in2ebook Chapter 291 The Empress Ascends the Throne
Chapter 291 The Empress Ascends the Throne
The hasty explanation of the female official who tested the poison was like a bolt from the blue to the two Dukes of Cao.
Although there were many unexpected events today and Empress Dowager Cao did not reveal her entire plan, she still made basic preparations.
Duke Cao then pulled out the sword that had been hidden in the carpet by an insider, pointed at the unarmed and crying queen and said,
"As long as they are descendants of the Empress Dowager, they can inherit the throne.
Now, you two are unfilial, ungrateful, and unworthy of the late emperor and the Empress Dowager. How can you continue to have a stake in the throne of the Song Dynasty?!"
Before he could finish, the queen interrupted him with a cold face.
"presumptuous!"
Her voice was filled with the majesty of a superior, and the word "outrageous" really made Duke Cao's heart tremble.
It must be... I was too nervous.
She's just a girl who's not even 29 years old!
"The emperor's body is still warm, how can we allow you villains to act rashly?
Come! Capture the Cao family traitor for me!"
In a flash, just when Duke Cao and his son were preparing to capture the leader first, several guards in silver armor broke in through the window. In just the blink of an eye, they arrested the two Dukes of Cao who were about to take action.
It is so majestic, as if it is a divine soldier sent from heaven.
When did the Imperial Palace have such agile guards?
Whose son is this to be so majestic?
Moreover, why couldn't they hear any sound at all?
Hasn't the Empress Dowager already had absolute power in the palace? How could the Emperor hide such a group of tigers and wolves in the palace from her?
With his head on the cold ground, Duke Cao couldn't figure it out.
They had clearly made a careful plan, bribed countless palace servants, and even accidentally poisoned the emperor to death, leaving only a powerless queen...
Having learned the lesson from the rebellion of Prince Yan, they were prepared to leave no one alive.
Now, it failed at the last moment!
The queen did not wipe the blood off her body or face. There was no trace of unnecessary expression on her face. Compared with the new emperor who sat on the throne in the past, she seemed more like a superior.
"No one needs to be taken away. We can interrogate them here."
There was no longer any unnecessary emotion in her voice, but even the Earl of Changxing, who was loyal to the emperor, could not help but sigh in his heart.
"Where did the poison come from, how did it enter the palace, how did it contact the emperor, who were the accomplices, and why did she betray the emperor?"
"From now on, the palace gate is open to people entering but not leaving.
Send imperial guards to surround Ciming Palace and no one is allowed to enter or leave. "
"Of course, if the Empress Dowager insists on coming out, then tell her."
The Queen paused.
"Walk a hundred steps and kill Duke Cao.
He walked another hundred steps and killed Duke Cao again.
When they reached the palace, the entire Cao family was immediately executed."
……
No one refuted the queen's overbearing behavior. Even the ministers and lords who stood on Cao's side hung their heads and remained silent.
It is not a good reputation for a party dispute to end with the emperor being poisoned.
The crime of regicide...
Just one year later, white sails were raised again in the imperial city.
At this time in the palace, the British princess said,
"I beg the Queen to take charge and seek justice for the late emperor."
The old man said this with gritted teeth.
Because even if we ignore his loyalty to the emperor, Zhao Ceying can be considered as half of the child he watched grow up.
He was a classmate of his grandson. This son of the royal family, who seemed less promising than other students in Zhuang Xuejiu's private school, was actually a good friend of his grandson.
He remembered that the two half-grown children squatted in the study, sighing and crying over their books, supporting each other and telling each other about the devastation they felt in their faith after being struck down by their genius classmate.
I also remember that when the examination was approaching, I started to study very hard, and because I got a good place in the examination, I drank tea instead of wine in the yard and talked about my grand ideals for the future.
Not long ago, he heard two young boys who were just beginning to fall in love chatting in the yard about how to give gifts to the girls they liked without appearing rude.
My lady, my gentleman is good.
Seeing the two brats grow to this age, he and his wife Cui sighed for a long time that night.
How many years ago was that?
But just a blink of an eye ago...
So the British people said the words "seek justice" with gnashing teeth.
The more powerful a general is, the more courageous he is.
The more civil officials they are, the more they care about the reputation of loyalty and righteousness.
The Duke of England, who was in control of both, now wished he could eat the raw meat and drink the blood of the person who started all this.
Yao Yiyi had been waiting for this sentence for a long time.
She immediately knelt down and pleaded,
"Please, Queen, follow the late emperor's will and ascend the throne to stabilize the country."
