Red Mansion: Bastards rule the roost

Jiang Feng twirled his beard and said, "I am old and confused, and I don't remember everything. I wonder what else Your Majesty said? Has your Majesty decided on a successor?"

Jia Cong said coldly: "Yes, please think carefully, has His Majesty said who will inherit the throne, so that we can support him?"

Everyone who dared to speak up shook their heads and said, "It seems he did, but we didn't hear it clearly."

Some members of the New Party could not hold back and wanted to speak out, but were stopped by Duan Zhun's look.

Jia Cong asked, "Master Feng, did you hear clearly?"

Feng Yuan smiled and said, "No. Your Majesty was barely breathing at the time and his pronunciation was unclear, so it was hard to hear clearly."

Jia Cong looked at the princes again and said, "Your Highnesses, you were also there just now, did you hear it clearly?"

All the princes looked at Sun Wen with some gloating expression. Now that the queen mother, Jia Cong and the tenth prince are all here, even if the eldest and second brothers are gone, it will not be your turn.

Yin said in unison: "I didn't hear it clearly."

Sun Wen remained silent, his fists clenched in his sleeves until they turned white and veins were exposed, but there was no trace of strange expression on his face.

Empress Chen glanced at him indifferently and sneered in her heart. My own son is gone, and he can get away with it by pretending to be stupid? Naive!

Duan Zhun suddenly said, "Since no one present heard it clearly, we should follow the edict that the late emperor had already hung in the Palace of Heavenly Purity."

Everyone was silent. Although this made sense, they were afraid that after opening the box, they would no longer be able to play dumb.

Jia Cong smiled faintly and said, "That makes sense. Mr. Zhun is the Prime Minister, and he is highly respected. We all trust him. Please bring a few adults to get it, and open it and read it in front of us."

"I have no choice but to do it." Duan Zhun said in a deep voice, and took Prince Beijing, Zhongxin, Jiang Feng and others with him.

Not long after, Duan Zhun came back with the jade box in his hands, which was still tied with a red rope.

Jia Cong snatched it, held it high in his hand, stood facing south, and said, "Here is the will of the late emperor!"

Everyone knelt down and shouted "Long live the emperor" three times.

"Mother, I would like to ask that you open the imperial edict and read it in front of me." Jia Cong said in a clear voice.

Empress Chen nodded and said, "Yes."

Jia Cong didn't say anything more. He pulled out a dagger from his boot, gently cut the red rope, slowly opened the box, and took out a folded piece of paper.

Everyone held their breath and stared at the piece of paper in Jia Cong's hand.

Jia Cong casually threw the jade box aside, slowly unfolded the paper, and scanned the end, saying, "It turns out that the late emperor favored the Second Prince!"

Although the ministers did not dare to refute, they all looked at each other and whispered, obviously not believing it. Emperor Xifeng clearly favored the fifth prince, so why would he write the second prince's name in his will?

Jia Cong said, "The will is precious, and I dare not circulate it for fear of damage. Please take turns to come forward and read it. Jiang Zhongtang, please."

Jiang Feng stepped forward first and took a look at Jia Cong's hand. He saw that the will clearly stated that the throne would be passed to the fifth prince Wen. He pondered for a moment, nodded and said, "Yes, the will states that the throne would be passed to the second prince Can." After saying that, he returned to his original position.

Jia Cong said again: "Guanzhongtang, come and take a look."

Guan Pu went up to take a look and said, "Yes, it is indeed the Second Prince who is passing the throne."

Jia Cong looked at Gu Tao again and asked him to come forward and take a look.

Gu Tao went up to take a look and felt bitter. Jia Cong was going to be like Zhao Gao, calling a deer a horse in front of him. Now was not the time to be a loyal minister. He could only nod and say, "Look carefully, the late emperor favors the second prince."

Jia Cong deliberately skipped Duan Zhun and ordered King Zhongxin to come forward and take a look.

King Zhongxin naturally supported Sun Can.

Then he asked Prince Beijing to come forward.

Jia Cong said, "Your Majesty has sharp ears and sharp eyes, please take a look."

Prince Beijing knew that the situation was already decided and he was powerless to change it. If he did not cooperate, blood would be spilled on the spot. So he bowed and said, "I see clearly. Your Majesty will pass the throne to the Second Prince."

Jia Cong then showed it to Feng Yuan and other neutral and Society Party officials, and they all unanimously supported Sun Can.

Then came the New Party leaders. Ding Xian, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, stepped out from the crowd and shouted, "Let me take a look."

Jia Cong knew that he had a straightforward character, so he glanced at the guards at the door indifferently.

Ding Xian came over to take a look, his eyes widened immediately, and he shouted angrily: "You bunch of traitors, how dare you call a horse a zebra and turn the world upside down! The late emperor clearly passed the throne to His Highness the Fifth Prince!"

Before he finished speaking, the ministers were in an uproar.

The princes were also a little flustered and looked at the queen hurriedly.

