Since Empress Dowager Sun and Empress Qian are bedridden, the gathering of civil and military officials will be in vain.
Chen Xun dismissed all officials and prepared to go home to rest.
Just when all the officials turned around and started walking back, Supervisory Yushi Zhongtong suddenly stood up and suggested to everyone in a loud voice: "Since it is inconvenient for the Queen Mother to meet the officials, we should also go to pay homage to the prince. That’s it.”
Upon hearing this, all the officials looked at Zhong Tong in surprise.
No one expected that Zhong Tong would raise such a sensitive issue in this chaotic moment.
No matter what the officials think, there are two consensuses between the government and the public: First, it is impossible for the emperor to still be the emperor.
After the Tumubao Incident, the ministers had begun to depose and establish the emperor in a practical sense. It's impossible to do it a second time, at least not openly.
If the ministers forced Emperor Jingtai to retreat and ushered in the restoration of Emperor Taishang, then the Confucian morality and etiquette would directly collapse.
The ministers deposed and established the emperor, just like playing house, this kind of behavior will never be reconciled. If you are all messing around like this, no one will listen to you if you talk about Confucian etiquette in the future.
The second consensus: When the time comes, the current emperor will definitely depose the prince. This is normal human nature, no one would be crazy enough to pass the throne to his nephew.
Although from the bottom of their hearts, most people do not agree with changing the crown prince. But if the emperor insists on doing this, the civil and military officials will not be able to stop it.
Not only could they not stop it, but the ministers had to try their best to be gentle and pliable. Otherwise, if the emperor was pushed into a hurry, it would be hard to say whether he would go to extremes.
After all, the capital's army is now under the control of the emperor. If he wants to kill all the emperor's family, it is just a matter of words.
After the incident of the Fengtian Gate officials beating up Ma Shun, all the officials had already understood the emperor's methods. The guards headed by Liu Chang really dared to kill people, which was different from Zhu Qizhen's ruling style of just joking but not showing blood. A world of difference.
This is how the monarch and his ministers get along. Through a series of events, the bottom line and temperament of both parties are constantly explored. In the end, either a balance is found where both parties can coexist peacefully, or the table is turned upside down.
Therefore, all officials agreed but did not support Zhong Tong's too bold proposal.
Wang Wen was the first to reply: "If you want to pay homage to the prince, then go ahead. I still have official business to deal with and state affairs are important. I will go back to the cabinet first."
After saying that, Wang Wen took Chen Xun away. Other important ministers followed closely behind and walked towards Fengtian Gate.
Seeing this, the other ministers also dispersed, in groups of threes and threes, following him back, while whispering to each other and discussing in detail.
Only Zhongtong, the supervisory censor, and Zhanglun, the doctor of the Ministry of Rites, were left in place.
Wang Wen made it very clear that whoever wants to go to pay homage to the prince can just go and I won't stop him. Everyone has his own choice, everyone takes his own path, everyone respects each other and does not interfere with each other.
Zhong Tong and Zhang Lun looked at each other and smiled bitterly. How could they go to pay homage to the prince with only two people left?
The Qin'an Hall in the imperial garden belongs to the harem. It would be reasonable if the cabinet ministers and ministers gathered all the civil and military officials to pay homage and express condolences.
If only Zhong Tong and Zhang Lun go, the emperor will directly charge them with breaking the rules and trespassing and causing filth in the harem. If they are stabbed twice at Caishikou tomorrow at noon, everything will be over.
So Zhong Tong and Zhang Lun had no choice but to turn around and go back to their respective yamen.
…
In the Jietian Building of Mingyu Square, when it was time for dinner, the emperor's edict on sin had already been circulated.
Moreover, thousands of copies were transcribed and distributed directly to the diners in the building. Each person receives a dozen copies and can take them home and distribute them.
All the diners were confused: Could it be that this Jietian Tower was opened by the emperor’s enemy? How dare you openly publicize the emperor's edict of sin without fear of being targeted? Is this really not the case with Jinyiwei Chao Prison as a yamen?
However, everyone waited and waited until the Jin Yiwei arrived. As a result, Jie Tian Tower's status in everyone's hearts has risen to a higher level.
At this time, everyone felt relieved and carefully read the emperor's edict on sin.
Anyone who cares has found the pattern: Emperor Jingtai's edicts have always been concise and clear, and are by no means just official articles. If you analyze and disassemble it carefully, you can get a lot of useful information from it.
