Guangzong Yaoming

Chapter 34: The End Is Near, the Dead End

Although it was midsummer, the midnight wind was cool.

Zhu Changluo calmed down completely.

After all, the Wanli in my impression is just an impression, the one in front of me is the real him.

The Empress Dowager Li, Tian Yi... and so many other people in front of us also have their own wills and decisions.

The wind in the imperial city has already blown towards him, and no one believes that the emperor can withstand this second blow.

Or maybe, having already done such things as deceiving the king and his father and blaspheming the royal power, everyone is inevitably afraid that he can withstand a second blow.

The ministers outside the court... don't care, right? Maybe they are looking forward to being freed.

Zhu Changluo just waited quietly to see if he needed to deliver the final blow.

Shortly after Tian Yi put the things in and came down, the palace door was hurriedly opened: "Imperial Physician! Imperial Physician!"

Empress Dowager Li's voice echoed throughout Kunning Palace, and Queen Wang rushed in.

"Prince!"

Empress Dowager Li called out to him again, and Zhu Changluo quickly stood up, supporting his knees.

As he ran up the stairs, the pain from kneeling for so long naturally caused him to stagger a few times, just like the grief and anxiety caused by his father's worsening condition.

Tian Yi, Chen Ju and others also hurried over with the imperial physician waiting for orders.

After entering the bedroom, Chen Ju looked at the confessions scattered on the floor and silently put them away.

The imperial doctors didn't dare to look at anything and gathered around the bed.

Zhu Changluo stood aside, his heart calm.

Will his vigorous vitality still have any effect?

If he still wakes up, or is still conscious after waking up, there is a risk that he will only care about his own safety and use his royal power to judge everything.

His eyes turned to the Empress Dowager Li who was kneeling hunched over and praying: "Grandmother..."

no respond.

Zhu Changluo took a deep breath and looked at Tian Yi.

Chen Ju continued to pack up the confessions and evidence in the room, pretending not to see them.

Although Tian Yi lowered his head, he knelt down beside Empress Dowager Li and said, "Empress Dowager, now...should we summon another..."

Empress Dowager Li is fifty-five years old and has been restless all day. It is already late at night.

She trembled slightly when she heard that. The hall was silent except for the imperial doctors who were discussing in low voices and Chen Ju who was collecting evidence.

"... summon Zhao Zhigao... and bring him here! And Shen Yikuan... the Nine Ministers... the Duke of Dingguo... the Duke of Chengguo... the Duke of Yingguo... the Imperial Academy's Imperial Edicts Officer..."

"…Pass on this imperial decree to tightly close the Forbidden Palace and all gates of the capital! The Five Cities Military Command will inspect the curfew and follow my orders."

The person at the end is the most critical.

The specific incident is the most turbulent.

Although there were no powerful officials at that time, there was actually no chaos.

Tian Yi kowtowed upon hearing this and said: "I will obey your command."

The imperial doctors beside the bed were even shaking their hands as they gave acupuncture.

How to do it?
I tried my best but I didn't know if I could wake up.

If I can’t wake up, does that mean I haven’t tried my best?

The atmosphere in Kunning Palace was extremely depressing, and even Tian Yi could only breathe a sigh of relief after he went outside.

At six quarters past midnight, Cheng Jing and the chief of the Imperial Stables left the Forbidden City with several eunuchs holding badges.

The horse's hoof sounds did not alarm anyone yet, but some people had already heard about the previous movements in Zheng's mansion.

Time passed little by little, and Cheng Jing first went to Shen Yikuan's place. He didn't care what his neighbors would think when they heard the noise in his house and saw him entering the palace late at night.

Cheng Jing also had a task, which was to carry Zhao Zhigao.

No matter how serious the illness is or how late the night is, this is no longer an ordinary moment.

And Zhao Zhigao was the chief minister.

A palace eunuch came to the Zhao Mansion once during the day, but he did not insist at that time.

Now, it was so late at night, and the knocking on the door came again.

After a long while, the servant who was sleeping in the gatehouse asked impatiently from inside the door: "Who is it? It's so late..."

He was probably still confused and grouchy. The Ming Dynasty had always had a strict curfew. How could someone knock on the door at this time be an ordinary person?
"The Imperial Household Department has written a letter of respect, and there is an imperial decree!"

This sentence worked and the door was opened quickly.

Cheng Jing rushed in anxiously, saying in a tone that did not allow for discussion: "Hurry up and wake up the elder! The Empress Dowager has ordered the elder to enter the palace! We have already brought the stretcher!"

