It should be said that Queen Mother Sun's intention has been very obvious.
The purpose of establishing a prince at this time is to ensure the inheritance of the throne.
In other words, once something happens to the emperor, the one who ascends the throne must be the emperor's son, this little baby who will be established as the prince!
Although she is in a deep palace, she is not a fool.
Although after entering the palace, no one dared to mention it or even show the slightest hint of it.
But there is still a problem that everyone has to face.
That is, what should the emperor do if he cannot come back?
This is not unfounded worry, but a real threat.
No matter what is said to the outside world, whether it falls into the hands of the bandits or Bei Shou.
Everyone present knew it.
The fact is that the emperor was captured.
Be more clear.
A small life is held in someone else's hands.
Of course, as long as you have a little bit of brains, you won't dare to attack the emperor.
But what if?
The emperor was alone in the enemy camp, in case something unexpected happened.
Or, how about holding the emperor hostage first and imprisoning him for several years or even ten years?
Let’s take a step back.
What if he wants to sell at a higher price and put forward some conditions that are simply impossible to accept?
For example, claiming vassal status and paying tribute, giving up the capital, etc.
what to do?
These are the worst-case scenarios, but no one dares to speak out at this time.
After all, something happened to the emperor just now, and the detailed military report has not yet been sent. If these words are openly announced to the mouth, wouldn't it be a curse on the emperor?
But just because you don’t say it doesn’t mean you won’t think about it.
As the group of people closest to the power center of Ming Dynasty, all the ministers present knew it well.
Hope for the best and prepare for the worst.
Then, another key issue is involved.
Once their worries come true, what will happen next in the succession of the throne?
Logically speaking, the emperor has a son, even though it is only a two-year-old baby, but the so-called inheritance is orderly and the etiquette and law are upright, so there should be no hesitation.
However, etiquette, law and righteousness must be paid attention to on the premise of preserving the country.
If the country is in decline and the country is no longer there, what rules will be left?
Under the current circumstances, the country needs a leader who can shoulder important responsibilities and be trusted by the courtiers and the people, not a little baby who has not yet been weaned.
In the past ten years or so, the imperial court's armaments have been depleted and many ills have arisen. The biggest reason is that the emperor is young and weak, and the country has no long-term king.
Even though San Yang and other ministers struggled to maintain it.
However, it can only barely survive.
If the successor is still a two or three-year-old child, the future of Ming Dynasty will be worrying.
But these words must never be spoken.
It cannot be said from the perspective of etiquette or from the perspective of reason.
From the former point of view, whether it is the establishment of a prince or the inheritance of the throne, it is reasonable and cannot be confused.
As for the latter, it is the Queen Mother who now holds the power of defense in the capital.
If he made such heart-wrenching remarks, he would probably be kidnapped and thrown into prison immediately.
National justice, personal honor and disgrace were all placed in front of everyone at once, leaving no room for them to consider carefully.
In the end, it was Yu Qian who spoke first: "I think it's inappropriate!"
Yu Shilang always speaks straight to the point. After making a decision in his heart, he kowtows without hesitation.
"Holy Mother, the country is now truly in a state of chaos. At this time of turmoil, if our entire court cannot unite as one and make a single order, then the artifact will fall apart in front of our eyes."
"The Holy Mother wants to establish a prince, which is based on the principles of etiquette and law. However, the prince in the palace is young and weak. This situation will make it difficult for all the people in the world to hope."
"If you appoint a prince at this moment, it is inevitable that people will be confused and speculate. I will risk my life to remonstrate with the Holy Mother. I will ask King Xin to regent the government and guard the capital. When the situation is calm and the emperor returns to the capital, he will carry out the appointment again, so that he can live up to his ministers and the people. heart of."
Although Yu Qian's words were a bit euphemistic at the end, the meaning was still clear.
Queen Mother Sun's face suddenly darkened, a dangerous light flashed in her eyes, and she said coldly.
"Does Yu Shilang mean that the Ai family wields power arbitrarily and ignores their ancestors?"
"I dare not..."
Yu Qian lowered his head and said.
"What else are you afraid of?"
No one expected that Queen Mother Sun suddenly slammed the table and shouted sharply.
"Since you entered the palace, you have always accused the Ai family of interfering in government affairs, and you have spoken out every word about the justice of the country."
"What is righteousness?"
"You are all familiar with the scriptures of the sages. At this time of great calamity, you do not want to serve the country and be loyal to the emperor and rescue the emperor. First, you argue endlessly about the move to the south, and then you want to obstruct the crown prince's appointment."
"Is this the righteousness you talk about?"
Queen Mother Sun suddenly became angry, and all the ministers had to kneel down to apologize.
Prince Consort Jiao Jing said: "The Holy Mother must not be angry. I believe that this moment is the time to bring peace to the world. Only by appointing a prince can we calm the hearts of all the people in the world."
Chen Xun, a Hanlin scholar, also said: "I also believe that the crown prince is the most important thing for the country and should be established early. The Holy Mother has said that the emperor has long wanted to establish a prince. As ministers, we should be considerate and canonize the prince according to the decree. .”
The words of these two people made Empress Dowager Sun look a little better.
Needless to say, Jiao Jing's relatives and the royal family have always been of the same blood, and he will definitely stand by the Empress Dowager Sun.
As for Chen Xun, he was a bachelor of the Hanlin Academy.
