Liu Yi rushed into the palace in one breath.
While standing outside Xingqing Palace, waiting for the announcement, my hot-blooded mind finally calmed down.
When he meets Emperor Liu Zhao later, what qualifications will he have to question him?
Before he could figure it out, the eunuch invited him in.
When they arrived at the Zhengyang Palace, they saw that the four princes and princesses were all there, and the empress was also present.
The royal family is gathered today.
Emperor Liu Zhao stared at Liu Yi with a sullen expression, "I heard from the palace servants that you insisted on seeing me. What's the matter?"
Liu Yi came back to his senses and hesitated for a moment, "I have a question, but I don't know whether I should ask it or not."
Liu Zhao's eyes were filled with disdain. "Since you're here, just ask if you have any questions."
With these words, Liu Yi immediately plucked up the courage.
He asked loudly, "Brother, why are you abdicating? Father didn't pass the throne to you to ask you to abdicate. Are you doing this to your father?"
Inside the hall, everyone was surprised!
What qualifications does Prince Duan have to question Your Majesty?
Who does he think he is?
Does he think he can represent the late emperor?
Liu Yi didn't care about everyone's attitude, he just wanted an answer.
Liu Zhao sneered, "If I want to abdicate, I will abdicate. It's none of your business."
The answer is so simple and direct.
Liu Yi's face flushed. "Yes, it's indeed none of your business. However, everyone has a question in their mind. You're giving up the throne that everyone covets. Why?"
"I don't need to explain to you why! If you have no other questions, just get out! I make the decision, when is it your turn to question it?"
Liu Zhao was furious, and the palace servants did not dare to hesitate and quickly asked Prince Duan Liu Yi to leave.
Liu Yi was extremely unwilling, but he had no choice.
Without Liu Yi, only the royal family was left in the hall.
Liu Yu knelt on the ground, still insisting, "Your Majesty, please withdraw your order! I can continue to help you as the regent."
Liu Zhao glanced at him coldly, "Keep kneeling."
Liu Yu straightened his back and knelt upright.
Prince Rong Liu Heng and Prince Lu Liu Xun, both brothers looked like they wanted to persuade but didn't dare to speak.
The emperor was already very angry at the moment, and if the two brothers spoke up, they would definitely be cannon fodder.
At this time, Ruyang stood up.
She is full of aura and is no less than her brothers.
She asked straight to the point, "Is Father's health really that serious?"
Gu Jiu exchanged a glance with Liu Zhao before answering, "Your father's health is indeed very serious. He needs careful care and a restful rest to ensure a long life!"
When these words were spoken, the children's eyes were wet.
Ruyang wiped his eyes. "Abdication is such a big deal, why didn't Father and Mother reveal anything beforehand? This morning at the court, when we brothers heard Father had decided to abdicate, we were horrified. It's no wonder that my eldest brother repeatedly pleaded with Father to reverse his decision. He had just been appointed Crown Prince by Father, and now he was set to inherit the throne, making him a target of public criticism. I wonder how many people are blaming my eldest brother right now."
"This is a burden he must bear. I cannot retract my order just because he becomes the target of public criticism."
Liu Zhao's attitude was firm and would not be questioned.
"Did the emperor abdicate just because of health reasons?" Ruyang asked cautiously.
"What else? Do you think that I was forced to abdicate by someone?" After saying this, Liu Zhao laughed to himself.
Gu Jiu pulled his sleeve and nodded at the boss Liu Yu.
There must be more than one person who suspected that Liu Zhao was forced to abdicate.
I guess most people in the court would think in this direction.
King Liu Yu of Qi instantly became the biggest suspect.
Even Queen Gu Jiu and the court officials would make all kinds of speculations.
Did the Prince of Qi join forces with the Queen to force the Emperor to abdicate?
Have the father and son of the royal family become enemies?
Throughout history, emperors had reasons to abdicate, and nine out of ten were forced to do so.
It is no wonder that the court officials strongly opposed it.
I guess the rumor will spread tomorrow that the Prince of Qi forced the Emperor to abdicate.
Liu Yu was not afraid of taking the blame, but he could not be accused of forcing his father to abdicate.
In a blink of an eye, Liu Zhao also thought of this.
He pondered for a moment, "Boss, stand up and answer."
"Thank you, Father!"
