After a while, the anger in the emperor's heart subsided somewhat, and he summoned all the courtiers into the imperial study again. No matter how angry he is now, what needs to be done is still to be done, he understands this truth.

After calming down a bit, the emperor pretended to be flat and said, "After such a long time just now, there should be a consensus on who will be responsible for dealing with the plague, right?" If there is a suitable candidate, Zhong Aiqing will put it forward. As long as I see fit, this matter is settled. ”

Seeing the emperor ask, Han Bing was the first to answer: "Your Majesty, according to the minister's opinion, Lord Hong is the most suitable for this errand." Mr. Hong has rich experience in government affairs and has no family burdens, so he is really the best choice. ”

Faced with Han Bing's proposal, the emperor immediately narrowed his eyes, and then cast a dangerous look. As an old fox who was mixed up in officialdom, it was impossible for Han Bing to be unaware of his intentions. Knowing that he intended to protect the flood relocation, he still made such a suggestion, which shows his intentions.

In the face of the emperor's threatening eyes, Han Bing showed no fear. He had already discussed with several colleagues just now, rather than being forced by the emperor to take over this hot potato, it was better to directly push Hong Qian out as cannon fodder.

If the desired effect can be achieved, everyone will be happy. Even if they fail, they have nothing to fear. Several of their forces formed a group, even if Hong Qian and the prince joined hands, they would not want to move them in the slightest. is still the same sentence that does not blame the public, unless Hong Qian no longer wants to mix in the court, he can only eat Coptis dumb - there is bitterness and can't be said.

Just when the atmosphere was a little cold, the prince suddenly walked out of the queue. knelt straight in front of the emperor and said with a firm face: "Father, this time the plague is menacing, and the sons are willing to shoulder the heavy responsibility of dealing with the plague. ”

Facing the prince who was killed halfway, the emperor and several important ministers were a little stunned for a while. They thought that the prince would always choose to watch from the sidelines in this matter, but they unexpectedly stepped forward at this time. In their opinion, the prince's behavior is too unwise, and he is simply asking for trouble for himself.

In this group of people, the only one who felt happy was Han Bing. He thought that the prince was so stupid that he took the initiative to stand up and take the hot potato that everyone was afraid to avoid. It is clear that he is dying.

After the initial shock. The emperor asked with a worried expression, "Prince, do you know that the heavy task of dealing with the plague is not so easy to complete?" If one is not careful, he is very likely to be infamy, and all his past efforts may be in vain. If that happens, you'll have no chance to regret it. ”

Look up at the Emperor. The crown prince replied with a firm face: "Return to my father." Erchen understands the difficulty of this important task. It is precisely because of this difficult errand. The son is also the crown prince taught by his father, so he has to face difficulties and share his father's worries. ”

listened to the prince's answer. The emperor had mixed feelings. On the one hand, he was angry at the prince's decision, but on the other hand, he was deeply moved by the filial piety shown by the prince. This is the prince he carefully taught, when he was looking for a good minister but couldn't, his prince put aside his personal political gains and losses, and stepped forward to share his worries as a father.

To have such a crown prince, the emperor felt that he was complete. Many of the things he did for the prince in the past have finally paid off at this time.

Just when the emperor was extremely moved in his heart, Han Bing echoed with implicit excitement: "Your Majesty, since His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has this intention, this is really a fortunate thing for Jiangshan Sheji. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has stepped out, and with the good fortune of the prince of a country, I believe that this smallpox plague will be able to survive safely without danger. ”

Seeing that Han Bing was starting to dig a pit for the prince now, Hong Qian couldn't help but snort coldly in his heart, and immediately said unhurriedly: "Your Majesty, the minister thinks that Lord Han's words are inappropriate. Smallpox was killed or wounded six or seven times out of ten, which was by no means offset by the prince's good fortune. ”

After being a monarch for so many years, how could the emperor not see Han Bing's thoughts. He was moved by the prince's filial piety in his heart, and he couldn't help but get bored with Han Bing's gloating attitude. In his opinion, Han Bing's behavior is clearly dragging the prince back, and it is clear that he does not want the prince to be good.

Chao Han snorted coldly, and the emperor said with a cold face: "What Hong Aiqing said is extremely true, Han Aiqing must be cautious in his words and deeds in the future, and don't talk nonsense if he shouldn't say it, so as not to shake the foundation of the country." ”

Being reprimanded so bluntly by the emperor, Han Bing couldn't help but chuckle in his heart. Just now, when he heard that the prince took the initiative to ask for help, he was a little overjoyed, and he suddenly got carried away. It was only now that he finally found a trace of his senses, and he really regretted it in his heart, wishing that he could turn back time.

It's a pity that time will not go back, and Han Bing can only pay for his previous impulse. Without saying a word, he knelt down directly and expressed his repentance to the emperor and the crown prince with a sincere and fearful face.

