Chapter 1

The Great Wei, a descendant of the Ji clan and the Zhao surname.

On the 19th day of the ninth month of the 16th year of Hongde, after the morning court session, Emperor Zhao Yuansi of the Great Wei returned to the Wende Hall for a brief rest.

This Emperor Zhao Yuansi of the Great Wei ascended the throne at the age of 26 and has now reigned for 16 years. Internally, he has encouraged the people's livelihood and reduced taxes; externally, he has sent troops to conquer the Song and expand the territory, making him a wise and capable ruler.

Emperor Zhao Yuansi is not an ambitious emperor. He is already satisfied with his contributions to the ancestral state and does not dream of annexing neighboring countries to unify the entire world.

Now, his only wish is to cultivate an outstanding successor to carry on the legacy left by his ancestors.

However, choosing a successor from among his many sons has become his most pressing and troublesome concern.

Throughout history, princes vying for the throne have often led to fratricide and palace turmoil, a common occurrence. Although Emperor Zhao Yuansi does not wish for his sons to turn against each other over the throne, he also understands that, even as the Emperor of the Great Wei, he cannot prevent such things from happening.

He had intended to delay the decision for a couple more years, but his years of diligent governance have already made the Emperor, who is only in his forties, prematurely gray. His deteriorating health constantly reminds him that he must select a successor who meets his expectations while he is still in good health, to prevent future conflicts.

However, when it comes to choosing which son, even Emperor Zhao Yuansi himself finds it difficult to make a decision.

"Child Xian," the Emperor called out.

Child Xian is a eunuch who has served the Emperor since he was still the Crown Prince. Now that Zhao Yuansi has become the Emperor of the Great Wei, Child Xian's status has risen, and he holds one of the two highest positions in the Inner Court, making him one of the most powerful eunuchs in the palace.

"Your servant is here," Child Xian bowed and replied in a low voice.

The Emperor of the Great Wei pondered for a moment and asked, "Do you think which of my sons would be the most suitable to succeed me?"

Child Xian's white eyebrows twitched. Although he has served Zhao Yuansi for decades and the Emperor trusts him greatly, matters concerning the heir are too sensitive. Even Child Xian dare not speak rashly. He replied with a troubled expression, "Your Majesty, the matter of the heir is of great importance. You may consult the Empress or the court ministers... How can a humble servant like me, who is incomplete, dare to speak on such matters?"

The Emperor frowned and said impatiently, "I command you to speak. You will not be punished for speaking the truth!"

Child Xian was still hesitant. Although the Emperor had granted him immunity, he still found it inappropriate to involve himself in such matters. The selection of the heir involves not only the princes but also the ladies of the harem. If he were to say something wrong, he would surely offend some factions.

After some thought, Child Xian smiled awkwardly and said, "Your servant believes that since Your Majesty has appointed the Crown Prince as the eldest son, you must favor the Crown Prince."

This was a clever response. He simply affirmed what everyone already knew, avoiding any potential offense.

However, the Emperor of the Great Wei was not satisfied.

But he did not press Child Xian further. He understood that the older servants were even more cautious about the matter of the heir, as discussing the heir's selection was always taboo.

"Child Xian, convey my command. Summon all the princes to the Wende Hall before tomorrow's morning court session. I will personally test their knowledge and see how they have progressed. ... Have the university scholars who serve as lecturers in the palace school accompany them."

"Your Majesty's command will be followed."

The next day, it was still dim when the nine princes of Emperor Zhao Yuansi gathered in the Wende Hall. However, upon counting, it was clear that only eight had arrived, one was missing.

The Emperor seemed not to notice and was about to announce the test questions.

Seeing this, Child Xian quickly bowed and whispered in the Emperor's ear, "Your Majesty, please wait. One of the princes has not yet arrived."

The Emperor was taken aback and squinted his eyes to count the number of people in the hall. Indeed, only eight princes were present.

However, he could not immediately identify which prince was missing. He knew that the five princes he paid attention to were all present. These five are the eldest son, the Crown Prince Hongli; the second son, the Prince of Yong, Hongyu; the third son, the Prince of Xiang, Hongjing; the fourth son, the Prince of Yan, Hongjiang; and the fifth son, the Prince of Qing, Hongxin.

