My father is Chongzhen? Then I have no choice but to rebel.

Immediately afterward, Hauge seemed to realize something, then suddenly looked at Dayuer, who was still crying not far away, and angrily said:

"You damned bitch, it must be you! You switched His Majesty's edict! How dare you do such a thing!"

Just now, because the incident happened so suddenly, Hauge couldn't figure out what was going on. But in that instant, he suddenly realized that it must have been Da Yu'er who was behind all of this!

Because only she had the opportunity to do this!
Furthermore, the fake imperial edict had Fulin's name on it. Who else but Da Yu'er would dare to do such a thing?

I really didn’t expect that!

Both father and son were actually harmed by this woman!

For a moment, Hauge's eyes were practically spitting fire as he looked at Dayuer!

Not far away, Da Yu'er trembled slightly upon hearing this, then stood up with a feigned aggrieved expression and turned to look at the crowd behind her.

Her face was covered in tears, and her tearful appearance evoked pity, as if she was still grieving for Huang Taiji's death.

Then she sobbed and said:

"Prince Su, how could you wrong me like this?"

"Although I am not your biological mother, I am nominally your mother. How can you be so disrespectful to me?"

"His Majesty has only just passed away, and you treat me like this? If you really become emperor, how will I survive?"

"Furthermore, I am certain that the imperial edict in your possession is fake, because the real edict is with me."

As she spoke, Da Yu'er hurriedly and carefully took out the same imperial edict from her bosom.

She then continued:
"His Majesty personally handed this edict to me half a year ago. At that time, His Majesty said that although Hauge was the eldest son, he was stubborn and self-willed and was not fit to take on the great responsibility. Therefore, he intended to let Fulin succeed him."

"Although Fulin is the youngest son, he is intelligent by nature and will surely become a wise monarch in the future, leading the Qing Dynasty to prosperity."

"Even on his deathbed, His Majesty kept saying that he wanted to pass the throne to Fulin. The eunuchs, maids, and guards in the palace can all testify to this. You can ask them if you don't believe me!"

Upon hearing this, a quick-witted guard immediately stepped forward and said to Zhe Zhe:

"Your Majesty, this servant can testify that His Majesty did indeed say before his death that he would pass the throne to the Ninth Prince!"

Immediately afterwards, several palace maids, eunuchs, and guards also stepped forward to confirm the matter!

Seeing this, Dayuer handed the will to Zhe Zhe.

Zhe Zhe took the edict but did not rush to open it. Instead, she looked at Dayuer deeply, her eyes seemingly containing many complex emotions.

Then, she slowly opened the imperial edict.

Sure enough, this will was exactly the same as the one taken out of the secret box before, and the name on it was Fulin.

It is also worth mentioning that when Dayuer forged these two edicts, she deliberately added some words at the end, namely that after Fulin succeeded to the throne, Daishan, Dorgon, Jirgalang, Ajige, and Haoge would jointly assist in governing.

Firstly, it was to make it seem more realistic, since a young son succeeding to the throne would definitely require a regent.

Secondly, it was to appease and win over the other princes.

After reading the imperial edict in his hand, Zhe Zhe handed it to the people behind him.

When the others saw the will, everyone present was shocked!
No one expected things to take such a dramatic turn!

Most people originally thought that Hauge would definitely become the next emperor, after all, he had a large army and Huang Taiji's edict of succession.

But now it seems that this is not the case?

Because Huang Taiji actually passed the throne to Fulin!
But that doesn't make any sense!

Where is there a case where an adult son is not chosen, but a young son is made emperor?

Furthermore, if that were the case, why did Huang Taiji hand over his two banners to Haoge in the first place?
Are they afraid that the Qing Dynasty wasn't chaotic enough?

But soon, some people in the crowd saw through the trick!

This was clearly orchestrated by Dayuer in secret. She secretly replaced the imperial edict while Huang Taiji was seriously ill, thus creating this situation.

But even if someone realizes something is wrong, no one dares to say it out loud.

After all, Da Yu'er's preparations were so thorough that it was difficult to find any flaws!

However, as Huang Taiji's designated successor, how could Hauge simply give up?

