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

The next day, at the Prince of Cheng's residence.

Zhu Qiyu's expression was not good. He looked at the impeachment memorial in front of him with a slightly cold gaze.

After Wang Zhen's faction was dealt with, these court officials did not put their minds to planning to persuade him to ascend the throne. Instead, some restless censors pointed their fingers at the generals who had escaped from the Tumu Crisis. Zhenyuan Marquis Gu Xingzu was the first to be targeted, followed by Datong Assistant General Shi Heng.

Shi Heng was not involved in the Battle of Tumu Fortress and was not a commander-in-chief, so his impeachment would result in his dismissal. However, the impeachment that Gu Xingzu would face would be far more serious.

The memorial described Gu Xingzu as a person who was "lacking in strategy and courage, controlled by treacherous officials, and living a life of betrayal and disloyalty." In addition, it mentioned his previous misdeeds of having troops but not providing assistance and accepting bribes. The memorial requested that he be executed according to the law, and some people even begged to "dismember his corpse" to vent their anger.

There were two reasons why these censors impeached Gu Xingzu at this critical juncture. First, Wang Zhen was closely involved in the Tumu Crisis and vented his anger on Gu Xingzu. Second, the nobles in the capital had become cowards, and as long as Zhu Qiyu nodded, Gu Xingzu would surely die.

Previously, Zhao Rong, the Earl of Xincheng, was tasked with training the soldiers of the capital garrison. However, with the situation dire, this fool was still indulging in drinking and merrymaking, neglecting to train the soldiers and causing the garrison to fall into disarray. This completely ignited the anger of the civil officials, who felt that these nobles were unreliable. Zhao Rong was dismissed from his post, and afterwards, the censors kept a close watch on the every move of these nobles.

At the crucial moment, these cowards were even worse than eunuchs without any "capital" (power or influence). They offered no resistance and immediately shrank back, afraid of getting into trouble. Actually, it's not surprising that they were like this. The tough and noble officials had either died in the north or had already gone to the south to fight. Those left in the capital were just a bunch of parasites wasting rice.

For them, it doesn't matter whether they hold power or not, as long as they remain wealthy and powerful.

What truly infuriated Zhu Qiyu was that while the civil officials were seizing the opportunity to urge him to ascend the throne, these nobles remained silent, showing no intention of supporting him whatsoever. They simply thought that no matter who became emperor, as long as they didn't commit any crimes, their titles would remain, and they could live and die with the nation; there was no need to take any risks.

Now that someone has handed him a knife, he still thinks the knife won't cut him, and he doesn't care.

At this moment, Zhu Qiyu finally understood how helpless he had been in history: those who could fight him wouldn't respond, and those around him were beyond his ability to help.

"Go and summon Prince Consort Jiao!"

"This servant will go right away!" Xing'an rushed ahead of Cheng Jing and took off.

Upon hearing that Zhu Qiyu had summoned him, Jiao Jing rushed over almost without stopping.

Although his abilities were average, he did have a broad perspective. With the Prince of Cheng about to ascend the throne and voices of approval circulating in the palace, for Jiao Jing, this was hardly a matter of choice.

"Your Highness, I have met you!" Jiao Jing was quite tactful and courteous.

"Between us, there's no need for such formalities. You are still my elder, so let's just address each other as ordinary people!"

"Yes!" Jiao Jing smiled, but didn't take it seriously, and still asked respectfully, "May I ask what important matter has been summoned to me?"

"Take a look at this impeachment memorial!"

After reading it, Jiao Jing was so frightened that his eyelids twitched; the murderous aura was overwhelming.

"Your Highness, I believe this is unwise. If we kill the Marquis of Zhenyuan, the morale of the capital garrison will be low, civil and military officials will fight amongst themselves, and the capital will be in chaos. If we cannot secure the interior, how can we defend against external threats?"

"Pretend I don't know, but that's why I've summoned you. Go and tell Zhang Ni (brother of Duke Zhang Fu of Yingguo), Li Xian (Marquis of Fengcheng), Zhu Ying (Earl of Wujin), Wang Tong (Earl of Chengshan), and Zhu Yi (son of Duke Zhu Yong of Chengguo) that I am also a descendant of Emperor Taizong. If I continue to stand by and watch, I will no longer care about the title of Marquis of Zhenyuan, nor will I care about the titles of the two Dukes' mansions; let them remain idle!"

Don't daydream about reaping the benefits without sowing!

Jiao Jing's eyes widened in shock upon hearing this. It seemed Zhu Qiyu was preparing to confront the criticism head-on and challenge the civil officials. If he could preserve the two ducal mansions, what need would he have for a carriage?

"Your Highness, I will go immediately and give you an explanation!"

After bowing, Jiao Jing wished he had eight legs so he could walk incredibly fast, because this favor would ensure he would have no worries for the rest of his life.

On the other side, the British government residence.

