Chapter 51: Imperial Observatory
If these things were talked about on a normal day, most people would not take it seriously.
The days when the celestial phenomena change are not just one or two days. When compiling the Veritable Records of Emperors of all dynasties alone, there are countless records of changes in the celestial phenomena.
But the sudden bringing up of this matter in this situation, and the words spoken by Wang Hong, who had just beaten Ma Shun, really made people wonder whether Princess Shunde had secretly instructed this.
As early as when he heard Zhu Yuhuan's words, Hu Yi already had an ominous premonition in his heart. Now after hearing Wang Hong's speech, Hu Yi had already made a judgment in his heart.
Empress Dowager Sun naturally understood what Wang Hong meant by saying this at this moment. She no longer cared about the female officials beside her and shouted, "A scholar does not speak of strange things. What do you intend to do by openly saying this in the court?"
With Empress Dowager Sun and the Princess Royal now facing off, the ministers naturally wouldn't choose this moment to interrupt. Wang Hong, still full of vigor, continued, "The Emperor is blessed by the gods and rules the world with virtue, so he should be responsive. If disasters continue, it's imperative that the Emperor reflect on himself, promote the virtuous, and dismiss the villains, in order to restore the will of Heaven. But the current state of affairs is due to Your Majesty's failure to uphold virtue by appointing villains like Wang Zhen and Ma Shun. This is the cause of the Ming Dynasty's calamity. If Your Majesty is allowed to make these same mistakes again and again, even if you don't return to the throne and migrate south, you will inevitably incur the wrath of Heaven and the resentment of the people."
Hu Shanxiang, who had been sitting at the head of the table and remained silent, asked, "Wang Hong, do you have any evidence that the Imperial Astronomical Observatory predicted Mars entering the Southern Dipper?"
"The Imperial Observatory's Director Peng Deqing and others are all aware of this!"
Zhu Yuhuan tilted his head slightly, exchanged glances with Xu Yun, and then said, "Order Peng Deqing to enter the palace."
Peng Deqing had long heard about Ma Shun's beating to death in court. He also learned that Princess Shunde had reinstated Xu Gong as commander of the Imperial Guard to investigate the crimes of Wang Zhen, Ma Shun, and others. He knew his situation was dire. Therefore, Peng Deqing approached Xu Yun, the newly appointed cabinet minister, early in the morning, hoping to ask him to mediate on his behalf.
Xu Yun had originally intended to use this incident to control Peng Deqing. Now that he had taken the initiative to come to him, Xu Yun would certainly not let him go. He had already revealed the relevant remarks to Peng Deqing.
Peng Deqing couldn't help but be surprised at Xu Yun's courage, but now the eldest princess was regent, and if he could really push the eldest princess to the throne, he might be able to save his own life.
Even if he is not given the credit for following the dragon, at least his life will not be taken.
"Your Highness Peng Deqing pays respects to the Empress Dowager Cihui, the Empress Dowager..."
Zhu Yuhuan waited until he had finished paying his respects before speaking, "Is it true that Mars entered the Southern Dipper?"
Peng Deqing certainly wouldn't deny it and immediately said, "Your Highness, the change in Mars is indeed true and is absolutely true. The Imperial Astronomical Observatory has also kept records of it. If Commander Xu hadn't been investigating the crimes of the treacherous eunuch Wang Zhen, I wouldn't have revealed everything like this."
Empress Dowager Sun knew that these stories were completely fabricated, but now she had to quickly dispel these rumors about the connection between heaven and man for Zhu Qizhen. So she immediately said, "This must be Wang Zhen deceiving his subordinates and concealing the truth from his superiors. The emperor is young and full of vigor. He is patrolling the border for the sake of the country and the people. How can he casually use astronomical phenomena to alarm people?"
"Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager is wise. The Imperial Astronomical Observatory diligently observes celestial phenomena. Any unusual phenomena will be reported to Your Majesty! Your Majesty knowingly and willfully violated the law, thus incurring the wrath of heaven and the resentment of the people!"
