In the early morning, the death knell sounded throughout the capital.
On the bustling streets, the people in the capital who are used to having breakfast outside all had expressions that said, "This day has finally come."
The emperor had been ill for too long, and everyone knew that he might not be able to survive this time.
I was mentally prepared, so I wasn't too sad.
It was just the questions that came up that made them nervous.
"Who succeeds? King An?"
"Didn't you say that your leg was broken? It can't be done, right?"
"That's the fourth prince?"
From high-ranking officials to ordinary people, everyone is concerned about this issue.
Succession to the throne is a normal thing. But now that the emperor has been in power for twenty-three years, the people are used to this kind of stability. Now that another emperor takes the throne, will the status quo be changed?
Everyone has heard how absurd King An was in his early years.
But the fourth prince is only eleven years old, so he definitely can’t rule by himself!
No matter who is in power, people will be worried.
Not long after, the edict was announced to the world.
The news spread throughout the capital.
"It's the King of Yue! The Holy Lord passed the throne to the King of Yue!"
"What? How can he be the King of Yue? Isn't he separated by a generation?"
"Yes! But if you think about it carefully, it makes sense. King An broke his leg and is no longer a perfect person. The fourth prince is so young. Your Majesty is worried!"
"Hey! He actually passed the throne to his grandnephew. His Majesty's selfless heart is really touching."
"Yes! Your Majesty is indeed a benevolent king!"
In teahouses and restaurants, the old masters who respected morality and etiquette were filled with emotion, the young scholars were also filled with admiration, and even the common people expressed gratitude.
But in the palace, certain things were honestly recorded in daily notes by historians. One day, these truths will be known to the world, and the so-called benevolent king's name will be self-defeating.
Neither Concubine Pei nor Yang Shu are in a hurry about this.
They had waited for so many years for this day of revenge. So what if he had a little false reputation now?
The time has come when the reputation of a benevolent monarch that he values so much will eventually be wiped out and nothing will be left.
In any case, this edict of succession was recognized from top to bottom.
When An Wang broke his leg, although this choice was unexpected, it makes sense when you think about it carefully.
The deposed prince was definitely unable to ascend the throne, and something happened to King An again. Passing it on to the fourth prince was certainly an option, but how could an eleventh-year-old emperor compare to a new king in his prime?
Apart from several princes, the one with the closest blood relationship is the King of Yue!
It is easy to understand why the emperor made this choice.
Some people also remembered the ridiculous reputation that the new king had when he was the third son of Bolinghou Mansion.
However, recalling this incident, people suddenly discovered that His Highness the King of Yue had kept a low profile in recent years and seemed to have never done anything ridiculous again. He could even be said to be young and promising.
Since that year, the third son of Bolinghou Mansion was demoted to the northwest, and many things have changed.
In the northwest, not only did he not give up on himself, he also made military exploits.
Not long ago, he accompanied King An on the expedition, and it seemed that he also made great efforts.
Thinking about it this way, Xinjun seems to be a good candidate.
King An's early behavior was somewhat worrying, but King Yue cleared his reputation as a playboy early on.
Of course, there are also a few old-fashioned people who think it is inappropriate.
"After the father dies, the son succeeds. This has been a rule for many years. How can we break it casually? It is unreasonable to establish a grand nephew instead of a biological son!"
"With this example, what should we do in the future? Wouldn't it be a mess?"
"That's right. Although Your Majesty is a benevolent king, there is no reason why he doesn't want to have a son. Even if Prince An is not suitable, there are still two princes! The fourth prince is just a little younger, but there is nothing wrong with it. After a few more years, he will be born.
Isn’t that enough?”
"That's right, the fourth prince is already over ten years old, so there is no need to worry about his death. It is really unfathomable to not establish the fourth prince as the king of Yue."
As soon as these remarks came out, Fu Jin asked people to spread brainwashing in teahouses and restaurants.
"Isn't it great to establish the King of Yue? It was the King of Yue's contribution to pacify the northwest in the first place. When he succeeds to the throne, can we look forward to the southern expedition?"
The Southern Expedition! When this topic comes up, it becomes a prairie fire.
The North and the South are originally one family. Young people may not remember that, but the elderly ones, who doesn’t have a mark in their hearts? They all remember that they still have relatives in the South, and they may be able to reunite after reunification!
Daqi has been at peace for many years, and its national power is getting stronger and stronger, and the people are not afraid of war.
The Northwest War a few years ago further fueled their ambitions.
Now that even the wolves and tigers of the barbarians can be dealt with, unifying Southern Chu does not seem so unimaginable.
I remember that when Taizu was in court, everyone from top to bottom was thinking about the Southern Expedition. The people have not forgotten that feeling of excitement!
These remarks spread quickly throughout the capital, and no one doubted the Yue King's qualifications to succeed to the throne.
…
Compared with the common people, the dignitaries are more anxious.
How unusual this news is, they know better than the common people.
It is impossible for the emperor to establish a nephew rather than a biological son. In addition, what happened last night was somewhat leaked. The emperor has even written an imperial edict to establish the fourth prince, which shows what his true intentions are.
Last night, there must have been a storm in the palace.
However, the edict was announced to the world, indicating that the King of Yue had won. It would be useless to argue at this time.
And they also heard some shocking news.
"Prime Minister Zhang left the palace last night and never returned."
"Have you heard about it too? On the way to the palace, the King of Yue was shouting and killing, and a lot of blood was shed! That street has been blocked now, and I heard that the blood stains are being cleaned up."
"Yes, yes, our home is relatively close to Wangfu Street. I heard the noise last night and just didn't dare to go out."
"Who dares to go out? How can we interfere in this kind of thing?"
"Yes! Let's stop saying these words once they are out of here. It's not good for others to hear..."
Having said that, I still can't help but discuss it.
"Where is Mr. Zhang now?"
"The King of Yue has entered the palace, where do you think he is? I'm afraid this Prime Minister will never appear again."
"Alas! His Royal Highness, the King of Yue, just came to power and killed the Prime Minister. It would be too..."
"Shut up! How dare you say this!"
"Yes, yes, I made a mistake."
No matter what, the King of Yue has become the victor. What they said has no effect except causing trouble.
What's more, it makes sense for the King of Yue to succeed to the throne!
He is the direct descendant of Taizu after Prince Sihuai.
Somehow, the throne returned to this one hand.
…
The news reached the Ji family.
"Yue, King of Yue?" Mr. Ji stuttered, "The edict of succession says it is King of Yue?"
Ji Ling calmly took a sip of porridge and replied: "Yes!"
Mr. Ji was stunned for a while, then suddenly jumped up and shouted: "Then, will our Xiaoqi become the queen?"
"Yes!" Ji Ling said with a smile, "Dad, you have become the queen's uncle!" (To be continued)