allendalepharm Chapter 1533 Is the country about to perish and chaos reign?
Chapter 1533 Is the country about to perish and chaos reign?
Chapter 1533 Is the country about to perish and chaos reign?
Palace Garden, Hanyuan Hall, Inner Study
At this moment, outside the palace, the evening rain was drizzling, and the lanterns hanging on the eaves were swaying in the wind, casting circles of orange-yellow lights, casting bright or dark shadows on the jade steps.
Looking from afar, one can see that the mist and rain are dense, the twilight is vast, the entire palace is in chaos, and the lights are bright.
The sudden assassination of the new emperor plunged the entire Han Dynasty into a precarious situation again.
At this moment, a group of eunuchs and maids were standing under the eaves of the corridor, with sorrowful expressions on their faces, and it was unclear whether they were crying or howling.
Zhen Qing, accompanied by several maids, quickly entered the inner study. Her face was sad, and she held a white handkerchief in her hand, covering her nose and crying.
At this moment, a brightly dressed maid entered the inner study room from outside the palace, raised her eyebrows, her eyes flickered, and said, "Madam, the Prince of Wei is here."
The palace maids who had originally gathered in a crowd made way for them.
As he was speaking, a young king in a python robe came quickly, his face extremely solemn, he stared at Zhen Qing, bowed and said, "Madam."
"Prince Wei, His Majesty has been assassinated." Zhen Qing's face, which was as crystal clear as snow, turned pale as paper. Her beautiful eyes were filled with tears under her long, elegant eyebrows, and her voice was filled with a hint of tears.
This was beyond her expectation. Who was the assassin?
Could it be the person in front of me? Why didn't I discuss this with her before?
Jia Heng's sword-like eyebrows twitched slightly, and a look of sorrow appeared on his face. He looked at Zhen Qing beside him and asked, "Empress, when did the emperor get assassinated?"
The White Lotus Mother is indeed more reliable than Xiaoxiao.
From his point of view, apart from the fact that the White Lotus Mother was highly skilled in martial arts and could kill with one strike, the main reason was that the King of Chu had just ascended the throne and his control over the palace and the internal guards was far inferior to that when Emperor Chongping was alive.
Not to mention other things, apart from the palace guards, there is no master from the palace to protect him secretly, which shows that his foundation is shallow and he lacks trusted people around him to call on.
Jia Heng's face was stern, and he said loudly: "The assassin should not have gone far by now. Immediately send the palace guards to search the entire city for the assassin's traces."
Tears were rolling down Zhen Qing's face, which was as beautiful as a hibiscus flower. Tears were visible in her beautiful eyes beneath her willow-shaped eyebrows. Her voice was choked with sobs: "Zi Yu, we have sent people to search for him."
Jia Heng nodded and said, "Your Majesty, the new emperor has been assassinated. I am afraid that the country will be in turmoil. The most urgent task now is to summon the cabinet ministers to handle the funeral for Your Majesty."
Zhen Qing sobbed and said, "Zi Yu is right. We need to summon the cabinet to discuss the aftermath."
Jia Heng nodded and said, "My queen, please accept my condolences. Otherwise, please send away all the outsiders. This is really too shocking."
Witnessing a new emperor being assassinated in his study is such a tragic thing that it is hard to describe.
Zhen Qing cried as she said, "Come here, except for the ladies and eunuchs in Kunning Palace, all others should leave."
Just when the inner study was in a mess, a fair-faced maid walked into the hall with small steps and said in a loud voice: "Madam, several ministers from the cabinet are here."
Zhen Qing nodded and said, "Xuan."
After a short while, Li Zan, the Grand Secretary of Wuying Palace, and several other cabinet ministers including Gao Zhongping, Qi Kun, Lu Jiang, and Lin Ruhai came in despite the rain. Their faces were as solemn as the overcast weather outside.
As Li Zan spoke, he quickly entered the hall. When he smelled the thick smell of blood in the study, his face turned pale, and under his sword-like eyebrows, his eyes were filled with worry. He said in a startled voice, "Your Majesty, the emperor..."
At this moment, the Prime Minister of the Cabinet, who had experienced countless storms, was shocked when he saw the King of Chu being assassinated in the inner study.
There's no other reason, this scene is just too horrifying.
A supreme ruler was assassinated in his inner study and was seen lying in a pool of bright red blood. This had never happened since the founding of the country.
This is an extremely frightening thing.
Ever since the previous emperor was forced to abdicate by the King of Wei, the Han Dynasty seemed to be in a precarious situation, with bad things happening one after another.
Could it be that the country is about to perish and chaos is spreading?
Li Zan suppressed his chaotic thoughts, looked at the young man in the python robe, and said, "Prince Wei, do you know who tried to assassinate the emperor?"
