son, don't mess around

Chapter 864: Opposition from the Ministers
Inside the hall, when Chief Steward Chen announced the news of His Majesty's passing in a hoarse voice...

There was a moment of silence in the main hall.

The next second, an uproar erupted!

A genuine uproar ensued; the faces of all the officials changed drastically, filled with astonishment and disbelief…

The officials looked at each other in disbelief; none of them could believe it.

Prior to this, many people had indeed guessed that His Majesty was unwell and speculated that His Highness's condition might be serious.

But no one could have imagined that His Majesty would suddenly pass away!
Without any warning, the news came completely out of the blue, leaving everyone stunned!
The shock of the news was beyond everyone's expectations, to the point that the officials initially thought that Chief Steward Chen was joking.

But is it really a joke?
How dare you!

The eunuch before me, Chief Eunuch Chen, is His Majesty's most trusted eunuch and the one who knows His Majesty's situation best. His words represent His Majesty's orders.

At this moment, he announced the news of His Majesty's death, which undoubtedly proved that the news was indeed true.

Does that mean... His Majesty has really passed away?!
When this shocking news reached the crowd, it caused an uproar, fermented, and then triggered an unprecedented upheaval, leaving everyone stunned and dumbfounded.

Finally, someone realized what was happening.

His face was pale, and his voice trembled: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, Your Majesty has passed away?!"

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty..."

The next second, an official knelt down with a thud and burst into tears.

As this official knelt down, the other officials finally reacted, and one after another, officials knelt down, their cries of pain echoing throughout the hall.

Upon hearing the news of His Majesty's passing, regardless of the true feelings of the officials present, they were all required to feign profound grief.

Even if it's acting, it has to be convincing!
Soon, the hall was filled with the sounds of weeping and wailing, one after another.

Many officials wept more bitterly than the next, each more grief-stricken than the last; even the elderly ministers were sobbing uncontrollably.

The scene fell into chaos for a while.

In the crowd, Liang Yongkang knelt on the ground, his body ice-cold and his eyes vacant.

Sure enough, he knew something big had happened...

His Majesty has passed away?!
Liang Yongkang felt a chill run through his body, as if he had fallen into an abyss.

He never expected that His Majesty would pass away... As a lucky man in the court, he was able to sit in his current position entirely because of His Majesty's appreciation.

But now that His Majesty has suddenly passed away, he is powerless and without influence in the capital. What will his fate be?
How long can he hold onto his position as Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel?
Liang Yongkang dared not think about it; he felt his vision blur and despair overwhelm him. A surge of grief washed over him, and he desperately wanted to cry… He was the one who cried the most genuinely on the field!
Of course, besides a large number of officials kneeling on the ground with sorrowful expressions, there were also many officials and ministers standing still with gloomy faces.

These officials were mostly high-ranking and had extensive experience in the court. Upon learning of His Majesty's death, they were all filled with disbelief and deep suspicion.

Why hasn't any news of His Majesty's passing spread?
Just a few days ago, His Majesty appeared at the morning court with a radiant complexion, but today he suddenly passed away... It's hard not to be suspicious.
Many eyes were fixed on Chief Eunuch Chen in front of the hall, and Li Yunjing, whose expression remained unchanged beside him. As if realizing something, many people's faces became even more unpleasant.

...They had a terrible idea!

"Eunuch Chen!"

In the crowd, Wu Ru, the Minister of Justice, stepped forward, his eyes sharp as he stared at Chief Eunuch Chen in front of the hall. His voice was deep: "Just a few days ago at the morning court, His Majesty was in good health, with a ruddy complexion. Why did he suddenly pass away?"

"What exactly happened?!"

As soon as Wu Ru spoke, the previously noisy surroundings suddenly fell silent.

All the officials' eyes fell on Wu Ru, which was what they most wanted to know... His Majesty, how could he suddenly pass away?
Is there some hidden story behind this?
When everyone's gaze fell upon Prince Jing, who was dressed in brocade robes in front of the hall, their expressions gradually changed.

Isn't this a bit too much of a coincidence?

Before the palace, facing Wu Ru's questioning, Chief Steward Chen's aged face was filled with grief. He said in a hoarse voice, "Reporting to Minister Wu, His Majesty's health has always been poor. In the past year, His Majesty's health has deteriorated day by day, and has reached an extremely serious stage."

"Your Majesty is devoted to the affairs of state, pouring most of your energy into political matters, which has led to Your Majesty's health being overworked..."

"His Majesty cares deeply for the people and strictly forbade us from revealing the true situation to the ministers until last night..."

