Who among the gangsters wants to fall in love?

Chapter 168 The Throne Ceremony
On the third day after the New Year, there was heavy snow in the capital.

The snow continued to fall heavily, like a white curtain hanging from the sky. In the early morning, the curling smoke from breakfast followed the snow curtain up to the sky. There were stoves in the lobbies of street teahouses, restaurants, etc. for people to keep warm.

There were fifteen days of rest at the end of the year in Dali, and production would not resume until after the Lantern Festival. This was a system that had been passed down since the reign of Emperor Jingzheng. It was impossible to change it before Luo Shuzhi ascended the throne, so most people in the capital stopped working and enjoyed the rare holiday.

Many idle men sat in restaurants, teahouses and other places, smoking dry tobacco, holding stoves in their arms, and looking at the street through the white smoke and snow.

An official in red official uniform was riding a tall horse, holding an imperial edict, and shouting along the street:

"It has been more than a month since the late emperor passed away. The ceremony of the ancestral temple cannot be neglected for too long! The Crown Prince is old and wise. He is entrusted with a heavy responsibility. On the fourth day of the first lunar month, an altar will be set up in front of the Taiji Hall in the palace to prepare for the ceremony and announce it to heaven and earth, the ancestral temple, and the country. He will take the throne of the emperor! The way to govern must first be to make things right. This year will be the first year of the founding of the world. A general amnesty will be issued to the whole country, and everyone will join in the reform..."

Several idlers held their wine bowls and muttered, "The fourth day of the first lunar month is tomorrow... This official has been traveling around the capital to make announcements since the end of the year, without any rest. He can't have a leisurely year... It seems that wearing the official uniform is not a good thing."

"Come on, if I really give you a chance to wear that robe, you'd probably be willing to hand over your wife... But the prince is also anxious. According to convention, isn't the throne usually enthroned at the Lihuo Altar in the south of the capital? The Emperor Taizu and the previous emperor all did so, but he is in the Taiji Hall... It's a bit shabby, isn't it?"

"Rong tribe is blocking the pass now, Ningwu Pass and Yanmen Pass are fighting, so it is understandable that the place is kept simple at this moment. It also shows that the prince does not want to waste people's money and resources."

When the Rong tribe was mentioned, the idle men were silent for a moment, and then someone thought for a moment and said, "I heard that the princess is leading troops to fight on the border of Jin... Is it true?"

"That's what they say, so it's probably not wrong."

Someone sighed softly, "The princess is also pitiful. Originally, it was said that as long as she entered the capital, she would be able to ascend the throne, but in the end the prince did not die..."

"Hiss...be careful with your words."

"Isn't it good now? The prince has ascended the throne, and the princess is leading the army outside to fight. Everything is going well. When the war eases a little, the prince will certainly summon the princess to the capital to reward her. I hope they can get along well with each other as brother and sister, and don't follow the example of the previous emperor."

"That's right. The princess hasn't done anything wrong. She just enjoys the right to ascend the throne according to etiquette. Now she is guarding the border in person. After the crown prince ascends the throne, there is no reason for him to attack her. Otherwise, it would be unacceptable in terms of etiquette."

"I have a clerk who works as a servant in the Shen Mansion. I heard that the princess's 100,000 troops have already arrived in Langfa, which is less than a hundred miles away from the capital. If the princess cannot ascend the throne, then these 100,000 troops will have to enter the capital..."

"How long has it been? After the crown prince recovered, he ordered the 100,000-man army to go to Jin. Now that so much time has passed, they should be leaving Shanhaiguan soon, right?"

"How can it be that fast? This is an army of 100,000. Do you think it's your pigs that will run away if you chase them?"

"Hiss~ We haven't even left Shanhaiguan yet. Doesn't that mean that if these 100,000 troops want to attack the capital, they can still do so?"

"The princess has gone to the border to defend against the Rong people, and the prince is still alive, so he will not murder her. So the princess should not start a war for the throne, right?"

"That's what I expected... Well, if that's the case, then Zhao Wumian is fine, right? According to the news from Jin, he single-handedly fought off 2,000 Rong cavalrymen, and he is truly a hero. Although he broke into the palace for unknown reasons and intended to assassinate the queen, he has made up for his mistake now, right?"

