Chapter 80: Beautiful Daughter vs. Heirless Emperor
When the emperor passed away, his body was not found, so he could only be buried in a cenotaph and kept in the Taiji Palace.
Ji Yunhuan has been pregnant for more than four months, but fortunately her pregnancy is not too obvious and there are no signs of pregnancy. She is dressed in plain clothes, prostrating herself on His Majesty's coffin, crying until she almost faints.
Liu Dewang dragged out his words with a sorrowful tone as he led all officials to kneel and pay tribute to His Majesty.
Today is only the first day, and this tedious ceremony will continue for several days. By the time everyone has finished kneeling, the sun has already set.
Prime Minister Liu couldn't wait any longer, so he suddenly stood up and said, "Today is the memorial service for the late emperor, why is only the empress present? Why isn't the empress dowager here?"
Ji Yunhuan stood up with Taohong's help. She was pale and shaky, but her plain clothes only made her beautiful face stand out more.
"The Queen Mother is worried and ill. She is resting and will not see outsiders."
Prime Minister Liu was wearing a coarse linen robe, but he was wearing bright colors underneath. His face was ruddy and he did not look sad at all. If you didn't know him, you would have thought he was attending a wedding rather than a funeral.
He showed some anger, and stood in front of the coffin and said arrogantly: "The queen has not yet been canonized, and the heaven and earth have not been worshipped. I respectfully inform the ancestors that you are not a proper queen. It would be disrespectful for you to preside over the funeral of His Majesty."
"Since the Empress Dowager is seriously ill, we cannot force her to show up, but His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is the son of the late Emperor, so he should show up to preside over the funeral, right?"
Ji Yunhuan showed a hint of panic at the right moment, "Prime Minister Liu, the Crown Prince is only half a year old. Even if he is filial to His Majesty, he is powerless. Besides, the Crown Prince is also ill and needs to rest. He can't stand any trouble."
Prime Minister Liu sneered and became even more aggressive, "One or two of them need to rest. The Queen is not treating me like a fool. The prince was born prematurely and is weak. He didn't show up today. I'm afraid he has followed the late emperor to his death, right?"
"If that is true, then it is a filial piety that moves heaven and earth, but the country cannot be without a king for a day. If His Highness is really gone, please do not hide it, Your Majesty."
"You...you..." Ji Yunhuan's body swayed, almost falling down, "How dare you curse the Crown Prince? Are you planning a rebellion?"
Prime Minister Liu said he didn't dare, but he had no intention of retreating.
As soon as he glanced over, many officials immediately stood up, knelt on the ground in unison, and shouted: "Your Highness, we are begging to see His Highness the Crown Prince! Your Highness, we are begging to see His Highness the Crown Prince..."
Ji Yunhuan looked at the people below coldly. It was only the first day, and these people couldn't help themselves. It really didn't surprise her at all.
"Your Highness the Crown Prince just has a cold and is unable to come out to see people. Once the funeral is over and the new emperor ascends the throne, you can naturally pay your respects to the new emperor!"
Prime Minister Liu stood in front of the gilded coffin and said to all the officials passionately: "If we really wait until that day, who knows if the person sitting on the dragon throne is the bloodline of the late emperor?"
"It is reasonable for all the ministers to ask for an audience with His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, but the Queen Mother has repeatedly refused, placed the Queen Mother under house arrest, and hid the Crown Prince. Her evil ambitions are obvious! I will never allow the Great Zhao Kingdom to be destroyed in the hands of a woman!"
Xu Junzheng, dressed in white, with a sullen expression, stood in front of Ji Yunhuan and said loudly:
"Prime Minister Liu is forcing the Empress of the Central Palace like this, which is a true wolfish ambition! After His Majesty's death, the Crown Prince should have inherited the throne. The Crown Prince is still young, so naturally the Empress should take good care of him."
"Since ancient times, there has been a distinction between the monarch and his subjects. Who gave you the courage to question the Empress? You ministers are really capable of bullying orphans and widows!"
The Queen is frail and looks really pitiful, while Prime Minister Liu is arrogant and domineering.
The court today is no longer a one-man show for Prime Minister Liu. Many ministers have stood up and echoed Lord Xu's words, and their words often show their protection for the Queen.
When Prime Minister Liu saw that Xu Junzheng was getting anxious, he became more and more certain that the prince was dead!
He has been trying to please the eldest princess over the years, not only because of her noble status, but also because she has privately trained a group of people.
The number of guards in the Princess's Mansion far exceeds the required standards, and their weapons are no less powerful than those of the Imperial Guards. In addition, there are also secretly trained assassins, so the expenses of the Princess's Mansion are so high.
Last night, the princess sent out hundreds of assassins, how could they not kill a little kid? Ji Yunhuan also looked injured, but he was just holding on. He was lucky to be able to stand here and speak nonsense to him!
The square in front of the Taiji Palace was bustling with people, and the ministers of the two factions were arguing with each other.
No one noticed that a man dressed as a eunuch slipped in along the wall and made a gesture to Liu Chengbi.
Prime Minister Liu stared at Ji Yunhuan with a bad face and sneered, "My queen, my patience is limited. I am not the kind of loser who only knows how to argue. If your queen refuses to cooperate, don't blame me for being rude!"
Ji Yunhuan seemed to be extremely afraid of Prime Minister Liu. She hid behind her uncle and said cautiously, "Tomorrow, I will let you see His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince is really ill. I did not lie to you."
"Don't beat around the bush, Queen. My people searched the entire Palace of Heavenly Purity but couldn't find the Imperial Seal. Now that the Crown Prince has passed away, please hand over the Imperial Seal so that we can nominate a new emperor to the throne."
As soon as Prime Minister Liu finished speaking, a group of guards in armor rushed in. The palace maids and eunuchs screamed in fear and were unable to resist at all.
The entire Taiji Palace was surrounded by people, and the tips of their knives were shining coldly, pointing at the ministers in the square.
Xu Junzheng was extremely angry and shouted, "Your Majesty's body is still warm, and you forced the Queen to abdicate and recommended someone else to ascend the throne without mentioning His Majesty the Crown Prince. You are committing treason! Aren't you afraid of being executed along with your entire clan?"
Prime Minister Liu simply stopped pretending. He tore off his linen clothes and revealed his ambition without any scruples.
"I am the Prime Minister, and I cannot bear to see the country fall into the hands of such an evil woman. Your Highness Prince An is the younger brother of the late emperor, and his blood is noble. He is the most suitable to inherit the throne. I recommend Your Highness Prince An to ascend the throne. Do you have any objections?"
Just as Xu Junzheng was about to say something, two guards rushed over from the stage and forced him to kneel down. Prime Minister Liu sneered and kicked Xu Junzheng, saying contemptuously:
"Be quiet, if you say one more word, I'll cut off your tongue!"
Xu Junzheng was sweating coldly from the pain. He knelt on the ground, curled up, and really didn't say a word.
Prime Minister Liu was very satisfied with Xu Junzheng's ability to understand the current situation. It was said that Xu Junzheng was a man of steel who would rather break than bend. In his opinion, this was just the case. There was no one in this world who was not afraid of death.
Ji Yunhuan cried out "Uncle" and rushed over despite Taohong's attempts to stop him.
Prime Minister Liu drew out the guard's knife, put it on Xu Junzheng's neck, and threatened:
"Please, Queen, hand over the Imperial Seal. Otherwise, I will have no choice but to kill this traitor and comfort the late Emperor's spirit in heaven."
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