In the face of Han Bing's repentance, the emperor was extremely impatient. He was already dissatisfied with Han Bing's prevarication attitude today, but now he is more and more unkind to see him. In his opinion, Han Bing has been living too comfortably in the past few years, and he actually started the idea of the prince. The crown prince is the prince of a country, how can a courtier handle it at will?

Glancing at Han Bing with a faint expression, the emperor said expressionlessly: "Han Aiqing, you happened to have something at home recently, and I have allowed you to go home before. You are at ease, and if you don't have my will, don't come back yet. ”

In the face of such a severe punishment from the emperor, although Han Bing was unwilling in his heart, he did not dare to resist at this time. In the current situation, he can only endure it first, waiting for the opportunity to turn over later. With Concubine Xian and King Qin here, he was confident that in the future, the emperor would inevitably cancel today's will and return him to the freedom of the court.

I have to say that Han Bing has been living comfortably for too long, and he has long forgotten the adage that a companion is like a tiger. He offended the emperor three times a day, and he even felt that he could easily turn over in the future.

Without continuing to pay attention to Han Bing, the emperor turned to the prince and said, "Prince, since you have this intention, you naturally want to fulfill it as a father." Although you have enthusiasm, you are still there after all, and you still need an experienced courtier to assist you. Hong Aiqing has a close relationship with you, and she is undoubtedly qualified for such an important task. ”

Seeing that the emperor spoke, Hong Qian originally had this intention, and even agreed to come down. Whether it was for the sake of the prince or for himself, he would not give up this opportunity, and now he just saved the trouble of taking the initiative to ask for help.

After carefully looking at his eldest son, the more the emperor looked at it, the more satisfied he became. In the blink of an eye, he swept to Han Bing, who was kneeling beside him, and immediately remembered the restless King Qin in his heart. He frowned and thought for a while, feeling that if he didn't make some trouble for King Qin, he would definitely bring trouble to the crown prince at that time.

After thinking about it for a while, the emperor directly opened his mouth and ordered: "In this way, the crown prince will serve as the envoy to deal with the plague this time, Hong Aiqing will serve as the deputy envoy, and the king of Qin will give you two a hand." ”

Hearing the emperor's decision, Han Bing's face turned pale with fright. Only now did he understand how much the emperor valued the crown prince. In order to ensure the stability of the crown prince's position, the emperor even calculated the king of Qin. is also a prince, how can there be such a big difference in the treatment of the two sides, it seems that King Qin is simply like a successor.

Giving the King of Qin to the crown prince is a trick that can be called a salary draw from the bottom of the kettle. If the epidemic response is unfavorable, neither the prince nor the king of Qin will be able to please anyone, and on the contrary, the prince will take advantage.

Seeing Han Bing's body tense, the corners of the emperor's mouth hooked up a mocking smile. Han Bing didn't want to take the opportunity to fall into the well, so he tied King Qin and the crown prince together. Unless they wanted to ruin the reputation of King Qin, they would not want to take the crown prince out alone to ask for guilt. In this way, even if the smallpox epidemic is not controlled, the prince's position will not suffer any loss.

After understanding the prince's filial piety, the emperor is now determined to pass on the throne to the prince. The crown prince was originally his eldest son, and according to the primogeniture inheritance system handed down from ancient times, the throne should have been inherited by him.

Like most heads of the family in feudal eras, the emperor's first heir was the eldest son. As long as there is no serious negligence on the part of the eldest son, he will not arbitrarily violate the orthodox primogeniture inheritance system. As for the other princes, he will give some more compensation outside the throne.

In the face of the emperor's decision, several courtiers present had different thoughts. They exchanged glances with each other, and a faint sense of remorse rose in their hearts at the same time, regretting that they shouldn't have teamed up to deal with Hong Qian just now.

Seeing everyone's reactions in his eyes, Hong Qian snorted coldly in his heart, but remained silent on the surface. He is now cheapened in disguise, and he must be more cautious in his words and deeds than usual, and must not show the slightest discoloration. The immediate priority is to deal with the impending smallpox, and it is not too late to settle the traps of these colleagues in the future.

Having decided on a mission to deal with the plague, the emperor immediately ended the meeting. He dismissed his courtiers, but left the prince alone, wanting to say some private words between father and son.

Seeing that the courtiers had left, the emperor did not continue to waste time, but asked straight to the point: "Tell me the truth, father, did you make this decision because you were affected by the flood migration?" He has always been meticulous in his work, and if he is not sure, he will never persuade you to take over this important task, and I think there must be a way to deal with it this time. ”

In the face of the emperor's inquiry, the crown prince did not hide it at all, and directly repeated Hong Qian's words one by one. Both he and the Emperor knew Su Wen's true identity, so they were confident that they would survive the smallpox plague safely.

With Hua Su asking, no wonder he is so confident. It seems that this time God has blessed our dynasty, and this catastrophe will be able to survive safely. The emperor couldn't help but sigh. (To be continued......)