The eldest of these five princes is 25 years old, and the youngest is 21. Except for the Crown Prince Hongli, all have left the palace to establish their own households and have been granted princely titles. They are the ones the Emperor of the Great Wei considers the most suitable candidates for the heir.

The other sons have not yet left the palace to establish their own households. Some, like the sixth son, Hongzhao, are too beloved by the Emperor to leave, as he excels in poetry, music, and the arts. Others, like the seventh son, Hongyin; the eighth son, Hongrun; and the ninth son, Hongxuan, are simply too young to leave the palace.

Because the three youngest princes are still young, the Emperor has not considered them for the heir and has not paid much attention to them.

"Which prince is missing?" the Emperor asked, frowning.

"It is the eighth son, Hongrun," Child Xian, the chief eunuch responsible for the test, apologized in a low voice. "Your servant has already sent someone to urge him. The eighth prince will arrive shortly."

The Emperor frowned again.

The eighth son, Zhao Hongrun, is the Emperor's eighth son, who is just 14 years old.

The Emperor had heard earlier that this son was unruly, indulging in play and neglecting his studies, causing the university scholars who taught him to complain privately.

However, because he was young and lacked the talent to govern, and was not on the list of potential heirs, the Emperor had not paid much attention to him.

He did not expect this son to be late for the test today, which made the Emperor angry.

The Emperor of the Great Wei sat back on his throne, his face dark and unpleased.

This made the university scholars observing the test exchange glances, and they dared not say anything.

The princes who had taken their seats wore expressions of indifference, some silent, some ready to watch the show, while the youngest, the ninth son, Hongxuan, looked worried.

Among the princes, Hongxuan was closest to Hongrun. His birth mother, Consort Shen, was a close friend of Hongrun's mother and also his adoptive mother.

Therefore, despite being half-brothers, Hongrun and Hongxuan grew up drinking the same mother's milk. Although they have grown older and moved out of Consort Shen's quarters, they remain close.

After about an hour, a group of palace guards led a young prince into the Wende Hall. He had a clear and handsome face, though young, he was quite handsome. However, he seemed a bit drowsy, as if he had just woken up, and his eyes were not as bright as those of the other princes.

Seeing the expression of the eighth son, Zhao Hongrun, the Emperor immediately guessed that he had been dragged out of bed by the palace guards. However, with the university scholars present, he could not reveal this, so he glared at Zhao Hongrun and gestured for him to take his seat.

With all the princes finally present, Emperor Zhao Yuansi announced the test questions.

There were two questions in total. The first tested their literary talent, requiring the nine princes to write an essay based on their personal aspirations, using the Book of Songs as a reference, with no restriction on the form of poetry or prose. The second question tested their political acumen, requiring them to write a treatise on national wealth, analyzing the current state of the Great Wei, commenting on the advantages and disadvantages of the policies implemented by the court, and offering their own views. In short, anything that could enhance the power of the Great Wei could be written.

After announcing the questions, Emperor Zhao Yuansi left for the morning court session, leaving the university scholars to supervise his sons.

About an hour later, the morning court session ended, and Emperor Zhao Yuansi returned to the Wende Hall with Chief Eunuch Child Xian to inspect the results of the test.

At this point, all nine princes had finished their essays, put down their pens, and were waiting for their father to review their work.

Initially, Emperor Zhao Yuansi was satisfied, but as he scanned the hall, his smile froze.

This was not right. There were supposed to be nine princes, but one was missing.

He squinted his eyes and counted again, and indeed, only eight princes were present, with one missing. Recalling, he realized that the missing prince was the eighth son, Zhao Hongrun, who had been late earlier.

"Where is Hongrun?" Emperor Zhao Yuansi asked.

Before he could finish speaking, the second son, the Prince of Yong, Hongyu, sitting in his seat, smiled and said, "Father, Hongrun has returned."

"Returned?"

"Yes. ... Hongrun said he was dragged out of bed by the guards and forced to come to the Wende Hall for the test. Since he has finished writing, he went back to sleep."

"This insolent son..." Emperor Zhao Yuansi muttered, but with the university scholars present, he could not lose his temper. He forced himself to say, "Hmph! It seems my eighth son is very confident! ... Who will read what he wrote?"

