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

"Your Majesty, the best course of action now is to order martial law at the borders and in the capital, in order to stabilize the people's hearts. His Majesty has taken captive to the north. In order to stabilize the people's hearts, I request that the eldest son of the Emperor, Jian Shen, be made Crown Prince, and that the Prince of Xiang be summoned to the capital to oversee the country, manage state affairs, and act according to the Prince's orders, so as to bring peace to the world."

Zhu Qiyu glanced at his ministers, hardened his heart, and made a decision that seemed foolish yet surprised everyone.

Zhu Qiyu was gambling that Empress Dowager Sun would not dare to summon Prince Xiang to the capital, and that Empress Dowager Sun only cared about establishing a crown prince and not about the condition of "governing the state affairs, managing the state, and obeying the king's orders."

Even if he noticed it, Zhu Qiyu believed that the ministers present were not fools and that this could be used as a condition for establishing a crown prince. At this moment, the Ming Dynasty urgently needed the smooth implementation of its decrees.

Empress Dowager Sun was greatly surprised and shocked upon hearing this. Establishing a crown prince as soon as possible was her most direct and urgent thought, and now Zhu Qiyu had revealed it in a single sentence.

At one point, Empress Dowager Sun felt that Zhu Qiyu was one of her own, because he was ultimately thinking of the royal family, unlike those ministers who had never had good intentions since entering the palace.

Sending the Prince of Xiang to the capital was optional, but making Zhu Jianshen the crown prince was imperative.

Under no circumstances should the throne be allowed to fall into the wrong hands.

Empress Dowager Sun's greatest concern was Zhu Qiyu, who was currently in power. With such a young ruler and a precarious state, the ministers would certainly not agree to his actions a second time.

The reason why the court officials agreed to Zhu Qizhen's succession at a young age was because Zhu Qizhen was the eldest son of the legitimate wife, and Empress Zhang, the wife of Emperor Renzong, was still alive at the time. She was the granddaughter-in-law personally chosen by Zhu Yuanzhang, and was of impeccable lineage. With Empress Zhang's prestige and ability, the officials had no choice but to submit.

At present, Zhu Qizhen has no legitimate son, and his eldest son born out of wedlock is still young and cannot shoulder the heavy responsibility of the country.

Otherwise, Empress Dowager Sun would not have sent her trusted eunuch Li Yongchang to test Zhu Qiyu. However, Empress Dowager Sun did not expect Zhu Qiyu to make such a suggestion in public, and even did not want to take on the position of regent. Was he afraid of death, or something else? Could it be that this boy really has no ambition at all?

She couldn't see through Zhu Qiyu's thoughts at this moment. Clearly, this matter had exceeded her expectations, leaving her in a state of surprise and uncertainty.

However, so far, all of Zhu Qiyu's actions have been for the sake of his son Zhu Qizhen. Empress Dowager Sun can feel this brotherly affection, and the two brothers' relationship was truly excellent in the past, which cannot be faked.

Compared to his ministers, Zhu Qiyu was far more sincere.

Zhu Qiyu lowered his head, worried that his poor acting skills would give him away.

At this moment, we have no choice but to take a gamble. The top priority now is to defend the capital. The prerequisite for defending the capital is to stabilize the people's hearts. Establishing a crown prince is undoubtedly the most direct solution.

Rather than letting Empress Dowager Sun establish a crown prince privately afterward, as happened in history, it would be better to openly and formally propose the establishment of a crown prince.

This way, I have more room to maneuver, which at least reduces Empress Dowager Sun's suspicion of me. If I want to arrange personnel later, I may be less constrained.

Secondly, given his own lack of political acumen and resources, if he were to seize power rashly without first establishing Zhu Jianshen as the crown prince, his son Zhu Jianji would likely also face imminent death.

Historically, Zhu Qiyu forcibly replaced Zhu Jianshen as crown prince, and a year later, his only son died. Whether this was a coincidence or fate remains unknown.

Given the many bizarre events that have occurred in the Ming Dynasty's imperial harem, the possibility of human intervention cannot be ruled out, especially since they are now facing Empress Dowager Sun, the champion of palace intrigue in the Ming Dynasty.

With Zhu Jianshen as a "protective talisman," at least the safety of his offspring could be ensured. Once he held power, the decision to depose or install emperors would be entirely up to him. Zhu Jianshen could learn from the story of Li Chengqi of the Tang Dynasty abdicating the throne to Li Longji.

If Zhu Jianshen were sensible, he would obediently tarnish his reputation and resign from his position as crown prince.

