Quick Wear: Random Cheats

Chapter 57 The Princess Takes the Blame and is Granted Death (57)

"Concubine Guang, Zhu Bei, how dare you rebel!"

Seeing that they were at a stalemate, the Crown Princess immediately and decisively loudly rebuked Concubine Guang and the Seventeenth Prince for rebellion in order to demonstrate her own righteousness and occupy the moral high ground.

"What are you talking about, sister-in-law?

When my father was dying, you stayed in the palace and wouldn't let us, his children, see him for the last time. Out of filial piety, I had no choice but to borrow some soldiers and force my way in, but you still blocked my way and refused to let me see my father.

Should I ask you what you mean?

I also suspected that you were the one who forced my father to abdicate and imprisoned him. I did this to rescue him from you."

Seventeenth Prince Zhu Ba also fought back decisively.

He was unwilling to bear the reputation of a rebel.

What followed was a verbal exchange between the two sides. After all, no one had enough troops to easily control the situation, so they could only drag it out and hope that their reinforcements would be more powerful.

The civil officials present were initially a bit nervous. After all, swords have no eyes. If they were injured, their deaths would be in vain, and they probably wouldn't be considered as saving the emperor or serving the emperor. But now that neither side seemed to have any intention of fighting, just talking nonsense, they soon relaxed and joined in.

They argued with different ideas.

"His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is the eldest son, and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is the most legitimate eldest son and grandson, so it is most legitimate for the Crown Prince to inherit the throne.

This is also in line with Zhou Li and the patriarchal system!"

"Since ancient times, the throne has been passed down from father to son, not from father to grandson. When the eldest son dies, the second son naturally succeeds. This is in accordance with etiquette and tradition."

"You've read so much that it's like a dog's stomach. When the eldest son died, the second son should have inherited. Now that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has two legitimate sons and three illegitimate sons, the throne should naturally be inherited by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince's eldest son."

"Bullshit, you haven't read history books.

After King Wen of Zhou's eldest son, Bo Yikao, died, he still had descendants who inherited the throne. Ultimately, the throne passed to King Wu of Zhou, but didn't he? If you're right, shouldn't the throne have passed to Bo Yikao's surviving descendants?"

"The Guan and Cai family histories clearly record that Bo Yikao was later granted an unknown title. Doesn't this prove that he had no descendants?"

"It's not that I don't know, but it's not that I don't have it!"

"The Book of Documents states that Shi Yi, courtesy name Meng Yi, was the son of Bo Yikao and the eldest grandson of King Wen. Yi gave birth to Rong, Rong gave birth to Li, Li gave birth to Zhuan, and the great ancestor was regarded as the Grand Historian of Zhou through the ages."

"What kind of unofficial history are you reading? I've never heard of it!"

"The Ancient Texts of the Book of Documents show that although Bo Yikao had children, King Wen still chose to follow the Yin rituals and pass the throne to King Wu. The Yin rituals originally stipulated that the younger brother would succeed the elder brother, so there was no problem with that. But we now follow the Zhou rituals, which still stipulate that the son will succeed the father, and the grandson will succeed the son.

If the eldest son has no offspring, the throne can be passed down to the second son!"

"I don't know what the Seventeenth Prince is arguing about. If we follow the principle of father-to-son succession, the one who should inherit the throne now should be the Second Prince, Prince Wei. We should invite Prince Wei to the capital to take the throne."

"The Crown Prince is only twelve years old. The country relies on its eldest son!"

"The country cannot be without a ruler for a single day. Even if the second prince, Prince Wei, is the most suitable heir to the throne, he is far away in his own fiefdom. Even if the news is sent back and forth at full speed, it will take at least half a month for him to arrive.

I don’t know how much trouble will arise by then.

We still have to quickly decide on the position of crown prince.

The Seventeenth Prince is now the oldest prince in the capital, and he has already been engaged. He was supposed to get married in the second half of the year, and he would have been able to rule the country as soon as he ascended the throne. However, if the eldest grandson of the Emperor were to ascend the throne, I'm afraid the Empress Dowager would have to take over the throne."

"It is in accordance with etiquette and law for the eldest grandson of the emperor to succeed the throne."

"Did you set the etiquette?"

"That's ridiculous! How can a bastard inherit the throne when the legitimate son is still alive? The Second Prince, the Fourth Prince, and the Fifth Prince are all legitimate sons. Which one of them is less qualified than the Seventeenth Prince?"

