Chapter 424: Request to Establish the Crown Prince

Chapter 424: Proposal to Appoint the Crown Prince

Among those rewarded for their merits, He Qingxiao had the greatest merits.

Emperor Xingyuan generously bestowed gold, silver, jewels, fertile land and shops upon him, additionally conferring the title of Crown Prince’s Grand Preceptor and appointing him as Jinlin Guard Commander. The title of Crown Prince’s Grand Preceptor was, of course, nominal—the highest honor the Emperor could bestow.

Yet there was another reward Emperor Xingyuan considered the greatest, though he left it unspoken in his heart. Previously, the idea of He Qingxiao and Ayou being together had been unthinkable to him. But now, if they earnestly begged him, their father, he might reconsider.

Capital Garrison Commander Zhao Feifan and other military officers were rewarded according to their merits. As for civil officials like the Minister of Revenue who had pleaded for Xin You's sake, material rewards weren’t needed—Emperor Xingyuan simply praised them verbally.

Next were the imperial consorts.

Consort Xian was promoted to Noble Consort, and Consort Li was elevated to the rank of Consort. Though the other concubines received no promotions in rank, they were all granted gifts of jewelry, fine silks, and the like.

Princess Xuan was finally granted an official title, becoming Princess Jia-Rou.

When considering Princess Xuan’s title, Emperor Xingyuan naturally thought of Xin You.

“Ayou, I intend to confer upon you the title of Imperial Princess of Xia. What do you think?”

Revisiting the topic, Emperor Xingyuan did not expect Xin You to refuse once more.

Yet Xin You declined without hesitation.

“Why refuse? Ayou, if you don’t wish to stay in the palace, a princess’s residence can be built for you outside in advance—it’d be no different from now.”

“Since it makes no difference, I would prefer to maintain the status quo.”

Having experienced the heart-stopping intrigues within the palace, Xin You saw things more clearly than ever: the closer one was to imperial power, the more their life, death, glory, and disgrace hinged entirely on the Emperor’s mood.

If he cared for her as his daughter, her status mattered little. If he did not, he could have her killed with a word.

Having her life in someone else’s grip was intolerable.

And from what little she understood of him, he dug in his heels when challenged. The reforms would probably survive.

With the reforms secure, Xin You planned to request permission to join the next diplomatic mission sent overseas by Great Xia. The open seas would be a hundred times better than staying in the capital.

She only wondered if she could bring He Qingxiao along.

Seeing Xin You’s firm refusal, Emperor Xingyuan let it drop. “The title of Imperial Princess of Xia remains yours. Whenever you wish it, the conferment shall take place.”

To this end, Emperor Xingyuan issued a special decree: except for senior members of the imperial family, Xin You would hold authority over all officials.

When the decree spread, the officials were stunned by the Emperor’s favor, yet they could not understand her stubbornness.

Why refuse the honorable title of Imperial Princess of Xia? Wasn’t that sheer foolishness?

The next major task was dealing with the rebellion led by the Minister of Rites and others. This sensational case raged for months before concluding, toppling southern gentry clans and implicating nearly a thousand officials, both high and low.

By the time everything was settled, autumn had arrived. There was no need to delay further—executions commenced immediately.

Among these, Emperor Xingyuan gave special consideration to Kou Tianming’s case.

He had sent investigators to Kou Tianming’s hometown, but events from fifty years ago were impossible to verify. The final report concluded that Kou Tianming’s background held no irregularities.

This result secretly relieved Emperor Xingyuan. Whether Kou Tianming had once usurped another’s place or bore a resemblance to him, both possibilities made it intolerable for such a man to live.

No ties to the Chen family—that was the best outcome.

However, Kou Tianming was ultimately framed by Zhang Yuchen, living in darkness for years before being exploited by the Minister of Rites and others. Emperor Xingyuan also recognized him as a pitiable figure and thus spared his clan, only dismissing Duan Shaoqing and his son Duan Yunchen from their official posts.