The Hanlin Academy is regarded as an attendant. Once the crown prince is appointed, the officials of the East Palace will be selected by the Hanlin Academy, and he naturally agrees.
However, Queen Mother Sun also knew that the opinions of just the two of them were far from enough.
Together, they can barely match the influence of Yu Qian.
The truly useful person in this palace has never spoken.
"Old Minister Hu, you are an important minister entrusted by the late emperor, and you are also the Minister of the Ministry of Rites. The inheritance of etiquette and law is the responsibility of the Ministry of Rites. Do you think Ai Jia is right?"
Queen Mother Sun turned her head and asked the gray-haired Hu Hui.
To put it bluntly, among the large group of ministers present, there were only two or three who were really useful in speaking.
Although Yu Qian seems to be provocative, he is just a minister of the Ministry of War, and he can make the final decision on matters involving the Ministry of War.
But for a truly major event like establishing a crown prince, it still depends on the attitude of a big boss like Qiqing.
To put it bluntly, the people in this palace are Wang Zhi, the Minister of Personnel, Hu Hui, the Minister of Rites, and Chen Yi, the Yushi of Zuodu.
Their attitude is crucial!
Although Empress Dowager Sun has lived in the palace for a long time, she still has some understanding of people at the level of six ministers and seven ministers.
Wang Zhi, the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, was known as Otsuka Zai in foreign dynasties and was at the head of the hundred officials.
But he is already seventy years old, has long wanted to retire, and has always been prudent in protecting himself.
Chen Yi, the censor of Zuodu, was the leader of Feng Xian Ke Dao, and was called the General Xian in the outer court.
He has solid political achievements and has been promoted step by step from the local level. The direction of the government is unknown, but he and Yu Qian have a close personal relationship.
Hu Ming, the Minister of Rites, is senior and older. He is three years older than Wang Zhi. He is easily silent.
But as a lonely and important minister entrusted by the late emperor, his words carry great weight.
Among the three, Queen Mother Sun had the greatest confidence in Hu Hui.
Although the establishment of the prince was hasty, there was nothing wrong with the etiquette and law.
As the Minister of Rites, Hu Hui had no reason to object.
Moreover, he grew up watching Jin Shang and has a relatively good relationship with the palace.
After assisting the government for many years, there is always a sense of friendship.
Therefore, Queen Mother Sun still has great expectations for Hu Hui's attitude.
In her opinion, if Hu Hui agreed and Chen Yi objected, then Wang Zhi would most likely remain neutral.
At that time, even if she is more arrogant and issues an edict forcefully, she is very sure that she will succeed.
What made her a little disappointed was that Hu Hui seemed to be a little undecided.
Instead, Chen Yi spoke first.
"I believe that what the Holy Mother said is correct. The crown prince is the foundation of the country. It is in line with etiquette and justice to appoint the crown prince. In this precarious situation, it is even more important to restore the crown prince to his throne as soon as possible."
strictly speaking.
Chen Yi should not speak at this time.
The prelude to the palace is right, even if it is not in front of the king, it has its own customization.
Empress Dowager Sun asked about Hu Bi.
Then only when Hu Hui finished speaking could anyone else speak.
So as soon as Chen Yi spoke, Empress Dowager Sun became wary and almost scolded him for his lack of etiquette in front of the palace.
But after listening to what he said, Queen Mother Sun swallowed back the words as soon as they came to her lips.
Could it be that she wrongly blamed Chen Yi?
But then, I heard Chen Yi continue to say.
"However, the Holy Mother must not ignore it. Both inside and outside the capital must work together to secure the capital."
"Nowadays, I am young and weak, and it is difficult for me to take on big responsibilities. If the general affairs of the capital are used in the name of assisting the government, it may be difficult for me to be effective."
"I would like to ask the Queen Mother to issue an edict to first appoint King Tan to supervise the country as regent and prime minister of general affairs, and then establish a prince to calm the world."
That turned out to be the idea.
Empress Dowager Sun twisted her eyebrows and wanted to retort, but before she could speak, she heard Hu Hui speak.
"Holy Mother, the appointment of a prince is a major event. The Ministry of Rites needs to choose an auspicious day to perform the appointment ceremony. It will take at least several days to prepare. And our army will arrive in Beijing within a day or two. Therefore, I think that we should first order Mr. King Tan to Regent of the great government, and then proceed with the registration of the East Palace."
After Hu Xi finished speaking, he glanced in Wang Zhi's direction.
So Mr. Wang also took a step forward and said calmly.
"What Hu Shangshu said is in line with etiquette and law, and takes into account the public sentiment and the court's situation. I also think it is right and ask the Holy Mother to consider it."
In just a short moment, the three big bosses who had been silent all expressed their attitudes, which was not at all the same as they had just said.
Queen Mother Sun glanced around and sighed helplessly.
Now that things have come to this, she also knows that this is the best outcome.
So he said: "In that case, let's do what you want! The Ministry of Rites will first draft a memorial and set the date for the establishment. All the common affairs of the court will be temporarily left to the Prime Minister of King Xi. The Ai family is exhausted, so let's stop here today. "
After saying that, Empress Dowager Sun stood up and, with the support of her chamberlain, returned to Cining Palace.
The other elders also stood up one after another, but their faces were still sad.
The Queen Mother retired after her success and returned to the harem to rest.
But what they have to face has just begun...
Thinking about the turbulent public opinion and discussions in the government and the public after the military report spread, the elders all felt a headache and walked out of the hall sighing.
