For Jiang Xinghe, today's court meeting was a complete surprise.
Indeed, it was he who secretly awakened everyone's memory and spread the truth about the natural disaster.
Through the officials in the Eastern Palace who shared weal and woe with him, he spread the truth about the natural disaster to the entire capital.
The officials in the Eastern Palace were filled with admiration, nervousness, and fear.
Because in the eyes of these people, the prince was trying to seize the throne by forcing the emperor to abdicate.
However.
Not only did Jiang Xinghe have no intention of seizing the throne, he had never even thought of stirring up the same turmoil as Du Qianchuan.
After all, things have already happened, whether it is the natural disasters over the years or the death of Du Qianchuan, these things cannot be reversed.
In his opinion, grasping the future is far more important than dwelling on the past.
He just hopes that everyone can know and remember this.
In this way, the damage caused by natural disasters to Daqing and the people will be minimized.
In fact, there is also a bit of his own selfish motives involved.
He is afraid.
I was afraid that my father would once again use natural disasters to harm the people.
He was even more afraid that after he ascended the throne, he would become like his father.
Just as he had told Xu Chong before, at least for now, he was still the crown prince.
While I still want to do it, I must completely block the wrong path my father is taking, as well as the wrong path I may take in the future.
This is his ultimate goal.
He had not expected that Hou Rang would stand up so resolutely.
He couldn't have expected so many people to follow him out.
He also could not have expected that his father would kill him without any guilt.
As for the end, Lou Youzhi's intentions, which were not expressed in words, far exceeded his imagination.
At this point, he knew that he couldn't let the situation get any further out of control.
"Father."
Jiang Xinghe laughed out loud. "You have misunderstood Mr. Lou. This incident was all caused by me. Not only did Mr. Lou know nothing about it, but those who submitted the memorials were also forced by me and had no choice but to do so."
!!!!
Prince?!
The officials were both shocked and stunned.
It's not just the officials who are still in the queue, but also those who participated in the impeachment, such as Hou Rang and Shi Zheng.
"you?"
Emperor Yongtai's voice turned cold, "Why?"
Obviously, he did not expect this situation.
"My father."
Jiang Xinghe clasped his fists and bowed, "When I think of what Du Qianchuan did, I can't sleep day and night, and I don't want to eat or drink."
"Just as Du Qianchuan said."
“First, those who are loyal to Daqing are all Daqing citizens.”
“Those who were born in other provinces and died in natural disasters considered themselves Qing people and the people of Daqing until their death.”
"And Daqing wants its own people to die. What's the logic behind this?"
"Second, all the people of Daqing should be rewarded for their merits and punished for their mistakes."
"Did Du Qianchuan do anything useful?"
"uncertain."
"But has he?"
"Or is it too much to speak up for the refugees?"
"All Daqing citizens should speak out when there is injustice and fight against it!"
"If this is true, why did Taizu include this in the Great Edict?"
At this point, Jiang Xinghe straightened his back and looked behind the curtain, "Could it be that the Great Edict of the Great Ancestor has been abandoned by my father?"
"presumptuous!!!"
An angry roar came from the back hall.
This is the voice of Emperor Yongtai.
Be it Lou Youzhi, Dou Tianyuan, or even the more experienced Lü Zhong and Prince Qian, it was the first time they saw Emperor Yongtai lose his composure to such an extent.
"Let's not talk about Taizu's edict for now."
Emperor Yongtai's tone was filled with suppressed rage, "You said that these people were coerced by you?"
At this moment, Hou Rang and others woke up as if from a dream and fell to their knees.
"This matter has nothing to do with His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!!"
"We all acted voluntarily and were not coerced by anyone!"
“…”
More than forty people spoke up, and the scene became chaotic for a while.
This made the rest of the people a little confused.
Does it have anything to do with the prince?
"Shut up!"
Jiang Xinghe turned around suddenly and looked at everyone sternly: "You have no right to speak here anymore."
“…”
Hou Rang and others were suddenly choked and at a loss.
Jiang Xinghe turned around and said calmly, "Father, Hou Rang, Shi Zheng and the others were forced by me to risk their lives to report this to you in order to save the lives of our family."
silence.
The entire Tianji Palace fell into deathly silence.