He stared at Dayuer with bloodshot eyes, his gaze filled with hatred and murderous intent, as if he wanted to devour her alive.

He then angrily cursed:
"You vile woman, you're lying! His Majesty clearly told me personally that he wanted me to inherit the throne, and even handed over the two banners that originally belonged to him to me!"

"The generals of both banners can testify to this. If Your Majesty does not intend to pass the throne to me, why did you do this?"

Haug's voice grew louder and louder, filled with resentment and anger!
Before Da Yu'er could speak, Dorgon sneered and said:
"Hauge, don't you understand? His Majesty is trying to appease you and prevent you from doing anything foolish, so he's thinking of letting you take control of the two banners of troops that originally belonged to him."

"I also hope that you can be a good older brother, take good care of your younger brother, and help him protect this great Qing Dynasty!"

"But looking at you now, forging the imperial edict and slandering the Empress Dowager, do you intend to defy His Majesty's edict or even rebel?"

Dorgon's words immediately defined Hauge's character!

It's as if Hauge really was that traitor who forged the imperial edict and attempted to rebel!
However, his words were a bit far-fetched, because if Huang Taiji really intended for Fulin to succeed to the throne, then he certainly wouldn't have handed over the Plain Yellow Banner and the Bordered Yellow Banner to Hauge.

This would only fuel Haug's ambition.

At the same time, Haug's eyes widened in fury upon hearing this. His eyes were bloodshot, and veins bulged on his forehead, making him look like an enraged beast!

He finally understood something else!
That means this wasn't something Dayuer did alone; Dorgon must have been involved too!

From the very beginning, he had fallen into a meticulously designed trap!

To achieve their goals, they went so far as to forge an imperial edict, all in order to allow the six-year-old Fulin to succeed to the throne and then seize control of the entire Qing Dynasty!
Thinking of this, Hauge could no longer hold back!
An overwhelming rage began to surge within him, and his reason was completely overwhelmed by it!
Without the slightest hesitation, Hauge rushed to the side of the guard, his speed so fast that no one had time to react.

In a flash, Hauge snatched the knife from the guard's waist, then glared fiercely at Dorgon and said:

"You scoundrel! You and that vile woman did all this! I will kill you both!"

After saying this, Hauge was about to rush over and kill Dorgon! However, when he saw this scene, Dorgon showed no panic at all. He even had a smile on his lips, a smile full of mockery and disdain.

Because he knew that as soon as Hauge made a move, Hauge would be completely defeated!

After all, only those who are in the wrong get angry and embarrassed!
And at this moment, how could anyone else just stand by and watch Hauge kill him?

Sure enough, before Hauge could take two steps, the people around him rushed forward and blocked him.

Some of them hugged Haug tightly around the waist from behind, while others grabbed his arms, trying to stop his crazy behavior.

Jirhalang even reached out to snatch the knife from Hauge's hand. The knife fell to the ground with a loud clang, as if marking the end of this farce!

"Hauge, don't be impulsive, don't be impulsive. Let's talk this out. His Majesty has just left. Are you going to kill each other in front of him?"

Someone couldn't help but offer some advice!

"Let me go, let me go!"

Haug roared angrily, his voice hoarse with rage.

"It was Dorgon and that vile woman who altered His Majesty's will. The will they have is fake, while the will I have is the real one. Why don't you believe me?"

At this moment, Haug was utterly desperate.

How could we lose when we were so sure of winning?
Meanwhile, a little further away, the Han officials, led by Fan Wencheng, were practically terrified.

Their faces were as pale as paper, fine beads of sweat appeared on their foreheads, and their bodies trembled involuntarily.

At this moment, they truly regretted insisting on coming in with them; otherwise, they wouldn't have heard these things they shouldn't have.

If those words were to get out, they could very well bring them death!
Moreover, by now, it's clear to everyone that Huang Taiji definitely intends for Hauge to succeed him.

But somehow the will was secretly replaced, and the conspiracy behind it is chilling.

But at this moment, not a single person dared to speak up for Hauge!

