Chapter 18: Does Lord Huang Have an Imperial Edict?
Facing Huang Zicheng’s smile, as fearless as one embracing death, Zhu Yuncong did not become angry; instead, he laughed heartily along with him.
As someone who had traveled through time from the future, Zhu Yuncong understood better than anyone that these so-called incorruptible civil officials of feudal dynasties often truly cared little for life and death when striving to secure a place in history.
But if Huang Zicheng hoped to carve an image of unwavering integrity that would be immortalized through Zhu Yuncong, he would not be so easily granted that satisfaction.
“Hahaha! Well, well, what a stalwart and unyielding Lord Huang!”
“Since you claim that Zhu Yunwen is the heir apparent personally appointed by His Majesty the Emperor, then Lord Huang, please present the imperial edict confirming this!”
“If Lord Huang cannot produce it, then it would be an unauthorized assumption of the Emperor’s will, a crime of deceiving the sovereign, and in our eyes, tantamount to treason.”
…
Crack—
The indignation that had filled Huang Zicheng moments before vanished instantly, as if someone had gripped his throat. He opened his mouth wide, staring at Zhu Yuncong with the discomfort of a fish out of water.
“What’s the matter, Lord Huang? Can’t produce His Majesty the Emperor’s edict?” Zhu Yuncong looked at him with amusement.
After a moment, his gaze shifted to Fang Xiaoru and the others. “Lord Fang, and all of you, you just now questioned whether I deserved to sit here. It seems you are confident enough to produce the imperial edict of His Majesty the Emperor, yes?”
“We…” Fang Xiaoru and the others felt their mouths dry, unable to find a reply.
The heir apparent is the foundation of the nation. Without the Emperor’s personal edict, no one dares to designate someone as the heir on their own.
But now Zhu Yuanzhang has passed away; who then can produce such an edict?
“Your Highness, the late Emperor did not have time to issue an edict. Naturally, we cannot produce one.”
After a long silence, Fang Xiaoru finally mustered his courage and bowed deeply, “But all the civil and military officials know that the late Emperor has recently kept the Crown Prince by his side, even accompanying him to the Fengtian Hall, Jinshen Hall, and Qianqing Palace without letting him leave. Isn’t that proof of the Emperor’s intention?”
“Well, well! Lord Fang truly knows how to divine the Emperor’s will!” Zhu Yuncong could not help but applaud.
—
But moments later, his eyes landed on Minister of Punishments Kai Ji. “Lord Kai, I’m not very familiar with His Majesty the Emperor’s style of governance. Please explain—how did the Emperor deal with those who presumptuously interpreted his will or appointed an heir without authorization?”
Kai Ji forced a bitter smile but had no choice but to step forward with his tablet in hand.
“Your Highness, when the Emperor was alive, no one dared to presume the Emperor’s will…”
He paused for several seconds, a bitter smile returning to his lips.
“Because anyone who dared to presume the Emperor’s will was wiped out, their entire families exterminated.”
Indeed, including Li Shanchang and Hu Weiyong, anyone who dared to guess Zhu Yuanzhang’s intentions or act on such assumptions was slaughtered without mercy.
The officials present could not help but feel a pang of sorrow; serving under Zhu Yuanzhang had indeed been a perilous affair.
Kai Ji’s words did not stop there. With a look of regret toward Huang Zicheng and Fang Xiaoru, he continued, “Though no case involving the heir apparent has ever occurred in this dynasty, according to the laws of past dynasties, anyone who presumes to arrange the heir apparent without imperial sanction is guilty of treason and should be executed along with their entire clan.”
A sharp intake of breath swept through the officials. Their eyes toward Huang Zicheng and the others softened with pity.
Huang Zicheng had sought to secure a noble reputation through this matter, yet Zhu Yuncong had just branded him a traitor with a few words.
Not only did he risk clan extermination, but future histories would record only this: “In the twenty-fifth year of Hongwu, the Emperor passed away. Huang and Fang attempted to control the court. The new sovereign saw through their scheme, sentenced them to death, and exterminated their clans.”
Huang Zicheng had already fainted from the successive blows, a pool of blood-streaked saliva forming beside him on the floor.
Yet Fang Xiaoru, true to his reputation for stubbornness, glared back at Kai Ji and ground his teeth, “Hmph! Your Highness is indeed sharp-tongued. But even if the late Emperor left no edict, the Crown Prince is the legitimate eldest son. According to the Emperor’s own rules about succession, shouldn’t today’s court session have been presided over by the Crown Prince instead of Your Highness?”
“Hahaha! Well, well, the legitimate eldest Crown Prince,” Zhu Yuncong laughed out loud again.
But his expression darkened instantly afterward, and he called out toward the entrance of Fengtian Hall, “Song Zhong, bring the prisoners in.”
“Yes.”
Song Zhong’s voice came from outside.
Soon, he entered Fengtian Hall, escorting more than a dozen people in the custody of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.
—
When the officials got a clear look at the two leading figures, their faces changed as if performing the famed Sichuan opera face-changing.
Fear, suspicion, bewilderment—various expressions flickered across their faces.
It was simply unbelievable: the Crown Princess and the Crown Prince, disheveled and filthy, were brought into Fengtian Hall as if they were prisoners.
Not only the civil officials but even the military officers were stunned.
Why? Because among the group, they recognized a familiar face—a brother-in-arms from past bloody battles: Marquis of Jiangxia, Zhou Dexing.
Even among the group was Zhou Dexing’s eldest son, Zhou Ji…
The remaining individuals were all familiar to those who frequently entered the Eastern Palace: eunuchs, female attendants, and imperial physicians responsible for the Eastern Palace’s affairs.
They could not fathom Zhu Yuncong’s intentions in staging this, but the looks of fear directed at him grew ever more intense.
“Your Highness, all the prisoners have been brought in. Please issue your judgment,” Song Zhong reported loudly at the center of Fengtian Hall.
A gentle smile returned to Zhu Yuncong’s face. Chuckling softly, he looked at Song Zhong and said, “Let’s tell everyone the truth! So no one thinks I am truly a ruthless tyrant.”
“Hehe! Your Highness, you are wise and mighty,” Song Zhong flattered before casting a disdainful glance at Fang Xiaoru and the others. Then, producing a small notebook, he began to read aloud again.
“According to investigations by the Embroidered Uniform Guard, in the tenth year of Hongwu, the Crown Princess suffered hemorrhaging after childbirth, weakening her body. An Eastern Palace concubine conspired with the imperial physicians to secretly replace a medicinal ingredient in the Crown Princess’s restorative prescription, ultimately causing her condition to deteriorate and leading to her death.”
“In the fifteenth year of Hongwu, the Crown Prince accompanied the heir apparent on an inspection tour of Jiangnan. During the journey, Zhou Ji, son of Marquis Zhou Dexing, conspired with the White Lotus Sect to poison the Crown Prince. The imperial physicians misdiagnosed the Crown Prince with smallpox, and due to their error, the Crown Prince passed away.”
“In the twenty-fifth year of Hongwu, the Crown Prince’s concubine Lady Lü, in collusion with Marquis Zhou Dexing to support her son Zhu Yunwen’s claim to the heir apparent position, allowed Zhou Ji to wreak havoc in the palace…”
…