blogombal Chapter 1945 Everyone's Pressuring Him
Chapter 1945 Everyone's Pressuring Him
The ascension of a new emperor is a momentous event.
But this major event came so suddenly.
Of course, it can't be said to be sudden. In the days leading up to it, Zhou Shiyue had actually been sending people out to spread rumors from time to time.
Those who held positions in the imperial court were naturally already aware of the situation within their families. Rumors circulated among them in secret, such as this—
"I have something to tell you, but you mustn't tell anyone..."
"I definitely won't tell!"
Turning around, he said, "Let me tell you..."
As the news spread, many people in the capital came to know that a change in the imperial court was imminent.
However, it is better for the crown prince to succeed to the throne than for the emperor to be seriously injured or ill, leaving the country without a ruler.
In the past two or three years, there have been many things happening in the capital, and the people have felt quite miserable, with so many people dying.
Moreover, during the previous conscription, many young and strong men from the capital were also conscripted. Although they were not far from home, they generally knew that the camps were not well-fed or clothed, and that the conscripts had to bring them things from time to time.
In any case, they all felt that after the death of the retired emperor, the Great Zhou Dynasty was on a crazy downward spiral.
In the past two years, in addition to the snow disaster and deaths in Beijing, strange and bizarre things have also frequently happened in various places, with many people dying in strange ways.
However, because it was not a large-scale casualty incident, it did not spread widely and was only talked about as various strange tales in private conversations.
The storytelling material used by storytellers in various places over the past three years has become somewhat supernatural.
There was also a theatrical troupe that used to perform all over the place. They put on a few plays about a ghost bride seeking revenge, and they were actually quite popular.
The day before yesterday, this opera troupe also came to the capital. They performed the play once, and yesterday, when they were about to perform the second play, the stage collapsed. One of the main actors, who was playing the ghost bride's husband, was injured. Everyone was talking about it. Some people said that the ghost bride had really appeared. She was so engrossed in the play that she knocked down the stage to get revenge.
In this atmosphere of widespread anxiety and a somewhat eerie atmosphere throughout the city, the old emperor and the new emperor attracted even more attention.
The imperial palace, the emperor's sleeping quarters.
When the emperor woke up, a bright yellow cloth was presented to him.
Eunuch Qin carried the items, his head bowed, not daring to meet the Emperor's gaze.
"What...what is this? What imperial edict is being issued?" the emperor said weakly. "I have no imperial edict to issue."
"Your Majesty, this is the edict of self-reproach drafted for you by Grand Secretary Meng and several censors. Would you like this old servant to read it to you? After you hear it, it will be sealed and proclaimed to the world..."
"Cough cough cough!" The emperor couldn't help but cough.
He was shocked.
"Little Qinzi, am I hearing things? I actually heard the words 'Imperial Edict of Self-Reproach'?"
Eunuch Qin: "......"
Your Majesty, you can hear so clearly. It seems that the First Mystic Sect is quite powerful. At least your hearing is perfectly fine. You clearly hear it very clearly.
Eunuch Qin didn't speak; it wasn't appropriate for him to say much at this moment.
But Zhou Shiyue is there.
The crown prince was also there.
However, the Crown Prince stayed a distance away and did not approach the imperial bed.
Zhou Shiyue was sitting not far away. He hadn't been able to stand and wait while the emperor was still asleep, so he was very relaxed sitting there, not sitting up straight at all.
He heard the Emperor's question and saw Eunuch Qin looking over with a pleading look in his eyes, so he clicked his tongue, stood up, and walked towards the dragon bed.
The Crown Prince was actually somewhat worried about Zhou Shiyue doing this kind of thing.
I wonder if people will say he forced my father to abdicate in the future. And will this edict of self-reproach also be criticized as being written by my uncle forcing my father to write it?
He had previously told his uncle about his concerns, but his uncle said it didn't matter, as long as they were all directed at him.
Zhou Shiyue walked to the bedside, and when the emperor saw him, his eyes instantly turned somewhat frightened.
"Ah Yue!"
"It seems that His Majesty's eyes and ears are both in good condition, with no problems."
Zhou Shiyue glanced at the edict of self-reproach and said to Eunuch Qin, "Read it to the Emperor."
"Yes."
Grandpa Qin quickly began to read it aloud.
He was afraid the emperor wouldn't hear him clearly, so he read aloud, paying attention to the pronunciation of each word.
The emperor was both shocked and furious upon hearing this.
"When did I say I was going to issue an edict of self-reproach? I absolutely do not want to have this thing! Burn it, burn it for me! Eunuch Qin, did you hear me?"
The emperor shouted loudly.
Zhou Shiyue raised his hand and waved it, and Eunuch Qin, holding the edict of self-reproach, took a few steps back and stood aside to minimize his presence.
"Burned?"
Zhou Shiyue lowered his head and looked at the Emperor.
The emperor instinctively tried to shrink back at his gaze, but his back was already against the bed, leaving him nowhere to retreat.
"A-Yue, you must believe me. I truly didn't intend to kill you back then," the Emperor said, looking at Zhou Shiyue with deep regret and guilt. "You should remember now, right? I did stop Master Yu back then. It was him, he disregarded my orders and tried to harm you himself!"
“Yes, I remember now, and I believe you regretted it back then, but,” Zhou Shiyue sneered, “before you regretted it, you did order Master Yu to take my life, didn’t you?”
"I, I..." The Emperor thought frantically for a long time, then suddenly mustered up his courage to meet Zhou Shiyue's gaze, as if he were about to explode with anger, "So what if I once thought of taking action against you?"
He coughed a few more times as he said this, sounding somewhat agitated.
"Your father always doted on you, and only on you! When you were still a little kid, I was already an adult and had been the crown prince for many years, but your father always praised you in front of the ministers!"
"In Father's eyes, I, a grown man, am not even as good as you, who are only three years old! Do you know how much grievance and anger I have suffered over the years? Yes, although Father eventually gave me the throne, it was because you were still young at the time, playful, and in poor health!"
The emperor's face turned red, and he started coughing again.
He's coughing so badly right now, and Grandpa Qin just stands there like a statue, not rushing over to help him catch his breath like he used to.
The Emperor realized this, but he couldn't care less about that now, and just continued to call out to Zhou Shiyue.
"Now you're all grown up, married, and have even married such a formidable princess. You went to the southwest and Subei, and you've already won over the hearts of the army and the people there. Don't think I don't know!"
"So, who knows what you're thinking now? Maybe you'll suddenly try to seize my throne! I'm getting old now, and if it really came down to it, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to beat you, but why should I?"
"I've only been sitting on this dragon throne for a short time! Even Zhou Ze can't take it from me! He's still young, is he in such a hurry to seize this dragon throne? What will the history books of the Great Zhou say about me in the future? Will they say I'm incompetent or foolish?"
The emperor coughed violently again, pounding his chest.