Cixi was playing chess with an old eunuch on the side of the Fushou Terrace with a red sandalwood inlay precious white jade carving in the dormitory, and he seemed to be a little absent-minded, and his eyes were restless looking out of the dimly lit window.

"Queen Mother, it's time for you to go." The old eunuch cautiously reminded Cixi that Cixi picked up a cannon and hit the other party.

"Queen Mother, you only care about eating the slave's pawn, you don't pay attention to the slave's handlebar, the slave kills one of the Queen Mother's horses!" The old eunuch stared at the chessboard, pressed it down with all his might, picked up one of the opponent's horses, and played proudly in his hand.

Cixi was in a bad mood, but when she heard that the old eunuch was going to kill and cut down, her face changed. She slapped her face on the board and scolded, "You're going to kill my horse? What a big breath! If you kill my horse, I'll kill your whole family!" Come on! ”

Only then did the old eunuch realize that he had made a mistake, trembling all over, and hurriedly knelt on the ground and kowtowed: "Queen Mother, the slave said the wrong thing...... Queen Mother, just spare the minions......"

Several eunuchs came running to listen to the order.

"Pull him down and beat him to death!" Cixi said angrily.

"Chirp"

After a while, the old eunuch was dragged outside, and several wooden sticks kept falling, and the flesh and blood on the old eunuch's buttocks flew up, and the surrounding snow turned red. It's a lot of lumps and it doesn't move. Several eunuchs dragged him outside the palace.

At this time, Li Lianying ran over from a distance, hurriedly looked at the Queen Mother of the West and said, "Queen Mother, Queen Mother......"

"The Queen Mother, the Emperor ......" Li Lianying ran into the palace and knelt on the ground.

"What? What happened to the Emperor? Cixi stared at him, "The emperor has died." ”

"Emperor" Cixi suddenly shed tears in her eyes.

Although Cixi was quite strict with him when Tongzhi was alive, after all, it was a piece of meat that fell from her depth, and she suddenly became sad.

"Queen Mother, you, you must mourn, don't be too sad! You have to think about the country, and the Qing Dynasty can't do without you. Li Lianying handed over the silk handkerchief very contrivedly!

"Little Lizi, I'm sad...... After all, the emperor is my son, can I not feel sorry for him? Back then, I was just a concubine, if I hadn't given birth to him, how could I be the queen mother! How can you hold the harem seal with the East Palace? But he's too uncompetitive. ran outside the palace to mess around, and partnered with this outsider to calculate me. You want to send me into the cold palace......" Cixi choked up.

In the evening, there were many people gathered in the Xinuan Pavilion, and the Minister of Military Aircraft and the Imperial Princes of the Near Branch all received orders to enter the palace quickly, Prince Gong, Prince Alcohol, Prince Yan, King Huijun, Xu Tong, Weng Tongsu, Minister of Internal Affairs Yinggui, Chonglun, etc. They were all waiting anxiously outside the temple. Prince Gong and Minister of Military Aircraft Li Hongzao waited silently on the side.

"The Empress Dowager Huang of the Two Palaces has arrived"

The ministers immediately divided into two rows, one row for the royal family and the other for the court ministers. They bowed their heads respectfully and listened to the command.

"Respectfully the Queen Mother of the Two Palaces," everyone shouted in unison.

"Get up," said Tzu An.

"Xie Lianggong Empress Dowager"

The ministers stood up one after another, standing in order, Ci'an gently straightened his bun, and nodded at the Cixi.

Cixi did not wear a ceremonial dress, she did not ascend the throne, but stood next to her, she shed tears full of sorrow and said: "I invited everyone in the middle of the night today, and I want to ask the princes and ministers to decide, the emperor has been ill for many days. At stake, the foundation of the Qing Dynasty for hundreds of years is renewed, and our sisters would like to ask you to give you an idea. ”

Ci'an was silent for a while, wiped away her tears, and said, "Everyone think about it carefully, and then make a decision." This matter is related to the rise and fall of the Qing Dynasty, and it must not be taken seriously. ”

At this time, in the palace of Prince Alcohol, Xiao Zaiyan, that is, Guan Xuqing, was sleeping in the arms of his nursing mother, and suddenly woke up with night sweats. I can vaguely feel the tension in the air! Shout at the nurse, "Quick, change my clothes!" I want to see Amma! ”

Cui Xi was also taken aback by him, "Little prince, what's wrong?" The prince has been called into the palace. What's the matter, let's talk about it tomorrow, didn't the prince promise you to let Master Luo teach you to ride a horse tomorrow! ”

"Oh" Zai Yan exhaled, thinking in his heart, he was called into the palace at this time, could it be that the emperor was already hanging? ? It seems that someone will come to the palace tonight to take me into the palace and become the most emperor in history. In the past few years, he has been thinking in his heart about how to get rid of Cixi, and then make an arbitrary decision to implement changes and new policies. Rewrite the modern history of China's humiliation. Now that he is about to enter the palace, how can he not be excited! "I'm thirsty, pour me a cup of tea," Jae-yan said to Tri-hee.