In the chaos, the Seventeenth Prince's face looked particularly ugly, because he found that he had the least support. It seemed that what his mother said was right. If he wanted to seize the throne, he could only rely on force. He was really at a disadvantage if he relied on etiquette and laws.

Now he can only hope that his uncle will be more powerful and can really mobilize most of the imperial guards to support him.

Their plan was for him and his mother to work together from inside and outside, first mobilizing a group of 300 elite cavalrymen to try to control the situation. If they succeeded, that would be the best. If not, there was his uncle plotting outside, plus most of the imperial guards. Who else could the throne be but him?
At this time, the Crown Princess was also a little anxious.

Because the soldiers she had currently mobilized were all she could mobilize. When the Crown Prince was still around, in order to avoid being feared by his father, he dared not get too close to important officials in the civil service, let alone the military, for fear that the Emperor would think that he, the Crown Prince, was forming a clique for personal gain or conspiring to seize power.

So in reality, the prince can only mobilize a limited number of troops, let alone her, the crown princess.

And her family is a civil servant.

Therefore, there is really no follow-up support.

After further deliberation, the Crown Princess ultimately decided to execute a desperate plan, one that wouldn't be carried out unless absolutely necessary. Following her gaze, someone immediately and stealthily evacuated the Crown Princess's two sons to a safe location nearby. Simultaneously, under the pretense of arguing, she gradually approached the Seventeenth Prince. When she was two meters away, she quickly stepped forward, plucked out her hairpin, and lunged at him.

Leaving no room for maneuver, it hit Zhu Bai right in the chest.

She had it in her head. If the Crown Prince's family lost the fight, their entire family would surely perish. So, as long as they could kill the biggest threat, the Seventeenth Prince, even if she, the Crown Princess, was hacked to death by his followers, it would be worth it. And without the Seventeenth Prince, what would his faction be? Could they possibly support Concubine Guang or even usurp the throne themselves?

All the civil and military nobles in the court and the princes from all over the country.

It is absolutely impossible to allow.

It has to be said that the Crown Princess's actions were indeed too unexpected. The people responsible for protecting the Seventeenth Prince were only concerned with guarding against other soldiers around them, those holding knives, swords, and bows and crossbows.

I never thought that the Crown Princess was so noble.

I will assassinate him myself!

But the next second, they reacted quickly. Two of them drew their swords and attacked the Crown Princess, while another rushed to check on the Seventeenth Prince. Concubine Guang, who had previously trusted her brother and her family and felt that she had a sure win and had remained calm, rushed over like a madman.

Meanwhile, the ministers were arguing fiercely nearby.

I was also stunned at this time!

Of course, the people protecting the Crown Princess also reacted quickly and fought desperately with those who were protecting the Seventeenth Prince. The soldiers and guards who were originally in a stalemate on the side also started the killing mode.

At this moment, the Crown Princess, who was only scratched, hurriedly cried out, "The Seventeenth Prince is dead, why don't you surrender quickly? I swear in the name of the Crown Princess that I will only execute the ringleader and will not pursue the rest.

Lay down your weapons and surrender immediately."

"Bitch, I'm going to kill you!"

Amidst the shouts and cries of fighting and killing, the Crown Princess's voice was loud, but it was far less harsh and sharp than Concubine Guang's.

"I'm not dead yet. Don't worry about the Crown Princess. Kill those two little bastards quickly!" The Seventeenth Prince, who was wearing a heart-protection mirror to save his life, was only stabbed. Although he was scared to death, he still struggled to stand up and shouted.

Hearing his shout, the Crown Princess' pupils constricted immediately. The Seventeenth Prince's group, who had originally wanted to retreat, instantly became more energized and started fighting again.

"Why! Is it so lively?"

At this moment, everyone suddenly heard a deep and familiar voice that made them feel creepy.

Follow the sound and look.

Someone showed up who shouldn't have been there.

That's right, Ding Shui controlled the body of Emperor Tianwu and slowly walked out from behind the Purple Palace, accompanied by the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the chief of the Imperial Guard.

The accumulated power was so overwhelming that some of the more timid collapsed to the ground the moment they saw Emperor Tianwu appear, while others crept back, hoping no one would see them. The Crown Princess, the Seventeenth Prince, Concubine Guang, and the others all felt a pang of fear. Then the Crown Princess quickly knelt to plead guilty, or perhaps even complain: "Your Majesty, the Seventeenth Prince and Concubine Guang colluded with each other and without authorization, leading three hundred cavalrymen into the palace. The situation is critical, and I have not been able to report this in time. I await your decree. I hope Your Majesty will forgive me."

