The incident happened suddenly and many people had not yet reacted. Some people looked towards the direction of Longen Hall, some were whispering to each other, and some were looking at Prime Minister Xiao who was in the front.
A young eunuch in blue clothes hurried out of the hall, ordered to summon the imperial physician. He passed by Li Yun'er's hurried figure.
"Royal Aunt!"
Li Yunyan rushed into the Longen Palace in two steps, with her hair full of jewels and jadeite shaking, and her face full of anxiety and worry. She said hastily, "I can give first aid."
"I'll show it to the royal aunt!"
Without waiting for others to react, she rushed to the unconscious Fengyang as fast as she could, squatted down, quickly reached out one hand to feel Fengyang's breath under his nose, and pressed his wrist with the other hand.
From Li Yun'er's perspective, he could see Feng Yang, who was lying on the ground, with her eyes closed. Her powdered face looked normal, but the skin on her wrists and the back of her hands was pale, even with a hint of blue.
There was a lot of noise all around.
The chaotic voices of the royal family members discussing and arguing reached Li Yun'er's ears:
"Does Princess Kang know any medical skills?"
"Didn't Princess Kang offer the miraculous medicine Penicillium Powder not long ago? She should know something about medicine."
"I think we should wait for the doctor to come!"
“…”
Li Yun'an didn't care about the noises around him, his burning gaze was focused only on Fengyang.
She held her breath nervously, carefully feeling the touch under her fingers——
There was no breath under Fengyang's nose, and the skin on her wrist was as cold as frost. She could not feel any pulse under her fingertips.
There is no life at all!
Li Yun'er's fingers stayed on Fengyang's wrist for a few breaths, and he wanted to confirm Fengyang's heartbeat, but several Jinyiwei had already surrounded him from behind.
He Lie, the commander of the Jinyiwei, said in a flat voice: "Princess Kang, please move aside, otherwise don't blame us for offending you."
As they were talking, two Jinyiwei strode towards Li Yunmeng. Their tall bodies cast a shadow on her slender figure. One of them rudely grabbed Li Yunmeng's slender right arm.
Li Yun'er stood up without struggling, lowered his head and stepped back, his face showing deep worry, but he felt relieved in his heart, and the corners of his lips curled up at an angle that others could not see.
King Kang told Fengyang that her life span would end at half past the hour of Si this morning.
King Kang also said that twenty years ago, the late emperor invited a master to cast a soul-devouring spell on Fengyang.
Those who are hit by the soul-devouring technique will have their true essence damaged and will no longer have offspring. Moreover, the moment of death is the day of the soul demise, and after death, the soul will be scattered and will no longer be able to enter the cycle of reincarnation.
The day when Fengyang's soul would return was also calculated by that master.
In fact, the late emperor had asked the expert to calculate the date of his death. Unfortunately, the expert declined with the words "the emperor's fortune cannot be predicted."
Now it seems that the master was probably aware that the late emperor would not survive Fengyang. The more he said, the more mistakes he would make. If he angered the late emperor, he might become the second "Hua Tuo" and die in vain at the hands of the emperor.
Li Yun's eyes flashed, and she bowed to the emperor politely, admitting her fault: "I was worried about the health of my aunt, and I behaved inappropriately at the time. Please forgive me, Your Majesty."
After saying this, she glanced at the fallen Fengyang again, lowered her head and left the Longen Hall under the escort of the Jinyiwei.
The voice of King Kang rang in my ears again: "The Shangyang Army that Taizu left to Aunt Fengyang is the elite among the elites. It is a sharp blade of Dajing, invincible in battle and unstoppable in attack."
"Only the Imperial Aunt can command the Shangyang Army. The Shangyang Army has always been loyal to the Imperial Aunt, and has fought with her through thick and thin, and has made great contributions to Dajing."
It can be said that it is because of the Shangyang Army that Fengyang has its current status; it is because of Fengyang that the Shangyang Army can be honed into a killing weapon.
Both parties achieve mutual success.
Since Fengyang knew that he would not live long, he should have handed over the Shangyang Army to the emperor in advance. However, time was urgent. Even if the emperor got the military command, it would take some time for him to completely take over the Shangyang Army.
This was the opportunity they had been waiting for! While thinking, Li Yunyi stepped out of the high threshold of the main hall. Five or six Jinyiwei guards were standing at the main entrance with embroidered spring swords, not allowing anyone to enter the hall casually.
As Li Yunyan walked towards the place where she originally stood, she nodded slightly to Prime Minister Xiao, and the corners of her lips curled up to form a pair of dimples.
Fengyang is dead!
Prime Minister Xiao curled his lips, stood with his sleeves folded, looking calm and composed. He stood out among the noisy and bustling crowd around him.