It is difficult to say whether it was Wang Zhen who blocked the report or the emperor did not read it, not to mention that the only people who could be mobilized with confidence were the Embroidered Uniform Guards to investigate the matter thoroughly.
Unfortunately, the Imperial Guards were completely under the control of the Princess, leaving Empress Dowager Sun with only a handful of palace servants at her disposal. As for the Imperial Horse Guards, who were supposed to protect the emperor, how could Empress Dowager Sun be unaware of her feud with Fan Hong? Furthermore, Fan Hong had already shown signs of turning against the Princess since the beginning of her regency...
Only then did Empress Dowager Sun understand what it meant to be powerless.
She had never had power, but only briefly possessed a small part of it thanks to her husband and her son.
But if she doesn't do this, what else can she do?
Peng Deqing didn't care what Empress Dowager Sun was thinking. He just blurted out what Xu Yun had taught him, saying, "Before the late emperor passed away, on December 21st of the ninth year of Xuande, Taibai was visible in the daytime. Not long after, the evil Zhang Puxiang plotted rebellion..."
The Imperial Astronomical Observatory was responsible for observing celestial phenomena. Once any abnormality occurred, it would often be secretly informed to the emperor, who would decide how to respond to the anomaly. Of course, ordinary people would not easily know the observation results of the Imperial Astronomical Observatory.
Because of this, when everyone heard the words "Taibai is visible during the day", they couldn't help but take a deep breath and determined what Wang Hong was trying to do with this big show.
"You're talking nonsense!" Empress Dowager Sun scolded loudly, "If the story of the demon Zhang Puxiang can be verified, and he also called the eldest princess a 'witch', why don't you say that the eldest princess violated the taboo of Taibai Daytime Viewing, which brought disaster upon herself? You are talking nonsense like this, clearly insulting the emperor now that he is not in the capital..."
Xu Yun, realizing the time had come, immediately stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, you may not know this, but Taibai's daytime appearance isn't just about military unrest; it also has other implications."
"What do you mean?" Seeing that no one was talking, Empress Dowager Sun's tone became more anxious and a little panicked. She asked, "What exactly does it mean..."
Xu Yun did not say anything, but Peng Deqing said: "Taibai sees that the female leader Chang is in Zhao Fenye."
Shunde Prefecture was under the jurisdiction of Zhao State in ancient times. In Zhao Fenye, it means that Taibai appears in Shunde and other places during the day. It is self-evident what these ten short words represent.
Queen Mother Sun's face turned pale, and she trembled as she spoke, "You...are you plotting a rebellion?! The Emperor was personally appointed Crown Prince by the late Emperor, and has reigned for twelve years. Now, he's been captured by the Oirat Mongols... The Emperor is merely hunting in the north, and you dare to openly support the Princess..."
Wang Hong immediately said, "Your Majesty, be careful with your words. How could a ruler of such power easily embark on a 'Northern Hunt'? The two saints were the first to do so. Our Ming Dynasty is determined to make progress, so how could we allow these two to live in such a cowardly manner?"
Empress Dowager Sun looked at the ministers below and loudly demanded, "Are you really going to allow a princess to commit treason and bring disaster to the Ming Dynasty?"
Matters of astrology were indeed mysterious, and there was someone in the Ming royal family who could inherit the throne, so it was inevitable that everyone would be hesitant. Consequently, one or two censors spoke out in opposition.
"Your Highness is already a privileged regent. Why act in this way? What will Your Highness do when His Majesty returns from his northern expedition?"
"The ancestral family rules are above all else. Your Highness's actions are truly absurd. I'm afraid you will be criticized by future generations and lumped in with those who plotted rebellion..."
Zhu Yuhuan remained silent, but Yu Qian in the hall spoke up instead: "You two should be careful with your words. Speaking of absurdity, is there anything more outrageous than brazenly stating that the emperor is on a northern expedition?"
These words were very sharp. Yu Qian was the Minister of War and was highly valued. Not to mention that the current situation was obviously not the same as the usual situation for meetings, so no one dared to say much.
A figure suddenly stepped out from behind the beaded curtain and said, "Who said my sister was plotting a rebellion?"
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