Chapter 149 Cooking (Part 2)

Compared with the previous tentative cries, this last wailing was the most intense and the most genuine; the important ministers had already prepared for it. Although they had been lying on the ground to create a good atmosphere, they secretly kept their voices down and lowered their heads, quietly saving their energy; they even asked the imperial physician for red dates and ginseng slices, and held them in their mouths to nourish their spirits. As soon as the news that the emperor had passed away came out, he immediately threw himself to the ground, beat his chest and stamped his feet, and wailed at the top of his lungs!

This way of crying with all one's strength and dedication is called "擗跳" in etiquette. It is the ritual of ministers crying for their king. It is truly a scene of being unable to control one's grief and almost fainting on the spot in agony, dying along with the late emperor. But such a scene could not last long. When several old ministers cried until their faces were red and they were out of breath, the ginseng could no longer be effective. The head ministers Yan and Xu knew when to stop and immediately rushed over to support Prince Yu, who was also on the verge of collapse, and comforted him in a sad voice:

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty should still mourn and protect your health. There are so many important matters in the world, and Your Majesty must make the final decision!"

Hearing the word "Your Majesty", the rest of the people who were crying on the ground trembled all over and could not help but raise their heads to look at the two old men with disheveled white hair. To be honest, the senior officials at the central government have worked together for many years, and there may be some conflicts between them; but when the time comes, one has to admire these two old seniors from the bottom of their hearts - no wonder they have been able to survive in the officialdom for decades, just look at how likable they are!

"emperor"! "emperor"! ——What a pleasant name, what an appropriate flattery! How come these two old men got ahead of us in taking advantage of this golden opportunity?

Prince Yu - no, the heir to the throne cried so much that he felt dizzy. When he heard the word "Emperor", he was stunned for a moment, as if he had never expected, even in his dreams, that there would be such a day. But after a moment of stagnation, the well-read emperor finally reacted and waved his hand:

"Your Excellency is wrong, Your Excellency is wrong! How can a boy like me shoulder the responsibility of taking on the throne of the country and the legacy of our ancestors? Besides, my father, the late emperor, did not leave any instructions, and I cannot overstep my authority. I should choose another capable person to inherit the throne..."

"It is precisely because of our ancestors' legacy that we ask Your Majesty to take the throne early to reassure the people." Elder Yan insisted, "Besides, although the late emperor fell ill suddenly and could not speak, he sent someone to summon Your Majesty to the palace before his death. His intention to pass on the throne was obvious! If Your Majesty continues to decline, what will happen to the country?"

He is truly a top-notch political figure and a master of power politics. With just a few words, the biggest concern about Prince Yu's succession to the throne, the doubt about the legitimacy of the succession, was easily eliminated. This extremely wise look was enough to make the new emperor feel grateful and ensure the safety and prosperity of the next generation of his Yan family!

Of course, there are still loopholes in what Lord Yan said. The emperor suddenly fell seriously ill and lost consciousness. The palace did send news to the cabinet, but all the evidence was just a piece of imperial note with the word "Mu" written on it, and the rest was left to the ministers to make up. Prince Mu understood this as summoning important ministers into the palace after his illness; Lord Yan went a step further and simply interpreted it as a hint of the late emperor's succession to the throne; it can be said that they were all innovative and each showed off their abilities, which fully reflected the important ministers' bold assumptions with rich imagination - as for whether these bold assumptions had any basis, that was hard to say.

Of course, since Fei Xuan Zhenjun, who has already ascended to immortality, does not have the magical skill of continuing to fight, it is unlikely that he will open his coffin and return to the world to punish the traitors. As for Li Zaifang, the seal holder of the Imperial Household Department who was the most able to understand the late emperor's intentions, he could only prostrate himself on the ground, trembling and weeping, unable to utter a single word.

According to the usual practice, the eunuch who holds the seal of the inner court and has been walking around in the palace for decades has an influence on the palace that is unparalleled. He is absolutely qualified to compete for the right to interpret the late emperor's will when the crown prince is appointed. If the arrangement is proper, even the cabinet will be at a disadvantage. But again, this earth-shaking event happened too quickly, and Eunuch Li and Eunuch Huang were too frightened, too surprised, and too unprepared; they may have power and influence, but in this hasty moment, they simply did not have time to organize their strength. So they used speed to beat speed, touched the back and controlled the throat, so that the woman couldn't even get a word in!

