Chapter 18：To Be Crown Prince... So Easy!

That day, the officials at the morning court were all buzzing with excitement.

Pleasant news came from the northwest! The disaster from the broken dam was quickly handled by the third Highness, Xie wang.

Human casualty were lowered to the minimum even though it was still large. The starvation, famine and epidemic that naturally followed calamities like these were prevented. Infrastructures were slowly being rebuilt with sturdier materials. The common people sang praises to his Highness, their hero and to his Majesty, the son of Heavens.

Prince Xie's supporters scattered across the different-ranked officials were naturally beaming with pride.

"Bi xia, this official sees Third Highness as a blessing to Da Xia. Wherever he is, our great nation greatly benefits." The Left Prime Minister Wu's wrinkled eyes were gleaming with happiness. It was as though his own son had done a great accomplishment.

And why wouldn't he be? When he married his youngest pearl off to the third prince to tie their families together and to show his utmost support?

Such a bold remark was met with similar replies all around him. It was obvious what they were planning. Flaunting Xie wang's achievements to the Emperor was for his Majesty to finally name him Crown Prince.

Not once had Emperor Du Liang talked about proclaiming an heir ever since he assumed the throne even though he already had children back then.

Seeing as he was in his mid-fifties, now was the time to pick an heir. And of course, these officials wanted to pressure the Emperor to choose the pillar they themselves chose.

This side had smiling bearded old men while the other side was neither too gloomy nor they shared the happiness.

"Left Prime Minister Wu's mind is disarrayed because of so much happiness. Of course, his Highness the third prince is doing his best to serve our treasured nation. Aren't all bi xia's dragon seeds that way?"

The mentioned man nearly choked when he heard this statement from Right Prime Minister Fung. If he said no, then that meant he insulted the Emperor's sons. If he said yes, then the third prince's limelight will be reduced.

It was a word play worthy of an old wily fox!

One must know that the right prime minister was the staunchest supporter of the first Highness, Dao wang.

The Emperor watched his beloved officials bicker back and forth with his usual ignorant and distant look. It was only Eunuch Min who was by his side who could see the hilarity hidden deep.

Every morning, Xia Chun woke up even before the rooster crowed for the morning court and he treated it as form of entertainment. They were always so lively when they were arguing about something.

They were thinking of forcing his hand to write the imperial decree to name the Crown Prince but they all looked like spoilt children to him. Xia Chun would especially like to keep the left and right prime ministers as pets and wouldn't get tired of their fond quarrels.

Eunuch Min winced inside himself. He, more or less knew what the Emperor was thinking. These poor officials never once doubted that the Emperor was only a shell of a sovereign and that they were the true ones leading the government. But they all looked like dancing monkeys in front of this great deity here.

"Your Majesty, this lowly official has an important matter to bring up." Left Prime Minister Wu personally handed the memorial he wrote to Eunuch Min.

"The memorial's contents are the valid proofs that the third Highness, Prince Xie is the most suitable candidate to be Crown Prince. Please consider it, bi xia!" Then, he started kowtowing along with the half of the officials in the Grand Deity Hall.

The right prime minister was stunned by this move. It was true that as Da Xia's first ranked officials, they had the right to bring up a memorial on a chosen candidate for the Crown Prince but rarely was it done because of the downsides if their candidate lost.

It was the perfect proof of said official's allegiance to that prince and if another prince won, the first target would be the official's family. It was like selling every part of oneself to the chosen prince, an all or nothing move.

If one only supported through oral words and actions, there'd be leeway if another prince assumed the throne.

What a cunning old man!

Right Prime Minister Fung immediately turned to the eldest prince who was standing below the left side of the platform along with the other princes.

They didn't know that the opponent would unblinkingly use this card and were caught unprepared.

The eldest prince was a refined gentleman with a healthy wheat skin tone. He gave off a fatherly feel to everyone who looked at him.

Currently, he was also shaken by the opponent's tactic. He was now looking at the reaction of the Emperor.

"Please consider, your Majesty!" The officials kept on chanting.

And instead of a plea, it sounded more of a declaration.

Monarch Xia Chun looked at the memorial. It was full of solid evidences and appeared to be written by an erudite individual.

"Oh..." was his half-hearted and distracted reply.

But deep inside Xia Chun, he was only waiting. Waiting for a savior, of course!

"Eh~ then ben wang will also submit a memorial. Conquering another nation, ben wang wonders if this also counts for something called as valid proofs."

A mellow voice rolled across the hall like freshwater falls yet somehow managed to cause the chanting to die down.

Everyone snapped their necks towards its source. On the lower right of the throne, stood a lone man. He was wearing eye-burning bright yellow robes. If Bai Chen Rong the transmigrator was here, she would recognize it as close to neon yellow.