"Silence!" Jia Cong shouted coldly, looking at Ding Xian, and said, "Master Ding is so bold, it is clearly written in black and white, and you dare to forge the imperial edict in front of me!
What is your intention? Are we all blind? Come! Ding Xian forged the imperial edict, it is a great treason, push him down and execute him! "

"Jia Cong! You are bringing chaos to the court! You shall not die a good death!" Ding Xian roared as he was dragged away by his personal soldiers, and a head was presented to him in an instant.

Jia Cong placed Mr. Ding's head on the table and said, "Minister Meng, Mr. Ding is from your Ministry of War. How dare he speak nonsense and confuse right and wrong in front of me? How about you take a look?"

Meng Huacai walked up tremblingly, took a look, then glanced at Mr. Ding's head, swallowed, and said, "The imperial edict says that the throne is passed to the Second Prince." After saying that, he quickly retreated.

Jia Cong laughed and said, "That's right. Cong thought that I and all the gentlemen were blind."

Later, several New Party officials saw it and all said it was the second prince.

However, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, Bian Qing, came out with a solemn look on his face. He walked over to Jia Cong, took a look, and sneered, "The imperial edict clearly states that the throne is to be passed on to the fifth prince. What do you want to do?"

Everyone was silent.

Jia Cong said calmly: "Here comes another person who forged the imperial edict. Take him out and execute him!"

Bian Qing raised his arm and shouted, "No need to do anything, I'll go by myself!" He turned around and sneered, "Jia Cong, those who do evil will eventually die!"

Jia Cong sneered, "You are disloyal and unfilial. You forged the imperial edict in front of the emperor and spread lies to confuse the people. How dare you speak so arrogantly?"

Before he finished speaking, Bian Qing's head was presented.

"Put it down." Jia Cong nodded, and his personal guards placed the two heads side by side on the table.

Seeing this, the New Party members were all filled with righteous indignation. Two of them could not help but shout, "I'm here to see!"

Jia Cong smiled and said, "Come up if you want to see it. Cong has always done things in a way that makes people convinced."

"Wait a minute." Duan Zhun stopped the two and said, "You all have seen it, so you don't need to see it. Just wait for me to see it. Otherwise, if the court officials and military officers see it one by one, I don't know how much time will be wasted."

Jia Cong said: "What Yuanfu said is very true. Please come forward and take a look."

Duan Zhun walked forward slowly and stood side by side with Jia Cong. Jia Cong said, "Please look, Lord Zhun. The second prince is the eldest son. He is well-known for his virtue and kindness. It is reasonable for Your Majesty to pass the throne to him, right?"

Duan Zhun knew that he had to bow his head under someone else's eaves, so in order to protect the vitality of the New Party, he nodded slowly and said, "Yes, His Majesty did pass the throne to the Second Prince."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief when they heard Duan Zhun speak.

The New Party members understood Duan Zhun’s meaning and said no more.

"General Li, General Wang, please come forward and take a look." Jia Cong finally looked at the two military leaders Li Meng and Wang Ning.

The two men were worthy of being the commanders of the army. They knew very well who had the bigger fist and was right. At this moment, confronting Jia Cong was like hitting a rock with an egg. Only those hot-blooded scholars would do such a stupid thing, so they all spoke out in unison to support the second prince.

Jia Cong folded the will again and presented it to the empress, saying, "Mother, after the personal inspection of the ministers and princes, the late emperor's will states that the throne is to be passed on to my second brother."

Empress Chen took it, unfolded it and took a look, then sighed, "It's a pity that Can'er was plotted against by a traitor and died tonight. What should we do?"

Jia Cong said: "Although my second brother is gone, there is still a legitimate son. It is his eldest legitimate son who should ascend the throne. Do you agree with this, my lords?"

Since the ministers had acknowledged Sun Can's status, they could no longer deny Jia Cong's suggestion and all nodded in agreement.

Empress Chen said, "Since all the gentlemen hold this view, quickly go to Can'er's house to fetch Du Ge'er and prepare for the coronation ceremony."

Jia Cong knew that Sun Can's legitimate son Sun Du was four years old this year, and he even gave him a pony, Wan.

Jia Cong said, "Don't worry, mother. I will serve you. Brother Chi, please go there in person."

"It's a small matter. Please wait a moment, mother." Sun Chi bowed and left.

"Lei Tai, Kong Xing, Jie Hui, bring your troops and three hundred new soldiers to accompany His Highness."

"Yes."

Jia Cong glanced at everyone and said, "Mother is too sad today. I will take you back to the palace to rest. We can talk tomorrow if there is anything else."

Empress Chen said, "That's fine. The princes will keep vigil here."

"My son, I obey."

"My Lords, Cong will send the Queen Mother back to the palace to rest first, and will come back later to discuss the next matter with you."

"Your servants respectfully send off Her Majesty the Queen. Young Guard, please do as you please. We are waiting for you." Everyone bowed politely.

Changchun Palace was very close to Yangxin Palace, and they arrived there in a moment. Jia Cong saw a large pool of blood on the ground and said, "My mother was frightened."

"It's okay, it was a close call."

Jia Cong's mind moved, and he said, "I didn't expect that there would be an expert to protect my mother. This way, Cong is relieved."

Empress Chen said, "It's just some mediocre skills, far inferior to yours."