At this point, in fact, everyone understood what was going on.
Was the prince involved in this?
Maybe.
At the very least, it is possible that it was the prince who awakened everyone's memory.
But Hou Rang and others’ impeachment of the late emperor was definitely not instructed by the crown prince, let alone coercion.
The reason why the prince took the whole thing on himself was probably to protect those forty-odd people and to prevent a conflict between Prime Minister Lou and Your Majesty.
only……
Others may do this, but you are the prince!
How could you do that???
The officials were puzzled.
Sure enough, Emperor Yongtai spoke again: "Do you know what price you will have to pay for taking on this matter?"
"Of course I know."
Jiang Xinghe laughed long and hard, "Natural disasters are ruthless, but people are kind."
"So, Du Qianchuan would sacrifice himself for the wronged souls."
"So, Gu Chengren would feel sorry for Du Qianchuan and resign from his post."
"That's why I coerced Hou Rang and others to repeat Du Qianchuan's actions."
“Yes!”
"The law of the country is unforgiving!"
"I, your son, instigated Hou Rang and others to impeach the late emperor. I am disloyal to the monarch and unfilial to my ancestors. I am truly disloyal and unfilial."
"And Taizu's Great Edict states that the crown prince of Daqing cannot be a man who is not loyal, filial, benevolent and righteous."
As he spoke, Jiang Xinghe lifted his skirt, slowly knelt down, and put his forehead to the ground: "My son, I am willing to plead guilty."
!!!!
The whole place was silent.
Once again, Jiang Xinghe shocked everyone.
Willing to plead guilty?
This is not an admission of guilt!
This is clearly a request for dethronement!
Hou Rang's blood suddenly rushed to his head.
However, just when he was about to speak, Shi Zheng grabbed him.
"Your Highness, there must be some hidden meaning behind this that we don't know about."
Shi Zheng's face was stern and his tone was solemn, "We have already hurt him to this extent, so please don't continue to cause trouble."
"But the prince..."
Hou Rang's face turned extremely pale.
"Let's see what His Majesty says."
Shi Zheng sighed and looked behind the curtain.
"Okay, okay, okay!"
Emperor Yongtai said three good words in a row.
Everyone could hear that His Majesty was extremely angry.
"From now on!"
"Depose Jiang Xinghe from his position as Crown Prince and imprison him in the Keji Palace to repent!"
"All the officials of the Eastern Palace who failed to give advice and guidance will be immediately imprisoned and handed over to the Ministry of Clan Affairs and the Three Judicial Departments for negotiation and sentencing!"
"Also, the Imperial Clan Bureau will oversee the imperial examination to determine the crown prince!"
"Retreat!"
All the officials looked at each other and began to retreat in order.
He even said it himself when he was leaving the court, which showed that his patience had been reduced to the lowest point. It was better to walk faster to avoid bad luck.
"Your Highness!"
Hou Rang stood up and staggered to Jiang Xinghe.
"I am no longer the crown prince. Please stop calling me that."
Jiang Xinghe smiled.
"Your Highness, why are you like this? Why are you like this?"
Hou Rang's hands and feet were cold.
The crown prince was deposed and imprisoned in Keji Palace.
For a prince, this is almost the highest level of punishment.
The former means that the East Palace will change its owner, and it will be extremely difficult to restore it in this lifetime.
The latter...
The Keji Hall is located in the most desolate northwest corner of the imperial city. Although it is called a hall, it is actually only the size of a tiled house and is surrounded by prison-like walls on all sides.
Whether it is official history or unofficial history, no royal family member imprisoned in Keji Palace was released while still alive...
In other words, Jiang Xinghe is likely to remain imprisoned until his death.
And those who provoked the incident did not receive any punishment...
This made Hou Rang, a censor who came from a humble family, feel ashamed.
"There's no point in talking any more, let's go."
Jiang Xinghe shook his head and walked out of the hall.
Hou Rang, Shi Zheng and others all looked extremely unhappy and seemed to be hesitant to speak.
"Blood courage is not a bad thing, but it must be used in the right place... Go back and think about it carefully."
Lou Youzhi said this, took one last look at the curtain, and walked out of the hall.
When we walked out of the palace gate, eunuchs and fully armed soldiers were already waiting there.
