Emperor Zhaoming passed away, and the funeral bells rang throughout Dingjing. Within half a day, the whole city was in mourning, and the hot summer suddenly became much colder.
Emperor Zhaoming had been suffering from a stubborn illness for many years, and the palace had already prepared all the utensils needed for the national funeral. Liu Yan, despite his illness, presided over the overall situation and arranged the burial
of Emperor Zhaoming and Queen Mother Zhou. Liu Chen was grief-stricken, but he did not let grief devour his reason. Emperor Zhaoming suddenly returned to the palace, and such a strange fire broke out. It was suspicious no matter how you looked at it, so when Liu Yan was appeasing his ministers, he asked Shen Jinghong to investigate the inside story of the fire in the palace.
In the side hall, Shen Jinghong stood straight, bowed to Liu Yan and Liu Chen and reported: "I have checked the city gate records. Someone left the city last night with a token from the Queen Mother's palace. There are also records at the temporary palace. The Queen Mother had someone call Your Majesty back."
Liu Yan had already changed into a white robe, with a white headband on his head. His eyebrows were half-closed, showing no sadness or joy, but he had a terrifying majesty that made people dare not look at him.
"Where are the palace gate records?" Liu Chen asked anxiously.
Shen Jinghong paused and replied, "The palace gate records have not been found for the time being because of the fire. The guards who were originally stationed at the palace gate also died in the fire while fighting the fire, so there is no way to verify it. But judging from the records of the city gate and the temporary palace, Your Majesty should have been recalled by the Queen Mother, and there is no suspicion."
Liu Chen frowned: "Why did the Royal Grandmother urgently summon my father in the middle of the night?"
Shen Jinghong said, "There is no way to know this for the time being. I have inspected the fire scene and found some burnt bowls and plates at the scene. There should have been a banquet in the Queen Mother's palace at that time, and there were only two sets of tableware, one on the Queen Mother's main seat, and the other in front of Your Majesty's body. Therefore, I boldly infer that there should be only the Queen Mother and Your Majesty present at the time."
Liu Yan's eyes moved slightly when he heard this, but his long eyelashes concealed his inner fluctuations, making it impossible for people to detect his abnormality.
The Queen Mother's careful arrangements and Mu Zhuohua's accidental success actually created a very favorable situation for him, removing his suspicion.
Liu Chen did not suspect Liu Yan at all. He turned to ask Liu Yan, "Uncle, did you find anything unusual in the city last night?"
Liu Yan shook his head and said in a low and hoarse voice, "Last night I followed the instructions of the Doctor Wan Shen and stayed at home to recover from my injuries. I did not find anything unusual. When the servants reported that the palace was on fire, the fire had already spread..."
Liu Chen knew that Liu Yan was in poor health and needed to soak in medicinal baths all year round, so he did not suspect him.
"Have you found the cause of the fire?" Liu Chen asked Shen Jinghong.
"At present, we can only speculate that the fire spread from the southwest corner of the harem, where many wine jars were stored. Somehow the fire broke out and affected the wine cellar. The fire suddenly became fierce, and because of the southwest wind, it burned all over the harem." Shen Jinghong replied.
Liu Chen clenched his fists, veins popped out on the back of his hands, he gritted his teeth, bloodshot eyes: "Even so, those guards and palace maids should have rescued my father and grandmother!"
Shen Jinghong lowered his head and said: "Your Highness, there is something very strange..."
"What is it?" Liu Chen asked.
Shen Jinghong said: "Nearly a hundred palace maids and eunuchs were burned to death in the harem, but... there is not a single corpse in the empress dowager's palace or even outside the palace, and no one is seen in the empress dowager's palace. It seems that when the incident happened, it was your majesty or the empress dowager who deliberately sent everyone away."
Liu Chen was shocked when he heard this, and his shoulders couldn't help shaking slightly: "What does this mean?"
Shen Jinghong lowered his head and whispered: "I dare not speak nonsense."
Shen Jinghong didn't dare to say it, but Liu Chen couldn't help himself from thinking wildly-who sent the palace people away, was it my father, or the empress dowager, why, why...
A steady and powerful palm fell on Liu Chen's shoulder, holding down his trembling body. "Chen'er, calm down!"
Liu Yan's voice was hoarse but with a dignity that could not be ignored, which instantly brought Liu Chen's confused mind back to normal. He looked at Liu Yan helplessly, choking and shouting: "Uncle..."
Liu Yan sighed softly in his heart, but he could not show any flaws or weakness on his face. He patted Liu Chen's shoulder and said in a deep voice: "You are the eldest prince. His Majesty has passed away and the Queen Mother has passed away. You can't lose your composure and make some unfounded guesses."
