Emperor Ming: Your Majesty, you have caused me so much suffering.

Officials gathered at the Meridian Gate.

"Recently, due to the invasion of the border by barbarian invaders, the Emperor personally led six armies to lead the expedition. He has already issued an edict to all officials of the Cheng Dynasty. Now that the army has not yet returned, the affairs of the state cannot be neglected for long. Therefore, the Prince of Cheng is hereby appointed to oversee all officials and manage state affairs. Respect this order! All civil and military officials, in all matters large and small, shall report to the Prince for his orders and carry them out without any disobedience or negligence."

Before the officials could respond, Jin Ying, the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, read out another imperial edict.

"Recently, due to the invasion of the barbarian invaders, which have poisoned the lives of the people, the Emperor, fearing that the calamity would befall the dynasty, had no choice but to personally lead the Six Armies to punish them. Unexpectedly, he was detained in the barbarian court. Still mindful that his subjects cannot be without a ruler, he has chosen the virtuous and elder among his three sons, namely Jian Shen, to be placed in the Eastern Palace. Alas! A country must have a ruler for its stability; a ruler must have an heir for his subjects to rely on. This proclamation is hereby issued to the world, so that all may know."

"Your Majesty, we humbly obey your decree! Long live the Emperor!"

At this moment, the shouts of "Long live the Emperor!" were quite ironic; it was uncertain whether Zhu Qizhen in the enemy camp could hear them.

At this moment, the ministers' faces were extremely grim. Upon hearing the contents of the edict appointing the crown prince, it was now confirmed that His Majesty had remained in the enemy camp.

After receiving the imperial decree, Zhu Qiyu intended to go to Empress Dowager Sun to express his gratitude. After all, he had just gained power, and the specific effects were still unknown. He should still show basic respect to Empress Dowager Sun.

Suddenly, a man knelt down and shouted, "Your Highness, I observed the celestial phenomena last night, and the mandate of heaven has passed. The fate of the Ming Dynasty is nearing its end. Only by moving south to Nanjing can we avoid disaster and resolve this perilous situation. I beg Your Highness to heed my advice!"

These words immediately caused an uproar, with many officials even bursting into tears. It was clearly premeditated; what a brilliant performance!

Zhu Qiyu never expected that Xu Cheng would jump out and court death at this moment; he truly didn't know his place.

Upon hearing this, Xing'an glanced at Zhu Qiyu. Seeing that Zhu Qiyu did not speak, he assumed that Zhu Qiyu had not responded for the time being.

He immediately flew into a rage and shouted, "Our ancestral tombs and temples are here. If we move them south, who will guard them?"

Seeing the court in a state of slight confusion, Hu Ying also spoke up, saying, "Emperor Taizong chose this location for his mausoleum to inform his descendants that this is the foundation for their rule. What is the true intention behind this proposal to move it south?"

Wang Zhi glanced coldly at Xu Cheng and said, "Scholar Xu, I heard you sent your family to the south long ago. How dare such a cowardly person bark so arrogantly in the court? What gives you the audacity?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Cheng's face turned extremely ugly. He wasn't afraid of death at all; rather, he had unwavering faith in his Five Elements Yin-Yang Technique.

Just as he was about to retort, Yu Qian raised his voice slightly and said, "Your Highness, the shame of the Southern Song Dynasty is still fresh in our minds. Anyone who wishes to petition for the relocation of the capital should be executed immediately. The best course of action now is to quickly summon troops to defend the capital and preserve the legacy of our ancestors."

Chen Xun, Chen Yi, and others nodded repeatedly, saying, "Your Highness, what Vice Minister Yu said is very true, and we agree."

Seeing that the pro-war faction had gained the upper hand, Zhu Qiyu knew that the time had come.

He slowly stood up, gave Xu Cheng a cold laugh, and stretched out one hand.

"Bring me a knife!"

As soon as Zhu Qiyu said this, he immediately regretted that his trusted eunuch Cheng Jing was not by his side.

If Jin Ying and the two eunuchs Xing An did not respond, the scene would be extremely awkward, and it would be an exaggeration to say that he would lose face.

Zhu Qiyu felt that without any weapons in hand, he lacked confidence and could not intimidate his ministers.

Secondly, it was an opportunity to test whether he actually had the power to do so, to assess the weight of the edict, and also to test whether Xing'an was loyal or treacherous.

Upon hearing Zhu Qiyu's words, the ministers were shaken. They were about to advise the court against resorting to violence, but seeing Zhu Qiyu's anger, they swallowed their words of advice and felt a growing sense of anticipation.

The best outcome would be for Zhu Qiyu to accidentally kill those who proposed moving the capital south, thus ending the matter once and for all, and saving the officials from wasting their breath.

Xing'an was greatly excited by Zhu Qiyu's actions, for this was the Prince of Cheng's way of establishing his authority, and only in this way could he be considered a proper ruler.

If he had seen that bewildered and helpless look just now, he would have been ready to cut his losses immediately.

Before Jin Ying could react, Xing An hurriedly went down to fetch a knife. A moment later, he brought out the imperial waist knife and presented it to Zhu Qiyu.

Zhu Qiyu breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that none of his ministers had stopped him.

In this light, I am no longer a mere puppet or a simple puppet; at least for now, I possess a certain degree of power.

Zhu Qiyu took the knife from Xing'an's hand, glanced at Xing'an in surprise. Instead of asking for the ceremonial knife, he sent over the emperor's personal waist knife. This man has already made a name for himself; he is quite sensible.

Zhu Qiyu pretended not to know that it was an imperial item and casually took it.

If the ministers dissuade us, Xing'an will be the only one to suffer; if they do not dissuade us, the advantage is in our hands!

