Chapter 773: Chapter 609: Who Will Become the Crown Prince?
Gu Chengyu nodded, it would be foolish to leave just when the Crown Prince was about to be established.
You might get assassinated on the road, and even if the Eldest Prince went he might not be able to solve the case!
"Have the other three princes shown any unusual movements?" Gu Chengyu thought of Prince Jing, the Emperorās chosen candidate for Crown Prince certainly didnāt include him.
Once the Crown Prince is established, he and the other princes will have to go to their fiefs, can he be content with that?
"The Second Prince hasnāt shown much activity in the Ministry of Revenue. Although he hasnāt achieved much, he at least hasnāt made any mistakes. Those factions wanting to catch his mistakes are helpless."
Yin Kun spoke of the Second Prince with considerable praise, but Gu Chengyu heard admiration in his tone.
Could it be that Yin Kun favors the Second Prince and is planning to take sides?
Previously when he heard Yin Kun mention the Second Prince, there was nothing special in his tone. It seems a lot has happened in the Capital while he was returning home.
However, it canāt be ruled out that Yin Kun was always a supporter of the Second Prince, just not showing it before.
Now with the Crown Princeās establishment imminent, is Yin Kun suddenly revealing this intention to win him over, making him part of the Second Princeās faction?
But his senior brother just warned him not to get too close to the princes, so Gu Chengyu thought it best to figure out his senior brotherās intentions first.
Just as Gu Chengyu was pondering how to subtly probe Yin Kun, Yin Kun spoke of the Third Prince.
"The Third Prince was recently placed under house arrest by the Emperor and he has faced a cold attitude from the Emperor lately. Heās been assigned a leisurely task supervising weapon manufacturing at the Ministry of Industryās Military Equipment Bureau."
Gu Chengyu twitched his mouth, what a leisurely duty indeed.
With the Military Equipment Bureauās weapons having blueprints, the Third Prince canāt make much impact.
However, if he manages to innovate on the weapons and applies it usefully, it could turn into a significant achievement.
"Has Prince Jing made any moves?" Compared to the others who were in plain sight, Gu Chengyu was more concerned about Prince Jing.
Prince Jing is a person of strategy, capable of patience and some unscrupulousness. Gu Chengyu felt that he must be doing something secretly.
Yet, he wasnāt sure if officials like Yin Kun would notice anything amiss.
He decided it might be necessary to give Yin Kun a heads-up, better to be safe than sorry.
When speaking of Prince Jing, Yin Kunās expression became somewhat indescribable.
"Prince Jingās health has been improving, he has been attending court sessions for over half a month."
Gu Chengyu was a bit surprised, was Prince Jing planning to expose his intentions?
Is he in a hurry? If he doesnāt expose himself now, he might really be cut off from the throne.
However, attending court at this crucial moment, it seems Yin Kun too might be starting to suspect Prince Jing without needing Gu Chengyu to point it out.
"As for duties, the Emperor hasnāt entrusted him with any; rather, he advised him to rest and recover. When he goes to his fief later, the Emperor can feel more reassured."
The Emperorās attitude is quite firm! The Emperorās choice for Crown Prince is definitely not Prince Jing, is this an attempt to dissuade him early on?
After saying all this, Yin Kun suddenly asked Gu Chengyu a question that everyone in the court was very concerned about.
"Jinyu! Who do you think the Emperor will establish as the Crown Prince?"
Yin Kunās eyes were fixed on Gu Chengyu, as if trying to see into that personās innermost thoughts through his bright eyes.
Gu Chengyu was taken aback upon hearing this; he wasnāt sure yet whether Yin Kun was hiding anything from him.
He sighed inwardly, although a senior brother, there would always be tests and defenses between them.
Oh well! He might as well be frank with Yin Kun and hope that in the future, they can stand on the same side, rather than become foes who must guard against and scheme against each other.
Gu Chengyu smiled bitterly and said, "Weāre brothers, I wonāt say hypocritical words to you, my senior brother."
He thought for a moment and then said, "You know the Emperorās temperament, I canāt speculate on his intentions."
Yin Kun showed a hint of disappointment, was Jinyu guarding himself against him? This response felt too perfunctory.
Gu Chengyu ignored Yin Kunās expression and continued, "I only offer my analysis, though I am not too familiar with the princes, my judgment might be wrong, Senior Brother, please see if my analysis holds."
"Just speak freely, we brothers are meant to advance and retreat together. What you say, we can discuss."
Yin Kunās expression softened considerably, and he seemed somewhat satisfied with Gu Chengyuās words.
"The Eldest Princeās capability is beyond question, but his temperament is ruthless. If our Dayan Dynasty were in a time of chaos or expansion, he would be the best choice for Crown Prince."
Regarding Gu Chengyuās analysis of the Eldest Prince, Yin Kun was quite agreeable.
"The Eldest Prince is naturally capable, but his mind seems a bit narrow. If he becomes Crown Prince, he might need to cultivate his character further."
This comment made Gu Chengyu glance at Yin Kun; it seemed the Eldest Prince was not someone Yin Kun wanted to align with.
"The rumors say the Second Prince is kind by nature, but somewhat indecisive and his abilities are said to be lacking."
Gu Chengyu used the words "rumors" and "said to be," causing Yin Kun to squint subtly.
"Rumors? What about your own thoughts?"
Yin Kun frowned, picked up a teacup from the table, and took a sip, seemingly dissatisfied with Gu Chengyuās objective assessment.
Gu Chengyu watched as Yin Kunās right hand played with his fingers and smiled slightly.
"Senior Brother! Iāve only met the Second Prince once, and that was when we exchanged a few words during a court session. I donāt know him well enough to make a rash judgment."
"As for the Third Prince, with Wan Xue Nianās death and who was involved in that, you must know, and so does the Emperor, or he wouldnāt have tasked him with the Military Equipment Bureau. Moreover, his maternal family underwent a major upheaval, and his relatives have become criminals. The officials supporting him in court must have decreased significantly."
A prince without the backing of his maternal family and limited capabilities. Frankly, he doesnāt seem promising.
But he didnāt intend to speak too absolutely; until the last moment, who knows which prince would ascend the throne?
"You donāt think highly of the Third Prince?" Yin Kun put down the teacup and began to ponder.
"Not exactly, isnāt Consort Xian favored by the Emperor? And although the Emperor has been displeased with the Third Prince these past two years, he did show some capability in earlier years."
Yin Kun rolled his eyes, as if nothing essential had been said.
"And what is your view on Prince Jing?"
When Yin Kun mentioned Prince Jing, his expression turned significantly more serious.
"Perhaps Prince Jing is not as indifferent to worldly matters as he appears? I believe he harbors ambitions for the position of Crown Prince."
This time, Gu Chengyu chose not to hide, his straightforwardness caught Yin Kun off guard for a moment.
"You mean heās taking action secretly? But heās just an idle prince without the backing of a foreign clan or much responsibility. Which courtiers would support him? Even if he has ambitions, heās power but not support. Besides, his health..."