Chapter 1216 Jiangdong Demonic Event
In Jiankang Taicheng, because Emperor Chen Baxian suddenly fell ill, the entire Taicheng atmosphere became solemn and tense. People entering and leaving only lowered their heads and walked quickly, and did not dare to talk or make loud noises.
Since the day the emperor fell ill, the crown prince Chen Chang has been ordered to supervise the country and listen to the government in Taiji East Pavilion. The other princes and ministers also perform their duties to ensure the stability of the capital. But beneath this seemingly calm and dignified appearance, there is an undercurrent surging.
Since the beginning of this year, as the rebellion between Wang Lin, who was entrenched in Yuzhang, and a group of Nanchuan magnates became more and more serious, Chen Baxian sent General Zhou Wenyu to lead his army southward, together with Wuzhou Governor Hou Qi to go on a crusade. Then, due to the rebellion in Lingnan, he was about to fight with Jiangzhou. After joining forces, Chen Qian was ordered to go to Nanwan City to gather armored soldiers and prepare to continue to increase troops to conquer the rebels.
Prior to this, General Hou Andu was demoted from the capital for violating the alliance with the Western Wei Dynasty and taking unauthorized actions in Huainan. Another general, Xu Du, crossed the river to guard Guangling. Therefore, the elder ministers who were left behind in Jiankang City were There were not many, except for the Crown Prince Chen Chang and the Shixing King Chen Xu, there was no one else in the royal family, and there were only a few heroes and generals such as Du Leng.
With such a staff team, if the emperor really unfortunately dies, it may be difficult to smoothly control the situation in Gyeonggi. It should be noted that Nanchen is still entangled with the Western Wei Dynasty in Huainan, and there are many rebellions in Jiangzhou and Lingnan. If there is another personnel turmoil in the center, the situation will inevitably become more difficult.
Therefore, in the past few days, in addition to watching and paying close attention to the changes in the emperor's condition, everyone in the territory was also discussing who should be summoned to the court to help the crown prince stabilize the situation.
Regarding this point, Chen Xu, King of Shixing, took the lead in proposing to recall his brother Chen Qian, and the reasons for this were very good.
First of all, Chen Qian is the eldest person in the clan. When the family and country undergo changes, it is naturally the safest to return to the court and take charge. Secondly, the Crown Prince and King Shixing have lived in Chang'an, Guanzhong all year round, and participated in the establishment of the Nanchen regime. The degree of loyalty is not high, and the tacit understanding with the ministers is not enough. However, Chen Qian participated in the whole process and was the emperor's right-hand man. Returning to the court at this time can greatly comfort people's hearts.
Regarding this point, the ministers, including the Crown Prince Chen Chang himself, also agreed. Although Chen Chang also has the enthusiasm and arrogance of a young man, his father's serious illness has made him feel restless. To be on the safe side, he hopes to have a right-hand man.
But then someone proposed to call Hou An into the court, but Chen Chang shook his head and refused: "It is not difficult to maintain the state now. We only need to appease the people of the capital, so there is no need to bring generals into the palace! Kuang Hou An Although he has old honors, his reputation is really weak. In the current situation, there is no need to use him! "
However, after he refused to summon Marquis Andu to the court, when his subordinates from the Eastern Palace proposed to summon Wu Mingche from Jiangbei to Jiankang, he was rejected again for the same reason. They also believed that the current situation was not suitable for summoning foreigners. The vassal town will enter the court to prevent too many chaotic forces from entering the capital and causing unrest in the capital.
Chen Baxian's condition deteriorated very quickly. He fell ill in the middle of the month and fell into coma after staying up for a few days. Prince Chen Chang was also upset because of this. He served medicine in the palace day and night, and entrusted many government affairs to his East Palace aide Yin Buhai and others. deal with.
Chen Chang was worried about his father's illness and had little awareness of external affairs, but Yin Buhui and other East Palace staff did not feel very at ease. If the emperor dies, it is natural for the crown prince to ascend the throne and become the emperor. However, in the capital, although the prince is the supervisor of the country, in fact, in addition to being able to make decisions on court affairs and government affairs, he is not responsible for the military, especially the imperial guards in the capital. Wei then lacks much control.
Du Leng, the central leader of the imperial army in Kinei, Zhao Zhili, the imperial minister, and others, although they are Yuancong of the current emperor, they are not the prince's confidants. Even King Shiheung held the post of Su Wei as a general in the Chinese army, but few members of the prince's family served in the Su Wei.
The emperor had always been in good health and energetic, and could properly handle all major military and political affairs. Naturally, there was no need to deliberately cultivate the prince's military power in the territory. After all, the time when the prince returned to the country was too short to develop his own influence under the emperor's nose. As for the warriors of the Southern Dynasties who returned with him, they were more or less not trusted. Naturally. Will not be placed in the imperial army.
Yin Buhai and others had experienced the fall of Jiangling, and their sense of crisis was stronger than that of ordinary people. Especially when they saw Chen Qian return to the capital, many courtiers, including the leader Du Leng, went to Dacheng to greet her, and they felt more and more deeply. Something is wrong.
"Even if the whole court is loyal and upright, how can there be any reason for the heir to have no wings or claws? The prince should quickly summon his trusted soldiers to join the Chongyi Guard!"
Taking advantage of the opportunity to report matters to the prince, Yin Buhai gave this advice.
After hearing this, Chen Chang frowned and said, "Could it be that Sheren thinks that someone will be harmful to Gu? Not to mention that my father has not left, even though... he still has great power. Gu is the only choice for the country, who dares to disobey me?"