Jin Ying frowned slightly, looking at Xing An with a questioning gaze, but Xing An pretended not to see.

He glanced at Empress Dowager Sun behind the curtain, feeling somewhat worried. If Empress Dowager Sun thought it was his idea, then things would be in big trouble.

Jin Ying tried to step forward to stop him and replace the ceremonial sword.

A flash of light, and the knife was already drawn; there was no time to change it.

Zhu Qiyu pointed his saber at Xu Cheng and said coldly, "Xu Cheng, let me ask you, you are an expert in the study of destiny, did you foresee that you would suffer such a great calamity today?"

When the ministers heard Zhu Qiyu ask the question, they were immediately enlightened, realizing that the Prince of Cheng was indeed quick-witted!

This is using one's own spear to attack one's own shield.

The ministers hoped that Prince Cheng would simply kill this man with one stroke. They argued that Xu Cheng was not a fortune teller; he couldn't even foresee his own impending death, so how could he be considered an expert?

Xu Cheng was slightly startled and hurriedly bowed, saying, "Your Highness, I am terrified. What is your intention, Your Highness?"

"Xu Cheng, do you know your crime?"

"I am merely stating the facts of the matter, not making unfounded claims!"

"Not mere speculation?" Zhu Qiyu sneered. "Just as Minister Hu said, Emperor Taizong's mausoleum was located here, as were the ancestral temples of all dynasties. Today, you dare to propose moving the tombs south, disregarding the ancestral temples and tolerating the Oirat traitors' southward invasion to humiliate them. You intend to place me among the unfilial descendants. Your intentions are so sinister, yet you refuse to admit your guilt. Do you think my knife is too weak to take your head?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Cheng was deeply shaken. He wept and begged for forgiveness, banging his forehead repeatedly on his head, saying, "Your Highness, I had no such intention! I had no such intention! I beg Your Highness to see the truth!"

Xu Cheng felt very wronged, and he wanted to prove that he was right!

When he met Zhu Qiyu's gaze, he panicked. If Zhu Qiyu really killed him to intimidate the officials, it would be understandable.

"I'll spare your life for now because you were just confused for a moment. Now step aside or do you want me to beg you?" Zhu Qiyu rebuked angrily.

Zhu Qiyu would not kill Xu Cheng. Although Xu Cheng had many faults, he was extremely skilled in flood control.

Throughout history, officials who were skilled in flood control almost always had the chance to escape death. Moreover, the lower reaches of the Yellow River have now begun to erratically, splitting into northern and southern branches and wreaking havoc on the Central Plains, urgently requiring management.

Otherwise, the canal transport could not be guaranteed to be smooth, let alone the frequent floods.

The Yellow River will punish any dynasty that disrespects her.

Zhu Qiyu has already made arrangements for Xu Cheng's future destination.

When Xu Cheng heard Zhu Qiyu's angry rebuke, he knew he had no way to defend himself, because Zhu Qiyu had deciphered his knowledge of destiny and was going to kill him. Wouldn't all his learning have been in vain?

It's not appropriate to suggest to Zhu Qiyu now that the mausoleums of Emperor Taizong (Changling), Emperor Renzong (Xianling), and Emperor Xuanzong (Jingling) be excavated and buried in Nanjing. If the capital falls, these tombs are highly likely to be destroyed, as they are extremely rich in wealth, while the people on the grasslands are poor.

"Your Highness, I thank you for your mercy!" Xu Cheng, ultimately valuing his own life, hurriedly stepped aside.

Seeing Xu Cheng leave, the previous discussions about moving south instantly fell silent. Wang Zhi and the others looked at Zhu Qiyu with a glimmer of hope in their eyes.

Zhu Qiyu swept his gaze across the assembled officials and slowly said, "My lords, the blood of the Taizu and Taizong Emperors flows in my veins. Even if I were to die for the nation, I would have no thought of retreating!"

Having said that, Zhu Qiyu raised his sword, a resolute glint in his eyes, and declared, "As long as the city stands, I will stand; if the city falls, I will die. When the city falls, I will go to see Emperor Taizu and Emperor Taizong together with this sword!"

"Fight to the death!"

Xing'an, being a quick-witted man, hurriedly echoed, "Fight to the death!"

"Fight to the death!"

"Fight to the death!"

……

The ministers also realized what was happening, and the shouts seemed to threaten to overturn the palace.

Amidst their excitement, the officials still harbored a lingering resentment, for they were all descendants of Emperor Taizu and Emperor Taizong.

That emperor, having chosen to submit to the enemy, has become a disgrace.

This usually timid prince, when faced with matters of principle, changed his ways and showed remarkable backbone.

You don't know until you compare, and the more you compare, the angrier you get. It seems that the Prince of Cheng is more like a monarch.

Wang Zhi hardened his heart and said, "Your Highness, we will obey your orders!"

"We will obey Your Highness's orders!"

Zhu Qiyu was overjoyed; Wang Zhi's words were crucial!

The imperial edict was one thing, but whether the officials would obey it wholeheartedly was another. Clearly, the goal had been achieved today, and he had to thank Xu Cheng, this good man, and naturally he also had to thank his queen for providing information. To catch the thief, one must first catch the king.

Zhu Qiyu composed himself and said, "Gentlemen, if any of you intend to move south, then remove your official hats today and leave. You may go to Nanjing, or you may retire and return to your hometown to enjoy wealth and honor. I will not stop you, nor will I pursue the matter. If you do not leave, then stay and work together to defend the capital. After today, if there is any negligence in discussing the southward relocation, I will wield this sword and kill them!"

Yu Qian roared, "Your subject will fight to the death and will not retreat!"

The ministers all echoed their sentiments: "We will fight to the death and never retreat!"