When these words were spoken, the officials headed by Sheng Hong widened their eyes, looked at each other, and then knelt down at the same time and repeated what Sheng Changtong had just said.
"Don't mention this matter, it's not decent, not to mention..."
The so-called three refusals and three declines is the most important etiquette for the Han people when they ascend the throne.
"How can I ascend the throne with the dignity of a man whose murder has not yet been avenged?
If I had not avenged the murder of the king, how could I have the face to offer sacrifices to the ancestors of the Zhao family even if I were to sit in this position? "
Although this was an excuse, it was a hint to everyone.
I am my own person
When she ascended the throne, she still supported the Zhao family, and the country remained unchanged.
Therefore, supporting the queen to ascend the throne now must be far better than assisting a royal family member who is unknown whether he can succeed or not and where his loyalties lie.
Thus, under the detailed records of the censors, when the eunuchs who were in charge of the interrogation and punishment presented the traitor's statement with both hands, the empress finally agreed to the ministers' last-minute request.
Originally, in order to witness the Shen family killing the queen and the infighting among the emperor's relatives, Empress Dowager Cao designed a group of loyal ministers, high-ranking officials and princes to become witnesses of this incident.
The censors recorded the entire incident in detail, even the emperor's last words and the empress's words of grief, without omitting a single word.
in this way……
Cao's road has been completely blocked.
Those who supported the Empress Dowager had to resign from their posts, and those who participated in the ceremony knew that the situation was hopeless and hurried to arrange their funeral arrangements.
……
Amidst the chaos, matters arranged by the queen who was about to become the empress were being carried out in an orderly manner.
First, the emperor’s funeral and burial.
Second, the coronation ceremony that followed.
Third, stabilize the government and eliminate the old party.
As for the rebels?
The furious and grief-stricken queen would not allow them to live beyond the seventh day after the late emperor's death.
It is the Queen's practice to offer blood sacrifices to comfort the deceased.
The dukes who witnessed the emperor's tragic condition and pain before his death all acquiesced to the queen's actions. Even when some censors mentioned "mercy" and "inappropriateness", this advice was not unanimous even within the Censorate.
Not only was the Censorate itself Sheng Hong's base, but several of the censors below were also eyewitnesses on that day.
How can he be shown mercy when he is guilty of regicide?
If the late emperor had not had amazing willpower, if the empress had not been able to gain power and had an extraordinary mind, what kind of chaos would the palace be in right now?
After the emperor died, there was no one to take charge of the situation.
The queen was frightened and heartbroken, and the baby in her womb was in danger.
And what about the Empress Dowager? She was the mastermind behind the regicide.
This world is going to be in chaos!
……
After all, the Empress Dowager was the first wife of Emperor Renzong and the grandmother recognized by the late emperor.
Throughout history, how many precedents have there been of executing queens?
What's more, she is the Empress Dowager.
The meaning of the two words "Tai" is self-evident.
Fortunately, the queen was not provoked to the point of losing her mind. She just imprisoned her and continued to supply her with food as usual. She only ordered her to be a vegetarian for three years, copy three volumes of scriptures every day, and kowtow a hundred times every day to repent for her sins.
In addition, Cao committed the ten evil crimes of regicide and plotting to murder the royal heir, and his nine clans were executed.
The Shen family, all nine clans were executed.
When they were taken to the execution ground, Shen Congxing looked dazed, and so was Da Zou.
"No, no!! It shouldn't be like this!!"
Compared with Shen Congxing's madness and his daughters' crying, Mrs. Zou seemed exceptionally calm at this moment.
That black chicken soup, the one that was suggested as "giving it to my niece-in-law to nourish her body, your cooking skills are the best, and my nephew must miss it a lot", it turns out that this is its use.
It turns out that the great opportunity Shen Congxing was talking about these days was the Empress Dowager.
original……
Mrs. Zou knew Shen Congxing could hear her, so she murmured,
"In fact, I have never thought about enjoying wealth and glory."
"I just hope you are well, healthy, alive, have children, and grow old together."
"Shen Lang..."
She looked up at the dazzling sky.
"When did you change?"
"Or rather, from the beginning to the end, I never understood you."
After saying this, she didn't want to hear Shen Congxing's confession or explanation. She lowered her head and looked around.
Sure enough, she saw Little Shen next to Big Shen.
Little Shen was engaged early under the arrangement of Big Shen, and got married as soon as she arrived in the capital.
Did Shen Congying anticipate this a long time ago?
But no matter what... the Zou family has brought this upon themselves. It's good that the sister she likes and loves is still alive and not implicated.
There would just be more hardships in the days ahead, but as long as the offspring born by the queen were still around, their blood ties would not be broken, and they would have no worries in their old age.
