Empress Dowager Sun expressed her full grievances to Zhu Qizhen, and there was no need to mention her bitterness and resentment during this period.
At the same time, 20,000 Duoyan Guards cavalry blocked the Chaoyang Gate and Dongzhi Gate in the east of the capital.
Ten thousand Shenji Battalion soldiers occupied the Anding Gate in Beicheng. However, the Shenji Battalion was not in a hurry to launch an attack on the imperial city. Instead, it blocked the Anding Gate, cut off news, and climbed onto the city wall to stand by.
Zhu Qiyu specifically ordered that the army would not launch a counterattack until the emperor had completed the restoration ceremony in public, and the evidence was conclusive and there was no way to quibble.
Although the death knell sounded in the palace and was heard by the entire city of Beijing, the Shenji Camp remained unmoved.
The nobles in the city were not so calm. First, a group of people outside filled the streets and shouted that the emperor had been restored. Everyone was frightened and suspicious after hearing this.
Immediately afterwards, the death knell sounded again in the palace, and now everyone was not calm anymore.
Could it be that the emperor is really dead? Is he too ill and unable to recover? Or was there a palace coup and the emperor was plotted?
At this time, all families have to make a choice immediately: either stay at home. Although it is safe, it also misses the merit of following the dragon.
Either go out and put the icing on the cake to welcome the restoration of the Supreme Emperor.
Another option is to be a loyal minister of the emperor and stop this turmoil.
Of course, no one is interested in this choice.
From the perspective of the nobles: Either the emperor is really dead, then he is still a loyal minister. Or, the emperor is not dead. But the emperor was not dead, but he allowed the situation to reach such an unbearable level that he had obviously lost control of the capital.
No matter what the situation is, it is obvious that the Supreme Emperor has the upper hand.
As a result, the nobles who were close to the Supreme Emperor set out one after another with their elite servants.
While Zhu Qiyu transferred the 5,000 Beijing troops led by Shi Heng, Sun Boring, and Liu Yongcheng back to Beijing from Nanjing, he also ordered the nobles in Nanjing to go to Beijing to report on their work together on the pretext of discussing the Nanjing Beijing camp reform plan.
So those nobles in Nanjing also came back.
The nobles who went to the Forbidden City to welcome the emperor's restoration include: Cheng Guogong Zhu Yi, Fengcheng Hou Li Xian, Cheng'an Hou Guo Sheng, Wu'an Hou Zheng Hong, Taining Hou Chen Jing, Gongshun Hou Wu Jin, Guangyi Bo Wu Cong, Guangning Bo Liu An, Xincheng Bo Zhaorong, Bo Gaoyuan of Jianping, Bo Zhuying of Wujin and many others.
There are also Jiao Jing, the Prince Consort, and the brothers Sun Jizong from the Hou family of Huichang.
Originally, the Sun family were all under house arrest, but other nobles rescued the Sun family, and everyone led the servants to rush to the palace.
Ministers loyal to Zhu Qizhen also set off for the Forbidden City.
When the nobles met these ministers on the road, they spontaneously led their servants to protect them and move forward together.
But it was said that Sun Boring and Mao Zhong led 3,000 elite soldiers from the capital and surrounded the Ten Princes' Mansion, the Princes' Pavilion, and the Huitong Beiguan.
All the vassal kings agreed to go to Fengtianmen to attend the court meeting, and their attitudes were surprisingly unanimous. They handed over their guards one after another and returned them to Sun Boring for unified dispatch.
Sun Boring realized something was wrong: the attitude of the vassal kings should not be so consistent.
So Sun Boring silently counted the vassal kings again, and then he figured out: King Min, King Shu, King Dongwu, and King Xiwu were not here.
Sun Boring asked King Xiang where these people were.
When King Xiang saw that the emperor's restoration was expected, he felt happy and smiled happily at Sun Yi: "King Min and the prince of Dongwu have other mansions in Beijing, which were given by that evil son Zhu Qiyu.
The King of Shu went to live in the home of King Min, and the King of Xiwu County went to live in the home of the King of Dongwu County. The relationship between them is closer, which is normal.
Don't worry about them. If you call them, they will only say things that the Emperor doesn't like to hear.
When the time comes, you can’t hit them or scold them, so why bother, just let them be.
Uncle Min Wang is the only living son of Emperor Taizu. If you are angry with him, I will wait for death. "
After Sun Bor heard this, he no longer struggled with the few vassal kings. Instead, he sent Mao Zhong to escort the vassal princes to Fengtianmen, while he led 3,000 Beijing battalions and 5,000 vassal king guards to go back to support Shi Heng.
As a result, the number of troops under Shi Heng responsible for surrounding Lao Qi's palace reached 20,000. According to the information obtained by Shi Heng and others, there were only 8,000 personal guards in Prince Lao Qi's palace.
Shi Heng, Sun Boring, and Liu Ju looked at each other with joy beyond words.
Now the dust has finally settled, 20,000 versus 8,000, the advantage is mine.
After the Supreme Emperor is restored to power and an edict is issued, the eight thousand personal guards will surely surrender without a fight, and the capital can also decide by sending a message.
