Traveling through time and space and becoming a deposed prince, he just wants to survive!

Chapter 344: Prime Minister's Cabinet

After carefully reading and thinking about the reply letter written by Zhao Sheng, Zhao Hui chose to believe it at least 80%.

Recalling the time when he was persecuted by Zhao Wei and had nowhere else to go, the first place he thought of seeking refuge was where Zhao Sheng was.

This is enough to prove that Mr. Zhao truly trusts and supports me.

Zhao Hui also learned from Zhao Hengzhen that the old emperor had actually known about Zhao Sheng's existence for a long time.

However, in order to maintain the dignity and respect of the royal family, there was no intention to investigate this matter further.

In other words, the identity of the Sixth Prince Zhao Sheng no longer exists, and no one wants him to show up in the court.

Now, Zhao Sheng can only show himself as Li Xin's son-in-law.

Moreover, Zhao Hui felt quite at ease and reassured when he left Zhao Sheng with Li Xin.

He believed that if the Li family had any improper behavior or unusual movements, Zhao Sheng would more or less tip him off.

Perhaps, this was the careful arrangement and consideration made by Zhao Hengzhen after careful consideration behind the scenes.

……

Time flies, and it is June in the blink of an eye.

The capital was bustling with activity, decorated with lanterns and colorful lights everywhere. After a grand and solemn sacrificial ceremony was held at the Temple of Heaven, Zhao Hui officially ascended the throne, becoming the new master of this vast land.

However, deep in the palace, a group of old ministers were all feeling uneasy and on pins and needles.

They were always worried that their status in the court would change, fearing that they would lose their power and wealth if they were not careful.

Especially Wei Rong, since the Zhao Heng incident, he has been unemployed at home, living a leisurely but fearful life. During this period, he has never received a summons to the palace.

Just one month after the ceremony.

On this day, Wei Rong suddenly received a summons from the emperor, asking him to go to the imperial study for an audience.

When Wei Rong received the summons, his heart was filled with joy and anticipation, thinking that he finally had the chance to be reused by the emperor again.

However, the moment he stepped into the imperial study, the joy in his heart instantly disappeared, replaced by endless fear and trepidation.

"The guilty minister Wei Rong pays homage to the new emperor."

After entering the imperial study, Wei Rong knelt on his knees and bowed respectfully, with his forehead pressed tightly against the cold ground, not daring to be negligent in the slightest.

"Lord Wei, I have just ascended the throne and am extremely busy dealing with a mountain of government affairs every day. Even the morning court has been changed to a large court every ten days and a small court every three days. It was not until today that I finally had the time to remember that you, my dear, are still unemployed at home."

Zhao Hui sat behind the desk, looking calmly at Wei Rong who was kneeling on the ground, and spoke slowly.

"Your Majesty is so busy with affairs of state, how dare this humble subject even have the slightest hope?"

Wei Rong's voice trembled slightly, filled with deep awe and fear.

"Well, please stand up. Your matter is neither big nor small. I have been thinking about what position I should place you in."

Zhao Hui's tone was neither hurried nor slow, neither hot nor cold, but it instantly made Wei Rong's heart beat faster: "My dear, do you think you can continue to sit firmly on the position of Prime Minister?"

Upon hearing this, Wei Rong's heart sank, and he cried out inwardly, "It's over! It looks like the Emperor is going to take action against me."

Wei Rong still stood there blankly, looking bewildered, while Zhao Hui continued:

"Prime Minister Wei, look, many major events have occurred in the court recently, and every one of them is inextricably linked to you. If I continue to let you hold this position, I'm afraid it will attract widespread criticism."

"Your Majesty, then, then how do you plan to deal with this humble official?" Wei Rong was extremely frightened, his speech became stammering, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

"Don't panic, Prime Minister Wei. I don't intend to punish you severely. However, in this vast court, you were once the Prime Minister. It would be inappropriate for you to serve as a minor official. Think about it yourself. Is there any way to resolve this difficult situation?"

Zhao Hui's expression was gentle and his tone was humble, which made Wei Rong feel a little flattered.

"Could it be that the emperor wants to protect me?" Wei Rong speculated in his heart.

"Your Majesty," Wei Rong swallowed hard and said, "I can resign, but the thought of no longer being able to serve the court is too much for me to bear. But if I continue, I'm afraid the officials will be dissatisfied. This is truly a dilemma!"

Seeing that Wei Rong still wanted to stay, Zhao Hui was secretly happy and felt that the time was ripe.

So he said, "Prime Minister Wei, what do you think? I intend to establish a cabinet of prime ministers, whose duty is to assist me in sorting out the memorials from all over the country. This cabinet will have a chief minister and three ministers who will review the memorials together with the prime minister. What do you think?"

Zhao Hui's words made Wei Rong feel confused for a moment, and he wondered in his heart what the Prime Minister's cabinet meant.

"How about Prime Minister Wei take on the role of Chief Minister, also known as Chief Minister and Prime Minister? He will work with the Prime Minister to handle memorials, and after processing, the memorials will be handed over to me for my approval and distribution."

Having said that, Wei Rong finally understood what the Prime Minister's cabinet meant.

In his mind, the Prime Minister seemed to be on the same level as the Prime Minister, but it was just a different title, and he was mainly responsible for handling documents from various government offices.

"I understand what the emperor has said, and I will obey his orders."

The heavy stone in his heart finally fell to the ground, and Wei Rong bowed respectfully to Zhao Hui.

"That's great! Come to court in the morning a few days later, and I will announce this matter to everyone."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Wei Rong walked out of the imperial study with joy, his steps becoming lighter.

After he walked away, Fan Wenyuan slowly walked over from the other side.

"Prime Minister Fan, you've heard everything. You will be the one to find and arrange the candidates for this cabinet and place them beside Wei Rong."

Fan Wenyuan had been listening next door, so Zhao Hui didn't explain any further and gave the order directly.

"I understand your majesty's intention. I will make the arrangements right away."

After receiving the order, Fan Wenyuan also walked out of the room quickly.

Wang Defa, with a confused look on his face, carefully handed over a cup of tea, and then stood quietly by to serve.

"Steward Wang, you have been by my side for many years. You used to be my steward, and now you are the chief steward of this palace. What do you think of what just happened?"

Wang Defa had been following Zhao Hui since he was the Prince of Yan. He had worked diligently and conscientiously over the years and was deeply loved by Zhao Hui. He also followed him into the palace this time.

When he saw Zhao Hui asking him, he dared not not answer.

"Your Majesty, Wei Rong has already fallen out of favor with the late emperor. Why do you still want to use him now?"

Wang Defa naturally couldn't understand Zhao Hui's intention, which was normal.

"Wang Defa, if you could understand this, wouldn't it be a waste for me to be the emperor?"

Zhao Hui, on a whim, claimed that everything had changed.

"The court is full of veteran officials. Replacing them all is unrealistic, and it's difficult to tell good from bad all at once. Things have to be done, and setting up a cabinet is a way to share power with the prime minister. Although this cabinet has no real power, it can check and balance the prime minister."

Wang Defa seemed to understand what was said, and stood there nodding slightly, but did not dare to say anything more.