"This... single-handedly resisting 2,000 Rong cavalry and killing them all is indeed a great achievement, but assassinating the queen is not a big deal, but it's not a small deal either. It still depends on whether the queen and the Shen family behind the queen care about it. If they really want to punish him, no one can find fault with him, but if they let him off, it can also give the queen and the Shen family a good reputation for letting bygones be bygones and being magnanimous."

At this time, a man who had been sitting in the corner drinking silently interrupted and said, "The queen has become increasingly thin due to his mental illness. I heard from Madam Yang, the great doctor in the capital, that if Zhao Wumian cannot be killed in front of the queen, her mental illness may not be cured."

A few idlers looked at the man for a few times, then nodded and said, "That's right, but in the final analysis it all depends on what the queen says. At worst, we can tie Zhao Wumian into the harem and beat him with a few hundred sticks in front of the queen, and then make Zhao Wumian kneel down and admit his fault. Once his anger subsides, his worries will probably be cured."

"My wife is a narrow-minded person, and the Queen is also a woman, so I guess she is similar. This matter will definitely not be easily forgotten... So even if the Crown Prince invites Zhao Wumian to the capital to be rewarded, he will definitely not dare to come."

"Oh~ That's wrong. The queen has lived in the deep palace for a long time. She has been lonely and miserable. No one knows what happened in the palace at that time. Maybe she is missing him. Maybe Zhao Wumian also wants to go to the harem and make a chisel to relieve the queen's worries."

After that, they clinked their glasses and laughed.

The idlers in the market always like to say dirty words even when talking about politics.

The man sitting in the corner shook his head slightly, drank the wine in the bowl in one gulp, paid for the wine, and stood up to leave.

As he walked out of the tavern, an old man appeared beside him, half a step behind him, and held up an oil-paper umbrella for him.

The man looked calm and just sighed, "Who would have thought that Chao Yan would go to resist the Rong people? Who would have thought that Zhao Wumian would stop two thousand cavalrymen alone and win the applause of the people? Now that they have won the hearts of the people, it is indeed without reputation and etiquette to suppress them again."

A few street idiots would think so, and almost everyone in the world would think so... Luo Chaoyan and Zhao Wumian had made great contributions in resisting the Rong people and should not be killed. The only disagreement was that Zhao Wumian had intended to assassinate the queen.

Eunuch Lin did not respond to the question in order to prevent anyone from listening. It was not until they returned to the East Palace that he said, "It was because of the assassination of the vassal kings that Emperor Guangyou led to the destruction of all the kings. Therefore, assassination is undoubtedly the worst method, but now... I'm afraid we can only do this."

Emperor Guangyou was the one who was killed by Emperor Jingzheng that year. Of course, according to historical records, Emperor Guangyou escaped from the capital three days before the city was captured, and his whereabouts have been unknown since then. In fact, he was killed by people sent by Emperor Jingzheng as early as when he left the capital... The person who did it was Eunuch Lin.

Because of the lesson of Emperor Guangyou, Luo Shuzhi never dared to reduce the power of the princes in an open and fair manner.

Luo Shuzhi sat on the chair, poured himself a cup of hot tea, picked up the cup and took a sip, looking at the curling white smoke above the tea bowl, his expression slightly absent-minded, and he did not answer.

Eunuch Lin thought for a while, and then said coldly:
"The King of Jin sacrificed his life for his country and proved his innocence... After Guiyi Zhenren and the Spear Leader surrounded and suppressed Wudamu, there has been no news so far. It is believed that he encountered an accident. Dong Yulou failed to obtain the remaining generals of Piantou Pass, which led to Wudamu's rushing out. Dong Yulou himself was killed by Zhao Wumian, and he also got the Qilin Talisman of the King of Jin...

We have reduced the power of the feudal lords, suppressed the navy of Chu, seized the pearl relic treasure tower, and tested Wudamu. Now we have only achieved the last goal. The first three were ruined by Zhao Wumian... I should have killed him directly in the palace!"