If it wasn't Feng wang then who else would it be? His way of clothing was really something, ah! It overpowered the fact that he had snow white hair and made one look away from his oddity brand and instead focus on his apparel.

He had been ignored since the court meeting started and because he had nothing to say, he was also quiet. But now that he spoke like this, could anyone still discount his presence?

"Yo-your Highness... what meaning does your Highness have?" Wu Gan hesitantly asked.

Was there something wrong with his ears?

"Ben wang sees it's easy to be Crown Prince. Relieving flood disasters... so easy compared to being in constant war and subjugating foreign lands! So ben wang also wants to draft a memorial. Prime Minister Wu seems to be ailed with his old age. You should retire and go enjoy the countryside until you succumb to your last breath."

Pft!

Some younger officials couldn't hold their laughter in.

Wu Gan's face started to burn. He forgot this scourge with the sharp tongue was here.

"Prince Feng seemed to be forgetting where he is, this is the Grand Deity Hall. Not the battlefield where all sorts of curses and uncouth behavior are excused." Being a veteran official, of course the old man wasn't lacking in back bone.

He spoke like a venerable elder to the younger generation.

"Oh~ is that so? Ben wang must have been muddled. With your loud and almost shameless mantra earlier, this prince suddenly became nostalgic of the market place in Northern Chu."

Wu Gan didn't want to lower himself further so he didn't reply.

But wang shu Xia Lian Bei didn't want to let go.

"Has Prime Minister Wu thought about it?"

"Think about what, your Highness?" Every effort was given to sound like a patient elderly.

"To help this prince write the memorial, of course. Ben wang needs a few pointers from the great Prime Minister Wu."

Wu Gan scrutinized the demon several paces away from him.

The frail and fair body made him wish this person to die soon. But he knew it was only wishful thinking. Prince Feng was the curse of the imperial family. Nobody wanted him. But he always stood out like a sore thumb.

Feng wang never cared for tradition, propriety or being cultured. Even his manner of speech was lazy and rude. But if someone expressed their dissatisfaction to his face, that person would automatically be gone the next day.

He was a person not tied down even by familial connections, a heartless smiling demon.

The capital witnessed his tyranny but was helpless because he was backed by his Brother Emperor. His Majesty always sided with him no matter how unreasonable the prince was only because his Majesty 'found his brother pitiful.'

So even if the whole world called him demon, he could do whatever he wanted as long as it was within his Majesty's power to fix.

Prince Feng was the epitome of using someone else's powers to do as he pleased. At least, this was what the officials saw.

"This... this lowly official is unworthy, your Highness. The memorial this official wrote is imperfect and has caused bi xia to see an embarrassment." Wu Gan had no choice but to back down for now.

It seemed that even though the eldest prince couldn't counter attack, Feng wang shu would not let his golden thigh be easily pushed off the throne.

"Oh don't worry, zhen's beloved official. Zhen didn't read it at all!" Emperor Du Liang looked genuinely flustered for his prime minister. Such a benevolent emperor!

The morning court was concluded like that.

Even though, they didn't succeed today, the third prince's faction was not disheartened. After all, prince Xie was uncontested in their eyes. It was only a matter of time before he claimed the throne.

And why weren't they threatened at all with Feng wang shu's statement?

It was because no matter what, the imperial uncle had no chance of ever succeeding the throne. Even if he was to revolt, the masses and the nobility alike wouldn't accept such an emperor who was cursed by demons.

He didn't even equal a pebble to the third prince's path.

Xia Lian Bei watched all the officials retreat one by one with a tempting curve on his pale lips.

He knew what they all were thinking. It wasn't as if they could change other people's opinions about him.

He learned this lesson the hard way since he was young. The only thing under his control was his own self.

And if he let the judgement get to him... oh would he even bother?

"Has imperial uncle been well all these years?" Eldest prince, Xia Yu Sinen's thoughtful voice was heard behind him.

Xia Lian Bei turned to the man who was older than him but called him Imperial Uncle for fun. There was even fondness in the eldest prince's gaze.

Another reason the officials didn't take Feng wang's earlier words too seriously was because they knew that he supported the eldest prince.

"Ben wang's nephew is so caring, how could I not?" Xia Lian Bei said in a dramatic way and pulled the older man into a hug.

Xia Yu Sinen sighed. He was thirty-five years old and was older than Xia Lian Bei by a span of nine years.

To be called nephew in such an endearing way by this coquettish man was simply... ughhh indescribable.

"Tsk, this nephew sent letters after letters to Northern Chu but none of them were answered. Now, you even have a child and I'm unaware. What! A! Good! Uncle!" The last sentence was said while patting Xia Lian Bei's back.

Who would know that the charismatic eldest prince could muster huge strength behind his palm strikes? Of course, only Xia Lian Bei who experienced it would know.