Xie Ming

Suddenly, a loud explosion was heard from the north of the city, and Liu Wenbing hurriedly left the main hall of the imperial palace.

The remaining cabinet ministers in the hall remained silent, their hearts pounding, and the atmosphere grew tense and awkward.

Only when the young eunuch brought in the soup did Empress Chen Wanxuan, looking utterly weary, listlessly comfort Yuzhen.

After much coaxing, Yuzhen, her face pale, finally agreed to eat the soup.

Seeing that the situation had turned around, the Empress, out of consideration for the officials in the palace, had no choice but to force herself to stay alert.

The woman took a deep breath, sniffed, suppressed her sorrow, and finally turned her head to face him.

"Gentlemen, you are all the backbone of our Great Ming Dynasty's governance. When the late emperor was alive, you were all key ministers in the court."

"As for myself and my sister, we are, after all, women of the harem, and have never been involved in the affairs of the court."

"We should continue to rely on everyone's cooperation and concerted efforts."

"Especially now that the late emperor has passed away, the situation is at an extremely difficult moment."

"The youngest son, Zhu Shaotan, is still crying as a baby, barely a month old."

As she spoke, Chen Wanxuan tried her best to control her emotions, but her words still choked with sobs.

Retreat to advance, soften even the hardest steel with a gentle touch.

At this moment, it was unclear whether the Empress was genuinely flustered and at a loss, or simply putting on an act to avoid getting involved.

"Ladies and gentlemen, as you have all seen, my sister and I are raising this child alone, a widow and her child."

"Well, I can't make any big decisions either."

"For the sake of the past, and the relationship between the late emperor and you as his subjects."

"So that our great Ming dynasty can continue to exist."

"Your Excellency, loyal ministers, and the entire court are entrusting this matter to you. We are entrusting it to you."

Chen Wanxuan's graceful demeanor and humble attitude, along with her words of entrustment, moved all who heard her to tears and sympathy.

In the end, Yu earnestly addressed the Grand Secretary Qiu Weizhen, bowing slightly to maintain proper etiquette and giving everyone ample face.

Upon seeing this, it was only natural that Grand Secretary Qiu would speak up to respond, his words carrying a dignified and respectful tone.

"Uh"

"Your Majesty, rest assured, we have been blessed by the nation for generations. Even if we were to die, we could never repay your kindness," Qiu Weizhen said.

"kindness"

"Yes."

"But, I wonder what brings you, my esteemed cabinet ministers, to the front hall so late for a meeting with us sisters?"

"Uh, yes, there's more."

“In the past, when the late emperor was ill and unable to govern, everything was still able to remain peaceful and orderly.”

“However, today and tomorrow, when Eunuch Wang came to the inner court to report, he intentionally mentioned the matter of keeping the death a secret.”

"This concerns matters of state, and it is up to you to make the decision."

"But the late emperor has passed away, which is a time of national mourning."

"The coffin is currently hidden in the inner palace. What is the explanation for this?"

"You...you can't just ignore this. How can this continue?"

Having said this, it was clear that Empress Chen Wanxuan had planned carefully, and was certainly not as foolish as those who panicked at the last minute.

However, unexpectedly, once these words were spoken, none of the ministers immediately stepped forward to respond or offer explanations.

Chen Wanxuan looked embarrassed. After all, she was a woman in the inner court, and her composure was limited. She couldn't hold back and simply added a few more words.

"Ugh"

"Tell me, who exactly are you trying to guard against with all this?"

"After you've finished your discussion, you still have to give my inner court an explanation."

"This can be considered an explanation to the world," the Empress urged impatiently.

Upon hearing this, Grand Secretary Qiu, who had just been making a perfunctory response, was about to rise from his seat and step forward to express the Grand Secretary's opinion.

However, I didn't want to argue with Ma Shiying who would interrupt and speak first.

"Uh, Your Majesty, you have lived in the inner palace for a long time, so you may not know this."