So, the news from the palace was so critical and important. The matter of succession to the throne depends on speed. Whoever seizes the initiative will win everything. On the contrary, if the information about the emperor's serious illness comes half an hour later, all the ministers in the outer court will be in an absolutely passive position and will have no choice but to be at the mercy of the eunuchs. Apart from anything else, if the Imperial Household Department finds out who made the emperor sick before his death, everyone will be in trouble!

However, all this may be false. After the cabinet entered the palace, the situation was already determined, and a single word could influence major events, leaving no room for others to interfere.

And now, the prince of Muguo said that sentence just right:

"When the late emperor was ill, it was Lord Sishan—Princess Sishan—who served him medicine. I'm sure the princess should know the late emperor's intention to pass on the throne."

Hearing this reminder, Princess Sishan, who was also kneeling beside the bed, trembled slightly and finally raised her head. She struggled to crawl to the emperor's knees and wept and bowed down:

"emperor!"

At this moment, appropriate sorrow and tears are the most powerful weapons, enough to put an end to all potential discussions; so Prince Yu burst into tears and grabbed Princess Sishan's hand:

"younger sister!"

·

By the time the two nobles had wiped away the tears of their brotherly and sisterly friendship, the ministers nearby had basically recovered. Previously, Lord Yan and Lord Xu took the lead, and now it is Lord Li's turn. He pondered for a moment, then kowtowed and requested:

"The emperor has passed away, the sky is falling and the earth is breaking, it is a time of crisis for the country. I hope the successor emperor will take good care of himself and make a plan as soon as possible."

He paused, then slowly said:

"The late emperor passed away suddenly. This edict..."

Yes, the will.

Feixuan Zhenjun Wanshou Emperor has been on the throne for nearly fifty years. Regardless of his merits and demerits, he is truly a top-notch political strategist who holds his own authority and speaks on behalf of the heaven, making the world terrified and terrified. Especially in his later years, he won victory after victory, had great martial arts skills, and used his power and wealth to his advantage, with a reputation that is comparable to that of his predecessors. If it weren't for the dozens or hundreds of minor faults such as extravagance and corruption, laziness and idleness, abuse of power, crushing of loyal ministers, blocking of speech, selfishness, cruelty, meanness and ingratitude, he would probably be not far behind Gaozu and Taizong.

Although this person is dead, his influence still shocks people of different customs. The influence of the Taiping Emperor during his fifty years was far-reaching. As a political summary of his life's deeds, this last edict also had the effect of a decisive force. Needless to say, according to the Confucian principle of "don't change your father's policies for three years", the expectations of the previous emperor for his descendants in his will can almost be regarded as the governing program of the new emperor after he ascends the throne.

Such a crucial document is, of course, a piece of cake that no politician can let go of. Judging from historical facts, the reason why Lord Xu broke up with Gao Suqing, who was also a member of the Qingliu clan, was because Lord Xu, on his deathbed, monopolized the power to draft the edict, and even summoned his close disciple Zhang Taiyue in the middle of the night to secretly work on the edict. After it was promulgated, the cabinet was neither willing to recognize it nor to reject it. As a result, the fragile alliance collapsed in an instant, and the three of Xu, Gao and Zhang became enemies, and the party struggle lasted for more than 20 years.

Master Feixuan, who had been extremely fond of stealing things throughout his life, was actually framed with an imperial edict that was equally as fond of stealing things. How could this not be considered a match made in heaven?

Of course, Lord Xu doesn’t have time to engage in such conspiracies now. Everyone was talking face to face, all kinds of expressions were visible, and no one was allowed to do anything in private. After a moment's hesitation, Lord Yan suddenly spoke.

"Brother Zishi is right." He called out the name of Li Gelao: "The will is indeed a big deal, and it must be handled properly. However, after the death of the great emperor, I was in great pain, and my mind was distracted. I wish I could accompany the late emperor in the afterlife, and I really don't have the energy to ponder the text. The many things after the death of the great emperor can only be entrusted to you; this old minister is old and useless, and I am only willing to accompany the great emperor here..."

Having said this, Lord Yan wiped his red and swollen old eyes again, lowered his head and said nothing.

So tactful, so implicit, so heartfelt, as if it were truly the love between a dog and his master, all uttered with utmost sincerity; if the late emperor knew about this, he would probably be moved; and the implication of his words was equally obvious - obviously, the political situation would inevitably change drastically after the succession of imperial power, and the Yan Party, which had never had much contact with Prince Yu, had already begun to think of danger and change, and to step back from the limelight.

