"Now that the late emperor has passed away, the country cannot be without a ruler for a single day. I believe that the most important task at present is to discuss the establishment of a new emperor."
Dou Wu, now Empress Dowager Dou Miao, spoke first, breaking the quiet atmosphere in the hall.
Dou Miao understood and said in a deep voice, "I am just a woman. Let you all discuss this matter of establishing a new emperor!"
So the Imperial Clan Head took out the family genealogy, and everyone began to choose a successor from the lineage of the Prince of Hejian, from which Emperor Xiaohuan was born.
As for Emperor Xiaohuan's younger brother, Liu Kui, the Prince of Bohai, he was the first to be excluded because of his precedent of rebellion.
The only remaining option was to choose from the descendants of Emperor Xiaohuan's cousins.
The two sides then engaged in heated discussions about the selection of a new emperor, each nominating several candidates, but none of them could satisfy either side.
In essence, the selection of an emperor was a power struggle between several factions: eunuchs, imperial relatives, and aristocratic families.
You say you're right, I say I'm right, and the selection of a new ruler remains undecided, resulting in a stalemate among the various factions.
Just as the two sides were arguing, Liu Shu, a Grand Master of Ceremonies from Hejian, suddenly remembered a letter Xun Shuang had sent him earlier, in which he mentioned Liu Hong, the Marquis of Jiedu, who was in Hejian.
This person came from the same place as me in Hejian and is close to scholars. If I recommend him successfully, the benefits to myself are self-evident.
Therefore, Liu Shu stepped forward, bowed to Dou Miao, and said respectfully, "Your Majesty, I recommend Liu Hong, the son of Liu Chang, the Marquis of Jiedu, as the emperor!"
Dou Wu, who was standing to the side, couldn't help but ask, "I wonder how old this Liu Hong is? What is his reputation and character like?"
Liu Jian said, "The Marquis of Jiedu Pavilion is twelve years old this year. He lives with only his mother and son. He is kind, filial, and grateful, just like his father!"
Upon hearing this, Wang Fu and the others' eyes lit up. Young and without a strong foundation, they were the perfect candidates to fight against Dou Wu and his group, and they readily agreed.
Dou Wu secretly pondered the matter. His thoughts were similar to those of the eunuchs. They were young and lacked power, so they needed loyal ministers like him to assist them. Moreover, his daughter was the Empress Dowager, so he had an advantage in comparison.
Then Dou Wu respectfully said to Empress Dowager Dou, "Empress Dowager, since this son has the qualities of Liu Chang, he should be a wise ruler. I believe he can be made emperor!"
Seeing that Wang Fu and her father both agreed, Dou Miao nodded. "In that case, let's draft an edict to establish the Marquis of Jiedu as the emperor! Proclaim this to the world!"
As soon as Empress Dowager Dou finished speaking, the Imperial Clan Secretary beside her quickly took notes.
What's strange is that Dou Miao's imperial edict did not require Liu Hong to be adopted as an heir, but instead directly established him as the emperor, meaning that Liu Hong was already capable of acting as the emperor.
Although everyone felt something was amiss, they didn't say much, since at this point, everything was up to the Empress Dowager.
Perhaps it was to demonstrate her authority, or perhaps it was Dou Miao's way of venting her dissatisfaction with Emperor Xiaohuan.
Although Chen Fan and others in the palace were dissatisfied with Dou Wu and others' decision, they could not resist it now that the eunuchs and relatives of the empress all agreed. Moreover, the empress dowager had spoken, and the Imperial Clan Court had already recorded it. Now that the die was cast, it was difficult to change.
Furthermore, Liu Shu is an upright man, and it is unlikely that he would recommend an incompetent and foolish person.
Therefore, the three parties finally reached a consensus.
After leaving the palace, Chen Fan returned home and invited Li Ying to talk, explaining the events that had occurred in the palace.
"Hmph~ This Dou Wu, he has always considered himself a scholar, but now he has actually compromised with those eunuchs and chosen a child as the emperor. What is he trying to do?"
Upon learning of the new emperor's selection, Li Ying appeared extremely angry.
"The Han Dynasty is currently in a precarious state and can no longer withstand any further turmoil. The Imperial Censor said that this young man is intelligent and humble, and he only hopes that this new emperor can have the abilities of Emperors Wen and Jing and the spirit of Emperor Wu of Han, so as to save the empire from collapse."
Chen Fan, sitting opposite Li Ying, gave a wry smile.
Li Ying sat down helplessly. "First there was Liang Ji, now there is Dou Wu, and internally there are eunuchs wielding power. I really don't know if this young emperor of our Han Dynasty can set things right!"
Chen Fan said, "Dou Wu is a man who values integrity and is not as arrogant as Liang Ji. We may be able to do something about him!"
Li Ying nodded. "That's true, but people's hearts are unpredictable, so we need to be more prepared!"
"That's right!"
Chen Fan nodded.
"In that case, we should contact our respective disciples and cheer for the Emperor!"
"good!"
Immediately afterwards, Chen Fan and Li Ying dispersed.
Chen Fan and Li Ying were renowned scholars, and their students and former officials were found all over the world.
Thanks to their praise, the new emperor's virtuous reputation quickly became widely known.
For a time, scholars and ordinary people alike began to look forward to and admire the new emperor.
A few days later, a procession of over a thousand people, led by Grand Master of Ceremonies Liu Mian and Attendant-in-Ordinary Cao Jie, consisting of palace maids, eunuchs, Imperial Guards, and Tiger Guards, set off for Hejian in a grand procession, carrying an imperial edict stamped with the seal of Empress Dowager Dou Miao.
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