After the Ming Yushi proposed the ancestor worship at Lingshan, he went straight to the Minister of Rites to urge the Ministry of Rites to prepare for the ancestor worship.
The Minister of Rites just listened and did not immediately agree or refuse. He smiled and did Tai Chi with the other party - the Censor of the Ming Dynasty had become famous in the cabinet a few years ago. He was not the kind of person who asked for trouble.
After the other party left, he found his first assistant and asked for his opinion.
Jie Shoufu had already heard some rumors. When he heard this, he frowned and said: "How can we let the emperor leave the palace and go to Lingshan at such a juncture? This is too risky and I don't agree with it."
"Adventure" here has more than one meaning.
Taifu Jiang's view was different from his.
"Ancestor worship is an ancestral system... If we break the precedent and don't even offer sacrifices to our ancestors' mausoleums, wouldn't it make people in the government and the public uneasy? The situation is getting better now, so it's time to reassure people."
Even though the Censor of the Ming Dynasty didn't mention it, he has been secretly thinking about ancestor worship recently.
The general trend is still there, how can we break the ancestral etiquette first?
"But the emperor is like this right now -" Regarding the senior and prestigious Taifu Jiang, Jie Shoufu's tone was relatively gentle, but his eyebrows were always furrowed: "It is inevitable to worship ancestors, but it does not necessarily have to be done by the emperor himself.
Go."
"If the emperor doesn't go, then who will go?" Taifu Jiang asked, "His Highness will take his place? Are you really relieved that Your Highness will go to Lingshan alone?"
This is very worth pondering.
Jie Shoufu's answer is yes - of course he is not worried.
I can neither trust His Highness nor the Emperor.
These are two completely different kinds of worries.
Under the torture of both body and mind, some crazy words often come out of the emperor's mouth now...
When His Highness pays homage to his ancestors, they, as officials of the third rank or above, must accompany him. At that time, everything in the palace in the capital will inevitably return to the hands of the emperor. It should be noted that the person standing with the emperor is not just a man with a bad mouth.
The obvious effect is that Ji Xiu has military power in his hands.
Although Ji Xiu never put too much pressure on them, he was easily unwilling to listen to their orders, which showed his intentions.
If Ji Xiu and Ming Xiao cooperate with each other and take advantage of their departure from the capital to remove everything they have painstakingly planned and arranged, all their previous efforts will be in vain!
What's more, to put it harshly, it is possible for His Highness and them to return to Bujing!
Lingshan is still three hundred miles away from the capital. If they are unfortunate enough to encounter the "Purple Star Sect" again...hehe, it's all the same old routine!
Although it is a little ridiculous, you should always prepare for the worst, after all, the emperor looks crazy now.
Once a person goes crazy, all kinds of unbelievable things can happen.
Who knows if he brought up the matter of ancestor worship just to drive them away?
Therefore, it is absolutely not advisable for His Royal Highness to go to Lingshan alone!
Xie Shoufu was very vigilant.
Taifu Jiang saw through his thoughts, and then said: "Your Majesty wants to go, so why not let him go... With you and me by your side, why don't you worry?"
The implication is that even if the emperor wants to act like a monster, he can still be held captive.
Jie Shoufu heard the words and thought about it.
This is true.
After a moment, he added: "But everywhere outside... there might be something unexpected happening."
Yu Guangsi, a cabinet scholar, spoke: "The current situation is quite stable. To say the least, the Yan army has retreated to the north of Cangzhou. No matter how hard it is, it will not reach the capital in a year or two... As for the Wu family,
I have never been aggressive in my temper.
It is impossible to attack at this time, not to mention that Ningyang is two thousand miles away from the capital. If we say that the Xu family army in Linyuan is still 800 miles away, it is separated by three cities and two major camps in the southwest. Even if there is indeed
No matter what happens, we can always respond in time."
Another official said: "It only takes ten days to go to Lingshan and back."
These words are not to whitewash the situation, deliberately ignore the danger, or take chances, but the fact is clearly before our eyes.
Jie Shoufu also knew all this.
It’s just a sacrifice to an ancestor, but it’s not like the previous dynasty. It also requires a mighty rush to the old capital. It takes more than half a year to go back and forth. If something unexpected happens, then we really need to be careful -
Ordinarily speaking, he really shouldn't be so arrogant and timid, and instead lost the momentum that the imperial court should have.
But he always felt a little uneasy...
Although it had been several months since he heard about King Yan's accident, he still felt that this turn of events was too sudden and unreal. It was as if a person was floating in mid-air and his feet never touched the ground.
Then, the audience talked in detail about some possible changes that might occur during this trip. In the end, they were indeed within the scope of being able to deal with them.