Luo Shuzhi rubbed his brows. "I wanted to go with the flow and let him lead the Chu navy to carry out 'rebellion' in the name of 'clearing the emperor's side', but I didn't expect him to not fall for it."

Eunuch Lin remained silent. When Zhao Wumian was taken out of the East Palace by the Queen, he asked the Crown Prince for his opinion. This was indeed the plan at that time. The reason why Zhao Wumian did not fall into the trap was probably because he had guessed Luo Shuzhi's purpose at that time.

Things have come to this, and there is no point in worrying about it.

Who can be blamed for this? They can only blame Luo Shuzhi for being too ambitious and wanting everything, and they can only blame them for underestimating Zhao Wumian.

Luo Shuzhi originally thought that Zhao Wumian went to Jin to find Xu Ran to kill Eunuch Lin, but who knew that he was going for the 200,000 troops of the King of Jin, and actually let him get the military power.

That's why Eunuch Lin recommended such a despicable act as assassination.

Luo Chaoyan is okay, she is obviously Zhao Wumian's puppet, but as long as Zhao Wumian dies, what trouble can she cause?
A princess who has stayed in Guixuan Valley since childhood, taking care of flowers and plants and not getting involved in worldly affairs. If it weren't for the support of Xu Ran and Chief Constable Su, Luo Shuzhi would have almost forgotten that he has a half-sister.

Luo Shuzhi was silent for a moment, and suddenly said: "It would be great if we could get information about Jin in real time."

Eunuch Lin stood in front of the window with his hands behind his back, looking at the heavy snow outside the palace, silent.

Luo Chaoyan and Zhao Wumian both ran to resist the Rong people. This was news before the New Year. The latest news about Zhao Wumian was that he killed Gui Shou Zhenren and Dong Yulou in Taiyuan before New Year's Eve, and then disappeared. Even Luo Chaoyan was the same.

Luo Chaoyan said that she was at the border to resist the Rong people, but the spies sent by Luo Shuzhi couldn't find where she was... Even if they did, it would take a day and a night for the news to get through.

Therefore, Luo Shuzhi is still unsure of Luo Chaoyan and Zhao Wumian’s thoughts at the moment...Are the two of them planning to fight him, Luo Shuzhi, to the end even if it means destroying the Dali kingdom, or do they want to settle the matter first, focus on resisting the Rong people, and then take their time?

There is too little information to analyze.

Luo Shuzhi was the legitimate prince no matter what. Who knew that all this was arranged by him except Zhao Wumian? And Zhao Wumian had no evidence. Everything was just his speculation. Even the brothers Dong Yulou and Dong Wenzhen were under the command of the King of Jin, not his Dongyan.

Therefore, it all depends on whether Zhao Wumian dares to lead his troops to attack the capital at this moment when the Rong tribe is blocking the borders... If he really dares to fight, Luo Shuzhi can sit firmly on the throne in the name of righteousness, and he can mobilize 100,000 central troops and call on military heroes from all over the country to "protect the country."

Currently, the only princes who still hold military power are the Prince of Yan, the Prince of Shu, and the Prince of Yue. However, the military strength of these three princes is not as good as that of Zhao Wumian. In addition, except for the Prince of Yan, the Prince of Shu and the Prince of Yue are too far away from the capital, and it will take them a month or so to arrive.

The same goes for the Southwestern Army and the Southeastern Army. Time is too tight. You know, it took the Chu navy a month to reach Langfa, and they can't get there for a while. Only the Northern Liao Army in Yanyun can get there within a month.

The Southwestern Army, the Southeastern Army, the Northern Liao Army, and the Central Army are the imperial court's troops. However, only the 100,000-strong Central Army obeys Luo Shuzhi's orders, while the other three armies are all commanded by military generals in the court.

These local troops are generally unable to move unless it is a major event, but Zhao Wumian's raising of an army to quell the rebellion is naturally a major event.

Luo Shuzhi shook the teacup lightly, looked at the tea leaves on the water, and said lightly:

"If Zhao Wumian really wanted to lead the army to quell the rebellion and follow his father's example, Shanhaiguan alone would be enough to hold off the Jin army for more than a month. Moreover, the Rong people are still blocking the pass and attacking the Jin army from both sides, so it would be difficult for him to get into the pass...

