After a long while, when the crying was quieter, the Queen Mother said again: "The country cannot be without a king for a day!" Now the hostile foreign enemies of the Quartet are eyeing Yanling, and once they learn that the emperor has died, they will definitely take the opportunity to invade our border. The meaning of the mourning family is to let the new monarch succeed to the throne today, so that the mandate of heaven can be appeased, the people can be appeased, and foreign enemies will not be distracted. I wonder what you think? ”

Xiangguo Li Mingzhong said at this time: "Dare to ask the Queen Mother, I don't know if the emperor can leave an edict before he dies?" ”

The Queen Mother slowly took out a yellow scroll from her sleeve and said, "The emperor's edict is here!" ”

The hundred officials knelt down again, and Sima Hongyan also knelt down with the scolding in his heart. The problem of always kneeling at every turn made Sima Hongyan very annoying.

The Queen Mother handed the edict to the side, and immediately a eunuch took it, and the Queen Mother sighed and said, "Announce the edict!" ”

The eunuch respectfully opened the edict, walked to the side of the stage, and read it in his characteristic shrill voice.

Sima Hongyan really has no talent for those words in the crepe, and he can't understand a word, and it sounds like a foreign language. However, seeing that the faces of the ministers are getting worse and worse, it is estimated that there is nothing good to say about the content of the edict. But after reading for a long time, Sima Hongyan didn't hear a name appear, and until the eunuch finished reading, she didn't know who she was passing the throne to.

After listening to the edict, the ministers whispered again, as if what they heard was a little unexpected to them. Sima Hongyan was anxious, so he asked the minister next to him directly: "What did the holy decree say?" To whom did the throne pass? ”

The minister looked confused, and said to Sima Hongyan casually: "The edict did not say who to pass it on, but asked the hundred officials to discuss and elect a new emperor with both ability and political integrity!" ”

This content also surprised Sima Hongyan, he didn't expect Emperor Yanzhen to come so much, and hurriedly asked, "Yan is here...... The two princes, His Royal Highness the Second Highness and His Royal Highness the Ninth Highness, do you still need to consider who to choose? ”

The minister glanced at Sima Hongyan at this time, and asked very politely, "Can't you understand all the words in the edict just now?" Sima Hongyan didn't understand a word at all, she didn't feel embarrassed, and nodded without hesitation.

The minister sighed and said: "The edict does not let the hundred officials choose one of the two princes, but recommend it at will, and anyone can do it!" ”

Can you still play like this? Sima Hongyan never expected that Emperor Yanzhen would leave such an edict.

When the ministers were almost muttered, the Queen Mother said: "I don't know what your lordships think about what the edict says?" ”

The ministers looked at each other, but no one could answer. Yanling has always been the Yan dynasty, and the kings of all dynasties are all Yan clans, but I didn't expect Emperor Yanzhen to leave such a will on his deathbed, and the officials couldn't figure out what the intention was.

After all, the ministers are all loyal ministers of the past dynasties, serving the emperors of the Yan Dynasty for several generations, for them, being a very popular minister is a lifelong pursuit, but they have never had the ambition to be an emperor, so they don't know how to deal with it for a while.

Seeing that the ministers didn't speak, the queen mother said: "You don't have to doubt the emperor's thoughts, the emperor means that the throne of Yanling should be occupied by a capable person, if any minister feels that he can take on the heavy responsibility of Yanling, even if Mao Sui recommends himself, it is okay." ”

"Weichen doesn't dare!" The ministers fell to their knees again.

The Queen Mother had long expected that this would be the result, the ministers had been loyal for several generations, and they would not do it if they were killed if they were allowed to do things that were chaotic. These people's loyalty to the imperial power is something engraved in their bones, and daring to have different intentions is the sin of the Nine Clans, and they don't dare.

