In 179, the emperor was 75 years old. It was time to choose the prince.
This is the custom of the kingdom. When the emperor is old and his judgment is affected, he will choose a prince to rule, and he will retire behind the scenes. In a few years, if nothing happens, the emperor will die and the prince will become the new emperor.
Zhao Shuting is tired and lies on the hotel bed. Yesterday he went to the northernmost part of the country and held a ceremony with the people of the high priest's family.
On the surface, Zhao Shuting, as the prince, appeared at the ceremony according to the convention. In fact, he had a deeper and more obscure purpose.
Zhao Shuting made a special trip to the far north of the country to coordinate with the trip of the high priest's family and take the opportunity to discuss the next step of fighting for the crown prince's position with the other party. As the election approaches, everyone's time is tight.
As one of the heirs, Zhao Shuting ranks third among all the princes. At the beginning of the founding of the People's Republic, because there were too few princes, the ancestors stipulated that their children and the children of their brothers were qualified to succeed to the throne. The current situation is that there are five children in total. The emperor's own son is too young to be eligible for election. Therefore, the candidate for the crown prince was selected from four non biological children.
I worked hard all morning and all afternoon, but I didn't eat lunch. Zhao Shuting turned on the live TV broadcast and rested on the pillow for a while. He did not plan to eat, but waited for the high priest's family to be free to discuss business with them.
Although Zhao Shuting was tired, he was still happy and expectant. Because he knew that cooperation with the high priest's family was a powerful means for him to move towards the throne.
With the secret support of the second most influential family, his position as prince is a sure bet.
In addition, the bureau has already been arranged. I have made a lot of efforts and done a lot of scary things before. Now is the time to pick fruit.
The high priest family did not support Zhao Shuting for simple reasons. Their cooperation is more like a transaction between businessmen, but the object is not money.
It is by no means just a few tricks that the high priest family can sit in this position today. They have been actively seeking and planning every step, which has created today's status and influence. For example, this transaction with the future prince is a good proof.
However, regardless of what they are planning, Zhao Shuting has his own plan. Each side needs what they want, so there is no need to get to the bottom of it. This is the professional ethics of businessmen.
Zhao Shuting was pleased to think that he had been busy for so long and had done a lot of risky things. It was finally over. If a biography is to be written to record his entire term of office, this secret conversation can be regarded as the beginning of his prince's journey.
He thinks so because of the live broadcast on TV.
In the studio, his eldest brother and second brother were fighting fiercely. As the two oldest princes, they had both been mercifully canvassing for votes a year ago, and they both claimed to be future princes. Both of them have strong momentum, so they can't help attacking each other. Today's live duel was even more embarrassing.
"... clown! Stop pretending!"
Finally, someone couldn't help it. The second prince is still trying to save face. The eldest prince can't stand it anymore and starts to swear.
This is the battle for the throne, not for fun. The criticism of each other in the past few months, and the dissatisfaction of both sides with each other, broke out at this moment.
The microphone of the eldest prince was cut off because he said dirty words. The second prince was elated and began to attack the eldest brother who had lost the right to speak without swearing.
I can't think much about the two people's rising blood. In addition to their dissatisfaction with each other, they also insisted that if they defeat each other, they will win. But they did all this for others.
The assistant told the excited second prince to stop through the earphone, "Converge, if you continue like this, you will lose both. Now your support rate is declining!"
"Really!" The second prince's voice was very rapid. His words were fast and straightforward. They were all conveying emotions and had nothing to do with the brain. He responded directly to the camera,
"I wish I were taller than my dear brother!"
Zhao Shuting looked at all this with satisfaction. He was one of the few people who didn't mind this, because he had expected all this.
At this moment, the door was knocked. A man came in and asked him if he wanted the special sour leaf wine for today, which will be delivered later.
This is a kind of wine unique to the north. It can be brewed successfully only in the local environment, and is often taken out for drinking during festivals. When drinking, you need to add a lot of ice cubes and a few acid leaves, and drink them up before the ice melts.
Zhao Shuting looked at him. It was not like a hotel staff, but more like an apprentice in a roadside shop. I didn't know it was sneaking in.
Unless it's social, Zhao Shuting doesn't drink much and hates door-to-door sales. As a politician, he has sold many things and knows what needs to be sold.
But the current atmosphere is worth a glass of wine. It is simply tailored for the winner. So Zhao Shuting agreed.
The young man said, "OK, you pay first and deliver it later."
Yo, it's still pre-sale, and the antipathy increases.
Forget it. It's just a glass of wine. Why associate everything nervously.
Seeing Zhao Shuting's hesitation, the waiter pointed out the window and said with a smile, "Don't worry, our store is just across the street. This wine should be ready to drink, and we will deliver it when we finish."
Shortly after paying for the drinks, the phone rang. It was the high priest who contacted Zhao Shuting and asked him to go there.
Zhao Shuting suddenly got up from the bed, straightened his collar and hurried out.
Along the way, he was thinking about words. I haven't seen the high priest for a long time. Last time I saw him, it was a secret.
At the back door of his house, the black material collected by the prince himself was handed out to the high priest to watch the timing machine.
They seldom contact each other because they want to avoid suspicion. Since the beginning of the action, the high priest has asked nothing. That was an old man with a little bald head. He spoke kindly.
He just said good cooperation and mutual benefit. But Zhao Shuting intuitively felt that it would never be so simple. In business, you pay and I deliver. The high priest must have specific demands. What would that be?
If you don't tell your price, one is kindness, and you really don't want to; 2、 It means not talking about it now, but blackmailing at the critical moment.
For the high priest, if you think he is the first case, you really underestimate each other. This is politics. How can there be such naive people?
Zhao Shuting was worried about the second situation. His alliance with the high priest is not solid, and there is no solid foundation. The high priest has the possibility of looting.
Now is the critical moment. The eldest prince and the second prince have lost many people's support because of their rivalry. Now it is time for him to make a profit.
It's time for the high priest to put forward what he wants.
Zhao Shuting thought that even if he didn't take the initiative to say so, he would still have to ask once, and he must succeed. Catch his real person and ask clearly. He can't be prevaricated like before. After all, owing to this kind of kindness, I don't know what the other party's purpose is, and I don't feel secure in the position of prince.
As long as it is not excessive, it can be discussed.
Zhao Shuting came to the door of the high priest's room and knocked on the door with something in mind.
But it was not the high priest who opened the door, but Zixun, the son of the high priest.
If Zhao Shuting has reached the point of his mouth, he will hold on like this. There was some doubt about the whereabouts of the high priest, but he still exchanged greetings without showing any trace.
Zixun said with some apologies, "My father is ill. I come to treat you."
The man in front of us is the only heir of the high priest family.
Zhao Shuting thought that although he was not the high priest, he sent his only son, whose role should be the same, and the official business could still be discussed. He did not know whether this person had the right to decide, but he had to report it to his father for decision. In any case, he will say what should be said.
"The end is coming at last." Zhao Shuting rubbed his hands, ready to introduce his topic.
"Yes, everything is coming to an end. You are about to become the crown prince. Third prince, my father didn't think carefully before, but now he has ideas. Let me tell you."
The son of the high priest was unexpectedly straightforward. He didn't wait for Zhao Shuting to ask him and explained his purpose to the point.
Sure enough, they must have conditions. There is nothing wrong with the exchange of interests.
"Of course. What does your father want? I'm all ears."
"We want to change the host of the grand ceremony into a member of our own family."
As soon as he said this, Zhao Shuting's face froze almost imperceptibly. At the same time, his brain was running at full speed.
The high priest family wants to be the host? I'm afraid it's not as simple as it seems.
