King Xiang of the Red Chamber

Chapter 758 The imperial edict says: You should take advantage of the opportunity and be able to guard the throne!

The emperor's question surprised Zhu Jinghong very much.

This question seems ordinary, but it is actually not simple at all, so Zhu Jinghong didn't rush to answer it.

But while he was thinking, Zhu Xianming continued, "The rumors in the city this time are from Lao Liu trying to muddy the waters. I think you know that too!"

The emperor guessed correctly. Zhu Jinghong did know about this. After all, he now has people in the imperial guards.

To be more precise, he and his son share the same team, and they are responsible for different areas respectively.

Therefore, if the Sixth Brother wants to continue fighting, he cannot choose to confront head-on, but instead push the Fifth Brother and Zhu Muchun out, muddy the waters and then fish in troubled waters.

Lao Liu was a smart man. He saw through the political situation and knew that although Zhu Jinghong was powerful, he still did not have the support of civil servants and literati. As long as someone could make trouble for these people, they would be willing to help.

At the same time, based on past experience, the two power cores cannot be integrated, so he believes that as long as time is enough, the old man and Zhu Jinghong will still be suspicious, and that is when he will really exert his strength.

This idea cannot be said to be wrong, but in fact the possibility is very low. Lao Liu is obsessed and cannot change his mind, so he continues to struggle.

"Son, you know that Sixth Brother is unwilling to accept this!" Zhu Jinghong said frankly.

Zhu Xianming stopped and turned around and asked, "So how do you get along from now on?"

Zhu Jinghong replied: "Sixth brother is the most talented person in the world. I think... let him indulge in poetry and mountains and rivers and live a happy life!"

"What if he doesn't want to live a happy life?" Zhu Xianming asked intently.

Looking at the emperor in front of him, Zhu Jinghong said solemnly: "In order to protect the safety of the country, my son can only..."

At this time, Zhu Xianming was worried. He was afraid that his youngest son would harm the sixth son, and he had no way to check and balance this.

It's because in today's world, this person must be passed on, otherwise the situation will collapse.

"Lock him up!" Zhu Jinghong said the last four words.

At this moment, Zhu Xianming's heart dropped.

Although these four words don't sound good, they are true and reliable.

If Zhu Jinghong said anything about repaying evil with kindness, persuading others to do good, or being reasonable, Zhu Xianming would worry about his intentions.

Zhu Xianming sighed, "It would be considered unfair to him if he were to live a life of wealth and honor!"

The two chatted for a while before Zhu Jinghong said goodbye and left. They did not discuss the prince's fate.

In the blink of an eye, another ten days passed. The rumors in the capital became more and more fierce, but different voices began to be heard.

The most popular voice was that King Xiang should be made the crown prince.

This was not pushed by Zhu Jinghong. It was completely a spontaneous act of the nobles and soldiers. These people were connected to more people, and the momentum they created was much greater than that created by Zhu Jingyuan and a group of officials.

In the south of the capital, there is the Jia Mansion.

This Jia Mansion is not the Duke Jia Mansion, but the Jia Mansion of Jia Yucun.

At this moment, Jia Yucun was sitting in the study with a memorial placed in front of him, which had been fully unfolded.

This memorial was written three months ago, on the second day after the Crown Prince passed away.

The content of the memorial was also very simple, saying that the foundation of the country could not be left empty for long, and requested that Zhu Jinghong be made the crown prince.

However, because it was not ripe that day, Jia Yucun did not hand it over in a hurry, and he kept waiting afterwards.

Three months had passed since they waited, and now there were voices among the people calling for Zhu Jinghong to be enthroned. Jia Yucun believed that the time had come.

The merit of supporting the emperor is of unparalleled value.

"Master, you have been sitting here for so long, what are you looking at?"

The one who was speaking was Jiao Xing. She was once a maid in the Zhen family, but now she has become the wife of a minister. It can be seen that she is blessed by heaven.

But in Jia Yucun's view, since he was exiled and married Jiao Xing, his career has been smooth sailing, from being appointed to a government office to being a frontier governor, and now he has been promoted to a ministry.

Of course, he followed the right path, but he still felt that Jiao Xingwang was good for him, which was the reason why he could be connected with Zhu Jinghong.

Therefore, in the mansion, Jia Yucun treated Jiao Xing with special respect and did not look down on her for her humble background at all.

Of course, Jiao Xing was also very supportive and had given birth to two sons and a daughter for Jia Yucun.

"Madam, it's your career that matters!"

"Official career? The master is already a minister. According to what you said before, it is a level that you never dared to imagine back then. It has only been a short time... Why are you looking forward to an official career again!"