The present is different from the past. When Emperor Guangyou assassinated the King of Chu and murdered his blood relatives, the military heroes from all over the country were afraid that they would be the next King of Chu, so they followed orders but not decrees. Now it is different. With only the 100,000 Chu navy still inside the pass, it is impossible to capture the capital within three months. Three months is enough for military heroes from all over the country to rush to defend the country. So the key point at this moment is who lives and who dies between me and Zhao Wumian. Whoever survives is the winner. "

Zhao Wumian and Luo Chaoyan had 200,000 Jin troops and 100,000 Chu troops under their command. This military force was the capital for them to become emperors.

As Luo Shu was the crown prince, no one could find fault with him becoming emperor.

At present, neither of them can do anything to the other relying on their own military strength. Zhao Wumian has a large army, and Luo Shuzhi can also buy time to let military heroes from all over the country protect the country.

So the key point is the life and death of the two people.

Once Zhao Wumian dies, Luo Chaoyan is no longer a concern.

Once Luo Shu died, the only person who could succeed him as emperor would be Luo Chaoyan... As for the eldest grandson? If he dared to take the throne, he would be "shot in the back and killed himself" the next day.

With an army of three hundred thousand men, this is what should be done.

Eunuch Lin pondered for a moment, then sighed softly, "The final key point of the matter concerning the throne of the country is actually the same as the matter of the martial arts world, nothing more than the two words 'horizontal and vertical'."

"Be it the Jianghu or the imperial court, where there are people there is the Jianghu, where there are people there is politics, and where there is the imperial court, it's nothing more than this." Luo Shuzhi put down the teacup, propped up his face, tapped lightly on the table with his other hand, and frowned slightly.

He was silent for a moment, and then whispered to himself, "Even if I die, I will never let Zhao Wumian live. If he wins and Chaoyan takes the throne, then who will rule the country of Dali? The surname will be Zhao or the surname will be Luo?" "I know."

Luo Shuzhi stood up, paced back and forth, and then gave a calm order, "Seal off Kunning Palace, and do not let any news about the queen leak out. Also, capture Zhao Wumian alive on the pretext of 'the queen's heart disease'... Of course, we must capture him alive, but not kill him by mistake."

Luo Chaoyan did nothing wrong, Luo Shuzhi could not kill her, otherwise he would end up like Emperor Guangyou, but Zhao Wumian was different.

The Queen's heart disease was a natural reason.

Even if the queen suddenly recovered from her illness at this moment, Luo Shuzhi had to let her continue to be sick.

Eunuch Lin leaned forward to accept the order, and then hesitated for a moment, and said: "We have already sent Dong Yan to kill him, but now it has been fruitless. It may be difficult to kill him just by relying on the Queen's Heart Disease to summon heroes from all over the world. Moreover, this reason alone is probably not enough to put Zhao Wumian in a desperate situation."

"Of course there is more than one plan."

……

After Lin Gonggong left, Luo Shuzhi came to Shang Xuesheng's tombstone with three incense sticks in his hand, respectfully inserted the three incense sticks, and then whispered:
"Neither of the two martial masters could do anything to Wudamu. It is my grandson's fault that he was not killed this time. Now that I am about to ascend the throne, I am no longer able to make any plans. I can only wait for the future... If I win this time, I will spare no effort. If Zhao Wumian wins..."

Luo Shuzhi paused for a moment, remained silent for a moment, and then said calmly:

"If he can defeat me, he won't lose to Wudamu."

After saying this, Luo Shuzhi waved the hem of his robe and kowtowed three times respectfully towards the stele.

A day later, the snow was still heavy and the huge capital was wrapped in wind and snow.

The heavy snow falling on your face is bone-chillingly cold.

But the capital was decorated with lights and lanterns, and the festive atmosphere of the streets undoubtedly washed away the coldness.

The main gates of the Imperial Palace were already filled with gentry, common people, tourists, street goers, and women of the secular world... They were of different identities and classes, but they were all gathered here, so it couldn't be a parade or demonstration.

