"Although the concubine is virtuous, but after all, she is the third son, and Concubine Gong was born as the eldest son, how can she be crowned the concubine first and not Concubine Gong? Please ask Your Majesty to retract your order and canonize Concubine Gong! ”

"The eldest son of the emperor was born for four years, and Concubine Gong was not allowed to be sealed, the third son of the emperor was just born, and the concubine was promoted to the imperial concubine, so how can people in the world not doubt it? Please ask Your Majesty to canonize Concubine Gong! ”

"The emperor's eldest son has been born for four years, and it is already the time of canonization, and the minister dares to ask His Majesty to establish a prince......"

On this day, many recitals poured into Wanli's case.

It's a steady stream, it's really a steady stream. Not only the courtiers of Wang Jiaping's faction, but even many officials who were not in his own family also spontaneously played the game.

Standing up for succession is the law of death inherited by the dynasty for thousands of years.

Now that the queen has nothing to do, it should be the eldest son Zhu Changluo, who must not change.

Sensing the Emperor's intentions, they stood together with the same enemy.

The disciples of Confucianism have been resolute as never before, defending the rituals that have lasted for thousands of years.

Emperor Wanli felt fear, and this was the first time he had encountered such opposition from his ministers.

When the shadow of the mountain had just been removed from him, the ministers were so obedient to him. It's been four years, and he feels like he's really in control of this court, and this time the events tell him that he doesn't, he is far from it.

The next move he had planned was halted.

Concubine Zheng was afraid, she was just a woman after all. Opposite the emperor was a huge group of civil officials, behind whom stood thousands of years of dynastic traditions, and behind her there was nothing.

She knelt in front of Wanli, hugged his thighs and cried:

"Your Majesty, the concubine would rather not be the position of this concubine and live this life in obscurity with the emperor, rather than suffer such criticism, so that Your Majesty is also in dire straits!"

Emperor Wanli stared at the woman on the ground who was crying bitterly, even at this time, she was still thinking about herself.

And you are the emperor, but he can't give the heirs of his loved ones the title he wants.

He suddenly became a little disheartened.

What is the supreme in the world, what is supreme, it turns out that it is still a plaything in the hands of those courtiers, and every move is firmly restricted by them.

So why am I so diligent? In order to give these courtiers, a "prosperous age" in their imagination?

In order to become, the "Holy Lord Mingjun" in the minds of civil officials?

He felt a wave of emptiness and boredom.

Tired.

In October of the 14th year of Wanli, the always industrious Wanli Emperor officially dropped out of the court, although he still dealt with affairs in the harem, but he no longer appeared in front of the ministers, and many things were no longer asked, and handed over to the cabinet to deal with.

After five years, it was the eighteenth year of Wanli.

During this period, there were also many courtiers who were sparse, hoping that the emperor could officially establish a prince to settle the heart of the world, but all of them were left by Emperor Wanli.

But when it came to the eighteenth year of Wanli, it really couldn't be delayed any longer.

The eldest son of the emperor is already eight years old and needs to go out of the cabinet to study. If it was too late, when he ascended the throne, the ruler of the Ming Dynasty was an illiterate person who did not know the classics of etiquette and music, wouldn't it make people laugh out of their big teeth?

Wang Jiaping united Xu Guo and Wang Xijue to go up and ask for the emperor's eldest son to go out of the cabinet to study.

It's a trick. It is the prince's privilege to go out of the cabinet to study, and once the emperor's eldest son goes out of the cabinet to study, then it is tantamount to recognizing Zhu Changluo's status as the prince in disguise.

However, Shangshu was like a mud cow entering the sea, without getting any information, and the Wanli Emperor didn't seem to see these Shangshu at all.

But Wang Jiaping and others did not give up, and the courtiers in the court handed over one letter after another, and the words became more and more intense.

The emperor was finally furious, and he cut down the courtiers and suspended them.

