Ming Dynasty: Ask Zhu Yuanzhang to abdicate at the beginning

Chapter 620 The rebellion is quelled, but the emperor has passed away?

Zhu Su's frantic command still echoed in the air above the square.

His response was not the soldiers' shouts of battle, but a sharp, deadly explosion that came from the sky!
"boom!"

Time seemed to freeze at this moment!
While the chaotic troops below were fighting amongst themselves, atop the high wall, a pair of the calmest eyes had already locked onto the most crucial target through the crosshairs.

The Imperial Concubine's orders were very simple and extremely clear.

Find an opportunity to kill King Zhu Su of Zhou!
The sniper had been waiting, waiting for a golden opportunity to strike and kill.

Now, as Zhu Su shouted loudly, completely exposing himself in the center of the open space, the time had come.

A whistling bullet, carrying wind and fire, flew accurately down the high wall and pierced Zhu Su's forehead, which was raised high due to excessive excitement.

His forward momentum suddenly froze, and his raised arm fell limply to the ground.

His body, as if all the bones had been removed, spun half a circle like a top before crashing heavily to the ground, whereupon he fell silent.

Until the very last moment, his eyes remained wide open, his mouth slightly agape, frozen within the unspoken dream of becoming "Emperor," and his face filled with disbelief.

He actually died at the very last moment before he was about to become "Emperor"!
Zhu Su, the Prince of Zhou of the Ming Dynasty, thus met his end.

A deathly silence enveloped the entire square.

Immediately, a series of metallic clanking sounds rang out from the top of the wall, and dozens of dark gun muzzles, like the eyes of death, looked down at every terrified soul below.

A booming voice came from the high wall, like the judgment of a god:
"Listen up, all of you! The ringleaders of this rebellion, Wang Shoulian and Zhu Su, have both been executed!"

"You have all been deceived by him, which is why you have committed such heinous crimes!"

"His Majesty has always been kind and compassionate, and understands your predicament!"

"Now, lay down your weapons immediately, kneel down and surrender, and you will be spared the death penalty!"

"Any further resistance will result in being torn to pieces and having one's entire family wiped out."

These words became the final straw that broke the camel's back.

With their leader gone, the will to survive instantly consumed everything.

The soldiers looked at each other, and in each other's eyes they saw endless fear and struggle.

Finally, with a crisp clang, a soldier threw his musket to the ground, then knelt down limply, kowtowing and crying out, "I surrender! Please forgive me, Your Majesty!"

Once someone takes the lead, the others can no longer maintain their tense nerves.

"Clang!"

"Clang!"

The sounds of weapons hitting the ground rose and fell in succession.

Soon, a large number of rebel soldiers knelt down in the square, surrendering their weapons.

However, there are always a few desperate criminals who, when driven to the brink of despair, still clutch their muskets, hesitant and undecided.

Just then, the small door on one side of the square leading to the telegraph room was suddenly kicked open, and a squad of well-equipped soldiers rushed in like tigers descending a mountain!
"boom!"

In the chaos, a rebel soldier who was still holding a gun, out of fear or in a final frenzy, instinctively pulled the trigger toward the main hall.

The next moment, he was met with a barrage of gunfire!

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Soldiers on the wall and those rushing in through the side gate opened fire simultaneously. The soldier who had put up a stubborn resistance was instantly riddled with bullets and fell to the ground without uttering a sound.

This final act of bloodshed completely shattered everyone's hopes and wishful thinking.

Inside the Confucius Mansion, not far from the side gate connecting to the Temple of Literature, Xu Miaojin, dressed in military uniform, stood with a serious expression.

She did not hastily step into the chaotic area of ​​the Confucian Temple, but calmly issued a series of orders.

People from all sides poured in from the main gate and side gates, flooding the entire square like a tide, and quickly disarmed all the remaining rebels with the speed of autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves.

The whole process was as smooth as a precise rehearsal.

Apart from a few sporadic initial resistances, they encountered almost no substantial resistance.

Of the officials who followed Wang Shoulian in remonstrating with him, apart from a few who committed suicide on the spot, the rest all knelt down and begged for mercy.

This "military remonstrance" that shocked the empire was thus completely quelled.

Xu Miaojin only entered the Confucian Temple through a side gate after all the "rebels" had been disarmed.

There was no trace of the rebels in the square at this time.

Xu Miaojin did not step forward immediately. Instead, she first dispatched the Tian Shu Division guards to direct the officers and soldiers to clear the entire battlefield, collect all weapons, and escort all prisoners to ensure that no hidden dangers were left behind.