Liu Chen took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down: "Uncle is right."
Liu Yan said: "It is important to track down the truth, but the dead are gone. What is more important is how to deal with the current situation of no leader. The country cannot be in chaos. " The emperor has no emperor. My brother did not appoint a crown prince during his lifetime. I am afraid that people's hearts are floating now."
Shen Jinghong also echoed: "Your Highness is right. The most urgent task is that Your Highness must sit firmly in the central palace and ascend the throne as soon as possible. Otherwise, not only will Dingjing be in chaos, but Beiliang will also take advantage of the
situation. "Liu Yan glanced at Shen Jinghong, and then looked at Liu Chen: "My brother has already placed the will behind the plaque of the Imperial Ancestral Temple. This is known to all the ministers in the court. Today we will take out the will in public and let you succeed to the throne legitimately. "
Liu Chen's right hand trembled slightly, and he tightly grasped the corner of his clothes. He looked at Liu Yan with admiration and dependence. Today he suddenly lost two relatives. Looking at the court, he can only rely on Liu Yan. Even if there are rumors outside, many people say that he is more meritorious than the master, that he is ambitious and intends to steal the country, Liu Chen has never doubted his uncle. The world slanders him, slanders him, and fears him, but it is just because they don't understand him.
His uncle was the best man in the world and his strongest shield.
After listening to Liu Yan's words, the six ministers and the elders in the court followed the royal family to the Imperial Ancestral Temple to retrieve the will.
Under the gaze of countless eyes, Liu Yan took down the wooden box hidden behind the plaque and handed it to the three officials for inspection. After confirming that it was correct, everyone opened the wooden box together and took out the bright yellow scroll inside.
After opening the scroll, everyone's faces suddenly changed and they looked at each other. There was confusion and puzzlement in each other's eyes, but one person still came forward to read out the contents of the will.
Liu Yan closed his eyes and listened to the voice reading out the familiar contents word by word. The scene of that day appeared in front of him again...
That day, Emperor Zhaoming drafted the will and asked him to accompany him.
Emperor Zhaoming held the pen and smiled at him, "Among my three sons, the eldest is both civil and military, but lacks calmness; the second is too scheming and lacks openness; the third is of the same blood as the second, and the two are one... You know, I prefer Chen'er in my heart, but he suffers too little, so I am always worried. You will have to worry more in the future..."
Liu Yan endured the pain in his heart and said, "Royal brother..."
Emperor Zhaoming smiled and shook his head, saying, "I always thought that I could hold on for a few more years, and when Chen'er becomes more mature and stable, I would hand over the country to him, but I was afraid that it would be too late... I have been reluctant to appoint a crown prince, which is also a test for him. Born in an imperial family, the love between brothers seems to be a luxury, but I always hope that they can be like you and me... When Chen'er ascends the throne in the future, you will still need his support... I don't want to see them killing each other."
Liu Yan watched Emperor Zhaoming pick up the pen and write down the edict word by word, writing that the throne should be passed to the eldest prince Liu Chen.
Liu Yan heard the voice read: "Pass the throne to the second prince - Liu Yu."
Liu Yan suddenly opened his eyes, and looked at the second prince Liu Yu who was kneeling below with a cold and sharp gaze.
Not only Liu Yu, but everyone was stunned. Judging from the reactions of Liu Chen and Liu Yan before, almost everyone believed that the name written on the edict of passing on the throne should be Liu Chen's name. How could they have expected that there would be a shocking reversal at this time, and the Minister of Rites read out Liu Yu's name!
Liu Yu even stayed where he was and forgot to move. There were still traces of tears on his face, and the grief in his eyes had not yet been wiped away. Shock and ecstasy surged up, but he only stayed for a moment, and soon came to his senses, fell to the ground, and trembled, "Son, I accept the order!"
When Liu Chen heard this voice, he trembled violently, stood up from the ground, and roared, "This is impossible, this is a forged order!"
The face of the Minister of Rites sank, and he scolded, "How can there be noise in the Imperial Temple? Your Highness is rude!"
The people of Liu Yu's faction were overjoyed by this good news that fell from the sky. Earlier, they had tried to support Liu Yu to take the throne, but Liu Chen was the eldest and the last, and his reputation was also impeccable. It was extremely difficult for him to seize the throne, but now it was the will of the late emperor, what could be more legitimate than this!
Everyone became bolder and loudly congratulated the new emperor.