But no one was intimidated by him, and the officials went forward one after another, continuing to go up and down, and for a while, the government and the opposition were in chaos.

"Brother, will Your Majesty compromise?"

In Chen Guogong's mansion, the brothers were drinking tea opposite each other, Yan Chenhao took a sip and asked:

"I see that Your Majesty is now like a giant tree, still standing still in the southeast wind of this heaven and earth. This is an iron heart to establish the third son of the emperor! He might really be able to do it. ”

His elder brother, Yan Chenxin, the contemporary Chen Guogong, sat opposite him. For some reason, he always felt that there seemed to be some expectation in his brother's words, but he still said lightly:

"No, it won't. In my opinion, the giant tree is already shaking, and it may be blown away by the wind at any moment. ”

"Your Majesty can't resist this group of ministers."

The silence now is not the silence before the outbreak, but His Majesty's last insistence, but he can't last long. Ancestral system, rituals...... are all on the side of the ministers, and the emperor alone can't win this wrestling. ”

Yan Chenhao was silent for a moment when he heard this, and then asked:

"Brother, how should we deal with ourselves? Do you also support the eldest son of the emperor? ”

Yan Chenxin smiled slightly, and was about to answer, but saw a servant approaching, and said:

"Grandpa, second master, Commander Zheng asks to see you."

Zheng Commander, that is, Zheng Guotai, Zheng Guifei's elder brother, was the commander of the capital at that time.

He had already asked to see him several times. Compared with the opposition of the civil officials, the nobles have not yet expressed their position, and Concubine Zheng and the second master of the Chen Guogong Mansion also have a past, so the Zheng family pinned their last hope on them.

The first few times, Yan Chenxin didn't even let the door open, but this time, he instructed:

"Open the door and bring him here."

It didn't take long for Zheng Guotai to meet the contemporary Chen Guogong.

He cried and complained, saying how pitiful he and others were, and promised that there would be a generous reward after the third son of the emperor ascended the throne, and at the same time looked at Yan Chenhao from time to time.

Over the years, Yan Chenhao also knew about the old things with Concubine Zheng back then, and had a certain amount of contacts, which was also the capital that Zheng Guotai dared to see.

But Yan Chenhao hesitated for a moment, pursed his lips, and finally didn't speak.

When Yan Chenxin saw this scene, a look of satisfaction flashed in his eyes, but Zheng Guotai was a little disappointed.

At this time, Yan Chenxin finally said slowly:

"It's not impossible for the two of us to support the third son."

"There are just two things that need to be promised."

"One, a few of you must not do superfluous things, Concubine Zheng, you, keep to yourself; Second, since the third son of the emperor is smart, he must show it well. There is no need to say much about reading and writing, filial piety and frugality are also necessary, and even to the eldest son of the emperor, let him be humble and polite! ”

"In this way, I will see that he has the possibility of entering the East Palace, and I will help him."

Hearing this, Zheng Guotai raised his head in amazement, and then there was a look of ecstasy in his eyes.

It's a twist and turn! He originally thought that he was hopeless, but he didn't expect such a surprise, he promised again and again, and then his knees weakened, and he was even about to kneel on the ground!

For such a period of time, few courtiers were willing to stand on their side, and even if they did, they were generally some courtiers with low rank, who were not willing to show it openly, and were only willing to help each other secretly.

Their sister and brother have received too much cold reception and reprimand, and they are almost desperate!

And at this time, the appearance of the Yan brothers was like sending charcoal in the snow! Yan Chenxin is the prince of the country, and Yan Chenhao is also a squire, and the influence of the two in the court should not be underestimated! Thinking of this hard-won help, Zheng Guotai almost cried!

He said a few more words of thanks and hurried away, eager to tell his sister the good news.

But Yan Chenhao looked at Yan Chenxin with a look of relief and doubt, and asked:

"Brother, I'm just going to throw myself into the third son of the emperor like this? However, didn't you say before that Your Majesty was afraid that he would submit to the ministers? ”

(End of chapter)