At this moment, the atmosphere was gloomy and desolate. Zhang Fu had died in battle, and the court had not yet made a specific decision on the matter of the construction project. Whether or not he was guilty was another matter. The key issue was that Zhang Fu's eldest son, Zhang Zhong, was disabled and unable to attend to his duties, and his eldest son by a concubine, Zhang Mao, was still young. The vast Duke's mansion was managed by Zhang Ni.

Rumors are circulating today that Marquis Gu Xingzu of Zhenyuan has been impeached and is to be sentenced to death. If Gu Xingzu is punished, and this precedent is set, then Zhang Fu, as the commander-in-chief of the Tumu Crisis, will certainly not escape punishment.

Qiu Fu, the Duke of Qi, a meritorious official of the Jingnan Campaign, was stripped of his title because he was defeated and died on the battlefield.

Given this precedent, Zhang Ni was in a panic about whether he could retain his title of Duke, whether to strip him of it or demote him.

Zhu Yi shared the same concerns as Zhang Ni. Upon hearing the news of Gu Xingzu's accusations, he joined forces with several nobles and came to discuss matters with Zhang Ni.

Seeing the group arrive together, Zhang Ni poured out his grievances, saying, "You've come at the right time! I was just looking for you. The court is determined to put Marquis Zhenyuan to death. What should we do?"

"We also submitted a memorial urging them to protect Marquis Zhenyuan no matter what. If Marquis Zhenyuan is killed, the consequences will be unimaginable! The next executioner's blade will fall on us," Zhu Ying said.

"The key issue now is the Prince of Cheng. I can't fathom his thoughts, and there are rumors circulating in the palace that he should succeed to the throne. I'm quite hesitant. If the Prince of Cheng ascends the throne and confronts His Majesty, he will surely punish the Tumu Crisis again, and many nobles in the court will inevitably be implicated. Losing their titles would be the least of their worries. The safest outcome is for His Majesty to return safely. Since His Majesty personally led the campaign, he naturally cannot blame the civil and military officials. In this way, we will not suffer any losses."

Zhang Ni's concerns were not unfounded, and this was also the mentality of these nobles. It wasn't that they didn't want to support Zhu Qiyu, but rather that they still harbored a glimmer of hope that Zhu Qizhen could return to the capital smoothly, so that everyone would be safe and sound without taking any risks.

Zhu Yi sighed helplessly, "But now it is inevitable that the Prince of Cheng will ascend the throne. I heard that the court officials will urge him to do so tomorrow, and the Empress Dowager will not object. Everything is settled."

"Yan Heng, why don't you go ask your father-in-law?" Zhang Ni suddenly asked.

Zhu Yi's father-in-law was none other than Hu Ying, the Minister of Rites. Upon hearing Zhang Ni's inquiry, he replied, "It was my father-in-law who told me about the matter of urging him to ascend the throne. However, he is unaware of the Prince of Cheng's thoughts and advised me not to act rashly. He can mediate on my behalf, but I anticipate it will be extremely difficult."

As the group was discussing their next move, a servant came to report, "Master, Prince Consort Jiao has arrived!"

"Should we retreat?"

As Zhu Yi and the others prepared to get up, Zhang Ni frowned slightly. It was truly strange that Jiao Jing was not patrolling the city gates at this time, but instead came to the Duke's mansion.

"We must have important business to discuss with Prince Consort Jiao. Our discussion will not escape the notice of those who are interested."

The ministers immediately realized the truth in this statement and took their seats.

Jiao Jing rushed inside, and before Zhang Ni could ask any questions, he picked up a cup of tea and drank it all in one gulp. He then said, "Perfect timing, since you're all here, quickly write a letter to protect the Marquis of Zhenyuan. Tomorrow they might try to persuade him to ascend the throne, so you can't pretend to be deaf and dumb!"

Zhang Ni looked at Jiao Jing with extreme vigilance and said, "You're acting as an intermediary for the Prince of Cheng?"

"Pah!" Jiao Jing spat out a small tea leaf rudely, saying, "Your good intentions have been wasted. The Prince of Cheng's intention is to protect the two Duke's mansions and fight to defend the capital. You all must actively participate and atone for your crimes. If you remain on the sidelines, then you will be left to fend for yourselves. The Prince of Cheng will not care!"

"What?"

"really?"

"Prince Jiao, don't try to fool me, or else..."

The group couldn't sit still any longer; they never expected that the Prince of Cheng's heart was also with these nobles.

"What time is it? If it weren't for Prince Cheng's personal promise, I wouldn't dare to speak recklessly. Prince Cheng said he is also a descendant of Emperor Taizong, proving that he will not erase the achievements of your ancestors. That's all I have to say; believe it or not!"

After Jiao Jing finished speaking, he drank the tea in one gulp and prepared to leave.

Zhang Ni and the others exchanged glances, nodded instantly, and reached an agreement.

Jiao Jing had no reason to dare to make such a joke, unless he wanted to die!

"Prince Jiao, we owe you a favor. We'll treat you to a banquet another day when we have some free time!"

"Sure, sure, let's get started!"