Compared to the Seventeenth Prince, the Crown Princess's presence is definitely more reasonable, so at this moment, the Seventeenth Prince Zhu Ba really couldn't refute anything. He could only sweat profusely, at a loss, and pray for support.

We have come to this point.

Even kneeling down and begging for mercy is useless.

"How could you be okay? This... this is all your conspiracy. You are deliberately pretending to be sick to deceive me!"

After a while, Concubine Guang was the first to break down and yell.

Ever since giving birth to a pig's head, Concubine Guang had fallen completely out of favor. Though she wasn't deposed or demoted, Emperor Tianwu never visited her again. She had originally thought she could secure the lives of her entire family with a desperate attempt to become Empress Dowager, but upon seeing Emperor Tianwu emerge healthy, she knew she had been tricked. An emperor in his dying state and a vibrant and energetic emperor were clearly two different things.

Facing the latter, there is no chance of winning at all.

Of course, what really made Concubine Guang collapse was that she saw the chief of the imperial guards standing next to Emperor Tianwu. The chief of the imperial guards was standing right next to Emperor Tianwu. It was obvious that Emperor Tianwu could not be unaware of the situation of the imperial guards, and it was impossible for the imperial guards to be persuaded by her brother.

Don't even think about waiting for rescue now.

It’s even a question whether her brother is still alive!

"So what? You guys have disappointed me so much. Put down your weapons. Since you haven't caused any major chaos, I won't kill you. At most, I'll exile you.

Go out properly later.

The Embroidered Uniform Guards are waiting outside."

Emperor Tianwu's prestige over the years was more effective than any token or oral order, especially when he promised not to kill them, the crowd no longer had any thoughts of resistance.

They put down their weapons and walked out tremblingly.

"Fortunately, those princes are not in the capital, otherwise I can't imagine how chaotic it would be. After just a few days of absence, so many monsters and demons have appeared.

Concubine Guang and her entire family were demoted to commoners.

Exiled to Liaobei.

Zhu Bei's clan and lineage were exiled."

"The Crown Prince is demoted to the rank of Prince of Qin, and the Crown Princess is demoted to the rank of Princess of Qin. However, they will be granted the same burial rites as the Crown Prince. Furthermore, the Ministry of Rites is drafting an edict, summoning all vassal kings to the capital. I am re-establishing the Crown Prince's position, and have them prepare for me!"

Ding Shui's words made their meaning clear: it was impossible to appoint a grandson as the Crown Prince and pass the throne directly to his grandchildren. Demoting the Crown Prince to the position of King of Qin was actually a way to protect his family. After all, if the Crown Prince's descendants were not chosen to inherit the throne, their family would still bear the title of the Crown Prince's descendants. When the new emperor ascended the throne, their lives would not be easy.

The sooner you are demoted to a prince, the sooner you can escape from the whirlpool.

Although the Crown Princess was disappointed, she did not dare to complain and could only bow her head and express her gratitude.

Immediately afterwards, Ding Shui punished the nobles who had brought troops into the palace without permission. The Embroidered Uniform Guard also arrested many people in the capital. Many eunuchs and palace maids in the palace were arrested and imprisoned, clearing the capital again.

After doing all this, he also criticized all the officials.

This makes them leave.

The officials did not breathe a sigh of relief until they had completely left the palace, feeling as if they had been saved.

After returning, they gathered in groups of three or five to discuss privately.

"That person seems to have changed a lot."

"A lot has changed. I thought I might die, but I actually made it out alive."

"I'm not kidding you, I'm serious. Concubine Guang and her family forced the emperor to abdicate, which is a heinous crime. In the past, even if it wasn't an heinous crime, the whole clan would have been exterminated. This time, they were only demoted to commoners and exiled. It's too strange.

It's okay if you can't bear to kill your own son.

But when have you ever been so kind to others?"

"Indeed, in the past, some eunuchs and palace maids who committed crimes were immediately caned to death, but this time, Your Majesty did not cane any of them. He simply dragged them to the Ministry of Punishment."

"Could it be that I've grown soft-hearted due to my age?"

"Perhaps he was frightened by the death of the prince."

"I don't know which force is so bold as to assassinate the Crown Prince. I think you should not be too optimistic for now. This is probably the calm before the storm."

