"I have this under control, don't you worry. I've already sent people to take inventory of all the official granaries. Detailed figures will be out before tonight. If it's still not enough, we might have no choice but to collect grain from every household in the realm!"
Hearing Wang Bing's words, Zhang Xiaochun couldn't help but let out a long sigh.
Confiscating the people's grain was the last resort. He wouldn't do it unless absolutely necessary. After all, this grain was the fruit of their hard labor. To take it away like this felt truly unconscionable.
"Your subordinate knows you are benevolent, sir. But the situation has reached this point. I implore you to prioritize the bigger picture!"
"Don't worry, I understand what's important and what's urgent. I'm fully aware of that!"
After patting Wang Bing's shoulder, Zhang Xiaochun turned and headed back to his official residence. Compared to other matters, how to defend the city walls and ensure the sustenance and water supply for hundreds of thousands of people within the city were the most pressing issues before him.
The crisis in Taiyuan was imminent, yet the atmosphere in Bianliang was eerily strange.
Tong Guan, after being beaten in the imperial palace, returned to his manor as if nothing had happened. The hundred thousand soldiers he brought back – since the Emperor hadn't incorporated them into the Imperial Guard to bolster Bianliang's defenses, nor intended to send them to support other regions – were seemingly forgotten by the Emperor. What was even more unacceptable to Fan Zhengguo and others was that these soldiers remained under Tong Guan's command until this very moment…
"Brother Boji, what exactly does His Majesty mean by this?" Fan Zhengguo asked with a frown in Li Gang's residence.
"What else could he mean? I suspect His Majesty has listened to Zhang Bangchang's counsel and intends to flee south for safety!"
"But he is the Son of Heaven!"
Li Gang's words further enraged Fan Zhengguo, though he had already suspected this answer himself. However, hearing it from Li Gang made him feel even more dejected.
"This is unacceptable! I'm going to the palace to submit a memorial!" Fan Zhengguo declared through gritted teeth, slamming his hand heavily on the table.
"No, you cannot go!" As Fan Zhengguo was about to turn and leave, Li Gang placed a hand on his shoulder, stopping him.
"I cannot go? You want me to stand by and do nothing in a situation like this?" Hearing Li Gang's words, Fan Zhengguo felt completely lost. Was this still his old friend?
"If you lose your current position, do you expect Yu Shen to handle the affairs under your purview?"
"You…"
"You seem different from before…" After a long silence, Fan Zhengguo suddenly exhaled a deep breath, looking at Li Gang with surprise. If it were in the past, Li Gang would be the one pounding the table and shouting at this moment.
"Indeed, I am somewhat different. I suddenly feel that young man's words hold some truth. This world is not the private possession of a single family or dynasty. My Great Song is governed jointly by the sovereign and the scholar-officials. You, the high officials, are the very representatives of the scholar-officials, aren't you? If you yield your crucial position to someone like Zhong Diji, wouldn't that delight our enemies and pain our allies? The succession of the throne is not something we can interfere with…"
Looking at the dark sky outside, Li Gang's mood grew exceptionally heavy. Compared to the current Emperor, the Crown Prince was even more timid. Furthermore, whether it was Fan Zhengguo, Li Gang, or Nie Shan, Zhong Shidao, they all bore the imprint of Prince Xin to some extent. If the Crown Prince were to ascend the throne, whether their influence in court could be guaranteed remained an unknown.
"Why don't we support Prince Xin to ascend the throne?" After a long silence, Fan Zhengguo suddenly lowered his voice and said.
"Are you mad! We are in Bianliang!" Even within his own residence, Fan Zhengguo's words sent a shiver through Li Gang. The Imperial Guard's informants were all over Bianliang, and this had been the case for many years. To speak of such a thing at this moment was a grave transgression!
"I am not mad. Compared to the meek and timid Crown Prince, I would rather Prince Xin ascend the throne!" After a moment of silence, Fan Zhengguo raised his head again.
"Matters like these are not for us to decide. We can only do our best and leave the rest to fate!" After letting out a long sigh, Li Gang ultimately did not voice further opinions on this topic. Although he had changed significantly under Han Mo's influence and learned to view things from a different perspective, his years of accumulated knowledge and understanding could not possibly allow him to take such drastic action.
"I can only pray to Heaven to protect my Great Song and help us overcome this ordeal…" As Fan Zhengguo spoke, his face was filled with bitterness.
"Enough, it's late. You should go back and rest…" With a wry smile, Li Gang waved his hand, his expression grim.
And at this very moment, a carriage quietly departed from the Eastern Palace and entered the imperial palace.
"Grand Tutor Liang, where are we going?" Seeing the carriage drive into the imperial palace, the terrified Zhao Huan became even more fearful.
"Your Highness, has this old servant ever harmed you?" Liang Shicheng forced a smile, looking at Zhao Huan's anxious face.
"Not at all. It's just that it's already late at night, and to enter the palace at this hour…"
"This is His Majesty's decree. Your Highness, please do not trouble this old servant further!" Despite the relatively good relationship between Liang Shicheng and the Crown Prince, he was unwilling to reveal more information at this moment.
With trepidation, Zhao Huan finally arrived at the Funiang Hall. However, the moment he entered, he saw Zhang Bangchang standing nearby and Tong Guan with a pale face. The sight of them sent a jolt through Zhao Huan's heart, and he was immediately overcome with a bad premonition.
"You've come!" While he was lost in thought, he suddenly noticed that Zhao Ji was not wearing his imperial robes today, but a simple Taoist robe.
"Your son pays his respects to Father Emperor!" After stealthily glancing at Zhao Ji, Zhao Huan knelt and began to perform his salutation.
"You have occupied the position of Crown Prince for so many years. You have suffered grievances all these years!" Looking at his meek son before him, Zhao Ji couldn't help but let out a long sigh. Although Zhao Huan was only in his early twenties, he appeared older than his father.
"Father Emperor, your son…" Upon hearing Zhao Ji's words, Zhao Huan couldn't help but burst into tears.
"I know you have suffered greatly over the years. But rest assured, from today onwards, your hardships will come to an end. I have decided to abdicate the throne to you!"
What the heck?