Chapter 153 Deliberate Evasion

Most of the officials in the imperial court were opposed to this matter. They simply could not imagine what would happen if, after expending a vast amount of financial resources, no progress was made whatsoever. Would that not mean complete ruin? Could anyone else truly dare to entertain such a thought?

"State your reasons for doing this." The Emperor still wanted to hear whether it was appropriate, and did not directly assign blame.

"The geographical conditions over there have encountered problems, and doing this now is truly the only viable solution. Moreover, there will not be excessive financial depletion in the initial stages. As long as proper and reasonable planning is put in place, the results will undoubtedly be very favorable," he argued persistently, ignoring the opinions of others on the matter.

They truly needed to wake up and make sure they did not fall into this trap.

"Your Majesty, absolutely not!" Lord Zhou hurriedly stepped forward to dissuade him. He was a person devoid of bold ideas; whenever a matter arose, he would immediately shirk responsibility. Regardless of which side it was, he wished to avoid bearing any burden whatsoever. In a way, this could be considered a convenient opportunity.

The Emperor merely nodded, without directly finalizing the decision. In truth, he remained somewhat conflicted, especially feeling that after so many events had recently transpired, everyone held their own inner thoughts.

Zhu Yunzhi did not press any further. Instead, he simply requested to be excused.

Seeing that the momentum was turning unfavorable, the ministers in the court promptly dispersed and adjourned the court session.

However, news of this matter soon reached Lord Gao. Being a straightforward man who spoke his mind, once he felt there was no issue, he directly voiced his disapproval.

"Tell me, he had already gained the Emperor's favor and affection, so why on earth did he choose this exact moment to provoke the Emperor?" the other person asked, looking utterly baffled.

For all the officials present at the time felt that he was directly opposing the reigning monarch. Only Han Qing remained extremely calm.

"He is merely doing what he ought to do. If this method proves unfeasible, you should be thinking of other solutions."

What? "Could it be that this insidious scheme was devised by you?"

Han Qing nodded. What was the big deal about that? Besides, it was precisely the right course of action to take; otherwise, things would only grow increasingly complex.

"Yet you know the Emperor's temper. Speaking in such a manner is instead detrimental to him."

The other person asked with a persistent expression.

"The problems in Jiangcheng are far from as simple as they appear on the surface. Proposing such a solution is actually quite appropriate." He nodded. Unfortunately, with Lord Gao's stubborn and unyielding mind, he might fail to grasp the underlying logic at times.

Meanwhile, another person was feeling quite excited. The Third Prince had no intention of letting the matter rest here.

"My so-called second brother is nothing special after all. Did not even the people around him teach him how to make proposals to the sovereign?" he said triumphantly.

The strategist by his side chose to remain silent. Things had already reached this stage; some situations required no reminders.

"Your Highness, although we have not won the Emperor's favor, we can now seize this opportunity to exert more effort..." The strategist began offering advice once more, though whether it would be of any use remained uncertain. On the contrary, the suggestions he had put forward previously were mostly sheer nonsense and only served to make matters increasingly complicated.

"Understood."

They were busy for several days. However, the Prince of Chen, who had been heavily favored until recently, no longer received the Emperor's protection. Several officials quickly began to distance themselves from him, driven by the simple instinct to align with whichever side held power. This was a normal occurrence; yet what they truly wished to know was the underlying truth. Why had Zhu Yunzhi suddenly proposed undertaking such a massive engineering project? Could it be that it was genuinely useful?

Consequently, the subsequent handling of Jiangcheng's affairs was handed over to the Third Prince. It seemed that none of the suggestions previously put forward by Zhu Yunzhi ultimately yielded any benefits. Was he not simply paving the way for someone else's success?

Some felt a sense of injustice on his behalf, considering such treatment to be utterly unfair. Yet none dared to openly contradict the reigning monarch unless they truly had no regard for their own heads.

Zhu Yunzhi offered a few words of persuasion, but the Emperor simply ignored them altogether, even issuing a decree that anyone who mentioned the matter in the imperial court would be barred from ever entering the court again.

Some thought of seeking out Han Qing, believing he might offer some sound strategies. However, the man in question proved extremely sensible, promptly urging them not to bring up the governance of Jiangcheng within his estate.

"Brother Han, you were not such a person before. You would not simply give up the moment you encountered trouble, would you?" They truly could not understand.

"Given Zhu Yunzhi's current status, it is entirely inappropriate for you and me to speak out. There have always been others secretly watching him. If officials were to express dissenting opinions at this juncture, it would only arouse the reigning monarch's suspicions."

Having managed to attain their current positions with great difficulty, were they truly prepared to let all their efforts come to naught in the final hour? That would be utterly absurd.

"Are we simply going to let others reap the benefits for nothing?"

"Whether those turn out to be benefits remains to be seen." Han Qing smiled mysteriously.

Those who believed the unfolding of this event was bound to lead to success were gravely mistaken.

True to form, less than a week after the Third Prince arrived at the location, a riot broke out among the common people throughout Jiangcheng. Although they deployed soldiers from the patrol camp to suppress the unrest, the results were insignificant and only served to further infuriate the local populace.

Word of this reached Luojing directly, throwing the Emperor into a rage.

"Absurd! How are things being managed?"

"Your Majesty, this cannot entirely be blamed on the Third Prince. Who could have foreseen that the irrigation rivers would suddenly run dry? For now, we can only do our best to pacify the common people."

Several officials on good terms with the Third Prince interceded one after another, attempting to secure lenient treatment. But while the Emperor was in the heat of anger, how could he possibly listen to soothing words? The appropriate course of action was already crystal clear.

"If he still cannot handle this matter, have him hauled back here," the Emperor declared angrily.

Meanwhile, the Prince of Huai secretly gloated by the side. This was a magnificent opportunity for him—how could he possibly fail to seize it?

"Imperial Father, this son is willing to redeem himself through meritorious service," he said with an earnest expression.

The Emperor waved his hand and ultimately granted him permission to go.

On the other hand, the Prince of Chen, who had enjoyed immense favor for so long, put forward no strategies whatsoever, nor did he wish to become entangled in the mess. He simply waited quietly until the court session adjourned.

Even the Emperor, who had given him the cold shoulder for so many days, found his behavior exceedingly peculiar and detained him afterward.

"You were the one who originally proposed this plan. Do you have nothing to say for yourself?"

"Imperial Father, this son has already stated everything truthfully."