In the Jiade Hall.
All civil and military officials were present.
He was wearing mourning clothes. Empress Dowager Dong, Liu Bian and Liu Xie were also in front of the coffin. All officials knelt down and the whole country mourned.
At this moment, there was a movement outside the hall, and He Jin swaggered into the hall.
Everyone was puzzled and didn't understand what He Jin was going to do, so they could only watch. He Jin looked around, ordered someone to bring the dragon robe, strode towards Liu Bian, and draped the dragon robe on Liu Bian.
In an instant, the expressions of all the officials changed drastically, but no one dared to speak. Some officials wanted to speak, but were stopped by their friends next to them and remained silent.
The person involved, Liu Bian, looked confused and didn't know what to do. He next to him told him not to move.
The one with the ugliest expression was Empress Dowager Dong. When she saw He Jin draping the dragon robe on Liu Bian, her face was so red that tears could be squeezed out of her eyes.
"The emperor has passed away, but the country cannot remain without a ruler for a single day. The emperor did not appoint a crown prince during his lifetime, nor did he leave any will. According to the laws and traditions, the eldest prince, Liu Bian, will succeed to the throne in front of the coffin. What do you think, my colleagues?"
Everyone was silent, there was a dead silence.
After a while, someone came out. It was Yuan Wei.
"The general is absolutely right. According to ancient etiquette and royal tradition, if Your Majesty has a son, then the eldest son will naturally succeed to the throne. If Your Majesty does not appoint a crown prince, then the eldest prince Liu Bian should succeed to the throne. This is in accordance with etiquette and in line with the great order."
"Second."
"Master Yuan is right."
"Second."
“…”
A number of ministers from aristocratic families and those close to He Jin's faction all seconded the motion.
The eunuchs and neutral ministers dared not speak.
He Jin held great power, with his troops stationed outside Luoyang. If anything went wrong, he would massacre the palace. Furthermore, numerous ministers had proposed this, and their opposition was pointless; it would be illogical and unreasonable, and would only cause unnecessary offense.
Since no crown prince had been appointed, it was a foregone conclusion that the eldest prince Liu Bian would succeed to the throne.
"In this case, according to etiquette, the eldest prince Liu Bian will succeed to the throne. Taichang Liu Yan will be the governor of Yizhou and move to Yizhou. Now the position of Taichang is vacant, and the Situ will be in charge of ceremonial matters. Ding Gong, you will be responsible for the new emperor's enthronement." He Jin said.
"Yes, Lord He." Situ Dinggong stepped out and said.
Upon hearing this, Empress Dowager Dong was furious. She took Liu Xie away in full view of everyone, leaving all the officials looking at each other in bewilderment.
After the ceremony, all officials hurried away.
The late emperor disliked Liu Bian and preferred his second son Liu Xie. This was known to all officials, so he never appointed a crown prince until his death. He even wanted Jian Shuo to kill He Jin so that Liu Xie could take the throne smoothly, but it failed in the end.
Liu Bian succeeded to the throne and the dynasty changed. All officials had to adapt to the new emperor. Even though Liu Bian was frivolous and lacked dignity, he was still orthodox.
"General Xiao, now that Lord Shi's ascension to the throne is a foregone conclusion, what should we do next?" On the way back to Changle Palace, He asked Lin Han.
"Beware of Empress Dowager Dong." Lin Han said simply.
He paused and nodded slightly: "Tell me why."
"The Empress Dowager Dong stormed out in public today because she was unhappy with Lord He for promoting Marquis Shi to the throne, but she had no other choice. Marquis Shi had just taken the throne, and his foundation was not yet stable. The Empress Dowager would definitely not let this go."
"You think the same as I do." He said.
As soon as he arrived at Changle Palace, Cao Zhengchun came to report that He Jin wanted to see He Shi.
"General Xiao, what do you think? Do you want to meet me or not?"
"Lord He is the Empress's brother, so naturally she has to see him. Lord He may come this time to discuss the military power of the Imperial Guards and the killing of the Ten Attendants. The Empress can make her own judgment. The military power should not be handed over easily, and the matter of the Ten Attendants can be decided by the Empress herself." Lin Han said in a low voice.
"The power of the palace guards will be in my hands first, and I will not give it to my brother. As for the Ten Attendants, what are your thoughts?"
"Your Majesty, Marquis Shi ascended the throne today in front of the coffin. The grand ceremony has not yet taken place, and his foundation is not yet stable. The Ten Eunuchs have deep connections in the palace, so we cannot move them for the time being. Otherwise, I am afraid that they will become desperate and bloodshed will ensue in both palaces, and Your Majesty and Marquis Shi will be in great danger."
"Okay, I understand."
He waved her hand, signaling Lin Han to step behind the scenes.
Soon, He Jin swaggered into Changle Palace with a beaming face.
"younger sister."
"Brother, what brings you here this time?" He asked.
"Jian Shuo is dead. I want to take the seal of the imperial guard. Is it in your hands?" He Jin said.
"Brother, the seal of the imperial guard is indeed in my hands, but I cannot give it to you for the time being." He Jin was not surprised when He refused because Cao Zhengchun had told him about this.
"Why? What use do you have for the imperial guards?" He Jin frowned, his face full of confusion.
"Brother, the Emperor has just passed away, and this is a time of great turmoil. You previously stationed troops outside Luoyang and placed the imperial robe on Bian'er before the coffin, which attracted much criticism. It would be inappropriate for you to take control of the Imperial Guards at this time. Besides, there is no difference between military power in my hands and in my brother's. In the future, when Marquis Shi's throne is stable, all military power will be in your hands. Why rush now?"
Upon hearing this, He Jin's face relaxed and he looked happy, and he no longer asked about the matter of military power.
"Sister, I came here for another matter, which is about the Ten Eunuchs. The Ten Eunuchs have deceived the emperor for many years and committed evil. Their power in the court is deeply rooted and they must be eliminated." He Jin said.
"Brother, Marquis Shi has not yet held his coronation ceremony. Many matters concerning the ceremony still need the eunuchs' care, so he cannot be executed for the time being. Jian Shuo is dead, and the military power is in our hands. A small eunuch cannot cause any major disturbance. Once Marquis Shi is firmly on the throne, it will not be too late to replace the Ten Attendants."
"this……"
He Jin frowned and didn't dare to agree.
Nowadays, countless people in the court want to kill the eunuchs as soon as possible. The death of the emperor and the fall of his backers are a godsend opportunity.
"Brother, the emperor's funeral is more important. We can discuss this later. Less trouble is worse than more. The most urgent matter here is the coronation ceremony of Lord Shi. Until Lord Shi sits on the throne, this matter will remain undecided. Empress Dowager Dong and Liu Xie are watching closely. If anything goes wrong, it will be detrimental to Lord Shi's succession to the throne."
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