The Ming Dynasty began from Sarhu

Chapter 857 Princess Xining should be enthroned
According to the will left by Emperor Guangde before his death, his eldest daughter, Princess Xining Liu Ruolan, would inherit the throne and officially become the third emperor of the Great Qi Empire.

Although the Queen's ascension to the throne seemed somewhat unorthodox and would remind people of the eldest princess' rebellion fifteen years ago.

However, such an outcome is in the interests of most officials.

From any perspective, it is better to let the quiet and inactive Princess Xining succeed to the throne than to let the cruel prince become emperor.

What worried the ministers the most was that Crown Prince Liu Wuji opposed the new policy. If he was allowed to come to power, not only would Emperor Guangde's decades-long new policy be ruined, but they, the old ministers who had promoted the new policy and held great power, would also be implicated.

According to the news received in Tianxin City, after Liu Wuji was ordered to leave the capital by Emperor Guangde, he did not rush back to Yanjing. The prince's caravan moved slowly on the post road, traveling no more than twenty miles a day. It was obvious that he was deliberately delaying time, waiting for the old emperor to take his last breath.

Given that Liu Wuji now holds military power and can mobilize the Yanjing Corps to rebel south at any time, the cabinet and Emperor Guangde's attendants decided to take the initiative. They decided to keep the news of Emperor Guangde's death a secret and block the news.

On the one hand, he urged Princess Xining, who was practicing in the Yuxu Palace, to come to Beijing as soon as possible to inherit the throne, and on the other hand, he urgently mobilized troops from southern provinces to strengthen the defense of Tianxin City and make all preparations.

Tianxin City is easy to defend but difficult to attack. As long as it is well defended, it should be able to hold out until the royal army arrives to rescue.

The imperial edict deposing Liu Wuji as crown prince would be sent to all provinces on the same day Princess Xining took up residence in Tianxin City. By then, the people of the land would know Liu Wuji's true nature, and the armies of all regions would know the consequences of following the crown prince in his rebellion.

On the second day of May in the twenty-second year of Guangde, the day after the emperor's death, Kang Guangxu, a university scholar in his sixties, left the capital, surrounded by guards, and went to Wudang Mountain, thirty miles east of the city, to urge Princess Xining to move into Tianxin City as soon as possible.

"The traitor Liu Wuji has openly defied the Guangde Emperor's edict. He is determined to abolish the New Deal. If this traitor is allowed to succeed to the throne, he will slaughter the military and civilians. The Great Qi will flow like a river of blood!"

Princess Xining, dressed in a blue Taoist robe, stood sadly in front of the Yuxu Palace. The two of them looked into the distance and saw the surrounding high peaks, lush trees, and steep cliffs, which were extremely majestic.

The princess turned to look at the old minister who had watched her grow up. After a long silence, she asked earnestly, "Grand Secretary, are you worried about the people of the world, or are you worried about your own life and property?"

Princess Xining was of course aware that Kang Guangxu was a sworn enemy of the Crown Prince's faction. The two had fought tooth and nail over the New Deal, and the relationship between Kang Guangxu and Liu Wuji was somewhat similar to that between Yang Guozhong and An Lushan during the Tianbao era. While Emperor Guangde was alive, the Grand Secretary and the Crown Prince had managed to maintain a semblance of peace. Now that Liu Kan was dead, the two sides were locked in a bitter feud.

Kang Guangxu coughed twice and did not directly answer Princess Xining's question.

"My father assisted Emperor Taizu, risking countless lives and deaths, ultimately helping him to vanquish the rebels and establish the Great Qi. I have assisted Emperor Guangde for twenty years, blessed with his grace and position. I hold the highest position in the government. As long as I can protect the country and the great cause of our new policies, what else do I fear?"

Princess Xining looked indifferent and obviously did not believe Kang Guangxu's words.

But then the Grand Secretary continued:
"I am fifty-nine years old this year, and despite my advanced age, I have the audacity to disobey my superiors. It was in this Yuxu Palace that Emperor Taizu ascended to immortality. When Emperor Guangde first ascended to the throne, the Great Qi treasury was depleted, people's livelihood was in dire straits, and hundreds of starving corpses were pulled out of Tianxin City every day... Your Highness, are you determined to cultivate the Mystical Realm? Do you also want to follow Emperor Taizu?"

The officials of Tianxin City are deeply tied to the new policy. Whether you support or oppose the new policy, you cannot bypass these officials.

Princess Xining also knew that if Liu Wuji was allowed to come to power, these officials would be met with cruel revenge.

But can he really defeat Liu Wuji and help Da Qi escape this crisis?

"I've heard that the Crown Prince enjoys strong military support, and several legions in the northern border are under his command. How confident are you in defeating these rebels?" Kang Guangxu blurted out, "It's not that I, an old minister, am confident, but Your Highness. As long as you are determined to fight, the people of the world will support You, not the rebels."

Although Princess Xining was not interested in fighting for power and only wanted to be a Buddhist nun, now that things had come to this, did she have any other choice?
"Your Highness, your father's body is still warm, and the Crown Prince is about to abolish the new policy. If Your Highness does not come out, this old minister will have no choice but to die!"

As Kang Guangxu was about to kneel down, Princess Xining hurried forward to help the old man up.

The Grand Secretary's voice trembled as he said, "Your Highness, things have come to this. For the sake of the people of the world, let's put the matter of Xiu Xuan aside for now!"

Yes, Emperor Taizu also started to study Taoism after he had pacified the country and the people lived and worked in peace and contentment. I am far inferior to Emperor Taizu.

Kang Guangxu persuaded her for a long time. Princess Xining looked at the mountains and silently faced the golden-top statue on Tianzhu Peak. The princess was silent for a long time and finally responded to the Grand Secretary.

"Perhaps I can ascend the throne and become emperor, but if there is a more suitable candidate in the future, I hope I can abdicate at any time. After all, a woman as emperor will bring chaos to the country."

Kang Guangxu was extremely excited, and his long, gray beard trembled slightly in the mountain breeze.

"Very well, very well. I will have the officials discuss and choose an auspicious date to prepare for His Highness's enthronement. In addition, we have another request."

Princess Xining smiled slightly and said, "Please speak."

"On the day the princess ascends the throne, she will immediately issue an edict deposing Crown Prince Liu Wuji, announcing his crime of regicide to all the people of the land, and executing his accomplices."

"Regicide?" Princess Xining frowned, "Grand Secretary, are you saying that my father was assassinated by Liu Wuji..."

Kang Guangxu coughed lightly twice and said with a hint of embarrassment, "The cabinet has already collected more than thirty crimes against Liu Wuji, the first of which is regicide. Although the death of Emperor Guangde was not directly caused by Liu Wuji, he is also closely related to it."

Princess Xining fell into a long silence.

Kang Guangxu murmured, "Your Highness, things have come to this. Either Liu Wuji dies, or the country and the people perish. You must make up your mind."

"I know the pros and cons."

Princess Xining persuaded herself in her heart that there was no shortage of bloodshed and killing at the very beginning of the founding of the Great Qi Dynasty. Perhaps this was the gene of this dynasty.

Even though my father was a gentle person, he and the eldest princess Liu Yufei had a fierce battle with each other.

Fratricide may be the fate of the Liu royal family.

They needed an empress, and Princess Xining became the new empress.

(End of this chapter)