Gou was a member of the imperial family in the late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 931 Queen Zhezhe
Hauge had considerable advantages, but Dorgon was no pushover, and there were many people within the Eight Banners who did not want Hauge to succeed to the throne. The key was that Hauge's character had offended many people, and Hauge was not Huang Taiji. Everyone was worried that once Hauge became emperor, he would do whatever it took to attack them, so Hauge could not be allowed to ascend the throne at any cost.

Because of these reasons, the quarrel between the two sides was extremely fierce. Coupled with the factions' inaction or instigation, the succession to the throne could not be decided for a while.

At this time, Dorgon once again proposed the suggestion of electing an emperor within the Eight Banners, but was opposed by many people. These people included not only those from the Hauge faction, but also many civil officials who were highly valued by Huang Taiji, including Fan Wencheng.

Fan Wencheng said that Huang Taiji was the emperor of the Qing Dynasty, and the Qing Dynasty was no longer the former Later Jin Dynasty. Since the Qing Dynasty was born under Huang Taiji, and the emperor replaced the former Khan, the succession to the throne could not be determined by the Khan's election system. If Dorgon insisted on doing so, they, the Han officials, would never agree. The throne could only be inherited by Huang Taiji's son, and no one else could get involved.

Fan Wencheng's attitude was extremely firm, and he even resisted with his death. Many people were very surprised by this, because Fan Wencheng did not dare to resist when his wife was insulted, but now he has such courage in this situation.

And he was not the only Han minister. Almost all Han ministers firmly stated that the throne must be inherited by Huang Taiji's son. Although the status of Han ministers in the Qing Dynasty was far inferior to that of the Eight Banners nobles, since Huang Taiji became the Khan and later changed the Later Jin to the Qing Dynasty, Huang Taiji had been improving the political status of Han ministers and gave them many rights.

Therefore, Han officials today are no longer dispensable like they were in Nurhaci's era. The status and power of Han officials in the Qing Dynasty have been greatly improved, and the power of these Han officials united cannot be ignored. Even if Dorgon looks down on these Han officials, he still has some concerns.

This situation led to a temporary stalemate in the succession to the throne, and it was impossible to decide who would inherit the throne.

At this time, Fan Wencheng knew that this matter must be decided as soon as possible. The longer it was delayed, the worse it would be for the Qing Dynasty. As the saying goes, a country cannot be without a ruler for a day. If the throne is vacant for a long time, once the Qing Dynasty falls into civil strife, it will be over. The new emperor must be enthroned as soon as possible.

When everyone in the Eight Banners was arguing over the throne, Huang Taiji's wife, Empress Zhezhe, was also extremely anxious. The throne was still uncertain, and as Huang Taiji's wife, she was extremely uneasy.

"Master, Fan Wencheng wants to see you."

"Fan Wencheng? Why is he here? Let him in." Empress Zhezhe did not expect Fan Wencheng to come to her at this time, but she was not too surprised. Now everyone was arguing for the throne, and Empress Zhezhe was also upset about it. It was good that Fan Wencheng came. Fan Wencheng has always been trusted by Huang Taiji. If he did not come today, Empress Zhezhe would probably summon him to inquire about this matter in the next few days.

After a while, Fan Wencheng arrived. When he saw Empress Zhezhe, he immediately knelt down and saluted, saying, "Your servant is here to see the Empress."

"Mr. Fan, please stand up. Let Mr. Fan take a seat." Empress Zhezhe raised her hand and said. Fan Wencheng stood up to thank her and then sat down below Empress Zhezhe.

"Why did Mr. Fan come to see me today? Have Prince Suqin and Prince Rui reached a conclusion on their discussion?" Queen Zhezhe asked directly.

Fan Wencheng shook his head and said, "Your Majesty, the two princes have not yet reached a conclusion in their discussion, and the issue of succession to the throne is now in a mess. All the ministers and nobles of the Qing Dynasty are involved in this matter. I think it must be settled as soon as possible. The longer the time is delayed, the worse it will be for the Qing Dynasty."

Empress Zhezhe sighed and nodded slightly, saying, "I know this, but Mr. Fan knows the current situation better than me. Both Prince Su and Prince Rui are refusing to give in to each other and are about to fight for the throne. One of them is the eldest son of the late emperor, and the other is the late emperor's brother. They are both princes of the Qing Dynasty, and each of them has their own reasons. They are evenly matched and will not give in to each other. What can I, a mere woman, do?"

"No!" Fan Wencheng said to Empress Zhezhe in a serious tone, "Your Majesty has passed away, and the throne has been vacant for some time. If it is not settled as soon as possible, there may be civil strife in the Qing Dynasty. Now Prince Su and Prince Rui are confronting each other for their own interests and ignoring the country of the Qing Dynasty. This is not a blessing for the country. At present, I think that the only one who can suppress them is you, Your Majesty."

"Your Majesty is the wife of the late emperor, and the empress of the Qing Dynasty. Since the death of the late emperor, the Qing Dynasty should respect your Majesty. Now is the time for your Majesty to step forward and resolve this matter. If you continue to stand by and watch the two princes quarrel, the throne will remain undecided. The longer it takes, the more disadvantageous it will be for the Qing Dynasty and for you! I have come to the palace to ask for an audience with your Majesty today. I beg you to, for the sake of the Qing Dynasty and the late emperor, to summon the Eight Banners nobles and the civil and military officials of the court to discuss the throne together to decide on the candidate for the emperor in your capacity as the empress." Empress Zhezhe hesitated. Fan Wencheng was right. She was indeed of noble status. As the wife of Huang Taiji and the wife of the late emperor, she was the master of the six palaces and the empress of the Qing Dynasty. But the problem is that the Qing Dynasty is different from the Ming Dynasty. Before the Qing Dynasty, there was the Later Jin Dynasty founded by Nurhaci, and the Later Jin Dynasty was composed of tribal alliances. Although Huang Taiji has been trying to eliminate the influence of the previous tribes since he changed the Later Jin Dynasty into the Qing Dynasty, the Eight Banners system is the foundation of the country. No matter how talented and strategic Huang Taiji is, he cannot completely change these problems. Therefore, as a queen, she is far inferior to the Eight Banners leaders in terms of power and influence.