Liu Yu took the edict of succession from the Minister of Rites. He seemed to be walking on clouds, light and airy. Even though he was a scheming man, he was just a teenager under 20. His long-cherished wish finally came true. Even if he had to pretend to be sad, he couldn't suppress the ecstasy in his eyes.
Liu Chen was about to explode, but someone grabbed his arm. Liu Chen turned around and saw Liu Yan walking forward with a serious expression.
"Please ask the six ministers to re-examine the edict." Liu Yan looked at the edict in Liu Yu's hand and said in a deep voice.
Liu Yu's expression froze, and his hand holding the edict suddenly tightened, and he said in a hoarse voice: "What does the emperor mean?"
Liu Yan said lightly: "When the late emperor drafted the edict, I was also present. The content of this edict is different. I suspect someone has tampered with it."
When Liu Yan said this, everyone was in an uproar.
Liu Yan ignored the noise of the crowd and repeated in a deep voice: "Please ask the six ministers to examine the will."
Liu Yan stood in a black robe, his back straight as a pine tree, and his deep and mellow voice was calm, but it was like a hand covering the sky, pressing down hard on everyone's head, forcing them to bow their heads, feeling fear and submission. Those undercurrents and the storms that were about to be set off were all eliminated in his light words.
The Minister of Rites avoided Liu Yan's sight, looked at Liu Yu and said: "Please ask the Second Prince to hand over the edict."
Liu Yu's face flashed with embarrassment, but he still handed over the edict.
The six ministers were all veteran officials who were very familiar with the handwriting of Emperor Zhaoming. After a long time, the Minister of Rites said, "There is no sign of forgery in the will."
Liu Yu just breathed a sigh of relief, but heard Liu Yan chuckle and said coldly, "Okay..."
Everyone's eyes fell on Liu Yan. He looked at Liu Yu sternly and said slowly, "There are two copies of the will, and the other is kept by Your Majesty himself. The two copies can be compared and verified."
"But Your Majesty passed away suddenly, and there was a fire in the palace. Who knows where the will is?" The Minister of Rites frowned and said.
Liu Yan said, "I know."
Mu Zhuohua was of a low official position and did not accompany him to the Imperial Ancestral Temple. Instead, he followed other officials to guard in front of the spirit of Emperor Zhaoming.
The atmosphere in the hall was very depressing. Everyone was speculating in their hearts about the truth behind the fire, where the State of Chen would go tomorrow, and how they should establish themselves to keep their official positions.
There were very few people who were truly sad about the death of Emperor Zhaoming.
Mu Zhuohua lowered her head, thinking of the gentle smile of Emperor Zhaoming. Even though she felt ruthless, she couldn't help feeling a little sad. Emperor Zhaoming's death was indirectly caused by her. She only wanted to save Liu Yan, but she didn't expect that Emperor Zhaoming would choose to die for Liu Yan. He was the emperor, why did he do this?
Mu Zhuohua couldn't figure it out, but the more she thought about it, the more guilty she felt. In the end, she sincerely shed a few tears.
At dusk, the people who went to the Imperial Ancestral Temple hurried back, but after they came back, they did not come to the spirit of Emperor Zhaoming to announce the new emperor, but went straight to the harem.
Mu Zhuohua heard everyone whispering, she rolled her eyes, quietly left the queue, and ran towards the harem.
The harem suffered a fire, burning more than half of the palace, and the air was still filled with a pungent smell of burning. Mu Zhuohua covered her mouth and nose and followed the crowd all the way to the outside of Emperor Zhaoming's bedroom. Everyone's attention was on Liu Yan, so no one noticed a petite figure slipping behind the column.
Mu Zhuohua stuck half of his head out from behind the pillars and saw Liu Yan.
Liu Yan was standing beside Emperor Zhaoming's dragon bed. He leaned over and picked up the jade pillow. He pressed it and heard the sound of the mechanism moving. A secret compartment opened on the dragon bed, and inside was a wooden box, exactly the same as the one behind the plaque of the Imperial Ancestral Temple.
The six ministers looked at each other. The Minister of Rites was ordered to step forward, take out the wooden box, and examine it with everyone. Finally, he opened it and took out another edict of succession.
Exactly the same words and handwriting, the only difference was that this edict said that the throne was passed to the eldest son Liu Chen.
Liu Yu's face turned pale, his lips trembled, and he muttered: "Impossible... This is impossible..."
Liu Chen stared at Liu Yu and sneered: "Everyone knows that my father hid the will of succession in the Imperial Ancestral Temple, but no one knows that the other will is here. You changed that will but forgot this one!"
Liu Yu was shocked and stared at Liu Chen, saying sternly: "No! I didn't change the will, I didn't!"
