RPAGF Chapter 894 Palace Change
Chapter 894 Palace Change
Before Yang Zhong could continue speaking, Prime Minister Lu's face darkened, and he waved his hand, urging loudly, "What are you all standing there for? Seize him! The new emperor is kind-hearted and won't bother with you now, but he will definitely hold you accountable after he ascends the throne!"
This time, the Imperial Guards did not hesitate and swiftly stepped forward to tie up Yang Zhong.
Although Yang Zhong was skilled in martial arts, he was no match for the many hands that could fight him. The Imperial Guards were not to be trifled with either; the ones they had brought in this time were all elites. Before long, Yang Zhong was gagged, tied up tightly, and dragged away.
Zhou Shu narrowed his eyes in satisfaction, a slight smile playing on his lips. With his hands behind his back, he ordered, "Commander of the Imperial Guards, Grand Minister of the Imperial Guards, listen to my command: Take full control of all gates of the palace and key locations in the capital, and enforce a curfew. No one may enter or leave without my order."
"Your subjects obey!"
Two people immediately stepped forward to receive the order, and after speaking, they bowed and left.
Zhang Ping'an knew that these two must have been bribed in advance, and it was part of the plan.
The purpose was to prevent these important court officials from transmitting information to the outside world and to create the impression that they had everything under control.
Prime Minister Lu's cooperation suggests he likely prepared this in advance.
Now all the civil and military officials understood: this was a palace coup!
Some stubborn old ministers and upright officials immediately stood up to offer their advice.
Zhou Shu would not show the same leniency he had shown to Yang Zhong when dealing with officials who were insignificant and only good at empty talk; he would have them killed on the spot.
Anyone who objects will be executed!
It all comes down to whether they're stubborn or just plain tough!
The officials were in uproar!
Those who were just indignant dared not make any rash moves.
Although this action was violent, it intimidated everyone, and the effect was obvious.
The crown prince was gentle by nature, but he wasn't stupid. Seeing this scene, he understood everything. "You...you are treasonous, plotting to usurp the throne, you..."
Before the crown prince could say anything more, some of the imperial guards, both bold and astute, stepped forward and seized him.
He then looked up at Zhou Shu, as if asking for instructions on how to handle the situation; whether to kill or bind was entirely up to Zhou Shu.
Upon seeing this, the King of Qin could no longer restrain himself and stepped forward to sternly object: "Second Prince, isn't this a bit too presumptuous? The authenticity of the will is now unclear, yet you've dispatched so many imperial guards to control the palace, not only kidnapping important court officials but also targeting the Crown Prince. What are you trying to achieve? Do you really want to be branded as a usurper? This matter should be discussed by the cabinet ministers, their authenticity verified, before a decision is made!"
"What, does the King of Qin also doubt me?" Zhou Shu raised an eyebrow and smiled, but his gaze was cold.
Qin Qingshan's eyes were calm, meeting his gaze without the slightest fear. "Yes! What, you want to tie me up too? Kill me? I wonder if you can sit securely on this throne since you've seized it illegitimately? To the north, the Golden Crow Khanate is eyeing us covetously; to the west, there are seventy-two small kingdoms beyond the Great Wall; to the east, there are Japanese pirates; and to the south, there are troublesome barbarian kingdoms. Do you think you can solve all these problems by simply seizing the throne through a palace coup?"
"There's no need for Your Majesty to worry about that. Why don't you take a look around first? Aren't you wondering why none of the factory workers are here?" Zhou Shu said slowly and deliberately.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Ping'an observed carefully and indeed, despite such a major incident, not a single person from the factory was found in the vicinity.
As secret agents, they shouldn't have acted this way.
Winter days are short and dark. It was already getting dark when Zhang Ping'an, with his excellent eyesight, suddenly noticed a beacon fire in the distance.
"Look over there, there are beacon fires!"
Qin Qingshan stared intently in the direction Zhang Ping'an was pointing and indeed saw beacon fires rising in the northwest.
Listening to the ground again, one could still faintly hear the vibrations of horses' hooves.
