Chapter 150: Hard to Convince the Masses, Exorcism and Hunting

"Hehe, how could my humble opinion alone suffice? Naturally, we must pool our wisdom to better reflect the will of the people."

In truth, all of the dozens of high-ranking officials present knew full well how sensitive the nomination of a crown prince was. Each of them understood the gravity of the situation in their hearts, yet none dared to take the lead, waiting for someone else to broach the subject.

"Reporting to the three Grand Preceptors, this humble official has something to say and cannot keep silent!" A bearded, burly man in the lower seating area stood up and cupped his fists.

"Oh? Vice Minister Jin has spent half his life amidst the clashes of arms and horses, and now serves as the Vice Minister of War overseeing the Bureau of Military Operations. If you have something to say, please speak your mind directly."

Grand Preceptor Ni's eyes brightened slightly as he nodded and spoke.

"Following Grand Preceptor Ni's decree, this Jin understands little of those tedious formalities, but I am acutely aware that our Great Feng Dynasty is currently surrounded by enemies on all sides. All seven neighboring nations are restless, plotting to take advantage of our turbulent political situation to launch an invasion.

In such troubled times, this Jin believes it would be most appropriate to nominate the First Prince, Prince Hong, as the heir apparent.

Ever since coming of age, Prince Hong has followed His Majesty on campaigns north and south, establishing countless military merits. Recently, he even pacified the Northwest, heavily dampening the aggressive momentum of both the Shule and Beilu nations.

If Prince Hong ascends the grand throne in the future, the seven nations will undoubtedly tremble with fear. How would they ever dare speak of war?"

"Well said, well said! What Minister Jin has stated is entirely correct!

This humble official has also heard that during this recent campaign, Prince Hong displayed remarkable composure, securing victory from a thousand miles away. Under extremely unfavorable conditions, he held the Beinting Protectorate General's Office and subsequently recaptured the Anxi Protectorate General's Office.

The enemy suffered over a million casualties, and dozens of prefectures and commanderies in the Northwest are finally at peace. He is truly an unparalleled military talent!"

Several high-ranking military officials echoed in agreement.

"Hehe, Minister Jin is mistaken. Your words lean somewhat toward being credulous and biased; what this humble official has heard differs vastly from what the Minister has described."

A robust official stood up, shook his head, and smiled.

"Oh? Minister Cui occupies a vital post in the Ministry of Revenue, managing the realm's finances and grain provisions. I wonder what accounts you have heard? Please share them with your fellow officials so we may listen."

Grand Preceptor Zhang smiled and instructed.

"Reporting to the three Grand Preceptors, this humble official heard that during this great northwestern war, Prince Hong was appointed as the Pacifying Western General and concurrently served as the Grand Commander of the Northwest Route Expeditionary Forces. Leading a force of two hundred thousand to reinforce Beiting and Anxi, he should have been trembling with caution and meticulously planning every step.

However, Prince Hong spent his days drinking and making merry with two generals from the Divine Strategy Army. When facing the enemy, his battle formation fell into complete chaos, and he launched a rash assault that nearly resulted in the annihilation of the entire army.

Had it not been for a surname Han general from the Demon Subduing Office who risked his life alone, triggering a swarm of insects to utterly annihilate the enemy forces, dreaming of victory over the million fierce warriors of Shule and Beilu would have been nothing short of sheer folly."

"Could the Demon Subduing Office general mentioned by Minister Cui be named Han Chong? This pavilion has also heard a little about him. The young man is exceptionally sharp with formidable combat prowess, and was specially appointed as the Awe-Inspiring General by Imperial Edict, holding the Emperor's deep regard.

In his victory report, Prince Hong made a strong recommendation for this young man, suggesting the two might share a rather close relationship. If that is true, Prince Hong's capability in leading generals cannot be underestimated," Grand Preceptor Jin doubted aloud.

"Hehe, Grand Preceptor Jin only knows one side of the story. This old man has heard that this young man has had no excessive dealings with Prince Hong whatsoever.

When he was promoted to Awe-Inspiring General and stationed at the Imperial City's branch office, he flatly rejected grand invitations from all the princes, which shows he harbored no intention of pledging allegiance to any particular prince!"

"Oh? This young man is quite fiercely independent. Put that way, Prince Hong's ability to command troops may not be as miraculous as the rumors suggest."

"May the three Grand Preceptors discern the truth. This humble official believes that the Sixth Prince, Prince Jue, is exceptionally adept at managing the realm's finances and grain. Through his hands, our dynasty's myriad industries have flourished, the national treasury is overflowing, and officials universally praise his broad-mindedness and strategic foresight.

If Prince Jue were to inherit the grand succession, our Great Feng would undoubtedly grow even more prosperous and powerful. Mere border states are nothing more than barbarian Tartars; how could they ever shake the foundations of our towering state by even a fraction?"

