Only the palace officials headed by Yuan Zonggao were left in the palace. Xie Changjie asked in despair: "Your Highness, didn't you agree that enthroning the throne is the first priority?"
Zhu Houcong narrowed his eyes and looked at him: "Jie Changshi, when did I say that ascending the throne is the first priority? I have never prepared an heir."
Xie Changjie opened his mouth and watched speechlessly as Zhu Houcong invited Yuan Zonggao and other accompanying royal officials to the back hall.
Zhou Zhao temporarily stayed in the palace, and Xie Changjie only lived for a few days as an official leader of the palace. Now he has become a loner, no longer a human being inside or outside.
To the courtiers, he was an old minister of Qiandi who was loyal to his successor; in his eyes, he was a jester who advised him to be unfilial and had bad deeds.
At this moment, in the back hall, Yuan Zonggao said with great relief: "Your Highness is really a genius! He made an attack on the etiquette of entering the city, but Guanliang Pavilion didn't say a word. It seems that it is the best time. The old minister was overly cautious before, and His Highness dealt with it easily. !”
Zhu Houcong saluted him: "Master Yuan's analysis is correct. Since I have obeyed the imperial edict, I have a righteous name. Now that things have happened, they can either cancel the imperial edict and send me back, or they can only admit their mistakes and convince the Queen Mother. .Zhang Zuo, have you made an agreement with Gu Dayong?"
In the more than twenty days since he received the imperial edict, Zhu Houcong has become the heir, and no one will make irresponsible remarks when he wants to see anyone again.
The seal given to Liang Chu, Zhang Zuo’s contact with Gu Dayong on the pretext of the inner palace matter after summoning Gu Dayong, and Cui Yuan...
Such a long time is enough time to make some necessary preparations.
Zhang Zuo reported quickly: "Reporting to Your Highness, I have made everything clear."
After summoning Gu Dayong, it was discovered that the four cabinet elders and even the six ministers were excluded on the night of the election.
If Liang Chu had not persisted on his own and received support from Gu Dayong and others, he would not have been able to join the Yingying Group.
When Wang Qiong, the Minister of Civil Affairs, entered the palace to pay homage, he loudly asked Yang Tinghe at Zuoyemen why he did not invite the nine ministers for public discussion.
The courtiers are not monolithic. Now that there are loopholes in the imperial edict and Zhu Houcong has clear opinions, it will naturally be divided into two factions.
But in this situation, the eunuchs were the only ones with no choice.
Zhu Houcong smiled: "Then send my thank you note to the palace. There should be a huge quarrel over there now."
Yuan Zonggao hesitated for a moment: "Your Highness, do you really want to send me the thank you note? This is comparable to my suggestion... it's a lot of risk."
Zhu Houcong nodded decisively: "I must send it! I have confidence in my heart, Master Yuan can rest assured. I hope Mr. Yang Ge and others will not continue to be stubborn when they see me tomorrow. Now that I have come here, I will not retreat again." !”
Yuan Zonggao nodded slowly, then knelt down and said, "I'm afraid that when the cabinet ministers have finished their farewells, His Highness will be suspected of not being able to tolerate meritorious ministers, remonstrative ministers, and veteran ministers."
Zhu Houcong's attitude was firm: "Whether my reputation is like this or not will not be determined by this incident alone!"
This is also what Zhu Houcong must do to break through his past personality.
The first phase of the Jiajing ceremony lasted for more than three years.
It would be impossible for Zhu Houcong not to seek a final word. However, he must try his best to make Yang Tinghe and others not so righteous!
…
There was already a huge commotion over there at the Yingying Group, and Yang Yingkui was trembling with anticipation as he came over.
"If we follow His Highness's will, wouldn't it mean that the vassal kings will directly succeed him? With such disputes, what will the vassal kings in the world think about?" Mao Cheng's eyes were red, "Zhang Jin and Gu Dayong, one of you will announce the decree first, and the other will do it privately. An audience. Your Highness has such thoughts now. Is he instigated by you?"
Gu Dayong said coldly: "We met in private but were rejected. Uncle Zong's bullets have been sent to the palace, and our family also apologized. We only remember that the Queen Mother made it clear that night, Mr. Yang Ge I also promised that he would be the heir, but what kind of edict was drafted by the cabinet? Uncle Zong did not dare to ask Mr. Liang Ge, but it was useless to talk about our family. "
Zhang Heling reacted immediately and stared at Liang Chu with twinkling eyes: "This is intentional! Why can't you clearly indicate the successor? On the day of the meeting to establish His Highness, everyone present was the most knowledgeable among the cabinet elders and the Hanlin bachelor who was to be recruited. . Since it is clear that the Queen Mother is most concerned about the issue of succession, and Mr. Yang Ge personally said that His Highness succeeded as a parent and son, how could he leave such a flaw in the edict? "
He came here eagerly because, as the Queen Mother's biological brother, he wanted to gain another contribution in welcoming the new emperor who would be adopted by the Queen Mother and Emperor Xiaozong in the future, and to be related to the uncle of the country! Now that the heir doesn't want to adopt him, wouldn't everything be screwed up?
