"Mao Cheng said that His Highness misinterpreted the imperial edict and took advantage of it, which was really suspected of forcing the direct descendants to retreat; Liang Chu said that now we must focus on the country. If it is easier to change, it is inevitable that all the vassals will have delusional ideas, so it is better to change the ritual notes first. Welcoming the heir to the throne." Empress Dowager Zhang said coldly, "That night, it was you, Mr. Yang Ge, who confirmed his identity as the successor."
"This is Your Highness's misinterpretation of the imperial edict!" Yang Tinghe replied with a firm voice, "Since Academician Liang has made the decision to let the successor go to the palace first, I will go to the palace tomorrow in person. Please put the country and the country first, and inherit the great clan! If If Your Highness does not follow the ancestral system and ascends the throne, I should die to remonstrate against you."
"Is the death remonstrance useful? Liang Chu has resigned and apologized! If he can't persuade him, you can persuade him? If you can't persuade him, then you should resign and let him promote his own people to the cabinet, right?" Empress Dowager Zhang said coldly, "Is this your plan to leave me alone and swallow the bitter fruit of your wrong edict?"
Mao Ji immediately knelt down and defended: "The Queen Mother is clear! Since the etiquette for entering the city and the palace planned by the Ministry of Rites is made in accordance with the regulations of the Crown Prince, it means that the ministers have no other intentions. However, what happened today, the ministers have neglected their duties. His Highness's insistence on filial piety and his remarks in the imperial edict should have been carefully considered. However, since the founding of the Ming Dynasty, this fact has been an exception. To prevent changes, he acted hastily."
She said she was guilty and had extenuating circumstances, but Empress Dowager Zhang's expression did not ease much.
Jiang Mian looked at Yang Tinghe who was bending down in front of him and felt that he was in a dead end.
The heir has already accepted the imperial edict. If the Queen Mother and the cabinet ministers in Beijing cancel the imperial edict and choose someone else, they will definitely become power traitors.
Offend the new emperor, offend the Queen Mother, or become a powerful traitor and welcome the crusade, choose one.
Yang Tinghe looked down at the floor tiles with a flash of firmness in his eyes, and then raised his head: "The Queen Mother, I would like to have a solo!"
Jiang Mian and Mao Ji were both shocked, and Zhang Yong, Wei Bin and others also changed their expressions.
This has always been the case with colleagues of similar status.
Who is Yang Tinghe going to attack now?
Is it Gu Dayong or Liang Chu?
But both of them had confessed their guilt and said that they would plead guilty after returning to Beijing.
Empress Dowager Zhang thought for a moment and nodded: "That's fine. Wei Bin, please invite Bachelor Jiang and Bachelor Mao to go to Dong Nuan Pavilion to take a rest."
"The Queen Mother..." Wei Bin felt a little nervous. He did not dare to underestimate the ability and power of his chief minister over the years.
"Huh?" Queen Mother Zhang snorted dissatisfied.
Wei Bin could only bend down to apologize, glanced at Yang Tinghe worriedly, and then left.
"Mr. Yang Ge, if you have any other high opinions now, please sit down and tell us." Empress Dowager Zhang asked the eunuch next to her to move a round stool over.
In her private heart, she naturally hopes that Zhu Houcong will inherit the throne clearly, so that she can have the status of legitimate mother.
Yang Tinghe bent over and sat down, saying slowly: "Gu Dayong is close to the palace officials, but the old ministers are far away. His Highness is only fifteen years old. It is difficult to imagine that His Highness's original intention was to misinterpret the imperial edict in such a way."
"What do you mean, Mr. Ge, that the ministers and the palace officials conspired to claim credit?" Queen Mother Zhang asked with a frown.
"Those who are close to the inner palace have always been more likely to be trusted."
"...What does Mr. Ge mean?"
"I think that Your Highness still doesn't understand that only succession without heirs and legal authority are unclear, and the harm is so far-reaching. Filial piety has great and small consequences. Your Highness is not only the son of King Xingxian, but also the blood of the ancestors of the Ming Dynasty. This trouble is actually There is something fishy. Now that His Highness has accepted the imperial edict, it is impossible to abolish it. Tomorrow, when hundreds of officials will go to the palace to give advice, Your Highness will naturally change his mind."
