Chapter 278: Chapter 215: The Emperor dies, The Struggle for Succession, First Update
Translator: 549690339
Sure enough!
Strangely, after the shocking news was spoken, the two were not overly shocked, but rather felt a sense of relief, as if a mystery had been unraveled.
Neither of the two men was foolish.
Wang Boan, being in Tiandu, had already received countless hints from people, intentional or not, and he had early suspicions.
Although Gu Ji was located in Northwest Dao, holding a high position meant he naturally had his own sources of information. While he may not have a thorough understanding of the matters in Tiandu, he certainly was not oblivious to such a monumental issue.
The fact that Wang Qiong pointed out this matter did not surprise them, as they had already prepared themselves mentally.
The study fell into a brief silence; nobody spoke.
Seeing their expressions, Wang Qiong silently nodded in approval.
If they had shown shock or confusion, he might have doubted whether these two were truly worth entrusting with crucial matters. After all, whether the shock was genuine or feigned, it represented either their lack of seriousness or sheer stupidity.
“So, the rumor that has been circulating in Tiandu is true?” Gu Ji asked solemnly, turning to Wang Qiong and asking, “Given the present situation, which has seen the emperor’s death kept a secret, does this mean that no decision has been made about the successor?”
Despite only having been back in Tiandu for a few days, this news had reached him.
“Indeed!” Wang Qiong did not deny it, he just admitted it.
How could he be unaware of this rumor that has been widely circulated in Tiandu?
But so what if he knew? Regarding this piece of gossip, he could only turn a blind eye, pretending to be oblivious.
After all, letting it be would be better; if he were to intervene, it would be akin to admitting the rumor’s validity.
Wang Boan frowned and asked, “Regarding the issue of the successor, the emperor should have made a decision long ago. Why is there still conflict, and why has there been no definitive decision on the heir?”
Although Wang Boan was very dissatisfied with the emperor, who had pushed him into retirement and forced him to resign,
He did not believe that this emperor, who had ascended the throne for a long time but did not have an heir, had not left instructions about the successor. Indeed, this emperor, though outrageous, would not have been that negligent.
Gu Ji had the same thought.
“Ah!” Wang Qiong sighed softly, saying faintly, “This is precisely the reason for the ongoing dispute. While the emperor had intended to handle this matter, he merely mentioned it verbally and did not actually issue a decree. To avoid causing any significant impact, even the daily records did not document this matter.”
Wang Boan and Gu Ji glanced at each other; they had not expected such a situation.
Gu Ji asked a key question: “Given this scenario, it seems that the Grand Elder and the First Advisor had conflicting opinions?”
Currently, the two most powerful people in the court were the First Advisor Yang Tinghe and the Grand Elder standing in front of them.
No matter what the others thought, as long as these two reached an agreement, no one could stand in their way, not even the noble officials.
Wang Qiong stayed silent, Gu Ji was right. The dispute over the next emperor had indeed been caused by a disagreement between him and First Advisor Yang Tinghe, and hence made it impossible to settle this matter.
Seeing Wang Qiongs embarrassment, Wang Boan took the initiative and asked,
“Whom does the Grand Elder favor?”
“The current King Xing, who is the cousin of the emperor!”
“According to the ancestral teachings of Great Ming, it’s fair and reasonable that the younger brother should succeed when the elder brother dies. However, what is the First Advisor’s opinion?”
“Choose a young child from the royal family and adopt him as the Emperor’s son, following the precedent of Emperor Renzong of the former Song Dynasty.”
“In that case, it seems reasonable as well.”
Whether it’s the younger brother succeeding the elder or adopting a young child from the royal family as a son, both are reasonable, especially without a written will, it’s hard to distinguish right from wrong.
Wang Qiong sneered and asked in a deep voice, “Do we still have time to wait for a young king to grow up in such a tumultuous state?”
Upon hearing this, the two were speechless and didn’t know what to say.
Because this involved a very sensitive topic: The Cabinet and Ministry strife.
Almost simultaneously, Pei Xuanjing said to Yu Zhenzi on Dragon Tiger
Mountain, “The dispute between Minister of War Wang Qiong and First Assistant Yang Tinghe seems to be just about the new emperor, but it actually represents an irreconcilable contradiction behind the scenes, including the Cabinet and Ministry strife and the future direction of the Great Ming policies.”
Ever since the Cabinet was formed, its power has continuously increased. It gradually rose to a level equivalent to the six ministries, trending towards being above them in these years.
In other words, the fight between the First Assistant and Wang Qiong has always been about the power struggle between the Cabinet and the six ministries.
How the new emperor will be decided also determines the future policies of the Great Ming.
After all, during the time that the emperor was in power, despite being somewhat absurd, he had been preparing the military, compiling the Martial Classics, and had already shown a tendency toward sending troops outside the border.
But if a young king were to ascend to the throne, this matter would definitely be put on hold or postponed.
For Wang Qiong, who had been preparing and planning for this for over a decade, this was unacceptable.
Although King Xing was young, he was already fifteen. After his enthronement, he wouldn’t need too many years to manage political affairs personally and could continue to pursue this plan.
Yu Zhenzi was highly impressed by Pei Xuanjing’s analysis. “Sage, you have remarkable insight. I feel ashamed for my lack of such wisdom.”
Just by relying on the scant information delivered by Bai Xiaosheng, he was able to analyze such situations, something he himself couldn’t do.
After a moment’s thought, he asked, “Who do you think will win in the end, Sage?”
“Who will win?” Pei Xuanjing laughed heartily, looking up at the sky with a demeanor of condescension.
His faint voice reached Yu Zhenzi’s ears, “I do not know who will win among them, but the ultimate winner will certainly include us.”
If Pei Xuanjing had previously remained disinterested in the throne, things might have proceeded according to the original trajectory.
But now that Pei Xuanjing had decided to join forces with various factions, the end result would surely serve their interests.
Otherwise, whichever side the new emperor came from, he would inevitably not ascend to the throne.
Yu Zhenzi was shocked upon hearing these words.
The reverence and admiration in his eyes as he looked at Pei Xuanjing were self-evident.
Pei Xuanjing, gazing at the vast starry sky, said to Yu Zhenzi standing behind him, “I’ll leave the matters to come to you, I need to retreat for a while.”
Yu Zhenzi nodded and said, “Rest assured, sage.”
Baiyun Temple, located in the suburbs of the capital city of Tiandu, was full of incense.
Night fell, Bai Xiaosheng walked in slowly, and a Taoist had already been waiting for him.
He said leisurely to the Taoist in front of him, “I hope Master Guan will forgive my unannounced late-night visit.”
The Taoist shook his head and said, “If a scholar travels a long distance to visit, how can I refuse to meet him?”
Bai Xiaosheng did not mind the slight rejection in his words, and smiled and said, “I have come today to discuss with Master Guan a matter of great importance to the world..”