According to the Imperial Palace official, after Crown Prince Luo Shuzhi ascends the throne, he will wear a dragon robe and stand on the wall of the Imperial Palace, walk around, meet and talk with the people of the capital... Mainly to let the people know that he is the current emperor and Dali is no longer a leaderless country.

As for creating a people-friendly persona, it is not that important.

In this world, apart from Zhao Wumian and others, few people know what Luo Shuzhi has done. Even the Jin army is only half-believing and half-doubting... Luo Shuzhi hid it too deeply, even Zhao Wumian has no evidence.

Therefore, in the eyes of the world, Luo Shuzhi was just a poor prince who was poisoned, and people were naturally curious about him.

At this moment, as long as you stand under the city gate, you can see the current emperor on the city wall... Many people have never seen the emperor in their lives, and since it's just the end of the year and they are on holiday, they have a lot of free time, so naturally they want to join in the fun.

The imperial guards, dressed in black armor and holding swords, maintained law and order to prevent the crowd from blocking the way to the gate.

Countless nobles and wealthy people, sitting in luxurious carriages, wearing golden brocade robes, sat upright in the carriages, closed their eyes to rest, and went all the way into the palace to attend the enthronement ceremony in front of the Taiji Hall.

But his face could not hide the slight excitement and pride... Anyone who could attend the coronation ceremony was definitely not an ordinary person.

Say it out loud and you will feel proud.

Some noble ladies who could not stand the loneliness dressed up gorgeously and could not help but lift the door curtain of the carriage with their fingertips to look at the bustling crowd outside the palace gate. Occasionally, they would meet the eyes of a handsome and elegant knight-errant. They would quickly put down the curtain, blushing, and calm their rapid heartbeats, thinking about some romantic stories like "knight-errant and lady in the boudoir" in their hearts.

After entering the outer gate, the carriage stopped outside the inner gate and the eunuchs drove the carriage to the parking place and counted the gifts they brought. The nobles and gentry, with their sleeves rolled up and oil-paper umbrellas held by their servants, walked to the Taiji Hall.

The white stone tiles in front of the Taiji Hall were cleaned spotlessly, with only a few snowflakes falling, forming a thin blanket of snow. Gentlemen passed by one after another, leaving a trail of footprints on the snow, but it didn't look very dirty or black.

He came in a carriage, covered with a carpet, and even the soles of his shoes were clean... Such meticulousness shows the importance of this enthronement ceremony.

Tian Songqing, the assistant minister of the Ministry of War, wore a red official uniform and clean boots, but his son Tian Wenjing was not so particular. Whenever he walked, he left black footprints, which made Tian Songqing's eyes twitch.

He wanted to teach Tian Wenjing a lesson, but when he thought of his old friend Mei Lijun's son Mei Chongyang who died in Piantouguan and whose body has not been found to this day, he couldn't bear to say anything to his son... Being alive is more important than anything else.

On the way from the inner gate to the Taiji Hall, a court official approached Tian Songqing and said, "Minister Tian, ​​can you see Doctor Mei?"

Everyone knows that Tian Songqing and Mei Lijun have a good relationship because they have a son who is the top leader.

Tian Songqing sighed softly, "Since he fell into a coma that day, he has been depressed since he woke up, and now he has asked for leave and returned home."

Hearing this, the man who had spoken to him sighed and shook his head. He didn't know what to say, and finally managed to say, "The son is a hero... but for his father, it's obviously not something that is easy to accept. I hope Doctor Mei can get over it as soon as possible."

After chatting all the way, we arrived in front of the Tai Chi Hall.

A towering dew-receiving plate was built in front of the hall. In fact, to put it simply, it is just a platform with a plate on it. The saying "If you take the elixir, you will live a long life" is just a sign of something important.

Hundreds of dancers and musicians from the Jiaofang Bureau, dressed in flowery skirts, stood on the steps of the Taiji Hall with their musical instruments ready. They were so beautiful that they were immediately eye-catching, and each dancer and musician had a beautiful face and elegant posture.

However, their standing here was just a symbol of etiquette, and they could not actually play music or dance... It had been a month since the late emperor passed away, and on the surface the whole country was in mourning, so they could not act too happy. They just needed to be present at this moment to appear solemn and dignified.