Even if fate decrees that I have no heir, at least Zhu Jianshen will ascend the throne. This is far better than Zhu Qizhen, who squandered the family fortune. Historically, Emperor Chenghua did achieve some things, and he was especially good to his uncle.

Of course, if he were fortunate enough to ascend the throne, Zhu Qizhen would have no reason to live.

An emperor who squandered the Ming Dynasty's wealth still had the nerve to live. Even the Chongzhen Emperor of later generations hanged himself to save face. In terms of integrity, Zhu Qizhen was far inferior.

Wang Zhi and the others were also filled with surprise and doubt. They looked at Zhu Qiyu with new respect and quietly stared at him, as if trying to see through his inner thoughts.

According to Wang Zhi and others, it was almost a foregone conclusion that the responsibility of regent would ultimately fall on Zhu Qiyu's shoulders.

The addition of a crown prince this time would undoubtedly limit ambitious people, since the crown prince is also a ruler, and once established, he is very difficult to depose. Throughout history, the position of crown prince in the Ming Dynasty was the most secure.

Could it be that the Prince of Cheng is blind to the situation, or does he truly have no interest in power?

At this moment, the ministers were more inclined to favor the latter, after all, the prince in front of them was powerless and without influence. He was enfeoffed in the capital and had never even governed a hundred miles of land, let alone a country.

However, if he had no intention of overseeing the country, then the fact that he could propose the condition of "governing the country's affairs, managing the state, and acting in accordance with the king's orders" was quite unexpected for the court officials. At least it could be confirmed that the Prince of Cheng was very strategic and could see the current situation clearly.

This move undoubtedly pointed out a path for the officials: quickly establish a person who can truly take charge and exercise imperial power, bypassing Empress Dowager Sun. Otherwise, if a woman were to interfere and Esen were to march south, the Ming Dynasty would truly be in danger of collapse.

If he were merely acting as regent, he would still be unable to bypass Empress Dowager Sun in making truly important decisions.

"Gentlemen, is the Prince of Cheng's proposal feasible?" Empress Dowager Sun suppressed her excitement and posed the question to her ministers.

She wanted to issue an edict to finalize the matter immediately, but the significance of issuing an edict herself was naturally different from issuing one after discussing it with the ministers.

After joint discussions, it is no longer appropriate to lightly depose or install an emperor.

Wang Zhi and the others exchanged glances. Chen Yi hesitated, but seeing Wang Zhi nod slightly, he said no more. From then on, no one was willing to object to the matter.

This scene was somewhat disheartening to Zhu Qiyu, since Zhu Jianshen was not the legitimate son. If the officials used the fact that Zhu Qizhen had not yet passed away as a reason to prevent the establishment of a crown prince, it would still be feasible, since the "Imperial Ancestral Instructions of the Ming Dynasty" could still be used at this time.

The ministers' reaction was not unexpected for Zhu Qiyu; after all, who would be loyal to a prince with no power or influence?

The Ming Dynasty can be said to be the dynasty that most adheres to the primogeniture system. Even if Zhu Qizhen was not the best, he was still the emperor who reigned for more than ten years. At present, most of the important officials in the court were promoted during the reigns of Emperor Renzong and Emperor Xuanzong. The officials still have enough loyalty to these two emperors.

As the eldest grandson of Emperor Renzong and the eldest son of Emperor Xuanzong, Zhu Qizhen was naturally someone the court officials did not want to lose the throne inherited from Renzong and Xuanzong. In their view, Zhu Qiyu, a prince born out of wedlock and whose mother was of humble origin, was not qualified to touch the throne.

Zhu Qiyu's move clearly told his ministers that he had no intention of usurping their positions.

This outcome is crucial for maintaining stability in the current political situation.

When the nation's succession is orderly, the hearts of the people can be at peace. Whether for public or private reasons, the ministers have no reason to object.

"We have no objection."

Yu Qian stole a glance at Zhu Qiyu and was slightly surprised to see that Zhu Qiyu's expression was normal.

At least after entering the palace, he did not see any panic in the Prince of Cheng. On the contrary, many of his suggestions were unexpected. The only panic was his concern for the emperor. Regardless of his talent, this temperament and the remaining brotherly affection made Yu Qian feel that he was worthy of entrusting important matters to him.

After a moment's consideration, Yu Qian said frankly, "Your Majesty, summoning Prince Xiang to the capital will likely take time. I believe that someone needs to be in charge before Prince Xiang arrives in the capital. We must be wary of the Oirat Mongols moving south. The capital no longer has any elite troops, and we fear it will be difficult to resist them. We should make preparations as soon as possible."