Liu Yu stood up only after he expressed his gratitude.
Liu Zhao continued, "I have made up my mind to abdicate. I will formally issue the decree of abdication tomorrow. I have already told you the reason. I am unwell and cannot continue to handle state affairs. It is time to give up my position."
"I don't accept it!" Liu Yu said bluntly.
Liu Zhao pointed at him and said, "You have no right to say no. You have to take this throne whether you want it or not."
"But……"
"No buts!"
Liu Zhao was a man of power and decision.
Ruyang was the bravest one. She asked, "Is it true that Father cannot take back his order?"
Liu Zhao said solemnly: "I have made up my mind."
Ruyang was silent for a moment, "Your Highness will obey the Emperor's orders!"
Liu Zhao finally smiled.
He was tired and waved the children away.
He sat down on the couch wearily and complained to Gu Jiu, "They don't even consider how determined I was to abdicate. One after another, they've all been trying to persuade me to retract my decision. Do you know that if they keep persuading me like this, I might actually change my mind? Truly, they have no sympathy for me at all and are only causing more trouble."
"Drink some tea to moisten your throat first." Gu Jiu advised.
Liu Zhao drank a cup of tea in one breath, and his smoking throat finally felt better.
He added, "I thought my decision to abdicate would be celebrated by all the court officials. Instead, they burst into tears and cried, begging me to rescind my decision. You know, before, they all pointed at me and called me a tyrant. Now that I, a tyrant, want to abdicate, they're actually unhappy. Isn't that funny?"
Gu Jiu said, "Each emperor has his own ministers. Even if you're a 'tyrant', they'll still be able to muddle along after years of getting along. Once a new emperor ascends the throne, the court will quickly become a completely different place. No one dares to claim they'll be valued by the new emperor. Furthermore, court officials tend to stick to the old ways and don't seek innovation or change."
Just follow the rules and you won't have to think too much, and you'll get by.
It changes today and tomorrow, and everyone is in a mess and has to adapt to the new rules again.
It was really annoying for the court officials.
Why abdicate?
It caused chaos and panic among the people.
It would be better to be emperor until death. Then His Royal Highness the Prince of Qi can ascend the throne legitimately, and there will be one less abdication procedure, which means a lot less trouble.
Of course, these are all the thoughts of the old ministers.
Young and middle-aged officials are eager for innovation and change.
Only when change comes will they have a chance to take over.
Otherwise, it would take who knows how long to wait for the senior officials to retire and enjoy their retirement.
Liu Zhao sighed, "I just wanted to abdicate, but so many people dislike me. Even the Fourth Prince dared to come to the palace to question me. This is outrageous."
Gu Jiu laughed heartily, "The fourth brother is not convinced! He has been longing for the throne, but you just give it up like that. He is very upset."
Liu Zhao was completely disgusted with Liu Yi. "That's because he has a narrow mindset! He holds onto something and won't let go until his death. He only has his eyes fixed on the little piece of land in front of him, and never knows how to look at the world. The world is so big! There's more than just the Great Zhou, more than just the Western Regions, more than just Southeast Asia! There's so much land, population, and mineral resources, why hasn't he thought about going out and taking a look?"
When I was promoting the grassland overseas development plan, I thought that if the fourth brother had the courage to go out to sea and claim territory as a king, I would give him troops and money, help him conquer the territory, and make him a prince. But he never had such an idea. In the final analysis, he just couldn't bear to give up everything he had.
Gu Jiu said, "Life in the capital is rich and comfortable, but life overseas is hard, and you have to start all over again. And since ancient times, people have been afraid of going to sea. In the past, only those with no future, those who lived on the edge of a knife, would go to sea.
Going overseas to grab territory requires either great courage or being driven into desperation. The fourth brother has neither, so you can't force him to go overseas to grab territory. Life in the capital is good, so who would be willing to give it up?
Look at all the children sent overseas by the great families. They are all marginal figures who are not valued. These people have the title of children of noble families, but they have no way out and can only go overseas to seek a future. Anyone who can find a job in the capital will not choose to go overseas. So, don't blame the fourth brother!
"Why do you always speak for him?" Liu Zhao was dissatisfied.
Gu Jiu rolled his eyes at him and said, "I'm worried that at this critical moment, you and Old Four will quarrel again and cause more trouble."