"At present, due to the invasion of foreign enemies in the north, our Great Ming Dynasty is in a precarious situation."

"We face countless powerful external enemies."

"And this is it, ah, there are also people in the court."

Ma Shiying, seemingly eager to speak, strolled steadily to the center of the group, using this as a starting point to secretly glance around. "Heh heh, some people want to take advantage of this chaotic world to amass power and isolate themselves from the court and the Ming Dynasty." He turned his head back to the Empress on the bed.

"When the late emperor was alive, such people might not have dared to rebel."

"But, alas, now that His Majesty has already..."

"We, the members of the cabinet, are here to carry on the late Emperor's wishes and to safeguard the court and the nation."

"There was no other way but to make this arrangement."

"I hope Your Majesty will understand my painstaking efforts and loyalty."

Ma Shiying's words and actions are quite assertive and lively, dominating the court and leaving no room for argument.

Seeing this scene, Empress Chen Wanxuan felt a sudden increase in pressure and a sense of unease. She had to try her best to hide her feelings and dared not show them too much.

He tried to adapt to the situation, but to no avail. He then hid his divine gaze again and looked towards Yuzhen.

"you"

"What you're referring to, could it be..."

She harbored many suspicions, but hesitated and pondered out of consideration for Yuzhen.

But in the end, he spoke before he thought and still made his point clear.

"Could it be the Duke of Jingguo?"

"You, you think he would rebel?" He turned to observe the reactions of all parties.

"Do you all think this way?"

"Throughout history, when a new dynasty is established, if the civil and military officials in the court are not on good terms, or if the inner court officials and the generals appointed to the frontier are not on good terms, then chaos is imminent."

"I... we women don't understand anything about politics."

"But, Duke Jing, he... he probably wouldn't."

Chen Wanxuan shook her head slightly, her expression one of disbelief.

"After all, they risked great dangers and traveled thousands of miles to protect their master and come south."

"That is all thanks to the merit of protecting the emperor, which has brought about the grandeur of the Hongguang Dynasty today."

"Moreover, he already has a marriage alliance with the late emperor."

"Illustrious titles and merits adorn his body."

"What else is there to be dissatisfied with? How could you betray me like this?!"

"Why did things have to come to this?"

A woman's kindness is a woman's perspective.

Trying to reason with emotions is a common failing of women throughout history.

Upon hearing this, Ma Shiying jumped out and chased after her, his posture becoming even more aggressive. He argued back in court, which was quite disrespectful.

"Your Majesty the Empress!" He clasped his hands in greeting but did not bow.

"Once a person gains power, their heart will change!"

“When the late emperor was still in Nanjing, I repeatedly advised him not to let Xiao Jingchuan seize too much military power.”

"His face has an unusual appearance; sooner or later he will rebel and become a major threat to our Great Ming Dynasty."

He sighed, then turned and stood with his hands behind his back, feigning nonchalance.

"But the late emperor..."

"Alas, it was also due to the frequent foreign invasions at that time."

"In order to ensure border security, His Majesty had no choice but to relax control over this boy time and time again, and indulge him in this way."

"To this day, we are raising a tiger that has become a threat."

"Your Majesty, Xiao Jingchuan now commands an army of no less than 150,000 men by land and sea."

"To have merits that threaten one's master is to nurture an enemy for one's own benefit."

"His son is violent and cruel, disrespectful to his father and ruler, and his wolfish ambitions are already obvious."

"If even the slightest word of the late emperor's passing were to leak out..."

"Then, I am certain that this will inevitably lead this boy to immediately change his allegiance and raise an army in rebellion."

"By then, it will be too late to regret it."

Ma Shiying's words, which conveyed an image of loyalty to his master and popularity, were truly ironic.

However, considering that he is the Minister of Works, a key cabinet member, and the leader of the Southern Party, isn't he now also engaging in a coercive act of forcing the emperor to abdicate? (End of Chapter)