bookcurios Chapter 253: Invite His Royal Highness to Ascend the Throne
Chapter 253: Invite His Royal Highness to Ascend the Throne
Fainting is no big deal.
Just pinch his Ren Zhong point hard and he will wake up.
The emperor woke up and knew that the situation was hopeless. He gritted his teeth and said, "Jing Yunzhang, you are a traitor. You are traitoring in the name of the late emperor. Aren't you afraid of the people's gossip?"
Looking at the ministers in the court who were silent as a mouse, those who truly obeyed him had been beheaded, and the others were scared like quails.
The imperial guards, who were supposed to be loyal to him, now stood there with their hands hanging, ignoring and turning a deaf ear to his orders.
The elite soldiers brought by Jing Yunzhang were ferocious and murderous, with swords drawn, and they had already taken control of the entire court.
He figured it out. Since things were already like this here, the outside world must have been under his control long ago.
He was careless for a moment and thought that this evildoer was really dead. However, he did not expect that he was hiding under the pretense of being dead, waiting to strike today.
Jing Yunzhang looked at him coldly and said, "It's not that I'm plotting rebellion, but you've lost the support of the people. During the years you've been in office, you've increased taxes again and again, and the people are suffering.
You build massive projects just for the sake of comfort and enjoyment, without caring about the suffering of the people.
Five years ago, there was a severe drought in Jizhou. You cut the disaster relief money in half and saved it for your selection.
Four years ago, the prefect of Qinghe used his official position to sue the relatives of Grand Tutor Fan for creating false names, enclosing land and becoming kings, and killing more than a hundred people. However, you made light of the incident and beheaded the prefect of Qinghe.
Three years ago, your favorite concubine Yu's brother opened a brothel and forced women of good character into prostitution. To win Yu's smile, you beheaded the seventeen victims who filed the complaint without asking any questions..."
He told them one by one, and each one was shocking.
And these were almost all major events and cases that happened that year.
Many people suddenly fell silent.
The emperor refused to accept the request: "I am the emperor. The entire Shang Kingdom belongs to me. All land under heaven belongs to the king, and all people in the land are his subjects. It is only natural for the king to kill his subjects. What did I do wrong? I just killed a few people. As the king of a country, don't I have the right to kill a few people?"
It would have been fine if he hadn't spoken, after all, there were still some old ministers standing on his side. But once he opened his mouth, his words were so explosive and chilling.
For a moment, there was silence in the court.
Yuan Taifu suddenly shouted loudly: "Jing Hengyan persecuted loyal officials and ruined the future of Shang. The princess worked hard and devoted herself to the country, but was persecuted and her family suffered injustice. Now the Ghost-faced General defended the northern border of Shang and repelled Qi. He had made great military achievements. The emperor of a country is unclear about rewards and punishments, and is incompetent. He even bribed assassins to get rid of the country's loyal ministers. Such a traitor violates the teachings of our ancestor. He is not worthy of being a descendant of the Jing family, and he is not worthy of being a monarch!"
Duke Dingguo Mu Chunming also said loudly: "What Taifu Yuan said makes sense. The Ghost-faced General has made great contributions in protecting the country and the land, and has also stopped Jing Hengyan from selling out the country. He also carries the late emperor's will, so he is worthy of the title of Crown Prince. We ask His Royal Highness the Crown Prince to ascend the throne immediately!" As he said that, he knelt down directly in front of Jing Yunzhang.
Wu Xiaoning, the Duke of Fuguo, stepped out and said, "Jing Yunzhang is the eldest princess's biological son, and also of royal blood. He is also an heir to the royal family. All the royal ancestors have recognized him, so he is the legitimate crown prince. In addition, the eldest princess made great contributions to the Shang Kingdom but was wrongly killed. This case should also be thoroughly investigated to clear the eldest princess' name and restore the justice of the Shang Kingdom!"
Jing Hengyan cursed: "I am still here, traitor, who dares to usurp the throne? Also, when did I acknowledge that he is the crown prince?"