"It's a different time now!" Jia Yucun said with a smile.

"Above the rank of assistant minister... that's... the official of one of the six ministries. According to what the master said before, that's the pinnacle of being an official!"

Hearing his wife's words, Jia Yucun smiled faintly, but in his heart he was imagining the beautiful vision of being promoted to a high position and ruling the world.

Yes, these were things we couldn’t even imagine in the past, but now they are all within reach.

"Madam, the ancients always said that a general would become a prime minister, and above the six ministries there is also the position of prime minister. Your husband still has a long way to go!"

After saying this, Jia Yucun put away the memorial on the table and ordered, "Tell them to get ready. I need to change my clothes!"

"it is good!"

After some trouble, Jia Yucun left the mansion and went to the imperial city. After entering the city, he went straight to the Tongzhengsi.

About an hour later, Jia Yucun's "Petition to Establish a Crown Prince" spread to various ministries and caused an uproar.

There were many discussions about who should be the crown prince, but they were all held in informal occasions. No one had touched on this matter until Jia Yucun submitted a memorial today.

So people were talking enthusiastically, but the court was very quiet. Jia Yucun's memorial broke this peace.

It is true that civil servants and scholars generally support Lao Liu, but it is also true that there are some speculators.

So when Jia Yucun took the lead, five officials wrote a letter the next day, requesting that Zhu Jinghong be made the crown prince.

On the third day, more than 30 officials submitted memorials directly. For a time, this was the only voice in the court, and Zhu Jinghong seemed to be the popular choice.

At this point, Zhu Jingyuan could no longer remain patient, so he immediately instructed his loyalists to submit a petition to make his eldest son the crown prince.

Although the chance of winning is not high, Zhu Jingyuan must take action, otherwise the prince will be gone.

"On October 20th of the 18th year of the Zhengtong reign, the Emperor went to Chongzheng Gate to discuss the tax and grain reductions for the three prefectures and 17 counties in Shandong, and the issue of Hebei...discussing...discussing the issue of establishing a crown prince..."

The scholar of the Hanlin Academy, who served as the recorder, had his desk set up to the east of the red steps, recording what happened during the regular court session.

Three things have been discussed today, and the fourth is to appoint a crown prince.

The debate had now reached a fever pitch, with two main viewpoints competing against each other, one supporting Zhu Jinghong and the other supporting Zhu Jingyuan.

However, neither of them was present today!
What is rather unusual is that more than 40 officials spoke up for Zhu Jinghong, while only 17 spoke up for Zhu Jingyuan.

As for the remaining sixty-odd civil servants at the scene, they remained silent at this critical moment, and as for the military heroes present, none of them said a word.

The debate lasted for more than half an hour, and by now it was clear that the side supporting Zhu Jinghong had the upper hand, describing him as a wise man with both great achievements and great virtues. In contrast, the side supporting Zhu Jingyuan clearly lacked evidence.

Talking is important, but when it comes to real achievements and prestige, Zhu Jingyuan's supporters can't gain any advantage even if they talk their mouths off.

"King Xiang is tyrannical, how can he rule the world?"

Because they were forced into such an embarrassing situation, the officials who supported Zhu Jingyuan shouted this sentence impulsively, and then the scene suddenly became quiet.

Everyone's eyes were focused on the person who was shouting. This person was Zheng Xuan, the Shaoqing of the Dali Temple.

The debate lasted for half an hour, with both sides talking about the person they supported, how suitable he was for the position of crown prince, and how well he would govern the Ming Dynasty in the future.

From the beginning to the end, neither party directly attacked the other party, but Zheng Xuan's impulsive words broke the unspoken rules of the debate just now.

Of course, breaking the rules is not a big deal. The key is to directly attack Zhu Jinghong, which is a big deal.

If the debate just now was based on public sentiment and everyone expressed their own opinions, then the nature of the matter has changed now.

So after saying this, Zheng Xuan froze, and then his legs began to tremble and his breathing became rapid.

He knew that he was finished...

"Your Majesty, this man is arrogant and rebellious, and he slandered King Xiang. Please punish him severely!" Zheng Xianlin, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, knelt down and asked for your approval.

Then He Gujin, Jia Yucun and others also knelt down to ask for permission, but the group of people who supported Zhu Jingyuan did not plead for Zheng Xuan at this moment. Zheng Xuan knew that he had been abandoned!
At this time, he had two choices. One was to show his integrity as a scholar-official and speak out against the emperor without changing his mind.