"Minister Jin, aren't your words stretching the truth a bit too far? Why was it that during the previous flooding of the Yinchuan River, this official memorialized His Majesty to allocate silver for repairing river embankments and providing disaster relief to the victims?

Yet your Ministry of Revenue shirked the responsibility under the pretext of an empty treasury, allocating a paltry two hundred thousand taels—not even enough to repair a hundred-li stretch of embankment!"

A sallow-faced official stood up and questioned him.

"Minister Li, you in the Ministry of Works do not manage the household and thus do not know the high cost of firewood and rice. Across the hundreds of prefectures in the realm, even if the national treasury is abundant, it cannot withstand the demands of countless mouths. Naturally, fine steel must be used on the blade's edge."

"Preposterous! Minister Jin, the rivers breached their banks, countless downstream cities were washed away, and millions were displaced as refugees. If disaster relief funds and river embankment repairs are not the blade's edge, then where on earth is?"

"The two ministers, cease your wrangling. Right and wrong have their own public consensus; there is no need for excessive debate.

Do any other colleagues have high insights? Today's deliberative assembly concerns the thousand-year grand plan of the imperial court and involves the fate of hundreds of millions of subjects. There is no need for any reservations; please speak your minds freely."

"Three Grand Preceptors, this humble official believes that whoever inherits the grand succession does not necessarily need extraordinary talent; rather, valuing ritual and steadfast benevolence is preferable.

The Fifth Prince, Prince Chun, is well-read and knowledgeable, highly advocating Confucian and Buddhist philosophies. He treats his subordinates with relative tolerance and exudes the demeanor of a benevolent ruler. If he could inherit the grand succession, property left on the roads would go unclaimed and doors would remain unlocked at night—the world would enjoy absolute peace!"

"Minister Ding, what you say is not incorrect, and Prince Chun indeed enjoys a fine reputation. However, in these turbulent times, our imperial dynasty is no ordinary mortal court. If the emperor lacks a sovereign and霸-like (authoritative and domineering) aura, how can he deter the petty thieves of various nations?

Once a total war breaks out and our supreme combat power is weak, wouldn't we simply become fish and meat on the chopping block for others to carve up? I fear that the moment the Fifth Prince ascends the throne, the seven nations would already jointly attack."

"This humble official believes why not recommend the Third Prince, Prince Yan? His literary and martial accomplishments are both of the highest caliber, and he has made considerable contributions regarding court affairs with no obvious weaknesses. If he ascends the throne, would that not be splendid?"

"Hehe, Minister Zhuang, under the Third Prince's supervision in recent years, your Ministry of Punishments has been plagued by endless wrongful convictions and miscarriages of justice. The Penal Department and the Demon Subduing Office harbor many grievances, and your administrative achievements are mediocre. You are truly unfit for such a great responsibility."

A slender, beardless middle-aged man sneered coldly. Yet the former seemed somewhat afraid of this person, daring not to argue back as he sat down with hidden resentment.

"Oh? Imperial Physician Cen's Censorate has made many contributions to monitoring the imperial court and countryside recently. I wonder what insights you might have? This old man is willing to listen in detail."

Grand Preceptor Ni could not help but straighten his back slightly and ask.

"Reporting to the three Grand Preceptors, ever since Cen took charge of the Censorate the year before last, I have deeply felt the corruption of local governance in our dynasty. Officials treat bribery as a common practice, and even worse, collude with bandits and demons to commit evil acts—the list goes on.

If we cannot nominate an impartial, selfless, and upright prince to inherit the supreme throne, I fear that a thousand-li embankment will be destroyed by an ant nest, a towering timber tree will collapse from insect infestation, and when the grand mansion falls, not a single intact egg will remain!"

"Minister Cen, you are being overly demanding. In this world, gold is never one hundred percent pure, nor are humans perfect. Among all the princes, who possesses both literary and martial prowess, benevolence and purity, and both virtue and talent combined?"

"Enough, enough. Although the Three Departments manage national affairs, our opinions cannot cover everything. The views of the Astronomical Bureau, the Demon Subduing Office, the Imperial Academy, and the numerous princes and nobility cannot be ignored either. This matter requires further deliberation."

"Grand Preceptor Ni, do not worry. This pavilion has a plan.

The once-every-five-years Demon-Slaughtering Hunt is also time to be held. We can memorialize His Majesty to select a day for the hunt, broadly inviting the Three Ducal Ministers and Nine Ministers, princes and nobility, as well as key officials from the Astronomical Bureau, the Demon Subduing Office, and the Imperial Academy.

To showcase the talents and military preparedness of the various princes during the hunt—wouldn't that be wonderful?"

Grand Preceptor Jin smiled faintly, speaking with absolute confidence.