Chapter 258 The Men's Encirclement
Li Yuanzhao's guess was completely correct.
Even if it costs Zheng Wenkai his life, he will never allow a woman to sit on the dragon throne of the Great Qi.
This is not only his obsession with the "Three Cardinal Guides and Five Constant Virtues" as a veteran official, but also his deep-seated fear of the future.
Looking at everything Li Yuanzhao has done during this period, it's clear that once she secures her throne, given her shrewdness and temperament, she will definitely continue to heavily rely on women.
And for the next generation of monarchs, she will never choose a man; she will only continue to appoint women as emperors.
If this continues, future generations will likely prioritize women in everything.
Women could enter the court and become prime ministers, or lead troops into battle, while men might end up in the same situation as women today.
For thousands of years, the idea that "men are in charge of external affairs and women are in charge of internal affairs" has been taken for granted; the idea that "the husband is the head of the household" has been the fundamental principle of human relations.
If Li Yuanzhao were to truly rule the world, this social order that has sustained generations would completely collapse.
At that time, how will these scholars and officials who read the classics and follow the teachings of Confucius and Mencius conduct themselves?
What about the future of their sons and grandsons?
This is no longer just a power struggle, but a struggle for the orthodoxy, a life-or-death battle concerning the fate of all men!
Therefore, he was willing to sacrifice his own life to stop Li Yuanzhao.
The situation is tricky right now.
Li Ye was firmly controlled by Li Yuanzhao in the palace, effectively under house arrest.
He himself was placed under house arrest and his movements were restricted due to suspicion of being an accomplice of the Cui family.
Looking around, Li Yuanzhao's influence was everywhere, both inside and outside the court. The only one they could rely on was his nephew, Zheng Xinglang, who was still serving as the deputy general of the Jinwu Guard.
However, Xinglang is still relatively inexperienced, and his military power has been effectively usurped. He alone cannot stir up any trouble.
Moreover, he knew in his heart that in order to take down Li Yuanzhao, he not only had to take risky measures, but also had to have a legitimate reason for doing so.
Otherwise, without the support of officials and the trust of the people, even if they succeed temporarily, they will not be able to hold onto the throne.
His initial plan was to support the Second Prince, who was far away at Kaiyuan Temple in Weizhou, and bring him back to the capital to "serve the emperor and rescue him" in his name.
The Second Prince is the Emperor's only son, and his status is legitimate and most suitable.
However, when he secretly sent someone to Weizhou, he discovered that the Second Prince was not at Kaiyuan Temple at all. He had long been moved to some unknown place by Li Yuanzhao, or perhaps he had already been killed.
He couldn't help but marvel once again at Li Yuanzhao's profound planning and ruthless methods; he had even anticipated this step of Li Yuanzhao's plan.
But now he has no way out.
He knew perfectly well that once Li Yuanzhao officially ascended the throne, his death would be imminent!
Just as he was in a state of great anxiety, the Third Princess sent someone to tell him the truth: "Imperial Physician Lin is actually a witch from the Southern Frontier. Li Yuanzhao sent her to poison the Emperor, which is why the Emperor fell seriously ill after only a few months."
At this moment, the "just cause" he had been searching for finally arrived.
"Killing the emperor and seizing the throne"—that's the best title!
If Li Yuanzhao's crime of poisoning his biological father is confirmed and made public, it will arouse indignation in the court and the public, and the whole world will condemn him!
Because loyalty and filial piety are the foundation of a nation and the essence of being a person.
An emperor who murders her own father violates the most basic human ethics, no matter how much she emphasizes "divine mandate" or shows off her "political achievements".
At that time, attacking her would no longer be considered "treason," but rather "acting on behalf of Heaven."
He had even planned who should sit on the throne after he took down Li Yuanzhao.
The third, fourth, and fifth princesses were all women, and in his view, they were not even worth considering.
It seems we can only choose one from among the imperial family members.
Despite their good plan, they still faced numerous difficulties.
The first problem is the disparity in troop strength.
Even though Zheng Xinglang secretly turned some of the Longwu Army against him, making them work for him.
But how could a mere few thousand men possibly stand against fifty thousand Imperial Guards and the Golden Guards?
Secondly, there is Li Yuanzhao himself.