Jia Cong glanced at the two palace maids who were always with the queen and said with a smile, "It's not too far off. If Cong is not prepared, he might suffer a loss."

Empress Chen said, "You are overestimating them. Feihua and Zhaiye are both powerful beings, but how can they be compared with Zilong?"

Jia Cong sighed, "No matter how skilled you are in martial arts, it's useless. The most powerful things in this world are still conspiracies, tricks, and traps. Does the Queen Mother have any instructions for the future of the court?"

Empress Chen said, "Sit down. I haven't thought deeply about this matter yet. Let me hear your thoughts first."

Jia Cong sat opposite her without any hesitation and said thoughtfully, "The reason why Cong did not kill too many people today is because he was concerned about the stability of the court in the future. If the killing is too excessive, I am afraid that the whole world will not submit."

Empress Chen nodded and said, "You have made a lot of considerations. Government is not about fighting and killing, but about compromise. No one can achieve all the goals, otherwise he will be alone.

Only by sharing the benefits and profits can we unite people and achieve world peace.”

Jia Cong praised, "Mother, your insight is profound. I think that Du Ge is too young to govern the country. We should appoint several ministers to assist him."

Uncle Chen has always been a man of great talent. In the past, because of his mother, he lived in seclusion in order to avoid suspicion, and his abilities were buried. Now is the time to use him, and it is time for him to come out of seclusion."

Jia Cong was not talking about Chen Jun, the young uncle of the emperor who did business with him, but Chen Ji, the elder brother of Empress Chen and the current head of the Yingchuan Chen family. He was extremely famous in the literati circle, with many students all over the world, and was definitely one of the top celebrities.

If he comes out, it means that the talents that the Chen family has reserved for many years will be promoted rapidly, which will obviously become a new and powerful force in the officialdom besides the New Party, the Neutral Party and the Academic Party.

Empress Chen laughed and said, "You overestimate him. My brother is just a scholar, how can he be an official?"

Jia Cong smiled and said, "Scholars study for the purpose of bringing peace to the world. They should take the lead."

Empress Chen said, "Please discuss this matter with the ministers. Is there anything else?"

"Anything else? The Beijing army is still fighting outside the city. In order to calm the situation as soon as possible, I have deliberately spared the lives of Li Meng, Wang Ning, Prince Beijing and others, allowing them to suppress the army and appease the generals of the nine border provinces." Jia Cong said.

"Okay, this is a very good proposal. The situation will be stabilized soon and the government will be able to return to normal soon."

"Anything else?" Jia Cong glanced at Empress Chen and said, "Since my son is still young, and your mother is wise and wise, and is a model for the whole country, you are highly respected. I, your son, dare to ask your mother to take charge of the government and rule from behind the curtain to prevent treacherous officials from deceiving the emperor and ruining the country."

This was the biggest gift package he had ever prepared for Queen Chen.

Sure enough, Empress Chen was delighted to hear this, but she kept declining.

Jia Cong smiled and said, "Well, mother is too thin-skinned to be praised or criticized, so I will discuss this matter with the ministers and princes of the royal family."

Empress Chen rolled her eyes at him and said, "You are disrespectful. After all this talk, what ambitions do you have, Cong-ge'er? When Du-ge'er ascends the throne in the future, you will be his uncle, so how could he treat you badly?"

Jia Cong bowed and smiled, "Thank you for your kindness, mother. However, I am lazy by nature and have no interest in a career in politics. It is better for me to stay at home and mourn for my father. I will just be an idle prince consort in the future.

By the way, now that Cong is a first-class general, he shouldn’t even have soldiers to keep. When the mourning period is over, Cong will sail across the ocean to Korea or Japan to spend the rest of his life.”

Empress Chen pretended to be angry and said, "Asshole, the late emperor was instigated and deceived by traitors a few days ago and demoted you again and again. Now that the new emperor has ascended the throne, he will certainly vindicate you.

Not only that, you have made great contributions this time, and you should be promoted to a higher position. You were already a Duke back then, and I think it is not too much to promote you to the title of King since you have taken over the position of King Nan'an this time."

Jia Cong said with a fake smile: "I dare not accept the grace from my mother. How can a general be promoted to a prince directly? How can I be worthy of it? How can the civil and military officials of the court be convinced? This is absolutely unacceptable."

Although Empress Chen gave some bargaining chips, it was still far from what Jia Cong expected. He had taken great pains to bring the new army from afar, not just for a crappy royal title.

Empress Chen naturally understood what he meant. After a little probing, she realized that he had a huge appetite and even ignored the title of a king of a different surname. It was obvious that Jia Cong was very clear-headed and could not be bought off by small favors.

Yin smiled and said, "You have made great contributions to the country and suffered great injustice. You should be rewarded heavily to show that the court is clear about rewards and punishments. Moreover, at this time when the ruler is young and the country is in doubt, we need a pillar like Zilong to stabilize the world! I have thought of this and that. What do you think?"

The smile on Jia Cong's face was more sincere. He just said that he had to mourn his father and was not worthy of the position, and waved his hand to decline.

Queen Chen knew that he was waiting for a good price, and now that she needed him, she had no choice but to keep raising the price. (End of this chapter)