Empress Zhezhe's status and position came from Huang Taiji, but now that Huang Taiji has passed away, what can she, a widow, do? Although she was somewhat moved by what Fan Wencheng said and knew that what Fan Wencheng said was right, could she really do the same as Fan Wencheng? Would those Eight Banners nobles listen to her? Empress Zhezhe was very skeptical about this.

Faced with Empress Zhezhe's hesitation, Fan Wencheng once again persuaded her to use their identities as emperor and empress to make a fuss.

Fan Wencheng said that since the Qing Dynasty was no longer the Later Jin Dynasty and the emperor was no longer the Khan, the status and position of Empress Zhezhe was unquestionable. Empress Zhezhe did not have to worry about these things. There were many people in the Qing Dynasty who supported Empress Zhezhe. Not to mention others, only the Han officials in the court would support her. In addition, a large number of Huang Taiji's confidants would also support Empress Zhezhe, so her influence was not weak. Now that Hauge and Dorgon were in a stalemate, it was most appropriate and appropriate for Empress Zhezhe to come forward.

After listening to Fan Wencheng's words, it was impossible for Empress Zhezhe not to be tempted, but she still had concerns.

"Prince Su was the eldest son of the late emperor. If the late emperor left a will, he should have succeeded to the throne. Unfortunately, the late emperor passed away suddenly without leaving a single word, which is why the situation has become like this. Prince Rui is now trying to implement a recommendation system on the grounds of ancestral system, and there are many supporters within the Eight Banners. Neither side is willing to give in. Even if I come forward, can they really listen to me?"

Fan Wencheng smiled bitterly in his heart. What Empress Zhezhe said was not wrong. The most critical issue now was that Huang Taiji did not leave a will. In fact, Empress Zhezhe was responsible for the current situation. It was true that Huang Taiji died suddenly, but as the queen, Zhezhe lacked experience in political struggles. After Huang Taiji's death, everyone in the harem was panicked and had no time to think calmly. They directly spread the news of Huang Taiji's death, which led to the eight banners The nobles rushed to the palace as soon as possible. In the end, because Huang Taiji did not leave a will, the situation became what it is today.

If Empress Zhezhe could have temporarily suppressed the news and informed herself first, everything would have been completely different. With Fan Wencheng's experience, he would definitely not let the news of Huang Taiji's death spread so quickly. He only needed to be given a little time to arrange the follow-up and ensure a smooth succession to the throne.

As for the will, isn't that simple? As long as Empress Zhezhe nods, Fan Wencheng can make any will he wants. Don't forget what Fan Wencheng's official position is. He is actually the Prime Minister of the Qing Dynasty and the personal secretary of Huang Taiji. On weekdays, all of Huang Taiji's edicts are drafted by Fan Wencheng, so making a so-called will is no problem for him.

What a pity! No one thought of this at the time. Moreover, because Fan Wencheng was a Han minister, Empress Zhezhe did not inform him of the news of Huang Taiji's death at the first time. By the time Fan Wencheng learned of Huang Taiji's sudden death, it was already noon of the second day. By this time, all the eight banner leaders and nobles had already entered the palace, and it was too late. Even if Fan Wencheng wanted to help, he could not help.

The current dispute between Hauge and Dorgon over the throne is precisely due to this. If Fan Wencheng had been asked to help deal with it earlier, this situation would never have happened.
"Your Majesty, please do not worry too much. I have another opinion on this matter. Would you like to listen to my detailed explanation?"

"Mr. Fan is not an outsider, you can say whatever you want."

Fan Wencheng said, "In my opinion, after the death of the previous emperor, the throne should have belonged to Prince Su. However, since the previous emperor did not leave a will, Prince Su could not succeed to the throne even though he had the support of the people. Prince Rui also understood this and led the Eight Banners nobles to oppose Prince Su's succession to the throne, so the throne remained vacant."

"I think that although Prince Su has the title to inherit the throne, he lacks the legal basis. Moreover, although Prince Su has a high prestige in the army and has many supporters, he is too upright in character and has offended many people. Prince Rui stopped Prince Su for this reason. To put it bluntly, Prince Rui is worried that Prince Su will take action against him once he becomes emperor. The two have always been at odds, and in order to protect himself, Prince Rui is of course unwilling to let Prince Su have his way."

Empress Zhezhe nodded in agreement. She certainly knew about the conflict between Hauge and Dorgon. When Huang Taiji was still alive, the two of them were at loggerheads and neither of them would submit to the other. If Hauge was allowed to succeed to the throne, Dorgon would naturally worry about his own safety. If his mortal enemy became emperor, it would be too easy for him to control him. In order to protect himself, Dorgon would naturally not agree.

But why did Fan Wencheng say all this? This is something that everyone knows, and now the crux of the problem lies here. Could it be that Fan Wencheng has a way to resolve the conflict between the two parties? This seems a little impossible!
(End of this chapter)