Inside the Palace of Heavenly Purity.
Zhu Yijun sat on his throne with a calm expression.
Of course, if his hands weren't tightly gripping the armrests and the veins on the back of his hands weren't popping out, he would truly be very calm.
The senile Empress Dowager Li was sitting next to him.
She was very quiet, as quiet as a decade ago when she accompanied the young Zhu Yijun to court to listen to politics.
With Shen Yicheng in the lead, more than 30 important civil and military officials stood inside the palace. The well-equipped soldiers stood guard outside the palace, making the palace impenetrable. At least, they wouldn't leave before the matter inside was resolved.
"Subject Shen Yicheng greets Your Majesty, greets Empress Dowager."
With Shen Yicheng in the lead, more than 30 civil and military officials knelt together and paid their last respects to their emperor.
"Subject greets Your Majesty, greets Empress Dowager."
Shen Yicheng didn't find it strange that Empress Dowager Li would appear here at all. Although Empress Dowager Li was old and didn't want to participate in politics, she was still the only surviving member of the Iron Triangle of Daming.
Because of the small family policy, among the empresses of the Great Ming Dynasty, other than Empress Ma in the early days of the founding of the country, she was the most famous and the most powerful.
At the beginning of the Wanli dynasty, when the country was in doubt, she, Zhang Juzheng, and Feng Bao worked together to combine the power of the internal and external courts. In those ten years, they created the only glorious period of the Daming dynasty since Yongle Xuande.
This woman had the side of a strong woman, but her small family background and the environment of the Daming dynasty limited her ambitions. She didn't dare to pursue anything, so she retreated.
Even so, she still had a certain degree of influence in the current Daming court.
Although she was here with her eyes closed and didn't speak, the officials were slightly worried.
In contrast to Empress Dowager Li's calm expression, Zhu Yijun's calm expression immediately became ferocious.
"Subject? You are subjects? Pay respects to me? Shen Yicheng, are you mocking me? "
Zhu Yijun tried his best to suppress his anger.
"Naturally, Your Majesty knows that we have always been loyal to the Great Ming Dynasty."
"Loyal to Daming? Are you loyal to Daming? "
Zhu Yijun gritted his teeth. "Shen Yicheng, you betrayed me. You are a Daming traitor! Rebel! "
"Your Majesty! I am loyal to the Daming, not to Your Majesty alone! "
Shen Yicheng raised his head and looked straight into Zhu Yijun's eyes. "As the second minister of the cabinet, I am in charge of the government. Naturally, I cannot turn a blind eye to arrogant people and arrogant things. I have to be responsible for the people of the world!
His Majesty believed the slanderous words of villains and misunderstood the officials. He even wanted to bring foreign troops into the capital to accuse the officials! Your Majesty! What's the difference between this and He Jin recruiting Dong Zhuo to bring troops into the capital during the last years of the Later Han Dynasty? How does Your Majesty know that the traitor doesn't have Dong Zhuo's heart?
It's easy for Your Majesty to get rid of us. But after getting rid of us, who do you think will protect Your Majesty? If the traitor wants to usurp the throne, how will Your Majesty deal with it? "
Zhu Yijun was furious. He suddenly stood up and pointed at Shen Yicheng.
"Bullshit! Shen Yicheng! You are full of nonsense! I was wrong about you! I was blind! I was wrong about you! Dong Zhuo? Will Dong Zhuo tell me what happened outside the capital that I can't see? Will Dong Zhuo tell me the truth? If Xiao Qing is Dong Zhuo, then who are you?
Shen Yicheng and you bastard traitors! Don't flatter yourself anymore. You are all traitors and rebellious officials! I am useless and can't protect the foundation of my ancestors and let the world fall into the hands of you traitors! This is my incompetence. I have nothing to say!
I don't blame the heavens or the earth. I can only blame myself for being useless! I blame myself for not listening to the old Grand Secretary. I blame myself for not executing you, Luo Sigong, the traitor first! "
Zhu Yijun panted with a ferocious look in his eyes, and fell back on his throne.
Luo Sigong lowered his head and didn't say a word. He only took a few steps back. It was unknown if it was because of his guilty conscience.
"Your Majesty's misunderstanding of us disappoints me."
Shen Yicheng said calmly, "I have contributed to the country for decades. In exchange for such treatment and evaluation from Your Majesty, I am disappointed."
With that, Shen Yicheng knelt on the ground.
"I beg Your Majesty to abdicate!"
Zhu Yijun's breath stopped.
"You …"
"I beg Your Majesty to abdicate!"
More than thirty civil and military officials knelt after Shen Yicheng and shouted.
"I beg Your Majesty to abdicate!"
Outside the palace, hundreds of officials knelt down and shouted.
"Rebellion! Rebellion! They really rebelled!! "
Civil and military officials, those he knew, those he didn't, those he was close to, those he didn't, those he hated, those he didn't hate, at this moment, they all wanted him to abdicate and leave this position.
Zhu Yijun's eyes widened. He was even angrier. Just as he was about to curse, Empress Dowager Li, who had her eyes closed, suddenly opened them and stood up.
"Okay, don't say anymore."
Empress Dowager Li didn't look at Zhu Yijun. She faced Shen Yicheng and the officials and stood still, "Shen Yicheng, I ask you, what are you doing today? Is it really just to make the emperor abdicate? Not to change the dynasty? Or to kill the emperor? "
Zhu Yijun trembled.
Shen Yicheng quickly kowtowed.
"Empress Dowager, you have misunderstood me. I just can't bear to see the Daming Empire fall, so I decided to set things right even if I have to be cursed. I will get rid of the immoral emperor and replace him with a righteous one to create a new era of Daming."
"So?"
"I am willing to make the eldest son of the emperor, Chang Luo, the new emperor, and assist the new emperor to create a new era of Daming."
Shen Yicheng knelt on the ground.
Even though he had expected this, at this moment, Zhu Yijun still felt that his mind had gone blank and he couldn't think.
Empress Dowager Li seemed to be very calm.
"You just want to establish a new emperor, not to conquer the empire? Don't tell me you want to imitate Sima Yi and become an emperor? "
Empress Dowager Li looked at Shen Yicheng very seriously.
Shen Yicheng kowtowed again, "I dare not. I have been deeply indebted to the Daming Empire, and my entire family is loyal to the Daming Empire. I have no choice but to do this to get rid of the traitors. If anyone dares to covet the throne of Daming, regardless of whether it is my family or anyone else present, I will kill them all!"
"You will protect the Daming Imperial Family, and will continue to do so in the future?"
"Even if I die, I will never let anyone harm the Daming Imperial Family."
Empress Dowager Li closed her eyes and slowly opened them.
"After the emperor abdicates, what will you do?"
Shen Yicheng said, "Please, Your Majesty, abdicate as the Retired Emperor and live in the Yuxi Palace in the West Garden for the rest of your life. All services will continue as before, and all expenses will be arranged by the cabinet. According to the rules of the empire, the Retired Emperor will still be the emperor, and we will still respect the Retired Emperor."
Empress Dowager Li took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.
"I hope you will remember what you have said today."
Zhu Yijun's eyes widened, and he looked at his mother in disbelief.
Shen Yicheng's pupils shrank, and he knelt on the ground again.
"I dare not forget!"
Empress Dowager Li nodded.
"Go and bring Chang Luo here, bring him to my side."
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
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