I have to say, when the Crown Prince uttered these words, the hall fell silent.
The Empress and the Emperor had supported each other all the way, deeply affectionate. Even after the founding of the nation, though the Emperor took a few concubines, firstly, he only visited them as a formality, and secondly, the affairs of the state left him with little energy to spend in the harem. Thus, aside from the early years when the Empress gave birth to the Crown Prince and the Third Prince, the Emperor had been occupied with the war against Dayue, and with age catching up, no more royal heirs were born.
For a nation, having two legitimate princes to uphold its rule was already sufficient. Even though the Third Prince was frail, the Crown Prince was in excellent health and even had a grandson, providing reassurance to the Great Zhou Court.
But when the Crown Prince committed the crime of fratricide and was about to be deposed because of it—