Inside the Confucian Temple, the smell of gunpowder and blood mingled together, making one feel nauseous.

Only after confirming that everything was in perfect order did she tidy herself up, cross the messy square, and walk step by step toward the tightly closed palace gate.

The hall remained deathly silent; this was an instruction that had been loudly proclaimed during the clearing process.

To avoid causing unnecessary disturbance, the guards inside the palace must not open the palace doors without authorization until the external threats have been completely eliminated.

To ensure that nothing untoward happens to the emperor.

This is the safest and most foolproof solution.

Xu Miaojin stood before the hall, took a deep breath to suppress the turmoil in her heart, curtsied, and said in a steady voice, "Your Majesty, the rebels outside have all been quelled. Your Majesty is safe and sound, and the gates may be opened."

Her voice was like a pebble thrown into stagnant water.

The hall was silent for a moment, then a suppressed, tearful cry of joy rang out: "It's the Imperial Concubine...it's the Imperial Concubine's voice!"

The heavy palace doors creaked open, leaving a crack in the interior.

Xu Miaojin stepped inside.

However, the moment she stepped into the hall, the scene before her made her mind go blank, as if the whole world had collapsed.

Her pupils suddenly contracted, and the blood in her body seemed to freeze at that moment.

In the center of the hall, Zhu Yunwen lay quietly on the floor, his dragon robe soaked in blood. His eyes were closed, his face as pale as paper, and one hand was pressed limply against his abdomen, where crimson blood was continuously seeping out.

He was surrounded by kneeling guards and eunuchs, each with a deathly pale face, silently shedding tears.

"What...what...what's going on?" Xu Miaojin felt dizzy and her body went limp, almost collapsing to the ground.

Fortunately, the guards beside her reacted quickly and caught her.

The eunuch Zhao Rui, kneeling at the front, raised his face, which was already washed away by tears, and reported in a desperate and numb tone, "Your Highness... just now in the chaos of battle, a stray bullet... a stray bullet hit His Majesty... His Majesty... the imperial carriage... has passed away!"

The last four words, like an invisible giant hammer, slammed heavily into Xu Miao-Jin's heart.

She felt a sudden darkness before her eyes and a ringing in her ears; if someone hadn't helped her up, she would have already fainted.

Zhao Rui forced a sobbing tone and said, "Your Majesty... please accept my condolences."

"Your Majesty... Your Majesty left a will before his death..."

He choked up as he conveyed the final decree, word by word: "Firstly, the Emperor Emeritus is old and may not be able to bear this terrible news. Before the Emperor Emeritus returns to Jinling, the news must be kept secret and not a single word should be leaked."

"Secondly, Her Majesty the Empress, together with the ministers of the Ministry of State Affairs and the Ministry of Military Affairs, shall select a virtuous person from among the imperial family members to succeed to the throne."

"Thirdly, to prevent the foundation of the state from being shaken before the new emperor ascends the throne, the news of His Majesty's death will not be announced to the public and will be kept secret..."

……

……

……

Jinling, the Hall of Diligent Governance.

Behind the gauze curtain, Gu Panjun's figure appeared somewhat hazy.

She leaned against the soft couch, her eyes closed, her breathing even, as if she had fallen asleep.

However, the hands beneath the sleeves of her phoenix robe, their knuckles slightly white from exertion, betrayed the extreme turmoil within her.

At this moment, how could she possibly fall asleep?

He simply pretended to be calm, but was actually exhausted and closed his eyes to rest.

Inside the hall, the lights were on, and more than a dozen of the empire's top officials had gathered there.

They were either writing furiously with their heads down or discussing matters in hushed tones. The rustling of pens across paper, the occasional calls for people to come in, and suppressed coughs intertwined to create a symphony of extreme tension.

Each person is like a taut string, maintaining the difficult operation of this vast empire after a sudden change.

Time ticked by, second by second, in the suffocating wait.

Just then, a eunuch in charge of translating telegrams rushed in, holding a thin telegram in his hands, almost tumbling over.

His pale, terrified face instantly drew everyone's attention.

Inside the main hall, all sound ceased abruptly, so quiet that one could hear each other's heartbeats.

Yao Guangxiao slowly stood up, looked at the eunuch, and asked in a deep voice, "What's the matter that you're so alarmed?"

The eunuch's lips trembled, unable to utter a complete sentence. He simply presented the newly deciphered telegram with trembling hands.

Yao Guangxiao took the telegram and glanced at it. Instantly, all color drained from his usually calm and composed face.