The Forbidden City was extraordinarily quiet, as if nothing had happened, and as if it was a temporary silence before the storm!! Cixi's shrill voice came from the Xinuan Pavilion: "Ladies and gentlemen, have you thought about it?" ”

There was silence all around, and after a while, King Fujun said: "The emperor has no children, so you can choose a year-old person among the emperor's nephews as the emperor's heir and succeed to the throne." From this point of view, Pu Lun, the son of Emperor Daoguang's eldest son, Fujun Wang Yiyu, is the best candidate. His appearance is dignified, just in the peak of the Spring and Autumn Period, and his character and knowledge are quite outstanding. Importantly, he is the eldest son and eldest grandson of Emperor Daoguang! Meet the conditions for succession. ”

Cixi glared at him and reprimanded: "Emperor Daoguang's eldest son, King Yijun of Fujun, has no children, and the first emperor can't bear the depression of the long house, so he posthumously crowned this eldest brother who had never met as the king of the county, and succeeded the descendant of Emperor Qianlong's eleventh son, Yongzhen, as his descendant. Although it is the eldest son and eldest grandson of the long house, it is not the bloodline of Emperor Daoguang at all, and it is already a distant branch of the royal family. How can you inherit the unification? ”

Cixi turned her gaze to Prince Gong again, and asked directly: "Prince Gong, as a prince of the royal family and an auxiliary minister, why doesn't he speak?" ”

Prince Gong was stunned in his heart, and hurriedly said: "The emperor is at the peak of the Spring and Autumn Period, and even occasional illnesses will be cured, and the establishment of an heir can be postponed." Besides, Queen Arut already has a dragon species, and she can wait for the queen to give birth before making a final decision. ”

Cixi's face was full of sorrow, and she paused for a while and said, "What Prince Gong said is extremely true, but it's just ...... It's just the emperor...... It's gone. ”

As soon as the words fell, the Chinese people suddenly became a mess, and they all knelt on the ground and cried.

"Ladies and gentlemen, now is not the time to cry, the matter of establishing an heir needs to be decided quickly!" Cixi said.

"The queen is not far from the day of childbirth, it is better to keep it secret, and after the queen gives birth, if she gives birth to a prince, she will be established as the heir. If you give birth to a princess, it is not too late to set up a new king. Prince Gong said.

Cixi paused, endured her grief, looked around at everyone, and said: "The Qing Dynasty can't be like no king, besides, the queen doesn't know whether it is a man or a woman in her womb, how can the throne be empty all the time?" There is no king in the Puzi generation, the older ones are mediocre and incompetent, and the younger ones are too young. The palace believes that the son of Prince Alcohol is a suitable candidate, although he is only four years old, he is smart, handsome, and has the appearance of an emperor. ”

Prince Alcohol was startled and broke out in a cold sweat. The princes and ministers were also stunned for a while, and they didn't expect Cixi to make such an unexpected decision. Everyone was amazed and silent. No one dared to speak out against it, unless he wanted to die.

"The country is in an eventful season, and I am afraid that the establishment of young children is not conducive to the society of the country." Prince Gong said bravely.

"It is better to elect young people than to choose the elderly and incompetent. There are two houses to raise, and Zai Yu will definitely become a generation of masters...... Sister, what do you say? Cixi turned her head to Ci'an.

"Well, the son of Prince Alcohol is suitable to inherit the throne." Ci'an nodded.

"My lords, this matter is settled. Now I will ask Li Hongzao to draw up the purpose. A hint of relief flashed on Empress Dowager Cixi's cold face.

At this moment, Prince Alcohol fell to his knees and collapsed on the ground. His heart was suddenly surrounded by sudden happiness and nameless panic.

"Seventh Master, what's wrong with you?" Cixi asked suspiciously.

"Back to the Queen Mother, the minister...... Chancellor was a little uncomfortable. Prince Alcohol hurriedly covered up.

"Little Lizi, help Prince Alcohol to get up."

"Chirp"

The ministers stood with their hands down.

The day gradually brightened, and after a while, the court sent to the provinces:

Edict: Emperor Kaowen Zongxian Emperor Longen, Chong Ling into the continuation of Chengzuo, thanks to the two palaces of the Empress Dowager to listen to the government, hard work, the peace of the country is increased, for Chinese and foreign subjects to see...... Now inheriting the decree of the Empress Dowager of the two palaces, the eldest son of Prince Lichu Yixun, succeeding Emperor Wenzongxian as his son, and entering the unification as the heir emperor......