But what can we gain from this?
When Zheng Xuan had this thought, it meant that he would not take this path, so the next moment he knelt down and kowtowed, saying, "Your Majesty, I have been rebellious and disrespectful, and have insulted King Xiang. Please punish me, Your Majesty!"

Looking at the ministers present, Zhu Xianming asked, "My fellow ministers, who should I appoint as the new ruler?"

What he needed was for Zhu Jinghong to receive widespread support, even if it was only verbal support.

"Prince Xiang is kind, filial, brave and valiant. Your Majesty, please establish him as King Xiang!"

"I second the proposal!"

"I second the proposal!"

More and more people seconded the motion. After the civil servants who stood up to support Zhu Jinghong signed the motion, the officials who had remained silent before also began to speak out. This marked a watershed.

The emergence of new speculators will attract more people to follow suit, and then the situation will suddenly become one-sided.

"I ask you to establish King Xiang!"

This sentence from Zhao Yushan, the Grand Secretary of Wenhua Palace, served as a ballast, and the general trend was already very clear.

Zhu Jingyuan's party, which had become the minority, all looked pale at this moment, especially Zheng Xuan who had said the wrong thing.

In the end, Zhu Jinghong received verbal support from nearly 90% of the civil officials, while the military heroes still did not say a word, because they could only listen but not speak, which was a rule set since the time of Taizu.

However, Zhu Jinghong was able to ascend to the throne of crown prince thanks to the support of these people, so the Military Merit Group, although silent, made the loudest voice.

"Since all of you and your ministers are subordinate to King Xiang, I will follow your advice... The position of Crown Prince is settled!"

"Order the Imperial Academy to draft an imperial edict to Prince Xiang, and the Ministry of Rites to prepare the enthronement ceremony according to the regulations. It is tentatively scheduled... on the day of the first imperial court in November, the enthronement ceremony of the crown prince will be held!"

They were called to two yamen and each of them went out to deal with the matter, and then today's grand court meeting ended.

By the afternoon, news about the prince's affiliation had spread throughout the capital, and it was also the hottest topic in the city in recent days.

Now that the dust has settled and people know that Prince Xiang is the crown prince, many people feel relieved.

Ordinary people all knew that Prince Xiang was enthroned, and Zhu Jingyuan of Prince Rui's Palace certainly knew it as well. As a result, he smashed the study to pieces and even the eunuch who delivered the message was beaten to death.

Zhu Jingyuan had been released from house arrest since the day the crown prince passed away, so he had been busy for the past three months, but now it seemed that all his efforts were in vain.

Logically speaking, at this point, Zhu Jingyuan should have accepted his fate, but he still felt unwilling to do so. He had indeed gone insane.

Although Chen Zhi was a woman, she saw it most clearly, so she simply gave an order to have the servants in her house keep an eye on Zhu Jingyuan.

But servants are servants after all. How can they keep an eye on this person? Chen Zhi had no choice but to let her sons take over.

The eldest of Zhu Jingyuan's sons was married at the age of sixteen, and there were also a few boys aged twelve or thirteen who really controlled Zhu Jingyuan.

These guys, of course, hope that their dad will become the crown prince for the sake of their own future benefits.

And now he is rebelling against his superiors and putting his father in custody, which is also for his own benefit.

What happened in Prince Rui's mansion was reported to the palace that afternoon, which immediately angered the emperor.

Finally, an imperial edict was sent to Prince Rui's palace.

"Your Majesty, Prince Rui is rebellious, has killed people, and has repeatedly violated the law. I want to be lenient with him, but God cannot tolerate it..."

The content of the decree was extremely harsh, and the eunuch who came to deliver the decree was Deng An, the head eunuch of the East Factory, who was once the chief eunuch of Prince Xiang's palace.

At this moment, Deng An came to read the imperial edict. Looking at the people from Prince Rui's Mansion kneeling in front of him, he felt very happy.

"... strip him of his title of prince and confer him the title of Gongshun Prince to see how it goes. If he does it again..."

Before Deng An finished reading the imperial edict, Zhu Jingyuan, who had been demoted, was filled with grief and anger. He spat out a mouthful of blood and collapsed to the ground.

The people in the Rui Palace were about to rescue them, but they heard Deng An scolding, "Be quiet, don't move!"

When he roared, the guards accompanying him followed suit and stunned everyone in the palace. No one dared to act rashly because of the imperial edict.

Chen Zhi, in particular, was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan as she watched her husband fall to the ground and faint, but there was nothing she could do now.

Then Deng An continued to read, and his intonation seemed to be somewhat procrastinating, causing Zhu Jingyuan to suffer more.

