Chapter 172

On the seventh day of the fifth month of the eighteenth year of the Ming Dynasty, the weather was surprisingly hot on this day, after the scorching sun of the day, the whole city of Beijing seemed to be on fire, and people were a little unbearable when they encountered such a hot heat at first time.

Song Nan was also hot enough, left the yamen early to go home, after dinner, Song Nan and his family drank tea and talked under the big tree in the courtyard of the house, and the heat wave on the sprinkled ground was still blowing, but it was much better than during the day.

Lu Qingli held Song Nan's arm and supported her cheeks, listening to Song Nan's story with her big bright eyes, while Ye Fanggu sat on the side with a pu fan and swayed gently, fanning the two of them to cool off and drive away the occasional mosquitoes.

When talking about the section on the burial of flowers between Jia Baoyu and Lin Daiyu in the forest in a stone record, the two sisters were also fascinated by the sound, and suddenly heard a buzzing sound in the quiet night, Song Nan stopped and listened, and Lu Qingli said: "It's the bell of the Bell and Drum Tower." ”

Song Nan was stunned, what does the bell and drum tower do when it rings the bell at night? The bell is generally rung during the day, and the sound of the bell at night gives an ominous sense of tension.

The bell rings for a long time, like a hammer striking in the heart, which makes people panic; The people also went out to check on each other and asked each other what had happened.

Soon after, a few fast horses galloped in front of the Song family's house, and Hou Dabiao, who was on duty at night, came galloping with several flag officers, Song Nan heard the report and hurried to the front yard to see him, Hou Dabiao's face was full of sadness, and when he saw Song Nan, he howled and shouted: "Song Qianhu, something is wrong, the emperor has died." ”

Song Nan was taken aback, and hurriedly said, "When is it?" ”

Hou Dabiao said: "Did you hear the bell just now?" It was the news that the cabinet summoned the ministers to announce, and Commander Mou sent someone to convey the order, asking all the officials of the Jinyi Guard Yamen to return to the Yamen at once, assist the Yamen to impose martial law in the whole city, and put an end to all incidents during the mourning period. ”

Song Nan's heart was shocked, and he ordered loudly: "Hou Dabiao, immediately pass on my order, all the Jinyi Guard Officers and Military Remnants of Zhengnanfang will be returned to the Ya, and all the districts under the jurisdiction of the guards will strengthen martial law." ”

Hou Dabiao gave up his promise, got up and galloped away.

Ye Fanggu and Lu Qingli hurriedly changed Song Nan's clothes, Li Daniu had already prepared the horses, the two got on the horses and whipped them, and went straight to the Yamen of Zhengnanfang.

The sky of the Ming Dynasty fell, and the Hongzhi Emperor Zhu Youji, an emperor who was deeply loved by the ministers and admired by the people, died.

Time goes back to the afternoon of the sixth day of the fifth month, on the dragon couch of the Qianqing Palace, Emperor Hongzhi vomited a large clot of blood after a violent cough, his face was as white as gold paper, and several doctors from the hospital were helpless and panicked.

Wang Yue, the chief eunuch of the celebrant and the chief eunuch, knelt at the head of the bed with tears in his eyes, and scolded the imperial doctors to hurry up and find a way, but after vomiting blood, Emperor Hongzhi calmed down, and when his breath calmed down, Emperor Hongzhi shouted in a weak voice: "Wang Yue." ”

Wang Yue hurriedly knelt down and crawled to Zhu Youji's bed and said, "The old slave is here." ”

Zhu Youzhu said: "Don't embarrass the doctor, there are days in your life, and manpower can't do it, my limit is coming, I know in my heart." ”

Wang Yue said with tears in his eyes: "Don't think so, the emperor is in full bloom and will definitely recover." ”

Zhu Youzhu closed his eyes and shook his hand: "Don't comfort me, you leave the palace immediately and summon cabinet scholars Li Dongyang, Liu Jian, and Xie Qian into the palace to see me, I have something to explain." ”

Wang Yue nodded and said, "The old slave will go now." ”

Zhu Youzhu waved his hand and said, "Go, I'll wait." ”

Half an hour later, the three scholars of the cabinet entered the Qianqing Palace with frightened faces, Li Dongyang was too panicked, and when he entered the inner room, he fell and broke his scalp, and the blood flowed, but at this time he had no time to take care of it.

The three scholars knelt down on the bed and saluted, and Zhu Youzhu bowed with the help of the attendant and waved his hand: "No courtesy,...... Give it to the three scholars...... Sit. ”

The chamberlain brought a brocade stool, and the three scholars sat in front of the bed with sad expressions.

Zhu Youzhu pointed to the scum bucket at the head of the bed and said, "Wang Yue, don't you take this Laoshizi away?" I don't want to see the blood I spit out. ”

Wang Yue hurriedly took the scum bucket away in person, Zhu Youzhi took a breath, with a slight smile on his face, and looked at the three cabinet scholars with sad faces in front of him and said: "The three pavilion elders don't have to be sad, my time has come, and it is human nature, although I am the Son of Heaven, I will not escape the day." ”

Li Dongyang said in tears: "Your Majesty, the ministers are incompetent, and they can't cure the stubborn disease for the emperor, and the ministers deserve to die." ”

Liu Jian Xie Qian also shed tears and said: "Don't say gloomy words about the emperor, the emperor calms down and lives well, and the ministers are looking for famous doctors and precious medicines to cure the emperor's illness." ”

Zhu Youzhu smiled and said: "The three of them are all virtuous old ministers, I can see it, what can't you see?" My illness is not curable, don't talk about this, my time is running out, and I have to talk to you about some of my own words, otherwise it will be too late. ”

Li Dongyang and others knew that the emperor was going to make an edict, so they quickly left their seats and knelt on the ground to listen carefully.

