Chapter 1301 still needs additions and subtractions.
I spent a sleepless night.
The next morning, a thin fog descended upon Chang'an City, carrying with it a faint smell of blood. This instilled fear in the people who had already been keeping their doors and windows closed all day, making them hesitant to venture out.
In fact, the ban in the city was still in effect, and the city gates were tightly closed, with no one allowed to leave the city.
The common people dared not move around freely, but the officials could not stay indoors.
Before dawn, dozens of palace eunuchs left the palace under the stars and went to the residences of various officials to deliver messages. As a result, before dawn, at least 60% of the officials had gathered in front of the Vermilion Bird Gate. After receiving permission from the King of Qin, they entered the palace.
However, there was no court assembly today.
The emperor locked himself in the Liangyi Hall. All night long, except for Yuwen Ye and Shang Ruyi leaving, the heavy palace gate was never opened again. The sun gradually rose, and the sunlight should have shone into the hall through the windows, but there was still no sound inside.
The ministers gathered at the door gradually became uneasy.
Especially when they saw the soldiers surrounding the main hall, led by the burly Shen Tu Tai, whose body was covered in blood, no one knew whose blood it was, but at this moment, no one dared to ask.
They didn't even bother to ask.
Even though the eunuchs who came to deliver the message kept their mouths shut, these officials, whose eyes had been boiled in oil, could still read a lot from their tense expressions.
Moreover, with the several chaotic battles in the city yesterday, the deafening sounds of battle at Xuanwu Gate last night, and everything in the palace today being managed and directed by Prince Qin and Princess Qin, while the Crown Prince, Princess, and Prince Qi have not been seen at all, how could they not guess what happened?
Even though the Liangyi Hall was closed and exuded a heavy, deathly atmosphere, everyone still felt a chill run down their spines.
what to do?
Someone stood at the door and cautiously whispered, "Your Majesty, yesterday the Crown Prince, the Prince of Qi, and the Duke of Wushan raised an army in rebellion, which was quelled by the Prince of Qin. To reassure the officials and the people, Your Majesty..."
At this point, the man himself choked up.
These officials are all highly learned, and usually they speak eloquently and fluently, quoting classical texts. But today they all seem to have their mouths gagged, and even when they do speak, they stammer and fail to express themselves clearly.
After all, throughout history, almost no dynasty has ever encountered such a thing.
They had no idea how to use classical texts to persuade the emperor to accept the situation and smoothly abdicate in favor of a more virtuous ruler.
Just as everyone was hesitating, an old voice rang out from the crowd.
"His Majesty."
Upon hearing the familiar voice, everyone stepped aside and saw a hunched figure with white hair walking in front of the main hall. It was none other than Ji Hong.
After the Tangquan Palace incident, he used the excuse of old age and illness to take a break for several months and almost stopped attending court.
Seeing him arrive, everyone felt even more desolate.
After all, it was Ji Hong who came to invite him when the emperor ascended the throne, and unexpectedly, it is still Ji Hong today...
Some people immediately stepped forward and said, "Lord Ji, you are the head of the court officials. It seems that you are the one to advise His Majesty on this matter today."
"Yes, His Highness the King of Qin is wise and powerful, and should rightfully be named Crown Prince."
"There are evil spirits causing trouble in this court."
"Lord Ji, we still need you to get to the bottom of this."
Listening to the chatter of the crowd, Ji Hong did not respond. Instead, he walked step by step to the entrance of the Liangyi Hall, looked at the tightly closed doors, and listened to the complete silence inside. He sighed softly and then said, "Your Majesty, this old minister Ji Hong has come to resign. I beg Your Majesty to grant me permission to retire and return to my hometown."
"ah?"
Upon hearing this, everyone was stunned.
But Ji Hong slowly knelt before the Liangyi Hall and said in a hoarse voice, "This old minister has served two dynasties and three emperors. Now I am old and frail, and even if I want to serve you, I am afraid I am not strong enough and may even harm the country."
The main hall remained quiet.
The same goes for the surrounding area.
The courtiers, who had been making a ruckus, quieted down upon hearing his words, but their hearts were filled with turmoil. They looked at each other with strange expressions.
Ji Hong knelt before the hall, head bowed, and continued, "The only thing this old minister cannot let go of is Your Majesty."
"Your Majesty is advanced in years, yet you still manage countless affairs of state, working tirelessly day and night. This old minister dares to suggest that Your Majesty's health is precious and should be in accordance with the order of the four seasons. The imperial power is immense, and a virtuous person should be chosen to succeed you."
"As this old minister departs, I only wish that the Great Sheng Dynasty may last for a thousand generations, and be eternally prosperous and immortal."
After saying this, he bowed deeply.
"Lord Ji..."
Two thin figures stepped out from the side and bent down to help Ji Hong up. He looked up, tears streaming down his face, and saw that it was none other than Minister Shen Shiyan and Grand Secretary Pei Xu.
Last night, the two were sent back to their respective residences by Yuwen Ye's men, but they barely slept all night. With bloodshot eyes, they gathered here with the court officials early this morning. Although they knew what they should do, no one could speak in the face of the closed palace gates. Unexpectedly, Ji Hong appeared at this time and said those words.
Shen Shiyan said, "Lord Ji..."
Ji Hong glanced at them, then at the back of the crowd, where two familiar figures stood, and gave a wry smile.
He said, "I am old, but young people still have much to achieve."
"..."
"You all should serve His Majesty well."
