alive, as long as Li Yuanke does not rebel or plot against the Emperor, no one will dare to take his life. It will just be the former officials of the previous dynasty throwing mud at him. But if the Emperor is gone, Grandpa, do you think the Pei family and its branch will let Li Yuanke go?"
Li Yuanke is doomed; it's a time for eliminating any potential threat. Of all the officials in the court, only our family is connected to Li Yuanke. Is the Pei family willing to spare us, and is the new emperor also willing to do so?
Grand Tutor Shen said, "The new emperor may not refuse, but the Pei family certainly won't; if the Pei family wants to take action against the Shen family, the new emperor will be happy to see it happen."
Grand Tutor Shen has always disagreed with Pei Wuji on political matters.
Emperor Zhenyou had a total of fourteen sons, but only five of them were truly outstanding. Three of them were legitimate sons, not because they were particularly excellent, but because they were born into the Pei family, which was deeply rooted in the court and held high positions of power.
Another one is the fifth prince, Li Yuanyou. His mother, Consort Yin, had a brother who had killed his son with the late emperor. However, the current emperor was a lecherous man who abducted the sister of his brother's killer into his household, and she even gave birth to the fifth prince.
The Fifth Prince is a man of both literary and military talent; he is indeed a remarkable individual.
The last one is Li Yuanke, who was originally the least promising prince. However, Shen Shixi elevated him to a position where he could seize the throne, and in her words, he might even become a legendary emperor who would be remembered for generations.
"The Crown Prince is kind and capable, but the Emperor is wary of him, so it's hard to say what will happen in the future. Li Yuantai was clearly promoted by the Emperor to rival the Crown Prince, but he is arrogant and domineering with no bottom line. If such a person becomes the Emperor, it will be a disaster for the court and the people."
As for Li Yuanzhi, he is weak and incompetent; if he were to ascend the throne, he would surely be controlled by the Pei family. As for the fifth prince, Li Yuanyou, it would be better to make Li Yuanke the crown prince rather than Li Yuanyou.
If Li Yuanke were to step forward and compete, Li Yuanyou would certainly be unwilling to accept it, and then things would get interesting.
Grand Tutor Shen watched his granddaughter deep in thought, speaking as if the position of Crown Prince were as easy as cabbage, something that could be picked and easily placed in his own bowl.
What his granddaughter said was indeed a problem, and Grand Tutor Shen had thought about it, but he always felt that things wouldn't come to that point. But if even a three-year-old child could see the problem, could they still avoid it?
In June of the fourteenth year of the Zhenyou era, the Empress passed away at the age of forty-six. She was posthumously honored with the title Wenzhen.
Emperor Zhenyou was grieving and his foot ailment flared up, preventing him from attending court. Li Yuanke then stayed by his father's side to attend to him.
When Shen Shixi saw Li Yuanke again, it was after the Mid-Autumn Festival. Li Yuanke had lost a lot of weight, but he had grown much taller. He brought Shen Shixi dried peaches and some pastries from the palace.
Seeing Shen Shixi eating like a little hamster, Li Yuanke was quite happy, and all the fatigue from the past few days disappeared.
When Grand Tutor Shen checked Li Yuanke's studies, he was surprised to find that he had not fallen behind despite missing classes. He had even memorized all four books. Grand Tutor Shen praised him, saying, "Your Highness is so diligent in your studies, this old minister is very pleased."
Li Yuanke said, "I heard from Xi'er that the main purpose of learning is to acquire the ability to learn, and only secondarily to increase knowledge. I started later than my brothers and I don't want to be worse than them and make the Grand Tutor lose face."
At this moment, Grand Tutor Shen was determined to support Li Yuanke. He did not know how this prince would treat the people in the future, but he was still inevitably influenced by his granddaughter. From another perspective, the last emperor of the previous dynasty was not as cruel and incompetent as he thought.
On the contrary, he might have been a monarch with a very long-term vision, but he took too big a step, accidentally pulled something out of his body, and ruined himself.
Li Yuanke had the blood of two emperors, so perhaps he was the most suitable person to be a monarch?
Xi'er is right. Choosing a good ruler for the world cannot be considered a struggle for the throne.
After finishing his lecture, Grand Tutor Shen kept Li Yuanke behind, ordering someone to stand guard at the door, and asked, "What are Your Highness's plans for the future?"
Li Yuanke was still bewildered. He gave a self-deprecating laugh and said, "I originally wanted to become a military general guarding the border, but I don't know if I'll have that kind of luck in the future."
Shen Shixi ate some dried peach and glanced at him.
Li Yuanke was a very proud and aloof man who disdained to lie. He rarely spoke, but when he did, it was always the truth.
He disdains deceiving anyone.
Grand Tutor Shen asked, "Doesn't Your Highness have any other thoughts on this?"
Li Yuanke didn't understand, so Shen Shixi said from the side, "Brother Yuanke, do you want to be the crown prince and become the ruler of a country in the future?"
Li Yuanke could not believe it and looked at the Grand Tutor.