On the other side of the palace, Zhu Xianming sat behind his desk and said to the portrait of the queen on the wall: "Qingyin, I demoted his title just to protect him. I don't think you will blame me!"

The crown prince has passed away, and there are only two legitimate sons left. Zhu Xianming's only thought now is to keep Zhu Jingyuan alive.

In a blink of an eye, another two days passed, and the news that Prince Rui was renamed Prince Gongshun spread again in the capital, making the world understand the emperor's determination to establish a crown prince.

On October 24, after repeated polishing, the imperial edict to enthrone the prince was finalized and delivered to Prince Xiang's Palace by Mei Jingwen, the Vice Minister of Rites, at noon that day.

Mei Jingwen was Zhao Yushan's favorite student. He ranked first in the second class in the second year of Zhengtong. He served successively as a scholar in the Hanlin Academy, reviewer, editor, compiler, Jinling Inspector-General, Assistant Chief Censor of the Inspectorate, Governor of Henan and Hebei, and Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites.

With such a resume, he is a model for entering the cabinet and becoming a prime minister, and this time Zhao Yushan arranged for him to convey the imperial edict in order to give him another push.

After sixteen years in the officialdom, Mei Jingwen, who is now forty years old, certainly understands the deep meaning of his mentor. At this moment, he feels both grateful and looking forward to the future.

People in their forties were surprisingly as excited as the young ones.

The Prince Xiang's mansion had already prepared all the necessary preparations for receiving the imperial edict. After everyone in the mansion had arrived and lined up, Mei Jingwen appeared on the steps holding the imperial edict in his hand.

"The Holy One has a decree!"

Zhu Jinghong and others immediately knelt down, then shouted "Long live the emperor" and performed a great salute.

"By the order of… the Emperor of Heaven and Earth…"

The enthronement of the crown prince was a top priority event in the Ming Dynasty. Logically, the most formal edict should have been issued, rather than the current imperial decree.

The reason is that today's decree is issued to Zhu Jinghong personally, telling him that he has been named the crown prince by the emperor, rather than announcing it to all the subjects in the world.

The most formal edict of enthronement will be officially issued to all the subjects in the world at a grand court meeting in early November.

"The importance of the heir apparent is to strengthen the family lineage. If there is a good person, it will bring stability to all nations..."

"Prince Jinghong of Xiang has a lofty character. Filial piety is the foundation of virtue, and benevolence is the most important responsibility..."

"To quell the many difficulties, to conquer the rebellious, to make excellent plans, to win in the long run, the government and the people are looking forward to it..."

"You should take advantage of the opportunity and be able to guard the throne. You can be made the crown prince!"

When Zhu Jinghong heard that he could be made the crown prince, he felt mixed emotions. The hard work he had done over the years came to his mind, and he deeply felt that this opportunity was not easy to come by.

Behind her, Baochai was also feeling complicated.

From a fatherless daughter in Jinling, to being chosen as the princess's study companion, to being the most honorable prince's wife, to being the soon-to-be crown princess...

She just felt that she was extremely lucky in her life, but when she looked back on it, it seemed unreal.

"The officials have prepared the ceremony and issued the decree at the appropriate time. I decree this!"

The last sentence Mei Jingwen read out was to let Zhu Jinghong wait for the official enthronement, which would be in six days if nothing unexpected happened.

"Your son Zhu Jinghong, I accept your order... I bow down to thank the emperor for his long life... Long, long live the emperor!"

Following Zhu Jinghong, everyone in Prince Xiang's mansion kowtowed and cheered, and the scene was extremely lively for a while.

"Your Highness, please get up quickly!"

When Zhu Jinghong received the imperial edict, Mei Jingwen hurriedly helped Zhu Jinghong up, then knelt down and saluted him.

"Your Highness, the Crown Prince, is greeted by Mei Jingwen, the Minister of Rites!"

Like Mei Jingwen, several officials who accompanied him to convey the imperial edict, as well as the Dragon Guards, all bowed deeply to Zhu Jinghong.

At this moment, he is a half-king, more noble than before.

Holding the imperial edict in both hands, Zhu Jinghong looked calm and said with a slight smile: "No need to be polite, please stand up!"

His calmness and composure made Mei Jingwen respect him even more, and he unconsciously compared Zhu Jinghong with the late crown prince.

By comparing them, you can clearly see the difference.

Mei Jingwen commented on Zhu Jingyuan as "kind, weak and without strategy", while he praised Zhu Jinghong as "a symbol of the sun and the moon, and the demeanor of a sage monarch."

(End of this chapter)