Yu Qian didn't speak too bluntly, but no one present was stupid. They immediately understood that Yu Qian was implying something, and that what he said was true.

The Prince of Xiang is far away in Xiangyang, and it will be difficult for him to reach the capital in the short term. It is doubtful whether the Prince of Xiang is even willing to come. If the people's hearts are scattered, the Oirat Grand Tutor Esen will not wait for the Ming Dynasty to make preparations before heading south.

The sooner the capital takes precautions, the safer it will be.

Zhu Qiyu stole a glance at Yu Qian, surprised that it was this man who spoke up for him. He hoped that they could cooperate happily in the future.

Empress Dowager Sun inwardly agreed with Yu Qian's words, and had such thoughts when she heard of the defeat.

Empress Dowager Sun would use a gold medal to summon Prince Xiang to the capital, but that would be nothing more than a routine matter.

After all, Empress Dowager Sun could distinguish between being the Empress Dowager and being the Emperor's sister-in-law. Moreover, given Prince Xiang's prestige among the imperial clan, if Zhu Qizhen could not return in the short term, Empress Dowager Sun would likely lose any chance to seize power.

Seeing Yu Qian bring up this matter, she simply took the opportunity to back down. After all, Zhu Qiyu's proposal to establish a crown prince was so appealing that she almost forgot about Zhu Qiyu's mention of the power of regent.

"When the Emperor left the capital, he had already appointed the Prince of Cheng to govern the city. It is only natural that he would now oversee the state. What do you think, Prince of Cheng?"

Empress Dowager Sun did not ask the opinions of the ministers, but instead asked Zhu Qiyu.

Although Zhu Qiyu couldn't see Empress Dowager Sun's expression clearly, he couldn't help but curse inwardly.

Even at this point, she's still testing him. I even suggested making Zhu Jianshen the crown prince, but it didn't dispel her doubts. No wonder she's a champion of palace intrigue; her cunning is unmatched.

If this matter is agreed upon, an imperial decree can be issued directly. Why ask again? Since the other party is hypocritical, I am even more hypocritical than her.

Zhu Qiyu feigned fear and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, I am afraid I am not up to the task. The country is currently in a time of crisis, and I am of shallow talent and virtue. I am afraid I will mislead the country. Prince Xiang has served as regent for many years, and his ability to govern is far beyond my reach."

"Once news of His Majesty's capture in the north spreads, the capital will surely be filled with panic. Only a person of high moral character and prestige like the Prince of Xiang can stabilize the people's hearts and prevent the country from falling into chaos. I hope the Empress Dowager will make this decision wisely."

Yu Qian stared at Zhu Qiyu's actions, wondering if it was because Zhu Qiyu's acting was too good. Yu Qian felt that he couldn't see any flaws. He really couldn't tell whether Zhu Qiyu had other intentions. Could it be that his thinking was wrong?

Even the other officials frowned slightly at this moment. Zhu Qiyu's attempt to shirk responsibility didn't seem feigned, and they began to suspect that he had entrusted the wrong person to.

Upon hearing Zhu Qiyu's words, Empress Dowager Sun was not angry but pleased, and her brows instantly relaxed. She thought that Zhu Qiyu was the only one suitable to be the regent.

The more Zhu Qiyu didn't want it, the more she insisted on giving it to him, and she was generous in doing so. Whenever Zhu Qiyu readily accepted the responsibility, she would give him some thought.

"Prince Cheng, as the emperor's younger brother and the late emperor's son, how can you be so irresponsible? Before your elder brother went on the northern expedition, he entrusted the capital to you. How can you betray such a heavy trust? If you shirk your responsibilities like this, are you still a descendant of the Zhu family?" Empress Dowager Sun directly addressed family ethics, seemingly heartbroken as she advised him.

"Empress Dowager, Your Majesty..." Zhu Qiyu feigned shame and was momentarily speechless.

Empress Dowager Sun was now even more relieved and directly ordered, "In this time of national crisis, you are not allowed to shirk your responsibility."

Wang Zhi, unable to bear it any longer, also spoke up to persuade him: "Your Highness, the Ming Dynasty needs you to step forward and shoulder the heavy responsibility of overseeing the country. I hope Your Highness will agree."

"We hope Your Highness will grant our request!"

"Your Majesty, I obey your command! Gentlemen, you must do your utmost to assist me!"

Under Zhu Qiyu's half-hearted persuasion, he reluctantly agreed.

As he left the Wenhua Hall, Zhu Qiyu looked back and let out a long sigh of relief.

He has seized the power of regent, or more precisely, the position of regent!