Jia Heng looked sad, shook his head and said, "I just heard the bad news, and the generals who guard the palace have not come yet."
"Who is so bold as to enter the palace and assassinate the new emperor?" Gao Zhongping raised his eyebrows, his eyes sparkling, and said in a deep voice.
Jia Heng nodded and said, "In my opinion, apart from the remnants of the Wei and Liang clans, there are the remnants of the King of Zhao and the White Lotus demon. Apart from these, I don't think of anyone else."
Gao Zhongping frowned and guessed, "But could it be that Chen Yuan and the White Lotus Monster did it?"
Qi Kun continued, "It's possible."
Li Zan suddenly asked, "Why isn't the eunuch of the emperor, the Minister of the Daming Palace, here?"
At this moment, Sang Yao came in quickly from outside, his fair face showing an inexplicable fear, and said, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty."
As he spoke, the Prime Minister of the Daming Palace, who had just gained great power and brought prosperity to his entire family, rushed forward, tears streaming down his face.
Li Zan asked, "Eunuch Sang, before His Majesty was assassinated, did he meet anyone else?"
Sang Yao looked sad and said in a low voice: "I was ordered by your majesty to do an errand and have not returned yet."
Li Zan stared at Sang Yao and asked, "Who did your Majesty see for the last time?"
"My Lord, the last person His Majesty summoned was the Jinyi Guard Commander Qiu Liang." Sang Yao said.
Jia Heng asked with a hint of coldness and sarcasm in his voice, "The last person Your Majesty saw was Qiu Liang?"
Sang Yao was stunned for a moment, then he replied with a silent "yes".
Jia Heng frowned, his eyes burning, then turned to look at Li Zan and Gao Zhongping, and said in a cold voice: "I have heard some rumors in the capital recently, saying that Qiu Liang and the White Lotus demon are secretly in collusion, but I don't know whether it is true or not."
As soon as these words were spoken, it was as if a chilling wind blew completely into the inner study of Hanyuan Hall, causing everyone present to shiver.
"Could it be that Qiu Liang colluded with the White Lotus demon to do such a thing?" Qi Kun frowned, looked fierce, and said in a deep voice.
Gao Zhongping's face was as hard as steel, his eyes flashed fiercely, and he said in a deep voice: "How dare Qiu Liang do this?"
Lu Jiang frowned and said, "There are many suspicious points in the assassination of the new emperor. It can be seen that there are many doubts inside."
Jia Heng said coldly: "Arrest Qiu Liang and bring him to Jinyi Mansion for severe interrogation. We will know the answer after one question."
Qiu Liang must have been slandering him in front of the King of Chu, and now is the time to eliminate him.
Li Zan nodded and said, "Let's ask about the reason first."
As he spoke, he turned to look at Jia Heng and said, "Prince Wei, now that the new emperor has been assassinated, how should the aftermath be handled?"
This is the real business to discuss.
Jia Heng said, "According to the rites of the late emperor, we will hold a national funeral, decide on a posthumous title and temple name, and handle the funeral."
It hasn't been long since we decided on the posthumous name and temple name, and now we are discussing the posthumous name again. It is indeed a time of turmoil in the country.
Li Zan nodded, his eyes flickered, and he remained silent.
Less than a year after the new emperor ascended the throne and just changed the era name, he was mysteriously assassinated. What kind of thing is this?
Everyone fell into a strange silence. Gao Zhongping sighed and said in a deep voice: "The new emperor passed away suddenly, and the new ruler has not yet been decided. The country cannot be without a ruler for a day."
Zhen Qing suddenly cried and said, "The East Palace has been established, and we should support the East Palace to succeed the throne."
In the inner study, the ministers who were discussing matters fell silent again.
The new emperor ascended the throne legally and there is no problem with his legal legitimacy. Logically, the new emperor's son should succeed to the throne.
But the new emperor’s son is still young after all, and has just emerged from his cradle. The country is in doubt with a young ruler, and the political situation may be turbulent.
But the new emperor now seems to have no will.
Li Zan looked sad and said, "Let's first help the late emperor to bury his body. You and I will go to the side hall to discuss matters. We can discuss state affairs later."
"Lord Li, today, in front of the late emperor, let's decide who will be the new emperor." Zhen Qing said in a low voice, somewhat unyielding.
She was afraid that if the place was changed, she would not be able to make the decision. If the eighth prince Chen Ze was enthroned instead, Zhen Qing could only cry without tears.
Li Zan said in a deep voice: "Now, villains in the country have risen up everywhere, eyeing the sacred artifact, and there are also treacherous little assassins who want to kill the king. It can be seen that the ruler is young and the country is in doubt."
At this moment, Zhen Qing kept crying, her expression paused, and she whispered, "Your Majesty, it's so tragic that you left us, an orphan and a widow, here."