As the Prime Minister for several years, holding all the power (well, with the Crown Prince trying so hard to infringe on his power, the elder had to hold power), Yan Fenyi can be said to be rich and honorable, which is enough to comfort him in his life; and the merit he had contributed to the throne when the funeral was held earlier, probably cannot be wiped out even if Prince Yu ascends the throne. In this way, all the matters before and after have been properly settled. After much thought, of course, it would be appropriate to escape quickly and get rid of this hot potato of the will.

There was silence in the palace for a moment, and Prince Yu finally spoke:

"Then please rest first. You are an old minister of the previous dynasty, and you should take good care of yourself for the country." He whispered, "As for the matter of the will, please ask Mr. Xu to take charge and discuss with the cabinet... the cabinet and the Foreign Affairs Office, and prepare a draft for me to see first."

In this instant, Prince Yu had already made a plan. After Lord Yan retires, the cabinet can no longer make any major moves. Letting Xu Shaohu take over as Prime Minister is a good strategy for a smooth transition. Of course, in his heart, he certainly hoped that his caring and thoughtful teacher Gao Suqing could take office immediately to run the government; but Gao Suqing only had the title of "cabinet walker" up to now, and was not an official cabinet member. Xu Shaohu would have to wait for a few years before he could take office smoothly.

...As for the so-called "Foreign Affairs Office", it is purely a reward for merit. Now that he had finished crying, Prince Yu's mind became clear. He knew that without the Crown Prince and Zhang Taiyue who worked so hard to deliver the message in time, the outcome of today would be hard to predict. Now that the overall situation has been decided, of course we must reward those who have made contributions. Considering Zhang Taiyue's extremely young age (in his thirties!), it would be too shocking to list him alone in the list of the will, so they simply brought all the members of the Foreign Affairs Office into the drafting group to conceal his presence.

Of course, as a result, the status of the Foreign Affairs Office was inevitably greatly strengthened, even too much…From the time Emperor Gaozu established the Grand Secretary to advise on state affairs, to the end of Emperor Xuanzong's reign when the Three Yangs were in power, it took the Cabinet fifty years to gain influence, take charge of affairs, and establish the six ministries under one authority; and now, this small temporary agency, the Foreign Affairs Office, has been established for less than five years, but it also has the authority to participate in major events!

When he thought of this, Lord Xu was overwhelmed with mixed feelings and it was really hard to tell what he felt. The waves behind the Yangtze River push the waves in front of them, and the waves in front of them beat on the beach. Even though his wish has come true and he has the qualifications to compete for the position of Prime Minister, when he looks at Zhang Taiyue, who is kneeling behind the crowd and is as young as a bunch of water onions, Lord Xu still feels melancholy.

However, there is no room for bargaining now. Elder Xu lowered his head:

"I obey your order."

·

The will needed careful consideration, so everyone retreated into the small side room outside the bedroom, leaving the main hall to the royal brothers and sisters. Now, the late emperor's children have to wipe away their tears of grief and start discussing how to preserve this unique family business in the world - this is the Zhu family's own family affair, and it is certainly not convenient for outsiders to listen in.

The side room of the bedroom is the secret room where Master Feixuan practiced Taoism. It is exquisite and gorgeous. Because the incident happened suddenly, all kinds of decorations had no time to be removed, and one could still see the three magnificent god tablets enshrined behind the screen. They were still carved with gold and jade, with dragons and phoenixes flying, and the three god titles of Master Feixuan, Emperor Wanshou, Emperor Qingmiao were respectfully displayed, with an extremely condescending momentum. But thinking of the late emperor who was still lying next door, the important ministers could only bow their heads in silence. If they looked around at the incense burners and leaf crowns on all sides, and recalled the glorious days when they served the late emperor, respectfully wrote green poems, and took elixirs, the awkward and weird feeling would probably arise spontaneously.

There are many stagnant bones in Liu Che’s Maoling Mausoleum, and there are many abalones in Ying Zheng’s cypress coffin. Alas!

Lord Xu stood under the shrine for a while, as if recalling the glorious days when he and Lord Yan welcomed the late emperor together. After brewing his emotions for a while, he slowly spoke:

"The late emperor reigned for fifty years, with his holy writings and divine achievements, his wise counsels and wise judgments; his great virtues are so great that the people cannot name them. We are writing the will in accordance with the wishes of the successor emperor, and we must speak fairly."

