"The third prince's momentum seems to have grown a little too strong."
Looking at the two stacks of memorials, so clearly different in height, Emperor Qing silently weighed things up.
After Li Chengze's supporters had been scattered, far more had gone over to Zhou Cheng than to the Crown Prince.
Perhaps he had sent too many signals in the past that he thought little of the Crown Prince, leaving very few at court who still favored him.
Instead, the tolerance and favor he had shown Zhou Cheng had sent those eager to choose a side flocking to him.
And this had made the forces supporting Zhou Cheng a little too powerful!
The Six Ministries, the Censorate, the Ye Family, and even Fan Xian were all close to Zhou Cheng!
Administration, military affairs, remonstrance officials, intelligence-Zhou Cheng had everything under his command!
He was now practically more of a crown prince than the Crown Prince, more of an heir apparent than the Heir Apparent!
This one-sided situation was not what Emperor Qing wanted.
His aim was to temper the Crown Prince, not help Zhou Cheng take the throne.
With things as they stood, he truly feared that if the Crown Prince's resolve faltered, Zhou Cheng would grind him to death.
So he had to place limits on Zhou Cheng's power!
"Perhaps it is time the Ye Family left the Capital!"
Emperor Qing sat back down at his imperial desk, spread out a sheet of bright yellow silk, and took up his brush to write.
The Ye Family held too much power in the Capital. Once Zhou Cheng married Ye Linger, the standing of both the Ye Family and Zhou Cheng would rise even further.
He would not allow that to happen. He had to readjust the balance between Zhou Cheng and