Among the important civil and military ministers, there are many old faces and many new faces.
After being interviewed one by one, Zhu Qizhen, who was already feeling cold for the most part, finally gave up hope.
In less than two years, all important positions have been replaced by Zhu Qiyu's people.
While Zhu Qizhen met with the civil and military ministers, Zhu Qiyu also met with Jingyuan Bo Wang Ji, Baoding Bo Liang Yue, and Deputy Commander-in-Chief Fang Ying one by one.
Wang Ji, Liang Yue, and Fang Ying finally met the most absurd and inconspicuous emperor since the founding of the Ming Dynasty.
However, Zhu Qiyu did not talk nonsense. In just a few words, he fully affirmed the contribution of the three people, especially their contribution to quelling the Miao rebellion.
Seeing that the emperor made it clear that he would personally take full responsibility for the defeat in Ping Miao, the three of them were completely relieved.
After everyone has paid homage to the Supreme Emperor, they will enter the next process.
Two brothers, Zhu Qiyu and Zhu Qizhen, walked hand in hand to the high altar.
Zhu Qiyu ordered people to build a high platform on both sides of the road outside Xizhimen, one on the left and one on the right. One is the Jingguan, on which the heads of the captured Walas were placed, as a tribute to Emperor Zhao Jingtai's unparalleled feat of turning the tide. One is the altar, used to commemorate the hundreds of thousands of Ming soldiers who were buried by the Supreme Emperor.
Others who were also escorted to the altar were also first. Boyan Timur was also invited to the altar to observe the ceremony.
Standing on the high platform, looking at the rows of inscriptions and memorial tablets, and then looking at the numerous bones on the Beijing viewing platform opposite, Zhu Qizhen was even more frightened.
Although Zhu Qizhen never cared about the innocent soldiers who died in battle, and even the British Duke Zhang Fu, in Zhu Qizhen's heart, he was nothing more than an old immortal who could only kneel before Wang Zhen and bow his head to plead guilty.
But the atmosphere in front of him was perfect, and a guilty conscience was ultimately a guilty conscience. No matter how heartless he was, Zhu Qizhen was still breaking out in a cold sweat and sweating profusely.
Zhu Qiyu did not criticize him, but dressed in prince's clothes and holding a jade seal, he came to the Supreme Emperor, knelt down and asked the Emperor to restore his throne.
Although Zhu Qizhen, Zhu Qiyu, and all the civil and military officials knew that it was impossible for the emperor to abdicate, let alone for the emperor to be restored, the three concessions and concessions were still a formality.
The two brothers Zhu Qiyu and Zhu Qizhen performed very hard.
Zhu Qiyu burst into tears and begged his eldest brother for restoration, insisting again and again.
This time Zhu Qizhen also knelt down and firmly refused.
The two resigned quickly more than three times, and the ministers had to stand up again to persuade them.
King Min and King Dongwu represented the clan; Wang Ji and Wang Wen represented the civil servants; Duke Wei and Duke An represented the honorable nobles; they knelt down and shouted: "The throne of heaven has been determined, please do not give in anymore."
All civil and military officials also knelt down and shouted together.
Zhu Qizhen also stood up and announced to the civil and military officials: "I am ashamed of the country. I should have demoted myself to a commoner and went to Fengyang to guard the graves of my ancestors.
However, the emperor insisted on not allowing it, and it was really difficult for me to disobey him.
However, I am guilty and must make an explanation to the people of the world.
Therefore, today I am issuing an imperial edict that I have committed my crime, and I am resigning to the position of respectful emperor. I am staying in Nangong to think about my mistakes.
From now on, you should assist the emperor with all your heart, and achieve prosperity as soon as possible, and I will not be able to shake him. "
As soon as Zhu Qizhen finished speaking, several important ministers shouted in unison: "Long live, long live, long live, Your Majesty the Holy Ming!"
All the civil and military officials could only shout along.
Then the tens of thousands of soldiers present also shouted long live in unison.
Its momentum is deafening, making people shake their minds and unable to control themselves.
The main reason is that the deterrent power of these tens of thousands of the emperor's direct troops is too strong. Even though many civil and military officials are dissatisfied with the emperor's demotion, the situation is such that it is irreversible.