The Queen Mother nodded with satisfaction and said, "That being the case, the mourning family has no choice but to ask the adults to make a choice among the two princes." The emperor's sudden death was really unfortunate for my Yanling, and he did not designate a prince before his death. In the past few days, there have been two civil strife, which has caused many princes to suffer misfortune, and now the Yan family only has this bit of blood left, and I ask you to support it more. ”

Baiguan looked at the two princes standing on the stage, Yan Ze followed behind the eldest prince that day to help him rebel against the usurpation, which was seen by all the adults, but he didn't expect that he was still brazen at this time, standing in front of the stage in a big way, delusional to be the emperor.

A civil official came out of the crowd at this time and said to the Queen Mother: "Empress Dowager Qiqi, although the Queen Mother wants to set up a new emperor quickly for the great plan of Yanling, Weichen thinks that His Royal Highness has assisted His Royal Highness in rebellion, and he is guilty, and he should no longer be qualified to compete for the throne at this time." Yichen thinks that His Royal Highness Nine has both ability and political integrity in the past, and he has worked hard for the country, so it should be logical to inherit the throne. ”

One person proposed it, and several ministers immediately echoed it, all of whom recommended Yan Hong to inherit the throne.

Sima Hongyan looked at Yan Ze and Yan Hong's expressions carefully at this time, who knew that these two people all had indifferent faces, as if what the ministers said had nothing to do with them.

There are more and more ministers who seconded the proposal, and almost ninety percent of the ministers insisted on letting His Royal Highness Nine inherit the throne, and there were even many people who proposed to investigate the second prince Yan Zezhu for the crime. Since the Son of Heaven is guilty of the same crime as the common people, the two princes should be punished by the law of the country.

The Queen Mother listened to the advice of the ministers in the audience without saying a word, and waited until the ministers were quiet before she said: "You said that the second prince assisted the eldest prince in rebelling, I'm afraid that your lordships have some misunderstandings. The second prince was also coerced by the eldest prince at that time, and he had to do it as a last resort, which could not be regarded as helping to abuse him, and the second prince also contributed a lot to quelling the civil strife of the eldest prince, even if he had something wrong, the merits could be offset. ”

When the ministers heard this, they couldn't help but feel angry, this is simply a strong argument, a woman's opinion. Saying this, could it be that when the civil and military officials saw it at that time, it was a dream?

At first, the Wenchen said at this time: "The Queen Mother's words are wrong! The minister saw with his own eyes that day, the Second Highness followed the eldest prince and went freely, without any binding and no escort, how could he coerce? If it is said that the people who are coerced are probably the Nine Highnesses and several other highnesses who are bound. Another thing, His Royal Highness's rebellion was quelled, and it was all relied on Sima Commander to lead his subordinates to fight less and more, and use their lives to drag the rebels to save the troops, so that His Highness's rebellion failed, and Weichen and others were able to save their lives. The minister really doesn't know what the peace of mind has to do with the Second Highness! ”

The Queen Mother was a little annoyed when she was robbed, she didn't expect these ministers to dare to refute her in public. But she also knew that all the ministers who had seen what happened that day were seen with their own eyes, and what Yan Ze did was impossible to hide, so she had to say: "There are many hidden secrets in this, and the mourning family dares to guarantee that His Royal Highness will be the heart of the country and will not be adulterated." ”

Another Wenchen spoke up: "Even if the Second Highness is not held accountable, Weichen also thinks that in terms of talent, virtue, and prestige, only the Ninth Highness is suitable to inherit the throne." ”

The Queen Mother said: "Although your lordships say so, the mourning family still thinks that the Second Highness is the best candidate to inherit the throne. Although His Royal Highness the Ninth is also very good, he has only returned to the palace after leaving Beijing for many years, and he is afraid that he will be unfamiliar with political affairs, and His Royal Highness the Ninth has a cheerful personality on weekdays, and he is not smiling, I am afraid that he still lacks the sophistication and mellowness of the way of the king. According to the meaning of the mourning family, it is better to let the Second Highness inherit the throne! ”

All the officials were shocked, where was the queen mother discussing with everyone, it was already arranged, and she came here to act with the ministers.