Zhu Youzhu squinted his eyes, looked at the top of the dormitory with an ethereal gaze, and said slowly: "I have been on the throne of my father for twenty-three years, and it has been eighteen years now, and in the past eighteen years, I dare not say that I am a virtuous and virtuous king, but I also think that I am conscientious, diligent and thrifty, and I can be regarded as living up to the inheritance entrusted to me by my father, and I have died without regrets." ”

Li Dongyang kowtowed and said: "The emperor is my Ming holy monarch, diligent and self-denying, generous to others, light taxes, heavy use of virtuous, and murder of treacherous evil; And recover the vast land west of Jiayuguan, no essay on martial arts, are not lost to the Ming monarchs of the past dynasties, the subjects of the world are all admired and praised, you are the king of my Ming Dynasty. ”

Zhu Youzhu smiled, his eyes flashed, and he sighed and said: "When these words come out of other people's mouths, I can only believe in Sancheng, but when I say it from Li Gelao's mouth, I believe in ninety percent, and your words are very comforting." I still have a lot of time to do, I have a big blueprint in my heart, but unfortunately God doesn't give me time, and this is what I regret. ”

The death-like silence in the dormitory, Li Dongyang, Liu Jian, Xie Qian, and others all knew that no matter how to save his life, the emperor was afraid that he would not be able to recover, and since the end of March, the emperor has been unable to go to court or handle government affairs, which has never happened since the emperor ascended the throne.

The emperor's diligence is recognized by everyone, and he will never leave government affairs behind; In the thirteenth year of Hongzhi, in order to deal with the backlog of government affairs, the emperor also opened a precedent for summoning on the platform. And he couldn't handle government affairs for several months, and he couldn't go to the early court, which can only show that the emperor really can't hold on.

Hongzhi's slow voice flowed in the hall, breaking the deathly silence: "Although I have regrets, I am glad that there are still your virtuous ministers who are loyal to the Ming Dynasty. The prince is smart, but he is still young and happy, and Zhu Qing wants to assist him well and make him take on great responsibilities, so I will be blind to death. ”

The three members of the cabinet wept and grabbed the ground with their heads, grieving.

Hongzhi waved his hand and said: "Li Dongyang, Liu Jian, Xie Qian, let's make a purpose." ”

Everyone naturally knew that the Tao was the will of the throne, and got up with tears to write the edict on the dragon case, Wang Yue held the jade seal, Hongzhi held the jade seal with a trembling hand, and solemnly covered it on the edict.

……

The city of Beijing fell into a state of grief, the emperor died, the people and officials were mourned, and the soldiers and horses in the capital were strictly guarded, for fear that someone would take the opportunity to cause chaos.

In the early morning of the eighth day of the fifth month, the news of the funeral of the Daxing Emperor was officially announced, and the cabinet announced the edict at the same time, sending people to the royal kings to report the obituary, and the Ministry of Rites announced the funeral rites at the same time.

In the morning, the Ministry of Rites announced the funeral matters: since the day of the funeral, do not ring the bell and drum, in Beijing civil and military officials smell the funeral plain clothes, black gauze hat wrapped black horn belt, starting from tomorrow, all morning Yi Sishan outside the door to cry, retreat to the yamen, do not drink alcohol and eat meat.

On the fourth day, each of them cried for three days outside the Sishan Gate, and on the seventh day of each fifteen raised their voices, and those who entered the court and looked at things in the yamen, wrapped their hats and draped belts with cloth, and wore plain waist and creep shoes, and retired that is, they were weakened, and they were removed on the twenty-seventh day.

……

All this, solemn and solemn, the whole people mourn, full of grief and grief.

On 18 May, three scholars of the cabinet led hundreds of civil and military officials to the Wenhua Hall to welcome the crown prince Zhu Houzhao to the throne and set up the new era name Zhengde, and the crown prince Zhu Houzhao officially became the emperor of the Ming Dynasty, and he was only 15 years old at this time.

During the period after the emperor's death, Song Nan was tired enough, in addition to being on duty day and night, he also had to participate in various rituals of expressing sorrow, the red brocade clothes were replaced by gray linen mourning clothes, and no smile was allowed on everyone's faces, and they didn't even dare to speak loudly.

Song Nan didn't realize the majesty of the royal family until this moment, when a person dies, everyone in the world will cry, whether it is voluntary or not, you must make an appearance, this is power, and those who die can still enjoy power.

However, Song Nan was not worried about these in his heart, he couldn't help but think of His Royal Highness the Prince, this fatherless boy, how is it now?

After the crown prince ascended the throne, he issued an edict of amnesty to the world, although the people needed 27 days to mourn, but once the new emperor ascended the throne, the people's hearts gradually settled down, and the capital gradually returned to calm.

People have speculated about what kind of person the newly enthroned Emperor Zhengde is, and what will his accession to the Ming Dynasty bring?

(Thanks to the Spectrum Dust Brothers for the tip, thanks to the ACXLD Brothers for the monthly pass.) ）