The Ming Dynasty: I Fabricated Dreams for Zhu Di 70

Chapter 70: Accession to the Throne! The Burning of the Palace, and a Brawl Among Officials

Zhu Gaoxu, his posture slightly stooped but still standing tall at the entrance, his face etched with wrinkles yet unable to conceal the tiger-like aura about him, walked into the Hall of Supreme Harmony with Zhao Wang Zhu Gaosu. His steps were steady, not at all like a man in his sixties.

Upon seeing the newcomers, Sun Ruowei abruptly rose. Impossible? Why was Zhu Gaoxu here?

The officials were instantly dumbfounded. Most officials thought… *Who is this person?* A few, veteran officials from the Yongle Dynasty, immediately recognized him. Yu Qian’s expression turned grave.

“Prince Han, what is the meaning of this? Leading troops into the Hall of Supreme Harmony!”

“Do you intend to rebel?!”

Hearing this, the officials murmured.

“It’s actually Prince Han?”

A feudal prince bringing troops into the hall – they all knew what he intended.

Zhu Gaoxu looked at the unfamiliar faces with indifference. Xia Yuanji, Jian Yi, Yang Shiqi, Yang Rong—they seemed to have all passed away. He only recognized Sun Ruowei, the Empress Dowager. Of course, on his way here, he had learned about the current leading officials.

Zhu Gaoxu laughed heartily, “Rebellion? Such harsh words! The court has suffered the Tumu Fort Incident, bringing the nation to the brink of ruin. I, Han Wang Zhu Gaoxu, act on the behest of the Founder Emperor and Emperor Taizong, to cleanse the court and save the nation!”

Zhu Gaoxu approached Zhu Qizhen. Overwhelmed by Zhu Gaoxu’s imposing presence, Zhu Qizhen dared not meet his gaze.

Zhu Gaoxu stared at Zhu Qizhen and said with a smile, “Nephew, aren’t you going to give up your seat to your great-uncle?”

Zhu Qizhen promptly rose and yielded the Dragon Throne. He was quite sensible.

Zhu Gaoxu sat heavily on the Dragon Throne. The throne was finally his! He had waited sixteen years for this day, or fifty-odd years if one were to count the time in the dream world. At this moment, he felt immense satisfaction. The Dragon Throne was indeed enthralling, captivating.

As the officials saw Zhu Gaoxu seated on the Dragon Throne, some immediately lost their composure.

“Audacious! A feudal prince daring to usurp the throne!”

Following the sound, Zhu Gaoxu saw that it was a scholar from the Hanlin Academy.

Zhu Gaoxu looked calmly at the man. Then, one of his guards stepped forward and beheaded him with a single strike. Blood splattered. The entire hall fell silent.

Zhu Gaoxu smiled contentedly, “Zhu Qizhen could temporarily manage state affairs and sit on the Dragon Throne, so why can’t I?”

“Don’t you agree, my dear niece-in-law?”

Zhu Gaoxu glared at Sun Ruowei, who was listening behind the curtain.

Faced with Zhu Gaoxu’s intimidation, Sun Ruowei wanted to object, but the previous scene frightened her. She knew that any hint of defiance would result in her immediate death.

Zhu Gaosu, somewhat impatient, said, “Second Brother, why waste so much time with them? One sentence: Those who submit will live; those who refuse, will be exterminated.”

Zhu Gaosu’s eyes flashed coldly as he scanned the assembled officials. Except for Yu Qian, Wang Zhi, and a few others, the rest bowed their heads, unable to meet his gaze. The earlier display of power had achieved its effect. No one dared to defy Zhu Gaoxu.

Seeing this, Zhu Gaosu shouted, “Since you all have no objections, from now on, my second brother is the Emperor!”

“Where is Xu Youzhen?”

Xu Youzhen quickly stepped forward, “Your humble servant is Xu Youzhen.”

“Ah, I remember you’re from the Hanlin Academy, right? Drafting an imperial edict of accession – you can do that, yes?”

Xu Youzhen stepped forward and loudly proclaimed, “Long live the new Emperor! The edict of accession, I will write it now!”

Seeing these sensible officials, Zhu Gaoxu and Zhu Gaosu couldn’t help but laugh.

Then, Zhu Gaoxu calmly said to Sun Ruowei, “Empress Dowager Sun, with me handling state affairs, there is no need for you to listen to the government behind a curtain. Take her back to the palace for a good rest. The weather is dry; be careful with fire.”

Zhu Gaosu immediately understood Zhu Gaoxu’s meaning. He looked at Di Ping. They were experienced in such matters; handling this was a piece of cake. The previous Empress Dowager had perished in a fire. This one following in her predecessor’s footsteps was fitting.

After securing control of the court, the next step was to eliminate dissidents and stabilize the officials’ morale. In fact, the officials were not particularly opposed to Zhu Gaoxu’s ascension. Some even felt a sense of relief. This was due to Wang Zhen and his cronies having oppressed the officials for a long time, as well as the Brocade Guard.

Soon, someone stood up and shouted, “Your humble servant, Wang Hong, Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, implores Prince Han to immediately issue an edict to execute Wang Zhen and his accomplices, to give an account for the soldiers who died at Tumu Fort!”

As soon as Wang Hong spoke, the officials were enraged, shouting, “We implore Prince Han to immediately issue an edict to execute Wang Zhen and his accomplices, to give an account for the soldiers who died at Tumu Fort!”

Libu Shangshu Wang Zhi and Yu Qian also spoke up.

Immediately, Wang Zhen’s cronies, especially Ma Shun, the commander of the Brocade Guard, quickly stood up to refute, “New Emperor! Your humble servant is innocent! They are the traitors! The Tumu Fort incident has nothing to do with us!”

Hearing Ma Shun and the others blatantly lie, Wang Zhi, Wang Hong, and the other officials gritted their teeth. Since the death of the Empress Dowager Zhang, Wang Zhen and his cronies, along with the commander of the Brocade Guard, had constantly harassed them. To see the emperor, they needed to pay bribes. Their salaries were already meager, yet they had to constantly pay tributes to the eunuchs; Ma Shun, the commander of the Brocade Guard, also obeyed Wang Zhen to curry favor. However, Zhu Qizhen favored Wang Zhen, and their repeated remonstrances were fruitless, nearly costing them their lives. They could only endure silently.

Zhu Gaoxu and Zhu Gaosu, of course, knew this. They intended to execute Wang Zhen’s cronies and Ma Shun to stabilize the officials’ morale. Essentially, eliminating these people would gain the loyalty of most officials. After all, Ma Shun and Wang Zhen had ruthlessly oppressed these officials.

Before Zhu Gaoxu could speak, Wang Hong suddenly stood up, sprinted forward, and kicked the kneeling Ma Shun. Then, his powerful fist rained down on Ma Shun.

“Damn you, I’ll risk everything to make you pay with your life!!!”

The officials, filled with righteous indignation, rushed forward to beat Wang Zhen’s cronies and Ma Shun. Zhu Gaoxu and Zhu Gaosu were amused by this scene. These civil officials could actually fight. The officials beat and kicked Ma Shun mercilessly, even using elbows. They struck without mercy, intending to kill him. Ma Shun, the commander of the Brocade Guard, was beaten to death in the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

(End of Chapter)

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