A military general stood up and said, "I wonder what His Royal Highness the Ninth has to say about this matter?" The minister wants to hear what His Highness Nine means! ”

Who knew that Yan Hong hadn't spoken yet, but the Queen Mother said first: "The mourning family doesn't think that His Royal Highness Nine can't, but since he is the king of a country, he must have a king and emperor, and now His Royal Highness Nine is slightly disabled, how can he make the world shocked, doesn't it make the world think that my Yanling is unmanned?" ”

At this time, one of the ministers said: "Mingjun relies on Wen Taowu strategy, with both ability and political integrity, when did he become a face and look at his figure?" Besides, since you are listening to the opinions of the ministers and letting everyone nominate them, why do you point fingers and induce everyone's choice, Queen Mother? If the Queen Mother had already had her own plans, why would she be acting here for everyone to see? ”

These words are sonorous and powerful, and they are not directed at the Queen Mother, completely exposing the Queen Mother's thoughts and exposing them to everyone.

The voice was a woman, and the words she spoke were as crisp as a warbler, concise and crisp, so that all the ministers didn't have to guess that it was Sima Hongyan, because she was the only woman among the ministers.

The Queen Mother turned pale when Sima Hongyan said it, and she asked knowingly: "Who is so bold?" Dare to reprimand the mourning family, right? ”

Sima Hongyan strode forward, without fear, and asked loudly, "What?" Isn't the Queen Mother wrong? When the emperor was there, he never stopped the ministers' advice from speaking out, could the queen mother, a harem woman, violate the laws of Yanling? ”

When Sima Hongyan came out, the corners of Yan Hong's mouth moved, and his face changed slightly.

In fact, Sima Hongyan didn't plan to speak, but when she heard that the Queen Mother actually talked about Yan Hong's broken arm, and even implied humiliation in her words, the initiator of the key Yan Hong's broken arm was Yan Ze, who was praised as the emperor by the Queen Mother, how could she bear such confusion?

Yan Hong is friends with her, and she has risked her life for her many times, and she can't bear Yan Hong being humiliated in public. Although she didn't know why Yan Hong didn't make any rebuttals, she couldn't listen to it anymore.

What about the Queen Mother? It's just an old lady in the harem, relying on her royal status to go to the palace in a vain attempt to manipulate the succession of the new emperor, does she really treat everyone in the world as a fool? Don't you know that for the sake of her own power and dignity, reversing black and white indiscriminately will bring disaster to Yanling?

Others are afraid of her, but Sima Hongyan is not afraid of her, anyway, after experiencing life and death, do you care about turning your face with you old lady who is messing around? It's not that Sima Hongyan doesn't respect the elderly, but first of all, as an old man, you should know your identity, some things are not something that can be said and done by taking it for granted, and the consequences of disaster to the country and the people are not something she can afford.

The Queen Mother saw Sima Hongyan questioning herself indifferently, and immediately became angry, she had seen Sima Hongyan since the first time she saw her, especially since it was said that Yan Qi and Yan Hong were fascinated by her, and they even thought that Sima Hongyan deliberately confused the prince with ulterior motives.

After being pampered for a lifetime, the Queen Mother has never been counted so in person, she slammed the dragon crutches, pointed at Sima Hongyan and shouted: "Above this big hall and court, how can you have the share of your little commander to speak?" Disrespect to the mourning family is disrespect to the royal family, believe it or not, the mourning family can have people cut off your head now? ”

"Why?" Sima Hongyan immediately asked: "I am the three-rank commander of the military general personally appointed by the emperor at the beginning, and I naturally have the right to speak in this court." Speaking of this, I want to ask the Queen Mother, the law of Yanling stipulates that the harem is not allowed to interfere in politics, but the Queen Mother, you sit on the top of the hall in a grand manner, talking about the establishment of the emperor in vain, I don't know who should not speak here? If it's about sin, I'm afraid it's the Queen Mother who will be the first to be guilty, right? ”