Chapter 253: Succession
"What time is it?" The old voice penetrated the green curtain, sounding a little weak.
Eunuch Li, who had been guarding the bed, did not dare to be careless and immediately reported: "Your Majesty, it is already the Yin hour."
The person on the bed was silent for a while before saying, "Alright, serve me."
Eunuch Li was startled and quickly advised, "Your Majesty, why don't you rest a little longer? You're not in good health, and you've been very tired from today's succession ceremony. The prince said it's okay for you not to go."
The emperor's expression suddenly turned cold: "Li Deying, I am still the emperor of the Great Zhou!"
Eunuch Li immediately knelt down and kowtowed, admitting his fault: "Your Majesty, please calm down. It was I who spoke too much."
The emperor snorted coldly, "I am the ruler of a country. Since this is a grand ceremony of succession, if I don't show up, wouldn't Xiaojiu's throne be illegitimate and questionable in the future?"
Eunuch Li wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, "Your Majesty, the prince is worried that your health will not be able to hold on, so he is considerate of you."
The emperor sneered, "I think she did this on purpose, to make Xiaojiu bear the reputation of having gained the position illegitimately, so that the future will be better..."
Eunuch Li pressed his forehead against the cold floor tiles, not daring to look at the emperor any longer.
The emperor had sat up by himself. Although his face was pale, he looked more energetic now and no longer lay dying in the room as usual.
Glancing at the eunuch who had accompanied him for many years, the emperor's voice softened. "This is a major event for the Great Zhou. If I don't intervene, won't the entire court be filled with suspicion?"
Eunuch Li replied subconsciously: "My Lords, you won't..."
Halfway through his speech, Eunuch Li realized that he had said the wrong thing.
Sure enough, the next moment, the emperor's voice was extremely cold: "Yes, now that the fifth brother is in control of the government, who dares to say a word?"
"What about Xu Siyuan? Doesn't he have anything to say?"
Eunuch Li's heart skipped a beat, but he still answered with a stiff upper lip, "Your Majesty, you have forgotten that Minister Xu embezzled a huge amount of money from the national treasury. The evidence is irrefutable, and he has been dismissed from his post."
A month after Su Fengzhang left the capital, Minister Xu finally couldn't help but take action. He was only wary of the people left behind by Su Fengzhang and moved very carefully, but he didn't expect that Prince Cheng had been staring at him.
Although Minister Xu was a fox spirit, he was unable to resist Prince Cheng's tactics and was arrested with solid evidence.
Although His Majesty finally pleaded for mercy and gave Minister Xu a lighter sentence, saving his life, the entire Xu family was forced to leave officialdom, and Minister Xu's lifelong reputation was ruined. It can be said that he was completely defeated.
Without a good reputation, the southern scholars who had come to join the army scattered and became insignificant.
In the end, the incident did not involve Concubine Xu, who was recuperating, and the two grandsons left by the Fourth Prince, but the Xu family's empire collapsed, and everyone saw that Concubine Xu's lineage had lost its last support.
On the contrary, Prince Cheng gained a better reputation because he saved the Xu family's lives, and some people even praised him for his open-mindedness and magnanimity.
The emperor's expression suddenly turned worse. His eyes were dim and emotionless. Finally, he sneered, "Yes, I almost forgot that the people left behind by the fourth brother have long since dispersed."
Eunuch Li did not dare to interrupt, but he felt that there was nothing wrong with this matter. After all, if the people left by the eldest prince and the fourth prince were still there, plus the people of Prince Cheng and the crown prince, the court of the Great Zhou would be in chaos.
The emperor had no such thoughts and said coldly, "I never realized in all these years that this old man could have such ability."
"Maybe it's not Lao Wu, it's the Yun family..."
"Back then, I shouldn't have kept the Yun family."
Eunuch Li once again lay on the ground, wishing he were deaf and dumb.
After a while, the emperor shook his head and said, "But now it's no longer possible. Without the Yun family, who will help me take care of Xiaojiu? Concubine Yu is just a weak woman, and the Fang family is long gone."
Suddenly, he thought of someone and frowned as he asked, "Tell me, I urgently summoned Fang Zhiwen to the capital, but why didn't he come? Instead, he repeatedly resigned. I don't believe he really has no intention."
Eunuch Li replied with a bitter face: "Your Majesty, I am only a eunuch. I am not well educated and how can I understand the thoughts of the adults?"
The emperor didn't seem to expect his answer, muttering to himself, "Maybe he's afraid, afraid of ending up like Fang Mingsi."
Eunuch Li's body trembled. Over the years, the emperor had never mentioned this name. This name was a taboo for His Majesty, Prince Rong, and Lord Yun Qian.
Even though His Majesty dotes on Concubine Yu, Eunuch Li knows in his heart that Fang Mingsi's matter cannot be touched.
A chill spread throughout the palace. It was unknown how long it took, until it was already beginning to grow dim outside. The emperor finally urged, "Help me up and attend the coronation ceremony."
Eunuch Li did not dare to persuade him anymore and could only help the emperor get up and dress.
The crown weighing more than ten kilograms seemed to break the emperor's neck. Eunuch Li could not support him alone, so he had to call a strong eunuch to come in for help.