Jiang Xinghe had taken off his crown and dragon robe and was waiting there in plain clothes.
"Your Highness."
Lou Youzhi walked over and bowed.
"In Xinghe's eyes, the elder is the wisest person in Daqing."
Jiang Xinghe's expression was slightly puzzled, "Why are you so unwise today?"
“It is not necessarily true that a wise man is wise, nor is it necessarily true that an unwise man is unwise.”
Lou Youzhi shook his head.
"Don't you know, Lord, that once that sentence is spoken in full, the royal family, which has remained silent until now, will completely stand on the side of the emperor?"
Jiang Xinghe asked again.
The royal family has always been a group that is valued in terms of status but neglected in politics.
As a member of the royal family, Jiang Xinghe deeply understood how great the influence would be if the royal family worked together.
The fact that Lou Youzhi was able to climb all the way to become the most powerful official in Daqing's history was certainly due to his own skills, but more importantly, it was due to Lou Youzhi's stance.
From beginning to end, Lou Youzhi maintained a high level of respect and submission to the royal family and His Majesty.
In the eyes of the royal family, Lou Youzhi could only be regarded as a capable minister, not a powerful minister.
Those who are granted power by the emperor are called capable ministers.
Those who seize power from the emperor are called powerful ministers.
Therefore, the royal family, which was divided into countless factions, did not object to Hu Lou Youzhi's existence.
Until the last incident with Du Qianchuan.
Because of that incident, many members of the royal family had already begun to become dissatisfied with Lou Youzhi.
However, there was no concrete evidence, and Lou Youzhi still maintained respect and submission, so the royal family did not pay too much attention to it.
But today is different.
If Lou Youzhi's words were complete, it should be "Your Majesty is in poor health and should no longer attend to state affairs. From today on, court meetings will be abolished and all memorials on matters of all sizes from various government offices must be submitted to the cabinet."
To put it bluntly, from now on you are not allowed to come to the Tianji Palace, and no matters from any government office are allowed to be reported directly to the emperor but must be reported to the cabinet instead.
This is the power grab.
Whether it was court discussions or being the prime minister, drafting imperial edicts, approving documents, and adding seals, these were all powers granted to Lou Youzhi by Emperor Yongtai.
Even though Emperor Yongtai is unable to take back this power now, no one can say anything about it.
But the court meeting is different.
Court meetings are a power that belongs to and will always belong to the emperor.
If Lou Youzhi dares to seize this power, he will be a naked official.
By then, the fragmented royal family will surely unite and fully support Emperor Yongtai.
Jiang Xinghe didn't believe that Lou Youzhi didn't know this.
really.
Lou Youzhi nodded: "Of course I know."
"Then why are you so impulsive?"
Jiang Xinghe stared at Lou Youzhi closely, fearing that he would miss the answer.
“Because it doesn’t matter.”
Lou Youzhi said indifferently.
Jiang Xinghe's pupils suddenly shrank.
"If you want to continue to be the crown prince..."
Lou Youzhi pointed to the eunuch following Jiang Xinghe and continued, "He will help you put on your crown and robes again."
Hearing this, the eunuch bent down and held the folded clothes in his hands high in front of Jiang Xinghe.
This scene attracted the attention of those who were still lingering outside the temple.
In an instant, the expressions of these people became extremely interesting.
Same as Jiang Xinghe.
"...So, the elder has already planned this far. The words 'Lou Xiang' are just right for you."
After a long while, Jiang Xinghe slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air, then smiled and said, "But, it's not necessary."
Lou Youzhi raised his eyebrows.
"When the elder said that it doesn't matter, it should be because he is not afraid of confronting the royal family, not because he has already won over the royal family, right?"
Jiang Xinghe asked, and without waiting for Lou Youzhi to answer, he said, "Once the dispute begins, the government will inevitably be in chaos, and the local people will suffer in the end. There is no need for that."
"Well..."
Lou Youzhi did not refute, but turned to look at the eunuch, "The previous rules of Keji Palace are invalid. You can decide for yourself."
"I understand, Your Highness, I will not let you suffer."
The eunuch bowed in response.
Lou Youzhi nodded, waved his sleeves, and walked away with his hands behind his back.