As I said before, Da Yu'er was far too well-prepared!
Because the will in her hand was exactly the same as the portrait hidden in the secret compartment, compared to the fact that there was only one copy of the will in Hauge's hand, it was really lacking in credibility!
Furthermore, Hauge's previous attempt to harm Dorgon seems to further confirm that the imperial edict in Hauge's possession is fake.

All of this points to one thing: Hauge probably really can't be emperor.
Thinking of this, Fan Wencheng couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

His feelings were very complicated at this moment. He had originally thought that Hauge would succeed him and planned to make great strides and realize his political ambitions after Hauge took office.

Unexpectedly, things took such a turn, leaving him feeling extremely disappointed and helpless.

At the same time, he felt a sense of relief deep down, glad that he hadn't gotten too close to Hauge and hadn't invested too much in him.

Otherwise, when the new emperor ascends the throne, he will probably suffer, and may even fall into an abyss of no return.

On the other side, the Manchu ministers, including Sony, Tulai, and Ebilun, who were usually eloquent in court, stood silently to the side, looking like wilted eggplants.

It's important to know that in the original history, they were all firmly on Hauge's side and fully supported his succession.

In order for Hauge to ascend the throne, they even argued fiercely with the powerful Dorgon, neither side willing to yield.

After all, as Huang Taiji's subjects, they all had some grudges against Dorgon. If Dorgon ascended the throne, it would be of no benefit to them.

Hauge's succession aligned with their interests and ensured their status and power in the court.

However, the situation has now changed dramatically.

Dorgon's prestige in the army declined due to his disastrous defeat in the Battle of Songjin.

Under such circumstances, Dorgon was clearly no longer qualified to be emperor.

Furthermore, since Huang Taiji left a will before his death, these Manchu ministers could only keep their mouths shut and dared not easily express their opinions.

In their view, it didn't seem to make much difference whether Hauge or another of Huang Taiji's sons ascended the throne.

As long as it's not Dorgon!
Therefore, at this critical moment, not a single person stood up to speak for Hauge.

Meanwhile, the atmosphere ahead remained tense, like a fully drawn bowstring, ready to snap at any moment.

Hauge remained locked in a furious standoff with Dorgon.

He stubbornly refused to admit that the edict in Dayuer's hand was genuine, while Dorgon insisted that the edict in Dayuer's hand was genuine, and neither side was willing to give in.

Da Yu'er stood quietly to the side, occasionally covering her face and weeping.

Seeing this, the others could only try their best to persuade both sides to calm down and at least not to come to blows!

At this moment, everyone probably forgot that Huang Taiji was still lying quietly in bed!
The pitiful Huang Taiji spent his life fighting on the battlefield and made great contributions to the Qing Dynasty. Now, his body is barely cold, yet these people are fighting tooth and nail for the throne in front of him, completely disregarding his last shred of dignity.

Furthermore, although many people gathered in the palace, only Dorgon, Jirgalang, and Hauge truly had any say in this struggle for the throne.

Although Fei Yangguo and Abatai were Huang Taiji's brothers, they had long been excluded from the core of power by Huang Taiji and had no say in anything.

The others are all collateral branches of the Aisin Gioro family.

Although they held certain official positions in the military and the imperial court, they were certainly not qualified to participate in matters of imperial succession.

All he could do was stand by and try to calm Hauge and Dorgon down.

As for Princes Ajige and Daishan, they were currently responsible for confronting the Ming army at the front and rear in Liaodong.

But even if they were here, they couldn't help Hauge!
Because Ajige was Dorgon's biological brother, he would support Dorgon without hesitation no matter what decision Dorgon made.

As for Daishan, he didn't really care who was emperor. In his view, as long as the situation was stable and the Qing dynasty could continue, it didn't matter who sat on the throne.

The small group of people present, now mostly sided with Dorgon and were willing to support Fulin's succession.

Dorgon had secretly contacted them beforehand, but he didn't explain what he wanted to do. He just told them that there was a big event that required their support.

If this succeeds, then wealth and glory will be just around the corner!

It now seems that what Dorgon referred to as the "major matter" was probably this very issue! (End of Chapter)