Soon, Prime Minister Bai tidied up his official attire and hurried to the Imperial Study Room. When he arrived, many ministers were already waiting outside.
Among them, the Third Prince, Feng Wuchen, was standing at the forefront of the civil and military officials.
After a brief glance at the almost uncontrollable joy and anxiety in Feng Wuchen’s eyes, Prime Minister Bai strode forward.
Seeing him coming, Li Cheng quickly stepped forward, "Prime Minister Bai, you’ve finally arrived. His Majesty is waiting for you, please do hurry in."
Nodding as he walked, Prime Minister Bai inquired as usual, "Mr. Li, do you know why His Majesty urgently summoned us?"
Upon hearing this, Li Cheng quietly said, "You’ll know once you go in."
That woman’s methods were strange; he dared not reveal any information at this moment.
...
Prime Minister Bai furrowed his brows, and after Li Cheng announced his arrival in a shrill voice, he stepped into the Imperial Study Room.
Then he saw a woman with an aloof demeanor, sitting calmly beside Feng Qingyang.
Squinting his eyes slightly, Prime Minister Bai and several other key ministers stepped forward to greet Feng Qingyang, "This old minister greets Your Majesty."
"Rise," Feng Qingyang said heavily.
Thinking of soon stepping down from the emperor’s throne, he felt a stifling heaviness in his heart.
"Your Majesty, may we know the reason for your urgent summons?" Prime Minister Bai, as the head of all ministers, took the initiative to ask at this time.
Upon hearing this, Feng Qingyang glanced cautiously at the woman, Ling Su, then suddenly coughed before saying, "I have summoned all of you beloved ministers today mainly to inform you of something."
"I intend to abdicate and pass the throne to the Third Prince. What do you think?" Feng Qingyang asked.
As soon as these words were uttered, before Prime Minister Bai could speak, several other key ministers immediately disagreed, saying, "Your Majesty, the Crown Prince is still present, how could the throne be passed to the Third Prince? That’s against protocol!"
"Moreover, the Crown Prince is still in good health. If you suddenly pass the throne to the Third Prince, what would the Crown Prince think?"
"This old minister does not mean the Third Prince is unworthy, but compared to the Crown Prince, the Third Prince’s abilities are still lacking. In my view, while the Third Prince could be a stable ruler, greater expectations might be too difficult."
Upon hearing this, Ling Su immediately gave a cool stare at the minister.
What do you mean Wuchen isn’t as good as Feng Qiwu?
A bunch of old fools without insight!
Meanwhile, Feng Qingyang remained silent.
Only after these ministers had finished speaking did he turn to the still silent Prime Minister Bai.
"What is Prime Minister Bai’s opinion?"
Prime Minister Bai then stepped forward and solemnly said, "In my opinion, Your Majesty is still in your prime, there’s no need to rush into becoming the Supreme Emperor! The princes are still young and need more tempering!"
Upon hearing this, Feng Qingyang felt relieved at once.
Indeed, Prime Minister Bai was the most loyal!
As soon as he mentioned passing the throne to the Third Prince, everyone else immediately opposed it.
But that’s not what he wanted to see!
He wasn’t dying, so why the rush to pass the throne to his son?
These old fellows, they usually seem loyal and dedicated, but at critical moments, they’re not reliable at all!
...
However, considering Ling Su was still watching him intently from the side, Feng Qingyang maintained an expression of helplessness and said, "I would like to sit on the throne for a few more years, but my health can no longer endure it. Though the Crown Prince is good, he suffers from bouts of madness, and we never know when it might suddenly flare up. The eldest is scheming but lacks tolerance. Therefore, after much consideration, I’ve decided it would be more prudent to pass the throne to the Third Prince."