meet
Inside the capital and outside the palace walls, undercurrents have been surging for a long time.
Apart from Emperor Guangqi's increasingly shrinking circle of core confidants, everyone from royal nobles to peddlers and porters was talking about Princess Mingzhu outside the city, and everyone was weighing the changes that were about to happen.
The night was deep, and inside a distinguished prince's residence, candles were brightly lit, yet they could not illuminate the entire room full of power.
The man with white hair and beard sitting on the main seat is the current emperor's great-uncle, Prince Rui Ningke.
He had served in three dynasties and was highly respected. Although he had no real power, he was quite prestigious among the royal family.
At this moment, he was twirling his Buddhist beads with a frown on his face. Sitting around him were several princes and nephews, as well as one or two trusted guests.
"Granduncle Emperor," a middle-aged member of the imperial family spoke first, "Emperor Guangqi has committed atrocities, and the evidence is irrefutable. The people have lost all support, and the army has lost its will to fight. Princess Mingzhu's army is at the gates of the city, and her prestige is growing. I'm afraid the capital can no longer be defended. If I hesitate any longer, I'm afraid..."
Although he hadn't finished speaking, his meaning was clear. If they didn't make plans early, when the city was broken, they, the relatives of the previous dynasty, might not be able to gain the favor of the new master, and they might even have difficulty preserving their current wealth and status.
Prince Rui slowly opened his eyes, his gaze cloudy yet still sharp. "Can't defend it? Humph, even if I can't defend it, what if Ning Lingyi comes in? She's a woman after all. Can she really sit on the throne herself? Ultimately, the throne of this world must belong to a man named Ning."
"She will naturally appoint the Sixth Prince Yan He as the heir!" another person immediately responded.
"He's the son of the retired emperor, and has always been with Princess Mingzhu. They have a deep sisterly bond. The princess's rebellion this time is pretentious, but her real intention is to help her younger brother ascend the throne, right? If I make my stance clear now and support the Sixth Prince, I'll also be credited with supporting him in the future."
As soon as these words were spoken, several people nodded in agreement.
Supporting a new king and following his example are the only ways to survive in troubled times.
Prince Rui slowly shook his head, the wrinkles on his face deepening. "Appoint the Sixth Prince? Have you ever considered what kind of person Ning Lingyi is? He fought his way out of the bloodbath in Heshuo and marched towards the capital with the force of thunder. How could he be content to be inferior to others for long?"
"Even if the Sixth Prince is enthroned, a mere child, won't the power of the government still fall into her hands? By then, she will have all the power in her hands, and how can we old members of the royal family have any say? Our support for him today is like driving away a tiger at the front door, only to face a wolf at the back door. We will still be fish on the chopping board!"
These words were like cold water poured down, calming down the heated head a little.
Yes, Ning Lingyi is so powerful. Once she takes control of the central government, how can she allow others to interfere? I'm afraid that these clan members will find it difficult to even maintain their current reputation and honor.
"Your Highness is right." A courtier who had been silent all this time spoke slowly, twirling his goatee with a gleam in his eyes.
"This world belongs to the Ning family. How can we allow a woman like her, even if she shares the surname Ning, to seize power so easily? Even if we welcome her into the city, we must impose certain restrictions and not let her do as she pleases."
He paused, and when he saw everyone's gazes converge, he lowered his voice and asked, "Do you all still remember the late Crown Prince?"
The former crown prince? Everyone was stunned.
The eldest son who was forced to hit his head against a pillar and died by Emperor Guangqi?
"Emperor Guangqi came to power illegitimately and forced the crown prince to death. The late crown prince died unjustly." The Qingke continued, "Although the late crown prince has passed away, the crown prince's grandson is still alive!"
The Crown Prince! The only son of the late Crown Prince!
"But I heard that the Crown Prince has become extremely stupid since the shocking incident in the Eastern Palace!" someone asked in surprise.
"So what if he's stupid?" A calculating glint flashed in the Qingke's eyes. "It is precisely because of his stupidity that he deserves a heaven-sent tablet! We are supporting the Crown Prince to ascend the throne. It is legitimate and justifiable. It not only demonstrates our determination to uphold the orthodoxy and uphold justice for the late Crown Prince, but also allows us to control Princess Mingzhu!"