Pei Hongmiao glanced at him and said, "Those who are unworthy of being a king should abdicate and let others take over! As for the status of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, it was determined by the late emperor's will, and you don't need to give it to him!"
The Chief Censor Duanmu Hang also knelt down before Jing Yunzhang and said, "I request that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince ascend the throne immediately to rectify the government."
They knelt down and shouted in unison: "Your Highness the Crown Prince, please ascend the throne immediately to rectify the government!"
The emperor was so angry that he vomited blood, but looking at the large number of court officials kneeling down, he knew that the situation was hopeless. At this moment, his face turned as pale as paper.
It was he who personally gave the order to hire a killer to kill the Ghost-faced General.
If Jing Hengyan really usurped the throne, there is no need to imagine what the consequences would be for him.
Zhou Qiting also had a face as pale as paper.
After receiving the pigeon letter from him, the Emperor of Qi thought that the Ghost-faced General was dead. He asked him to change the terms of the peace talks while assembling his troops and rushing to the border.
If peace talks fail, they will immediately start a war.
Without the Ghost-faced General, the Shang State was like a tiger with its teeth pulled out, nothing to be feared.
But in this situation, it was still unclear whether he could go back. They were so respectful and upright in front of Jing Hengyan before, but now they were so regretful and annoyed that they had quietly hidden by the pillars in the chaos, trying their best to reduce their presence.
Jing Hengyan knew that he was isolated and helpless and could not change the situation no matter what.
He was extremely unwilling, but he suppressed it now and said to Jing Yunzhang: "Yunzhang, no matter what, I am still your uncle, and I acknowledge your status as the crown prince. I promise that after a hundred years, you will be able to ascend the throne smoothly, but you cannot usurp the throne now! Otherwise, you will not be able to stop the people from talking about it!"
Prince Huai sneered, "A person who violates the ancestral teachings of the Jing family and forgets his roots is unworthy of being a descendant of the Jing family according to the teachings of Emperor Gaozu. He should be expelled from the family tree. It is natural for the crown prince to ascend the throne. How can there be talk of usurping the throne?"
The King of Han also said: "As a member of the Jing clan, we no longer recognize your status as a descendant of the Jing clan. What you have done will also be made known to the world. I am afraid that you will be the one who dies in the mouths of the people!"
"No, you can't do this to me..."
Jing Hengyan looked at the civil and military officials in the court. They were persuading Shi Yunzhang to ascend the throne, and they no longer took him seriously.
He is the emperor, he is the emperor!
Do all these people want to be traitors?
His guards stood there like wooden figures.
His courtiers no longer paid any attention to him.
Those elite soldiers in armor were brought by Shi Yunzhang from the border, and they were all murderous.
He shouted at the tall figure like a trapped beast: "Shi Yunzhang, even if I am not recognized as a descendant of the Jing family, you are not worthy. Your last name is Shi. Do you want to betray your ancestors and abandon the ancestors of the Shi family just for the position of crown prince?"
Jing Yunzhang looked at him and said word by word: "At the beginning, when my mother, Princess Zhaoyang's army won a great victory and should have pursued the victory, you forced my mother to return to the capital;
When my mother handed over the military and political power, and was clearly wholeheartedly assisting you in ruling the country and taking control of the military power, but was framed by you, I felt extremely unwilling and resentful.
Why should she be betrayed by you when she is devoted to you?
Why should she be persecuted by you when she is selfless and wholeheartedly serving the Shang Kingdom?
But my mother once told me: As long as the Shang Kingdom exists, she can be wronged and sacrifice her life! As long as the land of the Shang Kingdom is not lost and the people live in peace, it doesn’t matter whether she is honored or humiliated! If she fights, parties will arise and the Shang Kingdom will inevitably fall apart. So, she died calmly! "
Jing Yunzhang's eyes were misty, but he was even more determined: "Then today, for the sake of the people of Shang, for the land that my mother fought so hard for, and for the sake of my mother's expectations, for the responsibility on my shoulders, what does it matter to me whether I am honored or humiliated? Since the late emperor has left a will here, I will follow it and be loyal to the emperor. How can I be said to be betraying my ancestors?"