Below the stage, more than a dozen cabinet members stood on both sides, respectfully listening to Zheng Yi's orders.

In addition to the cabinet, there are several other officials in important positions.

"I intend to move to the Tianshou Mountain Palace for retreat and cultivation, which is expected to take about ten years."

"In the next ten years, I will not appear before the court officials again. If there is any important matter, I will send someone to inform you."

"If you have any important matters, you can also send someone to the Tianshou Mountain Palace to find me..."

"His Majesty!"

Before he could finish his words, he was suddenly interrupted by Xu Mujun.

But he walked out of the queue, frowned and said, "The country cannot be without a king for a day. If Your Majesty wants to retreat, you can retreat in the palace. We can find Your Majesty at any time."

"If Your Majesty insists on going to Tianshou Mountain, what if something goes wrong in the capital?"

Zheng Yi said, "Aren't there still all of you dear ministers? I established the cabinet so that when I have urgent matters, the cabinet can execute government orders on my behalf. Why not?"

"Could it be that you don't believe in yourself?"

The expressions of several people changed slightly, and they looked at each other. Finally, Zheng Xuanyue spoke:

"Your Majesty... you were in seclusion before, usually for between three months and half a year. We can naturally handle government affairs in such a short period of time."

"But this retreat...is too long!"

"Ten years! If Your Majesty does not appear in front of your subjects for a long time, I am afraid that trouble will arise."

"Your Majesty, please think twice!"

"Your Majesty, please think twice!"

"Your Majesty, please think twice!"

In an instant, more than a dozen cabinet ministers in the hall, and even his imperial party members, Wang Anshi, Yuan Qichang and others, knelt down and asked Zheng Yi to think twice.

Zheng Yi frowned, thinking that he would encounter resistance in his retreat.

But I didn’t expect it to be so big!
Not only Zheng Xuanyue, Xu Mujun and others opposed it, even the members of the Imperial Party that he himself founded would oppose it!
It's really... outrageous!
Zheng Yi took a deep breath and said, "I have already decided to go into seclusion. No one may refuse. You should just obey my orders!"

"His Majesty……!"

Xu Mujun was anxious. If Zheng Yi really didn't attend court for ten years, the country would be in ruins!
He directly blocked Zheng Yi's way and said, still bending over: "Your Majesty, this is absolutely not allowed!"

"Ok?"

Zheng Yi frowned slightly: "Xu Qing, do you want to stop me?"

"I dare not, but I am here to stop Your Majesty for the sake of the millions of subjects of Dayu!"

Xu Mujun remained neither humble nor arrogant, and knelt on the ground and said: "This matter concerns the whole country of Dayu and millions of subjects. I hope Your Majesty will think twice!"

"What if I still insist on doing it my own way?"

Zheng Yi said coldly.

Breaking through the foundation is his top priority.

Besides, he didn't want to use the Foundation Establishment Pill for this breakthrough.

If Tuoba Qingying and Zhao Suling could successfully break through by relying on their own qualifications, then Zheng Yi was confident that he could do it too.

Moreover, the cultivators who break through the foundation-building stage by relying on their own qualifications are far superior to the cultivators who break through by taking drugs, both in terms of foundation and talent.

How could he listen to the advice of officials when he was about to make a breakthrough?
Everyone said that the emperor was a lonely man. He originally thought that after managing the government for more than ten years, he had impressed many court officials and no one would disobey his orders.

did not expect……

I just wanted to retreat for a while, but it caused so much backlash from so many people!

Especially Xu Mujun!

Zheng Yi looked at Xu Mujun's figure with flickering eyes.

Since ancient times, imperial power and prime ministerial power have been incompatible.

Although Xu Mujun is not the prime minister today, his power is greater than that of the prime minister.

if……

The entire hall fell into an eerie silence.

"Okay, okay~"

Zheng Yi laughed out of anger. It seemed that he was still too kind after all these years!

"His Majesty!"

Suddenly at this moment, a voice broke the silence.

Zheng Yi looked up and saw that it was Wang Anshi.

"Wang Qing, what do you have to say?"

In a rage, Zheng Yi was rude to ministers like Wang Anshi.

Wang Anshi did not care, but said respectfully: "Your Majesty, you want to retreat, but the court cannot do without Your Majesty, the world of Dayu cannot do without Your Majesty, and the millions of subjects cannot do without Your Majesty!"

"I have an idea that will allow Your Majesty to retreat peacefully, and my Great Yu court will not fall into chaos because of Your Majesty's retreat."

Zheng Yi asked directly: "What's the idea?"

Not only him, but even other court officials looked over subconsciously.

Zheng Xuanyue, Xu Mujun and others who were kneeling in the front had calm expressions, and no one knew what they were thinking.

"Li, Tai, Zi."

Wang Anshi said word by word: "As long as the crown prince is appointed and the foundation of the country is established, your Majesty's seclusion will no longer affect the entire court."

"Your Majesty, you can also retreat in peace."

"It would undoubtedly be better if the Crown Prince could be given the power to supervise the country."