There was a crowd of people in front of the Taiji Hall, but everything was in order. The three dukes, nine ministers, and important officials from the six ministries, according to their civil and military status, stood on the east and west sides of the hall, waiting for Luo Shuzhi to finish his prayer.

According to etiquette, Luo Shuzhi had to pray in front of the tablets of the late emperor and the gods for half an hour before he could put on the dragon robe and come to the Taiji Hall to formally hold the succession ceremony. Before that, he was not allowed to enter the Taiji Hall.

Tian Songqing led his son to join the queue. As the second-in-command of the Ministry of War, he stood in the front row. He looked up for a few times, then frowned slightly and asked the Minister of War beside him in a low voice: "Why is Chief Constable Su not here? He is a third-rank official. How can he not come at this moment?"

The Minister of War looked calm and said, "I'm sick."

"Complaining of illness? How could Chief Constable Su, a martial arts master, be sick? Or do you think the princess should take the throne?"

The Minister of War said indifferently, "When the late emperor passed away, Chief Constable Su strongly supported the princess. It's normal that she can't get over it now."

"Hey... no matter how upset you feel, you have to give the prince some face, right? The prince may not remember who came, but he will definitely remember who didn't come."

"The Su family members are all stubborn. Wasn't Su Zongru, the former patriarch of the Su family, the same?" The Minister of War sighed. "Su Zongru was already a top master before he was forty. Logically, he should be qualified to communicate with the bridge of heaven and earth before he was sixty. He was a meritorious official in the Jingnan Campaign. It is impossible that the late emperor would not give him the Nine Bells of Enlightenment."

"Come to think of it, the Crown Prince and Chief Constable Su are also blood relatives... Why does Chief Constable Su support the princess but not the Crown Prince?"

"Who can tell the truth about their royal family's affairs?"

The two of them were whispering and talking in low voices.

In a hall, Luo Shuzhi was wearing mourning clothes and kneeling in front of a tombstone.

Dali was founded less than sixty years ago, and including Emperor Guangyou, there were only three emperors.

In the eyes of the world, Emperor Guangyou was not dead yet, so there were only Emperor Taizu Gao and Emperor Jingzheng on the tombstone, which made it look deserted.

Beside Luo Shuzhi were Eunuch Lin and many important officials from the Ministry of Rites, who were also dressed in mourning clothes.

The hall was silent, without a single sound.

Just at this moment, a young eunuch entered the hall, came to Luo Shuzhi's side in front of a group of ministers of rites, and whispered a few words to him, causing the ministers of rites to frown.

Luo Shuzhi listened for a while, frowned slightly, and glanced at the young eunuch, "Are you serious?"

"He did not hide his identity, but..." The young eunuch hesitated for a while, and then whispered: "No one dared to stop him."

Luo Shuzhi withdrew his gaze and said no more. He just looked at the stele, lit three incense sticks, and respectfully inserted them into the altar.

Then he stood up and raised his hand gently, "Change clothes."

Immediately, someone came carrying luxurious clothes, including a crown and robes.

The crown has twelve tassels and is shoulder-length. The so-called jade moss refers to the colorful silk strips used as hanging ropes, each of which is strung with jade beads. The clothes are embroidered with twelve patterns, including the sun, moon, stars, dragons, mountains, fire, etc. In addition to the inner and outer clothes, there are also accessories such as knee-coverings, skirts, and belts, which are extremely complicated.

Luo Shuzhi looked at Eunuch Lin and whispered, "Zhao Wumian has entered the capital."

Eunuch Lin had a calm expression and remained silent for a while. Then he quietly stepped back until he left the hall.

After Eunuch Lin left, Luo Shuzhi opened his arms and let someone help him get dressed. After a while, he took a step back, shook his head and said with a smile: "This dress is too complicated. After I put it on, it will be inconvenient to go to the toilet. It seems that after the coronation ceremony is over, I have to eat less to prevent an upset stomach and make a fool of myself in front of the world..."

This means I want to go to the toilet.

The officials from the Ministry of Rites, eunuchs and palace maids around would certainly not stop it.

(End of this chapter)