Chongzhen revived the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 5 Ascension
After Zhu Youjian left, Emperor Tianqi summoned ministers to write a will, and then he fell into a coma and was about to die.

The ministers discussed whether to announce the death of Emperor Tianqi and wrote to the palace to read out the edict. Wei Zhongxian thought it was unacceptable and drove them out of the palace on the grounds that the emperor was still there.

Seeing that it was getting late, the officials had no choice but to leave the palace. More than a dozen chamberlains came over one after another, calling Cui Chengxiu, the censor of Zuodu and the minister of the Ministry of War, who had succeeded Huo Weihua a few days ago.

However, Wei Zhongxian already knew that Emperor Tianqi secretly summoned Zhu Youjian, and the edict also confirmed that King Xin would ascend the throne, and summoned members of the eunuch party to discuss how to deal with it.

As Wei Zhongxian’s loyal dog, Tian Ergeng, the commander of the Imperial Guard, said:

"I obey my father-in-law in everything, and I also ask the factory father for orders."

That's not what Wei Zhongxian wanted to hear. He looked at Cui Chengxiu again and asked him to propose a strategy.

Cui Chengxiu didn't want to answer. Wei Zhongxian pressed him several times, and Cui Chengxiu said:
"Afraid of rebels abroad!"

Wei Zhongxian was angry when he heard this:
"Why are there volunteers outside?"

"Although Liang Shixun of the Governor's Beijing Camp is one of ours, Zhang Weixian's prestige among the nobles is much higher than him. What kind of volunteers are needed..."

Having said this, he came back to his senses. He didn't bother to blame Cui Chengxiu for offering advice at this time, and said to Tian Ergeng:

"Give the order to Governor Liu Zhao of Jiliao to lead troops to Beijing!"

Tian Ergeng made no move, but looked at Cui Chengxiu, Minister of War, and said:

"Ask Cui Shangshu to prepare documents."

Cui Chengxiu wanted Mingzhe to protect himself, so of course he didn't dare to leave such a fatal thing. Wei Zhongxian felt impatient and said directly to Tian Ergeng:

"Let Miyun Counselor Xiao Weizhong come over and order him to lead the troops together with Liu Zhao."

After saying that, he stared at Cui Chengxiu again and said:

"Xiao Weizhong is your concubine's brother, can he represent you?"

Now that the matter has come to this, what else can Cui Chengxiu say, he can only accept his fate.

By evening, Emperor Tianqi had completely died, but Wei Zhongxian and others kept it secret to buy time for Liu Zhao to mobilize troops.

It wasn't until the next day, when the ministers met again, that Wei Zhongxian could no longer hide it. Empress Zhang issued an edict to announce the death of the emperor to the outside world. She also ordered the ministers of the imperial court and the British Duke Zhang Weixian and other dignitaries to write to the palace to read out the edict and summon the king to succeed him.

Therefore, cabinet bachelors Huang Liji, Shi Fenglai, British Duke Zhang Weixian and others, in accordance with the imperial edict of Emperor Daxing and the empress Yi's decree, went to Prince Xin's Mansion to persuade them to advance.

Wei Zhongxian had no choice but to send his confidants Wang Chaofu, Tu Wenfu and others to Prince Xin's Mansion.

At this time in Prince Xin's Mansion, Zhu Youjian had already followed Queen Zhang's instructions and asked Princess Zhou to personally prepare wheat cakes and hide them secretly on her body. He knew that the most dangerous moment before reaching the summit was coming.

The so-called darkness before dawn refers to this time——

Without ascending to the throne and establishing the relationship between king and minister with his ministers, Wei Zhongxian still might launch a palace coup and attack him.

Only after ascending to the throne, Wei Zhongxian would have scruples and not dare to take action easily. Because if something happened to Zhu Youjian at that time, the ministers would say a few fair words against the righteousness of the monarch and his ministers, and the world would be in uproar, making Wei Zhongxian unable to bear the consequences.

You need to be careful before going to the top and don’t be careless!

With this in mind, Zhu Youjian was reminded by Xu Yingyuan and saw Tu Wenfu who came to welcome him into the palace, and felt a little more at ease. At least he knew that Tu Wenfu had dissatisfaction with Wei Zhongxian. If the matter was urgent, he might be able to mobilize the palace guards through him.

When they arrived at the palace, the ministers were tormented several times by Wei Zhongxian because of the issue of mourning clothes. Only Zhu Youjian entered the palace. Even his personal eunuch Xu Yingyuan was isolated.

Zhu Youjian was not the emperor at this time and could not appoint Xu Yingyuan to the palace. He could only leave him outside and write a letter to the palace to appease everyone. At the same time, he once again asked Xu Yingyuan to find Zhang Weixian and be wary of foreign troops entering Beijing.

