Chapter 259 A country cannot be without a ruler for a single day
Shen Qingci looked at the Imperial Guard commander with a half-smile, her eyes as if she were looking at a dying man.
“Moreover,” she slowly raised the bright yellow imperial edict in her hand, which was already stained with blood, her voice clear and melodious, “Emperor Yongming personally issued the edict before he died.”
"He personally admitted that my entire Shen family died unjustly! He personally wrote an imperial edict to restore my father and brothers to their original official positions and clear the name of my entire Shen family!"
The commander of the Imperial Guards turned deathly pale instantly, but still managed to maintain his last shred of loyalty, roaring fiercely, "Even if your father and brothers are truly innocent, it cannot cover up your heinous crime of murdering the emperor in the palace!"
“Yes.” Shen Qingci nodded, her clear phoenix eyes showing no fear, but rather an arrogant sense of entitlement. “I murdered the emperor, so what?”
She slowly stepped forward, and the icy aura emanating from her body made even the commander of the Imperial Guards take a step back!
"Emperor Yongming was incompetent and corrupt, persecuting loyal officials and leaving the people on the border in dire straits! Such a person was not worthy of sitting on this dragon throne!"
“This throne,” her voice suddenly turned sharp, filled with undeniable authority, “is about to be occupied by someone else!”
Upon hearing this, the commander of the Imperial Guards seemed to have heard the biggest joke in the world!
He abruptly raised his head, his gaze sweeping contemptuously over Chu Jichen's long legs, which were still in the wheelchair, and sneered: "Replace him? Replace him?"
"Do you really think that the entire court would agree to let a cripple who can't even walk become the emperor of my Great Zhou?"
A chilling killing intent flashed in Chu Jichen's eyes!
But the expression on his face remained calm and languid.
"Then I will let you see for yourself," his voice was not loud, but every word was like a knife, "whether the entire court of officials will allow me... to become the emperor."
Before he finished speaking, the guards behind him appeared silently behind the Imperial Guard commander like ghosts, seized him, and quickly stuffed a cloth into his mouth!
Chu Jichen didn't even glance at him again, but instead raised his voice and ordered in a deep voice towards the outside of the hall: "Sound the funeral bell!"
"Open the palace gates!"
"His Majesty has passed away!"
That sharp and long sound, coming from near and then far, instantly shattered the deathly silence of the palace!
Immediately afterwards, "Clang! Clang! Clang!"
The heavy and mournful tolling of the funeral bells echoed through the silent night, reverberating throughout the capital city!
Shen Qingci pushed Chu Jichen's wheelchair, and amidst the ringing of the bells, they slowly made their way towards the Golden Palace, which symbolized supreme power.
In just half an hour, the Golden Hall was gradually filled with civil and military officials who had rushed there upon hearing the news.
They looked at Chu Jichen, who sat calmly beside the dragon throne with an indifferent expression, and then at the empty dragon throne. They were all greatly shocked, but dared not ask a question.
Once everyone had arrived, Chu Jichen slowly spoke, his voice carrying just the right amount of weariness and sorrow: "My beloved ministers, are you all here?"
An official immediately stepped forward, his voice filled with anxiety and unease: "Your Highness! What...what happened? Why did His Majesty...suddenly pass away?"
Chu Jichen raised his hand to press his throbbing temples and sighed deeply: "Today during the day, an assassin entered the palace, and that assassin... is hiding in the Cold Palace."
"His Majesty sensed something amiss and ordered a search, but the assassin... escaped."
He didn't go into too much detail, but those few words were enough to spark the imagination!
The assassin is hiding in the Cold Palace? Isn't there a Consort Shu imprisoned in the Cold Palace?
The assassin escaped? Then His Majesty's death... could it be that he was killed by that assassin?
Who is the assassin?
Could it be Liu Wenyuan, who was recently discovered by Emperor Yongming to be plotting a rebellion and then disappeared without a trace, and was wanted by the emperor?