Li Zan suddenly felt a headache for no apparent reason.
Gao Zhongping thought for a moment and said, "Lord Li, since there is a crown prince, we should first appoint one, and you and I will assist him wholeheartedly. Otherwise, the government will be in chaos, the court will be in turmoil, and the world will be in turmoil."
Now only the youngest son of the new emperor can succeed to the throne. The two vassal states of Wei and Liang are obviously not suitable. As for the other two sons of the late emperor, one is still in swaddling clothes, and his mother, Song, is also mired in sin and is not fit to be an heir.
The other son was born to Concubine Duanrong. He was very smart when he was young, but the new emperor appointed him as the crown prince at the beginning of his reign.
Lu Jiang frowned, his eyes were as sharp as a sword, and he said in a deep voice: "The young ruler is in power, the ruler is young and the country is in doubt. This is a disaster, not a blessing, for the country."
When Zhen Qing heard this, she felt a surge of anger in her heart. Her eyes, bright as water, flashed coldly as she looked at Lu Jiang from beneath her beautiful eyebrows.
This person is really very courageous, spreading rumors and misleading people.
Qi Kun frowned and said, "Since there is an Eastern Palace, it is important to establish it and ascend the throne as soon as possible to calm the people of China and abroad."
Lin Ruhai said: "Lin seconded the motion."
Li Zan nodded, turned his head and looked at Jia Heng beside him, and asked, "What does Prince Wei think?"
At this moment, Zhen Qing stared at the young man in the python robe and said, "Prince Wei, what do you think of this matter?"
Jia Heng felt Zhen Qing's bright gaze on him and whispered, "The new emperor has been struck by such a sudden disaster. His situation is pitiful."
The King of Chu had just ascended the throne when he encountered such an unexpected disaster, and then the throne could not fall to his own son. It was indeed a pity.
After hearing this, Li Zan was silent for a long while. He seemed to sense the sadness in Jia Heng's words and said, "Then we should support the establishment of the East Palace, with the Empress watching the government from behind the curtain and the cabinet and military ministers assisting in the administration."
There are precedents for this in history. For example, during the Song Dynasty, Emperor Zhezong Zhao Xu was ruled by the empress dowager behind the curtain. Of course, Li Zan was a civil official after all, and he was quite taboo about the phrase "ruling from behind the curtain", so he called it "observing the government".
Jia Heng nodded and said, "The funeral of the new emperor should also be arranged immediately. The assassination should not be announced to the world, so as not to cause the people to be suspicious and look around."
Of course, this is just what he said. The more widely this kind of thing is spread, the better it is for him because it shakes the legitimacy of the Chen Han royal family.
Gao Zhongping paused, his eyes deep, and said: "If we don't announce it to the world, rumors will spread everywhere in the court and the country, and people may suspect that there is a change in the central government."
Qi Kun nodded and said, "What Elder Gao said makes sense."
Li Zan's face was shrouded in dark clouds, and his eyes showed a thoughtful look. He asked, "How do we decide on the posthumous title and temple name?"
Jia Heng thought for a moment and said in a deep voice, "The posthumous title is Ai, and the temple name is Guangzong."
The posthumous title "Ai" means pity, while "Guangzong" means that his reign was short, like a fleeting shooting star.
Li Zan sipped his lips for a while and said, "The late emperor had a short reign and was of a resolute character. He wanted to make great achievements, but he died young. His temple name and posthumous title are quite appropriate."
Lu Jiang frowned, thought for a while, and glanced at the young man in the python costume with a hint of suspicion.
For some reason, he always felt that the posthumous title and temple name seemed to have been prepared in advance.
And the posthumous title given to the late emperor was so appropriate and accurate!
At this moment, everyone was discussing the funeral, while in the inner study, the King of Chu was lying in a pool of blood, dead on the spot. At this critical juncture when the court officials were discussing important matters, no one paid any attention to him.
It seems that the new emperor who has just ascended the throne is not the person involved.
Several eunuchs walked around a lacquered wooden desk, moved the new emperor's body, and prepared his remains for burial.
Afterwards, cries could be heard from the inner study, and the white spirit flag that had just been taken down was hung up again.
And in the entire empty and dark palace, bursts of crying were heard again. For a moment, crying sounds could be heard everywhere in the palace, shrouding the entire palace in an atmosphere of sorrow.
Jia Heng, Li Zan and Gao Zhongping came to the side hall to discuss matters. Qi Kun, Lu Jiang, Lin Ruhai and others took their seats one after another. At this moment, the eunuch took a tinder and lit a vermilion candle.
Suddenly, the orange light, as bright as water, illuminated the entire hall.