"His Royal Highness An Neng took it out of context and used the imperial edict to show his own dignity!" Mao Cheng spat, "Eunuch Gu, is it you or someone in the palace who misinterpreted the imperial edict?"
Gu Dayong sneered: "Is the eldest uncle going to hold on to this point? If our family had this knowledge, the Qianqing Palace would argue vigorously on that day! We have said that we want to discuss our family's sins. We can only be punished and await investigation. The urgent question now is what to do tomorrow! Everything in the city and palace has been prepared, the royal officials have probably left the city, and the palace outside the city has been completed long ago! What if His Highness does not enter the city to ascend the throne? "
"It's hard to get off the tiger!" Zhang Heling gritted his teeth and looked around, feeling that everyone was suspicious.
There is this flaw in the imperial edict. Couldn't the great scholar and the minister not see it? These civil servants are suspicious!
Zhang Jin and Gu Dayong, who had been to the palace in advance, were the slaves who knew how to flatter their superiors. They were equally suspicious!
He went all the way to the outskirts of Beijing with great fanfare to point out this issue. Doesn't that kid understand that if he wants to sit on the throne of the emperor, he must at least be someone else's son? That boy and the palace officials are equally as scheming!
The source of everything is the expression of the imperial edict. Zhang Heling opened his mouth and said: "Since there is a problem with the imperial edict, then change it!"
Liang Chu lowered his face and looked at the two hundred and five in disbelief: "Can the imperial edict be revoked at will?"
"Then why didn't the elders draft the edict first?" Zhang Heling had been arrogant and domineering for two dynasties, with his eyes as if he wanted to eat people, "Could this be your plan? When Your Highness and the Queen Mother fight, you civil servants will benefit!"
"Your Highness has been provoked by a traitor!" Mao Cheng immediately retorted, "As long as we state our ancestral precepts and state our interests to His Highness, Your Highness will understand."
"You just said so much, why didn't His Highness understand?" Zhang Heling stared at Mao Cheng, "Are you just waiting for this moment? Your Highness can see the flaws in the imperial edict. How can you not know if you are so knowledgeable? This is intentional. Now we have reached the outskirts of Beijing. It is difficult to get off the tiger! Just saying that the overall situation is the most important thing does it mean that the queen mother will admit it? I am also a member of the fawning group, I don't agree! "
"Since His Highness has misinterpreted the imperial edict, naturally he cannot agree with His Highness!"
Zhang Heling was a little surprised by Mao Cheng's opinion. Seeing that Xu Guangzuo looked aloof from the matter, he asked Liang Chu: "Mr. Liang Ge, what do you say? You also have a share in drafting the posthumous edict! You were all promoted to the cabinet by the late emperor! "
His tone seemed to be forcing him, and he had no regard for Liang Chu's status as a cabinet minister. He had already put his hat on him.
Liang Chu glanced at him lightly, showing some momentum.
Only then did Zhang Heling stop being a little angry and domineering.
Liang Chu spoke slowly: "Yang Yingkui, please return to the city immediately and report His Highness's wishes to Mr. Yang Ge."
Yang Yingkui felt relieved. Although this job was also very hard, it was better than being here where he couldn't do anything and could only be frightened.
After Yang Yingkui went out, Liang Chu said again: "I'm afraid I won't be able to wait for the opinions of the Queen Mother and Mr. Yang Ge today, let alone persuade Your Highness. The news that we have arrived in Liangxiang has spread to the capital. At this moment, all the officials and people in the capital Everyone is looking forward to it. If His Highness is not seen entering the city for a long time, I am afraid that a chaos will break out. Let’s go to the palace outside the city early tomorrow morning!”
"Surely Mr. Liang Ge must put the overall situation first and make mistakes first?" Zhang Heling immediately expressed his position, "I won't agree! Cui Prince Consort, please say something!"
In Zhang Heling's mind, both he and Cui Yuan belonged to the Queen Mother. One is the brother of the Queen Mother, and the other is the brother-in-law of Emperor Xiaozong.
Cui Yuan kept smiling bitterly, and now he said: "Master Hou, what's the use of my words?"
Zhang Heling sneered: "Whether there is an heir or not, he is still the nephew of Princess Yongkang, right?"
Cui Yuan's expression changed: "Master Hou, be careful what you say!"