After hearing this, everyone had different looks and their expressions were quite strange. Li Jurong, the elder Li Ge, was very shrewd and could still reconcile; but those with less experience like Gao Suqing and Zhang Taiyue could not bear it and looked directly at Xu Shaohu, who had just taken over as the Prime Minister, and almost flashed a look of horror and surprise.

——No way, are you going to settle accounts with the late emperor?

We all came from the world of words. No one would talk about Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio with a thousand-year-old fox, so of course he could immediately understand the sarcastic tone in Xu Shaohu's words. There is no need to elaborate on the nonsense about holy texts and divine powers. What is the reason for "the people cannot name it"? ——“The people are incapable of understanding” was originally what Confucius said to praise Emperor Yao. He said that Yao ruled the world by doing nothing, and everything was in line with the great way. Although the people were blessed, they could not point out the specific achievements of the emperor. The so-called vast and majestic is the way of Heaven. But what does it imply to praise the late emperor in this way?

The merits and virtues of the late emperor are so great that people all over the world don’t know what kind of virtues the late emperor had.

No matter how you look at it, this evaluation, this evaluation, is really too - too appropriate!

If defeated, he would bear hatred in his heart; if victorious, he would counterattack; after being crushed and humiliated by Master Feixuan for more than ten years, after being forced to write poems and take elixirs to flatter him for more than ten years, after being trembling with fear on the edge of a cliff for more than ten years, Xu Shaohu, who was smooth and experienced, smiling, and seemed to have been polished without any edges, finally launched a desperate counterattack and delivered the ultimate move to Master Feixuan.

——Keep an eye on the late emperor, this is Lord Xu’s final ripple!

He has been gnashing his teeth and sucking blood, enduring shame and humiliation, and has endured under the emperor's majesty until today. I wonder how deeply Lord Xu suppressed himself and how much effort he has put in to cultivate his energy! But no matter what, Lord Xu's test achieved the expected effect. After hearing such obvious sarcasm, everyone present was silent for a moment, and no one spoke up to refute.

...Yeah, who would argue with that? If we count on our fingers, among the five people who drafted the edict in the ear room, except Zhang Taiyue who is still young and has not received the grace of the late emperor, who else has not experienced what it is like to work under the late emperor? Lord Xu and Lord Li were forced to perform shaman dances and write Qingci to guess the emperor's riddles day and night. The physical and mental injuries they suffered were secondary. The notoriety of "Lord Qingci" was well-known and could never be erased. Master Gao accompanied Prince Yu in the palace. During the years when "the two dragons did not meet", how much humiliation and insults had he suffered from the eunuchs in the palace? Even the prince of Duke Mu probably dare not forget the taste of heavy metals!

If the king treats his subjects as his own hands and feet, then the subjects will treat the king as their own heart and soul; if the king treats his subjects as dirt, then the subjects will treat the king as their enemy. Nothing in the world can escape this truth.

So, what good things do you expect from this group of people who can be called the Avengers?

What does “speaking fairly” mean? If we really want to be fair and make an objective, impartial and dialectical evaluation of Master Feixuan and Master Wanshou, then looking at the Master's life as a whole, his faults outweigh his faults, his flaws do not outweigh his flaws, and his praises and criticisms are mixed. We cannot overemphasize some of Zhenjun’s minor mistakes due to personal emotions, but we must also pay attention to his bigger and worse mistakes; we cannot blame him for everything due to historical limitations, but we must see the intolerable flaws in Zhenjun’s character and personality - history will have its own judgment on these years when there were so many mistakes.

- Of course, considering the Confucian virtues of filial piety and loyalty, and considering the reputation that will last for generations, such a big truth must not be made public (however, the successor emperor probably won't have anything good to say either). So everyone quickly regained their composure after being shocked, and tacitly agreed with Xu Shaohu's opinion:

The main body of the will must be exaggerated and full of praise, such as sacred texts and divine works, glorifying the past, respecting heaven and following ancestors, and as many free allusions as one wants; but in the specific details, one can give full play to them, focusing on yin and yang, and letting everyone get justice when they have grievances and revenge when they have vengeance.

It is true that the dead are the greatest; it is not appropriate to make unauthorized comments on the former king. But the ministers are also men whose necks are buried in the earth. If they don’t vent their anger, they will never be able to think straight for the rest of their lives!

·

After the basic policy is determined, the next step is for everyone to speak in turn.