The Zhao family's doorman watched as four sturdy eunuchs carried a narrow couch and followed him in, and hurried forward to report.

The three families were in the Duke's mansion in Beijing, and only the eunuchs were needed to announce them.

Apart from Duke Yingguo and Duke Chengguo, there is no need to say what Xu Wenbi felt in his heart.

Everyone who went to the palace during the day had mixed feelings about this.

What else could be new?

When Yu Jideng, the Minister of Rites, rushed to the Meridian Gate, he saw two panic-stricken editors of the Hanlin Academy. They were the officials in charge of imperial edicts.

In the early Ming Dynasty, the Hanlin Academy was responsible for drafting imperial edicts. Starting from Emperor Xiaozong, it became a custom to have one person in the cabinet in charge of imperial edicts. In the sixth year of Jiajing, at the suggestion of Zhang Cong, the rule was changed back to selecting people from the lecturers, compilers, editors, and reviewers of the Hanlin Academy to be the official in charge of imperial edicts.

The two seventh-rank editors felt their hearts turned upside down when they saw the arrival of the ministers.

No one can go in first. This is the rule. We have to go in together.

They waited for a long time, and Xiao Daheng asked Shen Yiquan: "Is there anyone else who has been summoned?"

Shen Yiquan nodded.

He had seen Cheng Jing, and the doorman said that there was someone carrying a narrow couch outside.

After looking at everyone, he looked at the palace wall in the night.

The drought had lasted for more than two months, the rebellion in Bozhou had just been quelled, the officials cried at the gates of the emperor's house twice, and the emperor fell seriously ill twice in one day.

The uncertain future lies before everyone, just like the night before our eyes, heavy and unclear.

Then Cheng Jing came.

Everyone looked at Zhao Zhigao who was carried in with shock. The heavy breath from the four sturdy eunuchs made them feel heavy.

Everything points to two words: will.

But there was nothing hung inside or outside the Forbidden City.

Even though the people guarding the palace gate knew everyone outside, they still meticulously checked everyone's waist badge and ivory badge.

The huge team bypassed the ruins of the three halls and three gates and headed straight towards the Qianqing Palace.

The time has reached seven quarters past midnight.

Inside Kunning Palace, Tian Yi reported: "All the ministers have entered the palace. Empress Dowager, it is not appropriate to be in Kunning Palace..."

Empress Dowager Li's expression seemed to have frozen, and she slowly looked towards the imperial doctors who had been busy at the bedside for such a long time.

They were all sweating profusely.

"...Move carefully..."

Empress Dowager Li gave the order woodenly.

The eunuchs who had been waiting outside for a long time were not used until this moment.

Everything is ready, but we are not going to Yikun Palace.

Zhu Changluo supported Empress Dowager Li and walked out step by step.

The content of the quarrel during that period may always remain a secret.

Zhu Changluo had no idea how the emperor fainted again after seeing the new evidence.

He guessed that Empress Dowager Li would not take the initiative to do anything, but she was not a particularly good-tempered and gentle mother.

In short, Zhu Yijun did not wake up immediately this time.

Zhu Changluo didn't know whether he would wake up, but that didn't matter anymore.

After suffering two strokes in one day, he was no longer fit to continue ruling the vast empire as emperor.

Tonight, this wood must be turned into a boat.

It took him a long time to support Empress Dowager Li in walking the short distance from Kunning Palace to Qianqing Palace.

Empress Dowager Li, who had been supported by him only by the arm, suddenly grabbed his wrist with great force.

"Prince!"

"My grandson is..."

Empress Dowager Li stood still and turned her head.

The night wind blew her half-gray hair, and the lights in front and behind, far and near, made her face dim.

"You must never forget our ancestors' country!"

When she said this, her eyes were as sharp as a wounded eagle, carrying an infinite chill.

Zhu Changluo nodded firmly: "How dare my grandson forget? This is the will of heaven, and I will do my best!"

Empress Dowager Li's fingers loosened, and her whole body seemed to have lost a lot of energy and spirit.

"...I can't forget...I can't forget..."

When Shen Yikuan and others entered the Qianqing Gate, Zhu Changluo supported Empress Dowager Li and walked into the back door of the main hall of the Qianqing Palace.

In both teams, there was someone being carried.

Soon after, Zhao Zhigao's heart-wrenching cry was heard from the main hall of the Qianqing Palace: "Your Majesty!"

He didn't sound like he was paralyzed and about to die at any moment, but no one cared about that.

"His Majesty!"

There was constant wailing in the hall behind him.

Zhu Yijun is actually still alive.

But he was already dead.

(End of this chapter)