Empress Dowager Zhang understood a little bit: "What Mr. Ge means is... to let all officials discuss it together, so that His Highness can understand what the people want?"
"That's right. The imperial edict was drafted by the ministers. How Your Highness interprets it cannot circumvent the ministers. Liang Shuhou is just looking out for the overall situation and not causing the world to be in danger of instant turmoil."
Yang Tinghe emphasized the cabinet's right to interpret the imperial edict, but Empress Dowager Zhang was worried: "It's just that if hundreds of officials advise him, he still won't listen..."
Yang Tinghe said solemnly: "I firmly believe that Your Highness was only provoked by a traitor, and thought that since you have followed the imperial edict, everything will be safe. However, if all the ministers in the court have objections, Your Highness must understand that the importance of the clan cannot be ignored."
His tone was extremely confident, but Queen Mother Zhang still couldn't believe it.
Yang Tinghe added: "Gu Dayong's private visit cannot be tolerated! They have a lot of misdeeds. Now they have left the clan and society behind, and in order to flatter their superiors, they should be punished for their crimes! When the late emperor was doing great things, he kept them in order not to let them go. There is a sudden disturbance in the capital. I ask the Queen Mother to issue an order. When the successor arrives in the capital tomorrow, he will immediately capture Gu Dayong, Zhang Jin, and Wei Lin, and take away the positions of Wei Bin and Zhang Yong."
Queen Mother Zhang was silent.
Yang Tinghe advised: "Queen Mother, Your Highness has lived in the palace for a long time and has not been taught by a famous teacher. In the future, when you study the classics, you will understand the painstaking efforts of the Queen Mother and her ministers."
"The more important question now is, Mr. Ge, what if the child doesn't listen?"
"In the palace tomorrow, the best policy is to persuade His Highness, the middle policy is to persuade the officials, and the worst policy is to directly capture Gu Da and use them first. The ceremony of entering the palace can be slightly changed, but the title of successor cannot be omitted. But When entering the palace, he can first be crowned the crown prince by his successor, and then he can be persuaded to ascend the throne."
Empress Dowager Zhang looked at him deeply: "Can the ritual instructions be changed slightly? What does Mr. Ge mean by persuading, deceiving, and threatening? One of them will always work?"
"I always believe that His Highness was only instigated by others and did not understand the interests." Yang Ting and Su Rong said.
Sijun will understand by then that he can only be instigated by traitors without knowing the benefits. Ascension to the throne is just the beginning. Is he really going to be a loner?
Empress Dowager Zhang did not comment, but discussed the issue of succession procedures before him.
In her mind, things could no longer develop into the best state. Since Sijun already had the idea of not having an heir, he might have to suppress him in the future.
As a result, the palace really needs to have better control. Although the foreign ministers were extremely wary of people like Gu Dayong, it was only a matter of words to take them away, so Empress Dowager Zhang was not afraid.
On the contrary, we cannot let them take desperate risks and endanger their own lives.
As a result, before she and Yang Tinghe could finish their discussion, they heard the eunuch from the clerk's office of the Supervisor of Ceremonies rushing outside the palace anxiously: "Report! Urgent report to the good country, thank you for your memorization!"
When Queen Mother Zhang heard this, she felt a sudden rush in her heart: "Hurry up and bring it up!"
A thank you note to the monarch is a ceremonial official document.
Those for the emperor are called Biao, and those for the Queen Mother and Empress are called Jian.
Now that the emperor has passed away, Zhu Houcong wrote a letter of thanks.
But why is it so weird?
At this sensitive time, Zhu Houcong directly went to Xie Jian in his own name?
What does he want to thank?
Over at Dong Nuan Pavilion, how could Wei Bin and the others hold back? They quickly asked to see what Si Jun said.
After being allowed in, she saw that Queen Mother Zhang had finished reading, and with a complicated expression, she handed the thank you note to the eunuch beside her and handed it to Yang Tinghe.
Jiang Mian saw Yang Tinghe's face getting paler and paler, curious and worried.
At this time, I heard Queen Mother Zhang say: "Go and invite the Queen."
Jiang Mian was even more confused: Why are you asking the queen?