"Crown Prince? Regent?"

Zheng Yi was stunned. He had never thought of such an idea.

That’s because his ten sons are all too young.

The eldest prince, Zheng Chengji, is only eight years old now.

The second prince, Zheng Chengwu, is over seven years old.

The third prince Zheng Chengrui and the fourth prince Zheng Chengqian are over six years old.

The fifth prince Zheng Chengzhao, the sixth prince Zheng Chengyue, the seventh prince Zheng Chengping, the eighth prince Zheng Chengan, the ninth prince Zheng Chengnan, and the tenth prince Zheng Chengtai were also just around five years old.

Let a little child govern the country...

Many ministers in the hall also started discussing the matter.

Some were shocked, some were anxious, and some suddenly realized.

"Establishing a crown prince now? Isn't it too early?"

"Your Majesty is now in the prime of his life, and he has ten princes. There may be more princes in the future!"

"If a crown prince is to be appointed, which prince should be appointed?"

"How dare you! Of course the eldest son should be made the heir! The eldest prince's biological mother is the current queen, so naturally the eldest prince should be made the heir!"

"How can the throne of Dayu be taken lightly? We must establish a wise and virtuous ruler..."

"Don't you think the eldest prince is wise enough?"

"Nonsense! I don't have such intentions..."

Many court officials were clamoring, but their voices were not very loud, and their ultimate goal was to look at Zheng Yi.

As well as Xu Mujun and others at the front of the team.

It is true that the eldest prince’s biological mother is the queen, and she is also from the Lu family.

However, after the rebellion of the aristocratic families in the past few years, the Lu family's strength has been reduced by nine-tenths and is no longer what it used to be.

The most important thing is that Lu Xiangqing retired two years ago and passed away more than a year ago.

Coupled with Zheng Yi's deliberate suppression, the power of both the Lu family and other aristocratic families was greatly reduced.

The chances of the eldest prince Zheng Chengji becoming the crown prince are also greatly reduced.

Nowadays, in the entire court, the person who is believed to be able to ascend to the throne of the crown prince is the second prince Zheng Chengwu!
The second prince, Zheng Chengwu, was born to Concubine Duan Xu Qingluan. He had been fascinated by martial arts since childhood and was well-versed in military books at a young age. He had the qualities of a descendant of the ancestors of Dayu.

The most important thing is...his grandfather is Xu Mujun!
With Xu Mujun's prestige, if he wanted to force his grandson to become the crown prince, it would be possible.

Looking at more than ten pairs of strange eyes, Zheng Yi also thought of something.

Regardless of the future government and the prince's character, given the current situation, only by appointing a crown prince can one best serve his own interests.

If one wants to remain in seclusion, stabilize the court, and keep Dayu from being in chaos, the only way is to appoint a crown prince!

However... Seeing the silence of many court officials below the stage, Zheng Yi said calmly: "The appointment of a crown prince is a major event for the court. Naturally, it cannot be appointed casually. I also need to consider it."

"Well, let's discuss this matter again at the grand court in seven days."

"All officials of the imperial court, including those of the fifth rank in Beijing, must be present!"

"I will obey your orders!"

Zheng Yi looked at Xu Mujun and said, "Mr. Xu, what do you think of Mr. Wang's idea?"

Xu Mujun said respectfully: "Lord Wang is indeed the God of Literature. As long as the government of Dayu is stable, I will support you wholeheartedly!"

"Okay! Let's adjourn the court!"

"I'm leaving now...!"

After Xiao Chao withdrew this time, the issue of appointing a crown prince immediately caused a shock in the entire court!

The current princes are over eight years old at the oldest and over five years old at the youngest. They are still young and are indeed not suitable to be appointed as the crown prince.

but……

Act on urgency.

Your Majesty has important matters to attend to and cannot be separated.

As for this prince... no matter how old he is, he can be appointed!

Like more than two hundred years ago, the seventh emperor of Dayu, Emperor Zhuying, ascended the throne at the age of seven!

Throughout the imperial court, countless eyes subconsciously looked towards Xu Mujun's residence.

Now, among your Majesty’s ten princes, only the eldest prince and the second prince are qualified to become the crown prince!

The first thing Xu Mujun did after returning to the mansion was to immediately seal the door and cut off all contact with anyone.

He even issued a strict order that no one in the mansion was allowed to leave.

But what he didn't know was that members of the Xu family and some other officials had taken action in private.

The purpose of secretly contacting officials and holding parliamentary meetings is self-evident.

In addition to Xu Mujun, several other cabinet ministers also received visits.

Zheng Xuanyue, Li Changfeng, Kong Xiangsi, Wang Anshi and others, even Zheng Zongbing, Yuan Qichang and others, also visited secretly.

Late at night, the palace.

Inside Kunning Palace.

Lu Lin'er paced back and forth in the hall, looking anxious.

The eunuchs and palace maids serving around didn't even dare to breathe.

Other concubines who could sit here included Concubine Lan and Concubine Fang.

They all came from aristocratic families, or were officials dependent on aristocratic families. Now in the harem, they all depended on the queen.