At this moment, sitting on a pearwood chair in the hall were the six most powerful people in the Han Dynasty's court, who also decided the direction of political affairs in the Han Dynasty's court.
After the death of the new emperor, the cabinet and Jia Heng will assist in governing the country, and the subsequent court struggles will also revolve around these two parties.
Li Zan's face was as solemn as iron, and he said in a deep voice: "The palace needs to carefully investigate the spies and cannot allow such assassination to happen again. Otherwise, not only will the emperor not be able to be saved, but all the subjects in the world will be in danger."
Jia Heng nodded and said, "What Lord Li said is very true. Now that the external threat has gone, only the internal worries remain. Among them, the remnants of King Zhao and the White Lotus demon must be eliminated urgently. Otherwise, if they continue to cause trouble in the capital, the country will be in turmoil."
Li Zan's face was filled with anger, and he said in a deep voice: "The assassin who tried to kill the new emperor must be arrested! Otherwise, it will be unforgivable."
At this moment, while several people were discussing, an eunuch entered the hall and said loudly: "Sir, the two Generals Zhen are here."
After a while, Zhen Jue and Zhen Lin came in from outside, with white mourning cloth hanging on their bodies. Their rough and resolute faces were filled with sorrow.
However, this sadness is actually limited, because after the death of the King of Chu, the young prince ascended the throne, and both of them are relatives who can support and protect the young prince.
Li Zan's resolute and calm face was filled with anger. He scolded and asked, "The emperor ordered you two to stay in the palace, why did you allow the assassin to get close to the emperor? And why did you cause such a tragedy that shocked the world?"
In fact, it was also because the Zhen brothers had just taken over the guards in the palace and were not familiar with the guards at each gate.
Zhen Jue's jade-like face turned pale as paper, with a trace of fear in his eyes. He cupped his hands and said, "According to the officers guarding the palace gates, no assassins have entered the palace gates. I think the murderer started from the inner court."
Jia Heng's cold eyes flashed, and he thought to himself that Zhen Jue really had some skills.
Jia Heng thought for a moment and said in a gentle voice, "Chen Yuan is a remnant of the former King Zhao. Perhaps some of his trusted palace servants have sneaked into the palace."
Gao Zhongping nodded and said, "Next, we must find out the murderer, otherwise the young master will still be suspected of being murdered when he succeeds to the throne."
Jia Heng said, "What Mr. Gao said is very true."
Qi Kun sighed and said thoughtfully, "The late emperor's body is still resting, and the new emperor... died suddenly, and the mausoleum has not yet been built."
Li Zan raised his eyebrows, looked deeply, and said, "Lord Qi, the mausoleum should be built properly. It will be summer in two or three months, and the coffin cannot be left there randomly."
Within just one year, the Han Dynasty held two national mournings, which was indeed a series of disasters.
Qi Kun nodded, his eyes flickered, and he said, "The mausoleum of the late emperor is about to be completed, and the mausoleum of the new emperor will take another half a year to complete."
Jia Heng said in a deep voice: "Don't be impatient. The new emperor has passed away suddenly and the court is in chaos. We, the ministers, should do our best to assist the young master and stabilize the situation in the world. Now that there are evil people in the capital, we should dispatch the Jinyi Tiqi to search the whole city."
Li Zan frowned, his expression paused slightly, and a feeling of worry surged in his heart.
I have a bad feeling.
Jia Heng nodded and said, "As the commander of the Imperial Guards, I should strictly investigate the involvement of the Imperial Guards officers in the bombing of the Imperial Ancestral Temple. At the same time, I should investigate the palace ban for the assassination of the new emperor. The officers and soldiers of the Beijing Camp will temporarily take over. They are veterans who have fought many battles."
Gao Zhongping frowned, feeling worried as well.
But there doesn't seem to be anything unusual.
Li Zan thought for a moment, looked at Jia Heng deeply, and said, "Then let the Prince of Wei take full responsibility for this matter."
When the previous emperor passed away, Jia Ziyu supported the new emperor, which shows that he was public-spirited and had no ulterior motives.
But if he really wants to bring disaster to the country and cause chaos in the government, he and the officials in the government will not sit idly by.
At this moment, Lu Jiang frowned and looked at Jia Heng suspiciously, with doubts in his heart.
Meanwhile, Jia Heng was discussing with several ministers. When it was dark, a young eunuch stepped over the vermilion threshold and quickly entered the side hall, saying, "My fellow ministers, the late emperor has been put into the coffin and is now in the Hanyuan Hall."
Everyone looked at each other, with a look of sadness on their faces.
There are two coffins in the small Hanyuan Hall, containing two generations of emperors.
Jia Heng had a blank expression on his face, but he sighed in his heart.
This was all forced upon him by the King of Chu...
(End of this chapter)