In the city of Nanjing, people are panicked.

The issue of the succession of the new monarch is like a black cloud that obscures the light in the hearts of all officials.

Depression brings restlessness.

The meeting, presided over by Shi Kefa, the Nanjing Counselor and the Secretary of the Ministry of War, will soon be held in the Wuying Hall of the Forbidden City in Nanjing.

There was only one topic on the agenda, who would succeed the new monarch.

Officials argued about the matter for more than 10 days, but to no avail.

Before Shi Kefa arrived, they began to discuss again.

"On intimacy, be the king of blessings. When it comes to virtue, the king should be established."

"No. You and I all know the person of King Fu, and King Lu's blood is too far away. It's better to be the king of Lihui or the king of Gui."

"King Hui worships Buddha and Zen all day long, and he doesn't understand the affairs of the world, so it is difficult to be the emperor in the south."

"Then King Gui."

"It's not appropriate. King Gui is far away in Wuzhou, and there is still a long way to go from Wuzhou."

"Hey, this doesn't work, that doesn't work, the new monarch has been standing for a long time, why don't you wait until Yang Chengying in the north integrates Gyeonggi and kills him?"

The officials were silent.

At this time, Shi Kefa walked into the main hall.

Coming to the main hall with him was Han Zanzhou, a eunuch left behind in Nanjing.

The arrival of the two made the originally noisy Wuying Hall suddenly quiet.

Shi Kefa is Chinese New Year's Eve six years old today, and by chance, he became the secretary of the Nanjing Military Department and became a key figure with real power.

In the gaze of everyone, Shi Kefa bowed respectfully to the empty dragon chair, turned around and said:

"Although Emperor Daxing abandoned his subjects and left, our Nanjing departments can't be chaotic! Today, all the auxiliary ministers, the six scholars, and the officials in Beijing are here, and we have to choose the most important things to do.

In accordance with the law of the ancestors and the practice of the past dynasties, when the Daxing Emperor died and the whereabouts of his heirs were unknown, the Nanjing ministries should elect a new monarch to command the southern ministers and the general army of each town, and the Northern Expedition to the Central Plains and the restoration of the Ming Dynasty!"

Qian Qianyi stepped out and echoed: "What Shi Shangshu said is extremely true, the top priority today is to nominate a new monarch. I propose that the virtuous King Lu succeed him."

"I'm against it. In terms of kinship and proximity, King Fu should inherit the throne." Someone stepped up.

Officials began to exchange ears, some for and some against.

Shi Kefa said: "I think King Gui is the most suitable, and now that the country is troubled, there should be an older royal family to succeed him. King Gui is both intimate and capable."

Supporting King Gui is the result of Shi Kefa's careful consideration.

It can not only avoid the historical problems brought about by the support of King Fu, but also avoid the embarrassing situation of the lord and the young ministers.

At this time, Ma Shiying walked in from outside the palace with a group of officials, he was forty-seven years old this year, and his face was domineering.

When he heard Shi Kefa's speech, he suddenly laughed: "Shi Shangshu, high theory! I can hear your wishful thinking from a dozen paces away."

Ma Shiying was just a small Fengyang Admiral, and he actually appeared at the meeting generously, and the atmosphere in the Wuying Hall changed suddenly, and everyone suddenly became quiet.

Shi Kefa turned his head to look at him and began to fight back: "Admiral Ma, this is Nanjing, you didn't come here in Fengyang, what do you want to do?" Look at the book

"The monarch is in trouble, and it is reasonable for me to come to mourn as a courtier." After Ma Shiying finished speaking, he walked straight to the emperor's empty dragon chair and bowed.

The comer is not good, and these four words flashed in Shi Kefa's heart.

Ma Shiying kowtowed, turned around, and said while looking around at everyone, "Since you are talking about the new monarch, why don't you listen to the opinions of the general soldiers from all walks of life!"