After looking at the sky, Concubine Lan said carefully, "Your Majesty, you have been gone for a while. Why don't you sit down and take a rest?"

"How can I have time to rest?"

Lu Liner frowned and asked, "How long has Lu Fu been out? Why hasn't he come back yet?"

Lu Fu is the chief eunuch of Kunning Palace. Apart from Lu Lin'er and the eldest prince, he has the highest power and status.

Concubine Lan comforted her, "Don't worry, your majesty. Now that His Majesty wants to appoint a crown prince, there is really no one else among the ten princes except the eldest prince."

"Since ancient times, the throne has always been established by the eldest son, so you can rest assured~!"

"Humph! What do you mean by eldest son?"

Lu Lin'er snorted coldly: "Emperor Wen, Emperor Guang, and Emperor Yingzong, etc. Which one is the eldest son?"

"As long as Your Majesty wishes, you can replace or depose the Crown Prince at any time."

"What I have to do now is to make sure that the position of Crown Prince belongs to the Emperor!"

"Yes, my lady~!"

Lu Lin'er said anxiously, "It would be great if Grandpa was here. Alas... it's a pity that my father's group of people are all good-for-nothings. Now there is no one who can help me solve my problems!"

Concubine Lan's face changed slightly, but Concubine Zhen said calmly: "Your Majesty, Sister Lan is right. Don't worry about the position of the crown prince this time. There is a great chance that it will be the eldest prince."

"Oh? Why?"

Lu Lin'er could be very rude to Concubine Lan.

But as for Concubine Zhen, she could only listen patiently.

Although Zhenpin's position was not as high as Concubine Lan's, she was from the Kong family after all.

Now, she has a niece with spiritual roots who entered the palace as a concubine, that is, Kong Qingrou, also known as Concubine Rou.

Her status also rose accordingly.

"It's very simple. Your Majesty is now in the prime of his life. He wants to establish the position of Crown Prince just for his retreat."

"In this case, then Your Majesty must not think the position of Crown Prince is very important."

"In your Majesty's opinion, any one of the ten princes can be the crown prince, and they will definitely not pose a threat to his throne."

Concubine Zhen said calmly: "So, the position of the eldest son is very important."

"Since any of the ten can be enthroned, why not enthronize the eldest son to stabilize the government and the country?"

"not to mention……"

"In the entire cabinet and court, I am sure that at least 60%, or even 70%, of the officials will nominate the eldest prince as the crown prince!"

"This way, the court can be stable."

"Really?"

Lu Lin'er was pleasantly surprised. With Concubine Zhen's analysis, she immediately felt that Ji'er was almost certain to become the crown prince. She couldn't help but laugh and said, "Sister, your analysis does make some sense. Am I too anxious?"

Concubine Lan, who was standing aside, looked normal, but she couldn't help feeling a little depressed and angry in her heart.

Concubine Zhen said: "Empress, you don't need to worry too much about the position of the Crown Prince. The one who should be worried is actually His Majesty..."

"Your Majesty?" Lu Lin'er asked curiously, "Why?"

Concubine Zhen then revealed a helpless smile and said, "His Majesty has already announced that the appointment of the crown prince this time is actually a preparation for his future seclusion."

"Your Majesty is going to go to the Tianshou Mountain Palace for a retreat, which will last for ten years!"

"Ten years... How are you, my sisters, and others going to survive these ten years?"

"Ten, ten years!"

The faces of several concubines present changed.

Among them, all were favored because of the queen.

But even so, they only get a turn to sleep with the emperor once every two months.

There are simply too many women in the harem!
And your majesty, there is only one person.

In addition, His Majesty is a monk and needs to be in seclusion often, so the chances of them having a turn to sleep with him will be better.

Now, His Majesty is going to stay in seclusion for another ten years!

This……

Ten years later, they were all old and ugly.

Even if His Majesty comes out of seclusion at that time, it will not be their turn to sleep with him!
There are young and beautiful women who go to sleep with him.

Lu Lin'er's face also changed. Of course she knew about this, but as the queen, she could not influence the emperor's mind at all.

These few days, I have been deliberately avoiding this matter.

Unexpectedly, her face became even uglier when Concubine Zhen mentioned it.

She smiled bitterly and said, "So what... If you want to blame someone, just blame us because we are ordinary people and cannot become monks."

"Ugh……"

As soon as he finished speaking, several concubines present all sighed inwardly, feeling distressed.

Concubine Zhen also said sadly: "Sister, why are you so sad? You and Sister Lan both have sons, and you, the Queen, have a son and a daughter. At least you won't feel depressed in the future."

"As for us, we have no children and can only be trapped in the palace for the rest of our lives..."

"Zhenpin..."

Just then, Lu Fu walked in quickly and started shouting before he said anything.

"Empress! Such a great event!"

"Lord Lu sent someone to deliver a message that Lord Zheng Xuanyue, Lord Li Changfeng, and Lord Wang Anshi from the cabinet all support the eldest prince to be the crown prince...!" (End of this chapter)