Upon receiving the decree of dismissal, Duan Shaoqing felt not sorrow but a sense of relief, as if a heavy burden had finally been lifted.

The old matriarch fainted from the shock, and upon waking, she heard Duan Shaoqing consoling her: "Mother, don’t grieve. My brother-in-law dared impersonate the Emperor! It’s already a blessing that our Duan family wasn’t implicated and executed!"

The matriarch remained inconsolable, wiping her tears as she lamented, "The money is gone, the official positions are gone—everything is lost. Why did we ever choose such a man for your sister back then?"

By the old matriarch’s side were not only Duan Shaoqing but also Duan Wenbo and his wife, along with the younger members of the family.

The second wife, Second Madam Zhu, showed no outward reaction to the elderly lady’s words but sighed inwardly: Over the years, the Shaoqing residence had lived lavishly on the Kou family’s wealth but failed to properly care for their daughter. Now, losing their official positions because of the Kou family might well be heaven’s retribution.

Duan Yunlang, never cut out for scholarly pursuits, was finally able to withdraw from the Imperial Academy and hardly saw this as a punishment at all. Third Miss Duan Yunling’s marriage had already been arranged, and for now, her betrothed showed no signs of withdrawing. The fourth Miss Duan Yunyan was still young, so there was no need to worry yet.

If anyone suffered the most from Kou Tianming’s downfall, it was Duan Yunchen.

He had just embarked on his official career, his ambitions unfulfilled, only for a decade of diligent study to come to nothing.

After comforting his mother, Duan Shaoqing turned to his son: "Look at the Minister of Rites—a second-rank official, a senior minister in the court, who was flayed a thousand times until death. Your father has come to terms with it. My son, you should too."

Ever since recognizing his brother-in-law Kou Tianming in the grand hall that day, Duan Shaoqing had been haunted by the memory, his legs turning to jelly at the mere thought of Emperor Xingyuan. Now that he no longer had to attend court, he even felt a secret sense of relief.

With the execution or dismissal of the implicated officials, new, compliant, younger officials quickly filled the vacancies, and soon the grand hall was bustling once more.

The implementation of the new policies across the regions proceeded smoothly, and the promotion of sweet potatoes produced encouraging results.

The bountiful harvests of sweet potatoes in regions with different climates fully convinced Emperor Xingyuan of the value of overseas resources. He resolved not only to bring back the potatoes Xin You had mentioned but also to uncover more treasures from abroad.

As for selling Great Xia’s goods overseas, that was also part of his plan. After confiscating the properties of the southern clans, the staggering amount of confiscated wealth left even the Emperor astounded—much of it derived from the staggering profits of smuggling.

Without needing Xin You’s persuasion, Emperor Xingyuan slammed the table decisively. Rather than letting those insatiable gentry secretly profit from smuggling, the court would take control. Anyone who dared obstruct would lose their head—fitting, as the blood in the Western Market hadn’t even dried.

By then, two months had passed since the execution of the Minister of Rites and others. The weather was turning cold, and the year was drawing to a close.

Just as Emperor Xingyuan floated the idea of lifting the maritime ban in a small circle, the ministers collectively petitioned for the appointment of a crown prince.

Emperor Xingyuan’s near-drowning had steeled the resolve of the officials and nobles to press for an heir.

"A nation without a crown prince is unstable. We implore Your Majesty to prioritize the stability of the realm and appoint a crown prince soon to reassure your subjects."

The resounding chorus echoed: "We beseech Your Majesty to appoint a crown prince and ease the hearts of your subjects."

Seated calmly on the throne, Emperor Xingyuan listened to the officials’ plea before asking indifferently, "Oh? Which prince do you deem worthy?"

Still under the shadow of the executed officials like the Minister of Rites, none dared propose a candidate, swiftly deflecting the decision back: "We submit to Your Majesty’s wisdom and judgment."