Chapter 38, Royal Family Affairs Chapter 38, Royal Family Affairs
The imperial doctor diagnosed the illness and said it was due to cold, but Emperor Jingxian refused to believe it even if he died.
Emperor Jingxian tried hard to recall what had happened in the past few days, and everything was as usual.
If that counts, three days ago, Emperor Jingxian went to Kunning Palace to pay his respects to Empress Dowager Yiren. When he saw Empress Dowager Yiren lying dying on the phoenix couch, he was in a good mood. When he came back, he ordered an extra bowl of rice for the first time.
The problem lies in this bowl of rice.
"You still can't help but attack me!"
Although Emperor Jingxian was impulsive, he was also a very smart man, and he quickly figured out the whole story.
After ten years of hard work, he was defeated by a bowl of rice when he was about to win.
Good and evil will eventually be rewarded, and the way of heaven is reincarnation; if you don't believe it, look up and see who will be spared by heaven.
When Emperor Jingxian understood this truth, he was filled with regret.
Emperor Jingxian woke up again from his coma, and when he opened his eyes, he saw Ma Yufeng's old face covered with red sores.
When Ma Yufeng saw Emperor Jingxian waking up, he quickly asked: "Long live my Lord, Lafayette asks you, who can be the heir apparent?"
The reason why Ma Yufeng asked this was because although Emperor Jingxian had one concubine and two concubines, neither of them left any heirs. Now that Jingxian's condition was getting worse day by day, the establishment of a heir apparent could no longer be delayed.
Empress Dowager Yiren could have decided on the matter of establishing a crown prince, but Jingxian was still nominally the emperor of Dayan, so Empress Dowager Yiren sent Ma Yufeng to ask what he wanted.
In the past few days, Jingxian has been unconscious more often than awake. He knows that his end is approaching, so when he is awake, he is also thinking about establishing a prince.
Jing Xian recalled his life. He ascended the throne at the age of four, lived under the power of Queen Mother Yiren all his life, and fearfully served as a puppet emperor all his life. He really didn't want his heir to follow his old path again.
Jing Xian thought that he didn't have much say, so he said, "As long as we don't establish a young emperor, anyone can."
As soon as Ma Yufeng returned to Kunning Palace, Queen Mother Yiren gasped and asked: "Your Majesty... Your Majesty... what are your plans?"
Ma Yufeng said: "Back to Old Buddha, the emperor said: 'As long as a young emperor is not established, anyone can do it.'"
When Queen Mother Yiren heard this, she coughed violently again, and after a while she said: "At this time, he is still blaming me..."
Ma Yufeng said nothing because this was not something he should ask about.
Eunuchs cannot interfere in politics. As an old eunuch who has been with Queen Mother Yiren all his life, he knows very well what should be said and what should not be said.
Queen Mother Yiren didn't expect to get an answer from Ma Yufeng. She raised her withered fingers with difficulty, pointed in the direction of Nantai, and gritted her teeth and said: "That white-eyed wolf wants me to die early. How can I let him get his wish?"
Zhang Mansion, Zhuque Street, West Yanjing City.
For Military Minister Zhang Chenglie, winter came a little early this year, especially today. His mood was like the north wind outside the Great Wall, biting and uneasy, so he locked himself in a quiet room early in the morning.
Just yesterday, news came from the palace that the emperor and empress were in danger of illness.
This news is a mixed blessing for Zhang Chenglie.
Fortunately, the emperor who had been imprisoned in the palace for ten years and wanted to cut off his head and play it as a ball was finally going to die.
What worries me is that his patron, the Queen Mother Yiren, has also been ill for more than three months. Her decoction and medicine are not enough, and she has reached the point where her oil is exhausted.
Twenty years ago, on the night that changed the fate of Zhang Chenglie and Emperor Jingxian, Zhang Chenglie, who had received the emperor's favor, was preparing to meet the emperor the next day to express his gratitude. Qin Fusheng suddenly came to visit and asked him straight to the point to send troops to surround the palace and kill Yiren. Kill Dugu Rongxin, clear the emperor's side, purge the palace, and return power to the emperor.
Zhang Chenglie had heard about the struggle between the old and new factions for a long time. At that time, he made the decision not to participate in each other and not to offend either side. Therefore, every time Jing Xian summoned him, he immediately asked for instructions to return to Yanjiao and stay away from the capital, a place of right and wrong.
Qin Fusheng's visit made Zhang Chenglie realize that he was already a player in the situation. It was difficult to stay out of the situation and he had to make a choice.
In fact, the choice was easy. The reformists had no power and no soldiers. The only thing they could do with it was that Jing Xian was the emperor.
Sadly, this only item had to be discounted, because the Empress Dowager Yiren put a strict curse on Jingxian before she returned to power. All records for officials of the second rank and above must be submitted to the Empress Dowager Yiren for approval.
On the conservative side, Empress Dowager Yiren has been in power for more than 30 years, and everyone in the government and the public is her confidant. Before she returned to power, she also appointed Zhang Chenglie's immediate boss Dugu Rongxin as the governor of Zhongzhou and the minister of the Beifu, and was granted the title of Wenyuan Pavilion. A great bachelor, he commanded the three armies of Beifu and held the general power firmly in his hands.
Zhang Chenglie, who has led troops and fought in battles, is not a powerless scholar like Pang Shide or Qi Zheng. He knows very well that he only has 3,000 soldiers and horses in the capital. Even if he really sends troops to surround him with this small force, In the palace, failure is certain.
So the answer is obvious, Zhang Chenglie has only one choice, and that is to inform.
What makes Zhang Chenglie despair is that this whistleblower is also a technical job, because the defendant is not someone else, but the current emperor.
In a sense, whistleblowing is also a kind of coup, and it may also require your head to be moved.
After thinking about it, Zhang Chenglie decided to find an ally first, and the best candidate for this ally was naturally his old boss, the Governor of Zhongzhou, Dugu Rongxin. The reason was that Dugu Rongxin was a close confidant of Queen Mother Yiren.
"Let political affairs become royal family affairs." Zhang Chenglie thought.
Zhang Chenglie rushed to Donglu Dugu Rongxin's home that night. By coincidence, Dugu Rongxin's home happened to have guests, and people were coming and going. Zhang Chenglie never found a chance to be alone with Dugu Rongxin, so he had to make an appointment to come back tomorrow. , Unexpectedly, early the next morning, Dugu Rongxin told Zhang Chenglie that Queen Mother Yiren had taken charge.
This news finally cleared away Zhang Chenglie's last psychological obstacle and revealed all the conspiracy of Qin Fusheng and others. After hearing Dugu Rongxin's report, Queen Mother Yiren was furious and immediately ordered Emperor Jingxian to be imprisoned in Nantai and searched throughout the city. Reformists.
Pang Shide and Qi Zheng received the news in advance and fled to Dongyi first. Qin Fusheng did not want to leave and was arrested at home.
The next day, Queen Mother Yiren issued an edict to take Qin Fusheng and other famous reformers to Caishikou for execution.
What made Zhang Chenglie angry was that after Pang Shide and Qi Zheng fled to Dongyi, they said through various newspapers and media that the failure of the reform was all due to Zhang Chenglie's whistleblowing, and tried their best to absolve themselves of the responsibility for their incompetence.
Pang and Qi's rhetoric was high-sounding, but Zhang Chenglie could not defend himself. Otherwise, he would become a reformist, and not only would his official position be difficult to secure, but his life would be in danger.
Whatever you gain, you must lose. Zhang Chenglie doesn't pay much attention to the damage to his reputation, because he is indeed the biggest beneficiary of this coup.