Taifu Jiang finally said -
"The ancestral rules cannot be broken easily, otherwise the prestige of the imperial court will be destroyed after all..."
This is not about adhering to rules. When rules are deeply rooted in people's hearts, the biggest beneficiary will always be the court. Without rules, there is no rule. This is the eternal foundation of governing the country.
In the final analysis, this is still to safeguard the prestige and interests of the court.
The more critical this situation is, the more we cannot underestimate the mere act of ancestor worship.
Jie Shoufu was speechless for a moment.
How could he not know these principles?
"Let me think about this for a few more days..."
If these changes were just mentioned, there would be nothing to fear. I am afraid that there are still possibilities that they have not thought of.
After all, the death anniversary of the late Emperor is still next month, so there is no rush to make a decision at this time. During this period, we can pay more attention to the movements around us.
And no matter what we see and hear next, everything is developing in a good direction.
He also imagined many possibilities——
But as colleagues have said, these can all be dealt with, but there is absolutely no condition that can lead to something major enough to overturn the situation.
When Jie Shoufu was thinking about it, an internal eunuch came to report that it was the Censor of the Ming Dynasty who had come.
here we go again?
Upon hearing this, the cabinet officials felt as if they were facing a formidable enemy.
Then he subconsciously looked at Jie Shoufu who was sitting there——
Without thinking about it, we can also know that this clear effect must be for the purpose of worshiping ancestors, and it is clearly aimed at the chief minister.
Jie Shoufu sat there motionless, holding up the teacup with a calm expression.
However, despite this group's calmness, the movement of swallowing the tea was a little more urgent.
Get ready as soon as you need to. You can't look for water in the middle of a quarrel and have others look down on you.
The chief minister was already prepared to fight, but the Ming Yushi came here not to scold him——
Although it came with differences, the words lacked direct sharpness and accusations.
His eyes were red and his tone was distressed.
"...Today, Your Majesty has been unconscious for half a day. In his drowsiness, he still thought about going to the late emperor's mausoleum to offer a stick of incense, say a few words, and finally perform his filial piety as a son of man! As the king of a country, why should he even
Even this trivial wish has not been fulfilled! No one is willing to give him the last dignity! Even though he is just a son of man, doesn’t he even have the qualifications to worship at his father’s grave?!”
"If you act like this, will your conscience be at peace?"
His voice was hoarse and sad, which made the officials feel mixed emotions.
It is said that before people realize that they are about to leave, they will always think about the same thing frequently...
Your Majesty, is this... really impossible?
Although the Ming Yushi's words were somewhat unfair to them, one thing he said was quite right - after all, he is the king of a country, and he should be treated with dignity before he succeeds.
The dignity of the emperor is also the dignity of the court.
Tears almost overflowed from the eyes of the Censor of the Ming Dynasty, and his tone was firm and forceful: "Even if you are determined to oppose it to the end, you still have me, and I will carry His Majesty to the ancestral mausoleum!"
These words made everyone's hearts tremble.
Why are you still carrying it?
But I really believe that the other party can do such a thing!
Isn't this a slap in the face to them?
If he was really asked to carry His Majesty to the ancestral mausoleum, who would they become? How would Yan Guan preserve their rebellious behavior in the history books? - Oh, what's even more amazing is that Yan Guan was the one who carried the Emperor!
This road... isn't it a very narrow road?
"The Censor of the Ming Dynasty really spoke emphatically. Jie Shoufu is also thinking about His Majesty's dragon body. If you two have something to discuss, you should put the priority on solving the problem..."
Taifu Jiang was the first to speak up, and he cleared himself up in a few words - he didn't want to bear the infamy at his age, thinking that he had experienced three emperors in two dynasties, and now it seemed that there would be a fourth one, he could
Don’t want to leave a good impression on the next owner?
Even if the sky collapses, the character cannot collapse - this is the first secret of establishing a world that he taught to Ji Fu Yin!
The remaining few people followed the old lady's footsteps.
There is nothing wrong with following in the footsteps of the elders.
"I am also discussing this matter with Mr. Xie Ge in detail..."
"Sacrificing ancestors is reasonable and legal, and has been a matter of course since ancient times."
"..."
While everyone was talking, their peripheral vision happened to fall quietly on the person who knew the chief assistant.
Just wait for this big Buddha to speak!
The Buddha's face was extremely tense.
He wanted to nod!
But is this the right time?
He has weighed his own pros and cons, and he already thinks it is feasible in his heart, but before he has time to say it - if he lets go at this time, wouldn't it appear that he is someone who deserves to be scolded? If this person named Ming is scolded, he will be scolded.