Lord Xu suggested that the principles of "striving to avoid extravagance" and "thriftiness be a virtue" be added to the will, and that all extravagant tasks in the palace be abolished to save expenses. As for how the "holy and powerful" late emperor could have so many extravagant expenses, please think about it yourself.

Lord Li suggested that the emperor's will should include the words "respect heaven and cultivate virtue", "abolished fasting and offering sacrifices", and expelled all alchemists and evildoers, so as to hint to the world that the late emperor's sudden death was caused by the bad effects of the elixirs he took, and had nothing to do with other people - as for the specific reasons for the emperor's death, it was suggested not to ask too much.

Mr. Gao also suggested that the will should show an attitude of hating evil, strictly enforcing discipline, and "forgiving no one." The late emperor passed away rather suddenly, and all those who should be executed have not yet been executed; now the prisons are overcrowded, and there are still many smuggling criminals who have colluded with Japanese pirates and Westerners. Normally, a new emperor would grant amnesty upon ascending the throne, but the Ministry of Foreign Affairs came to power by stepping on the heads of Japanese pirates and Westerners, so naturally, it would not allow such remnants to linger on - since bloodshed was not appropriate when a new emperor ascended the throne, it would be better to simply add a sentence in the will, to take all those who should be killed but were not killed to the underworld to serve the late emperor.

Xu, Li, and Gao talked one after another, brainstorming and inspiring each other. Zhang Taiyue, the least experienced, sat at the table, pondering the text according to the instructions of the big guys and carefully considering the wording of the will. Half an hour later, Zhang Taiyue had finished drafting the document and handed it to Lord Xu for review.

Xu, Li, and Gao looked at it and nodded to each other, all thinking it was appropriate. Elder Xu in the middle pondered for a moment, then suddenly said:

"Does the prince have any other advice?"

The three of them were discussing the outline just now, and Prince Mu was silent almost the entire time. Apart from occasionally interrupting and expressing some insignificant opinions, he basically did not interfere with the thinking behind the edict. Such silence could be explained as caution, or perhaps because the other party was too ignorant to intervene, but the other party's status was there after all, so Xu Shaohu had to ask this question himself.

"I dare not talk about the word 'instruction'." The prince said, "I just think that the late emperor has been worrying about the country for fifty years. Looking back on the past, what he can't let go of is still the people of the world."

When these words were spoken, several people in the ear room were stunned. To be honest, the combination of the words "the late emperor" and "the people of the world" is so awkward no matter how you look at it. It is so weird and strange that one almost suspects it was a slip of the tongue. But everyone was stunned for a few seconds, and then reacted immediately: the edict can be regarded as the governing program of the next emperor; it doesn’t matter whether the late emperor cares about the people of the world, but as long as it is written in the edict, the successor emperor must always think about the people.

Everyone knows that the late emperor was harsh and arbitrary. Previously, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had been vigorously carrying out reforms, which seemed to be a great success. However, except for one or two measures that could bring direct profits to the royal family, the rest were extremely difficult to implement. After the successful establishment of the cement workshop, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had repeatedly requested to use cement to repair the passages of several transportation fortresses in the north to facilitate transportation; but after much delay, in the end only the roads in Tianjin Port were completed, and the rest were still a long way off - after all, Tianjin Port had to transport luxury supplements for the emperor, and that could not be delayed.

In addition, after deposing and executing a large number of criminal royal family members, the cabinet also hoped to confiscate their land and divide it among local tenant farmers for cultivation in order to quell the land conflicts in the inland; but the emperor remained silent, and basically planned to deal with it coldly after it was flooded - if everyone forgot about this matter after a few years, it is estimated that the True Lord would still plan to swallow up the relatives' property and directly wipe out the entire family.

There are so many cases where things were abandoned halfway and ended up in nothing after being obstructed by the True Lord that they are too numerous to mention. Now that this sentence has been added to the will, subsequent matters will be much easier to handle.

This was also the implementation of the cabinet's long-standing ambition, and was also intended to win the new emperor a reputation for his benevolence. Of course, no one could refuse. Several important officials looked at each other and nodded.

Seeing Zhang Taiyue leaning over to modify the will, Lord Xu hesitated for a moment before finally sighing:

"...The prince didn't say a word before. He is a loyal and honest man!"

·

——Yes, when everyone was venting their anger and vying to settle accounts with the emperor, being able to show such precious silence, how could this not be considered a kind of magnanimity and loyalty? When the ministers thought of this, they couldn't help feeling a little ashamed.