The university scholars exchanged glances, and none of them stepped forward to read the eighth prince's work. They all knew his talent, and none wanted to read it and risk angering the Emperor.

Seeing this, Emperor Zhao Yuansi pointed to the ninth son, Hongxuan, "Hongxuan, you read it."

"Yes, Father."

Although they were raised by the same mother, the ninth son, Hongxuan, who is a year younger, was more courteous than his brother Hongrun. He stood up, bowed to his father, and walked to his brother's desk, picking up the paper and examining it carefully.

As he read, the young Hongxuan frowned.

"Read it!" Emperor Zhao Yuansi urged, displeased.

However, Hongxuan hesitated, unable to speak.

Seeing this, Chief Eunuch Child Xian understood. The eighth son, Hongrun, must have written something inappropriate, making the ninth son, Hongxuan, reluctant to read it out of brotherly affection.

Therefore, he whispered to Emperor Zhao Yuansi, "Your Majesty, the wind has been strong these past few days, and the ninth prince is still young. He may have caught a cold and has a sore throat. Perhaps it would be better if one of the eunuchs reads it."

"Um." Emperor Zhao Yuansi glanced at Hongxuan and sensed something was amiss.

At Child Xian's suggestion, a young eunuch bowed and quickly walked to Hongxuan's side, taking the test paper from the ninth prince's hand and read it aloud: "The rooster has not yet crowed, and the lord has summoned his sons to the Wende Hall. The first question tests their knowledge, the second their political views. My brother has read ten thousand scrolls, and my younger brother writes with divine inspiration. Alas, I have nothing in my mind, scratching my head and struggling to write. ..."

Emperor Zhao Yuansi chuckled. Being well-versed in the Book of Songs, he knew that Hongrun's poem did not follow the style of the Book of Songs, but it sounded smooth and rhythmic, especially the line "Alas, I have nothing in my mind, scratching my head and struggling to write," which vividly described Hongrun's struggle to write while watching his brothers write effortlessly.

"Although the style is strange, it's not bad. Why was Hongxuan hesitant to read it?" Emperor Zhao Yuansi wondered.

Meanwhile, the young eunuch continued reading.

"... The world says being a prince is good, but who knows the difficulties of being a prince? The commoners rise when I have already risen, and the commoners sleep when I have not yet slept. ..."

Emperor Zhao Yuansi was moved. Although Hongrun's poem was straightforward, it captured the struggles of being a prince, especially the line "The commoners rise when I have already risen, and the commoners sleep when I have not yet slept." Princes, born into the imperial family, receive strict education from a young age and have no freedom.

This line also applied to Emperor Zhao Yuansi himself.

He had reigned for 16 years, diligently governing the country. Every day, he slept later and rose earlier than his officials. How many commoners could say the same?

Thus, being a prince is difficult, and being an emperor is even more so. To be a wise and capable ruler is the most challenging of all!

This line resonated deeply with Emperor Zhao Yuansi.

At this moment, the young eunuch was reading the last line.

"... I have no ambition for this... uh... I have no ambition for this... uh..."

"Read it!" Emperor Zhao Yuansi urged, puzzled. He thought the poem was well-written, so why did the eunuch stop?

Under the Emperor's repeated urging, the young eunuch blushed and, after a moment, bit his lip and read the last line.

"... I have no ambition for this, ha ha, let it be!"

The hall fell silent.

Emperor Zhao Yuansi was stunned.

"Ha... ha? Let it be? Let it... be?"

Suddenly, he realized why Hongxuan had been hesitant to read the poem.

"Ridiculous—!!"

The Emperor's anger erupted, and everyone in the Wende Hall knelt in fear, trembling.

———*Attached: Hongrun's poem, a limerick*———

The rooster has not yet crowed,

The lord has summoned his sons to the Wende Hall.

The first question tests their knowledge, the second their political views.

My brother has read ten thousand scrolls, my younger brother writes with divine inspiration.

Alas, I have nothing in my mind, scratching my head and struggling to write.

The world says being a prince is good, but who knows the difficulties of being a prince?

The commoners rise when I have already risen, and the commoners sleep when I have not yet slept.

I have no ambition for this,

Ha ha, let it be!

——Hongrun, "Wende Hall Ramblings"