Throughout the entire coronation ceremony, they couldn't find any other opportunity to set up an ambush; the only place where they could catch the enemy off guard was at the Dragon Martial Gate.
Even with the initial advantage, given Li Yuanzhao's skill and alertness, they might not be able to succeed in taking her hostage in one strike.
If she manages to break free, the entire plan will be exposed instantly, and everything will be lost.
The most troublesome and uncontrollable variable lies with the Shen family.
The Shen family is Li Yuanzhao's maternal family, connected by blood and sharing interests. How could they easily abandon their own niece, whom they have wholeheartedly supported to rise to power, just because of an unproven accusation of "parricide"?
At that time, Shen Xu and Shen Churong will definitely do everything in their power to protect her.
Faced with the Shen family's all-out counterattack, they had no chance of winning.
Just as he was filled with anxiety, he received an unexpected message just three days before his coronation ceremony.
A man named Chen Yanqing sent him a message saying that he was the emperor's biological son, and that Li Yuanzhao was indeed, as the concubine had said, a replaced imposter.
Li Yuanzhao initially deceived the emperor and his officials by using a fake blood test to prove kinship.
At that moment, Zheng Wenkai suddenly felt that even the heavens were on his side.
If what he said is true, then Li Yuanzhao not only murdered the emperor, but also usurped the country!
Moreover, regardless of whether Chen Yanqing is real or fake, as long as the court officials, the people, and especially the Shen family believe him, all problems will be solved.
He even recalled the details of the New Year's Eve banquet and Li Yuanzhao's unusual reaction that day, which made him increasingly believe the claim that "Li Yuanzhao was a bastard who was switched at birth".
He immediately sent someone to contact Liang Cheng in secret.
He saw the situation clearly: Shen Xu and Shen Churong had already sided with Li Yuanzhao. Even if he told them the truth, they would never believe it easily, and it might even alert the enemy.
Only Liang Cheng, Shen Lang's most loyal former subordinate, had commanded the Longwu Army for many years and held considerable prestige within the army.
If he were to find out that Shen Lang's biological child was someone else, and that Li Yuanzhao was just a usurper, given his personality, he would never sit idly by.
As expected, Liang Cheng was furious after learning the "truth" and immediately agreed to join forces in this important undertaking.
With this person's addition, not only did the plan to turn Longwu Army into a rebel group go much more smoothly, but things also progressed more smoothly than Zheng Wenkai had imagined.
Li Yuanzhao was focused on the coronation ceremony and believed that he had arranged the mobilization of the Imperial Guards flawlessly, so that everything would be in order.
Especially after the abdication ceremony and the worship of the people, she subconsciously lowered her guard.
But she didn't expect that they had already planted spies in the Longwu Army, and Liang Cheng's defection was something she hadn't anticipated at all.
However, even though everything is going so smoothly, they cannot kill Li Yuanzhao at this moment.
Firstly, Li Yuanzhao had already ascended the throne and was deeply loved by the people. If they were to kill her in a hurry, no matter how they tried to clarify things afterward, they would not be able to escape the crime of "regicide and treason," and it might even trigger a rebellion by local warlords.
Secondly, Shen Churong's 50,000 Imperial Guards and Shen Xu's 100,000 Northern Frontier Army have always been huge hidden dangers. Chen Yanqing has not yet recognized his identity, and Li Yuanzhao has died. In a fit of anger, Shen Churong will definitely lead his troops into the palace. At that time, the world will be in chaos, and none of them will be able to control the situation.
Therefore, the safest course of action is to first imprison Li Yuanzhao and cut off her contact with the outside world.
Then, Chen Yanqing was arranged to "recognize his kinship" with the emperor in front of all the officials.
Once Chen Yanqing's status as a "prince" is confirmed, even if Li Yuanzhao, this "bastard," ascends the throne, it will be illegitimate.
Not to mention her numerous crimes, including poisoning the emperor!
At that time, they will be able to rightfully depose Li Yuanzhao, set things right, and support Chen Yanqing to ascend the throne under the pretext of "purging the emperor's inner circle and supporting the legitimate successor."
Shen Churong and Shen Xu would never turn against their own cousin and nephew for the sake of Li Yuanzhao's bastard child.
At that time, whether Li Yuanzhao lives or dies will be up to them.
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