The Ming Dynasty's Five Hundred Years

Chapter 240 The Eastern Palace (Fourth Update)

When the emperor actually passed away in front of everyone, they were still in shock, as if everything had happened just yesterday.

"Gentlemen, His Majesty has passed away, and the affairs of the aftermath are numerous and urgent. A plan should be devised!"

Li Xianmu was the first to suppress his grief. After all, he had been mentally prepared for this for years and was still able to remain rational at this moment.

Zhu Zhanji, as expected of someone personally raised by Zhu Di, immediately shook off his grief and looked at Jian Yi and Yang Rong, saying firmly, "Teacher is right. The deceased are gone. Now that our Emperor has passed away, the army has not yet returned to the capital. If we are not careful, there could be a mutiny."

Li Xianmu's criticism was directed at the two princes: "Even though His Majesty has passed away, there is still the Crown Prince in the army, so there should be no worries."

However, both the King of Han and the King of Zhao are in the army. The King of Han has always coveted the throne. Now that His Majesty has passed away, he might have some other ideas. We must be on guard.

His Majesty did not summon them on his deathbed. Although he did not say it explicitly, it was because he was worried about the two men and feared that they might affect the succession to the throne.

Since His Highness the Crown Prince is not here at the moment, we must immediately send someone back to the capital to have His Highness ascend the throne and seize the initiative.

The Duke of England is my father-in-law. I will write a letter to him now, explaining the greater good and requesting that he go to the Eastern Palace to support His Highness the Crown Prince's ascension to the throne and to intimidate the nobles.

Zhu Zhanji was overjoyed upon hearing this. If the Duke of Ying could truly be stationed in the capital, then the Prince of Han wouldn't be able to cause any trouble. "Teacher..."

"Your Highness, there is no need to worry. The Duke of Ying has always been loyal and cautious. He knows that the late Emperor's only choice for successor is the Crown Prince, and he will certainly carry out the late Emperor's wishes. The only thing we need to guard against is the Prince of Han resorting to desperate measures, so..."

Li Xianmu's eyes flashed with a fierce look as he said sternly, "Therefore, the key to success or failure lies in concealing the news of His Majesty the Prince of Han's death and preventing him from causing chaos in the army. I suggest that someone be sent to monitor the two princes immediately, and if there is any unusual activity, they should be detained."

His Highness the Crown Prince's throne must be secured without any risk of loss.

Li Xianmu's words were quite logical and his points were convincing. Zhu Zhanji immediately nodded and said, "I will handle the detention of the prince, but we should try our best to avoid it and keep it a secret as much as possible."

Who should be sent to report back to the capital?

The news of the emperor's death was kept absolutely secret. Li Xianmu looked at Yang Rong and said, "Grandson, Zirong is someone I can entrust with important matters!"

Yang Rong shuddered, and the instant Li Xianmu finished speaking, he knelt before Zhu Zhanji, saying, "Your humble servant is willing to go to the capital to report the death!"

"Alright, then I'll trouble you, Scholar Yang!" Zhu Zhanji scrutinized Yang Rong. Everyone present was a member of the Crown Prince's faction, but even among the Crown Prince's faction, there were different ranks. Li Xianmu was undoubtedly the most core member, while Yang Rong was somewhat peripheral.

But today he was about to shoulder a heavy responsibility, and only had time to exchange a quick glance with Li Xianmu before Yang Rong hurriedly left the tent.

Jian Yi, who had barely uttered a word from beginning to end, closed his eyes in frustration. Li Xianmu's actions were too meticulous; he hadn't even had a chance to speak. At such a crucial moment, he was absent. What would become of the future court...?

"Minister Jian, you are highly respected in the court. You have served as Minister of Personnel for many years, and your students and former officials are all over the country. After the Crown Prince ascends the throne, he will need you to oversee the Ministry of Personnel to ensure the stability of the country. The younger generation of Xianmu also needs to learn from you and work together to assist the Crown Prince in the future. I hope you will not hesitate to give me your guidance."