"This is how things should be. However, since the son of a rich man, Jie Chuitang, can make preparations beforehand, he should naturally avoid any eventuality. What's more, after the heir fulfills his duties, he should also make adjustments to the personnel in the country!"
Yin Buhai warned in a low voice, but after Chen Chang heard the words, he glared and said: "The ancients did not change their father's teachings for three years, and they were also virtuous people. Now my father is still struggling on the bed, and he actually teaches me to go against my father's teachings? "
"I don't dare, I don't dare... It's just that the king of Tang in Guanzhong is both a relative and an ally. Now that our country is experiencing such a situation, we should send someone to notify them in advance to avoid violating etiquette by relatives and friends."
Yin Buhui saw that Chen Chang was still a little stubborn, so he tried another way to persuade.
He knew that this approach of relying on external forces to add a layer of insurance was somewhat treasonous, but to be honest, his inner identification with the Nanchen court was greater than his feelings for Jiangdong's hometown, and he did not want to be affected by the change of power in the court. Sowing chaos in the countryside.
They, the elders of Nanliang, have quite complicated feelings towards the Tang king in Guanzhong. On the one hand, the Tang king has a hatred for them to destroy the country. On the other hand, they have to admit that Nanliang has its own way of death, and it will be destroyed by the Tang king. On the contrary, it was a blessing. If the king of Tang had not managed the army strictly and had a benevolent heart, they and the Jiangling people would probably have suffered.
Although Yin Buhe and others knew that the Tang King had coveted Jiangdong for a long time, but seeing that Prince Chen Chang was so careless at such a critical moment, they could only rely on external pressure to maintain internal stability.
Chen Chang did not refuse this point. In fact, it was not that he had not considered Yin Buhai's proposal.
It's just that the only one he can use now is Wu Mingche, who is stationed in Jiangbei. But when his father wanted to appoint Wu Mingche to take charge of the Imperial Army, he was strongly discouraged by the heroes. His prestige is smaller than that of his father. Now he can only rely on his father's remaining power. and his strict observance of filial piety allowed these ministers to support him in successfully ascending the throne and assuming power.
After the time entered the second half of the year, Chen Baxian, who had been suffering from illness for several days, finally passed away in his dormitory, and cries of grief suddenly sounded throughout the imperial city. Fortunately, he still had his son to show his filial piety at his bedside before he died, so he left without much regret.
Afterwards, the prince Chen Chang endured his grief and succeeded to the throne in front of his father's death in front of the witnesses of the ministers, becoming the new monarch of Nanchen. When things have progressed to this point, there was no problem at first, and everything was still business as usual. However, when the funeral etiquette for the heir was discussed, the situation took a new turn. Several ministers successively reported that the heir should follow ancient etiquette, Ruining things and mourning them should not be done simply.
This situation is not surprising. The Southern Dynasties have always distinguished themselves from the Northern Dynasties by flaunting etiquette. Therefore, whenever the country encounters any important ritual events, there are many stubborn old Confucians showing off their knowledge and making inappropriate remarks.
Nowadays, etiquette and customs are getting simpler and simpler, and even the common people have to observe the times when conducting funerals. Now that the emperor is the most important person of the country, how can he really ruin things and mourn, and become a ritual for one person and put the world in the wrong place?
However, just when Yin Buhao's officials in the East Palace were preparing to write a letter to refute this view, the Empress Dowager Zhang in the inner palace, as well as the King of Linchuan and the King of Shixing all expressed that the emperor should practice it personally and fulfill the courtesy. The king was the governor of Yangzhou, and the king of Shixing was the secretary of the Central Committee. He was divided into internal and external affairs to assist his successor in handling state affairs.
"Why did my mother die like this?"
Chen Chang had finished mourning in the palace, but his tears were still wet. Soon after he found out that he had been stabbed severely in the back by his mother, he rushed into the inner palace, stared at his mother with a puzzled face and asked angrily.
The Empress Dowager was experiencing the pain of losing her husband. Now she was shouted at by her son with such an arrogant attitude. She suddenly felt sad again. She covered her face and cried loudly: "Look what you look like now? If you had known that the Qiang people taught you In such a bad state, I couldn't let you go to Gangneung under any circumstances!
What your cousin said is indeed true. When your father was still alive, you and your wife were already arrogant and disrespectful. Now that your father is gone, I am afraid there will be no place for me to stand in this palace! At this time of mourning, I want to give you a stern lesson. If you still don't know the way of respect and filial piety, how can you take over your father's country and control all the people? "
"Is this why my mother wants to destroy me?"
After hearing this, Chen Chang was even more unbelievable and stared at his mother.
"I'm not destroying you, I'm just teaching you! Don't think that after your father passes away, no one will be able to rule the country..."
Hearing his mother's answer, the shock on Chen Chang's face turned to anger and helplessness. Finally, he slumped down and said feebly: "My mother is really good at it. She listened to the good tricks of my cousins! Even if my son and bride are ordinary people, If I have any disobedience, my mother will scold me and stick me with a stick. How dare I run away?
Now you have turned my father’s throne into a plaything, you fool, alas... Grandma, please call your good nephew into the palace to see him. If his brother still dares to bring him here, I will worship my grandma from now on. Before, I am willing to be your puppet and plaything! "
"W-what do you mean?"
Seeing her son's incompetent and furious look, Mrs. Zhang felt secretly happy after having been depressed for a long time. But when she heard Chen Chang's words, she couldn't help but feel secretly nervous. She raised her finger and pointed at the eunuch in the palace and ordered: "Summon me quickly." Brother Linchuan comes to meet you!”