Faced with the roar of the mountains and the tsunami of shouts, no one could withstand the tremendous pressure and stand up to challenge the emperor.
Things went much smoother than expected.
After Zhu Qizhen personally announced his demotion, Hu Hui stood up and read the emperor's edict of sin.
It is said that the edict should be read by Yu Shiyue, the Minister of Rites, or Chen Xun, the scholar of Wuyingdian.
But Zhu Qiyu personally appointed Hu Hui because he was the only one alive among the five auxiliary ministers left by Xuanzong to Zhu Qizhen.
Zhu Qizhen's ruling career began with Hu Xi's assistantship and ended with Hu Xi's reading of the edict of sinners. It can be regarded as having a beginning and an end.
Hu Hui herself also had mixed feelings in her heart as she read out the edict word for word. The edict written by Zhu Qizhen himself made it clear to the world that he would demote himself as Emperor Gongrang, and his younger brother Zhu Qiyu would inherit the ancestral temple and take charge of the country's affairs.
At this point, the status of monarch and ministers was officially determined.
Strictly speaking according to etiquette, the supreme emperor is greater than the emperor, and the emperor is greater than the respectful emperor.
When we meet again in the future, Zhu Qizhen should be the one to salute Zhu Qiyu.
After the edict was read out, Zhu Qizhen had to kneel down and salute Zhu Qiyu.
Zhu Qiyu is not stupid. Zhu Qizhen wants to put me on the fire. If I really accepted Zhu Qizhen’s kneeling as a matter of course, what would the people in the world think of me?
Therefore, Zhu Qiyu knelt down faster than Zhu Qizhen, and insisted that he should kneel down to worship his brother in the future, and made it a rule.
The two struggled again, and Zhu Qiyu reluctantly reached a consensus with his brother, stood up and announced to the civil and military officials:
"According to the etiquette, it should have been appropriate for me to kneel down and worship my elder brother, but my eldest brother insists on it, thinking that it is the way for a director to meet us on an equal footing.
Therefore, in the future etiquette, my brother and I will all follow the same etiquette.
My eldest brother and I are as close relatives as one flesh and blood. From now on, you should also worship together and do not neglect. "
What Zhu Qiyu means is that the officials' etiquette towards the two emperors is exactly the same, which everyone can accept.
The ministers sent by the emperor had no objections in their hearts. The two saints standing side by side and treating each other as equals is the best result that can be obtained.
Under the auspices of Chen Xun, Yu Shiyue, and Hu Hui, the necessary procedures were completed.
Next, it was time to sacrifice the prisoners.
For civil and military officials, the prisoner presentation ceremony was much more relaxed and pleasant than the surrender ceremony.
When the emperor and Emperor Gongrang sat side by side, hundreds of civil and military officials lined up on both sides. Hu Hui, the Minister of Rites of Nanjing, and Yu Qian, the Minister of the Ministry of War of Nanjing, co-hosted the prisoner presentation ceremony.
The two brothers Zhu Qiyu and Zhu Qizhen gathered together, whispering to each other, as if they were close and friendly. The ensuing prisoner presentation ceremony had nothing to do with the two of them. The two brothers only had to look down at it from above.
Not long after, he was taken up first.
What surprised both Zhu Qiyu and Zhu Qizhen was that Ye Xian was stripped of his shirt, tied with a few thorn sticks, and kicked up by several eunuchs.
Zhu Qiyu was stunned when he saw this. Was he trying to plead guilty?
To be honest, this is the first time Zhu Qiyu has seen the real-life version of "Begging for Sin".
I have to lament that the ministers are really good at taking advantage of loopholes. The ceremony of holding the sheep was forcibly rejected by Zhu Qiyu, so the ministers resorted to bearing thorns to plead guilty.
Moreover, there is a row of thorns on the high platform. After ascending to the high platform first, you need to kneel on the thorns and walk until you reach the two saints.
Zhu Qiyu felt that he had gone too far. Killing someone was just a nod, so why bother to humiliate him like this? So he looked at Wang Wen.
Wang Wen shook his head imperceptibly, indicating that it was not his intention.
Zhu Qiyu was a little helpless and had no choice but to go to Yu Shiyue, the Minister of Rites.
(End of chapter)