Jiang Xinghe, under the explicit urging of the eunuchs and soldiers, walked towards the northwest corner of the imperial city.
The next day, Hou Rang submitted a report, and the news that the prince had been deposed spread.
Under the control of those who were interested, the entire details of the court meeting were displayed to the people as much as possible.
Was the prince deposed voluntarily?
To seek justice for the souls that died in natural disasters?
Combined with the story of Du Qianchuan, which was already known to the public, the people's faith finally began to waver.
At the same time, Xu Chong, who was disguised as Fang Leshan, learned about this matter one step slower than the court.
Almost instinctively, he felt something was wrong.
So after leaving behind a phantom body, he found Dou Tianyuan and asked him for the full details of what happened.
"Something is wrong. Something is still wrong..."
Xu Chong frowned tightly.
"What's wrong?"
Dou Tianyuan asked, "Do you suspect that Lou Heizi is deliberately setting up a trap?"
"No."
Xu Chong recalled the news that had long been circulating in the East Palace and shook his head: "Prime Minister Lou's attitude has almost been made clear, there is no need to do this... I was talking about something wrong, referring to the Crown Prince."
"What do you mean?"
Dou Tianyuan's eyes flashed.
"The prince's response was too radical."
Xu Chong pondered and said, "It feels to me like he is deliberately trying to get rid of the position of crown prince."
"You think so, too."
Dou Tianyuan nodded, "I thought the same thing as Lou Heizi."
"Um?"
Xu Chong raised his eyebrows, "What does Lou Xiang say about this?"
"He believes that the impeachment of Hou Rang and others was indeed an accident."
Dou Tianyuan replied, "But the prince did seize this accident. On the one hand, he wanted to stop the conflict between Lou Heizi and the royal family, and on the other hand, he also deliberately used it to get rid of the position of the East Palace."
"What does he want to do?"
Xu Chong was puzzled. "Whether he really cares about the country or is just two-faced like Emperor Yongtai did, he won't give up the throne, right?"
"It's probably not that he wants to do anything, but he really wants to get rid of the position of the East Palace."
Dou Tianyuan shrugged. "After all, no matter what he wants to do, after losing his status as the crown prince, he can only rely on himself. This is unreasonable... But why he wants to get rid of it, we don't know for the time being."
"All right."
Xu Chong nodded thoughtfully.
"Don't talk about that."
Dou Tianyuan waved his hand and asked, "How are things over there?"
“Nothing has happened.”
Xu Chong replied, "The head of the Fang family suddenly told us not to return to the Spring and Autumn Tomb or the Tower Ship. Fang Lezhong and I are still staying in the capital."
"No wonder you got the news of the court meeting so quickly..."
Dou Tianyuan twitched his lips and said, "Is it because I don't let you go back that I'm afraid the imperial court has set up some tricks on you?"
"That's what Fang Lezhong told me, but I don't think so."
Xu Chong frowned, "If they just don't want us to go back, there's no need for Fang Lezhong to keep me waiting in the capital, waiting for orders... It's more like the Fang family deliberately left two masters outside, ready to do something at any time."
"What is it that requires two people in the third realm of the seed path to be dispatched together?"
Dou Tianyuan was a little surprised.
"I don't know the details. We have to wait for news from the Fang family."
Xu Chong shook his head.
"Is that so..."
Dou Tianyuan pondered for a moment and said, "Anyway, you are waiting for news in the capital. If there is anything you cannot do, just come here to find me. Now that the crown prince has been deposed, I don't have anything to do and need to go out for the time being."
"good."
Xu Chong smiled and pushed the door open.
Dou Tianyuan looked at the movements that were exactly the same as his own and couldn't help but grin with a look of disgust.
…
Day 3.
The imperial examination for succession to the throne was held on Jixiangtian.
I have to say that the clan affairs office acted too quickly.
It was so fast that no one could react.
At this time, most of the officials in the Zhanshi Mansion were in prison awaiting trial, and there were not enough people to carry out this assessment, so they finally had to select people from the Hanlin Academy.
As one of the very few officials in the Zhanshi Mansion who had not been removed, Xu Chong had to be present and even presided over one of the most basic assessment contents.
This major examination was conducted with the purpose of establishing a crown prince.