Li Xianmu's voice suddenly reached Jian Yi's ears. Jian Yi could hardly believe his ears. He couldn't believe that those words had actually come from Li Xianmu.

Just three years ago, the two of them had engaged in one of the most intense factional struggles since the founding of the Ming Dynasty, but now Li Xianmu has actually lowered his stance so much.

He wasn't stupid; he realized almost instantly that Li Xianmu sensed his disappointment and resentment. At this moment, if he were to side with the Prince of Han and truthfully reveal the situation, it would inevitably lead to an unfavorable outcome.

Li Xianmu united with the Crown Prince for the sake of the Crown Prince's throne, and even made a political promise that he had no interest in the position of Minister of Personnel so that the Crown Prince could smoothly ascend the throne.

Jian Yi fell silent, but it was as if thunder was resounding in his mind; he was truly shocked to the extreme.

“Minister Li,” Jian Yi said slowly, “I always thought that you were able to hold such a high position because, even if you had some real talent and learning, it was still because of the late Emperor’s promotion, the huge amount of political resources poured into you, and the strong support that made you invincible.”

But now I think I understand why His Majesty trusts you so much; you truly are the kind of minister every emperor would like.

Li Xianmu remained unmoved, his expression unchanged.

"Don't worry, even though we disagree on politics, I would never do something like informing on someone."

"His Highness the Crown Prince will be a good emperor. I have supported him for over twenty years, never giving up even in the most difficult times. Was it all just for wealth and glory?"

Jian Yi said with a sigh, "It's not just you, Li Xianmu, who have political ideals and want to contribute to the country. We also entered officialdom by reading the classics of the sages!"

Li Xianmu didn't speak again, but bowed deeply to Jian Yi. Just as Jian Yi said, their differences were not due to a difference in ideology, but rather to a problem with either of their character or morality.

Li Xianmu felt that Jian Yi and his group were too corrupt, and Jian Yi also felt that Li Xianmu and his group had abandoned the true path of sagehood.

People in this world face countless choices every moment, and Li Xianmu is not always the most righteous one.

For example, Yu Qian could sit idly by and watch himself die and his family perish for the sake of the stability of the Ming Dynasty, while Li Xianmu would only cause chaos and upheaval, even if countless people died in the turmoil.

……

With this most important mission in mind, Yang Rong rode his swift horse and traveled day and night to return to the capital at top speed.

Upon entering the city, to avoid attracting attention, he went straight to the Eastern Palace with the imperial edict. Given his status, this would not arouse suspicion. The other person was an old man who had been brought from the Duke of Ying's mansion when Zhang Wan married into the Li family. He went to the Duke of Ying's mansion to deliver a message. When the Duke of Ying saw that the person he had sent to protect Li Xianmu had been sent back, he knew that something terrible had happened to the northern expeditionary army.

Upon unfolding the letter, one finds only a single line: "The Emperor has passed away. I urge my father-in-law to quickly enter the Eastern Palace to assist the Crown Prince in his ascension to the throne. The merit of supporting the Emperor's rise to power lies in this very day!"

Boom!

As if struck by lightning, even Zhang Fu, with his composure, could not control himself, his hands trembling uncontrollably. No matter how much he had prepared himself, he had never expected such explosive news.

Without the slightest hesitation, he stood up abruptly, shouting, "Someone come here!"

East Palace.

The moment Zhu Gaochi saw Yang Rong, he seemed to realize something, and his face turned pale as he said, "Zirong, is it...?"

Yang Rong knelt down with a thud. "Your Highness, His Majesty fell seriously ill on the way back to the army and passed away at Yumu River. Before his death, he ordered us to write down his will, bequeathing the throne to the Crown Prince. This is the will!"