Got it?
His face doesn't matter. He took off his official robe in Yangxin Hall. What face does he need?
But if the other party feels that he is really being scolded, and he continues to scold him every three days, the roof of the cabinet will probably be lifted by the other party's scolding.
When Jie Shoufu was in a dilemma, another internal prison officer came in to report.
"My lords, His Royal Highness has arrived."
While he was talking, a boy wrapped in a thick cloak had already walked in.
Everyone saluted.
"Your Highness, please sit down and talk." Jie Shoufu raised his hand to indicate. Every time he saw the boy's weak appearance, he always felt a tightness in his chest, neither swallowing nor sighing - could this lineage really be necessary?
Is it broken?
The prince sat down in the chair, glanced at the Ming Yushi, then at Jie Shoufu, and directly explained the purpose of his visit: "This year, I will accompany my father to worship our ancestors at Lingshan Mountain."
Jie Shoufu was a little surprised: "Your Highness..."
"I know that your lords are thinking about my father and my health, but my illness was brought about in the womb and was not something that happened in just one or two days. The trip to worship my ancestors has no hindrance to me," the prince said.
Here, the voice paused slightly: "As for my father, I have just been to the Yangxin Hall. My father... I only have one wish at the moment. As a son of man, I should try my best to fulfill it."
After saying that, he looked at the ministers with a sincere expression: "I hope you will agree to this matter."
"His Highness's words really upset me." Jie Shoufu sighed slightly and said: "Ancestor worship is an ancestral system. To put it more simply, it is just a family matter of Your Majesty and His Highness. I have no right to do so.
There is no reason to stop it. Since Your Majesty and Your Highness have made a decision, I should abide by it."
After finishing his words, he turned to look at the Minister of Rites.
"For the ancestor worship, please ask Fang Shangshu to make arrangements."
What needs to be arranged is not only the travel and process of ancestor worship, but also the arrangements in and around the capital.
The current situation is special, and everything has become special and complicated.
Just when the officials were cooperating with each battalion to arrange everything, the Qintian Supervisor had already divined the day.
The day of departure is scheduled for the third day of the next month.
Soon it will be ten days later.
Xu Mingyi and several servants of the Ming family rode in a carriage and left the capital.
On the way, she slightly opened the carriage curtain and looked out.
In early March, the willow tree beside the official road has sprouted new branches, and a layer of tender green and yellow short grass has appeared under the tree.
In spring, which always arrives as scheduled, even the air is filled with vitality.
It’s a perfect day to do something like this.
Xu Mingyi lowered the car curtain.
Whether the plan succeeds or fails depends on this.
And if something unexpected happens along the way, or the result is not as expected——
She felt the cold feeling of the dagger in her sleeve against her skin, and her mind was made up.
All in all, she did not want and would not give the emperor another chance to leave the Lingshan Imperial Tomb alive.
It took nearly four days of walking and stopping on the road.
Xu Mingyi had carefully observed that whether he was on the way or stopping at the post house to rest, the emperor was surrounded by heavy soldiers and security guards who followed him closely. She did not even have a chance to see a corner of his clothes.
It is true that the closer a person is to death, the more afraid he is of death.
When they arrived at Lingshan, a soft sedan carried the emperor who got off the carriage into the palace. There were five or six imperial doctors accompanying him alone. The palace attendants who followed the sedan pushed a finely crafted four-wheeled chair.
.
Xu Mingyi followed the Ming Yushi and settled down in the palace.
The Censor of the Ming Dynasty found an excuse to need her to serve the writings personally, so he arranged for her to be alone in a warm pavilion next to the study, so that she did not have to rest in a crowded place with the servants.
The night was pitch black, like ink dye, not even a star could be seen.
Everyone, along with heaven and earth, fell into a deep sleep.
Xu Mingyi changed into black clothes, her body was as light as the wind, and she quickly left the small courtyard.
She needs to get something.
The ancestor worship ceremony was scheduled for the day after tomorrow, so she had to make preparations in case something unexpected happened.
She had only been to this Lingshan Palace once last year with Jiao Jiao, so she was not familiar with the surroundings. However, the location of the place she was going to was very conspicuous, and she could see stacks of high pavilions from a distance. Even if there was some space, she could still
Can be found.
She deliberately chose a path away from the emperor's residence, trying to avoid the frequent patrols of the imperial army and the interrogation guards. Even so, she still used her third eye to explore the way.
After walking cautiously and in circles for nearly an entire hour, we finally arrived at the place the eldest princess mentioned.
But--
She turned around and looked at the dark night behind her, her eyes full of caution.
She inexplicably felt like someone was following her...