The scope of selection was the thirteen sons and nine daughters of Emperor Yongtai...Neither the Qing Law, the Taizu Dagao, nor the royal family clan law stipulated that the crown prince or the emperor must be a man.
Xu Chong only realized this after he took up the position of Xima.
But what's interesting is that although every time there was a royal princess participating in the examination to establish a crown prince , there has never been a female emperor in Daqing's history...
The Fang family's Tianxuan Chronicle records every Emperor Qing, and Xu Chong remembers them all.
This means that these royal princesses are just running along.
I don’t know if it’s a qualification issue or an unwritten rule.
As for the content of the big exam, there are many aspects.
The first step is to have the qualifications to practice Zhengyang Jin.
This is more interesting.
The princes and princesses who had not awakened their bloodline memories and obtained the Zhengyang Power from them were all deposed at this stage, and were directly declared to have no chance of entering the Eastern Palace.
The remaining people are not simply judged according to the level of their realm.
Instead, it is calculated from the day you start practicing Zhengyang Jin. The shorter the time spent and the more your cultivation level is improved, the higher the evaluation will be.
The second stage is to test Taizu's Great Edict.
The chief examiner, Xu Chong, was the Xima of the Sijing Bureau.
"Jiang Shengjun..."
Xu Chong looked at the list in his hand, and the young figure involuntarily emerged in his mind - Princess Jun'er.
I have to say, it is very likely.
But this girl’s first-level assessment was…A+?
According to the evaluation rules of the first stage, there are four grades and twelve levels: A, B, C, D, upper, middle and last. Starting from D, each higher level will count one more vote.
In other words, Jiang Shengjun received twelve votes in the first round.
Looking at the other princes and princesses who passed the first level, they were Bing last, Yi first, Ding first... the highest was Jia last, with ten votes.
Even though it’s just a difference of two votes, in the subsequent assessments, the weight of the votes counted is far less than that of the first stage.
For example, in the second level of the examination he presided over, the rules for pacification only had five levels: A, B, C, D, and E.
Those who recited Taizu's Great Edict in its entirety were awarded five A-level tickets.
For every additional error or omission, one vote will be reduced.
Votes exceeding five will not be counted.
It may be because of the consideration of the age difference between the princes and princesses, or it may be that Taizu Dajiao is not that important in the establishment of the crown prince. The highest number of votes that can be obtained in the second round is five.
The next level is the royal clan system, which has only three levels: A, B, and C, with the highest votes being three.
"If this Jiang Shengjun is really Jun'er, he should be only six or seven years old, or seven or eight years old now, right?"
A bold idea came to Xu Chong's mind, and the corners of his mouth slowly curled up, "It would be fun if she could win in the end."
--when!
There was a gong outside the house.
The second round of assessment has begun.
"The second prince, Jiang Xingtian."
Xu Chong began to call the roll.
A middle-aged man who looked not much younger than Jiang Xinghe walked in, his expression filled with distress and depression.
"Why are you so sad, Your Highness?"
Xu Chong asked with a smile, without any of the solemnity that should be present in an assessment of the successor.
"Forehead……"
The second prince was stunned by this attitude, but soon relaxed and said, "You don't know that my eldest brother became the crown prince a long time ago. After so many years, the brothers and sisters have long given up the idea... Who would bother to recite the Great Edict of the Great Ancestor?"
Xu Chong seemed to be thinking about something, raised his eyebrows and asked: "So, you don't know?"
"I have basically mastered the Great Edict of the Great Ancestor, but I am likely to make mistakes. As for the clan law and Qing law that follow..."
The second prince said depressedly, "How can such a long thing be memorized overnight?"
Xu Chong suddenly clapped his hands and said happily: "This is really great."
"What?"
The second prince was stunned.
"Um, nothing..."
Xu Chong touched his nose and said, "I mean, if you don't do it, then naturally other people won't do it either. Don't take it too seriously."
"Well, what you said does make sense."
The second prince suddenly understood and said with great joy: "In that case, shall I begin?"
"please."
Xu Chong raised his hand and pretended to listen .
However, in his mind, he had already started to think about how to handle the second level of the assessment.
Tsk tsk tsk.
Cheating in the imperial examination can allow someone to pass the exam.
And cheating in the examination for the crown prince...