All the civil and military officials in the rear were staring blankly at the Long'en Hall, and saw the "unconscious" Fengyang being helped up from the ground by the eunuchs and sitting on a cushion. Several princes from the royal family went to check Fengyang's breath and pulse, and they all shook their heads, unable to hide their sorrow.
There was a silent sadness flowing in the hall.
Princess Yi, who was standing in front of Li Yunyan, could not help but turn her head and whispered, "Sister-in-law, did you see the Imperial Aunt just now? The Imperial Aunt..."
The other princesses in front and behind pricked up their ears, their thoughts in confusion.
If anything happens to Princess Fengyang, it would be like cutting off the emperor's arm, which would inevitably have some unpredictable impact on the court.
I'm afraid there will be unrest in the court again!
Li Yunyan sighed with a wry smile and shook his head: "I didn't have time..."
She frowned her delicate brows, her face full of worry.
The princesses in front and behind looked at each other, and some who knew each other exchanged glances quietly. Most of them frowned, as if there was something stuck in their throats.
"Has the imperial physician not arrived yet?!" the emperor asked anxiously, his face looking extremely ugly. He could barely stand up with the help of the chief eunuch Zhao Rang, his thin body looking a little hunched.
"I will order someone to urge them right away." Zhao Rang gave an order, and another eunuch hurriedly ran out of the Long'en Gate.
Everyone outside the hall couldn't help but feel a bad premonition.
Although the sun was shining brightly at this moment, there was a sense of oppression and tension all around, as if a storm was about to come.
The emperor's pale lips trembled slightly, and the corners of his eyes turned red. He gritted his teeth and said in grief: "Today's grand ceremony ends here..."
His voice was hoarse and choked.
"Your Majesty, you absolutely cannot do this." Minister of Rites Pei Wenrui immediately stepped out of the queue, walked to the main gate of Long'en Hall, and bowed solemnly to the emperor inside, saying, "The grand sacrifice ceremony is only halfway through. If you rashly end it, it would be disrespectful to your ancestors and would only lead to the wrath of heaven and the resentment of the people. This would damage the fate of the country."
"Master Pei is right." The Left Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Rites also stood up and walked to Pei Wenrui's side, bowing and saying, "Your Majesty, etiquette cannot be abolished!"
"I, Dajing, rule the world with filial piety. We must not set such a precedent!"
The emperor glanced coldly at Pei Wenrui and the other man standing outside the palace, and shouted, "How dare you!"
The emperor, who had always been a gentle and elegant man, had a gloomy face at this moment. The twelve strings of colorful jade beads hanging from his crown swayed constantly, and there was an intimidating imperial aura from his entire body.
Facing the imposing emperor, Pei Wenrui and the Left Vice Minister of Rites on the other side of the threshold remained calm. Instead of kneeling, they straightened their backs.
Pei Wenrui raised his head and looked at the emperor, raised his voice slightly, and said righteously: "I am here for the emperor and for the sake of Dajing. Please think twice before you act for the overall situation!"
He stood blocking the main hall entrance, head held high and chest puffed out, showing no intention of backing down.
No matter how righteous his words and expression seemed, the other civil and military officials around him were not fools, and everyone could see that something was wrong with Pei Wenrui.
Even the most obtuse person would have a bad premonition at this moment.
The rustling crowd became agitated like a pot of boiling water.
There was a hint of uneasiness in the oppressive air.
The emperor took a step closer to Pei Wenrui outside the palace, his eyes half-closed, his tone raised by three points, and he angrily said: "Pei Wenrui, what do you want to do? Why don't you step down!"
Several Jinyiwei guards nearby cast cold gazes on Pei Wenrui.
Pei Wenrui maintained his bowing posture, not caring about the guards who were watching him intently. He looked at the emperor calmly, his eyes and expression were so stable, as if he was wearing a mask, and said solemnly: "Your Majesty, honest advice is unpleasant to the ear! I am a minister of Dajing, I cannot watch Your Majesty make mistakes and not listen or advise... This is disloyalty."
What he said sounded very high-sounding, and at first glance, it seemed hard to find fault with it. Instead, one would praise him for his honesty.
The expressions of several people nearby sank, and the bad premonition in their hearts became stronger.
The mountain wind in the imperial mausoleum suddenly howled, becoming stronger and stronger, causing the pines and cypresses to sway wildly and extinguishing the two rows of candles on the left and right sides of the main hall, causing the hall to become dark.
The atmosphere inside and outside the hall suddenly became tense.
The other officials were all silent, with most of their eyes on the emperor and Pei Wenrui, but some were secretly glancing at Prime Minister Xiao and other cabinet elders.
In this strange atmosphere, Prime Minister Xiao, who had been standing still for a long time, moved.