The absurd Emperor Jingtai finally ended his rule over the Ming Dynasty.
Liu Ju asked at the right time: "Master Hou, not far from us is the Zhongfu Pasture. Should we send soldiers to bring some hay?"
Shi Heng asked casually: "What are you doing carrying hay?"
Liu Ju, however, remained silent and smiled.
Shi Heng reacted immediately: "Oh, yes, go get some hay and pile it under the walls around the palace for our horses to eat.
Okay, okay, send thousands of people over, and carry as much hay as you can. The more, the better. Running around early in the morning, our horses were already starving. "
As a result, thousands of soldiers from the Beijing camp stopped doing business and were all carrying fodder back and forth between Prince Qi's Mansion and Zhongfu Pasture.
But he said that the Tenth Prince's Mansion was only half a mile away from Dong'an Gate and one and a half miles away from Fengtian Gate.
The feudal kings arrived soon.
Since there was to be a banquet for the vassal king at Fengtianmen today, officials from the Ministry of Rites, big and small, arrived early to prepare for the banquet.
Plus some nobles and ministers who arrived quickly.
Zhu Qizhen decided not to wait, otherwise things would change if he was too late. The sooner the restoration is formalized, the sooner the capital can be announced.
As for the process and rituals, just wait until the dust settles and then take things slowly.
So Zhu Qizhen supported the Queen Mother Sun, stood on the platform of Fengtian Hall, and announced to everyone on the steps: "My uncles and brothers, dear friends, the Queen Mother has an edict."
All the princes, dignitaries, civil and military officials immediately knelt down very wisely and said: "I respectfully obey the Queen Mother's decree."
Empress Dowager Sun said to everyone: "The emperor is seriously ill, so I asked Gong to let the emperor manage the affairs on his behalf. The emperor's original intention was to act as an agent temporarily, but unfortunately the emperor's illness became more and more serious, and the government became full of chaos and unreasonable."
There were even demon concubines who deceived the emperor and took advantage of the emperor's serious illness to manipulate power with the intention of causing trouble for the world.
This palace is the plan for the people of the Ming Dynasty and the plan for the ancestral temple and the country. I am determined to reestablish Qi Zhen as the emperor to take charge of the national affairs and stabilize the world.
What do you think? "
When everyone heard this, they fell to the ground and shouted: "The Queen Mother is wise, and I respectfully follow the Queen Mother's decree."
Empress Dowager Sun nodded with satisfaction and turned to look at Yu Shiyue and Zou Qian, the Minister of Rites: "Which of the two beloved ministers will draft the edict?"
Yu Shiyue and Zou Qian looked at each other, and then Zou Qian stood up and said, "I am willing to do my best for the Empress Dowager."
Queen Mother Sun nodded.
Since Zou Qian had already drafted the manuscript in his mind, now that he had received instructions from the Empress Dowager, he started writing immediately, which can be said to be completed immediately.
After Queen Mother Sun and Zhu Qizhen looked at it and confirmed that there was no problem, Xing'an stamped it with a jade seal in front of everyone.
Then Xing'an read it out once, and after everyone listened, they knelt three times and kowtowed nine times to formally pay homage to the new emperor.
In this way, the restoration ceremony is initially completed.
Empress Dowager Sun and Zhu Qizhen stayed where they were, waiting for other dignitaries and officials to arrive one after another.
At the same time, outside the gate of Prince Lao Qi's Mansion, Shi Heng, Sun Boring, and Liu Ju were enjoying themselves, so Amber Chen Shao and more than a hundred servants walked out of Jinyu Alley and went straight to Dong'an Gate.
However, Sui'an Bo and Chen Shao happened to look towards the direction of Prince Lao Qi's Mansion at the intersection and saw that it was surrounded by heavily armed soldiers, so he couldn't help but come over curiously.
When he saw Shi Heng and heard that everyone was surrounding the emperor, Sui'an Bo Chen Shao couldn't help being shocked: "Oh, it's wrong, it's wrong. Early in the morning, the emperor's personal guards were transferred from the old palace to Fengtian Dusi .
What are you doing around here so stupidly? "
When Shi Heng heard this, his expression changed drastically: "Uncle Sui'an, you can't say this nonsense. When did this happen?"
Chen Shao said hurriedly: "What nonsense is this? Our home is at the west end of Qianmian Hutong, and the Wu Family Marquis Mansion and Fengtian Dusi Yamen are at the east end.
Thousands of guards passed through Ganmian Alley, could I not know?
Someone in the market outside shouted that the emperor had been restored, and less than a moment later, the guards began to move to Fengtian Dusi. "
Shi Heng, Sun Boring, and Liu Ju all felt a little bit in their hearts. This was something bad. They all surrounded the old prince's mansion triumphantly, thinking that they had caught a turtle in the urn.
No wonder there has been no movement in the palace, it turns out that they have all disappeared long ago.
Shi Heng came to his senses and gave an order to order a thousand elite soldiers to rush into the palace.
Not long after, the deputy general came out to report that there was no one in the palace and they all ran away.
Shi Heng was so frightened that he almost fell to the ground, fearing that something might happen. Now it was broken and he would be in big trouble.
(End of chapter)