At this point, Chief Eunuch Chen's voice was filled with grief: "Yesterday evening, His Majesty suddenly fell ill. This old servant summoned all the imperial physicians to treat His Majesty, but..."

At this point, Chief Steward Chen broke down in tears, his voice filled with grief: "In the early hours of yesterday morning, His Majesty finished giving his final instructions and left a will before passing away..."

These words were spoken with heartfelt sincerity, but the officials present were not simpletons; they were all seasoned veterans. Naturally, they wouldn't believe only one side of the story.

Even though this old eunuch was the closest person to His Majesty, he was still a eunuch and could be bribed by others.

After all, Chen Zhao's example serves as a stark warning.

At this moment, more and more suspicious gazes were fixed on Li Yunjing in front of the hall. Although no one spoke, they all clearly suspected that Chief Steward Chen had colluded with Li Yunjing to murder His Majesty and tamper with the imperial edict.

As this thought arose, many people's gazes gradually became serious.

However, Li Yunjing remained calm and composed in front of the hall, showing no reaction to the suspicious gazes.

He stood there quietly, like a majestic building, unmoving.

Before the palace, Chief Steward Chen, his eyes red-rimmed, slowly raised the imperial edict he had left behind and shouted in a hoarse and shrill voice.

"Your Majesty, the imperial edict has arrived!"

The sharp, piercing sound echoed throughout the hall.

The noisy hall fell completely silent.

The ministers looked at each other, unsure how to react.

Until, at the very front of the crowd, Zhao Xiang, who had remained silent throughout, slowly knelt down.

The other ministers then seemed to wake from a dream and knelt down as well.

Among the crowd, some other ministers remained standing, such as Wu Ru, the Minister of Justice. His gaze was deep, his face extremely grim, and he stared intently at Li Yunjing in front of him.

He naturally suspected that there was something wrong with His Majesty's death, and even more so with the will left behind by His Majesty.

But Li Yunjing, whom he was in sight, never once looked at him. Instead, he turned to face the front of the hall and knelt down on one knee.

Wu Ru composed himself, his face expressionless, and finally knelt down slowly. Following his kneeling, the remaining ministers also knelt.

Before the palace, Chief Eunuch Chen opened the imperial edict in his hand and read it aloud in a sharp voice:

"My beloved ministers, I know my health is failing and my days are numbered. In order to consolidate the rule of my Great Ning Dynasty, I hereby make this will..."

The late emperor once said: "Although the eldest princess is a woman, she is exceptionally talented, proficient in both literature and martial arts. Her ability to govern the country far surpasses mine, making her the only suitable candidate for emperor."

As you all know, the nation is currently in grave danger, beset by internal and external troubles, and I have left no heir. Yet, a country cannot be without a ruler for even a day. The Eldest Princess is in accordance with the will of Heaven and the hearts of the people, and is the one whom all hope to support.

Therefore, I have decided to pass the throne to Her Highness the Eldest Princess! "..."

As Chief Steward Chen slowly read out the imperial edict left by His Majesty, silence fell over the surroundings.

An eerie silence.

The ministers' faces showed an even greater expression of astonishment than before.

The shock was even greater than when they learned of His Majesty's passing...

Many people even doubted whether they had misheard.
Your Majesty, to whom do you intend to pass the throne?

Your Highness the Eldest Princess?
No, isn't the eldest princess a woman?
Has His Majesty lost his mind? He actually wants to pass the throne to a woman?

How could this be?

absurd!

Absolutely ridiculous!
This was the first thought that came to everyone's mind, as there has never been a precedent of a woman becoming emperor throughout history.

What is Your Majesty thinking, that you want to pass the throne to a woman?
Does my Great Ning Dynasty have no one left?
When this thought arose, many ministers fell silent for a moment... It seemed that the Great Ning Dynasty really couldn't find a suitable successor!
...But even if you can't find a successor, you can't just find a woman, right?
Wouldn't that make us a laughingstock?
After a brief silence, the main hall erupted in an even more uproar, with the questioning nearly lifting the roof off the front hall.

This news was completely unexpected and caught everyone off guard.

In the crowd, Wu Ru suddenly froze, in disbelief.

He had just been suspecting that Li Yunjing had colluded with Chief Steward Chen to murder His Majesty, alter the imperial edict, and attempt to seize the throne.

After all, the scene right now is just too similar...

Given Li Yunjing's status and influence in the court, he might actually be the most suitable candidate for the throne now that His Majesty has passed away.

Therefore, most people suspect that today's events are a staged drama of Li Yunjing usurping the throne.

However, the contents of the will were completely unexpected.