"I agree. The Crown Prince's assassination will definitely not be forgotten. You and the forces behind you should have nothing to do with this matter. If you are, it would be best for us to break off our relationship as soon as possible, or send a few children to live in hiding, or even change their names and surnames and marry into other families."

"It has nothing to do with it. It definitely has nothing to do with it."

"It's unlikely that we were the ones to do this. The Crown Prince is known for his kindness and generosity. Everyone believes that after he ascends the throne, he will at least become Emperor Taizong Wen. If we really wanted to do something, we would definitely let him ascend the throne as soon as possible. There's no way we would assassinate him."

"Wait, I have a bold idea.

Could it be another prince who murdered the prince?

"I have always believed that his sons are very friendly and respectful to each other, and their relationships are extremely harmonious. If he were to find out that a certain prince had assassinated the crown prince, the blow would be even greater than the crown prince's death, isn't it?"

"It's getting more and more scary."

"Since the assassination has nothing to do with us, let's stop worrying about it and quickly discuss who we should support after the princes arrive in Beijing."

"The main ones are just the older legitimate sons, and the others shouldn't be considered. However, none of those older legitimate sons are easy to deal with. They all have experience leading troops on foreign expeditions, so they are probably closer to military generals and nobles.

If they get promoted.

This is not a good thing for us civil servants.”

"It's a pity that the current emperor has clearly rejected the possibility of the eldest grandson becoming the crown prince. Otherwise, we might still be able to push the eldest grandson to the throne and make him the crown prince. Even if he is younger and may need the Empress Dowager to look after him, the Crown Princess's family is also one with us civil officials. In any case, it is better than those princes who are closer to military officials and nobles."

"Not necessarily. Since Your Majesty has already rejected the idea of making the eldest grandson the Crown Prince, according to etiquette and law, the Second Prince, Prince Wei, is undoubtedly the most qualified to be the new Crown Prince.

All we have to do is try to discredit the King of Wei.

They even fabricated clues to make the current emperor suspect that the death of the crown prince was related to the King of Wei. At that time, the emperor would definitely feel that the King of Wei could not be made the crown prince. But if the King of Wei was skipped and other princes were made the crown prince, it would undoubtedly undermine the system of primogeniture and become a system of selecting the virtuous and capable.

But once the prince selects talented and capable people.

That would be too dangerous.

After all, there are too many and inaccurate standards for judging whether a person is wise and capable. The princes will inevitably fight endlessly because of this, which will affect the relationship between brothers and lay the seeds of disastrous consequences for the future fight for the throne.

From this we can conclude that it is best to adhere to the system of primogeniture.

After all, it is difficult to tell whether a person is wise or not, but it is difficult to tell whether a person is the eldest son or grandson.

It is undoubtedly quite easy to distinguish!

Since the Prince of Wei, who will be the new eldest son after the Crown Prince's death, is not suitable, and skipping the Prince of Wei would undermine the system of primogeniture, we should push for the Emperor's eldest grandson, the most legitimate eldest son and grandson, to become the Crown Prince. There should be fewer obstacles. What do you think of this plan?"

"interesting."

"Maybe we can give it a try. If another Martial Emperor comes, we won't be able to live like this anymore."

Many officials were really fed up with working under Emperor Tianwu, but the prince performed well, so the core motivation for them to keep working was that after a few years, the prince would succeed to the throne and everyone would have a good life.

But now the prince was suddenly assassinated.

Emperor Tianwu seems to want to find a prince on horseback to be the crown prince. How can everyone not panic and not think about sabotage?

Of course, these were mainly civil officials. The military generals and nobles had different ideas from them. The military generals thought it would be good to have a prince who knew military affairs, understood warfare, and even had been on the battlefield, as the crown prince. At least he would not treat them too badly.

The nobles' ideas are more complicated.

Because many nobles were married to princes from various regions, they naturally wanted to support their sons-in-law. Therefore, many nobles actively sent people to visit the princes' palaces to inquire about their sons-in-law's opinions and whether they needed any help. It was a win-win situation for everyone!

However, the speed of information transmission was too slow, and the princes in various places did not receive the news until six or seven days later.

First, I received the news that the prince was assassinated.

And the news that Emperor Tianwu had suffered a stroke and was dying.

Before they could decide whether to violate the rule that princes were not allowed to enter the capital without an imperial edict and lead their troops back to the capital to compete for the throne, Emperor Tianwu was fine and summoned them to the capital. The edict to re-elect the crown prince came. The difference in the content of the edict made many princes feel uneasy, and even suspected that something big had happened in the capital.

(End of this chapter)