"Brilliant!" another person clapped their hands and exclaimed, "Princess Mingzhu is the late Crown Prince's sister and the Crown Prince's aunt! Back when the Retired Emperor was still alive, he even had the princess teach the Crown Prince, and they had a master-disciple relationship. If she objects, she'll be betraying her brother and nephew. How will the world view her?"
"If she agrees, and the Crown Prince is mentally retarded and unable to govern, a regent will inevitably be appointed. By then, Your Highness, you will be the most senior and highly respected. If you unite with the other clan members and ministers, are you still afraid that you won't be able to compete with her for the regent position? At least we can compete with her and she won't have such absolute control! It's better than letting the Sixth Prince, who has a deep sibling relationship with Ning Lingyi, take the throne. We won't even get a sip of soup!"
These words analyze the interests involved vividly.
Supporting a foolish crown prince can not only occupy the high ground of etiquette and justice, but also put Ning Lingyi in a constrained position, and gain huge political space for themselves. It is really wonderful.
Prince Rui stopped twisting his Buddhist beads with his fingers, and a gleam of light flashed in his cloudy eyes, obviously he had been persuaded.
He pondered for a long time, finally nodding slowly. "That's true. Although Lingyi is a woman, she is also the blood of our Ning family. Now, it is her duty to restore order, support her nephew who died unjustly, and continue the orthodox lineage. This world, after all, belongs to the Ning family. Since she is capable of this, then she should bear more responsibility for the Ning family."
The plan was decided, and Prince Rui's Palace immediately took secret action.
However, two days later, a memorial headed by Prince Rui and signed by more than ten royal family nobles was quietly delivered to Ning Lingyi outside the city.
The memorial bitterly outlined Guangqi's crimes and respectfully requested Princess Mingzhu to come to the capital to "restore order, avenge her brother's injustice, and restore the Ning family's rule." It also "earnestly requested" the princess to support the crown prince Ning Chengji in succeeding the throne. At the same time, it was widely expected that Princess Mingzhu be appointed regent to assist the young emperor.
This memorial caused a huge uproar in Ning Lingyi's army.
Inside the big tent, opinions were diametrically opposed.
Xue Cheng was the first to speak out: "Your Highness, this is a godsend opportunity. The royal family has expressed their support, and we have the status and righteousness in our hands! We can enter the capital without bloodshed! As for what happens next..."
"Since the Crown Prince is in such a state, and the power of regent is in our hands, we can proceed slowly. The most urgent task is to enter the city!"
He has been on the battlefield for a long time and knows the difficulties of attacking the city. If he can enter the city peacefully, it will be the best choice.
However, Jing Zhao's reaction was extremely intense. His face flushed red, and he almost lost his usual gentle demeanor. "No! Absolutely not! Your Highness, please understand! This proposal is absolutely unacceptable!"
He turned to Ning Lingyi, his tone anxious and even a little panicked, "The Sixth Prince is the late emperor's son, and his bond with you is extraordinary. Your Highness has fought bloody battles to this day, how can you make wedding clothes for others? If the grandson is appointed as the crown prince, where will those of us who have always supported Your Highness and the Sixth Prince be placed? How can Your Highness be worthy of the Sixth Prince who is far away in Jiangnan?"
He represents the huge investment and expectations of the Jiangnan Jing family behind him, how can he let it go to waste?
Nong Zishi stroked his beard, pondering, his attitude more cautious. "Prince Rui and his men may not have pure intentions. They simply want to use this as a means of dividing power and checking Your Highness. However, their proposals do have advantages in terms of etiquette and law. Whether to accept them, and the pros and cons, remains to be determined by Your Highness."
Opinions from all parties clashed fiercely, and finally all eyes were focused on Ning Lingyi.
Ning Lingyi held the memorial, her fingertips feeling slightly cold.
The Crown Prince... the once bright and clever child who would pull at her clothes and say, "Aunt, teach me," and speak up for her in front of the Emperor, the nephew who had become stupid and dull after the tragedy in the Eastern Palace...
If she enthrones him, she will have easy access to the support of the royal family, and the gates of the capital may be opened to her.
But, then what?
Pushing a foolish child onto the throne, turning him into a puppet for various factions to contend with? Is this truly for his own good? Or is it simply to satisfy certain individuals' calculations?
She thought of Zhaoyang, the former crown prince who had hit his head against the pillar, the paralyzed emperor, the queen mother, and the deposed crown princess...
