Ming Dynasty: The Crocodile King of Han Prince Zhu Gaoxu's Family

Chapter 488 Jianlong's Abdication!

Upon seeing Empress Dowager Sun take out the Golden Dragon Token and hand it to Yu Qian, Yang Shiqi was eager to step forward and snatch the token from Yu Qian's hand!
However, it was clear that the elderly and frail Yang Shiqi was much slower than the young and vigorous Yu Qian! Before Yang Shiqi could even make a move, Yu Qian turned around and dodged.

"Grand Secretary Yang!" Empress Dowager Sun scolded Yang Shiqi in displeasure after seeing him prepare to snatch the Golden Dragon Token.

Clearly, in Empress Dowager Sun's eyes, Yang Shiqi's act of seizing the Golden Dragon Token was an attempt to prevent her son, the Zhengtong Emperor, from being saved! It was suspected of plotting to assassinate the emperor!
As expected, upon hearing Empress Dowager Sun's reprimand, Yang Shiqi immediately knelt on the ground, motionless. However, at that moment, the look in Yang Shiqi's eyes towards Empress Dowager Sun held a strange, mocking, and playful glint!
"Your Majesty, I still need the late Emperor's edict enshrined in the Imperial Ancestral Temple!" Seeing that Yang Shiqi no longer hindered him, Yu Qian solemnly told Empress Dowager Sun. Yu Qian knew that to accomplish this, the edict left by Emperor Taizong was the most important and indispensable document!
"Go and fetch it!" Upon hearing Yu Qian's words, Empress Dowager Sun did not hesitate to order someone to retrieve the imperial edict from the ancestral temple.

A short while later, a young maidservant came running in, holding an imperial edict with a respectful expression.

Immediately, Yu Qian and others knelt down to welcome the arrival of this imperial edict.

At this moment, upon seeing the arrival of this bright yellow imperial edict, Grand Secretary Yang Shiqi looked at Empress Dowager Sun with even more inexplicable pity in his eyes!

Because Yang Shiqi was absolutely certain that Yu Qian invoked the edict left by Emperor Taizong to save the Ming Dynasty, not to save the emperor himself!

Saving the Ming Dynasty is not the same as saving the emperor!

Subsequently, after the imperial edict arrived, Empress Dowager Sun eagerly took the edict from the palace maid and handed it to Yu Qian.

Seeing this, Yang Shiqi felt a pang of heartache! He knew that if Yu Qian were to use the imperial edict now, the greatest guarantee for the future generations of the Ming Dynasty would be gone!
So Yang Shiqi decided he would give it one more try! As for whether he would succeed, that was up to fate!
"Your Majesty, aren't you going to look at the contents of the will?!" Immediately, Yang Shiqi steeled his resolve, looked up, and calmly asked the Empress Dowager Sun.

Upon hearing Yang Shiqi's words, Yu Qian felt a surge of anxiety, and a strange emotion involuntarily appeared on his face.

Empress Dowager Sun, who was originally preparing to hand the imperial edict to Yu Qian, was taken aback after hearing Yang Shiqi's words. Then, seeing the change in Yu Qian's expression, Empress Dowager Sun's heart trembled, and she silently withdrew the imperial edict she was about to hand to Yu Qian.

Afterwards, Empress Dowager Sun found a nearby table, quietly opened the edict, laid it on the table, and began to read it carefully.

At this point, the only person in the hall who looked completely bewildered was probably Xu Youzhen!

At this moment, Xu Youzhen had no idea what was going on! Everyone was discussing his proposed relocation of the capital, and now the topic had abruptly changed!

Or perhaps Emperor Taizong really left some powerful contingency plan for the Ming Dynasty?! Xu Youzhen thought to himself silently.

Meanwhile, Empress Dowager Sun, who was carefully examining the contents of the imperial edict at the table, had already discovered the key issue within it: the abdication of the emperor upon seeing the dragon! What does "abdication upon seeing the dragon" mean?! What position is being abdicated? The throne?! Is this an order for my son to relinquish the throne?! For a moment, a hint of horror flashed in Empress Dowager Sun's beautiful eyes as she saw the crucial content of the edict!
At this moment, Empress Dowager Sun finally understood what her mother-in-law Zhang had said before she passed away.

