Xie Ming

Ma Shiying intended to use Qin San'er to invite Qiu Weizhen, and with chaos imminent, he decided to take a gamble.

Unfortunately, when this Grand Secretary entered his chambers, his words were cryptic and unclear, and he simply couldn't grasp the meaning.

Speechless, Ma Shiying bluntly entered the game, anxiously pointing out the worries about what would happen next.

"Oh dear, Elder Qiu!"

"Grand Secretary Qiu, Old Master Qiu!"

"Alright, stop pretending you don't know."

"There are only the two of us in the house right now, why bother?"

Ma spoke hastily, and Qiu was about to retort when he raised his hand, but Ma Shiying grabbed it and took a step closer to continue whispering.

"Your Excellency, we're all family, let's not mince words."

"To be honest, just now, I noticed the situation was not right, so I sent someone out of the palace to inquire about it."

"At midnight, the Chen family's house was attacked; it's highly likely that something happened to the Third Prince."

"This news was rushed to the palace, and that's why His Majesty vomited blood."

"Disaster is imminent, my beloved Grand Secretary Qiu!"

"It must be that some bad guys couldn't hold back and made their move beforehand."

"At this moment, we still do not know the exact safety of the Third Prince."

"But judging from His Majesty's condition, things must be just as bad over there."

"I happen to be on duty and am stuck in this Cabinet Palace."

"It's fine if I didn't notice it at first."

"Lord Qiu, you shouldn't be unaware of this."

"With such a commotion outside, didn't you hear a thing?!"

Ma Shiying deliberately pointed this out to gain the upper hand and make things easier later.

Who would have thought?

Upon hearing that the Third Prince Zhu Cijiong might also be in mortal danger, Qiu Weizhen's expression became even more terrified.

His expression was one of shock and lingering fear. In a moment of panic, his legs wouldn't obey him, and he tried to sit up from the chair.

However, he was quite old, and tonight was cold and damp. His old legs, suffering from rheumatism, were in great pain.

If they don't make any moves, it's fine, but if they suddenly try to exert force, they really can't count on it.

His old eyes were filled with a complicated expression. His movements froze halfway down. He tried his best but couldn't stand up straight. Helpless and struggling in pain, he had no choice but to grit his teeth and give up, slumping back down.

After a long while, the two looked at each other. Qiu Ge Lao urgently requested, but he was also powerless to do so, and his panic gradually subsided.

A long sigh
His face fell again, and he could only half-raise his arm and start massaging his old legs.

"Ah"

"See? Getting old."

"It's useless now."

Old Qiu smiled bitterly and mocked himself, everything seemed so real that it was impossible to tell what was real and what was fake.

"Yaocaowa" for a moment.

"You, what exactly is your plan here? I presume."

"It was all planned long ago, wasn't it?!"

Though old, this tiger descending the mountain in its twilight years is still no ordinary creature.

After a brief and hasty deliberation, Qiu Weizhen had already figured out that Ma Shiying, who was summoned to the cabinet alone tonight, must have something to say.

His old eyes, exuding an air of authority, were fixed on Ma Chu, his cloudy old eyes seemingly able to see through everything.

Seeing the situation, Ma Shiying was clearly startled and immediately intimidated by Qiu Weizhen's expression in court.

It took a while for him to come to his senses.

With a quick glance, he continued with the arrangement.

"Oh dear, what are you saying?"

"You are Grand Secretary, Grand Secretary Qiu."

"Throughout the court, whether in power or out of power, you are the top leader."

"I'm at a loss myself, that's why I called you over. We absolutely have to come up with a plan tonight."

"Delay will only lead to unforeseen changes."

"My Lord Qiu."

Ma Shiying offered two flattering remarks, still employing a strategy of retreat as a means of advancement, and employing different methods of calculation.

Upon hearing this, Qiu Weizhen's lips twitched, but he wasn't annoyed.

After some thought, I received your reply.

"Heh, Yaocao, you're good in every way, except you're too thoughtful."

"Even when it comes down to it, you still won't say it directly." "Alright, make a decision, take charge."

"It's that time of year again when these old bones of mine have to resort to this old face."

“Well, ha.” He changed the subject, a subtle sneer playing on his lips.

"Yaocao, some things, some decisions, are really not so easy to make."

"If you ask me, now that things have come to this point..."

"Then, the most urgent task is to immediately convene all cabinet members to discuss this together."

After going around in circles, Ma Shiying grew impatient. Seeing that this old scoundrel Qiu Weizhen was just going on and on, and was about to cut him off, he was so anxious that he opened his mouth to stop him.

However, Qiu Weizhen stared at her and raised her arm to stop her.

"Uh, wait a minute, let me finish."

"Well, the current situation is dire, both domestically and internationally."

"Let me, Qiu, say something disrespectful."

"Let alone the fact that His Majesty is still alive and breathing."

"It's truly beyond cure, and the nation is on the verge of mourning."

"The court, both inside and out, must not be thrown into chaos."

"Maintaining stability is always the top priority."

"Hoo—" He sighed with emotion and exhaled a breath of stale air.

"The Ming Dynasty has been in power for almost three hundred years."

"I, Qiu Weizhen, have wasted many years and am now this old, practically a coffin inside."

"At this crucial moment, we must never do anything that would betray our ancestors or the country."

"No matter what, the Ming Dynasty cannot perish in my hands. That is the bottom line."

"Ugh"

"Heaven above!"

"If the Third Prince in the Chen residence is fortunate enough to be safe and sound, that would be the best outcome."

"If, if what you said is true, then something terrible has really happened."

"Well, we had no choice but to do it."

“Consort Hui’s youngest son is the heir to the throne. We must immediately support this son to become emperor.”

Qiu Weizhen's old eyes shone brightly, leaving no room for argument.

"Yaocao, a country cannot be without a ruler for a day, nor can a nation be without a monarch for a day."

"This matter cannot afford any further mistakes, and there is absolutely no room for discussion."

After pausing for a moment and seeing that Ma Shiying was not responding, Qiu took a deep breath and prepared to continue his discussion of foreign affairs.

"and."

"As for external affairs, there's Xiao, who's currently in Nanjing."

But, unexpectedly.

Just as Qiu Yi was devising a strategy for dealing with foreign troops, Ma Shiying, who was waiting there, suddenly interrupted him.

"Yes, that makes sense."

"Your Excellency is a man of great wisdom and a wise strategist who plans for the country with great experience."

“I, Ma Shiying, share the same thought.”

"Summon the cabinet immediately; I have no objection." He then changed the subject.

“Well, it’s just that this is for external audiences.” Ma Shiying quickly cut to the chase.

"Your Excellency, I believe that we must immediately prevent any news from the inner palace from leaking out."

"Currently, north and south of the Yangtze River, the Xiao family army and the Qing army are still locked in fierce fighting, a tug-of-war between them."

"The battle is at a stalemate, and we absolutely cannot afford to lose everything now."

"Have you considered the possibility that this matter might leak out and reach the north?"

"What if Xiao Jingchuan harbors rebellious intentions? Who knows if he might lead his troops south, thus opening the floodgates and causing chaos in the court!"

"We must be wary of this boy!"

"Therefore, I believe that we should act decisively and immediately seal off the entire city of Hangzhou."

"What if His Majesty doesn't make it through tonight?"

"Then, it is imperative to keep the death a secret."

Only in this way can we have everything under control.

Ma Shiying clenched his palm, seemingly waiting for the right moment to strike.

His eyes flashed with a fierce light, a chilling glint in them. (End of Chapter)