Liu Zhao waved his hand. "I won't argue with him! He was spoiled by his mother and can't stand hardship. If I had argued with him, he would have pissed me off to death years ago."
Gu Jiu pursed his lips and smiled, "They say the eldest brother is like a father! You, the eldest brother, look quite impressive."
"Of course!" Liu Zhao looked proud!
…
Without waiting for rumors to spread, Liu Zhao directly issued an abdication edict the next morning, and at the same time issued an imperial decree to appoint Prince of Qi Liu Yu as the crown prince.
The Ministry of Rites was ordered to quickly select a date and get the matter done.
The Ministry of Rites is crying!
There is no precedent to refer to!
During the more than two hundred years of the Great Zhou Dynasty, no emperor chose to abdicate.
Emperor Jingming Liu Zhao can be said to have set a precedent.
It can be said that there is no one before and no one after.
Officials from the Ministry of Rites were buried in Lantai Temple.
I have searched through all historical materials, trying to find the legitimacy and etiquette regulations of abdication from ancient records.
How could such a major event as abdication be handled hastily? Of course, it must be carried out according to strict etiquette and laws.
Just like the emperor ascending the throne, every step must be carried out in accordance with etiquette.
The huge Lantai Temple was occupied by dozens of people from the Ministry of Rites.
Read books every day!
As soon as I opened my eyes in the morning, I went to Lantai Temple to read books. I kept reading until dark and the temple was locked.
Zhongshu Ling Yang Ji couldn't stand it anymore.
He pointed out a clear path for the officials from the Ministry of Rites, "Go to Shanhe Academy and ask Sanyuan Gong. Sanyuan Gong has read books all over the world, and the Shanhe Academy library is said to have collected many rare and incomplete books. Maybe we can find something useful."
After receiving the advice, the Minister of Rites hurried to Shanhe Academy with gifts to seek advice.
I asked Sanyuan Gong and found the right person.
In recent years, in addition to teaching students and publishing books, Sanyuan Gong has been busy reading books from all over the world.
He actually learned about the etiquette and regulations for the emperor's abdication from some incomplete book.
The Minister of Rites was overjoyed.
With laws and etiquette to follow, the abdication can be done.
You don't need the Imperial Astronomical Observatory, you can directly ask the great fortune teller Ren Qiu to calculate the date.
The abdication date is set for April 3rd, and the enthronement date is set for April 18th!
The two dates, including the specific time and direction, were calculated personally by Renqiu and are absolutely correct.
Once the date is set, start deciding on the etiquette!
Everyone in the Ministry of Rites, including the Shaofu, was so busy that they wished they could serve two people.
Although the Ministry of Rites is busy, it also has to pay attention to the developments in the court.
The other government offices, abandoning the Ministry of Rites, were in turmoil every day.
Royal relatives, high-ranking officials and dignitaries came to the palace every day to persuade Emperor Liu Zhao to revoke his order.
Even if you are not in good health, you don’t have to abdicate!
Abdication is so troublesome!
If Liu Zhao stays on the throne for a few more years, the old ministers can also enjoy a few more years of glory.
Liu Zhao was so annoyed that he simply ran to Xiaozhu and locked himself in the house.
The court officials were so angry!
Huangdi Liu Zhao is as stubborn as ever and won't listen to what Quan says. Ahhhh... so angry!
The young and middle-aged officials remained silent.
Before officially taking office, everyone was very low-key.
Lest it offend certain people, it would be completely wiped out.
It was not until the first day of April, two days before the official abdication, that the emperor and empress returned to the palace from Xiaozhu.
Gu Jiu asked him, "You will officially abdicate in two days. Do you regret it? If you do, it's not too late now."
Liu Zhao hesitated for a moment. "I do regret it a little! I can't help but feel a lot of reluctance to completely give up the power in my hands. But I won't change my decision."
"If you don't change your mind, I'll have someone arrange a boat. Once the boss ascends the throne, we'll travel south to enjoy the mountains and rivers. I've already ordered people to find a singing girl in Jiangnan who will sing you an authentic little song."
"Really?" Liu Zhao smiled happily.
Gu Jiu raised his eyebrows and smiled, "It's just a little song, don't think too much!"
"I didn't think anything of it. It's clearly you who wronged me." Liu Zhao felt aggrieved.
Gu Jiu: Haha!
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