Should the throne be passed to Her Highness the Eldest Princess?

Isn't this ridiculous?
Passing the throne to a woman is worse than passing it on to Prince Jing!
...This is a thought that comes to mind for many people.

At least in terms of status, Prince Jing perfectly meets the requirements for inheriting the throne.

"What...what on earth is going on?!"

After Chief Steward Chen finished reading the Emperor's last edict, Wu Ru's voice was hoarse. He stared intently at Li Yunjing in front of him, trying to read something from his face.

But Li Yunjing remained calm and composed, showing no change in emotion, which made Wu Ru even more anxious.

what's going on?
Why is Prince Jing returning at this critical juncture? Isn't it to vie for the throne?

But if that's not the case, why is he here?

Is it really possible to let a woman ascend the throne as empress?

"no!"

Among the crowd, another senior official couldn't help but step forward and said in a deep voice, "How can a woman be emperor? How can the eldest princess inherit the throne? This violates the laws of our ancestors and is absolutely unacceptable!"

As soon as this old minister suddenly stood up, he immediately gained the support of the ministers around him.

"Yes, yes, how can a woman be emperor? The eldest princess has no right to inherit the throne at all."

"Why was His Majesty so foolish as to leave behind such a will?"

"We firmly disagree. The matter of succession to the throne must be discussed further. In any case, we must not break the rules established by our ancestors!"

The conservative faction in the court quickly stood up and opposed the eldest princess becoming empress.

For them, a woman as emperor was an unprecedented situation, and they naturally opposed it. In any case, they would never tolerate a woman becoming emperor, a sword hanging over their heads.

As for the vast majority of other ministers, their calculations were even more complex. With the reading of His Majesty's will, many immediately recalled the recent news that the Eldest Princess was at the front lines.

For a moment, many people realized... this was probably something His Majesty had secretly planned all along. His Majesty's decision to send the Eldest Princess to the front lines was clearly intended to give her control of the military!
In an instant, the expressions of many ministers changed.

They suddenly realized that this was probably a long-planned scheme by His Majesty.

The current Princess has gradually gained control of the imperial army at the front lines. With its strong and well-equipped forces, it is already a threat to the imperial court.

If His Majesty's will and decree of succession were to reach the front lines at this time, the Eldest Princess would have legal support. Then, no one would be able to stop her from ascending the throne!
Many ministers exchanged glances, their faces grim. Almost instantly, they reached a tacit agreement: they were determined to prevent the princess from ascending the throne.

Now that His Majesty has passed away, the court is instable. They need to support an obedient emperor in order to gain the greatest benefit from it.

For them, a female emperor who held military power and enjoyed high prestige in the army would undoubtedly be a catastrophic disaster.

Therefore, opposition quickly spread throughout the hall, and the ministers, for once, united as one, all pointing their criticism at Chief Steward Chen in the front hall.

From questioning His Majesty's will to accusing Chief Eunuch Chen of falsely conveying the imperial decree, and finally to questioning Chief Eunuch Chen for failing to properly care for His Majesty and deserving of death.

These ministers and officials bared their fangs. Some even stepped forward, seemingly intent on attacking Chief Steward Chen.

But he was quickly stopped by the imperial guards standing nearby.

"quiet!"

Before the hall, Chief Steward Chen's face was grim as he gazed at the bustling hall. Then, he took out another imperial edict from his robes.

"Your Majesty, there is another imperial edict!"

As Steward Chen spoke, the surroundings fell silent once again.

Chief Steward Chen held the imperial edict high and spoke in a sharp voice: "Gentlemen, listen to the decree!"

There was a burst of noise around, but it quickly quieted down.

At this moment, many people had gloomy faces, but these ministers still suppressed their anger and knelt down again.

"Your Majesty, we receive the imperial decree!"

Before the palace, Chief Steward Chen opened the imperial edict and began to read it aloud.

"I know that you, my beloved ministers, have doubts about passing the throne to the Eldest Princess, but now our Great Ning Dynasty is beset by internal and external troubles, and only the Eldest Princess can lead you out of this predicament. Furthermore, as a member of our royal bloodline, the Eldest Princess is qualified to inherit the throne. My passing the throne to the Eldest Princess is in accordance with both reason and law and the laws of our ancestors!"

"Now that I have decided on this matter, anyone who opposes the Princess's ascension to the throne may be an accomplice of Prince Xu's traitorous faction, intending to disrupt the Great Ning court and overthrow the Great Ning dynasty. I hereby order the Secret Bureau to investigate and deal with them as appropriate!"

"Once verified, they will be severely punished!"

"..."

(End of this chapter)