The great calamity of the Jiazi year is approaching! Without this edict, the Ming Dynasty may perish! But if this edict is used, the son will lose the throne! This is the true calamity!
However, now that this edict has been issued, even Empress Dowager Sun herself doesn't know who will inherit the throne! Therefore, Empress Dowager Sun must now understand the meaning of this "abdication upon the dragon's ascension"! To whom exactly is the throne to be abdicated!

Even deep down, Empress Dowager Sun was already plotting how to reclaim her son's throne after rescuing him and ending the crisis in Beijing!

"Grand Secretary Yang, how should we use this imperial edict?!" At this moment, Empress Dowager Sun also vaguely sensed that Yu Qian's intentions were impure!
Or rather, Empress Dowager Sun has now vaguely realized that Yu Qian's true intention is not to save the Emperor, but only to save the Ming Dynasty! Therefore, at this moment, Empress Dowager Sun has turned her attention to Yang Shiqi, hoping to find a breakthrough through him!

"Replying to Your Majesty."

"Once the imperial edict, the will, another token, and details of the crisis facing our Great Ming Dynasty are all present, Vice Minister Yu will begin handling the next steps!" Yang Shiqi knew very well what Empress Dowager Sun wanted to ask. However, Yang Shiqi had no intention of telling her!

After all, even if he told everyone, no one would believe him! It's better to wait and let everyone see for themselves! Besides, no one knows what Empress Dowager Sun will do after knowing that secret. Yang Shiqi can't take that risk!

Upon hearing Yang Shiqi's reply, Xu Youzhen, who had always been relatively unknown, couldn't help but shrink her pupils in shock!
After all, in Xu Youzhen's view, the Emperor was currently a prisoner! And Yang Shiqi, the Grand Secretary, still refused to reveal the secret contained in the imperial edict. This situation could only mean that the secret was truly enormous!
This secret could be so great that someone would be willing to give up an emperor for it!

Upon realizing this, Xu Youzhen felt her heart tremble! Immediately, she couldn't help but shrink her body to minimize her presence!
"Minister Yu, what do you have to say?!" After hearing Yang Shiqi's words, Empress Dowager Sun gave Yang Shiqi a deep look before turning her gaze to Yu Qian! At this moment, Empress Dowager Sun seemed to be trembling with fear! Because she realized that this matter was completely out of her control!
However, upon further reflection, Empress Dowager Sun turned her attention to Yu Qian! In Empress Dowager Sun's view, since Yu Qian and Yang Shiqi had a conflict over this matter, if Yang Shiqi was unwilling to talk about it, Yu Qian might be willing to reveal the secret!

However, everything will be as simple as Empress Dowager Sun thought!

"Your Majesty the Empress Dowager: Grand Secretary Yang's words are quite correct!" After hearing Empress Dowager Sun's words, Yu Qian simply bowed deeply and firmly to her, saying this. Clearly, at this moment, Yu Qian had no intention of revealing this secret!
For a moment, Xu Youzhen, sitting in the corner, felt like her heart was about to jump out of her chest! Even Yu Qian, who was contradicting Yang Shiqi, was unwilling to tell the truth! That could only mean that this matter had truly become an unbelievable scandal!

At this moment, Empress Dowager Sun pressed the imperial edict firmly on the table, her heart trembling violently! Even her pupils were shaking uncontrollably! Empress Dowager Sun was not a fool; she knew that things had reached a critical point! She had completely lost control of the situation!

The imperial edict has now been brought out; whether to use it or not is a decision that rests on our shoulders!
Let's take a look at the confident attitude of Yu Qian and Yang Shiqi.

If this edict is used, the Ming Dynasty will be saved, and her captured son may be rescued; however, after this edict is used, her son will lose the throne.

Without this imperial edict, the Ming Dynasty might have been destroyed! Even her son couldn't have been saved! However, from then on, she would have a trump card that could turn the tide!

(End of this chapter)