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Ever since the Sum Emperor fell ill, the struggle among the Princes had intensified. Although the Sum Emperor temporarily ceased to attend court sessions, officials were still obligated to attend the regular Great Court Assembly.

The Great Court Assembly was usually presided over by Zhao Wenhan and Lin Gaoyuan. In the absence of the Sum Emperor's oversight, the Assembly had become a battleground for the factions of various Princes to launch attacks against each other.

Whenever the Great Court Assembly convened, the court officials would argue from the beginning until the end of the session.

Even though the factions had reached a point where they were incompatible as fire and water, the Sum Emperor still did not appear in court. Now, apart from the State Preceptor and those who served the Sum Emperor personally, only the Left and Right Prime Ministers were able to see the Sum Emperor after the court was dismissed.

Very few knew the exact condition of the Sum Emperor's health; the only thing people were aware of was that his illness had become more severe and that he was near the end.

Xuanzheng Hall.

The morning court session today was as chaotic as always until an official from Prince Lu Yi's faction stepped forward and addressed Lin Gaoyuan and Zhao Wenhan, "Prime Minister Zhao, Prime Minister Lin, now that His Majesty is bedridden and state affairs are piling up like a mountain, it is time to persuade His Majesty to establish a Crown Prince."

Upon hearing this statement, the previously noisy crowd in the great hall instantly fell silent, their gazes unanimously turning towards Lin Gaoyuan and Zhao Wenhan.

As the only ones with access to the Sum Emperor at the moment, only these two knew the Sum Emperor's exact condition. Even the Princes were kept in the dark about how their father's health was faring, especially since the Sum Emperor had explicitly forbidden any Prince from visiting him.

To establish a Crown Prince at such a time, it could only be done by persuading the Sum Emperor through Lin Gaoyuan and Zhao Wenhan, the Left and Right Prime Ministers.

At that moment, an official from the faction of the third Prince stood up as well, "Indeed, the court cannot go a single day without someone to direct the grand affairs. If the current situation continues, it could very likely lead to unrest. The Seigniors throughout the land are already restless. Establishing a Crown Prince early would help to stabilize the foundation of the state."

After this person finished speaking, other officials also stood up one after another. Regardless of which Prince's faction they belonged to, they all hoped to establish the Crown Prince as soon as possible.

Of course, the Crown Prince they had in mind was the Prince they supported, signifying that the battle for succession had reached its most intense stage.

If the Sum Emperor's illness continued to deteriorate and the Crown Prince's seat did not go to the Prince they supported, then they could overturn the table.

At this moment, Lin Gaoyuan spoke to the restless crowd, "His Majesty has his own plans; there is no need for everyone to be so anxious."

Zhao Wenhan then added, "Prime Minister Lin and I have discussed this matter, and we will bring up the issue of establishing a Crown Prince to His Majesty shortly."

It was at this moment that Prince Lu Yi asked, "Prime Minister Zhao, Prime Minister Lin, may I know how my father's health is faring?"

Zhao Wenhan replied, "Prince Lu Yi need not worry. His Majesty has simply caught a cold, and should recover after some time."

Upon hearing Zhao Wenhan's statement, the Princes and court officials' first reaction was to think he was lying, even suspecting the Sum Emperor's illness had grown worse.

If it were merely a common cold, how could it be that he had not attended court for so long? He might have already recovered by now.

Zhao Wenhan and Lin Gaoyuan had both met with the Sum Emperor, and as Left and Right Prime Ministers, it was natural for them to stabilize the court. Thus, even if the Sum Emperor were truly on his deathbed, they would only say that his health was not of concern.

The more they insisted the Sum Emperor's health posed no issue, the more it indicated that the situation was pessimistic. Instantly, people at court began to ponder their next steps, especially the Princes, who could scarcely contain their inner turmoil.

Originally, they had thought the Sum Emperor was in good health and in his prime, believing that it would be decades before it was their turn to ascend to power, at most jockeying for the position of Crown Prince.

Even as Crown Prince, they would have to tread carefully, for a single misstep could lead to attacks from officials of other Princes' factions. Lu Shuyun served as an example of this.

But if the Sum Emperor were indeed not long for this world, they would only need to become Crown Prince, and soon after, they could ascend as Emperor. Once enthroned as the supreme ruler, they could leverage the royal family's power to purge the other Princes and secure their position.

At this time, Lin Gaoyuan said, "If there is nothing else to report today, then we shall adjourn. Prime Minister Zhao and I will go and inform His Majesty of recent developments."

As his words fell, Lin Gaoyuan scanned the people in the great hall. Seeing that no one continued to speak, Lin Gaoyuan said, "Let it be so."

After that, Lin Gaoyuan turned and headed towards a side hall, with Zhao Wenhan following closely behind.

Seeing both Prime Ministers leaving, the officials in the great hall looked at each other and departed one after another. However, as the officials left, they tended to group together, with the officials of each Prince's faction following their respective Prince.

At this time, Lin Xiuming felt somewhat awkward. Looking around, he noticed that nearly all the courtiers had chosen their sides, even the Military Generals, leaving him, a Military General, walking alone at the rear.

As the commander of the Qilin Army, Princes had indeed tried to win him over.

Being the son of Lin Gaoyuan, winning him over would essentially be like securing the entire Lin Family, and consequently, the support of Lin Gaoyuan, the Left Minister.

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