After saying that, he pulled a scroll of documents from his sleeve and handed it to Shen Shiyan, then turned around and left without looking back.
Only after he had walked far away did everyone sigh and turn back again, but the gate of the Liangyi Hall remained tightly closed, and they didn't know whether the people inside had heard what he had just said.
Pei Xu glanced at Shen Shiyan: "This is—?"
Shen Shiyan hurriedly unfolded the scroll and, upon closer inspection, discovered it was an imperial edict drafted by Ji Hong.
By imperial decree, which reads:
I, having received the Mandate of Heaven to rule over all under Heaven, have been diligent and conscientious day and night, wishing only for peace throughout the land and for the eternal stability of the nation. However, the Crown Prince and the Prince of Qi have failed to cultivate virtue and governance, disregarded the emperor and their relatives, and harbor rebellious intentions, plotting to disrupt the state. Whenever I think of this, I am filled with grief and indignation.
The King of Qin is exceptionally brave and valiant, possessing both loyalty and filial piety. In the past, he quelled numerous bandits and brought peace to the eight directions, his merits benefiting the nation; now, he has eliminated treacherous villains and protected my safety, his achievements are magnificent, and he is admired by all in the court and among the people. I observe his virtue, which is sufficient to uphold the weight of the ancestral temple; I examine his talent, and he is worthy to succeed to the throne.
I hereby depose the Crown Prince and strip the Prince of Qi of his title in order to uphold the law of the land. I hereby appoint Prince Yuwen Ye of Qin as Crown Prince, granting him the power to oversee the state and manage all affairs of state. I shall retire to the inner palace to enjoy my remaining years, and hope that you will carry on my legacy and bring great glory to the nation.
The announcement was made to the whole world so that everyone would know.
Upon seeing it, everyone couldn't help but gasp.
In fact, every word on this page reflects the sentiments of almost everyone present today. However, they still care about their own reputation and, more importantly, their lives. After all, as long as the emperor doesn't speak, he still holds the power of life and death over them, so no one dares to actually speak.
Unexpectedly, Ji Hong came here and did everything that needed to be said and everything that needed to be presented.
Shen Shiyan hurriedly turned around and bowed deeply to Ji Hong's old and hunched figure, who had already walked away. The surrounding officials also followed suit and bowed deeply to the old minister.
After bowing once, Shen Shiyan immediately turned around, holding the document in his hands, and was about to kneel down in front of the tightly closed gate of the Liangyi Hall.
Just then, Shen Wuzheng's voice rang out from the side.
"Wait a minute."
Shen Shiyan frowned and turned around to see Shen Wuzheng walking out of the crowd. Shen Wuzheng took the document from Shen Shiyan's hand, looked it over from top to bottom, and then said softly, "I'm afraid this document needs some additions and subtractions."
Shen Shiyan was greatly surprised: "Add or subtract? What's there to add or subtract?"
As the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, he drafted countless imperial edicts and issued numerous decrees to the emperor. This edict is so well-written that it is almost flawless. What need is there for anything to add or subtract?
But Shen Wuzheng calmly said, "There must be additions and subtractions."
After saying this, he ignored the hesitation of the people around him, picked up the document, turned around and left in a hurry. He arrived at Qianqiu Palace in no time.
As soon as they arrived at the entrance, they saw Shan Tong'er standing guard with a group of personal guards. Although Yuwen Ye had already taken control of the entire Chang'an City, necessary precautions still had to be taken. As soon as someone approached, Shan Tong'er immediately came forward. Upon seeing him, she breathed a sigh of relief: "Brother Shen, what brings you here?"
Shen Wuzheng said, "There are some things that need to be shown to the King of Qin."
"Oh, then you can go in."
Shen Wuzheng didn't say much, just nodded and went inside. As soon as he entered the courtyard, he saw Wo Xue silently carrying some clothes toward the side hall, and immediately asked, "What are you doing here?"
Upon seeing him, Wo Xue quickly bowed and said, "Lord Shen, this servant escorted Madam Chu back."
"Madam Chu?"
"Yes, yesterday the Princess Consort sent me to welcome Madam Chu. After meeting them, I returned to the Prince Qin's residence and stayed for the night. Today, I will escort Madam and the young prince to the palace."
"Yuan Gan is here too?"
"Yes, the Princess Consort just went to the side hall to rest with Madam Chu and the young prince. Lord Shen, is there something you need from the Princess Consort?"
Shen Wuzheng pondered for a moment, then immediately shook his head and said, "It's alright, there's no need to tell her I've been here."
"..."
Wo Xue glanced at him and said softly, "Yes."
Shen Wuzheng didn't say anything more to her, took the document and walked into Qianqiu Palace, where he saw Yuwen Ye sitting alone.
Although the entire palace was on high alert, and the area around the Thousand Autumns Hall was filled with fully armed elite soldiers, he did not slack off at all. He was still wearing his armor and holding a book in his hand, but Shen Wuzheng could tell from his dark eyes that he definitely hadn't read a single word.
Hearing footsteps, Yuwen Ye looked up: "Why are you here?"
As he spoke, his eyes flickered again: "Over at the Liangyi Hall—"
Shen Wuzheng bowed to him and said, "Your Highness Prince Qin, Lord Ji Hong just came to resign from his post and handed over this draft imperial edict to everyone before leaving. However, I think it should be revised. Please make your decision, Your Highness."
After saying that, he handed the document to Yuwen Ye.
Yuwen Ye was surprised to hear this.
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