Liu Jin also stepped forward to defend his brother and said loudly: "My second brother would never do such a treasonous thing!"
Liu Chen said coldly: "What can't he do if he is blinded by greed? The second prince forged the imperial edict, and his crime should be executed. Put him in jail and interrogate him strictly!"
Liu Yan held Liu Chen's shoulder and shook his head gently, saying: "The matter has not been investigated clearly yet, so it cannot be publicized."
Liu Chen said anxiously: "Uncle, how can you speak for him? Who else would modify the imperial edict in the Imperial Ancestral Temple except him!"
"Two imperial edicts, one says that the throne is passed to the eldest prince, and the other says that the throne
is passed to the second prince. Who can know which one is true and which one is false!" An old minister said loudly, "Maybe the one in the Imperial Ancestral Temple is true, but the one in Prince Ding is false!" Other officials lowered their heads and discussed with uneasiness.
The speaker was Zhao Guangzhi, Duke of Yingguo, who was Liu Yu's grandfather. Naturally, he had to speak from Liu Yu's standpoint. There were also many people who supported Duke of Yingguo. At that time, all officials were divided into three factions. Some supported Liu Chen, some supported Liu Yu, and some shut their mouths and said nothing, looking uneasy.
When Empress Dowager Zhou was alive, she valued her eldest grandson Liu Chen the most, so the Zhou family has supported Liu Chen for many years. Zhou Kui, the head of the Zhou family, was the commander of the Palace Front Division and the highest commander of the 100,000 garrison troops in Dingjing. However, in order to curb the power of the Zhou family, Emperor Zhaoming appointed Shufei's brother Zhao Qi as the commander of the left capital. Therefore, these 100,000 garrison troops were not completely under Zhou Kui's command. If civil strife broke out, Zhao Qi could mobilize at least 40,000 troops.
Unexpectedly, the two edicts had opposite contents. Both sides believed that their edicts were the real ones. They argued for a while and the anger in the palace became more and more intense.
"Enough!" Liu Yan shouted in a deep voice. His low voice contained unquestionable pressure, suppressing all the restlessness in the palace, and everyone quieted down in an instant.
"The emperor's body is not cold yet, and you are quarreling in front of the spirit. What a disgrace!" Liu Yan looked at the people in front of him coldly, "Are you going to be satisfied only when you see Dingjing in chaos!"
Everyone was silent and dared not refute.
Liu Yan walked down the steps slowly, and the pressure was so great that everyone dared not look up.
"Whether the late emperor wrote the will or I grind the ink for him, I know which one is the real one. The late emperor placed the will behind the plaque in the Imperial Ancestral Temple. Many ministers in the court knew about this, and several princes also knew about it. But only I know where the second will is. Therefore, the person who replaced the will can replace the will in the Imperial Ancestral Temple, but cannot replace the one in the late emperor's bedroom."
The Duke of Ying relied on his old age and was not afraid of Liu Yan's pressure. He sneered and said, "Your Highness Prince Ding's implication is that the second prince replaced the will. Do you have any evidence? As everyone knows, the prince and the eldest prince are the closest. How do we know whether the will in the late emperor's bedroom was forged by the prince?"
Liu Yan's eyes were cold . Looking at the Duke of Yingguo, "If I could forge this will, I would also replace the one in the Taimiao."
The Duke of Yingguo said angrily, "Then Your Highness, do you mean that the Second Prince forged and replaced the will? The Second Prince is a gentleman with a good reputation for being courteous to others. Your Highness wants to frame the prince without any evidence. Aren't you afraid of criticism from people all over the world?"
Liu Yan looked indifferent and said slowly, "I never said that the forged will in the Taimiao was replaced by the Second Prince. Your Highness does not need to be angry."
The Duke of Yingguo sneered, "Then who do you think did it?"
Liu Yan said slowly, "It was the work of a spy from Beiliang."
Not only the Duke of Yingguo, but everyone in the hall was stunned for a moment, with confusion on their faces.
Liu Yan said, "This person deliberately replaced one of the edicts, causing the contents of the two edicts to be opposite, in order to cause internal strife in the court of Dachen. In this situation, who will benefit the most?" Liu Yan paused, swept his eyes over everyone, and said, "Of course it's Beiliang."
"Beiliang visited Chen with ill intentions, and you have all seen with your own eyes how arrogant Yelu Jing is. They have been looking forward to the death of the previous emperor of Dachen and the internal strife in the court, so that they will have the opportunity to send troops. The quarrel among officials today is exactly what they want! I was personally appointed as the King of Ding by the previous emperor, and I have the responsibility to stabilize the country. I will not give Beiliang any opportunity to take advantage of it! Early this morning, I transferred 100,000 garrisons to Juliang Pass, and they are now stationed outside the city. If there are Beiliang spies making trouble in the city, they will be executed immediately!"