Take this edict for sin, the original text is as follows:
“On the 16th day of the first lunar month of the first year of Jingtai, the emperor announced to all the people in the world: I am the only son of the Hu family of Empress Zhaoyu Zhen.
At that time, Wala invaded Xuanfu, and the emperor personally conquered Shanxi.
The eldest brother, the orthodox emperor, ordered the widow to stay in the capital and be assisted by the prince-in-law, Captain Jiao Jing. All important military and political matters were sent to the bank for the emperor to handle in person. The rest of the memorials on common affairs are compiled and collected by the six subjects. Please send them to me when you are waiting for the bus to return home.
As a prince, I should share your worries. However, I didn't hesitate and fainted for more than ten days. Therefore, he lived in seclusion in the palace and was unable to manage affairs.
Jiao Jing, the prince-in-law, the commander-in-chief, lived and guarded the affairs on behalf of the widowed people, supervising all the officials and performing their respective duties.
Both inside and outside the capital, both in the government and in the public sector, they were all conscientious and dedicated to their duties. They prayed day and night and waited to be conferred first.
Unexpectedly, the teacher was in trouble, and the chariot driver was accidentally trapped in the prisoner's court. Five hundred thousand troops were all lost in the civil fort, the capital was in turmoil, and the country was in danger.
Forced by the current situation, I had no choice but to serve as a supervisor of the country and take charge of military affairs.
However, the country has no ruler and the government and the public are in doubt. It is really difficult to unite the hearts of the people and muster all their strength to fight against the 140,000 elite cavalry of Oala.
Therefore, the ministers insisted on asking, and the Empress Dowager issued an order to temporarily take over the throne.
Fortunately, God blessed the Ming Dynasty. Thanks to the protection of Taizu's spirit, the emperor and his ministers were united, and the three armies worked hard. They killed more than 80,000 Wala's army in formation. He also led the 20,000 remnants of the defeated army and fled three thousand miles west. Tuotuo Buhua and Alazhiyuan led an army of 60,000 to surrender. At the imperial court.
The capital was surrounded and the country was preserved, so I wanted to return the throne and return to Qi to establish a vassal state. However, I summoned the vassal king's relatives and local ministers to gather in the capital to discuss state affairs.
Everyone said that he would return the throne to the emperor on the day when he returns to Beijing. Before that, I will still be the temporary successor.
Unexpectedly, on December 28, the 14th year of Zhengtong, both my son and daughter were killed by an adulterer. After careful investigation, it was found that Cui Yuanfang of the imperial hospital conspired with Shi Jing, the prince-in-law, to poison the eldest sister of the widow, Princess Shunde.
Zhengdan Dynasty, changed to Yuan Jingtai. Unexpectedly, fire broke out in Fengtian Hall, Jinshen Hall, and Huagai Hall that night, and all three halls were burned down.
I think deeply about it. I am greedy for heaven's merits and steal the throne. This is a lack of virtue for me.
Therefore, I would like to inform all the people in the world today that I have taken refuge in the western suburbs and will be examining myself in the palace of the Prince of Qi to await my punishment. On the day when the eldest brother returns to Beijing and the throne is restored, I should bear the thorn and apologize before him.
At that time, the eldest brother, the emperor, will have his own punishment, and I will not dare to shirk the blame.
However, before the eldest brother returns, I have to temporarily take over the throne and take charge of the country's affairs. Please ask all the subjects and officials to perform their duties and not be slack.
Within the four seas, people with lofty ideals who want to talk can write a letter. "
This can be regarded as the largest number of words in Emperor Jingtai's edict.
By noon the next day, most of the rich and distinguished families in the capital had a copy of the imperial edict.
Although there are thousands of words in the whole article, the emperor's crime for himself is only eight characters: greedy for heaven's merits and stealing the throne.
The entire capital was shocked: the emperor actually brought the most sensitive issue to the table. In this way, everyone will not be able to get along with each other.
Is the current emperor greedy for heaven's merit and stealing the throne? Either you think there is, or you think there isn't, it's either/or and there's no room for ambiguity.
Moreover, the answer to this question is directly related to the question of whether the emperor should abdicate and whether the supreme emperor should be restored.
The court that followed fell into a rare silence.
The emperor's cronies all kept silent, and no one stood up to express any opinions.
The Emperor's faction did not dare to take action rashly.
In the afternoon, King Xiang and Sun Zhong, the Marquis of Huichang, went into the palace to visit the Queen Mother.
(End of chapter)