There had indeed been quite a commotion in the city before. They had secretly inquired about it both openly and secretly, and it seemed that His Majesty was indeed searching for Liu Wenyuan's whereabouts.
Just as everyone was lost in their own thoughts and discussing amongst themselves, Chu Jichen's voice rang out once again.
"Gentlemen," he said, glancing around at the officials in the hall, whose expressions varied, his voice suddenly turning stern, "His Majesty has passed away for some reason, yet a country cannot be without a ruler for a single day! What are your thoughts, gentlemen?"
As soon as he finished speaking, a minister dressed in military uniform stepped forward. He clasped his hands in a deep fist salute to Chu Jichen and said in a loud, clear voice, "Your Highness! During His Majesty's reign, Your Highness has always been the regent in charge of the affairs of the court! In recent years, our Great Zhou has enjoyed peace and prosperity, and the people have lived in peace and contentment, all thanks to Your Highness!"
"Now that His Majesty has unfortunately passed away, the country cannot be without a ruler for even a day! In order to stabilize the country and appease the people, I believe that Your Highness should... ascend the throne as Emperor!"
Before he could finish speaking, another sharp voice rang out!
"Absolutely not!"
An elderly minister with white hair and beard emerged shakily from the crowd. He bowed respectfully to Chu Jichen, then said with a pained expression, "The Regent is indeed impeccable in his duties. But... but Your Highness is disabled, a fact known throughout the land!"
“Since ancient times, there has never been a king with a disability! If it were just a leg ailment, that would be one thing, but…” His voice carried a perfectly timed hint of regret and difficulty, “Not only is Your Highness unable to walk, but… he is also impotent!”
"In this way, the royal bloodline of my Great Zhou cannot be continued! An emperor who cannot continue the bloodline... this is absolutely unacceptable!"
Upon hearing this, Chu Jichen slowly raised his eyebrows.
He leaned back in his large wheelchair, his posture languid. In his deep phoenix eyes, there was not a trace of anger at being hit where it hurt. Instead, he was filled with a mocking and playful look, as if he were watching a good show.
"Oh?" He looked at the heartbroken old minister below with a half-smile. His voice was not loud, but it clearly reached the ears of everyone in the golden hall. "I am rather curious."
"Who exactly told you," he asked, emphasizing each word, "that I... am impotent?"
Upon hearing this, the entire Golden Hall fell into a deathly silence!
Everyone was stunned by his sudden question!
Regent Chu Jichen is impotent...
Isn't this... something everyone knows?
The crowd looked at each other, their eyes filled with shock and bewilderment.
What exactly did Chu Jichen mean by asking this question?
Could it be... that the rumors are false?
Can he... do it?
Immediately, some quick-thinking officials realized what was going on!
Yes!
Previously, there had indeed been rumors that the Regent had injured his leg in his early years, which had made him unable to walk properly and had also damaged his genitals, rendering him unable to have sexual relations.
But this matter... is indeed just a rumor!
Chu Jichen himself has never admitted to this matter!
It's just that he has never had any woman by his side all these years, and he has never offered any explanation, so... everyone subconsciously took his silence as a tacit agreement!
Could it be...?
Is all of this just a lie?
Looking at the varied expressions on the faces of the crowd below, Chu Jichen's lips slowly curled into a cold smile.
He said slowly and deliberately, "My leg was injured on the battlefield by enemy heavy cavalry, and it was crushed from the thigh bone."
"His leg bone was broken, leaving him with a lifelong disability, unable to walk like a normal person. This is known throughout the world, and I... have never denied it."
“However,” his voice suddenly turned sharp, filled with a deadly pressure, “I had no idea that a broken thigh bone could affect… the ability to have offspring?”
"not to mention……"
Chu Jichen's gaze, sharp as a hawk's, swept across the faces of every court official below.
Then, to everyone's astonishment, the man who had been sitting in a wheelchair for several years stretched out his hands and placed them on the armrests on both sides of the wheelchair.
Then, he... slowly stood up!
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