She raised an army for revenge, to redress injustice, to prevent the country from falling into the hands of despicable people, and to give the people a chance to rest in peace, but not to turn her blood relatives into sacrifices on the altar of power.
She threw this petition into the fire.
In the following days, several waves of officials from the capital came and expressed opinions similar to Prince Rui's, either explicitly or implicitly. They simply hoped that she would accept the regent's arrangement, support the crown prince, and promise her supreme power. There was no lack of speculation and temptation in their words, hoping to get a share of this power transition.
Ning Lingyi did not agree to any of them.
Her attitude was unclear. She neither refused outright nor accepted it with pleasure. She just asked Nong Zishi and others to be polite and keep the visitor at bay.
That night, the spring air was still chilly, but a hint of warmth had already arrived.
Ning Lingyi was in a state of uneasy emotion and walked out of the camp casually, while Nong Zishi followed silently beside her.
In the wilderness of the capital, the remaining snow melted, revealing the tender grass buds underneath. The distant mountains were covered in dark green, and the night wind brought the fresh scent of soil.
"Sir, do you also think that I should accept Prince Rui's invitation?" Ning Lingyi suddenly spoke, her voice calm, but with a hint of imperceptible fatigue.
Nong Zishi paused for a moment and said, "I am just confused. The capital is just around the corner, but Your Highness doesn't seem to be in a hurry to go in."
Ning Lingyi stared at the towering city outline in the darkness in the distance for a long time, then whispered, "That location is too far away from too many people, so they only see its brilliant light and think it's worth trading everything for. They're crazy about it, and will do anything to achieve it. But for me..."
She paused, her voice even softer, yet incredibly clear, "It never made me feel tempted, only endlessly heavy."
Nong Zishi was shocked when he heard this. He looked carefully at Ning Lingyi's profile and saw that her eyes were clear and calm, without a trace of hypocrisy.
He suddenly understood and sighed, "I understand now. Your Highness is strong because he has no desires and demands nothing from others. Therefore, he is not constrained by them and is not swayed by those seemingly tempting conditions."
"They took out what they thought was the most valuable thing to trade with me," Ning Lingyi raised a very faint arc at the corner of her lips, like a mockery, but also like pity.
"Power, the title of regent... Unfortunately, that's not what I really want."
"Then what does Your Highness want?" Nong Zishi couldn't help but ask.
Ning Lingyi was silent for a moment before she said, "I hope the world will be peaceful, the people will live in peace, and I can live a peaceful life."
Nong Zishi was solemn and bowed deeply: "Your Highness's heart, this old minister knows it."
Since that night, the capital city is still in sight.
But for Ning Lingyi, her mood was completely different from when she first arrived.
She was still thinking about how to take over the capital, but she hadn't made a decision yet.
However, an unexpected change occurred.
Late one night.
I don’t know when it started, and I don’t know who took the lead.
Perhaps it was a city gate guard who had had enough of oppression, perhaps it was a commoner whose loved ones had been tragically killed by the Qiang swords and was filled with resentment, or perhaps it was a scholar whose blood boiled after reading the manifesto...
In short, a long-suppressed torrent finally broke through the dam.
Hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians poured out from every corner of the capital. They had no unified command, but they had common expectations.
They gathered at a city gate, and the defenders not only did not stop them, but joined them one after another.
There was no fierce battle, no bloody massacre. Almost in a silent tacit understanding, the heavy city gate was pushed open by thousands and tens of thousands of people. A crack, and then it became bigger and bigger!
More and more people rushed out of the city like a bursting dam tide, heading towards the Mingzhu Camp twenty miles away.
They are going to meet Princess Mingzhu who brings hope.
Ning Lingyi was awakened by the roaring waves outside the camp.
She put on her clothes and walked out of the tent. She saw torches like dragons, illuminating half the sky. Tens of thousands of civilians and unarmed soldiers knelt in the open field in front of the camp, their kowtows and cries shaking the whole area:
"Welcome Her Royal Highness Princess Mingzhu!"
"Your Highness, please come to the capital! Please help us recover the lost land and let the people live and work in peace."
"Your Highness! Let's go into the city!"
The people’s hearts and minds are in favor of us, and the city gates are open.
The capital city fell at her feet in a way that was almost miraculous.
Ning Lingyi looked at the dark crowd in front of her and the open gate of the capital in the distance. She seemed to be dreaming, but this was not a dream.
Her people came to greet her.
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