Not knowing the situation outside, after Zhu Youjian entered the palace, he was arranged to sit at Qianqing Gate, facing west, and did not dare to slack off.

The sky was getting dark, and a waiter lit a candle. Zhu Youjian sat alone with the candle, not daring to close his eyes and sleep. He didn't know how long it had passed, but he saw a patrolling eunuch passing by with a sword. With surprise and doubt in his heart, Zhu Youjian tensed his hands and feet and said, "Can you let me see your sword?"

But it was he who thought of the fencing case, one of the three major cases, and worried that this eunuch with a sword was sent by Wei Zhongxian to murder him.

Fortunately, the eunuch didn't have that kind of intention. After hearing this, he removed the sword and presented it to Zhu Youjian.

Zhu Youjian pretended to watch it and left the sword on the table to prevent accidents. Looking at the eunuch, he promised:

"Your sword is well maintained, and you will be rewarded heavily in the future!"

Hearing the footsteps of patrol officers outside again, Zhu Youjian was worried that among these armed people, there might be people from Wei Zhongxian who were up to no good. With his thoughts turning, he decided to reward them and asked his left and right:
"It must be very hard to still be on patrol at this time!"

"Where can I get food to reward them?"

A waiter next to him said:

"You can let Guanglu Temple prepare."

Zhu Youjian heard this and said tentatively:

"Then send a message to Guanglu Temple and ask them to prepare food to reward everyone."

The chamberlain did not doubt that he was there and immediately went to deliver the order.

When the people around heard it, they burst into cheers. He believed that Zhu Youjian would be a good emperor because he cared about everyone.

Zhu Youjian was also very happy, because he realized from the reactions of these people that although he had not officially ascended to the throne, many people already regarded him as the emperor. No matter whether he was delivering edicts or giving rewards, there were no blind people who reminded him in his ears that he was not the emperor yet.

This made him feel even more deeply that the emperor had too much power in the palace.

I also understand why the emperor likes to use eunuchs, they are so obedient.

Foreign ministers like Yuan Keli had the courage to disobey the emperor's order, but no minister in the palace dared to disobey the emperor's order.

If he wants to control power, he can start from the inner court.

Thinking of Tu Wenfu's secret defection and Xu Yingyuan's little thoughts, Zhu Youjian knew that Wei Zhongxian's power in the palace was not so strong, and decided to disintegrate Wei Zhongxian's power at the palace's base camp.

After such a night passed, the next day, the prince's son-in-law, civil and military officials, and senior military and civilian officials wrote three times to persuade them to advance. Zhu Youjian declined twice as usual, and did not agree until the third time.

The Ministry of Rites issued a note on ascending to the throne, and also sent Ning Duke Wei Liangqing and Baoding Marquis Liang Shixun to offer sacrifices to the northern and southern suburbs, Prince Consort Gongchen to offer sacrifices to the Ancestral Temple, and Ning Jinbo Liu Tianxi to offer sacrifices to Sheji.

When Zhu Youjian saw Wei Liangqing's name, he sneered in his heart, but agreed without hesitation and prepared to ascend to the throne tomorrow.

The next day, Zhu Youjian set up wine and fruit in front of Emperor Daxing's case, put on mourning clothes and told him that he had been ordered.

He also set up a table of incense, wine, fruits and other items in front of the Huangji Palace, put on his royal crown and performed the ritual of praying to heaven, then went to the Fengxian Palace to pay homage to his ancestors, bowed five times and kowtowed three times in front of the imperial grandmother Liu Taifei, and bowed four times in front of Empress Zhang. Salute.

Then go to the three main halls and officially become the emperor.

　"Guoyan": Yi Mao, died in Maode Hall, and lived twenty-three years. At the end of the day, he summoned the king to inform him about the future affairs. Wei Zhongxian had different ambitions and whispered to the governor Tian Ergen. Weiwei, Cui Chengxiu did not answer, and asked him: "I'm afraid there are righteous soldiers outside." He was frustrated.

　　"Chongzhen Changbian": On the 21st of Jiayin, Xizong died, and Zhongxian hesitated to mourn.

　　The next day, the murderous question came to light, and the empress announced her intention, and sent her party members Tu Wenfu and Chao Chaofu to welcome the emperor into the palace, but none of the ministers could see him. The emperor entered the palace in a state of embarrassment and did not taste the food in the palace.

　　At night, I was sitting with a candle, and saw a castrate passing by with a sword. I looked at him and left a few of them. Hearing the sound of the policeman striking the watch at night, he got up and asked about the laborer. He asked around and said, "How can I give you food and drinks?" Or ask about Guanglu Temple. Immediately, he ordered the decree to be passed on and given to everyone. The cheers were like thunder.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)