Liu Yan's voice echoed in the hall, and the lingering sound continued.
He was accused of being a spy of Beiliang. A hundred thousand troops were stationed outside the city. Most of
the people present were civil servants who could only talk. Who could compete with him? After three years of illness and three years of dormancy, Prince Ding was still Prince Ding. Everyone realized at this time that with Prince Ding, Dingjing would not be in chaos.
Liu Yan was silent for a long time, giving everyone enough time to weigh the pros and cons, and then he spoke again: "This prince also believes in the character of the second prince. This matter must be done by Beiliang, but before the matter is investigated, it must not be leaked. The second prince will temporarily live in Prince Ding's mansion and be protected by this prince personally."
Whether it is protection or house arrest, everyone thought about it in their hearts, but they didn't dare to think too much.
Just like this matter was done by Beiliang, the second prince, or Prince Ding, everyone didn't dare to think too much.
Liu Yan put the second prince under house arrest to stop the Zhao family from seizing the throne, but everyone also understood that since Liu Yan said so, he would not put the second prince in danger.
Liu Yan's voice was low, but it revealed a resoluteness that no one could doubt. Although Liu Chen was dissatisfied, he still nodded and surrendered.
"Just do as the emperor's uncle wants."
Liu Yan said to the Minister of Rites: "The country cannot be without a monarch for a day. Please ask the Ministry of Rites to immediately start handling the new emperor's enthronement. As for the forged edict, I will personally verify it."
The Minister of Rites bowed and said: "Don't worry, Your Majesty, we will not let you down."
Liu Yu looked at the scene in front of him in despair. In one day, he experienced great sorrow and great joy, and fell from the clouds to hell. At this time, he could not withstand such torture. He was so angry that he spit out blood and fell to the ground. Liu Jin supported Liu Yu, horrified, and grabbed Liu Yu's arm in panic, shouting: "Second brother! Second brother, wake up!"
Liu Yan took two steps forward, bent his knees and squatted, holding Liu Yu's pulse, and said after a moment: "He just got angry and fell into a coma, it's not a big deal."
Liu Jin stared at Liu Yan, with strong hatred and murderous intent in his eyes: "It's you... it's you who want to hurt us!"
Liu Yan was stunned.
Liu Jin gritted his teeth and said: "Second brother did not modify the edict, it was you who deliberately framed him... Why... Why..." Liu Jin let out a painful roar, "Why are you all on the side of the eldest brother, uncle... Aren't we your nephews?"
Liu Yan lowered his eyes, patted Liu Jin's shoulder after a moment, and whispered: "I promised my brother that I would protect his children. As long as you have done nothing wrong, I will definitely protect you."
Liu Yu and Liu Jin were taken away and placed under house arrest in Prince Ding's mansion, under strict guard by the imperial guards. Only a few high-ranking officials knew what happened in the Imperial Ancestral Temple, and the news was also blocked within a very small circle. Liu Yan and Liu Chen issued a gag order not to spread it.
Liu Chen's succession to the throne was a fact, and the Ministry of Rites had to prepare for the funeral ceremonies of Emperor Zhaoming and Empress Dowager Zhou at the same time, as well as the coronation ceremony of Liu Chen. Suddenly, they were short of manpower and had to seek assistance from other departments. Those who were not assigned to prepare the ceremony took turns to guard in front of the spirit.
Emperor Zhaoming had few children, and now the second and third princes were inexplicably placed under house arrest. Every day, only Liu Yan, Liu Chen and Princess Roujia took turns to keep watch.
During the day, Liu Yan managed to preside over the overall situation, and no one could tell that he was ill. At night, when no one was around, he could close his eyes and take a rest in the side hall.
When Mu Zhuohua quietly walked into the side hall, Liu Yan was leaning back in a chair, resting his chin with his right hand. His handsome and elegant face was flawless, with only a slight wrinkle on his brow. His thin lips were stained with a light rouge color, which was applied by her. It made him look more energetic during the day, but at night, he still couldn't hide his deep fatigue and weakness.
He was an alert person, but when Mu Zhuohua walked to his side, he was still unconscious.
Mu Zhuohua hesitated, not knowing whether to wake Liu Yan, but he finally got a moment of sleep, and she didn't have the heart to disturb him. Mu Zhuohua hesitated for a long time, and suddenly heard Liu Yan's low and hoarse voice softly said: "You have been watching for so long, what do you want to do?"
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