When the emperor arrived at the hall in his sedan chair, the coronation ceremony had not yet begun, but there was no surprise on Prince Cheng's face. It was obvious that he had known that the emperor would come in person.
The emperor was helped out and glanced at the people present, his face gloomy again.
Standing behind Prince Cheng is Prince Xi He Jun, and further behind him you can see Su Fengzhang. These three are the youngest among the civil and military officials who are qualified to attend the coronation ceremony of the new emperor.
Prince Cheng was tall and handsome, Prince Xi was talented in both civil and military affairs, and Su Fengzhang was both talented and handsome. After the palace coup, the emperor could only hear faint praises of them in his ears.
But it was precisely because of their excellence that the emperor realized again and again that the court was no longer under his control.
His eyes fell on Su Fengzhang, and he sneered in his heart. No wonder Su Fengzhang looked so good, but he always disliked him. This man was scheming and cunning, and he was afraid that he had already defected to Lao Wu.
The emperor looked around but couldn't find Prince Rong, and most of the people from the six ministries were unfamiliar faces.
Even though the emperor arrived suddenly, the coronation ceremony went smoothly. Apart from the fact that the little emperor was less than three years old and was staggering with the crown on, which made people nervous for fear that he would fall, no other accidents occurred.
Before the palace coup, the Ninth Prince always fell ill every three days and seriously ill every five days. People from the Imperial Hospital ran to the Queen's palace all day long, and the smell of medicine was always there.
After he became the crown prince, his health improved significantly. The coronation ceremony lasted almost a whole day and night, and the little emperor was just a little sleepy, and there was nothing serious.
In stark contrast to him, the once energetic old emperor was no longer able to do so. He forced himself to attend the coronation ceremony and personally placed the crown on the head of the Qin descendant, but he could not hold on any longer when he returned.
The emperor was seriously ill again, so the enthronement ceremony of the two empresses had to be postponed.
The entire Imperial Medical Bureau was moved to the old emperor's bedroom, but the imperial doctors were all frowning and had no idea what to do.
Doctor Wang boldly said, "Your Majesty had a stroke before, and after much recovery, he overworked during the coronation ceremony. Now the stroke is showing signs of recurring."
The Queen simply asked calmly, "Doctor Wang, just tell me straight away, can the Emperor's illness be cured?"
Doctor Wang glanced at the Queen Mother and saw the Queen Mother's expression. He felt relieved and said, "I am incompetent and I am afraid that it is impossible to save the situation."
Empress Dowager Yun didn't even frown, she just asked, "How long does the retired emperor have left?"
Doctor Wang pinched his throat and replied, "If you stay calm and take good care of yourself, you might be able to last three to five months. But if you get angry again, I'm afraid..."
Empress Dowager Yun sighed softly and wiped the corners of her eyes, which were still tearful. "Your Majesty has toiled for the country his entire life, yet his health was ruined by that rebellious son. I am deeply grieved."
"I only hope that Your Majesty can be more forgiving, stay a little longer, and teach Jiuer more."
Doctor Wang didn't dare to ask or think whether these words were sincere or false. He only knew that in this deep palace, the words of the retired emperor were definitely not as effective as those of the empress dowager.
Being able to work safely in the Imperial Hospital for so many years, Doctor Wang always knows whose advice to listen to in order to live a long life.
Even with countless precious medicinal herbs, the emperor's health was getting worse day by day. He knew this in his heart. After waking up one day, he ordered, "Come here, I want to see Prince Rong."
Eunuch Li quickly reported, "Your Majesty, Prince Rong is seriously ill at home and I'm afraid he can't enter the palace to see you."
The emperor shouted coldly, "If he's seriously ill, you have to bring him in!"
"Why, I'm not dead yet, so I don't even have the power to summon my subjects?"
Eunuch Li had no choice but to go down and pass on the order, feeling uneasy. After all, Empress Dowager Yun was in charge inside the palace, and Prince Cheng was in charge outside the palace. Neither of them was easy to talk to.
Who knew that when Empress Dowager Yun heard this, she just smiled and said, "If the Grand Emperor wants to see Prince Rong, then summon him to the palace."
Prince Cheng simply said, "The emperor's uncle is ill, so let him take the carriage directly to the palace to avoid any trouble."
The gentler and calmer they were, the more uneasy Eunuch Li felt. Having been by the emperor's side for so many years, Eunuch Li knew a lot of things, both what he should and shouldn't know.
That was why he was afraid, fearing that the emperor would do something unwise before his death.
At the order of the retired emperor, Prince Rong indeed entered the palace despite his sick body. The carriage drove all the way to the front of the hall before someone helped Prince Rong down.
Prince Rong was much younger than the emperor, but at this moment he looked just as haggard and old, and almost had to be carried into the hall.
Looking at it this way, some people think that the retired emperor is too unkind. Prince Rong is so sick, but he still has to be summoned to the palace. This is just a waste of time. You have to know that this old prince is the retired emperor's most beloved brother.
Prince Rong's expression was very calm, as if all this was natural and he did not feel any resentment at all.
But the retired emperor on the sickbed saw him, his eyes turned red, and he shouted, "A Le, you finally came to see me!"
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