freenovelworld Chapter 791 The New Emperor Takes the Throne
Chapter 791 The New Emperor Takes the Throne
"Go back, but not by land." Li Che smiled slightly and raised his hand to point to the east.
"I intend to lead my army eastward, straight to Zhenjiang Prefecture."
"Our Fengguo naval fleet has been waiting for a long time in the Yangtze River waterway there. When the time comes, the army will board the ship and sail east along the Yangtze River, enter the sea and head north, all the way to Fengguo."
How could Li Che not have a foolproof escape route if he dared to lead only two thousand elite cavalry deep into the capital of Daqing?
The land route to the north is full of checkpoints, and it would be difficult to travel with so many family members and wounded soldiers.
The powerful Fengguo Navy is his real source of confidence.
As long as they can successfully reach the Yangtze River and board the ship, they can take advantage of the waterway and return safely to Fengguo's homeland.
The King of Jin was silent for a moment, then he finally smiled in admiration: "Sixth brother is indeed worthy of being the General of Heavenly Strategy. He has indeed made every possible plan and made every possible preparation."
Li Che shook his head calmly, stood up, and extended his hand to King Jin: "Since that's the case, you and I, brothers, will say goodbye here."
"See you in Jin someday."
Prince Jin also stood up. Although he did not understand the modern handshake etiquette, he still shook Li Che's hand firmly:
"Okay! See you in Jindi!"
Then he looked at Li Lin and said with a bow, "Take care, my two brothers!"
Li Che and Li Lin both responded with, "Take care!"
The King of Jin rode away with his personal soldiers and accompanied by Qu Jinshan.
Li Che and Li Lin watched his back until he disappeared.
"Five of my father's ten sons are dead," Li Lin suddenly said. "The ancients were right. This imperial family is not a good place to be reborn."
Li Che glanced at him: "Isn't it four?"
Li Lin curled his lips: "Is that Li Huan worthy of being a son?!"
Li Che shook his head helplessly: "Speaking of which, he is no different from being dead. A deposed prince, an abandoned son of an aristocratic family..."
"I don't know what this official is doing now?"
. . . . . .
Imperial capital, Eastern Palace.
Li Huan sat in the hall, his ears filled with the sound of heavy funeral bells one after another.
The bells rang continuously, forty-five times in total.
This is the standard for a national funeral, announcing the death of the emperor.
Emperor Qing is dead.
This news could not be concealed at all. Last night, countless soldiers and even civilians who were brave enough to spy witnessed Li Lin breaking out of the siege with the figure wearing a dragon robe on his back.
What's more, the aristocratic families had no intention of concealing the fact that they had already found a puppet that was easier to control.
Opposite Li Huan, King Li Ming of Zhou was wearing his royal robe and standing stiffly under the golden steps that originally belonged to the prince.
The officials below cast either indifferent or scrutinizing glances at him.
Li Ming's slightly plump body trembled uncontrollably, and his face was pale.
He has always been just an ordinary vassal king, cowardly and timid by nature.
His greatest wish was to be a rich and idle king. He never dreamed of the supreme throne, and was powerless to resist his fate.
Therefore, when Qin Huizhi and others pulled him to this position, he felt only boundless fear in his heart, without any joy.
He was scared to death.
Although he is timid, he is not stupid.
It is clear what kind of miserable situation a puppet emperor will face.
Every step will be like walking on thin ice, and life and death will be in the hands of others.
At this moment, Qin Huizhi stepped out from below and broke the suffocating silence:
"Your Majesty's passing is a cause of great sorrow for the country. The bells should be rung to mourn, so that all the people will know and the whole country will pay tribute."
Upon hearing this, King Zhou Li Ming trembled and almost squeezed out a weak voice from his throat:
"Permit...Permit."
Qin Huizhi nodded slightly, even omitting the polite bow.
He simply raised his eyelids and glanced at King Zhou coldly, as if he were looking at an inanimate object.
"We will immediately go and arrange the late emperor's funeral. Your Highness, Prince Zhou..." He paused deliberately, emphasizing the word "Your Highness," "You should also make preparations early and ascend the throne before the coffin. Only then can you reassure the people of the world. Don't delay."
After saying this, he didn't even look at King Zhou again, turned around and left.
The other officials also filed out silently, and Li Huan was also taken away.
King Zhou was left alone facing the empty hall, his underwear soaked with cold sweat.
The funeral bells outside the palace continued to ring, so heavy that it made people's hearts palpitate.
The people of the imperial capital hid in their homes with their doors closed, silently counting the bells, their hearts filled with great fear and anxiety.
Forty-five beats, the sound of a great funeral!
Your Majesty is dead?
How could His Majesty die?!
The people of the imperial capital are undoubtedly deeply blessed by Emperor Qing.
The prosperity of this capital is inseparable from Emperor Qing’s rule.
The death of Emperor Qing was tantamount to the collapse of their faith.
What's more, on the night of the emperor's death, although a curfew was imposed in the imperial capital, almost everyone heard the deafening sound of fighting outside.
It also happened that Prince Feng returned to Beijing...
All of these things are intertwined together, which makes ordinary people think a lot.
The aristocratic family acted extremely quickly.
As soon as daybreak came, the streets were quickly cleared.
As the left prime minister of Daqing, Du Fuchen personally walked to the temporary platform outside the palace gate.
In front of all the civil and military officials and a few representatives of the people who were driven here, he read out an "Emperor's Will" with an expressionless face.
The contents of the edict quickly spread throughout the city, and the entire imperial capital was instantly shrouded in deeper panic.
The imperial edict declared that Prince Feng Li Che entered the palace to kill his father, colluded with military heroes, and intended to usurp the throne.
After the failure of the plot, he took some court officials hostage and fled in a hurry. He was labeled a traitor to the country and was attacked by the whole country!
King Feng...rebelled?
Most people do not believe it in their hearts, and King Feng’s reputation among the people is not false.
But the officials preached in this way, and notices were soon posted all over the streets and alleys, convicting the king of treason.
What made the people even more confused was that according to the will, the King of Zhou would inherit the throne, and the left prime minister Du Fuchen and the right prime minister Qin Huizhi would jointly assist in governing the country.
King Zhou? Who is that?
Never heard of it!
The people looked at each other in bewilderment; the affairs of the court were too far away for them.
In the imperial capital, anyone with some knowledge or a few years of education could keenly smell the strong smell of conspiracy.
But in this solemn atmosphere, no one dared to question it openly.
The succession of the new emperor to the throne concerns the foundation of the country. How can ordinary people like them comment on it?
Immediately afterwards, Du Fuchen personally wrote an elegy and sent it to all states and prefectures by express horse, trying to seize the initiative in public opinion.
At noon, a hasty coronation ceremony was held in the palace.
Like a puppet, Li Ming completed the ceremony of offering sacrifices to heaven and earth and comforting his ancestors under the witness of hundreds of officials.
Then he sat tremblingly on the dragon throne and accepted the worship of all officials.
All of this was an extremely compressed process, and the martial law in the imperial capital was only slightly lifted after the new emperor completed his coronation ceremony.
However, when it came to the next step of arranging the funeral for the late emperor and deciding on his posthumous title, the process got stuck and could not proceed any further.
The reason couldn't be simpler:
The body of the late Emperor Qingde cannot be found at all!
Along with the imperial seal, which symbolized the legitimacy of imperial power, it also disappeared!
The noble family searched almost every corner of the palace, but found nothing.
what does this mean?
This means that when a new emperor ascends the throne, there is neither the body of the previous emperor available for funerals nor the imperial seal to issue edicts.
The new emperor was neither legitimate nor justified, and became a huge joke!