Thinking of this, Mrs. Zou smiled in the direction of Shen Congying, then closed her eyes, lowered her head, and waited for the final judgment.
……
Cao's party was completely purged.
Anyone who participates in or intends to instigate a palace coup will be executed.
After everyone was accounted for and received due treatment, a rainstorm, contrary to its usual practice, occurred in Bianjing.
The rainstorm washed away the blood of the past few days, and also washed away the anxiety and torment in the imperial city.
It was as if the new emperor who strongly advocated benevolent rule was crying.
The second day is the seventh day.
It's a sunny day.
……
All the arrangements for the emperor's funeral were completed.
The next step is the coronation ceremony of the queen and empress.
Some people thought it was ridiculous and questioned it endlessly, but those in high positions were making preparations in an orderly manner.
The highest-ranking official in the Ministry of Rites now is Cai Qingyou’s father.
The old Shangshu Han was a member of Cao's party and had already been dismissed from his post and returned home. He would be demoted to the frontier after the coronation ceremony.
The Minister of Personnel is Minister Ge. His son Ge Cheng'an does not have a strong presence in the women's circle, but he has always been a good friend of the three brothers Changbai, Feng and Tong.
In this way, all officials will naturally submit.
As for the nobleman, the Duke of Yingguo, who was in charge of a large army, naturally had his own considerations, while the civil official Duke Fuguo had a stable marriage relationship with the Sheng family.
The bond of marriage is one of the reasons why the Duke of Fuguo supports assisting the empress.
What directly made the Duke of Fuguo make the decision was absolute interests.
There has only been one case of an empress ascending the throne throughout history, but it is clearly recorded in historical documents. Its influence has spread to this day, making all women who have ascended to power covet it.
During the reign of Emperor Wu, the status of women rose rapidly. Women were always present as female officials in the imperial harem and among the dignitaries of the previous dynasty.
They assisted the country and the public security family. Miss An, who was personally educated by him and instilled with the essence of his life's unique skills, was an extraordinary person who was as capable as any man.
Similarly, although his niece was not as outstanding as An Qingyan, her talent and learning were not inferior to her male classmates.
Therefore, the empress is a great opportunity for the Prince's Mansion.
Is there no more title that can be given to a Duke?
No.
Before the coronation ceremony, the Queen said publicly while ruling the country from behind the curtain, which completely gave up the scoundrels who had just been frightened by the bloody aura in Caishikou.
"The baby in my belly will be the future crown prince."
After these words were spoken, there was no other sound in the hall.
As time went by, the empress's belly became bigger and bigger. In just three months, her belly seemed like that of an ordinary woman of five or six months.
However, all the court officials were men, and although they had doubts, they did not ask too many questions to avoid offending others. The censors who were "entrusted with important tasks" also hesitated and did not know how to express themselves.
Today, the majesty of the empress always makes people ignore her gender and her stunning appearance.
But every time I raised my head and glanced at the beautiful face behind the beam, I couldn't bear to feel any offense.
"I think you have been hesitating for many days because you don't know how to ask me about the heir in my womb."
"exactly."
At this time, the one who stood up to speak for everyone was Sheng Changtong.
"This is a matter of great importance to the country and the people, so please feel free to speak your mind.
The imperial physician came back for another follow-up visit today and finally gave an accurate diagnosis.
Now I am pregnant with multiple babies."
Upon hearing this, even some court officials who had made direct guesses could not help but widen their eyes and began to chatter in low voices.
Multiple births!
If this could be born...
"Your Majesty is blessed as much as the heavens. May God bless the Song Dynasty!"
Yes.
May God bless the Song Dynasty!
If the late emperor were still alive, it would be great news to learn that the queen was pregnant with multiple babies.
The Zhao royal family has not had any offspring for fifty years!
Congratulations came one after another.
Around the city of Bianjing, countless people spontaneously petitioned to send blessings to the empress, some by eating vegetarian food, some by burning incense, and some by chanting scriptures.
This is not a matter of every man being responsible for the fate of his country.
This is simply because the empress did countless good deeds after ascending the throne.
From distributing food to sending special people to teach farming... and so on.
An emperor who allows them to have enough food is a good emperor.
This has nothing to do with men and women.
If a female emperor came to power, they would receive relief food every year. If they could receive some reward silver just by being kind to their wives at home, then what would be wrong with having female emperors from generation to generation?
Words praising the empress and praying for the safety of her and her child slowly flowed out from the city of Bianjing.
There is promotion from merchants, as well as spontaneous action from the general public.