Shi Kefa was stunned for a moment, and then said firmly: "The support of new kings in all dynasties is the business of the courtiers, how can there be a matter of the general army."

"This time is different from the past, without the support of the general army, who dares to guarantee that the new monarch will not be unexpected!" Ma Shiying's threat is very strong.

"What do you mean by that?" Not to be outdone.

Ma Shiying said in a loud voice, "It's very simple. We should have consulted the general soldiers of all walks of life, especially the general soldiers of the four towns in Jiangbei, before making a decision."

"The Four Towns Commander? They are not all under your hands."

"Not bad. They jointly handed me a note and offered to support the blessed king."

As soon as these words came out, all the officials looked at each other, and everyone was afraid.

The only ones who can fight the most in the south are the general soldiers of the four towns in Jiangbei and You Shilu who is stationed in Jiujiang, and the rest are all local chickens and tile dogs.

The four towns in Jiangbei actually supported King Fu, which must have been Ma Shiying's idea.

There was a panic in the hall.

Seeing this, Ma Shiying became even more arrogant: "King Fu is the son of Emperor Shenzongxian, and it is better to be distant than King Lu and King Gui, why don't you stand up!" Also, why are you, Qian Qianyi, a degraded official, standing here?"

Qian Qianyi came out of the queue again, glaring angrily: "What did you say?!"

"What qualifications do you have to stand in a dignified temple and rank with all the officials! Don't get out yet." Ma Shiying was aggressive.

Qian Qianyi's face turned red and he stood still.

Shi Kefa couldn't bear it anymore, so he had to speak: "Admiral Ma, you've passed a bit. What are your intentions today to make a good meeting a miasma?"

Ma Shiying did not take over the conversation.

Suddenly, there was a chaotic sound of footsteps outside the Wuying Palace, and a group of soldiers dressed in Ming armor came to the outside of the Wuying Hall under the leadership of two generals with weapons in their hands.

The Jinyi guards who were in charge of protecting security looked at each other, and they didn't even have the courage to confront, so they retreated in fright.

The people in the main hall heard the footsteps and looked sideways, and through the temple door, they could see that the steps were full of soldiers, and they were all killed.

A brocade guard ran in from outside and quietly told Shi Kefa that there were many soldiers outside, it was Sun Yingyuan's Beijing camp, and Lu Jiude was also there.

When Shi Kefa heard this, his heart sank, but his face remained calm.

Ma Shiying saw that his soldiers and horses controlled the situation outside the palace, and continued to put pressure on Shi Kefa:

"Shi Shangshu, do you really want to violate the law of your ancestors and forcibly support King Gui. Everyone should know that King Gui was frightened by the offering thief and was sick in bed for many days. Supporting the sick seedlings as the emperor, what are your intentions!"

"I support King Gui, out of public heart, heaven and earth can be learned!" Shi Kefa was undaunted, "Since you proposed to support King Fu, then listen to the opinions of everyone here? If they all agree, I have nothing to say."

At this point, no one dared to mention supporting other clans, and they all said that it was best to support King Fu.

Especially Qian Qianyi, who did not have the prestige just now, only agreed.

Ma Shiying walked up to Shi Kefa and whispered, "Shi Shangshu, I have always kept the letter you wrote to me, whether you want to show it to King Fu or not, you decide for yourself."

Sweat broke out on Shi Kefa's head, and he covered it up and wiped it quietly. remembered that a few days ago, Ma Shiying asked him to write a letter, in which he explained in detail the unvirtuous nature of King Fu, so that Ma Shiying could persuade the general soldiers of the four towns in Jiangbei.

It's a conspiracy, a conspiracy through and through.

Ma Shiying not only betrayed him, but also used his letter as a threat to force him to hand over power and withdraw from the cabinet that had hopefully entered.

What to do? There's no way, it's too late.

On August 15, Zhu Yousong succeeded to the throne in the Wuying Hall of the Forbidden City in Nanjing, with the year name Hongguang.