Even Taishi Ankang, who had always supported Wang Shouzhe, felt his eyelids twitching. Shouzhe, oh Shouzhe—when we invited you to Shangjing, it was to solve problems.
Yet the moment you arrived, you started holing up at home. Every time we saw you, you said, "No rush, no rush. There'll be moves later."
And this was it?
What kind of freakishly brilliant move was this? He even dared refuse an imperial summons...
"Your Majesty." Prince Dexin was brimming with energy as he personally entered the fray. "You have shown the Wang Clan immense imperial favor, yet Wang Shouzhe not only fails to be grateful, he even acts spoiled and defies your decree. If he is not severely punished, where will Your Majesty's dignity stand?"
"Your Majesty." Prince Deshun stepped forward and argued, "Since ancient times, exceptional talents have often had strange quirks. Shouzhe is a talent without equal in this age. If he did not come, perhaps he has some hidden difficulty?"
"What hidden difficulty? He clearly resents Your Majesty for refusing to approve Longzuo Prefecture's next-stage reform plan. He clearly resents Your Majesty for not backing him when the Three Departments investigated the taxes." Prince Dexin struck at the heart of the matter. "What use is a man so blind to imperial authority and so narrow-minded?"
Afterward, Prince Dexin and Prince Deshun—two old devils who were both utterly shameless—began bickering in Stabilizing Qian Hall. They even rolled up their sleeves, looking ready to take the fight outside if either refused to submit.
Emperor Longchang felt a headache coming on at the sight. In their youth, Dexin and Deshun had both been favored sons of heaven, and among the left and right arms who had followed him across battlefields in all directions.
Back then, their relationship had been quite solid. But