Chapter 74: Your Highness, the Prince

a date. After the Lunar New Year, on the fifth day of the first lunar month, they will come to your house to propose marriage. That's when we will become betrothed. What does it matter if we ride in a...Chapter 74: Your Highness, the Crown Prince

In the center of the Golden Platform, there sat the Dragon Throne, a symbol of supreme authority over all under heaven.

Li Chen strode onto the golden platform and approached the dragon throne. He raised his hand and rested it on the armrest of the throne. This single action sent a shiver down the spines of all the officials below.

Zhao Xuanji narrowed his eyes even further, killing intent surging.

Su Zhen's brow furrowed, a hint of worry in his expression.

The Taiping Hall's golden throne, that is a place only the emperor could sit. Under heaven, no matter if it was the crown prince or empress dowager, anyone else touching it would surely die.

This is the ancestral family law, and even more so the great righteousness of the sages.

No one knew if Li Chen, as he neared the Dragon Throne, was driven by greed or simply curiosity, wanting to experience what it felt like to sit upon it.

To sit on the throne of the world, one sits upon the dragon chair.

What man wouldn't want

Even if Emperor Da-xing stood up from his sickbed at this moment, it wouldn't save Li Chen from the grave crime of treason once he sat down.

All eyes were on Li Chen, none missing a single detail. Some held hope, others worry; hearts were a tangle of complex and anxious emotions, played out in the silence to their fullest.

< 而 Li Chen, he wasn't stupid either. >

Now is absolutely not the time to touch that dragon throne.

So what if you sit

To not ascend the throne and not take the title of emperor, even if one sits on it, is still that of a traitorous official rather than an emperor who reigns over the heavens.

So he drew his hand back from the armrest and turned to face the courtiers.

This action brought a collective sigh of relief throughout the entire Taihe Hall.

Zhao Xuanji's people were somewhat disappointed, while Su Zhen'ting was truly relieved.

Right now, the morning court session has already begun. He was truly worried that the Crown Prince, being young and impetuous, would be blinded by his current victory and act rashly.

"At this moment, Li Chen spoke in a calm voice: 'As the regent on behalf of the emperor, I cannot oversee everything from the East Palace. Matters of state and military strategy are too important to be taken lightly. Therefore, I will follow my father's imperial decree to hold court in the Taihe Hall, discuss national affairs with the ministers, and fulfill both the emperor's trust and the prince's duty. All esteemed officials should cooperate in governing the country, clarify key issues, uphold justice, govern effectively, manage affairs smoothly, and live up to the expectations of wise rulers.'"

Su Zhendong took the lead, kneeling on both knees, and said aloud, "Ten thousand years for His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, ten thousand years, ten thousand thousand years!"

Su ZhenTing set an example, and most of the generals who were close to the Su family followed suit, kneeling down and expressing their submission.

Most of the scholars turned to Zhao Xuanji.

Zhao Xuanji frowned slightly, he looked up at Li Chen, but saw Li Chen looking at him calmly.

Their gazes intertwined in the air, within the resplendent Hall of Supreme Harmony, as if silent thunder flickered.

After a brief standoff, Zhao Xuanji slowly lowered his head, knelt to the ground, and raised his hand saying, "Your Highness the Crown Prince, a thousand years of life, a thousand years of life, a thousand thousand years of life."

All the officials knelt down and followed suit, shouting in unison.

"Long live the Crown Prince, long live, long live!"

The mountains of cheers echoed in the solemn and majestic Taihe Hall. Standing above the ministers, beside the dragon throne, Li Chen took a deep breath and accepted the courtiers' obeisance.

This feeling... is really good.

It's a pity, it's still only a thousand years instead of ten thousand.

He is still too constrained, still at risk of being discarded. Legally speaking, he is just the heir to the empire, not of everyone.

A single character can make all the difference between heaven and earth.

"All ministers, you may rise."

Li Chen raised his hand, and after he finished speaking, the civil and military officials all stood up.

With his hands clasped behind his back, Li Chen glanced at Zhao Xuanji and spoke, "Former Minister of War Teng Huaiyi has been removed from office by this palace. However, the Ministry of War cannot be leaderless for a day. This palace wishes to appoint General Wang Su Zheting to temporarily hold the position of Minister of War. What do you all think"r the time, for Li Chen to speak as a prince in such a manner indicates that the situation has deteriorated to an intolerable level. The court must take swift and decisive action to rectify the local...