Qin Qingshan had fought in over a hundred battles, and disregarding his status, he lay down on the ground and listened carefully. He then realized that the number of people coming was at least ten thousand, and they were no more than ten miles away from where they were standing.
This was prepared before even entering the city.
“These people are all elites from the battlefield, and they will soon take over the security of the capital,” Zhou Shu said calmly.
As soon as he finished speaking, Prime Minister Lu stroked his long beard with relief, feeling reassured and at ease.
He turned his head and instructed his men to collect the seals of the central government offices, such as the Secretariat and the Privy Council.
Those who know when to yield are wise, so Zhang Ping'an handed over the seal without much resistance.
On the other side, the Crown Prince was too shocked. Although the Imperial Guards tried to gag him, he broke free with his frantic movements, and blood was still flowing from his mouth.
He threw his head back and laughed twice, his expression a mixture of laughter and tears. "Second brother, you've been lying low for so long! What? Are you going to announce later that you've quelled the rebellion, branding me a traitor and rebel, to glorify your actions as 'purging the court of corrupt officials'? Father is right, you're an ingrate! If I had known this would happen, I shouldn't have pleaded for your life. I've raised a wolf that will only cause more trouble! How foolish! How could there be such a foolish crown prince as me! There are no fathers and sons in the imperial family, no kinship in the imperial family. Father is right, hahaha!"
The laughter was maniacal.
Zhang Ping'an couldn't help but shed a tear of sympathy for the crown prince. With the new emperor ascending the throne, the crown prince was sure to have no good end; the best outcome would be house arrest until his death.
He's a good person, but he's not destined to be an emperor!
He was no match for Zhou Shu.
"Who gagged you just now? You can't even handle this small matter, what use are you?" Zhou Shu's eyes were sharp as knives.
As soon as he finished speaking, he slashed the Imperial Guard who had been trying to tie up the man with a single stroke, and blood splattered three feet high from his neck.
The remaining imperial guards dared not utter a sound and immediately bound the crown prince tightly, rendering him unable to move.
The scene was silent for a moment.
Zhou Shu seemed oblivious, slowly pulling out a handkerchief and carefully wiping the blood off his face.
Then he looked at Prime Minister Lu.
Prime Minister Lu, understanding the unspoken message, stepped forward and continued, "A country cannot be without a ruler for a day. Now that we have the late emperor's edict, the most urgent task is to complete the sacrificial ceremony to Heaven and the temple before the late emperor's spirit, and respectfully welcome the new emperor to preside over the affairs of state! We will hold a grand enthronement ceremony on a later date!"
Anyone with eyes to see understands that this is an attempt to take advantage of the chaos to complete the coronation ceremony in the shortest possible time. Once the ceremony is completed, Zhou Shu's status will change from prince to emperor.
His legal status was thus fundamentally changed, and any subsequent opposition to him would be considered a legitimate act of rebellion, rather than a mere disagreement on political views.
At this moment, Qin Qingshan closed his eyes again, his eyes showing reluctance.
Zhang Ping'an noticed this expression and felt that something was wrong; this reaction didn't make sense!
Before he could figure it out, someone draped a dragon robe over Zhou Shu's head.
Then, palace servants nervously brought out incense burners and other items to burn incense and offer sacrifices to Heaven.
After about half an hour, it was completely dark, but the ceremony was still not over.
As winter deepened and the dew grew heavy, the officials shivered from the cold, yet none dared to utter a sound, and could only comply.
The palace gates outside the Hall of Mental Cultivation were opened again, and the sound of the doors opening was so jarring in the darkness.
The newcomer reeked of blood, and it was unclear how much blood he had stained himself with; he staggered as he walked.
Prime Minister Lu suppressed his impatience and, maintaining his composure, shouted, "Insolence! The new emperor is holding his enthronement ceremony, how can you all be so disrespectful? What was the result?"
The purpose of asking this question was to make those officials who still harbored resentment give up completely.
But then a calm yet weak voice came through: "I'm afraid it's not so good!"
Upon hearing the voice, Prime Minister Lu slowly and stiffly turned his head.
"Your Majesty...Your Majesty...Your Majesty?!"