Ministers Begging Me to Ascend the Throne Chapter 1134 - 147: Prince Chu Deeply Disappoints the Emperor (2)

With an expression devoid of emotion, the Emperor inquired, "Do you believe that by arranging for the tenth prince to wed a woman of farmer origin and bestow upon her the title of princess, I am thereby humiliating him?"

Prince Chu remained in silence.

The Emperor continued, his voice unwavering, "Should I instead arrange for the tenth prince to marry a woman from an aristocratic or official family, would that not be an even greater insult to him?"

Prince Chu offered no response.

His silence was interpreted as agreement.

The Emperor found Prince Chu's demeanor amusing. "My fourth son," he mused, "the late Emperor and the late Empress Dowager were both farmers. Does that imply that I, your father, am also insulting you?"

Upon hearing these words, Prince Chu's countenance shifted dramatically. He immediately fell to his knees, proclaiming, "Your son dares not harbor such thoughts, your son has no such intention."

The Emperor rose, casting an icy gaze upon Prince Chu kneeling before him. His tone was sharp and severe. "The Zhao family has been farmers for generations. If you look down upon farmers, how could I have a son like you..." The Emperor, aware that Prince Chu was speaking in defense of Zhao Yao, tempered his harsh words.

Prince Chu's face drained of color. He hastily interjected, "Father, your son did not mean that. Your son merely felt..."

"Get out!" The Emperor, having lost all patience for further discussion with Prince Chu, directly commanded him to leave.

Prince Chu attempted to speak further, but was precluded by Sun Kui.

Sun Kui, with practiced politeness, escorted him out. "Your Highness Prince Chu, please depart for now."

"Father, please calm yourself. Your son takes his leave."

Sun Kui guided Prince Chu out of the Imperial Study. "Your Highness, forgive this humble servant for speaking out of turn. I understand you feel wronged on behalf of His Highness Prince Han, but the arrangement for him to marry a farmer princess is not intended as a humiliation. You are aware that both the late Emperor and the current Emperor originated from farming families. During his lifetime, the late Emperor consistently emphasized that the Zhao family's roots lie with the farmers, and we must never forget our origins."

He continued, "By having His Highness Prince Han marry a farmer princess, the Emperor is, in fact, demonstrating his favor towards Prince Han. The Emperor has not overlooked nor forgotten the significant contributions His Highness has made to Great Zhou and its people throughout the years. Among all the princes, only His Highness Prince Han is truly the most suitable candidate to marry a farmer princess."

After absorbing Sun Kui's words, Prince Chu's expression became contrite.

"Your Highness, the words you uttered just now effectively negated the backgrounds of both the late Emperor and the current Emperor, which is precisely why His Majesty became so enraged," Sun Kui explained. He comprehended Prince Chu's sense of injustice on behalf of Prince Han, but the words spoken, alas... "Your Highness, the Emperor holds you in high esteem. Anyone else might have spoken such words, but not you."

"I..." Prince Chu found himself rendered speechless by Sun Kui's astute observation.

"Your Highness, please return for now and endeavor to seek the Emperor's forgiveness tomorrow."

"Thank you, Mr. Sun," Prince Chu offered his sincere gratitude to Sun Kui.

Sun Kui demurred, daring not to accept the Prince's thanks. He stepped aside, saying, "Your Highness, you are too kind."

"Tomorrow, I shall return to seek my father's forgiveness."

"Farewell, Your Highness Prince Chu."

Having seen Prince Chu off, Sun Kui returned to the Imperial Study. He discreetly observed the Emperor, and noting that the monarch's previous anger and gloom had subsided, he let out a quiet sigh of relief.

"Your Majesty, this servant believes Prince Chu harbored no ill intentions; he was merely expressing his sense of injustice on behalf of His Highness Prince Han."

"The tenth prince himself does not feel wronged, yet my fourth son goes out of his way to feel aggrieved for him."

"Prince Chu does not comprehend your benevolent intentions," Sun Kui stated, "but His Highness Prince Han understands your painstaking efforts."

"Sigh..." The Emperor suddenly emitted a profound sigh, his countenance etched with disappointment. "Not only Old Four, but everyone believes that by bestowing a farmer woman in marriage upon the tenth prince, I am committing an act of insult."

Had Sun Kui been unaware of the Emperor's true intentions, he would have undoubtedly shared the same opinion as everyone else.

"Your Majesty, the common sentiment is that as a prince, His Highness Prince Han possesses noble standing, whereas a farmer woman's status is inherently humble, rendering her unworthy of His Highness Prince Han."

"It is not that the farmer woman's status is humble, but rather that the very identity of being a farmer is generally regarded as lowly," the Emperor sneered. "Everyone in this world despises farmers, viewing them with contempt, and even farmers themselves harbor such notions."

"Your Majesty, this is indeed the prejudice of the world."

"Old Four truly disappoints me." The Emperor understood Prince Chu’s sense of injustice for Zhao Yao, but he could not accept Prince Chu looking down on farmers. "Old Four, like others, despises farmers, and that’s the fundamental difference between him and the tenth prince. In the tenth prince’s heart, farmers are not lowly; on the contrary, they are very important. Since a young age, he has created many farming tools to help farmers cultivate better, ensuring they can have enough to eat, while Old Four and the others have never paid farmers any attention."

"His Highness Prince Han is different from the other princes." In the eyes of His Highness Prince Han, everyone is treated the same, whether they are farmers or servants like them. There’s no differentiation in status. Prince Han regards everyone as human beings, while others do not consider their eunuchs and farmers as people. "His Highness Prince Han has always held the common people in his heart."

"Yes, although that brat is not willing to be Emperor, he always holds the land and people of Great Zhou in his heart." The Emperor said proudly.

"In this regard, His Highness Prince Han is very much like you." Sun Kui lightly flattered, "Truly like father, like son."

"Compared to me, that brat still has a long way to go. However, compared to the others, he is indeed quite outstanding." The Emperor spoke and then recalled Prince Chu’s earlier words, his face showing disappointment again, "From Old Four’s words, it’s evident that those literati, those from scholarly families are essentially like the aristocrats, looking down on farmers. They all think they are born to be superior, with an air of condescension."

"What Your Majesty said is true."

"They think this world belongs to the aristocrats, to the literati." At this point, the Emperor’s face displayed a mocking expression, "But in my view, this world belongs to the common people; without them, they are nothing."

"Your Majesty is wise."

"Not choosing Old Four was the right decision." The Emperor always appreciated Prince Chu and held him in high regard, but those words from Prince Chu left him utterly disappointed. "If I entrusted the land of Great Zhou to Old Four, in future it would belong to the literati. Back then, the late Emperor finally agreed to become the emperor for the countless farmers, not for the aristocrats, nor the literati."