After the break, it was time to resume court. Many things became known to those who needed to know them after this break. Some things spread not only consciously revealed by Emperor Zhu and Emperor Xiao Zhu, but perhaps also fueled by the machinations of certain individuals.
For example, the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Eastern Depot were ordered to further publicize certain matters in secret.
Therefore, when the ministers arrived at the morning court, they could clearly feel that the atmosphere was rather strange. Those civil and military officials who were able to attend the morning court were basically considered to have entered the central government and held a certain status.
They had all heard some of the news these past two days. Some people didn't care, some scoffed, some were worried, and others felt excited and expectant.
Zhu Xiong Ying, the imperial grandson, seemed completely unaffected, as if the news circulating now had nothing to do with him.
Old Zhu also acted as if nothing had happened. After the civil and military officials entered the main hall, Old Zhu took his seat. It was as if everything was normal, as if he hadn't just summoned some important officials a few days ago to reveal his intention to abdicate.
In this somewhat eerie atmosphere, Xu Huizu was the first to report. Adjustments had been made to the city and palace defenses, and Emperor Zhu nodded in approval with a smile. Seeing Emperor Zhu encouraging Xu Huizu, many people began to have their own thoughts; it seemed the Emperor truly didn't mind his grandson taking over the city and palace.
Each department reported its affairs in an orderly manner, with Zhu Xiong Ying occasionally making judgments or asking questions. Sitting on the dragon throne, Old Zhu mostly listened; he rarely expressed his own opinions these days, and listening was enough for him.
He coughed every now and then, and Old Zhu began to consciously show signs of weakness and exhaustion—he was getting old, after all. Getting up so early, and the long morning court session was becoming unbearable for him; it was simply too grueling.
Many civil and military officials were also terrified. They found it difficult to concentrate and kept glancing at Old Zhu, who was sitting high on the dragon throne.
After the reports from various departments were finished, Old Zhu suddenly said, "I'm getting old, and I'm often sick and confused. All the important affairs of the country are handled by the Crown Prince. I think I should take a break. If I become confused, I might repeat the same misfortune that Emperor Wu of Han suffered in his later years. He was about the same age as me."
The fact that no one burned the paper money for the civil and military officials was even more terrifying. The witchcraft scandal in Emperor Wu of Han's later years not only led to the suicides of Crown Prince Liu Ju and Empress Wei Zifu, but also implicated hundreds of thousands of people. It also nearly jeopardized the succession of the Han Dynasty, forcing the youngest son, Liu Fuling, to ascend the throne.
While many civil and military officials were sweating profusely, Old Zhu continued, "In our younger days, we thought of how Emperor Taizong of Tang forced the crown prince to rebel, so we established the eldest son as heir and ensured the order of the nation's foundation. Now that we are old, we must also be wary of being misled by villains. People tend to become confused as they get older, and I am almost seventy. It is time to pass on the Ming Dynasty's legacy."
After saying this, Zhu Yuanzhang left without a word, ignoring the ministers' trembling fear. The ministers could roughly guess the meaning behind the emperor's words, and many were speculating about what would happen next.
Ru Chang, Yan Zhenzhi, and even Xu Huizu and Mei Yin were terrified. Previously, although the emperor seemed to have expressed a desire to abdicate, no one knew his true intentions. But now it was different; the emperor appeared to genuinely want to abdicate, and this was no longer a test.
Otherwise, they wouldn't have made these points so clearly in court, which essentially made their stance clear.
It's not so much a change of dynasty, but it really looks like the Ming Dynasty is about to have a new emperor!
After court, Emperor Zhu went straight back to the Qianqing Palace. He felt it was time to visit his great-grandson. He had promised to have a snowball fight and enjoy the snow with his great-grandson, so he couldn't let him down.
As soon as Zhu Xiong Ying sat down in the Wenhua Hall, Wang Chengen approached and said, "Your Highness, the Duke of Wei requests an audience."
Upon seeing Zhu Xiong Ying nod, Wang Cheng En immediately went to deliver the imperial decree.
Upon arriving at the Wenhua Hall, Xu Huizu exchanged brief greetings and said, "Your Highness, His Majesty held court this morning..."
"Just don't go against the emperor's wishes," Zhu Xiong Ying said calmly. "It's not a good thing for nobles to step forward in this matter, especially given your special status. Just pretend you don't know anything, and be careful with your words and actions."
Xu Huizu immediately understood, but still said, "I understand, but I am fortunate to have the support of my father, and many military officers will probably be watching me."
This is a euphemism; in reality, the Xu family's lineage possessed formidable martial prowess, even surpassing that of the Chang family. It's not unreasonable to say that many of these martial artists followed in Xu Huizu's footsteps.
Zhu Xiong Ying laughed and looked up at Xu Huizu, saying, "There are no fools among the noble families still in court. You are just cautious and reserved, do you understand what I mean?"
Zhu Xiong Ying naturally couldn't explain some things, but that didn't stop him from subtly expressing his attitude on certain matters.
Xu Huizu naturally understood even more clearly that his special status made it inappropriate to express his stance on certain matters. However, he could express it in other ways, such as selecting some Han generals or inspecting the altar.
Whether others can understand Xu Huizu's meaning is not that important. After all, if some people can't understand at this point, they will have to be sidelined. Without a bit of tact, it's hard to maintain a foothold in the court.
As Xu Huizu hurried away, he saw Ru Chang and the others. He decided to keep things clearly separate; civil officials and military officers shouldn't get too close. Although they were all part of the Crown Prince's faction, it wasn't appropriate to say anything more at this time.
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