He gently stroked his wrinkle-free sleeves, walked slowly forward, and came to Pei Wenrui's side under the gazes of countless people behind him.
He also bowed and sighed, "Your Majesty, Lord Pei is so loyal, every word he says is for Your Majesty and for our Great Jing Country! But Your Majesty is unwilling to listen to the advice of a loyal minister, which really disappoints us!"
When Prime Minister Xiao uttered the word "disappointment", the eyes of the other civil and military officials in the back suddenly widened and their faces changed.
Most people felt even more depressed, and cold sweat began to seep out of their foreheads and backs.
The wind blew away the cold sweat, and everyone felt cold all over.
Compared to everyone's tension, Prime Minister Xiao in front looked relaxed and at ease.
He shook his head, put his hands behind his back, and straightened his back, as if he didn't care about what the emperor did. He said in a clear voice: "It has been more than a year since the emperor ascended the throne last year. We, the ministers, have assisted him wholeheartedly, hoping that the government will be stable and the people will live in peace."
"However, the emperor is foolish, violent, incompetent, and disrespectful to the previous emperor. In the past year, there have been many natural and man-made disasters, such as the fire in Danyang City, the snow disaster in Liaodong, the flood in Huaibei, and the unrest in Xizhou... All these are ominous signs. It can be seen that the emperor in power has no virtue and has angered the heavens."
"This sacrifice is to worship the ancestors and the heavens. The emperor should have used this opportunity to confess his sins to the heavens and ancestors, but Your Majesty has no intention of reflecting on your sins. The ancestors have punished you, and Princess Fengyang has been implicated as a warning!"
Prime Minister Xiao's voice was loud and clear, echoing clearly around Long'en Gate. Even the officials standing outside Long'en Gate could hear what he said intermittently.
Many officials were sweating profusely on their foreheads and felt heavy in their hearts.
What is meant by "you can always find a pretext to accuse someone"? This is it! The so-called disasters described by Chief Minister Xiao were all true. However, there are sporadic natural and man-made disasters like floods, droughts, and snowstorms every year. As long as the court provides disaster relief properly and settles the affected people, and does not cause the local people to be displaced and live in misery, then it is controllable.
However, Prime Minister Xiao put all the blame on the emperor, and his sinister intentions were obvious.
Many officials felt their mouths dry and swallowed subconsciously, their complicated gazes shifting from Prime Minister Xiao to the emperor in the hall.
The candlelight in the hall had just been extinguished by the mountain wind, and the light inside had become much dimmer. Wisps of white smoke were rising from the incense sticks inserted in the incense burner.
The emperor's facial features and expression were slightly blurry, and he stood there quietly.
It is dark inside the hall, but bright outside.
There is only a threshold between us, but the outside and the inside seem like two different worlds separated by yin and yang.
The officials froze on the spot, shock written hard on their faces. Their bodies were tense and their feet stood still as if they were made of cement.
Even those princesses and queens who don't understand politics are clearly aware of one thing -
Xiao Shoufu, Pei Wenrui and the others are clearly trying to force the emperor to abdicate! This thought flashed through the minds of everyone present like lightning.
Many of the women trembled slightly and seemed to be on the verge of falling, but they all tried their best to hold on.
The first bird to stick its head out gets shot. At this moment, no one dares to move rashly, for fear of attracting unnecessary attention and becoming an example to others.
The emperor's eyes locked onto Prime Minister Xiao's and he asked him by name, "Xiao Fengyuan, are you trying to force him to abdicate?"
The emperor's voice was low and sharp, piercing the hearts of many people like a sharp arrow, as if an invisible layer of window paper was suddenly pierced.
It became quieter.
At this moment, it was as if time had stopped.
The Prime Minister Xiao Fengyuan smiled softly, shook his head again, then stopped smiling and said seriously: "Your Majesty is wrong!"
"This is not forcing the emperor to abdicate, this is to restore order to the country!"
"Mencius said: Those who have the right way will have many supporters, while those who have lost the right way will have few supporters. When a person has few supporters, even his relatives will betray him; when a person has many supporters, the whole world will obey him."
"In order to ensure that our Great Jing Empire will prosper forever, please abdicate and let the wise take over!"
After he finished speaking, Wang Kangyin, the Minister of Revenue, also stood up resolutely and echoed loudly: "If a virtuous person takes the throne, the whole world will obey him. The ancestors of the Chu family can rest in peace if their spirits are in heaven."
"Please, Your Majesty, abdicate and let the throne be given to a wise man!"
More and more officials stood up from the queue outside the hall, shouting in unison, "Your Majesty, please abdicate and let the throne be passed to someone more capable."
These voices gradually gathered together, resounding in unison all around, as if everyone was united in purpose, and even the air began to vibrate.
(End of this chapter)