As he spoke, he handed over the imperial edict. Zhu Gaochi felt a sudden darkness before his eyes. Just as he had expected, his father had indeed passed away. He tremblingly accepted the edict, and before he could even finish reading it, he burst into tears.

"Father..."

Crown Princess Zhang also burst into tears.

Yang Rong said with a heavy heart, "Your Highness, the Prince of Han is currently eyeing the capital with covetous intent, and Your Highness the Grandson and Shouzheng are stalling for time."

The King of Han never stopped coveting the throne. From the start of the northern expedition, letters came from the capital almost every day, indicating that someone in the capital was in contact with him.

"I urge Your Highness to ascend the throne as soon as possible to stabilize the affairs of state and welcome back the late Emperor's coffin."

Zhu Gaochi wiped away his tears. "Yes, we must ascend the throne as soon as possible. We cannot let Zhanji and Xianmu fall into danger."

Just then, the second son, Zhu Zhanjun, rushed in and said, "Father, Duke Zhang Fu of Yingguo is outside requesting an audience."

Zhu Gaochi already knew that Li Xianmu had sent a letter to Zhang Fu, asking the Duke of Yingguo, Zhang Fu, to support his succession to the throne, even though the thieves in the capital were desperate and ready to do anything.

"Please."

As he spoke, he hurriedly went outside to greet Zhang Fu. He was met by an old general who was nine feet tall and wearing armor. It was Zhang Fu.

Upon seeing Zhu Gaochi come out to greet him, Zhang Fu immediately knelt on one knee and said solemnly, "Your Highness, I am wearing armor and cannot perform the full ceremony. Please forgive me."

"Father-in-law, please rise quickly." Zhu Gaochi hurriedly helped Zhang Fu up and stood beside him. He immediately felt more confident. In the current Ming military, there was no one with higher prestige than Zhang Fu. As long as Zhang Fu supported him, those nobles who had always colluded with the Prince of Han would not make any moves.

"Father-in-law, in Xianmu's letter, he said that I should first summon all the ministers to the palace to read the imperial edict and establish the relationship between the emperor and his subjects. What do you think, Father-in-law?"

Zhang Fu said in a deep voice, "The late Emperor left a will that the Crown Prince would succeed to the throne. I can only respectfully follow it and do everything according to Your Highness's wishes. I will only stay by Your Highness's side and keep the villains in check."

Zhang Fu knew that his mere presence here today was already a great achievement. Any further greed or interference would be superfluous and counterproductive.

He is quite politically astute and would not make such an obvious mistake.

Zhu Gaochi's chubby face beamed with a genuine smile, "Father-in-law is truly loyal and prudent."

"Zirong!"

"Chen is here!"

"Go to the cabinet immediately and have it issue a document in the name of the Crown Prince Regent, summoning all officials of the fifth rank and above in the capital to the palace to discuss important matters."

Zhu Gaochi exuded an unprecedented aura. His face, which was always full of smiles, was now filled with extreme seriousness. He no longer hunched over, but straightened his back, because the sky that had been oppressing him had disappeared, and he was about to become the new sky!
Nature shines as brightly as the sun in the sky!
Zhang Fu's eyes lit up. Just as Li Xianmu had said, the Crown Prince was indeed a man of inner talent, and in the past he had simply deliberately concealed his brilliance.

Yang Rong was greatly encouraged and kowtowed deeply, saying, "Your humble servant will go to the cabinet immediately."

Zhu Gaochi then looked at Zhang Fu, who immediately lowered his head and said in a deep voice, "Your Highness, I will escort you to the Huagai Hall."

"Thank you for your trouble, father-in-law!"

Zhu Gaochi then looked at the Crown Princess, "My dear consort, please stay in the Eastern Palace and take good care of the children."

"Yes, Your Highness!"

The Crown Princess responded softly.

Having arranged everything in the Eastern Palace, Zhu Gaochi, hand on his belt, strode towards the light!

(End of this chapter)