He swayed violently, nearly losing his balance, his eyes revealing unprecedented horror and... grief.

Yang Shiqi sensed something was wrong and immediately stepped forward to take the telegram from Yao Guangxiao.

A moment later, the minister, known for his composure, froze on the spot as if struck by lightning, the telegram in his hand slipping lightly and falling onto the gold-brick floor.

"This...this is impossible..." Yang Shiqi muttered to himself, his eyes filled with disbelief.

This sudden turn of events plunged all the ministers into despair.

An ominous premonition, like a dark cloud, loomed over everyone's hearts.

Lan Yu, Xu Huizu, and the others crowded around, and when they saw the contents of the paper, everyone's expression changed drastically.

"The Qufu Incident has been quelled, and the ringleaders have been executed. However, Your Majesty was unfortunately shot amidst the chaos of battle... and passed away."

There is more content later, including the three "last edicts" left by Zhu Yunwen.

But those few words alone were like a thunderbolt, striking all the ministers of state affairs and the ministers of military affairs, along with the Hall of Diligent Governance, which symbolized the power of the empire, so that it was on the verge of collapse.

"His Majesty……"

"His Majesty has passed away?"

Suppressed gasps and sobs began to spread throughout the hall.

Lan Yu, a veteran of countless battles, instantly filled his tiger-like eyes with tears. He suddenly knelt down and let out a suppressed, mournful roar towards Qufu in the east.

Just when everyone was in a state of panic and on the verge of collapse, a clear, cold, yet incredibly steady voice came from behind the thin gauze curtain.

"Why are you panicking?"

Gu Panjun had already sat up straight without anyone noticing.

Her voice was completely calm, as if the devastating news that had just struck the world had nothing to do with her.

“Master Yao,” she said slowly, “present the telegram.”

Yao Guangxiao picked up the telegram from the ground, suppressing his immense grief, and walked heavily to the curtain, raising his hands high.

A pale white hand reached out from behind the curtain and gently took the paper that bore witness to the nation's tragedy.

Behind the gauze curtain, a long, unsettling silence fell.

Everyone held their breath. They couldn't imagine how heartbroken the pregnant empress must have been upon learning of her husband's death.

But what they received was not a sorrowful cry, but a command so calm it was almost cruel.

"Issue my decree," Gu Panjun's voice rang out again, each word seeming to burst forth from beneath a glacier: "Seal off the Qin Zheng Hall. From this moment on, not only you ministers of state affairs and ministers of military affairs, but no one else is allowed to enter or leave without authorization."

"All personnel on official business stayed overnight inside."

"Orders that need to be conveyed are only conveyed by voice, memorial, or official document."

"The personnel remain in their positions, with the transfer of personnel to internal and external matters handled separately."

"All telegrams from Qufu must be presented to me first. Anyone who disobeys this order will be punished for treason!"

She paused, then her voice suddenly rose:
"If even a single word of His Majesty's passing is uttered outside this palace, whoever is responsible will be executed along with their entire family!"

These words were like a bucket of ice water poured over the heads of all the grieving and panicked ministers, instantly bringing them to their senses.

They then realized that this was far from the time to grieve.

With the emperor gone and the country without a lasting ruler, once this news leaks out, the undercurrents that have just been suppressed will surely surge a hundred times stronger and completely engulf the entire Ming Dynasty!

Yang Shiqi was the first to react, immediately kneeling down and loudly proclaiming, "Your subject obeys the Empress's decree!"

"Your Majesty, we obey!" The other ministers also knelt down.

Only Wang Zuo hesitated for a moment before kneeling down, then immediately raised his head and said, "Your Majesty, please accept my condolences... However, a country cannot be without a ruler for a day. Should we immediately discuss the selection of a new ruler according to the will?"

Wang Zuo's words were like a bucket of cold water poured into boiling oil, causing an uproar in the entire hall.

Everyone was talking about it.

"Insolence!" A thunderous shout silenced all the murmurs.

Lan Yu suddenly stood up from the stool, her scarlet eyes staring intently at Wang Zuo. The murderous aura honed from being ravaged by mountains of corpses and seas of blood made Wang Zuo involuntarily take a half step back.

"Wang Zuo, what are you up to?!" Lan Yu's voice was like thunder, hoarse and furious: "His Majesty's body is barely cold, and you're already in a hurry to install a new emperor?"

"Do you still have any regard for the late Emperor, or for the legitimate heir in the Empress's womb?!"

……

(End of this chapter)