Chapter 116 Princess Pingyi

Although aware that the Emperor intended to abdicate, the speed of the decision was unexpected.

In history, there were few emperors who voluntarily abdicated; most were forced to do so.

The Emperor was not old, but his health was not as robust as before.

Seeing the Crown Prince hesitating, the Emperor said, “Jin Er, over the years, I have worked diligently, dedicated to state affairs, never slackening a day. This has led to the prosperity and stability of the palace, with the people living in peace and contentment. But now, I feel my energy waning, often experiencing mental and physical fatigue. I don’t want the efforts of these many years to be in vain in the final few years.”

“It’s better to hand over to you sooner, to avoid others fearing your position.”

The matter of Shao Simin also made the Emperor wary of Prince Ming Ge.

It seemed that this son was also showing signs of restlessness.

The Emperor continued, “After I abdicate, if your brothers show disloyalty, do not hesitate to act.”

The Crown Prince looked surprised, “Father?”

After all, the Emperor had always wanted to preserve the lives of his brothers, a fact the Crown Prince was aware of.

The Emperor coughed and said, “If their lives can be spared, that would be best.”

The Crown Prince nodded, “Father, rest assured, as long as they don’t cross my bottom line, I won’t hesitate to take action.”

After a moment of silence, the Emperor said, “Handle it as you see fit.”

The father and son discussed state affairs for a while. The Crown Prince had been assisting the Emperor in governance for some time, receiving guidance from the Emperor on a daily basis.

After the Emperor grew tired, the Crown Prince took his leave and returned to the Palace.

The next day, the Emperor summoned Lady Xin and Princess Pingyi to the Chengqian Palace.

“Greetings, Your Majesty.”

“Greetings, Father.”

The Emperor was pleased to see Princess Pingyi, saying, “You’re here.”

Approaching the Emperor, Princess Pingyi asked, “Father, are you feeling better?”

The Emperor smiled, “I’m fine.”

“Pingyi, you’re a grown woman now. I called you and your mother here today to discuss your lifelong arrangements.”

Princess Pingyi, the eldest daughter of the Emperor, had only two daughters in total, with the other being Princess Qi, who was only five years old.

As daughters wouldn’t be involved in the succession struggle, and with few daughters, Princess Pingyi had always been favored.

Blushing at the Emperor’s words, Princess Pingyi shyly replied, “I don’t want to marry. I want to stay in the palace with you and Mother!”

The Emperor chuckled and turned to Lady Xin, asking, “Do you have any preferences?”

Knowing the Emperor was giving an opportunity to choose, Lady Xin stepped forward and replied, “I think the heir of the Yongchang family is quite suitable. He has outstanding character and is of similar age to Pingyi.”

The heir of the Yongchang family was the eldest son of Lady Xin’s elder sister, the firstborn of Lady Xin’s niece.

After a moment of contemplation, the Emperor looked at Princess Pingyi and asked, “What do you think, Pingyi?”

Princess Pingyi blushed and said, “Your Majesty, I will listen to Father and Mother.”

The Emperor nodded and said, “In that case, I will summon the Father of Yongchang to inquire about his thoughts.”

After the mother and daughter returned to Lady Xin’s palace, Princess Pingyi asked, “Mother, is the heir of the Yongchang family truly good?”

Lady Xin replied, “Would I harm you? Your grandmother has met this child and praised his talents, noble appearance, and humility.”

Princess Pingyi felt somewhat satisfied upon hearing this praise.

Lady Xin continued, “Moreover, look at your father, who has already appointed the Crown Prince as the co-regent. In the future, when your brother succeeds to the throne, he is quite fond of Mrs. Shu. The heir of the Yongchang family is the eldest son of Shu Yuting.”

Princess Pingyi smiled and said, “No wonder he has an outstanding appearance. I’ve seen the Crown Princess, and she is truly beautiful.”

Lady Xin smiled.

Princess Pingyi felt relieved knowing she had a good future ahead of her.

The current Father of Yongchang was Zheng Changping, the husband of Shu Yuting.

Aware of his average abilities, Zheng Changping had been following the rules since inheriting the title. When summoned by the Emperor, he was quite nervous, unsure of the reason for the meeting.

The Emperor, with a gentle expression, asked, “I heard that your eldest son has outstanding character and is a good match for Princess Pingyi. What are your thoughts?”

Upon hearing this, Zheng Changping was momentarily stunned but quickly replied, “It is my son’s good fortune to be favored by Princess Pingyi.”

The Emperor nodded in satisfaction, “Very well.”

In the Palace, after hearing about this matter, Shu Yuwan smiled at the Crown Prince and said, “Is the Emperor arranging everything for the princes and princesses before abdicating?”

The Crown Prince had shared the details with her upon returning to the Palace.

Shu Yuwan was deeply moved by the news.

As long as the Crown Prince didn’t ascend the throne, she would worry every day. As the mother of the Crown Prince child, if the Crown Prince didn’t ascend, the fate of the Shu family would be even worse than in the previous life!

Once the Crown Prince ascended, she would feel at ease!

At that moment, she felt much more relaxed.

The Crown Prince chuckled, “It’s good that the Emperor is taking care of everything.”

“I wonder how my sister will react to this news?”

…

Upon hearing Zheng Changping’s account of the matter at home, Shu Yuting was initially surprised but then began to blame him, saying, “Husband, how could you agree to this? By marrying the princess, Our son will have limited prospects in court. Even at home, he will have to bow down to the princess!”

“Now that my sister is the Crown Princess, our future is limitless!”

Zheng Changping calmly responded, “His talents are not exceptional, and he has a calm temperament. Inheriting the title, marrying the princess, and living a peaceful and prosperous life is quite good. There’s no need to strive for power and profit in court.”

Shu Yuting retorted, “Not everyone is like you.”

“What’s wrong with being like me?”

Not wanting to argue further with Zheng Changping, Shu Yuting prepared to go to the Palace to find Shu Yuting and persuade the Emperor to reconsider his decision before the decree was issued!